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Match day squad headache...


spudski

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1 hour ago, RedEyez said:

Goalkeepers - Maenpaa. Bentley

Defenders - Pereira, Kalas, Williams, Baker, Moore, Dasilva

Midfielders - Brownhill, Massengo, Nagy, Smith, O’Dowda, 

Attackers - Diedhiou, Rodri, Palmer, Eliasson, Weimann

 

I’d swap an attacker on the bench for someone like Hunt or Rowe away from home . 

Oh and Afobe will replace Rodri when fit 

My choice is merely based on a fully fit squad . Easier to pick the 18 with Afobe and Dasilva still out 

Don't you need Semenyo in there?  Or is Moore young enough to qualify?

When you write the squad out like that, add in Hunt and Rowe it looks so strong.  Add in the elusive striker and Lee's tombola machine will be in overdrive! A guess the team competition will be fun!

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15 hours ago, Flint says No said:

Correct me if I’m wrong but hasn’t Wright been back for a while?

 

My squad would be

Bentley

 

Hunt 

Kalas

Williams

Dasilva

 

Smith

Nagy

Brownhill

 

Palmer

 

Weimann

Diedhiou

 

Subs

Maenpaa

Moore 

Rowe

Massengo

O’Dowda

Eliasson

Semenyo


However we have a lot of options like going with a back 5 or a 442 which could always change depending on opponent and there will be more injuries.

Baker?

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2 hours ago, Drew Peacock said:

Don't you need Semenyo in there?  Or is Moore young enough to qualify?

When you write the squad out like that, add in Hunt and Rowe it looks so strong.  Add in the elusive striker and Lee's tombola machine will be in overdrive! A guess the team competition will be fun!

Good point. Not too clued up on that to be honest but you could be on to something there ! 

Regardless of this, we have one hell of a squad 

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I'd allow for quite a bit of rotation so this is not final but for me as a first choice XI:

Bentley

Pereira

Kalas

Williams

Moore

Dasilva

Brownhill

Nagy

Massengo

Weimann

Watkins*/New Striker

 

Nikki

Rowe

Baker

Eliasson

Palmer

Diedhiou

Semenyo

 

No place for

Hunt (simply because Moore can cover RB in a pinch - would still rotate with Pereira for freshness)

Wright (simply our fifth best centre-back at present)

Smith (I can't imagine he'll be fresh and fit yet and Rowe can cover in midfield if needed. This could change quickly)

O'Dowda (I just feel Eliasson and Palmer offer more from the bench. He is the one I regret not including)

Rodri (which could change quickly with more games)

 

*I feel Watkins is better than Diedhiou and Smenyo at chasing down and harassing defenders, which works in our current system. I would still rather replace him with a better player in this position though. Palmer might be an option, in which I case I would put O'Dowda rather than Watkins on the bench. 

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19 hours ago, spudski said:

Of course we do...do you never pick a team in your head then RR.

Thought most fans do...I know it's the main topic of conversation in the pub before KO...then an hour before KO we all look at Twitter and see we've all chosen wrong :laugh:

.....which is probably why we are not professional football managers!!!

 

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3 hours ago, WECANDO said:

Baker?

If we play 4 at the back then surely Baker doesn't make squad. Moore had a really good season and improving. Williams outstanding and Kalas is our best centre back.

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1 hour ago, Bullbag said:

Watkins better than Diedhiou?

?????

I'd rather Bas Savage than Marley Watkins.

Undoubtedly Diedhiou is a better player than Watkins (well imho at least), but it could be that Watkins suits the way we are gonna play better.  Over a two game sample, I think Watkins has done quite well.  Fam needs to come back from his suspension all guns firing.  He needs to take on some of the channel running that Watkins has done, and Afobe did brilliantly.  He cannot expect every ball to be chest down, straight at him.  It’s easy to defend knowing your striker is never gonna spin or roll you.

I’m amazed LJ hasn’t insisted on better movement from Fam.  Maybe he has, but I’ve not seen the evidence.

Fam’s goal record is pretty decent though.

If Watkins scored one the next couple of games, I think some people would have to adjust their view of him (again)...just like last season when he scored a couple.

If it were me in charge, I would be looking at the way we play without Fam, and thinking could I trade Fam to get a striker that fits the system I think we play better with.  If I’m gonna stick with Fam, then I think the system needs changing to get the best out of him.

26 minutes ago, Sturny said:

Baker was fantastic vs cardiff 

I thought he had a tough first half against Bogle and the sun.  Second half he was excellent.

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30 minutes ago, JonDolman said:

Thought Kalas and Williams were a bit better. Moore has had fantastic performances too.

Baker prevented Flint from any clean headers on goal . Given that Baker was clearly tasked with stopping Flint from scoring suggests to me that he was probably our best defender. They were all fantastic on a Sunday though so fair play to them all, I say.

All about opinions though isn’t it so I accept yours.

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1 hour ago, Bullbag said:

Watkins better than Diedhiou?

?????

I'd rather Bas Savage than Marley Watkins.

Of course Diedhiou is a better player than Watkins. Read my post again and you'll realise that I was talking about how a player fits in with our system rather than their overall ability. My position is very similar to what @Davefevs says above. The way we are currently playing relies on both forwards running constantly, harassing defenders into mistakes, splitting wide as needed and unsettling the defence through a combination of constant movement and continually being on their toes. Watkins has his limitations for sure but, unless Rodri settles or Palmer. Eliasson or O'Dowda show us something they have not had a chance to do so far, he is the only forward we have other than Weimann who plays that way.

Diedhiou is a good striker at this level, works hard and contributes a lot defensively as well as his goals but I suspect he'll never be a constant runner in the way Watkins and Weimann are and incorporating Diedhiou successfully in the team means changing the way we play - potentially drastically as the three at the back and two wing-backs mean we need strikers who split wide to give us width when the wing backs are defending. I think Diedhiou needs a 4-4-2 and the right striker alongside him and I neither think 4-4-2 is the best formation for our personal nor that we have the right partner for Diedhiou. Hence why I'd go for Watkins at the moment. Again, totally on board with @Davefevs point about trading Famara for a striker who better fits the system though. I certainly don't see Watkins as the long term solution. 

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Unsure about the subs yet but an interesting 1st XI could be something like- as it stands and assuming DaSilva and Afobe still out but nobody else:

Team A:

                Bentley

   Hunt Moore Kalas Rowe

  Brownhill Nagy Massengo

          Palmer O'Dowda

                Weimann

Nice and fluid. That all important CM three, plus Nagy's presence gives Brownhill more license. Palmer and O'Dowda- interesting O'Dowda would have license and indeed instruction to pull wider in some phases but we've seen how he can slot in centrally- that unpredictability could help. Palmer in a fairly free role and his directness could give us a boost- mix of directness and skill- up behind Weimann.

That can easily morph into this during the same game:

Brownhill Nagy Massengo O'Dowda

                  Palmer

                 Weimann

Brownhill helps out Hunt on the right, O'Dowda assists Rowe on the left when we are in a defensive or midfield based phase- arguably left hand side is more conservative than right hand side with Rowe in there though his output has been rather good! Palmer and Weimann still giuve a good threat on the break, Nagy can do his thing- yet with Brownhill and O'Dowda we can avoid being overwhelmed either centrally or on the right- in fact central superiority and wing based equality. That midfield 3 behind Palmer in certain phases will help help to compensate for the fact he isn't the best defensively in certain phases too and his style will naturally lead giving the ball away- high risk, high reward at times?

Weimann can also lead the press in a defensive sense- intense work can help buy time for the midfield to slip back a bit defensively.

Alternatively, assuming back 3 is now the way to go, how about:

                     Bentley

         Moore Kalas Williams                  

   Hunt Nagy Brownhill Rowe

            Palmer O'Dowda

                   Weimann

Thinking along the lines of the Wolves type setup of 2 years ago- Jota and Cavaleiro were nominally wingers- except they weren't! O'Dowda especially may have scope for such a role in a 3-4-3- Palmer we'd need to work on but more natural a fit than say Eliasson.

Again as above, O'Dowda can help Rowe on the left- Weimann would need to be a bit more flexible in this shape but again he can be- a concern might be a bit less protection for the defence from the midfield simply by dint of numbers but once again, Rowe can tuck in centrally though less so in this.

Or:

                    Bentley

         Moore Kalas Williams                  

Hunt Nagy Massengo Brownhill Rowe

                     Palmer

                   Weimann

Not that I am advocating dropping O'Dowda but I do wonder about this one. You would have the back 3 yet with Moore able to bring it out, Nagy could sit and yet technically good- gives Brownhill and Massengo license to push on- Palmer behind Weimann has the double security of 3 in Centrral defence and in CM behind him which frees him up further- Weimann's intense worh rate still buys time.

Suppose the main downside here is that you could get caught in 2 v 1 out on the left, but with a packed centre- and it would be truly packed in this case- might that help negate? Weimann could also I guess pull wider left in some phases to press, maybe leave Palmer forward to exploit on the break and let Massengo maraud a bit with a quick turnover of possession. O'Dowda for Massengo in this would help to mitigate against the 2 v 1 out wide though!

Bench?

Maenpaa

Pereira

Baker

Smith

Eliasson

Diedhiou

Semenyo (home-grown rule).

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5 minutes ago, Drew Peacock said:

Mr P, I don't think you are a retired bloke like me, who has plenty of time to wander around the internet.  How do you find so much time to post on here with posts you have obviously spent a fair of time researching or thinking about?

 

Like you DP I’m retired to and as MrPop spends as much time on here as I do I reckon he’s either works with computers or is retired as you and I are.

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Excellent thread.

im obviously pleased to see korey back, but I do wonder whether we have moved up a level since hes been gone, and whether nagy and massengo are better with the ball than smith.

it appears that most selections on here leave elliasson out... could we cash in on him to find someone who matches the system better? Or develop him into a number 10 type role?

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