[Albion] FA Cup v Stoke early thoughts

[Reddleman]

If we rest Dunk, JPVH and Estupinan we'd only have Hinshelwood as our available defender

Depends if Igor is fit, Milner at Fullback and one of the U21’s as the other centre half.

 

[GT49er]

If we rest Dunk, JPVH and Estupinan we'd only have Hinshelwood as our available defender

Depends if Igor is fit, Milner at Fullback and one of the U21’s as the other centre half.

Webster forgotten already (or is he another on the injured list)?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Fit players for Stoke

Plus u23s

Keepers
Steele
Verbruggen

Defenders
Hinshelwood
Van Hecke
Dunk
Estupinan

Midfield
Gross
Gilmour
Milner
Dahoud
Baleba
Moder
Lallana

Strikers
Pedro
Welbeck
Ferguson

You do know we have to play West Ham first?

8 days is a long time in Albion-injury-land. No doubt, at least one more to scrub off your list, when this game comes round.

 

[kojak]

Ask Lewis Dunk if he'd rather lift the FA Cup at Wembley in front of all those Brighton fans

Or finish 7th in the league?

 

[jcdenton08]

One match at a time for me, squarely focused on West Ham and interested in what we’ll do about our defence.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Webster forgotten already (or is he another on the injured list)?

Webster is injured, yes

 

[Papa Lazarou]

You do know we have to play West Ham first?

8 days is a long time in Albion-injury-land. No doubt, at least one more to scrub off your list, when this game comes round.

Yep. Could be an even shorter list of available players. Gulp

 

[Seagull]

I want to win something, we should try to win the FA Cup. With a good draw we’d have a good chance. Still gutted re the 2017 Championship, something we should have won. We are unlikely to win the Europa League, and may never play in it again. We def won’t win the PL and no one remembers who finishes 4th or 6th. Strong side for me.

 

[Zeberdi]

Difficult decisions - the last thing we want to do is sustain any more injuries of key players not if we are seriously challenging for at least a Europa quarter final ( at least!). and top 10 finish and frankly not for a FA cup 3rd round.

So I reckon make it a game for those that need minutes either for conditioning ( Facu, Moder, Pervis etc ) or those that need minutes for experience- - Benicio, McGill,, Duffus , Couchane, Baleba, Dahoud and Igor if fit. Then of course the oldies - Welbeck, Lallana and Milner who don’t do 90 in the EPL?.. Perhaps use some U18s to cover a few positions in the U23s?

But we need to sort out a backline for Tuesday night first - Stoke is the least of our problems this week

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Stoke sit 18th in the Championship, and their win at Birmingham on Boxing Day was there first win in 11

Bloody typical. NOW they find their form.

 

[US Seagull]

I'm a bit in two minds about it. I'd expect a strongish team. Rest some key players, throw in some players that need to get back to match fitness and maybe blood a youngster or two. A game changer or two on the bench in case they are needed.

I would certainly like a win, but not an "at all costs" win. And I won't be crushed by an early exit either.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

I'd like us to play a strongish side, and I'd like us to have a good go in the FA Cup. I still hanker after the days when the cup meant a lot.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm a bit in two minds about it. I'd expect a strongish team. Rest some key players, throw in some players that need to get back to match fitness and maybe blood a youngster or two. A game changer or two on the bench in case they are needed.

I would certainly like a win, but not an "at all costs" win. And I won't be crushed by an early exit either.

This is a much easier attitude to take, when your personal investment in the day, does not include an 8 hour round trip. There are at least 4,000 Albion fans travelling, in the expectation that we'll be very competitive.

 

[bluenitsuj]

Our strongest 11. De Zerbi wants to win the cup. We also have a 2 week break after.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I'm loathe to say it, but I'm really not fussed about the FA Cup this year. Hell, we're not going to win it, anyway, and we have enough on our plate as it is. There will always be other years to focus upon it.

We've proved we have a squad good enough to challenge, even with an injury list of regulars. Why can't we win it? We've got to lose this 'teams like Brighton' mentality

 

[Mustafa II]

I want to win something, we should try to win the FA Cup. With a good draw we’d have a good chance. Still gutted re the 2017 Championship, something we should have won. We are unlikely to win the Europa League, and may never play in it again. We def won’t win the PL and no one remembers who finishes 4th or 6th. Strong side for me.

We genuinely have more chance at winning the Europa League than the FA Cup, purely because there is no City & Arsenal to worry about.

 

[birthofanorange]

We've proved we have a squad good enough to challenge, even with an injury list of regulars. Why can't we win it? We've got to lose this 'teams like Brighton' mentality

Challenge? Certainly, but with (as you say) our injury list, I truly can't see us winning it, alongside maintaining our position in the PL and hoping to progress further in Europe.
It's not a 'teams like Brighton' mentality, just (imho) a grasp on reality.

 

[dwayne]

Completely forgot we played them last season in the cup .... Look at the godamn team (much stronger than most league teams we've put out this season) and we only won 1-0

 

[Bob!]

Our strongest 11. De Zerbi wants to win the cup. We also have a 2 week break after.

.. unless we need a replay

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Stoke sit 18th in the Championship, and their win at Birmingham on Boxing Day was there first win in 11

Strong team. Big game. Big balls.