MATCHWATCH : Luton Town (h) sponsored by Dean Morgan

[Snowflake Royal]

Aluko hasn't been awful this season. He also hasn't been any good. He's had at least four new starts here now and he's failed to deliver in any of them. He's completely eclipsed by an 18 year old in every way. He was acting like a petulant toddler at times in the Colchester game.

We could play him. Or we could lock him in a trunk full of angry venomous ants until his contract expires and play:

1) Baldock
2) Richards
3) Nevers
4) Tetek
5) Melvin-Lambert
6) McNulty

All of which are better / more deserving of a(nother) chance

And I haven't disliked a player as much as him since that useless streak of piss Paul Brooker. And he wasn't a hugely expensive flop we were stuck with for four awful years. I appreciate I'm out on a limb a little on my own with this one though.

[Fox Talbot]

For me, a surprisingly absolutely vital game - because I believe in momentum (small m!).

Possibly three home games in eight days - first two eminently winnable - Luton and Barnsley and my god do we need some home form!

Win those and that would send us into the MUFC game on a bit of a high. If we put out our best XI for that I'd give us a 10% shout of winning the tie (even if we only drew the game, Nameless) and the whole mood of the place would be transformed. Even a good showing in a loss against the men from Lancs would be alright.

Therefore for the Luton game I'd rest only Joao (Puscas) and Ejaria (Baldock) and maybe bring in McIntyre for Moore.

Despite the 0-5 Luton are no mugs - they made us look vulnerable at 0-0 in that game and they went on to stay up. So Velcro, put your top boys out.

[Fox Talbot]

Aluko vs Fae

Fae:

- signed for Premier League
- one third the price
- no memorable performances (11 matches)
- refused to play for the reserves
- left quickly and we recouped the fee

Aluko:

- signed for the Championship
- three times the price
- four goals and a few good games on top of that (60 appearances to date)
- has never caused significant trouble
- hung around for ages, very unlikely we’ll recoup anything close to his fee even including the inflated loan fee we got from a sister club

No contest for me.

Fae got on the pitch for 8 league matches - we lost them ALL.

[Snowflake Royal]

Could we have a chance of winning 5 in a row?

[CountryRoyal]

Could we have a chance of winning 5 in a row?

Ffs why you go and say that

[Snowflake Royal]

Could we have a chance of winning 5 in a row?

Ffs why you go and say that

It's all part of my diabolical "I told you so" plan.

[karbota]

Think maybe Ejaria will get a rest after he went off, guess it depends what it was, knock or strain

Want to see Puscas!

OMG here we go.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Think maybe Ejaria will get a rest after he went off, guess it depends what it was, knock or strain

Want to see Puscas!

OMG here we go.

What? Don’t you like Puscas?

[Mid Sussex Royal]

For me, a surprisingly absolutely vital game - because I believe in momentum (small m!).

Possibly three home games in eight days - first two eminently winnable - Luton and Barnsley and my god do we need some home form!

Win those and that would send us into the MUFC game on a bit of a high. If we put out our best XI for that I'd give us a 10% shout of winning the tie (even if we only drew the game, Nameless) and the whole mood of the place would be transformed. Even a good showing in a loss against the men from Lancs would be alright.

Therefore for the Luton game I'd rest only Joao (Puscas) and Ejaria (Baldock) and maybe bring in McIntyre for Moore.

Despite the 0-5 Luton are no mugs - they made us look vulnerable at 0-0 in that game and they went on to stay up. So Velcro, put your top boys out.

Agree Luton are no mugs but they will rest players too and they run a small squad

[URZZZZ]

Should be the same team, barring Ejaria’s injury, if so give Aluko a go from the start

Will be a tough one, Luton have only lost once in the last 14 in all competitions

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Rest Ejaria just in case, rest Joao? Tough one good to get him game time and confidence by scoring but we do need to protect him a bit and a milk cup fixture against Luton I would say is a good chance to do that and give others a chance.

As much as I, like all, am no fan of ALUKO I’d give him a start, new manager throw down the gauntlet to him, if he’s rubbish and lazy, he can make his bed (again)

It won’t be an easy game but even with a few tweaks we should get through

[WestYorksRoyal]

Can anyone help me understand if Meite is available for this? My understanding is a straight red is a 3 game ban. Does this apply across all domestic competitions? Or just league games? I'd like to see him play, along with the likes of Puscas and McIntyre. But would like to see a strong team, partly to progress but also to allow Paunovic to work with his best players more.

[SCIAG]

Can anyone help me understand if Meite is available for this? My understanding is a straight red is a 3 game ban. Does this apply across all domestic competitions? Or just league games? I'd like to see him play, along with the likes of Puscas and McIntyre. But would like to see a strong team, partly to progress but also to allow Paunovic to work with his best players more.

This is the third match of his suspension.

[Snowball]

Can anyone help me understand if Meite is available for this? My understanding is a straight red is a 3 game ban. Does this apply across all domestic competitions? Or just league games? I'd like to see him play, along with the likes of Puscas and McIntyre. But would like to see a strong team, partly to progress but also to allow Paunovic to work with his best players more.

This is the third match of his suspension.

Yeah, but..

[Simon's Church]

I'd go
Southwood
Araruna Holmes Morrison McIntyre Bristow
Tetek Laurent
Olise
Baldock Puscas

Free game to test out something new

[skipper]

Given the momentum we'd like to build, the genuine possibility of winning, if we field a good team, the fruits of our labour if we did win, I'd be fielding as strong a team as possible.

Echoing most people here, and resting key players Ejaria, João, but keeping the core there. We have Miete returning, so can easily swap out for the Barnsley game, so we kind of rotate over the course of two games, rather than one.

Keeps core of squad strong & playing together and hopefully results in some consistency for us.

[Nameless]

Can anyone help me understand if Meite is available for this? My understanding is a straight red is a 3 game ban. Does this apply across all domestic competitions? Or just league games? I'd like to see him play, along with the likes of Puscas and McIntyre. But would like to see a strong team, partly to progress but also to allow Paunovic to work with his best players more.

IT only applies to the first round of the Rumbelows cup, hence why he missed the Colchester game. It then applies to away league games but not if against Preston (as the first league champions). Midweek home games count In all competitions, Saturday games are included in odd months and a new rule allows players to nominate a session on FIFA as part of the suspension.
Meite being a non EU citizen complicates things as from January all bans must be served by British passport holders.
Bans cannot, from today, be served in groups of more than 6 except in Wales where Welsh players need only serve bans on non match days (FAW special ruling)
Hope that clears the confusion up.

[Nameless]

I'd go
Southwood
Araruna Holmes Morrison McIntyre Bristow
Tetek Laurent
Olise
Baldock Puscas

Free game to test out something new

What on earth are you testing here ?

[Simon's Church]

I'd go
Southwood
Araruna Holmes Morrison McIntyre Bristow
Tetek Laurent
Olise
Baldock Puscas

Free game to test out something new

What on earth are you testing here ?

3 at the back
2 strikers
Araruna at RWB against Championship opposition
Holmes against Championship opposition
Tetek in a proper game
If Bristow can build on a decent debut

[Nameless]

I'd go
Southwood
Araruna Holmes Morrison McIntyre Bristow
Tetek Laurent
Olise
Baldock Puscas

Free game to test out something new

What on earth are you testing here ?

3 at the back
2 strikers
Araruna at RWB against Championship opposition
Holmes against Championship opposition
Tetek in a proper game
If Bristow can build on a decent debut

And OLIse in a new role, a new midfield pairing,

And a bunch of players trying To cope with multiple changes to the formation which would never never be used with the same players again.
How would you know if any of these worked ?
How could you tell I forgot Holmes S fine against a championship side not playing it’s usual strikers but not ok as the right side of a back 3 , or would be fine there with Yiadom but exposed by ARaruna ?