Would you play Griffiths at the PBS?

[Mikey]

I wouldn't.

I wouldn't trust them not to boot him off the park. I don't even trust Locke not to instruct his "players" to boot him off the park.

[Danderhall Hibs]

Agreed. We've got to prioritise and the derby is insignificant.

[Westie1875]

No chance, would even rest Claros and Williams too!

[HibeeN]

Nope. Maybe give Caldwell and Handling a run up front together.

Edit: Or Kuqi, to really confuse them! I'd actually love to see him and Ngoo on the same pitch!

[The Sea-gull]

Not worth the risk in my opinion.

As has been said, could see Locke asking his players to give LG "a bit of treatment" and even if he doesn't could see some of their players being hell bent on endearing themselves to their supporters by halfing him and/or trying to wind him up with a view to him gettting sent off.

Appreciate that even if he did get sent off it is a different competition so unlikely to affect him playing in the final but we and he could do without any bad publicity in the run up to the final. All it would take is their fans winding him up and a wee set to with them in the form of a verbal or a gesture then he is up before the SFA.

Would love to beat them at Tynie but would much rather give ourselves every chance of winning the cup and not do anything to jeapordise our already fairly slim chances. Although it doesn't seem like it, we get more chances to win at the PBS than we do to win the cup.

[#FromTheCapital]

No chance, we need to be giving our key players a rest for this one. Couldn't give a toss about this meaningless end of season derby, it may as well be a friendly but I wouldn't trust ginger tattoo freakshow and friends not to go out to seriously injure our better players

[SteveHFC]

I would start Kuqi and Kujabi

[The Sea-gull]

In general, PF has got to give careful consideration to getting the balance right in the final five fixtures, which relative to what is at stake on 26th May, mean very little.

He's got to keep the players fit both mentally and physically but not over-risk them either.

Think we'll see some varied, inconsistent and experimental line ups which will be reflected in results and performances between now and end of SPL campaign.

The key is to avoid injuries and burn out of important players but keep fitness and match sharpness up, build moral, ideally by winning a couple of games but certainly performing well and perhaps most improtantly, avoid too many shoddy performances/heavy moral damaging defeats.

I actually think, with the pressure of making the top 6 and making the cup final removed, having achived one of these two, we might go on and do ok in the remainder of the season.

[Mikey]

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In general, PF has got to give careful consideration to getting the balance right in the final five fixtures, which relative to what is at stake on 26th May, mean very little.

He's got to keep the players fit both mentally and physically but not over-risk them either.

Think we'll see some varied, inconsistent and experimental line ups which will be reflected in results and performances between now and end of SPL campaign.

The key is to avoid injuries and burn out of important players but keep fitness and match sharpness up, build moral, ideally by winning a couple of games but certainly performing well and perhaps most improtantly, avoid too many shoddy performances/heavy moral damaging defeats.

Yep, it's five training matches as he puts together the perfect team, formation and mentality for the 26th.

There'll be much gnashing of teeth if we lose those five games but in the grand scheme of things they're nowhere near as important as our sixth game.

[Captain Trips]

Not only has PF managed to get us to another final it appears and I stress appears it looks like he might have got some just to write off rest of SPL campaign as some folk since half time now think he is man to take us forward due to reaching the final alone have people just written off our last games and PF can do as he likes?

On to Mikeys point in terms of above unfortuantly the fixture v Hearts I would write off drop LG and others we without doubt need everyone fit a brusing Derby is the last thing we need. 100% drop LG and a fre others even Williams the rest of the games we need momentum we need to see that 2nd half carry into our next 3/4 matches, we do not want to be sitting 10th 11th again do we with poor form.

[#FromTheCapital]

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In general, PF has got to give careful consideration to getting the balance right in the final five fixtures, which relative to what is at stake on 26th May, mean very little.

He's got to keep the players fit both mentally and physically but not over-risk them either.

Think we'll see some varied, inconsistent and experimental line ups which will be reflected in results and performances between now and end of SPL campaign.

The key is to avoid injuries and burn out of important players but keep fitness and match sharpness up, build moral, ideally by winning a couple of games but certainly performing well and perhaps most improtantly, avoid too many shoddy performances/heavy moral damaging defeats.

Last year was a much differnt situation as we were fighting for survival whilst trying to keep an eye on the final at the same time. We have breathing space this year but ideally we want to win most of our remaining games to get a bit of momentum going into the final.

We should be focusing on the first 3 games after the split, but after that I think we will need to give better players a seat on the bench

[The Sea-gull]

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Yep, it's five training matches as he puts together the perfect team, formation and mentality for the 26th.

There'll be much gnashing of teeth if we lose those five games but in the grand scheme of things they're nowhere near as important as our sixth game.

Nobody would really remember what happens in the last five games if we win the big one on 26th May and the results would only get a mention if we lose the final and/or start next season badly. And rightly so. That's all ifs and buts though. We have to live in the here and now. We haven't lost a cup final yet, even Hibs can't be slated for losing a game they have not yet played and while we still have the game to play we have to give ourselves every opportunity of winning it.

[neilmartinrocks]

I ken what you boys mean but.... meaningless friendly? Its a DERBY ffs US-v-them play a lighter team by all means but go out tae win the game surely?

[Captain Trips]

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I ken what you boys mean but.... meaningless friendly? Its a DERBY ffs US-v-them play a lighter team by all means but go out tae win the game surely?

We cannot go on not winning SPL matches regardless of 26th May we have to see that we are moving on, I would though say that the Hearts game is one I wouldnt care about the points more on the fitness.

[Stevie Reid]

Would put a shadow team out (might not be too different from our usual performances there anyway!)

[hibsbollah]

As much as I want to keep the unbeaten derby run going, I'd rest Griffiths, McPake and Claros as well.

[Captain Trips]

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Would put a shadow team out (might not be too different from our usual performances there anyway!)

Doing this you may also just get a wild card player that throws himself onto maybe even a bench place because we are very inconsitant there is time just about to come in and show you have the papers.

[BOB MARLEYS DUG]

Personally, id play doyle and handling up front and rest griffiths for may 26.

[Fife-Hibee]

I think fielding a few youngsters for the derby might go in our favour anyway. The big players will want to stay away from injuries thus meaning shirking out of 50/50s and the young guns will be more up for the fight !

[legends of 73]

I would rest Williams to give Murdoch a run out just incase he's needed, Thomson and Claros to be rested put in deegan and Robertson deegan just to boot **** out of them Robertson cos he'll not play in the final up front Doyle, Handling and Caldwell . Might even take mcpake and McGivern out the team as these mutant cants will boot **** out of our top guys

[SteveHFC]

Murdoch

Forster
Donaldson
Clancy
Kujabi

Cairney
Deegan
Stevenson
Harris

Kuqi
Handling

Subs:
Williams
McPake
Hanlon
Thomson
Robertson
Caldwell
Doyle

[neilmartinrocks]

Murdoch
Maybury Donalson Foster Kujabi
Cairney Horribine Wotherspoon Stevenson
Kuqi Doyle

some team eh? and Doyles only there coz we dinnae hae another striker.

[GlenrothesHibee]

Tattoo man worries me. They guys an idiot. Wouldnt put it past him to fly 2 footed into somebody again. Id play a few of the youngsters and rest a few of the big players. Now until 26th may should be about preparing for the cup final and nothing else

[Judas Iscariot]

Williams

Maybury
Clancy
McGivern
Stevenson

Wotherspoon
Deegan
Roberston
Cairney

Kuqi
Handling

[Kato]

Cotton wool for a few players. Particularly that fixture.

[Scouse Hibee]

How do some people on this board cope with real life?

[neilmartinrocks]

Or we cuild put a wee nut job on the pitch and just kick tats clean off it afore he gets the chance tae hack anybody. just a thought.

[Jones28]

Nah. Play to win

[Franck Stanton]

Difficult question to answer really. Which game is the most important - Derby or Cup Final. Head ,[ quite rightly] says Cup Final, however goes against the grain [big time] to conceed anything to those puddle-drinkers. This derby, is , for me, one of - if not THE, most insignificant in my living memory. Obviously want a win, however if we play a weakened team and they lot do manage a lucky win, does it really matter [apart from bragging rights/keeping our unbeaten run alive] ? Weighed up against the risk of losing some of our star turns for the final I have to conceed that we should play a weakened team as those hammer throwers would definately go out to maim as many as they could with Leigh the most obvious target.

[Captain Trips]

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Difficult question to answer really. Which game is the most important - Derby or Cup Final. Head ,[ quite rightly] says Cup Final, however goes against the grain [big time] to conceed anything to those puddle-drinkers. This derby, is , for me, one of - if not THE, most insignificant in my living memory. Obviously want a win, however if we play a weakened team and they lot do manage a lucky win, does it really matter [apart from bragging rights/keeping our unbeaten run alive] ? Weighed up against the risk of losing some of our star turns for the final I have to conceed that we should play a weakened team as those hammer throwers would definately go out to maim as many as they could with Leigh the most obvious target.

I would then look to be picking my cup final team or as close to v Dundee cannot drop them for what would be nearly 3 weeks by final time.