Man Utd in the cup on Tuesday

Lukerz

I think if it came to it, Fornals could be the first choice replacement CM ahead of Noble, but it's not ideal. That forward line is not great, is it. I'm sure we'll get by until the summer, given our points tally, with Yarmo & Odubeko sharing minutes between them, but it's not great.

yoyo

IF Antonio and Soucek are missing then management can have no excuses, or try to blame lack of depth in certain areas, when it has been so obvious to everyone else

OldCastleSwift

Lukerz said:

I think if it came to it, Fornals could be the first choice replacement CM ahead of Noble, but it's not ideal. That forward line is not great, is it. I'm sure we'll get by until the summer, given our points tally, with Yarmo & Odubeko sharing minutes between them, but it's not great.

Yeah, we have enough to get by. Obviously we're not getting relegated and even with a fully fit squad are unlikely to progress in the cup.

Just feels like a wasted opportunity. Even with a decent summer transfer window there's no guarantee that we'll be in this position again next season. Wolves, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs to an extent haven't really been on it this season, so if they pick up it could become irrelevant what we do in the market.

Pearces_Left_Foot

https://www.claretandhugh.info/moyes-overpaid-and-over-priced-players-not-the-way-to-go/

Yeoldhammer

Are we going to be playing the Man U game with a false nine ?

Benrahma Bowen Lanzini Fornals ? all to play or does he stick with Yarmelenko up front

ASLEFshrugged

As Moyes said the strikers he wanted weren't available in January and he clearly doesn't want another Hugill. As for loans unless we signed Dawson as well as Benrahma the only loans we could have had were from overseas and maybe no one in Serie A, La Liga, etc. wanted to come here to be backups.

Big hint last week when 90 mins and Claret & Hugh both reported that Moyes had spoken favourably about Odubeko. With Moyes now dropping large hints that Antonio needs a rest I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Mipo in the starting XI tomorrow

IronHerb

I don't think Moyes looks to sign back ups.

Pearces_Left_Foot

Moyes has said he only wants players who will improve the team which means long term signings rather than stop gap. Hopefully this will means a gradual improvement and some stability we tried big signings and high profile manager now lets try this way .

ASLEFshrugged

Randolph was definitely signed as a back up and possibly Dawson too.

Lukerz

ASLEFshrugged said:

Randolph was definitely signed as a back up and possibly Dawson too.

Arguably Randolph was signed as first choice as Fab was injured when he came in, albeit only for a couple of games.

OldCastleSwift

IronHerb said:

I don't think Moyes looks to sign back ups.

Which I agree with in principle.

But in our situation, a short-term loan would have been sensible, if not ideal.

OldCastleSwift

ASLEFshrugged said:

Big hint last week when 90 mins and Claret & Hugh both reported that Moyes had spoken favourably about Odubeko. With Moyes now dropping large hints that Antonio needs a rest I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Mipo in the starting XI tomorrow

I'm not so sure. Moyes couldn't even find a place for him on a bench of nine players against Fulham. Yes, he played for the U23s the night before, but if he's seen as a genuine option for the first team, he shouldn't have played that game, IMO.

If Antonio doesn't make it tomorrow, Yarmolenko will start.

Lukerz

Could we try Lanzini as a false 9?

Bowen - Benrahma - Fornals
Lanzini

buffybegood

Lukerz said:

Could we try Lanzini as a false 9?

Bowen - Benrahma - Fornals
Lanzini

Lanzini has been getting less game time than Yarmolenko, so I don't see this happening tbh.

Lukerz

We need to learn from the first time this happened.

I remember Antonio came off against Spurs with a tight hamstring. Moyes said ‘he was ok’. We all worried there was more to it. He then started the next game against City, it didn’t feel right, he was subbed off in that game & out for 2 months.

We need to now give him as long as he needs off. He was feeling something in his hamstring, so give him this game off & maybe Sheff Utd too. We need to learn from what happened back in October.

So it’s either Yarmolenko, Odudeko or an experiment.

claretandbluesky

It seems in the summer Moyes will need target a first choice striker as Antonio is just not reliable enough regard fitness. We wont need a back up to him but rather he will be a luxury when fit, sadly like Andy Carroll was for much of his time with us.

thornburyiron

Pogba’s definitely out tomorrow.

Lukerz

Lukerz said:

Fabianski
Fredericks - Diop - Ogbonna - Cresswell
Souček - Rice
Bowen - Benrahma - Fornals
Antonio

Trott, Balbuena, Dawson, Coufal, Johnson, Noble, Lanzini, Yarmolenko, Odubeko

If Antonio cannot he risked, then I’d stick Bowen up front & bring in Lanzini.

Changed my mind:

Fabianski
Coufal - Balbuena - Ogbonna - Cresswell
Fredericks - Souček - Rice - Fornals - Benrahma
Bowen

EXETERHAMMER

Fabianski
Coufal - Dawson-Ogbonna-Cresswell
Rice
Soucek Fornals
Bowen. Benhrama
Yarmo

OldCastleSwift

Moyes to the players: "Big game tomorrow night lads. A real chance to push on in the cup. These West Ham fans haven't seen a major cup win for 41 years. 100% focus before and during the match please boys"

The boys:

Lukerz

Is that Mark Snowball?

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

And Declan Ice.

Cuz1

Fabian ski

Brother_Sledge

Angelo tobogganer

Kuchinghammer

Alderz...2018 system? Is that 2gk, Rice, 8 forwards? Or 8 defenders including kick and rush gk, Rice, 2 forwards? The 0 is understood- Noble in both formations.

Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes

Shame we’ve got such a hard draw as I think we have a real chance in the cup this year.

Still, they’re not exactly invincible to I live in hope.

COYI

IronHerb

You would have to beat City or Chelsea or Spurs or Leicester sometime so why not United tonight.

COYI

ianbishoplegend

Looking forward to this one. Yarma double on the cards

steve

might need to have what ianbishop is having

Cuz1

Is it legal