Resting players against Watford

[Snowball]

Maybe more pertinent, this is the last ten games

900 900 100% Federici

810 900 90% Obita
810 900 90% Pearce
810 900 90% Hector

748 900 83% Chalobah
725 900 81% Williams

696 900 77% Pog
629 900 70% HRK

615 900 68% McCleary
612 900 68% Kelly

469 900 52% Mackie
466 900 52% Norwood

411 900 46% Cox

273 900 30% Blackman
270 900 30% Gunter

225 900 25% Akpan

093 900 10% Cooper
069 900 08% Guthrie
058 900 06% Taylor
000 900 00% Kuhl

[RoyallyFcuked]

He will definitely rotate most of the squad because he has to, but if its anything like the dross I witnessed at Huddersfield we will get rolled over about 5-0. Should be a different team to that though with some young players perhaps won't be as bad.

[SCIAG]

I am sure we would be in big trouble wth the FA if we made wholesale changes.

I believe it is the Premier League who are start crying every time someone fields a weakened side against Man United or Liverpool (but totally let it slide when they weaken their sides). We're not in the Premier League, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Team for Bradford (4-2-3-1):
Federici; Gunter, Hector, Pearce, Obita; Chabolah, Williams; McCleary, Cox, Mackie; Pogrebnyak
Subs: Andersen, Cooper, Kelly, Norwood, HRK, Blackman, Yakubu

Alternatively, Norwood in for Cox, and Akpan on the bench ahead of HRK or Blackman.

Team for Watford (4-3-3):
Andersen; Kelly, Hector, Cooper, Chabolah; Kuhl, Norwood, Akpan; Blackman, Yakubu, HRK
Subs: Federici, Keown, Williams, McCleary, Mackie, Cox, Pogrebnyak

Don't care too much as long as Kuhl plays. Even then...

[Hoop Blah]

Pretty much total agreement on those two teams from SCIAG.

I'd possibly make a couple of other changes for the Watford game though. Rest Chalobah completely with either AN Other playing at left back or Obita for the first 60mins. I'd be very tempted to through Knight in if he's anywhere near fit and again take Hector out completely.

I'd probably leave Mackie in for an hour as well. He's on such a hot streak he would probably benefit from just playing and playing. There's also an argument for throwing Taylor in for another chance to show what he can do, at least from the bench.

[Snowball]

Pretty much total agreement on those two teams from SCIAG.

I'd possibly make a couple of other changes for the Watford game though. Rest Chalobah completely with either AN Other playing at left back or Obita for the first 60mins. I'd be very tempted to through Knight in if he's anywhere near fit and again take Hector out completely.

I'd probably leave Mackie in for an hour as well. He's on such a hot streak he would probably benefit from just playing and playing. There's also an argument for throwing Taylor in for another chance to show what he can do, at least from the bench.

If the rumour is true, resting Chalobah costs us £35K, and he shouldn't need resting.

Young, fit, keen, class and played just 1104 minutes (11-12 full games' worth) this season

[Nameless]

Agree about Mackie. Some players just love playing and would rather play twice than train or do nothing. Clark needs to know his players and do the right thing for each individual.
Only other consideration is avoiding losing a key player to injury or suspension, and I'd probably not want to risk losing Mackie to either. I think he will be key to Monday.

[Hoop Blah]

If the rumour is true, resting Chalobah costs us £35K, and he shouldn't need resting.

Young, fit, keen, class and played just 1104 minutes (11-12 full games' worth) this season

Well I doubt the rumour is true or that there isn't a way to sensibly negotiate a break to that agreement in this situation. Neither club will want him to get broken or made to look bad on prime time TV on Monday.

As for only playing 1,104 minutes all season, that's pretty irrelevant. What matters is that if he plays at Watford and against Bradford he'll have played 6 games in 17 days. It doesn't matter how good you are or how young and fit you are, that's not the most effective preparation to get the best performance out of a player in the most important and financially rewarding game of the season!

[Snowball136]

Partly agree, Hoop. That's why I also posted the minutes played of the last 900.

But, IMO players can easily play two games a week. Where it gets difficult is when those two-games-per-week come 3/4 of the way through a long hard season, with all the accumulated bumps, scrapes, minor and less minor injuries.

It's my feeling that, barring an injury, Chalobah will BENEFIT from playing the extra games. How many minutes did our defenders play in 2005/6?

[Ian Royal]

I am sure we would be in big trouble wth the FA if we made wholesale changes.

I believe it is the Premier League who are start crying every time someone fields a weakened side against Man United or Liverpool (but totally let it slide when they weaken their sides). We're not in the Premier League, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Team for Bradford (4-2-3-1):
Federici; Gunter, Hector, Pearce, Obita; Chabolah, Williams; McCleary, Cox, Mackie; Pogrebnyak
Subs: Andersen, Cooper, Kelly, Norwood, HRK, Blackman, Yakubu

Alternatively, Norwood in for Cox, and Akpan on the bench ahead of HRK or Blackman.

Team for Watford (4-3-3):
Andersen; Kelly, Hector, Cooper, Chabolah; Kuhl, Norwood, Akpan; Blackman, Yakubu, HRK
Subs: Federici, Keown, Williams, McCleary, Mackie, Cox, Pogrebnyak

Don't care too much as long as Kuhl plays. Even then...

I wouldn't expect Gunter to play against Bradford after he was dropped last time and Kelly did fine. I also can't see all three of Cox, Mackie and McCleary playing.

So I reckon it'll more likely be
Federici, Kelly, Hector, Pearce, Obita, Chalobah, Williams, McCleary, HRK, Mackie, Pog in a 4-4-2

Which would obviously change who'd play against Watford.

[paultheroyal]

Andersen
Travner
Knight
Cooper
Kelly
Taylor
Akpan
Norwood
Guthrie
Cox
Blackman

[Z175]

I'd make as many changes as possible. I doubt the FA would be able / willing to punish us as its their fault! Theres a good argument the players who know they won't be involved on Monday would play better v Watford anyway.

Team for Bradford (4-2-3-1):
Federici - Kelly, Hector, Pearce, Obita - Chalobah, Williams, Norwood - HRK, Mackie - Pogrebnyak
Subs: Andersen, Cooper, Gunter, Akpan, McCleary, Blackman/Cox, Yakubu

Team for Watford (4-3-3):
Andersen - Travner, Cooper, Knight, Gunter - Kuhl, Guthrie, Taylor - Blackman, Cox, Edwards
Subs: Federici, Keown, Long, L Kelly, Fosu, Stacey, Yakubu

Better of Blackman/Cox subbed on 60 mins to take a bench place on Mon! No disrespect to Gunter or Cox, I just feel the others are better options the Bantams.

[Forbury Lion]

Rest them all, the game on Monday is worth about £1m if we win it and that will help us in the league more next season than 3 points this season (not that getting anything out of a trip to Watford is ever guaranteed).... play the kids versus Watford.

[Snowball]

Team for Watford (4-3-3):

Andersen - Travner, Cooper, Knight, Gunter - Kuhl, Guthrie, Taylor - Blackman, Cox, Edwards

Subs: Federici, Keown, Long, L Kelly, Fosu, Stacey, Yakubu

Unless Travner is injured, why omit him Tuesday?
Suggests SC is not interested

For watford, why play him and not a kid at LB (I'd play Chalobah, BTW)

Do we know if Knight is fit?

[North Somerset Royal]

Team for Watford (4-3-3):

Andersen - Travner, Cooper, Knight, Gunter - Kuhl, Guthrie, Taylor - Blackman, Cox, Edwards

Subs: Federici, Keown, Long, L Kelly, Fosu, Stacey, Yakubu

Unless Travner is injured, why omit him Tuesday?
Suggests SC is not interested

For watford, why play him and not a kid at LB (I'd play Chalobah, BTW)

Do we know if Knight is fit?

According to official twitter stream this morning

@ReadingFC: Steve Clarke said Jure Travner was injured so missed out in midweek, a doubt for Saturday as well.

[North Somerset Royal]

Don't mind them resting a few, but as I am going I would like to see the resemblance of a team so we are not too embarrassed.

This ^^^^^^

+1

[KC Royal]

Andersen

Gunter/Kelly
Hector/Knight
Cooper
Travner/Chalobah

McCleary/Mackie
Akpan
Norwood/Williams
Blackman

Cox
Yakubu

Difficult to know how Clarke will approach the replay, those that don't play on the right side Monday I think will play here. Gunter/McCleary come as a pair for me and if Pearce isn't playing then Gunter is the obvious choice for captain. I can also see him sticking with Kelly/Mackie for Bradford using McCleary as an impact sub. Can also see him going 4-5-1 again.

The U21 line-up for tomorrow's game will be interesting to see, especially as the U18s season is now over, just to see if any will make the bench on Sat.

[Vision]

The burning issue here of course is whether this Watford game will actually count as a Steve Clarke game for future Snowball stats.

If he rests everyone then will it be considered more of a Martin Kuhl team?

[Platypuss]

Depends on the result, obvs.

[SCIAG]

The U21 line-up for tomorrow's game will be interesting to see, especially as the U18s season is now over, just to see if any will make the bench on Sat.

I'd definitely like to see U18s in the U21s and U21s in the first team, but, except at centre back and left back, we have two full elevens without U21 players (and Obita and Cooper haven't featured in the U21s much this season anyway). We even have the best part of four elevens without using U18s... Can't see anyone else being picked beyond Kuhl and maybe a left back (hopefully Sheppard, more likely Griffin).

[paddy20]

Should field our strongest side and try and pick up more points. Players are better for playing than resting.