Team for Crewe

Knowing Hurst he’ll make a couple of changes but I’d expect a relatively strong side. Why not go for it, opportunity to play a decent team early on in the tournament.

I can't see anything but Hurst going full strength for this.

His hand is pretty much forced by the lack of options anyway.  Perhaps he'll want to have a proper look at Pepple but in all honesty I've no idea on the type of striker he is, which shapes what you play around him to an extent.  Taylor starting would be a risk and then we've no other options (unless someone else comes through the door today).  

Maybe run outs for Wearne and JMD and then you're down to rotating the lads at the back.  

I know we've not had a cup run for a while but this is the one where there's little incentive isn't it?  May have changed but I thought the finances had been dropped out of the League Cup and you're hoping on a big away day to make any remotely decent money.

I would give Cropper and Amos a start, they need some game time. Would start JMD to see what he can do over 90 minutes. I would rest Taylor and start Pebbles. Give Wearn a longer run out too.

It would still be a strong team with those changes. But I would rather see the full strength team fresh at Rochdale.

Quoted from diehardmariner

I know we've not had a cup run for a while but this is the one where there's little incentive isn't it?  May have changed but I thought the finances had been dropped out of the League Cup and you're hoping on a big away day to make any remotely decent money.

45% share of the gate money, no prize money until the quarter finals. So you’re right, need a big premiership team away for any decent money. Don’t know if that’s more or less incentive to try and go as far as possible.

Personally I think some sort of Carabao/Papa John’s hybrid (competition, not pizza/energy drink!) would solve a lot of problems with the big teams not really wanting to enter the Carabao. An early league based league cup but only for the 72.

Think essel and braithwaite should be involved to get some experience too.
Let’s bring our youth on and not see another couple of years wasted for them.

                       Crocombe

Cropper.   Waterfall.    Smith.  Amos

                   Green.    Morris

JMD.               Kiernan.             Wearne

                         Pepple

Quoted from gtfc98

All the people?

So many people

Quoted from monkeyboy

Think essel and braithwaite should be involved to get some experience too.
Let’s bring our youth on and not see another couple of years wasted for them.

Actually surprised to not see Essel on the bench at the weekend, especially with no other strikers available.  The lad is incredibly raw and I'm not advocating him as the answer to the dilemma at hand, but just thought Hurst might have had him on there as a back up.

Edit:  He didn't feature for the youth team either so presume he's injured.

I’d imagine a rest for Taylor and Green, who both haven’t fully trained and possibly some changes in the back line. Four or five changes from Saturday.

Based on the limited time I've seen the team, I'm not sure we need to play Green and Morris in the pivot. They both play a similar role but offer something different, so we could alternate them based on the opposition. When Maher is fit, he could play there too unless Hurst plans to slot him into a back three.

4-2-3-1:

                          Pepple

      Kiernan       Wearne         JMD

           Morris / Maher    Clifton

Amos       Smith        Waterfall       Cropper

                       Crocombe


4-3-3:

Kiernan / Wearne    Pepple         JMD

                Clifton            Holohan

                       Morris / Maher

     Amos        Smith       Waterfall      Cropper