League Cup final conundrum...

I just won in the semi-final in the league cup but im wondering should i stick with the kids and fringe players who got me to the final or choose my strongest team to play a strong Spurs side certain they would beat my kids and fringe players?

Stick with the kids, they got you this far.

Mix it up a bit. Play the kids but put in two or three first team players if you need to.

Play the kids. Plus if you're in the CL, there's usually a game around that time, so you don't want to risk your first team.

Do you want to win it and add to your reputation, or do you want to cater to the feelings of unimportant players in your squad?

Play a more experienced side with a few of those youngsters who are on the verge of breaking into the senior team, if you put out a team of mostly youngsters that ends up getting humped you could harm their development.

Depends who you are really. My rule for 'second XI games that I would quite like to win' is to set an 8+3 or 7+4 rule - I tend to have 3 or 4 players I consider irreplaceable and I'll chuck them into the team to give us a far better chance. Usually that's a CB, my two main creators (wingers at present, but could be a winger/AM or a winger/CM) and top scorer. I've found that's the sweet spot for shoehorning as many youths in as possible - as long as your youth goalie isn't totally naff.

Do you want to win it and add to your reputation, or do you want to cater to the feelings of unimportant players in your squad?

there are no unimportant players in my squad, else they wouldn't be there!

agree with the sentiment, would play the better kids I would keep around after and drop the weaker ones

It may be a bit 'gamey' but l doubt anyone in the FM universe would appreciate you showing loyalty to a reserve side for a cup final. My fans seem to regularly grumble about me fielding a weakened team even when I'm not, so for a cup final I'd go all out to win it.

Thank for you're comments and votes lads, and for anyone interested i played the game with some first teamers and some youths and lost 1-0.