Knockaert - Does he start against Wigan?

[OzMike]

Yes, can substitute midway through second half if at least 2 goals ahead.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

What's Murphy done to upset you?

Nothing at all, he's a good option but Pocognoli is naturally left footed, which I like in a left winger for balance. Skalak is a right winger playing on the left because we happen to have the best player in the league in his position but play Skalak right and watch the crosses fly into the box for Murray and a re-born Baldock to attack. Sounds simple!

 

[Rugrat]

As others have said, I'd bench him ready to bring on if we're not winning on 65-70ish minutes. Our team is good enough to beat Wigan without him and Murphy and Skalak are more than adequate on the wings. We can't afford to risk him being suspended for Norwich, a game which could hinge massively on where we end up at the end of the season. Remember if we'd simply lost 0-2 rather than 0-3 to Middlesbrough last season, we'd have gone up instead of them. Knockaert could easily be the difference between win and draw/defeat against Norwich, which is likely to be a much tighter, more highly contested game - and it's probably going to be between us and them for who goes up with Newcastle. Whilst every game is important in this league, the points from the Norwich game are far more important than against Wigan.

That save's me writing too much. Murphy and Skalak for me too

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Nothing at all, he's a good option but Pocognoli is naturally left footed, which I like in a left winger for balance. Skalak is a right winger playing on the left because we happen to have the best player in the league in his position but play Skalak right and watch the crosses fly into the box for Murray and a re-born Baldock to attack. Sounds simple!

Pocognoli is a left back. You are playing a player out of position, when Murphy who is a natural left sided midfielder is available.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Start yes but if all is going to plan he can come off at some point

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Pocognoli is a left back. You are playing a player out of position, when Murphy who is a natural left sided midfielder is available.

Well, I'm not playing anybody, it's all conjecture and opinion.

Rosenior playing out of position at right midfield was a nightmare at the start of last season wasn't it.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Well, I'm not playing anybody, it's all conjecture and opinion.

Rosenior playing out of position at right midfield was a nightmare at the start of last season wasn't it.

That was out of necessity at the time.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

That was out of necessity at the time.

No it wasn't, it was tactical. Ipswich away, Murphy and March on the bench. Do you disagree that playing a left footer on the left wing adds balance? We all know that Hughton is quite negative in tactics, so playing a more defensive left winger wouldn't be out of character - that isn't a criticism either, it's tactics.

 

[SBarlow]

May have already been pointed out. But if you do not play knockaert for a game out of fear of him getting a yellow and missing a game. He has missed two games.

Therefore, you have a self imposed two game ban out of a one game ban.

So what it's Norwich, we were doing okay with March and Murphy before we signed Knockeart so I would suggest we can get by a game without him.

 

[fat old seagull]

Even if we were away at Norwich you seem a defeatist it's Norwich not Barcelona.

Defeatist? Read it again.....the clues in the 'being realistic' bit! I'm overly optimistic whenever BHA play, doesn't mean I need to follow blindly in the belief we are unbeatable, or think Norwich aren't going to win the league.

 

[GT49er]

Pocognoli left wing, Skalak right wing. Knockers on the bench to unleash if needed.

Yeh, Murphy's so crap that we'll have to play a full back there instead? Absolutely agree that we should play for a draw at Wigan..........!

 

[NooBHA]

Not quite...it would mean Norwich got 0 points as well. Our results against the top teams last year weren't great. We need to rectify this to get promoted. Wigan is an important game but Norwich even more so.
Also, this is a squad game and we have able replacements. It begs the question, if you wouldn't rest him for Wigan whilst on 4 yellows with Norwich the following week then when would you rest him ?

He will get a rest when he picks up that next yellow card and gets suspended