I find the whole cup vs league thing weird. As a fan, I want my team to play and win as many games as possible.
In our 2015-2016 promotion season we got the the 4th round of the FA Cup and the final of the paint pot trophy (before it got sullied). We must have played 60 games that season and the cup success helped us build and maintain momentum.
The following season we got to the 5th round of the FA Cup (the almost brilliant comeback at Middlesbrough) and the final of the now bastardised paint pot thing. We also finished 8th in the league on our return.
Sure, but take a look at some of the teams we put out in the early rounds of those two cups!
Against Braintree in the FA Cup, we rested Roofe, Dunkley (I believe Jake Wright was injured at the time), Hylton & Sercombe - played Skarz at CB and some bloke that I can only vaguely remember called Cameron Gayle at LB. Patrick Hoban started up front.
Then against Daggers in our second Paint Pot trophy match (the first was against the Scum, so we understandably put out our strongest XI), Gayle played RB, Robbie Cundy made his one and only appearance for the club in central defense, AJ George made his only ever start for the club on the wing....and Hoban started up front again.
We still got through the Braintree tie, and won the game against Dagenham!
It's a long season, and we're going to need a full squad of players over its course. So now is the time to get a few of the players a run-out in a competitive fixture so that they don't stagnate sitting on the bench. Doesn't mean we're not trying to win, doesn't mean we can't win (especially as Swansea will almost certainly do the same) - it's just smart squad management.
So I would definitely be giving Ciaron Brown a run-out, Gorrin too. And then probably Jones and Murphy on the wings because they seem to be the two in most need of game time at the moment. Bring Goodrham on for whichever of them is looking leggy at around the hour mark.
So something like:
Stevens
Long Moore Brown Seddon
Gorrin
Bate Henry
Jones Murphy
Taylor/Browne (whichever is in the best shape)
Definitely a side that can win, even if it's not our absolute best XI right now.......