Team vs Burnley (FA Cup)

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Why does Forster need minutes for match sharpness? As long as Vic is fit he wont be required.

What happens when Vic is not fit?

If Forster is a liability for a 3rd round FA Cup tie, he should not be the back-up keeper, and we should not have extended his deal...

 

[SpursSince1980]

I’m all for playing a strong team. Just hope they are very careful with how Benta is handled. Just don’t need him to pick up a knock if Burnley come out looking to play the player more than the ball.

Really curious tho if Burnley will play a weakened team, given their precarious league position. The FA Cup is absolutely meaningless for them this year.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

We have 9 days until United afterwards, why wouldn't we be going as strong as possible? Absolute madness that people are suggesting rotating.

I think a few players should be rested - not necessarily a wholesale rotation - but Porro has played a lot of minutes. Davies too - though he is likely to get an extended break soon.

Kulusevski just had a day off, so I can see the logic in keeping him in the XI (like we have a lot of options...(

 

[SirHarryHotspur]

As with many clubs , back up goalies get to play FA cup games , I would not be surprised to see Forster start in this one , squad members need some reward for keeping the bench warm

 

[bbunc]

As long as it doesn’t go to pens Forster is prob “fine” although I’d personally rather see us not rotate the GK.

 

[nedley]

I'd be happy to see Emerson start ahead of Porro for this one.

 

[BorjeSpurs]

Burnley made 7 changes in their League Cup quarterfinal against Everton a couple of weeks ago. Although the fixtures are a bit more spaced out in January I'd still expect them to rotate quite heavily as they have more important things to worry about this season.

 

[EastUpperDK82]

After our Carabao Cup-exit I want the strongest possible line-up for this one... we need to send a signal that we mean business here... I'm not ready to gamble with important positions like GK... especially with the CB absentees we have... If we have to play Emerson and Davies again then they need Vicario... if we go with youngsters or Dier at CB... we need Vicario... if we manage to bring in Dragusin in time... we need Vicario to steady him... the only way we should play Forster here is if we had Romero and/or Van de Ven ready... and a strong midfield.

The Fulham-game should be warning enough IMO...

 

[Pochemon94]

Burnley made 7 changes in their League Cup quarterfinal against Everton a couple of weeks ago. Although the fixtures are a bit more spaced out in January I'd still expect them to rotate quite heavily as they have more important things to worry about this season.

if they do rotate heavily, that means that they will have a lot of hungry youth in there that will be wanting to make an impression to snag a starting slot. We can't take any of these matches lightly, every player in the prem on their day could play like prime Kane, Not saying they are as good as him obviously just that you never know. With a nice 10 day layoff I don't mind playing a majority of our starters.

 

[spursgirls]

 

[Thenewcat]

I have always disagreed with the ‘cups don’t matter it’s all about the league’ brigade’ for two very important reasons.

1) I think clubs have an institutional memory and spurs are not winners at the moment. Winning the first thing is the hardest, so we shouldn’t be blase about our opportunities. We are more likely to win the league next year if we win the FA Cup this year as an example

2). There’s a false equivalence made between ‘the league’ and ‘a game in the league’. If you told me now picking our best XI against Burnley would cost us a CL spot I would rotate the team, but that’s both incredibly unlikely and impossible to prove. What I can tell you is if we lose to Burnley our chance of winning the FA Cup is zero, whereas our league destiny isn’t decided by the game against United.

I get that lots of people will read this and say some risk is still too much, and that’s a perfectly valid opinion I strongly disagree with. What isn’t valid is the narrative going round about rest. Quite apart from the fact that we’ve had 5 days before the game, 9 afterwards then another 2 weeks after that between fixtures, our players are simply not overworked.

Not a single player we can pick on Friday has appeared in more than 20 games this season, and most much less. For context, Arsenal have 13 players who have appeared more (and most of their better ones over 25). So have City. Even a club like United and their injury crisis have 8. In years where we’ve been playing twice a week before and after the FA Cup the equation is different, but this January will give everyone rest. Has anyone considered that players rested for the Burnley game (and any potential 4th round tie) will have played 1 game in 30 days by the time Brentford comes round and might be rusty? So yeah, there’s a very small chance a player might be injured if they are picked. But that’s life, and unless you were one of those kids who never took their toys out of the box in case they were broken, it’s a risk absolutely worth taking

 

[allpaths]

I always felt that we would have won big things with Poch's group, if we won the league cup final in his first year.

Winning becomes infectious and getting over that hump is always the hardest one. Hopefully we dont make the same mistakes with Ange's group.

 

[SaKkA.kenchiku]

With games spread out, I’d definitely lean to our strongest squad but would throw in Phillips along side Davies but wouldn’t experiment with wholesale changes. a game 8 days later is plenty of time to recover then 10 plus days after that. With players coming back. Benita was subbed early vs bournemouth so is fine and his injury was a not a strain or pull but from impact. I would definitely start Vic, he’s a goalie and is on form and doesnt need a rest. If he’s form drops then yes but not based on playing very game as he is not physically fatigued. I understand resting with a game 3/4 days after or with a heavy schedule but our schedule is like a holiday really compared to teams in europe, league and Fa cup….

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

It's not the next game is 8 days away that is the overriding concern - it's that the Cup game would be the 4th in 2 weeks for some players. That is what makes it dangerous - from an overextended muscle standpoint.

A few players have had breaks - via suspension - like Udogie and Kulusevski - so I can see the argument for playing them. But a player like Porro should absolutely be rested - after making it through the festive period.

Udogie is another - due to his age - that I hope we don't over-extend.

 

[HodisGawd]

I have always disagreed with the ‘cups don’t matter it’s all about the league’ brigade’ for two very important reasons.

1) I think clubs have an institutional memory and spurs are not winners at the moment. Winning the first thing is the hardest, so we shouldn’t be blase about our opportunities. We are more likely to win the league next year if we win the FA Cup this year as an example

2). There’s a false equivalence made between ‘the league’ and ‘a game in the league’. If you told me now picking our best XI against Burnley would cost us a CL spot I would rotate the team, but that’s both incredibly unlikely and impossible to prove. What I can tell you is if we lose to Burnley our chance of winning the FA Cup is zero, whereas our league destiny isn’t decided by the game against United.

I get that lots of people will read this and say some risk is still too much, and that’s a perfectly valid opinion I strongly disagree with. What isn’t valid is the narrative going round about rest. Quite apart from the fact that we’ve had 5 days before the game, 9 afterwards then another 2 weeks after that between fixtures, our players are simply not overworked.

Not a single player we can pick on Friday has appeared in more than 20 games this season, and most much less. For context, Arsenal have 13 players who have appeared more (and most of their better ones over 25). So have City. Even a club like United and their injury crisis have 8. In years where we’ve been playing twice a week before and after the FA Cup the equation is different, but this January will give everyone rest. Has anyone considered that players rested for the Burnley game (and any potential 4th round tie) will have played 1 game in 30 days by the time Brentford comes round and might be rusty? So yeah, there’s a very small chance a player might be injured if they are picked. But that’s life, and unless you were one of those kids who never took their toys out of the box in case they were broken, it’s a risk absolutely worth taking

I'm not having a go, I promise, but you don't understand and have completely misrepresented the "it's all about the league" brigade, of which I am self-appointed president .

Those are not the arguments we make against bothering with the cups.

However, in this instance, I completely agree we should play a strong team as there's no reason not to. I also think this season it makes sense to hope for a good run. Let me know if we get to the semis.

 

[Thenewcat]

It's not the next game is 8 days away that is the overriding concern - it's that the Cup game would be the 4th in 2 weeks for some players. That is what makes it dangerous - from an overextended muscle standpoint.

A few players have had breaks - via suspension - like Udogie and Kulusevski - so I can see the argument for playing them. But a player like Porro should absolutely be rested - after making it through the festive period.

Udogie is another - due to his age - that I hope we don't over-extend.

4 games in 2 weeks is completely normal when you’re in Europe. To do it once isn’t a problem

 

[Thenewcat]

I'm not having a go, I promise, but you don't understand and have completely misrepresented the "it's all about the league" brigade, of which I am self-appointed president .

Those are not the arguments we make against bothering with the cups.

However, in this instance, I completely agree we should play a strong team as there's no reason not to. I also think this season it makes sense to hope for a good run. Let me know if we get to the semis.

Well they are the arguments on these pages. If you’ve got more feel free to tell me what they are

 

[cockerel downunder]

4 games in 2 weeks is completely normal when you’re in Europe. To do it once isn’t a problem

It’s also normal yo incorporate some rotation when in Europe , especially if you play a high intensity style like we do

 

[cockerel downunder]

It's not the next game is 8 days away that is the overriding concern - it's that the Cup game would be the 4th in 2 weeks for some players. That is what makes it dangerous - from an overextended muscle standpoint.

A few players have had breaks - via suspension - like Udogie and Kulusevski - so I can see the argument for playing them. But a player like Porro should absolutely be rested - after making it through the festive period.

Udogie is another - due to his age - that I hope we don't over-extend.

I agree with this, porro for me is the one I’d rotate he’s played virtually every game and must be at increased risk of injury. Good time to give Phillips a game I’d say or if not maybe a farewell game for dier ;-)

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

We play the strongest 11 we can. No way we want a repeat of Fulham. If we are winning 3-0 at halftime then make some changes and give the youth a chance.

We then have 1 game 8 days later and 2 weeks off after that.