I love the FA Cup, but it seems to me we are going into this game expecting to lose. Given our injury situation and our lack of form one can understand Sam Allardyce’s intention to put out a makeshift side, especially bearing in mind we have the League Cup semi-final first leg next week. One can understand it, but that doesn’t mean we have to like it.
One player I really want to see start the match is young Daniel Potts. I thought he was a revelation when he played a few games two years ago, but he has hardly had a sniff since. Guessing tomorrow’s lineup is a bit of a mug’s game, but that hasn’t put me off. No doubt you’ll all have your own lineups, but I have tried to put myself in Sam Allardyce’s brain. And it wasn’t a happy place to be!
I’d love to see Blair Turgott and George Moncur play too. Turgott was great last season on loan to Bradford and he is capable of scoring spectacular goals. Chambers and Ruddock both played in our League Cup games early on, and I imagine at least one of them will start at the City Ground. I’ve put five of the Development Squad in this team but I suspect it will only be two or three with Collison and Taylor more likely to start than Turgott or Moncur.
UPDATE: Team is Adrian, Driver, Potts, Diarra, Moncur, Whitehead, Morrison, Lletget, Downing ©, Jarvis, Maiga
Subs: Spiegel, Lee, Turgott, Fanimo, Maguire, Gordon, Burke