Starting early as I have nothing else to do!!
As any know, I am not particularly interested in the competition formerly known as the League Cup. We cannot win this Mickey Mouse cup. Teams like Man City, Man Poo, Liverpool, Chelsea and even those like Arsenal and Spurs have a second team that costs far more than our First 11. If any get to the latter stages, they will just bring their big boys back as all will want to add a trophy to their season
My ambition is just to get through this tie so some of our kids get another game v a proper men's side. Fulham really don't have many claims to fame but:
1. Roman Abramovich was flying to the UK to buy Fulham (Not Chelsea) until he saw the state of their stadium and learned how weak their fanbase was - True Fact
2. George Best, Rodney Marsh and Bobby Moore were in their side in the 70's
3. They once had a statue of Michael Jackson outside their ground
4. Jimmy 'The Chin' Hill was once their chairman
5. They were once owned by the owner of Harrods. Now it is owned by some guy from the US who also owns an NFL team.
Cannot see Silva putting out a second-string U23 side as he will want to progress and he knows our weakness is a lack of pace at the back + only having 1 experienced CB. So I expect him to field a strong side which will include Mitrovic with Kebano and Cavaleiro out with our old youth player Cairney in the middle with Decordova-Reid. Will also play some big CBs to take advantage of our inability to cope at set pieces.
Enough about them and onto us.
Our injury list is long! No Llorente, Koch or Forshaw with Struik suspended too.
Doubts about Ayling, Bamford, Harrison and Rafa - I would not risk any of these for this game.
If I were MB I would pick: Meslier Drameh Cresswell Cooper Firpo Kenneh Summerville Shackelton James Roberts Rodrigo Subs: From the U23s but to include Geldhart, Greenwood and McTurk. Firpo - selected as he needs game time in English Football
Roberts - needs game time
Rodrigo - needs a string of games
James - needs to get used to playing for LUFC
Drameh, Cresswell, Kenneh, Summerville - 'Its now or never' Time for them to show if they are as good as many believe.
Geldhart and Greenwood to come on after 60 minutes for Rodrigo and Roberts with McTurk coming on after 75 mins for James
No prediction as when I do we always lose.
5200 tickets for Arsenal game limited because we would not sit down last time and out sang them
Summerville is going turn a few players in knots with his quick feet and change of direction.
McKinstry is one of those players who looks like they are slow and easy on the eye even when they are playing at speed.
Cresswell - Hi my name is charlie and this first team position is mine. The kid is going to be some player...
Arsenal game is to be shown on sky sports
Even if we only have 5k fans, we will still outsing the library that is the Emirates!
It is difficult to talk let alone sing eating prawn sandwiches and drinking champagne.
I think Arsenal PLC would be mad not to make available 9000 LUFC fans or maybe even more into the game. OK the arsenal players and maybe Arteta might not be too happy with that but after the financial losses every club suffered last season no club can afford to turn away cash at the gate, how could the club treasure begin to explain that to the club shareholders??
"Ahhh like we didnt want the away fans to outnumber our own fans"!!!!!!!
Arsenal at end of October. Last 16 and most of the big boys still in the draw.
They are not in Europe so Arteta can play a strong side.
Still we got passed round 3 and did not lose to a L1/L2 side
Should be close on to 60k in attendance and game live on Sky. Maybe a payday for LUFC in excess of £1million. It all helps in the greater scheme of things, I suppose.
If they give us most of their South Stand then we could get something like 9,000ish allocation.
Hopefully get a ticket for this as we'll get 5000ish (?)
Got a couple of mates who are arsenal season ticket holders so should be able to get in The Library End if the worst comes to the worst....
Next up Arsenal, there's a certain Ben White to score against.
Full game m lutv now
Unfortunately, what I thought was 1 game gig has turned into 3 at the moment and counting!
i concur with others on here and saw a lot of positive aspects from last nights game.
Cresswell was the standout performer for me amongst the young lads, James and summerville were causing havoc and i think both players will be big part players for LUFC in future years. While Geldhart didn't really get into the game when he came on he stuck away his penalty with plenty of conviction so for me that shows a sign confidence and wasn't overawed taking a spotter in-front of the Fulham fans.
The ref let a lot go and to be fair our lads got up dusted themselves down and got on with it. I wasn't too sure why Marcelo picked up the yellow, was it for words he may have had with the 4th official on the late challenge (barge) on young cresswell or was it because he wanted Joe Geldhart on the pitch when the ball went out of play for a throw in and the linesman wasn't ready (ala John Aldridge for ROI over in USA in the World Cup)?
I know the lad is trying to come back from a long lay off and i don't want to seen as sticking the boot in but Forshaw looked leggy or outclassed, i would hope leggy cause if he cant handle a championship midfield (& a second string at that) then Adam will be overran completely when facing PL midfielders, plus his penalty was extremely poor. Poorly positioned, wrong body shape when addressing the ball, its no wonder the ball went high into the stand as it did.
But overall we can look forward to the games tonight knowing we are in the pot already and sit back a definitely watch 3 PL teams crash out and with a shock hopefully on the cards like everton last night maybe 4 PL teams will be gone.
Special word on Meslier what a talent and to think others wanted kiko back automatically after his suspension when the young French star had performed heroically in his absence. And signed for the paltry sum of £5m has to be bargain buy of the decade
Indeed an excellent report Smurf.
Plenty of positives, but we need to put away our chances and improve that final ball.
Have to start with Cresswell, what a performance!
Strong in the air and tackle, can play a bit too. Overhit a few passes but that's was the only minor thing. Fulham tried to rattle him and put pressure on him, he didn't even blink, cool lad. Very very promising.
Next is Shackleton, quick & agile and nipped in everywhere. Deserves his spot in the 11.
Firpo was a bit better, but defending's not really his cup of tea (not surprising coming from Barca).
Rodrigo missed a sitter but it didn't affect him, looks fitter and sharper than at any stage last season. Slowly finding his feet, a goal would do miracles for his confidence.
Summerville; he'll have better games, but the potential is there.
McKinstry, pleasantly surprised with his cameo, different from Summerville , but got stuck and involved, lad did very well.
A word about that ref, a kind of fancy nancy who let Fulham persistantly foul us and even didn't blow up for a fair number of fouls.
For a long time i was thinking that he had forgetten his cards, but ofcourse he managed to book Summerville and Bielsa (who complained about the Fulham player who tried to cut Cresswell in two).
At the end of the game, he also managed to see beyond the blatant push in Firpo's back.
Just noted that Dan James became a Dad yesterday! In Manchester!
He was allowed to attend, then get down to London to play the full game. I reckon he's had quite a busy couple of weeks......
Makes his performances for a new club all the more impressive.
Seeing Roberts face when he was subbed made me think he is starting to realise his time is up unless there is marked improvement before January.
Great Summary Smurf!!!
So I have nothing to add!
I'm buzzing after that win. A lot of positives. Cresswell totally owned his position tonight - an 8/10 performance, calm, assured, accurate, a great asset, and deserves a run in the team. I've forgotten who Ben White is already. And Phillips was equally up to the job beside him.
Shackleton played DCM to perfection and then moved to right back in the second half where Dallas was clearly struggling. Jamie didnt disappoint at full back either. He's made for the premiership. Not sure why he didn't take a penalty though.
Both wingers caused problems, and Dan is growing into the team. We definitely got him for a bargain, he will be worth £50m very soon. I'd also like to big up McKinstry who made some lovely passes and looks good on the ball. And he had a great penalty.
Meslier, again earned his money and pulled off a string of saves. To think he only cost £5m.
Gelhardt didn't get a lot of the ball. Both he and Roberts were closed down by the Fulham defence and hardly got a look in. Though Joel's penalty was top notch. Rodrigo never stopped running and all credit to him, not everything worked but his endeavour was faultless.
Klich wasn't particularly effective, and to mind should be behind Shackleton and Dallas and possibly Forshaw in the midfield queue.
That just leaves Firpo who needs more game time. I'm sure he will get there once he's acclimated to Bieslaball. He wasn't bad but I think we still miss Alioski.
And the manger, well he got yellow carded!!! But hats off to the first win of the season.
Really good stuff. Summerville got most of the game, Cresswell looked every bit at home, Gelhardt and McKinstry got time and both scored lovely pens.
obviously we looked a bit tired at the end but so many positives.
how did the young lads play?
S.P.I.D.E.R. B.O.Y.!!!!!!!