trousers

Ordinarily I would say rest 'key' players for this game but looking at the fixture list this would mean some players going 11 days without a game i.e. Dec 28th (Boxing Day) to Jan 9th. So, whilst sticking by the principle that we should concentrate 100% on the league until it's mathematically impossible to reach the play-offs, I would put out a strong team for this game so that players retain match fitness.

Even the OS have got Boxing Day wrong

How does this compare to the financial gain for promotion this season?

FFS

Welcome to the entertainment industry

Concentrate on the league

That's what my wife thinks about football message boards...Do you come here often...? ;-)

In the words of Alan Partridge: "DAN!!!!"

Someone should be educating them about the positive effect of closing the gap on our rivals higher up the table

good point, well made

We don't want Swindon to win! FFS :-)

Not true. We're well into the second half now...

I have a spare slot next Tuesday if that fits in?

Are we top of the league yet?

We're now up to 3rd (by my calculations)

I am in the bath

Apply for the Director of Football post and hand over the first team reins to José Mourinho

Stone the crows

Le singe est dans l'arbre

Not forgetting this one of course....

Good Lord

So, we're all in agreement then?

Yup. Only 12 points away (?) I bet if we had a 'normal' season and were 12 points away from the relegation zone at this stage of the season we wouldn't feel 'safe'. A simple reverse of that logic suggests that 12 points is achievable ground to make up. Really.

IMHO....Cortese should identify and target our most likely 'play off place' rivals and snap up two or three of the the best players in that 'pool' of teams in January, thus stiffling any threat from our main competitors. Well, that's how it would work in 'real' business....headhunt the best people for your company whilst snuffing out the threat from others.