EL: West Ham Utd 0-1 Dinamo Zagreb (9/12/21)

[sutts07]

Allardyce was crucified for how he treated the young players against Nottingham Forrest, so it's rather hypocritical to start suggesting we do something similar to our U23 defence.

It is not hypocritical, this is a totally different scenario (and one that is quite alien to us). This is not a must win, one off, knockout FA Cup game. We have won the group on merit and we are in the last 16. That is not arrogant, it is fact.

We can play 6 or 7 established pros with a blend of youth making thrown in to make up the XI. Absolutely no ned to risk any of our regular starters here as the games come thick and fast in December.

Something like the following would be fine by me...

---------------- Areola -----------------
Ashby Alese Kral Baptiste Fredricks
----- Chesters Noble Vlasic ----------
------- Yarmolenko Okoflex ----------

[Turns to Stone]

-----------------Areola

Ashby-----Alese----Dawson----Masuaku

-----------Noble-------Kral

Chesters-------Vlasic---------Benrahma

--------------Yarmolenko

[Doc H Ball]

But wtf?

One of those 'first they came for Genk and then they came for us' situations isn't it?

I'm still pissed off at Chelsea for their game v Liverpool in 1986.

[davids cross]

Something like the following would be fine by me...

---------------- Areola -----------------
Ashby Alese Kral Baptiste Fredricks
----- Chesters Noble Vlasic ----------
------- Yarmolenko Okoflex ----------

Okoflex can't play sutts...

Not registered.

[stu1]

It is not hypocritical, this is a totally different scenario (and one that is quite alien to us). This is not a must win, one off, knockout FA Cup game. We have won the group on merit and we are in the last 16. That is not arrogant, it is fact.

We can play 6 or 7 established pros with a blend of youth making thrown in to make up the XI. Absolutely no ned to risk any of our regular starters here as the games come thick and fast in December.

Something like the following would be fine by me...

---------------- Areola -----------------
Ashby Alese Kral Baptiste Fredricks
----- Chesters Noble Vlasic ----------
------- Yarmolenko Okoflex ----------

The criticism of Allardyce was two fold, disrespecting the FA cup and setting the youth players up to get embarrassed. I'm clearly talking about the latter not the former being similar to the scenario being discussed.

Again I'm not sure why you are talking about us being qualified on merit as fact, of course that's a fact. You seem to be completely missing the point of what I'm saying, so much so it makes me wonder if you are doing it on purpose. I clearly stated that it was arrogant to think Zagreb couldn't run ragged our U23 defence, whether we are qualified or not has no impact on the ability of our U23 players to deal with Zagreb.

I'll leave this conversation as there seems little point continuing any further.

[sutts07]

Okoflex can't play sutts...

Not registered.

Oh that would be VERY West Ham like... Mannygate x2

[sutts07]

The criticism of Allardyce was two fold,

Let's be honest, the criticism of Allardyce was due to him being a largely unpopular manager despite the decent job he did for us overall. He didn't really ruin anyone's careers that day, anyone who thinks otherwise is a touch clueless.

Truth be told, Moyes could put a full U23s team out Thursday, get rolled 5-0 and not have a bad word said about him. That's football.

This is a completely different scenario and you must be able to see that.
As you say, best to leave it there as we are going in circles.

[kitthehammer]

i was wondering if we could trial Kral playing as centre back in this match, as a back up to Dawson and Diop, to drop into our first team should they get injured too in the next 4 weeks?
I think it would be too much expecting any kids to play there in prem matches and i don't think we'd want rice playing there.
Fredericks is injured. But don't risk any more first team squad players.

---------------- Areola -----------------
Ashby Alese Kral Baptiste Masuaku
----- Chesters Noble Vlasic ----------
------- Yarmolenko Perkins ----------

suns: Randolph, Benrahma, ?

[Diogenes]

I am so, so glad we have a proper experienced Manager who picks our team rather than we on this forum. From the sublime to ridiculous to the absolutely absurd

[davids cross]

No youngster will want their debut to be Nottingham Forrest part 2.

Good point that.

Bit of a caveat here though I think.

And it's really just the feeling around the club. The youngsters that day, I felt, were under a lot of pressure. It was a knockout competition....fans wanted to progress in the competition.....and (thrown under the bus) came to my mind at the time. .....The lads that play on Thursday won't really carry any such thoughts. We are through......they do not carry the weight of any expectation into the game.

But, yes, a fair point. I hated that "experiment" at Forest.

[hammerman11]

Different this time as us fans would accept a defeat in a meaningless game for us.

Areola
Fredericks alsese baptiste masuaka
Noble kral benrahma
Vlasic perkins yarmolenko

A bit more of a mixture .

We just can't risk our two senior central defenders , Cresswell, rice soucel coufal Antonio fornals or bowen

[Wilko1304]

Probably not a bad idea to force Arthur to left back and get him used to defensive responsibility.

Now somebody hide me before Crouchy gets here

[arlhe]

I still expect a decent side to be put out. One of the youngsters in the starting eleven at most.

Getting beat 5-0, a la Forest, won't help anyone.

[-DL-]

Getting beat 5-0, a la Forest, won't help anyone.

Well it would help Zagreb secure qualification, so it would help someone...

[WHU Independent]

Let's be honest, the criticism of Allardyce was due to him being a largely unpopular manager despite the decent job he did for us overall.

I seem to have a different recollection of this. I remember under his stewardship we were top of the league but then a massive dip in form meant we dropped down to the play off places. We won throught to the final, (all games which I was at) and in that we went 1-0 and BFS encouraged the team to sit back, The net result: Blackpool scored and in the second half they were running us ragged. A late-ish goal from RVT saved the day and we then defended, seeing the game out, but with several on-the-edge-of-the-seat moments because Blackpool went VERY close to scoring.

IMPO we played some of the worse football I'd ever seen under BFS at many junctures and his "not playing to win" tactics really irked me. So much so, he and his way of playing - plus the impending move to the souless bowl - was one of the reasons I gave up my season ticket after holding it close to 15 years.

I just couldn't see the team I support play the type of negative football that I had crticised other teams for playing during the years.

[Puff Daddy]

Okoflex can't play sutts...

Not registered.

So? play him anyway. We don't care about that sort of thing

[HammerAl]

Feels so good going into a game without any pressure whatsoever. Excited to see how some of the fringe players and youngsters get on.

[WCpete]

Is Fredericks fit? Moyes said he was injured in his post match interview last Saturday.

[Shabu]

Comparing this game to the Allardyce/Forest game is utter nonsense.

Completely different scenario on so many levels

[LeonRivers]

To want to start 3 or 4 youth players in the same defence against a team that got to the last 16 in the Europa last season is utter madness.

Just to offer a counter point, playing 3 or 4 youth players in defence against the worst team we have played so far this season sounds like a sensible plan.