nathan jone's flock of rather nervous hampshire sheep v eddie howe's brokendollless swashbuckling semi-finalists.

[David Kelly 1260]

52 minutes ago, Tom said:

We haven’t got a premier league game till the 4th of February. We’ll be full strength tonight 

The question is just what Howe considers our best side.  There's at least 9 players locked in.

[Craig 6700]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

We haven’t got a premier league game till the 4th of February. We’ll be full strength tonight 

 

That's the thing, like. If we're serious about reaching the Cup Final, and Eddie's press conference left you in absolutely no doubt that he is, why would we not put out a full strength team? 

I don't expect any changes from the starting lineup on Saturday. Maxi & Isak will get their opportunities, but it'll be from the bench.

[Dr Gloom 22137]

i think isak might be the one change. wilson hasn't scored in 8 games and has looked far from his usual self since recovering from this virus. isak looks ready from what we've seen since he returned from injury. 

[Gemmill 45996]

You can't keep starting the £63m lad on the bench, especially when the lad keeping him out of the team isn't scoring. 

[Howmanheyman 33819]

1 hour ago, Polarboy said:

 

Is he one half of a Bros tribute act?

 

1 hour ago, Alex said:

One third. He’s a blonde Craig Logan 

 

He might well be but he owes you nothing. 

[PaddockLad 17641]

1 minute ago, Howmanheyman said:

 

 

He might well be but he owes you nothing. 

 

Well this post has put the cat among the pigeons

 

(I bet we can’t do more than half a dozen terrible Bros puns  ) 

[trophyshy 7084]

I can’t answer that. 

[Howmanheyman 33819]

Just now, PaddockLad said:

 

Well this post has put the cat among the pigeons

 

(I bet we can’t do more than half a dozen terrible Bros puns  ) 

 He probably put that pic up on twitter wondering when will he be famous?

[Alex 35567]

I wouldn’t be averse to playing Isak and Wilson with the former nominally wide left. Joelinton drops to midfield then. Harsh on Willock but Wilson and Isak might take the pressure off each other. I actually think Isak was bought to play (at least some of the time initially) to play on the right. But he got injured and Almiron had a purple patch. We still don’t have a lot on the bench to change a game though so that probably is part of the thinking re: holding Isak back a bit too

[Howmanheyman 33819]

Gemmill was a brossette, he should be right on this.

[Howmanheyman 33819]

1 minute ago, Alex said:

I wouldn’t be averse to playing Isak and Wilson with the former nominally wide left. Joelinton drops to midfield then. Harsh on Willock but Wilson and Isak might take the pressure off each other. I actually think Isak was bought to play (at least some of the time initially) to play on the right. But he got injured and Almiron had a purple patch. We still don’t have a lot on the bench to change a game though so that probably is part of the thinking re: holding Isak back a bit too

 

We've got options for moves like this, I suppose it's how comfortable they are changing routine? 

[Craig 6700]

14 minutes ago, Gemmill said:

You can't keep starting the £63m lad on the bench, especially when the lad keeping him out of the team isn't scoring. 

 

I agree to an extent, but listening to that press conference where Howe specifically talks about how he's not been in full training yet and has been mainly reliant on what he's getting on the pitch to work on his fitness, I can't see how he'll start him. 

[Alex 35567]

3 minutes ago, Howmanheyman said:

 

We've got options for moves like this, I suppose it's how comfortable they are changing routine? 

Aye. I think Howe’s really happy with the solidity of the team that’s been starting the vast majority of the matches. Then he does have some attacking options on the bench if needed, especially Isak and ASM. We’ve basically gotten where we are by being so hard to beat, then nicking the odd goal. I can see why sticking with that makes most sense to him. 

[Gemmill 45996]

17 minutes ago, Howmanheyman said:

Gemmill was a brossette, he should be right on this.

 

The moment has gone now, but suffice to say this would have been like shooting fish in a barrel for me. 

[The Fish 10962]

The fuck did I do?

[Tom 14013]

I think it’d be very harsh on Willock if he doesn’t start, he was exceptional at the weekend.

[wykikitoon 20708]

4 minutes ago, Tom said:

I think it’d be very harsh on Willock if he doesn’t start, he was exceptional at the weekend.

Totally and harsh on Longstaff, who has been grafting.  Yeh his final third play hasn't been up to scratch but he works his bollocks off.

[Polarboy 2311]

1 hour ago, Alex said:

One third. He’s a blonde Craig Logan 

 

We're team Goss in our house. Logan can get te fuck the Judas. 

[The Fish 10962]

17 minutes ago, Tom said:

I think it’d be very harsh on Willock if he doesn’t start, he was exceptional at the weekend.

 

He was, but he's got a straight line approach to the attack. To get through a low block, we absolutely need someone who takes a more fancy-dan approach. 

 

A fancy-Dan, French, flop-to-the-floor, five-stepovers, prick of a winger.

Edited January 24, 2023 by The Fish

[Alex 35567]

Matt and Luke make me puke tbh 

[Renton 21977]

16 hours ago, toonotl said:

This is where our goalscoring woes end. 3-0. Wilson to get a goal.

 

That's coming next week imo, what with the nil-nil specialist and caps shift phobic tbd starting the thread. 

[Howmanheyman 33819]

1 minute ago, Alex said:

Matt and luke make me puke tbh 

 

'The fuck did I do?'

 

 

[Gemmill 45996]

7 minutes ago, Alex said:

Matt and Luke make me puke tbh 

 

Were you listening to Helen Skelton on 5 Live at the weekend?

 

[Tom 14013]

9 minutes ago, The Fish said:

 

He was, but he's got a straight line approach to the attack. To get through a low block, we absolutely need someone who takes a more fancy-dan approach. 

 

A fancy-Dan, French, flop-to-the-floor, five-stepovers, prick of a winger.

What the fuck is a low block 

[Alex 35567]

Just now, Gemmill said:

 

Were you listening to Helen Skelton on 5 Live at the weekend?

 

Nope. I think I remember quite a bit of daft stuff relating to Bros from back in the day because loads of lasses and  a few lads were into them at school. For a while they were massive and I couldn’t fucking stand them. It’s a bit like mackems and Dawn Thewlis