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Our premier league starting 11


Negan

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Well I’m bored with no City to look forward to this weekend and a Jordan Henderson captained England isn’t going to help fix said boredom. 

 

So it got me thinking, say we managed to slip into the play offs, we’ve beaten Aston Villa 5-0 in the final, the opening weekend of the premier league is days away. What do you think our starting 11 for our first ever premier league game would look like? Most promoted teams don’t overhaul the squad that got them there but there will obviously be quite a few additions. Our strongest starting 11 is debatable but at the moment, providing everyone is fit, would look along the lines of this 

 

Fielding 

Pisano Flint Baker Bryan 

Brownhill Smith Pack O’Dowda 

Reid Diedhiou 

 

How many of the above would survive a promotion and still be in that starting 11 come the first game of the season? It would be a difficult one imo. I like the current midfielders in that line up but I’m not sure if they’d have what it takes to keep us up. As for the front 2 I think Reid would handle it but maybe Diedhiou would struggle week in week out, we’d definitely need another striker, maybe Djuric could do a job but we’d need as many goals as possible and I couldn’t see him netting more than 5. Pisano would be 31 and could struggle against the lacy strikers/wingers. I don’t think we’d change Flint and Baker but would need back up, something I don’t think Mags or Wright would be sufficient for and as for Frankie, a tough one, great shot stopper but again I think we’d need a better goalkeeper than him to survive, but he’d be a great 2nd choice. 

 

So opinions on who you think would still be walking out on the pitch for us in the premier league, should we get there next season? 

 

 

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8 minutes ago, pillred said:

wont make myself popular, but doubt whether more than four maybe five of the players we have would currently be good enough for the top flight, we would need a massive overhaul the gap is really big and getting bigger every season.

Totally agree

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Here’s the best 11 we have imo and whether they’re Prem quality or can step

 

Fielding- Done very well to see off a lot of GK but I don’t think he’s good enough to start in the prem, maybe substitute though.

 

Pisano- Looks very good and could be ok in the prem but injuries is a worry and he’s now 30 so unsure on this one.

 

Flint- Can definitely step up to the premier league but probably not straight away.

 

Baker- Has Premier League experience with Villa and can definitely make the step up.

 

Bryan- Think he’s Premier League quality already, unsure at what position but definitely has Premier League quality 

 

O'Dowda- Definitely has potential to step up but not sure if he can right now his end product has improved but not sure whether it will be good enough in the prem right now.

 

Brownhill- I think he’s there or there abouts and can step up in the Premier League.

 

Smith- Brilliant player and has always improved but he’s not good enough for the Prem and considering his age I doubt he will do.

 

Paterson- This is one I’m unsure about, in the 1st half of the season I was 100% sure he was good enough but he would be in the plans but only as a substitute.

 

Reid- Based on this season most definitely but could this season be a one season for him? I don’t think so and I hope he keeps improving.

 

Diedhiou- He would be in my plans but only really as an impact sub 

 

So considering all of that here would be my starting lineup next season 

 

Angus Gunn (loan)

 

Moses Odubajo

Aden Flint 

Nathan Baker

Joe Bryan

 

Callum O’Dowda

Josh Brownhill

Ben Pearson

Jay Rodriguez

 

Bobby Reid

Tammy Abraham (loan) 

 

Subs

Frank Fielding 

Eros Pisano

Bailey Wright

Korey Smith

Marlon Pack

Jamie Paterson

Famara Diédhiou 

 

 

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4 hours ago, pillred said:

wont make myself popular, but doubt whether more than four maybe five of the players we have would currently be good enough for the top flight, we would need a massive overhaul the gap is really big and getting bigger every season.

Think the gap is getting smaller myself. The money is filtering down the pyramid and especially clubs who have parachute payments can afford to assemble decent squads at this level. Also English clubs don't have as much dominance over the continent as they did 10 years ago. That, and the money coming in from tv, mean English football are paying more money for players who are a similar or lesser quality. 

We're blinded by the big fees and the hype created by Sky and BT that our league is the best in the world and the gap is getting bigger so it sells their product - that's what our top division is now.

Look at Brighton, Newcastle and Huddersfield - all likely to stay up. 

I'd mention Hull and Sunderland too, but that's more about ownership, though even Middlesbrough having spent a lot and kept a lot of their players haven't set the division alight. 

The gap isn't as big as it was 5,6,7 years ago. 

Flint, Baker, Bryan, O'Dowda, Brownhil, Reid would be good enough imo, so I agree not too many of the current batch I'd have total faith in starting. 

Pisano, Pack, Smith, Diedhiou, Djuric and Paterson on his day would be decent squad players. So lots of work still to be done though. Hopefully the likes of Vyner, Kelly and Walsh who are showing potential could reach that level one day too. 

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6 hours ago, Negan said:

Our strongest starting 11 is debatable but at the moment, providing everyone is fit, would look along the lines of this 

 

Fielding 

Pisano Flint Baker Bryan 

Brownhill Smith Pack O’Dowda 

Reid Diedhiou 

 

 

 

 

But that doesn't leave room for Ronaldo, Messi or Bale who would all be banging on the door for honour of playing for City!

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2 hours ago, CheddarReds said:

Think the gap is getting smaller myself. The money is filtering down the pyramid and especially clubs who have parachute payments can afford to assemble decent squads at this level. Also English clubs don't have as much dominance over the continent as they did 10 years ago. That, and the money coming in from tv, mean English football are paying more money for players who are a similar or lesser quality. 

We're blinded by the big fees and the hype created by Sky and BT that our league is the best in the world and the gap is getting bigger so it sells their product - that's what our top division is now.

Look at Brighton, Newcastle and Huddersfield - all likely to stay up. 

I'd mention Hull and Sunderland too, but that's more about ownership, though even Middlesbrough having spent a lot and kept a lot of their players haven't set the division alight. 

The gap isn't as big as it was 5,6,7 years ago. 

Flint, Baker, Bryan, O'Dowda, Brownhil, Reid would be good enough imo, so I agree not too many of the current batch I'd have total faith in starting. 

Pisano, Pack, Smith, Diedhiou, Djuric and Paterson on his day would be decent squad players. So lots of work still to be done though. Hopefully the likes of Vyner, Kelly and Walsh who are showing potential could reach that level one day too. 

Agree the gap is getting smaller.

But we haven't benefitted from that as we've never yet sat at the top table (Premier League) and hence not benefitted from the money.

What strikes me most about several of our players is their lack of physicality. That's not just size but muscle tone and power. 

For me, the only players who have the true physical attributes for the Prem and Bryan, Reid and possibly Djuric. The rest are Championship build. It struck me when we played Wolves how different their players are as "specimens", and of course when we played the two Manchester clubs.

So whilst I agree overallthe gap is closing, it's still pretty wide for us.

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6 hours ago, hodge said:

Ter Stegen

Piszczek ..... Alderweirald ..... Silva .... Alba

Kante .... Kroos

Messi .... De Bruyne .... Hazard

Griezmann

Come on Lansdown get your chequebook out ffs!

One of our own,

He's one of our own,

Luvver Lionel Messi

He's one of our own.

:)

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3 minutes ago, reformed_red said:

Agree the gap is getting smaller.

But we haven't benefitted from that as we've never yet sat at the top table (Premier League) and hence not benefitted from the money.

What strikes me most about several of our players is their lack of physicality. That's not just size but muscle tone and power. 

For me, the only players who have the true physical attributes for the Prem and Bryan, Reid and possibly Djuric. The rest are Championship build. It struck me when we played Wolves how different their players are as "specimens", and of course when we played the two Manchester clubs.

So whilst I agree overallthe gap is closing, it's still pretty wide for us.

We have to a certain extent, as I said, the money is filtering through the leagues. Villa's parachute payments allow them to buy a Jonthan Kodjia for 15m so we can go and spend 1.6m on a Callum O'Dowda, figures that years ago at their respect level were unheard of but are becoming a regularity. Additionally with each increase in money the premier league gets for tv rights, some is distributed amongst the lower leagues (although many would argue not a high enough percentage). 

I do agree with you that for us the gap is probably too big at the moment (albeit I think we'd have a decent crack of the whip if by some miracle it did happen). As you say, some of that is noticeable in the physicality of the squad. I'm a big advocate of Marlon Pack but I worry he'd be too immobile and a bit slow for the league above, your observations of that against Wolves and the Manchester clubs is fine example. Perhaps this is something Johnson and Ashton are aware of and is what they meant when they spoke about where the club are relative to pushing for promotion this season?

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32 minutes ago, 22A said:

But that doesn't leave room for Ronaldo, Messi or Bale who would all be banging on the door for honour of playing for City!

manual manipulator, midget & welsh. 

We need to set our sights higher..! 

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6 hours ago, CheddarReds said:

Think the gap is getting smaller myself. The money is filtering down the pyramid and especially clubs who have parachute payments can afford to assemble decent squads at this level. Also English clubs don't have as much dominance over the continent as they did 10 years ago. That, and the money coming in from tv, mean English football are paying more money for players who are a similar or lesser quality. 

We're blinded by the big fees and the hype created by Sky and BT that our league is the best in the world and the gap is getting bigger so it sells their product - that's what our top division is now.

Look at Brighton, Newcastle and Huddersfield - all likely to stay up. 

I'd mention Hull and Sunderland too, but that's more about ownership, though even Middlesbrough having spent a lot and kept a lot of their players haven't set the division alight. 

The gap isn't as big as it was 5,6,7 years ago. 

Flint, Baker, Bryan, O'Dowda, Brownhil, Reid would be good enough imo, so I agree not too many of the current batch I'd have total faith in starting. 

Pisano, Pack, Smith, Diedhiou, Djuric and Paterson on his day would be decent squad players. So lots of work still to be done though. Hopefully the likes of Vyner, Kelly and Walsh who are showing potential could reach that level one day too. 

agree, that's why I said currently, like you I think there Is potential for some of them to step up with a bit more experience.

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17 hours ago, Bs4Red said:

Joe Bryan the only player in our squad good enough for Prem imo. 

I know this will be unpopular but we are an average championship team and our league position will show that at the end of the season. 

 

Yes but there are so many that can easily make the step up Flint made the step up to the Championship well, Baker has prem experience, Reid’s top scorer in the championship and at this rate could easily improve, possibly Brownhill and O’Dowda aswell 

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