Team for tomorrow...?

Looks good - the only questions for me are (i) Danns or Abe, and (ii) whether whichever of those two doesn't start should be on the bench instead of Beckford. Burnley are playing well, and are something of a bugbear side for us - can we afford to have two forwards on the bench?

Dont really matter - do we ever win at burnley?

Schmeichel

Peltier
Bamba
Mills
Konchesky

Johnson
Fernandez
King
Wellens

Beckford
Nugent

Subs: Weale, Pantsil, Danns, Abe, Howard

Schlupp misses out again for me, but i have no problem with him on the bench. Really difficult to pick a team at the moment.

I like us at 4-4-2. And i think Beckford should be kept in the starting team for now, give the boy some more time.

Just remembered Gally is back! Need him on the bench, god knows who to leave out. Glad i'm not the new manager :P

I think Abe needs a rest, and for me this would involve not travelling at all so he is fresh for the weekend.

My preference for Danns would be to play him on the left of the midfield. We need someone who is quick and a reasonable all round midfielder to cover Konchesky when he gets forward - the one weakness of Paul's game is that he sometimes struggles to get back quickly when overlapping down the flank.

I think an away trip up north against a team looking to get back in to form, when we are on the back of defeats, is the best time to bring Howard in. We need Beckford fresh for Sunday as he surely has to start against Leeds? I would not drop Beckford because I am on his back or think he is the new Campbell, I would drop him because he has played quite poorly for several games in a row and I'd expect anyone in this scenario to be rested.

Under the presumption that we play 4-4-2, I can not see any justification for putting two more central midfielders on the bench so have opted with Schlupp instead, who could come on for either Howard/Nugent or Danns on the edge of a diamond or to revert the formation to a 4-3-3 if this looks like a possible plan B that may be utilised.

Agree with KTF's team

'We need Beckford fresh for Sunday as he surely has to start against Leeds?'

Well, if Howard plays well against Brunley, I wouldn't drop him. Beckford should play if he earns his place, same as anyone else in the squad. I don't think he should be given an automatic starting spot just because it's against his old club. Maybe this wake up call for Jermaine is what he needs because he has the talent but he still should be made to work for his place and prove that he's worthy of a start before giving him a starting place ahead of players who, at this point in time, are playing better and deserve to play ahead of him.

That is how you get good competition for places in a squad rather than causing player unrest by picking those who don't deserve to play. It is how any successful squad works.

I certainly agree in general that players should be chosen on merit and performances, but I think it's a little different when it's your old club and certainly with Beckford's confidence already seemingly being low.

I think with Howard whether it be starting or coming on, 45 mins or so here and there is best way to utilise him in his golden years.

Perhaps Nugent and Beckford with Howard playing just behind or just in front for the flick ons or hold up play. Or maybe I'm being a little too adventurous there!

Dont really matter - do we ever win at burnley?

I'm glad you're not the new manager... "not worth turning up to play Burnley as we never beat them"

I see that the BBC are reporting Vassell and Dyer as "doubts" - and that Ben Mee may play left-back against us. One that got away, dammit.

Rudkin cannot influence longer term playing strategies or squad realignment-not his remit.
He can treat each match as cup tie and select to suit-hope Howard gets a start this time and I am sure young Mee might get the treatment from him. Let Beckford come on after softening process!
Not a contradiction of my earlier postings re future potential for change with new manager- just lets get a couple of results to keep us afloat on top 6 possibility