SJG99 wrote:Just noticed that apart from Saints away tomorrow (I'll give you all a scouting report, because it's not like it's the only Prem game on Sky that day or anything...) Spurs will be playing Man U on Weds 31st January so irrespective of County's priorities, pretty sure we'll see a second string Tottenham side - though as they tend to rotate their players regularly anyway I don't think they'll appear much under full strength.

There is also the possibility Toby Alderweireld needs matches to get back to match fitness, and he's the best defender in the Premier League, so that could be a bit of a problem.

Good to see Sheehan back last night, needs to play Tuesday to see if he's fully up to speed by Saturday, hopefully his youthfulness will give him sufficient recovery time.

The word in London is they are going for the FA Cup as they need a trophy to hold their squad together.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba ... 65311.html
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/footbal ... elsea-News

southernfan wrote:

SJG99 wrote:Just noticed that apart from Saints away tomorrow (I'll give you all a scouting report, because it's not like it's the only Prem game on Sky that day or anything...) Spurs will be playing Man U on Weds 31st January so irrespective of County's priorities, pretty sure we'll see a second string Tottenham side - though as they tend to rotate their players regularly anyway I don't think they'll appear much under full strength.

There is also the possibility Toby Alderweireld needs matches to get back to match fitness, and he's the best defender in the Premier League, so that could be a bit of a problem.

Good to see Sheehan back last night, needs to play Tuesday to see if he's fully up to speed by Saturday, hopefully his youthfulness will give him sufficient recovery time.

The word in London is they are going for the FA Cup as they need a trophy to hold their squad together.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba ... 65311.html
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/footbal ... elsea-News

Yep, but they'll still rest half the team.

In his post match interview last night, Flynn said that he will not be resting players, that the league is more important and that big Frank will just have to lump it if he does get a yellow against Morecambe and miss Spurs.
My paraphrasing of what he said, not his exact words.

Amberexile wrote:In his post match interview last night, Flynn said that he will not be resting players, that the league is more important and that big Frank will just have to lump it if he does get a yellow against Morecambe and miss Spurs.
My paraphrasing of what he said, not his exact words.

Well he would say that. The team will tell its own story on Tuesday.

Well, it's late January and we're still in the top 10, something I never thought we would be and with the amount of points between us and automatic promotion even I think that we should be playing our strongest side possible in every league game and if players get injured or suspended for Spurs game then that's bad luck....

SJG99 wrote:

southernfan wrote:

SJG99 wrote:Just noticed that apart from Saints away tomorrow (I'll give you all a scouting report, because it's not like it's the only Prem game on Sky that day or anything...) Spurs will be playing Man U on Weds 31st January so irrespective of County's priorities, pretty sure we'll see a second string Tottenham side - though as they tend to rotate their players regularly anyway I don't think they'll appear much under full strength.

There is also the possibility Toby Alderweireld needs matches to get back to match fitness, and he's the best defender in the Premier League, so that could be a bit of a problem.

Good to see Sheehan back last night, needs to play Tuesday to see if he's fully up to speed by Saturday, hopefully his youthfulness will give him sufficient recovery time.

The word in London is they are going for the FA Cup as they need a trophy to hold their squad together.

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/footba ... 65311.html
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/footbal ... elsea-News

Yep, but they'll still rest half the team.

Oh sorry, I didn't realise you had access to their planning info. Strange that they didn't rest many for Wimbledon, did they tell you their thinking on that one?

southernfan wrote: Oh sorry, I didn't realise you had access to their planning info. Strange that they didn't rest many for Wimbledon, did they tell you their thinking on that one?

Yeah, ok, they "didn't rest many for Wimbledon":

Starting line up v AFC Wimbledon
M Vorm (G)
K Trippier (D)
J Vertonghen (D)
J Foyth (D)
K Walker-Peters (D)
E Lamela (M)
V Wanyama (M)
M Sissoko (M)
M Dembele (M)
H Kane (F)
F Llorente (F)

Starting line up v Everton the following Saturday. Players who started both in bold:
H Lloris (G)
J Vertonghen (D)
D Sanchez (D)
S Aurier (D)
B Davies (D)
Heung-Min Son (M)
E Dier (M)
M Dembele (M)
D Alli (M)
C Eriksen (M)
H Kane (F)

So, they changed 8 players for their next league game. It would have been 9 but Alderweireld is injured so Vertonghen had to play both.

SJG99 wrote:

southernfan wrote: Oh sorry, I didn't realise you had access to their planning info. Strange that they didn't rest many for Wimbledon, did they tell you their thinking on that one?

Yeah, ok, they "didn't rest many for Wimbledon":

Starting line up v AFC Wimbledon
M Vorm (G)
K Trippier (D)
J Vertonghen (D)
J Foyth (D)
K Walker-Peters (D)
E Lamela (M)
V Wanyama (M)
M Sissoko (M)
M Dembele (M)
H Kane (F)
F Llorente (F)

Starting line up v Everton the following Saturday. Players who started both in bold:
H Lloris (G)
J Vertonghen (D)
D Sanchez (D)
S Aurier (D)
B Davies (D)
Heung-Min Son (M)
E Dier (M)
M Dembele (M)
D Alli (M)
C Eriksen (M)
H Kane (F)

So, they changed 8 players for their next league game. It would have been 9 but Alderweireld is injured so Vertonghen had to play both.

Try looking at the previous PL game and note similar changes from one PL game to the next, these SQUADS number about 40 FIRST TEAM players and PL clubs rotate every week, do you not get that?

I would rest sheehan Tuesday. He had a good work out yesterday plus played midweek friendly. No need to play Tuesday. But that wouldn't be with Spurs in mind that would be with sheehan playing rest of the season in mind.

Pick strongest side Tuesday then worry about who is fit and available for Spurs after that.

If labadie plays Tuesday I would seriously consider not playing him against Spurs but then you risk upsetting your captain who hasn't signed a contract!

southernfan wrote:

SJG99 wrote: So, they changed 8 players for their next league game. It would have been 9 but Alderweireld is injured so Vertonghen had to play both.

Try looking at the previous PL game and note similar changes from one PL game to the next, these SQUADS number about 40 FIRST TEAM players and PL clubs rotate every week, do you not get that?

Why would I look at the week before when they played 4 matches in 10 days that week (I went to one of them) and it clearly wouldn't be their strongest side to compare it to? The week after gives a like-for-like comparison. Also, it wasn't me that said "look how few changes they made for Wimbledon" when they actually changed almost the entire first team from their usual starting side. Would you like me to pick their eleven players with the most appearances this season instead?

And yeah, I'm a Premier League season ticket holder for a club that was in Europe last season, I know all about squad rotation - which is why I picked the example to prove the point that Spurs will pick at most half of a first team against County, because they've got Man U 4 days later.

FWIW you can only name 25 senior first team players in a Prem squad as well (unless they're U23).

Here are the Spurs XI with the most Premier League appearances this season:

Eriksen 23
Vertonghen 23
Lloris 22
Dier 22
Kane 21
Alli 21
Son 16
Sanchez 16
Davies 15
Trippier 13
Sissoko 11

So even using top appearances only 4 of the team against AFC Wimbledon is a regular starter - and the bottom two on the list could be replaced by Alderweireld and Aurier (both have 10 Prem starts) if it wasn't for injuries.

In summary, yeah they'll rotate half the team, they're playing Man U 4 days later.

Spurs team will depend on the state of the pitch. Looked much better last night but if it's like Leeds I wouldn't want Harry Kane anywhere near it.

Everything's relative, the weaker Spurs team could beat half the Premier League.

George Street-Bridge wrote:Everything's relative, the weaker Spurs team could beat half the Premier League.

Yep. Every one of those Spurs players mentioned above would walk into our team...

Whichever 11 are played they will be head and shoulders above us in quality. Fair do's to the Leeds manager. He made 9 changes for the game against us but did not use it as an excuse. Spurs are a level above again and we will have our work cut out to hold them.

One significant factor for us - they are playing Utd 4 days later. There may be some glimmer of hope that they do their majority of game planning for up coming games concentrating on the Utd game. They also then have some European games to plan for. Long shot I know - let's hope they take their eye off the ball. Stranger things have happened - this is the FA Cup after all.

Edit - oops, the original question was about the Morecambe game, answer, no, play your best 11.