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In future, as I thought prior to the game anyway, we should be looking to give our most significant players time off against lower league teams.

Sorry, but f*** that, would like to actually have a go at the cup and try and win it.

 

Win a cup or get relegated which leads to Rafa leaving and no takeover. I feel some don't understand the importance of staying up this season, i wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if we went down and a takeover got scrapped and Rafa left.

 

It's an extremely possible scenario if we were to go down, in any other season i'm with you 100% but this year is an outlier and i don't think we should jeopardise the potential future. Where as if we stay up, Rafa is obviously going nowhere and a new takeover presents many different opportunities which weren't there before.

 

I'm not saying completely throw games, in fact Lascelles is the only one i'd even consider resting in these games but we all saw how s**** we were during his period out of the team and if another period takes place like that relegation is very likely as is the impending scenario i described.

 

Sure a cup would be fantastic, but honestly i'd take an actual future over it where cups are a lot more likely anyway.

 

 

 

Frankly very far fetched to link the minimal risk of a serious injury to a key player in a cup game to the likelihood of Ashley’s willingness to sell up or even Rafa staying. Ashley selling up is dependent on one man and one man only. As is Rafa staying really. I also think that if such a relationship between playing your most influential player in a cup game and the long term future prospects of the club exists, you’ve got the causality wrong. As soon as the club is mathematically safe Ashley will up his asking price again, making a sale less likely rather than more likely in my opinion.

 

Rafa played his strongest team in a cup game. We avoided a replay, worked on our growing confidence in front of goal, are through to the next round and seemingly have come out unscathed. Can’t ask for more really. Much prefer this to another third round exit because we prioritise the league where we are equally shit.

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Since returning from injury just 4 weeks ago hes completed 6 PL games and Rafa wanted him to play a 7th?

 

I think he’s the only player to have played every minute of the Xma fixtures. 

 

 

Should’ve been rested.  And given a few days holiday. 

 

He shouldn’t have been in the squad.

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Since returning from injury just 4 weeks ago hes completed 6 PL games and Rafa wanted him to play a 7th?

 

I think he’s the only player to have played every minute of the Xma fixtures. 

 

 

Should’ve been rested.  And given a few days holiday. 

 

He shouldn’t have been in the squad.

 

Yeah, but he’s Rafa Benítez, and you have no professional footballing experience. When Lascelles went off we were loads more vulnerable and you’d have been Captain Hindsight if he hadn’t been in the squad and we’d lost.

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Since returning from injury just 4 weeks ago hes completed 6 PL games and Rafa wanted him to play a 7th?

 

I think he’s the only player to have played every minute of the Xma fixtures. 

 

 

Should’ve been rested.  And given a few days holiday. 

 

He shouldn’t have been in the squad.

 

Yeah, but he’s Rafa Benítez, and you have no professional footballing experience. When Lascelles went off we were loads more vulnerable and you’d have been Captain Hindsight if he hadn’t been in the squad and we’d lost.

 

I’m allowed to have a difference of opinion.

 

If we can’t bat Luton Town without Lascelles In he FA Cup it’s even more imperative that he’s rested. This lad gets injured for 3 months - based on last time - we are relegated.  It’s not worth the risk.

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Since returning from injury just 4 weeks ago hes completed 6 PL games and Rafa wanted him to play a 7th?

 

I think he’s the only player to have played every minute of the Xma fixtures. 

 

 

Should’ve been rested.  And given a few days holiday. 

 

He shouldn’t have been in the squad.

 

Yeah, but he’s Rafa Benítez, and you have no professional footballing experience. When Lascelles went off we were loads more vulnerable and you’d have been Captain Hindsight if he hadn’t been in the squad and we’d lost.

 

I’m allowed to have a difference of opinion.

 

If we can’t bat Luton Town without Lascelles In he FA Cup it’s even more imperative that he’s rested. This lad gets injured for 3 months - based on last time - we are relegated.  It’s not worth the risk.

 

Lejune and mbemba both injured. Who would you have started?

 

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Since returning from injury just 4 weeks ago hes completed 6 PL games and Rafa wanted him to play a 7th?

 

I think he’s the only player to have played every minute of the Xma fixtures. 

 

 

Should’ve been rested.  And given a few days holiday. 

 

He shouldn’t have been in the squad.

 

Yeah, but he’s Rafa Benítez, and you have no professional footballing experience. When Lascelles went off we were loads more vulnerable and you’d have been Captain Hindsight if he hadn’t been in the squad and we’d lost.

 

I’m allowed to have a difference of opinion.

 

If we can’t bat Luton Town without Lascelles In he FA Cup it’s even more imperative that he’s rested. This lad gets injured for 3 months - based on last time - we are relegated.  It’s not worth the risk.

 

Of course you can have different opinions, but you can’t elevate yours above his when he has f*** loads of primary information on the player, his training, health etc. All you have is how many hours played so far and statistical information on how we’re better when he plays as opposed to when he doesn’t.

 

Our team is short of leaders and Lascelles happens to be our only one. If Rafa sees fit to play him for every game I’ll back him over some keyboard warriors who think they know better.

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Guest neesy111

Seeing as they "battered" us in the second half without him, maybe it was worth the risk to play him in the first to ensure the win?

 

If they were battering us then I would say that was the fault of the 6 players ahead of the defence.

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I honestly think this lad is going to end up as one of my favourite ever players at this rate. His attitude at his age in the country is remarkable, does and days everything right.

 

Remember the days when we'd literally think nothing of Bramble on rape accusations, Barton playing for us while murdering people or our own players beating fuck out of each other on the pitch?

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Interesting that he went off as soon as we scored. Premeditated maybe?

 

Would have thought so. Probably had a niggle beforehand and the staff made the call as we had the lead and the match presumably looked winnable without him by that point.

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I would have played him, he obv wasnt a problem with him before the match rafa aint no fool. people have to remember s*** happens in football sometimes :)

 

Eh! Are you saying that thinking he should have been rested, to avoid an unpredictable injury, is forgetting that unpredictable injuries happen in football?

 

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Interesting that he went off as soon as we scored. Premeditated maybe?

 

Would have thought so. Probably had a niggle beforehand and the staff made the call as we had the lead and the match presumably looked winnable without him by that point.

 

If that's the case, I can understand why some people are concerned that he started, not a fan of playing someone who isn't 100% myself. But then as said previously, Rafa is so cautious with rotation when it comes to match fitness, I can't think he would have risked Lascelles unless the player himself said he was ok. Maybe as soon as he felt it, he signalled to come off.

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