Bristol City (A) FA Cup 3rd Round 11/01/25 12pm

[Tony Towner]

We aren't going to prioritise this and will get beaten sooner or later due to squad selection so I'd go weak straightaway
Johnstone (Bentley if he as a cob on)
Lima Pond Dawson* Meupiyou R Gomes
Lemina Doyle
Bellegarde
Hwang Sarabia

*if fit. There's only one player there that isn't at Championship standard or higher with an assumption that Meupiyou is

 

[Jinky]

The way Vitor speaks about building confidence, I don't see him throwing this game away - and ultimately, it's another game where he gets to bed in his system.

I think we might see something like this -

Johnstone (although wouldn't be surprised to see Sa)
Lima Doc Dawson Agbadou R Gomes
J Gomes Doyle
Guedes JSL Hwang
​

I don't really see a way how he can include Sarabia or Lemina from the off, given they have both made it obvious neither want to be here. If he is desperate to give Joao a rest (and he deserves one) then he'll have no option but to start Mario.

I think Agbadou starts, because Meupiyou didn't get any minutes the other night with the state of our defence, so I reckon he'll be a sub at best. Likewise with Pond, I don't think he'll throw him in.

He *could* start someone like Forbs instead of Guedes - and he *could* start Bellegarde - but I think Vitor is a pretty clued up chap and has probably realised they're only useful for 5-10 minutes max here and there.

Let's be real, though - it's absolute guesswork and could be anything.

 

[Deano]

Want to see as few players from the first 11 playing in this as possible.

 

[sycophantia]

Think it would be a bad move to start J. Gomes and Larsen, we really need them to be fully fit and rested for Newcastle.

 

[Dire Wolf]

The way Vitor speaks about building confidence, I don't see him throwing this game away - and ultimately, it's another game where he gets to bed in his system.

I think we might see something like this -

Johnstone (although wouldn't be surprised to see Sa)
Lima Doc Dawson Agbadou R Gomes
J Gomes Doyle
Guedes JSL Hwang
​

I don't really see a way how he can include Sarabia or Lemina from the off, given they have both made it obvious neither want to be here. If he is desperate to give Joao a rest (and he deserves one) then he'll have no option but to start Mario.

I think Agbadou starts, because Meupiyou didn't get any minutes the other night with the state of our defence, so I reckon he'll be a sub at best. Likewise with Pond, I don't think he'll throw him in.

He *could* start someone like Forbs instead of Guedes - and he *could* start Bellegarde - but I think Vitor is a pretty clued up chap and has probably realised they're only useful for 5-10 minutes max here and there.

Let's be real, though - it's absolute guesswork and could be anything.

That word seems pretty misplaced in that sentence. Bellegarde, Forbs, Hwang, Guedes, Lemina, and Sarabia are simply warm bodies. They have no functional use in a PL football team.

 

[jd1981]

The most probable case of a side from a lower division beating someone from a division above, it won’t be a huge shock.
However does us no favours going out to a lower division side.
Newcastle away is Wednesday and don’t like choosing sides on a what if they get injured basis.

 

[jd1981]

We aren't going to prioritise this and will get beaten sooner or later due to squad selection so I'd go weak straightaway
Johnstone (Bentley if he as a cob on)
Lima Pond Dawson* Meupiyou R Gomes
Lemina Doyle
Bellegarde
Hwang Sarabia

*if fit. There's only one player there that isn't at Championship standard or higher with an assumption that Meupiyou is

That’s a proper championship side, couple of promising players but mostly average Jo’s all over.

 

[sycophantia]

That’s a proper championship side, couple of promising players but mostly average Jo’s all over.

It'll give us some idea of how we'll fare next season if things go badly from now.

 

[Tony Towner]

That’s a proper championship side, couple of promising players but mostly average Jo’s all over.

As are Bristol City. As per my op I'm not saying it's a good team, but at some point we are going to play something akin to that so may as well start now. For instance the 5th round follows a midweek game against Fulham, we aren't going to play our best 11 3 times in that week and the cup should and will be the one we go weak in

 

[NicholasG1973]

Controversial, but it might just be that Vitor sees this game as equally important to the Newcastle one.

A cup run brings experience for fringe players, money and a bit of goodwill for the club……while not many teams are going up to St James Park and getting anything at the moment……

 

[Tony Towner]

Controversial, but it might just be that Vitor sees this game as equally important to the Newcastle one.

A cup run brings experience for fringe players, money and a bit of goodwill for the club……while not many teams are going up to St James Park and getting anything at the moment……

You mean what everybody on here hammered GON for? No thanks, had enough of that mentality

 

[The Bear]

..................... Sa

Agbadou - Bueno - Meupiyou

Lima - Lemina - Doyle - RAN

Sarabia - Hwang - Rodrigo


I'd imagine he'd at least want to have a look at Sarabia and see how he does when selected, before writing him off.

 

[Derby Wolf]

Controversial, but it might just be that Vitor sees this game as equally important to the Newcastle one.

A cup run brings experience for fringe players, money and a bit of goodwill for the club……while not many teams are going up to St James Park and getting anything at the moment……

It'll tell us four things about our fringe players.

* They're Championship standard (Forbs/Bellegarde)
* They're better than Championship standard but not quite there at Premier League level (Doyle)
* They're finished (Dawson)
* There's potential there but raw (Lima/Gomes)

What didn't we already know? I suspect Vitor has already gleaned this much already.

 

[1986]

Playing Lemina and Doyle together looks particularly weak as a middle 2 .

 

[sycophantia]

Playing Lemina and Doyle together looks particularly weak as a middle 2 .

If Lemina was anywhere near his best it would be OK but clearly his mind is elsewhere.

 

[Kenny]

Agbadou in the squad tomorrow

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

---------------------Sa------------------

-------Doherty---Dawson--Agbadou---

Lima----Doyle----Lemina---Bellegarde---Forbs

---------------Guedes-----Fraser-----------

I honestly don't care if we do or don't win, I know that's a shit team.

 

[Tony Towner]

Playing Fraser in one game knowing he
wouldn't play for you and couldn't for anybody else for the rest of the season would be brutal

 

[1986]

Andre will surely play I would think .

 

[Stan Hullis]

Dawson won't be fit for tomorrow, neither is Semedo