Who would you start?

On Wednesday we head to White Heart Lane to take on Spurs in the quater final of the League Cup. Depending on who you ask, this is either a very, very important game(fans) or it is not that important and we would rather concentrate our efforts on premier league games and survival (club). To me the game on Wednesday is a great chance to push for some silverware and we must go in with the strongest team possible. However one eye must be firmly fixed on this weekend fixture against our most bitter rivals Sunderland.

Play or rest?
Play or rest?

As much as I would like to progress in the league cup, I want to see a good showing on the weekend and three points put in the bank after a win.
So with this in mind, there really are a few selection issues that need to be taken into account so that we don’t head into Sundays game with a bunch of tired players. From what I can gather at this early stage, we should have all of our regulars (apart from Janmaat – card trouble) available to play but I do not think we should be loading up the team too much for Wednesdays clash.
I think we should rest Sissoko and start Abied. If required we can bring Sissoko on late to add some fresh legs and drive. I would also look to rest Perez and Cisse and give Riviere a run out so he can get some game time under his belt. I would also leave Taylor out and play Williamson so that come Sunday, Taylor will be fit and firing.
It really is a hard one to juggle, how strong of a side will Pardew be prepared to send out? It really is a doubled edged sword, play a weaker team on Wednesday and lose and there will be derision amongst the fans. Play a stronger team and then lose on the weekend due player fatigue and things will get very gloomy indeed.
I hope Pardew can strike a good balance over the two games and we can come away with two victories!
It would be a very good week of football if Pardew and the lads could pull it off!
What are your thoughts?

596 thoughts on “Who would you start?

  1. fuging men against boys again…

    Big D…maybe my stream was poor, but what was Alnwick doing for the second goal ?

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  2. Take perez off and rest him for the mackems, the game is gone now so may as well give Armstrong some game time.

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  3. This sort of performance can ruin Alnwick for ever, and we are telling Ben Arfa to ****** off.

    Pardew you have some questions to answer, your lucky streak is over.

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  4. Can’t blame Rivi for that miss, mind you. That was all Cabella, unfortunately.

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  5. I knew we would make chances cos we have Perez in the team, and Spurs are really no great shakes. But fug me if Cabella can’t score that tap in we have no chance..

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  6. It’s game over, we’ve missed the chances we should have converted to make a game of it. Take Sissoko, perez and colo off and rest them now. Spurs are already resting their better players.

    That really is game over, take em off and let spurs score as many as they like, not bothered anymore.

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  7. MM the funny thing is that most people have seen that most of our team are **** and when Troy said it he got hammered, he was right we have some decent players but as a team we are ****.

    There we go again Alnwick has been very poor IMO

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  8. Slowly coming to the conclusion is it worth battling Xmas shoppers etc to get to Toon on Sunday after watching this load of rubbish.

    Pardew had as much thought about winning this as LVG has of winning the Scottish premiership.

    Ashleys trip to the training ground was to probably remind then that we are not supposed to be to successful.

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  9. Poor Pardew is in a realy difficult place.
    Did we have the option to call in a loanee goalkeeper and decided against it ?
    Alnwick or Woodman against the makkems … doesn’t bear thinking about ?

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  10. Mark – our scouts and recruitment system is awesome mate, we’ve been told this by consectuvie DOF’s for years now 😉

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  11. another absolutely pish goal to concede.
    Men against boys… we stand off so much, no wonder they pass the ball around us…

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  12. Alnwick will be gone in the summer and he will be no miss, Darlow better.

    Munich – supposedly we didn’t have the option because darlow counted as one of ours.

    Great, now if Sissoko is crocked we are ****** for the mackems.

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  13. When all our best players are fit we have a good squad we just don’t have the depth that’s all. Alnwick is ruined now, confidence will be shot, Mackems will be rubbing their hands watching this .

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  14. Munich Mag hope you are joking about your comment about poor Pardew, who in the hell allowed Darlow to go back to Forrest for the season, non other than one A PARDEW, and we were left with what we have now, Check out Kruls record he is prone to injuries and has even played while injured. truly wonderful thinking by NUFC, but hell we saved on Darlows wages.

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  15. Ash – You think Pardew is allowed to make those calls about saving wages? I seriously doubt it mate 😆

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  16. Knowing that the toon have Alnwick in goal will give the makkems an extra 10%.
    We are way too powder puff in midfield.

    Fug me even that useless shoyt Soldano has scored ….
    another goalkeeping error… 👿

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  17. **** all round.
    Third choice keeper – you get what you’re given. Alnwick at direct fault for two.
    What’s going on with the line up? Have others been rested? Why aren’t some of Cisse etc even on the bench 😕

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  18. Cabella and Riviere are too like Anita. They just don’t have the grit to cope with the strength of the PL. Light-weight in body and mind.

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  19. Spurs have absolutely pissed all over this midfield. I know Tiote is unpopular these days but he can do a job, unlike Cabella or Goof apparently.

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  20. why the flock did Pardew play Dummett at right back ?
    Surely Anita was the obvious choice ?
    Both full backs have played poorly..

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  21. Looks like Pardew has been vindicated when Alnwick came knocking on his door and Pardew told him to flock off.
    Alnwick may be a confident lad, doesn’t mean he’s a good goalie..

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  22. Where the hell is BEN ARFA even if he never moves from the half way line he is better that most of this shower

    Feeling so peed off with this display,

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  23. Unlucky armstrong. We could have had three or four today but that was a much better attempt than most of ours today! 😆

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  24. it is clear to see how the Europa league has badly affected spurs.
    Percy is never wrong

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  25. Think on this January is 15 days away. Man U and the rest of the teams that want to actually win something, come calling for the likes of Sissoko, Tiote, and even Perez, ££££££ signs flash up and they are gone, HAPPY DAYS

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  26. lol Troy reckoned we could of won here 😯 😳

    so did I like 😆

    never mind, roll on Sunderland and tactician Poyet..

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  27. Solano I am not saying that Ben Arfa is a the saviour but he is no worse that most on the pitch tonight, Cabella has contributed exactly nothing, add the likes of Gouffron, Anita etc, and think again about Ben Arfa with a Keegan type manager.

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