Do we roll the dice tonight

Might need to.

Carrick tends to keep any changes to an absolute minimum, but if McGree is out (?) and Ramsey and Forss are struggling we will have to tweak things.

Certainly wouldn't risk these players unless they are 100%.
 
Nah, we just need to roll Hull City over 😉

Seriously though, we need to play the strongest team we can to try to win the 3 points. If we do manage the win (it really will not be an easy game) then when we play Luton, I would rest Archer, Forss and Ramsey even if fit and play Crooks, Jones and Hackney instead with Mowatt central.

My reasoning is because I suspect Luton would be our most likely finalists were we to get to Wembley and I suspect they will see Boro as theirs. Our game on Monday is close enough to the start of the play offs and being such a physical side, they could try to take one or two of our most dangerous players out of the picture were they to be so inclined. VAR will be in operation at Wembley, it wont at Kenilworth Rd.

Some will say Luton are a professional team who wouldn’t behave in such a way. Given what is at stake and who they must surely see as their biggest obstacle to promotion, why take the risk?
 
Totally agree with the comments re the Luton game.

Think back to the Coca-Cola Cup Final with Leicester and they knew exactly how to play against us as we had just turned them over at Filbert Street a few weeks earlier. Pontus Kamark marked Juninho so tightly he can probably still smell him now!

Could be worth tweaking the system a little on Monday and keep our powder dry for a potential winner takes all clash next month.

Then again what do I know!
 
Teesste said:
Totally agree with the comments re the Luton game.

Think back to the Coca-Cola Cup Final with Leicester and they knew exactly how to play against us as we had just turned them over at Filbert Street a few weeks earlier. Pontus Kamark marked Juninho so tightly he can probably still smell him now!

Could be worth tweaking the system a little on Monday and keep our powder dry for a potential winner takes all clash next month.

Then again what do I know!
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I thinks it important not to show our hand too soon although I have faith that carrick will be able to take to us into account.
 
I'm sure I read that if we win and both Preston and Coventry don't win their away games tonight then we are guaranteed play offs, so let's get that job done.
 
coluka said:
Nah, we just need to roll Hull City over 😉

Seriously though, we need to play the strongest team we can to try to win the 3 points. If we do manage the win (it really will not be an easy game) then when we play Luton, I would rest Archer, Forss and Ramsey even if fit and play Crooks, Jones and Hackney instead with Mowatt central.

My reasoning is because I suspect Luton would be our most likely finalists were we to get to Wembley and I suspect they will see Boro as theirs. Our game on Monday is close enough to the start of the play offs and being such a physical side, they could try to take one or two of our most dangerous players out of the picture were they to be so inclined. VAR will be in operation at Wembley, it wont at Kenilworth Rd.

Some will say Luton are a professional team who wouldn’t behave in such a way. Given what is at stake and who they must surely see as their biggest obstacle to promotion, why take the risk?
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I 100 per cent agree!! it's exactly what i would want my team to do (but we wont)
 
If we're bothered about play-off position, you'd surely play the stronger side against Luton.

Could still finish 3rd by beating them.

Hull are in an injury crisis and don't have a fit striker, there's less danger of protecting a few less than fully fit players against them.
 
Strongest team tonight, if we win tonight change it for Luton, even maybe a different tactical setup.

Nothing to be gained from that game (just the difference between 3rd and 4th), everything to at risk given that we hope to be playing them again in a few weeks in the final.
 
I think we play our strongest team in every game.
If that means keeping McGree, Ramsey and Forss away from the squad tonight but playing them against Luton if available, then we do that.
Give THEM something to worry about. We beat them at their place, psychologically we have the upper hand. We will also be sussing out their weaknesses in that game.
There's too many connotations in trying to predict and engineer who plays who in the play offs.
As my betting history pays testament to - nothing goes to plan in football, and I think it would be churlish to not play your best team in order to hold something back for a situation that may not materialise.
 
Play strongest team without risking any of the injured players - if they are carrying a small knock, rest them. Need the win to guarantee play-offs without worrying about the last three games.
 
I'm a big believer in momentum - do your best to win every game - including Luton. Psychologically if we win that game, we are in their heads
 
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