First-leg win marred by injuries

Any side we put out should be able to beat Dagenham (not that we should take many chances) but we obviously don't want Rom out too long. Nor am I comfortable with Stones deputising for Coleman as it would mean all three first-team CBs on the field at the same time.

How about Oviedo? And surely Jags will play his part.

Very good win tonight. Pity that we could not get a third. Robles really should be staking a claim to be our GK. And notice that we seem to play better without two DMFs. I don’t class Besic or Cleverley as DMFs. Just proper midfielders. But of course it is a shame about the injuries. And we are now in a transfer window. No better time to bring in back up for league matches. Let’s have a good 2016 and a better second half to the season. So far this year has started well compared to the nonsense this time last season. COYBs.

While Hibbert is the experienced veteran, his lack of match fitness might count against him.
Lennon can run all day long.

The main thing for me is that Rom isn't badly injured. Also glad to see Ross run off that knock.

Robles
Holgate, Funes Mori, Galloway, Oviedo
Gibson Osman McCarthy
Lennon Kone Mirallas

SUBS: Leandro, Pienaar, Besic, Jagielka, Howard, etc

This lad also plays midfield but has the skill and intelligence to play anywhere. Lots of players have talent but it's the intelligence which sets them apart and this lad has it in spades. Had his international debut in Albania's 1-0 win over France in a friendly and is a possible for the Euros.

With a mad half Albanian ex marine living above me, I get his countrymen rammed down my throat. Actually, with Albanians, including Shaqiri and Januzaj, playing for about ten other countries, they've done really well to reach the Euros.

Anyway, we're supporting Fejzullahu and think he's on the way up.

The last thing we need is Lukaku missing a month's football, we ought to make a 8 million move for Charlie Austin, what have we really got to lose?

We can throw in some reserves on Saturday but after that you need established experienced men in the team.

For me you can lay all the young kids you want but who was Everton's best player last night, who made all the right decisions?.
Yes the experienced Gareth Barry!!!

Experience is vital to success!!

Lukaku hopefully just needs a rest and there should be cover enough for Cleverly in the short term.

We need a young right-back to deputise Coleman anyway - I'd definitely be considering it if I were Martinez.

Not for the weekend, but I suppose if Jagielka is fit then Stones at RB will work.

I just believe that if we are serious about finishing this season strongly then we can take no risks at all in terms of leaving ourselves short of first team options.

We should push on to sign Sam Byram for right back too!

If Coleman does miss a period of time, there is no replacement for him with Hibbert nowhere near it and Browning out for the season, even if Pennington was fit its too risky playing a untried kid there.
And please please not John Stones right back, every time he's played there the phrase "fish out of water " springs to mind.

Think Osman will be getting time in the middle and possibly Barkley playing a more box to box role.

Would like to see Holgate get a shot at RB as he has looked very good for U21s. Or Jono Kenny, or is he on loan still?

I agree especially given that Barry is in the top 5 for yards covered he needs a rest given the upcoming games.

I would go

Robles
Holgate Jags Stones Galloway
Lennon Osman Gibson Besic Mirallas
Kone

He's scored 10 goals in the Championship this season despite missing a few game's, ccontrary to belief, the Championship has improved alot over the years, it's not that easy to score in nowadays.
Of course last season Austin scored 17 goals in a poor QPR team.

Who would you be happier to trust to deputies as a help for Lukaku?

A player that has hardly kicked a ball in the English league, a untested kid that is learning his trade for two or three years like Henen on loan at Fleetwood, neither him or Rodriguez are anywhere near ready to take on the league yet.

Naismith looks to be heading out the door.
Kone tries but he's limited let's be honest!

Who knows how long Lukaku might be out for, he could be back next week but there's always that possibility that we won't be so lucky and he could miss a month.

That would be a great loss, and we'd be very very naive to thinker can cope without an experienced hard-nosed replacement.

It's not a risk I'd be happy to take.

Given we have seven games in 25 days in January, I’d give him a rest. He has started every single PL game and played some part of every Cup game.

The side I picked has eight international players and should be way too good for a side near the bottom of League 2.

I’ve been saying this about McCarthy for ages. As good a he is at what he does he offers so little going forward or Barry doesn’t offer enough to compensate for him.

It took Besic’s performance last night to highlight it.

We could put him there sure, but every time he's filled in there he's looked completely lost, unbalanced and the nimble mobility isn't there.

Ideally you'd have picked Hibbert, or at least 4 years ago you would, but I find it hard to imagine he's ever going to be fit enough for Premier League action again, at least this season.

Tyias Browning did ok before he got injured, maybe like Galloway though he started struggling a little bit and needed a break before things got too much.

We are in January now, the window is open so we could take advantage and count ourselves lucky that we have the opportunity to ease this mini injury crisis.

Hibbert (no)
Stones (no, he’s a CB)
Galloway (left footed)
McCarthy (injured?)
Cleverley (possible but has a knock)
Lennon (likely)
Holgate (possible)
Foulds (too soon?)
Kenny (little 1st team experience)
Pennington (as above)
Or my favoured option – buy Byram.

Robles
Holgate Jagielka Funes Mori Galloway
Lennon Gibson Besic Mirallas (or Pienaar?)
Dowell
Kone

Only 2 youngsters (assuming we think Galloway can be counted as first teamer now) and enough experience to navigate the banana skin hopefully whilst giving a rest to those who need it most hopefully.

You could easily put Osman in for Dowell but I’d like to see what the lad has and his energy could be needed to support Kone.

Holgate
Jagielka
Funes Mori
Galloway

Pienaar
Besic
Gibson

Mirallas
Naismith
Lennon

The Alli goal was scrutinised by the studio pundits and it was agreed Coleman did very little wrong for what amounted to a top class goal. If you look at the goal from last night you will see that de Bruyne was trying hard to get up with Aguero as the ball was played up to him and Coleman was trying not to over commit himself too early and leave one of them with a clear run on goal. He pushed Aguero back to where any covering players were and up until Besic decided to engage Aguero instead of covering Navas’s run we had a chance of containing that break.

For me Coleman very rarely does anything other than work as hard as he can in each and every game. I can’t remember the last time we regularly got opened up on his flank and he has put a load into making the right flank our most potent attacking focal point. I think people have got so used to him easily mopping up at the back that they only notice when he fails.

I can’t think of any right back I’d swap him for.

Also not as far to jog to take corners.