Time For the Kids
The Derby game on Saturday represents a unique opportunity for Alan Curbishley to do a bit of experimentation. Derby are dead and buried and have absolutely nothing to play for and frankly, nor do we.I’d play James Tomkins, Jack Collison and Freddie Sears from the start. I’m not sure if Mark Noble is fit but assuming he is, this would be my team for Saturday…
Green, Upson, Tomkins, Spector, McCartney, Solano, Noble, Parker, Collison, Sears, Ashton
Subs: Walker, Pantsil, Spence, Zamora, Mullins, Cole
What do you reckon?
April 17, 2008 at 8:54 am
I agree, give them some experience to set them up for more games next season. Bit concerned about the press this morning according to them we are losing Ashton, Green, Neil, Ljunberg, LBM and Dyer in the summer ?
April 17, 2008 at 8:55 am
Seems good to me, but if Ljungberg was fit I’d probably play him in place of Solano and find a place for Stanislas on the bench (you’ve got six on there at the moment!)
April 17, 2008 at 9:05 am
I guess most of us want to see Faubert.
Green
Pantsil, Tomkins, Upson, Linda,
Faubert, Noble, Parker, Ljungberg
Sears, Ashton
Bench; Hines, Spence, Cole, Spector, Walker, Zamora.
April 17, 2008 at 9:31 am
Even though we have nothing to play for every place in the league is worth around half a million and curbs simply won’t risk it and I don’t blame him either. Yes give them a runout late on or play them if they are all we have available but lets face it, they won’t be first or second choice players next season so what’s the point?
The trouble is with us West Ham Fans is that we like to see youth come through the ranks which is fine but risking you position is not fine.
April 17, 2008 at 9:39 am
Not a bad idea at this stage of the season - although i think you’d struggle getting away with having six subs on the bench!
April 17, 2008 at 9:51 am
I agree with you Iain, Curbs needs to show some enterprise and this is the perfect opportunity to play some youngsters and/or experiment with formations. Although i would play Ferdinand instead of Spector. Derby though do have something to play for, i’m sure they currently have the lowest points total of any team in Prem League history don’t they? Not a stat any team would want.
April 17, 2008 at 11:27 am
Go for it Curbishley. Trouble is my glass has been half full for weeks now and I can see Derby also going for it with nothing to lose and grabbing their second win of the season.
April 17, 2008 at 11:50 am
Morning!!Cant see us winning this,I think our squads well sort of quality even for Derby,Same old problem cant see us scoring,if nobles fit maybe.Reckon there will be a bit of intrest down the bookies with this one,,and Dave, apart from green and ashton are you really bothered!!!!
April 17, 2008 at 12:07 pm
If every place in the league is worth around £500k then even more reason to start the youth. The current first team have taken 4 points out the last 24 so i can’t see how our youngsters could possibly do any worse.
April 17, 2008 at 12:19 pm
No,
CURBISHLEY will only then use it as another excuse when we end up losing all of our remaining games. The fact that we’re even suggesting this shows how bad we have recently done….from challenging for Europe to ending up in no man’s land.
I think he should play the seniors and tell them they’re playing for their places next season. This will give him a better idea of who he wants to let go of in the summer. Blooding the youngsters is a good way of using our remaining games but this I think is a better idea - it will show us who wants to stay at the club.
April 17, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I don’t know about any of the others (I’m a Norwich fan), but I’d play Tomkins every week. I saw him play for England U19s at stadium:mk a few weeks ago and he was absolutely superb.
http://norwichcity.wordpress.com
April 17, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Dave you shouldnt believe all what the papers say.If all what the papers say were true wewould have ended up with half of the continent playing for us by now
April 17, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Yeah give the young lads a chance!,I went to Bolton last weekend and wanted to watch Jack Collison but to be fair to the lad the game just didnt pan out for him that day.Hopefully West Ham can show the same patient guidance with there youngsters as Man utd have done over the years,exciting times ahead for the hammers me thinks?,and sorry Iain but SPECTOR?
April 17, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I know this is not the same topic but just heard that duxbury and co have said that the new stadium might not be ready until 2018.So everyone else will have their new stadiums up and running years before us why we sit back when we are suppose to be going forward.No wonder it all went quiet.Ho and he has said there will be an increase in ticket prices.Will we ever get to the next level,i’ll be drawing my pension the time this stadium gets built
April 17, 2008 at 6:18 pm
i would play the 3 of them every week from now on.
April 17, 2008 at 9:17 pm
ian how does the norwich carrot cruncher get a badge and we cant?
please do tell?
April 18, 2008 at 2:02 am
spot on ian why not give the young guns a good go might get some real hunger to win a game
April 18, 2008 at 9:03 am
The “Norwich carrot cruncher”, born in Balham who lives in Bedfordshire gets a badge because he’s a WordPress member, the site that hosts this one Jon.
http://norwichcity.wordpress.com
April 18, 2008 at 10:32 am
The most depressing thing about this game is that you just know Derby will be thinking it’s a real chance to get another win. And what’s more, they’re probably right.
April 18, 2008 at 11:03 am
Apart from spence you have chosen all championship players for the bench which I can not agree with. I would have stanislas on the bench instead of mullins with faubert, lunjberg also if fit. I can go along with your start 11. Will curbs risk it? I doubt it!He may well suffer if he loses this one but I have been happy he is trying to introduce the young talent at least.
April 18, 2008 at 11:26 am
sounds good, but id like to see kyle ried start on left wing. He played once last year and i was really impressed. Also Ljungberg if he can and maybe Boa seein as he played well against pompey.
April 18, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Thats six subs isn’t it? Definitely a great opportunity to get the kids on show. Put Noble in the middle with parker. Even though Mullins is unsung i want parker and noble to be a great partnership. Get Stanislas on the bench as well. Keep playing Deano. Put Spence in at the back.
Show off our youth academy.
COYI
April 18, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I expect the same old dreary Curbishley selections. a 1-1 draw and an announcement that this dour, underachieving manager and his medical staff have been sacked!