Injuries Force Allardyce Onto The Front Foot!

No Reid and no Faubert, and Ringo Paul wasn't up to it, so Doctor Evil has been forced on to the offensive! The side isn't as compact as I expected it to be and the inclusion of Lansbury gives it a potentially exciting feel.

The personnel have been identified but it is by no means clear how we will set up. 4-5-1, 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 are all possible. Who will play wide right? Collison or Lansbury? Who will anchor the midfield? Collison or Noble? The worry is confusion. Palace swamped us in midfield last week and poured forward at will. If Cardiff do the same, it will be curtains.

The hope is that we will go on to the front foot and that Lansbury and Noble will run the show. The decision to run with Maynard rather than Cole or Baldock is very surprising. It's also interesting to see that recent policy has been reversed by including Boffin on the bench. There's also a huge irony in the need to include young Potts on the bench as our only defensive cover just days after the Yank was sent packing to Dallas.

Today's team:

Green

O'Brien, Faye, Tomkins, McCartney

Collison

Noble, Lansbury

Nolan, Vaz Te

Maynard