Team for Palace (H)

[genome]

Kermorgant and Evans cup-tied. Tshibola out, McShane doubtful, Vydra and HRK hopefully back in contention. I reckon it'll be:

-----------------------Al-Habsi----------------------
Gunter-----Cooper----Ferdinand-----Obita
------------------------Hector-----------------------
---------------Norwood----Quinn---------------
Robson-Kanu-------------------------------John
--------------------------Vydra----------------------

[Maneki Neko]

[quote="genome"]Kermorgant and Evans cup-tied. Tshibola out, McShane doubtful, Vydra and HRK hopefully back in contention. I reckon it'll be:

-----------------------Al-Habsi----------------------
Gunter-----Cooper----Ferdinand-----Obita
------------------------Hector-----------------------
---------------Norwood----Williams---------------
Robson-Kanu/Rakels-------------------------------John
--------------------------Vydra/Rakels----------------------

[Kuhl_Runnings]

Al-habsi

Gunter
Ferdinand
McShane (is he available?)
Obita

John
Hector
Quinn
HRK

Vydra (is he available??)
Rakels

Subs: Bond, Taylor, Cooper, Piazon, Norwood, McCleary, Cox

[genome]

I think we need Hector protecting the back four. I don't fancy them against Bolasie and Zaha without any sort of midfield protection.

[Kuhl_Runnings]

I think we need Hector protecting the back four. I don't fancy them against Bolasie and Zaha without any sort of midfield protection.

Not to mention Gunter & Obita who will put in their half-arsed crosses and be missing whilst Zaha/Bolasie tear us a new one. Although TBF Ward and Souare might be the same for Palace. And if they play Hennessey we're bound to score as he's probably the worst goalie I've seen in the BPL this season

[George_]

AAH

Gunter Ferdinand Mcshane (hopefully) Obita

Hector

HRK (hopefully) Norwood Quinn John

Vydra (hopefully)

[Slater1993]

Pretty sure McShane and HRK will be fit.

-----------------------------------AAH-------------------------------
GUNTER--------MCSHANE-----COOPER-----------OBITA
--------------------------------HECTOR----------------------------
---------------------WILLIAMS-------QUINN--------------------
------JOHN--------------------------------------------VYDRA-----
--------------------------ROBSON-KANU------------------------

need someone with strength upfront... if Vydra isn't fit then Rakels on Left Wing.

[jar95]

Al Habsi

Gunter
McShane
Ferdinand
Obita

Hector

G-Mac
Williams
Norwood
HRK

Vydra

think we need to offer the full backs as much support as possible, and John wont track back unlike g-mac and HRK

[SCIAG]

4-1-4-1

Al-Habsi; Gunter, Ferdinand, McShane/Cooper, Obita; Hector; McCleary, Williams, Quinn, HRK; Vydra.
Subs: Bond, Cooper/Keown, Norwood, Piazon, John, Rakels, Cox

Try to restrict the space and then hit them on the counter attack. John, Rakels and Piazon on the bench as impact subs.
Tempted to pick Norwood just for set pieces but I think that's the best midfield for the match. Quinn has good delivery anyway.

[Ian Royal]

I think it's a risk to go with Vydra starting after a few weeks out. He's shown a certain amount of mental fragility already so I wouldn't want to put too much expectation on him immediately.

This is absolutely not what the team will be, but it's what I'd play assuming McShane is out.

...........................Al-Habsi
..Gunter.....Hector..Ferdinand...Obita
..........................Norwood
.............Williams.............Quinn
HRK..................................................John
..............................Cox

Subs: Bond, Taylor, Cooper, Fernandez, Vydra, Rakels, McCleary

Cox upfront is far from ideal, though I can't see him being much worse than Kermorgant, HRK or Rakels playing there on their own. Make Palace come to us to try and negate their pace on the break a bit, and use our pace in John, Williams and HRK instead.

I expect
Al-Habsi, Gunter, Ferdinand, Cooper, Obita, Hector, Norwood, Quinn, HRK, John, Cox - maybe Vydra

[Kuhl_Runnings]

John over McCleary anyday, because McCleary has McCLEARLY lost it

[genome]

Surprised to see Palace have only beaten us twice in 14 games, over 14 years.

[tidus_mi2]

Surprised to see Palace have only beaten us twice in 14 games, over 14 years.

A lot of draws.

[genome]

I still have fond memories of that James Harper goal.

[The Royal Forester]

I think we need Hector protecting the back four. I don't fancy them against Bolasie and Zaha without any sort of midfield protection.

Not to mention Gunter & Obita who will put in their half-arsed crosses and be missing whilst Zaha/Bolasie tear us a new one. Although TBF Ward and Souare might be the same for Palace. And if they play Hennessey we're bound to score as he's probably the worst goalie I've seen in the BPL this season

If Hennessey is the worst goalie you seen in the BPL this season, it just goes to show how far MaCarthy has slid downhill since leaving us.

[RoyalJames101]

Sounds like McShane and HRK are both fit but Vydra will only make the bench.

FWIW, I would go for..

Al-Habsi

Gunter
McShane
Cooper
Obita

Norwood
Hector
Quinn

HRK
Cox
John

[John Smith]

Cox

You'd play Simon Cox?

Is your head in the sand?

[Sutekh]

Cox started v WBA so it's not an impossibility he'll start on Friday given the paucity of experienced striking options at the club.

[John Smith]

Cox started v WBA so it's not an impossibility he'll start on Friday given the paucity of experienced striking options at the club.

I know it's quite plausible that he will play but that doesn't mean I want him to. The guy above was suggesting he would want him to play.

Cox. I mean, come on.

[RoyalJames101]

Cox started v WBA so it's not an impossibility he'll start on Friday given the paucity of experienced striking options at the club.

I know it's quite plausible that he will play but that doesn't mean I want him to. The guy above was suggesting he would want him to play.

Cox. I mean, come on.

I think a lot of the criticism he gets is a bit unfair, he didn't do that badly against West Brom. He was in good form when we first signed him but he seems to have lost a yard of pace since then, no reason why he can't get that back.

Granted, he wouldn't be my first choice but who else can you play there? HRK has been superb on the right hand side so you don't want to move him. The only other option is Rakels, who in all honesty, hasn't done much to suggest he's better than Cox.