How do Mina and Gomes get in the team?

[Roachey11]

Last week there was half the side getting shipped out for them

 

[CRIMHEAD]

So make Gomes the player that comes on for him when he’s fit. I think it’d be unfair at this stage to drop him on the offy that AG is better.

Whoa. Look, I can watch Lionel Messi and say that he'd be better than Sigurdsson or Walcott depending on where we'd want to play him. Let's not pretend you can't have any idea until you plug them in there.

Davies is doing a decent job, but come on. Have you seen Gomes play? The guy is SOOO much better at carrying the ball and distributing than Davies it isn't funny. His first touch is better BY A MILE, and he's got size and strength as well. He may not tackle with as much aggressiveness, but come on. If he's not healthy, I get it, but he's at a completely different level. Love Tom, but he's not there, yet.

As to the idea that Davies might be better with Gomes is also just ridiculous. Gana is a much MUCH better player than Davies in virtually every aspect, especially as a DM. Not a shot at Davies, either, Gana is just really good.

 

[barneygumble]

What if Mina is pants?

 

[Brett Angell Delight]

Whoa. Look, I can watch Lionel Messi and say that he'd be better than Sigurdsson or Walcott depending on where we'd want to play him. Let's not pretend you can't have any idea until you plug them in there.

Davies is doing a decent job, but come on. Have you seen Gomes play? The guy is SOOO much better at carrying the ball and distributing than Davies it isn't funny. His first touch is better BY A MILE, and he's got size and strength as well. He may not tackle with as much aggressiveness, but come on. If he's not healthy, I get it, but he's at a completely different level. Love Tom, but he's not there, yet.

As to the idea that Davies might be better with Gomes is also just ridiculous. Gana is a much MUCH better player than Davies in virtually every aspect, especially as a DM. Not a shot at Davies, either, Gana is just really good.

Gomes has yet to play for this team in this league. Davies, in my opinion, hasn’t been bad and certainly shouldn’t be shunted aside the second Gomes is fit.

My point - albeit clearly not made very well - was just that certain combos may work better in reality than on paper.

In any event, it is nice to have options. Davies in CM is like Keane at CB: much-maligned and with good reason after last season, but putting up a very welcome fight now that there is competition on the horizon, at least. If we can get that kind of competition happening up front in January it could be an exciting second half to the campaign!!

 

[PeregrineT]

Gomes has a really easy path, Davies has just been in that position by default.

 

[4737carlin]

What if Mina is pants?

This is what I don't understand, we don't know, but because Keane was poor like everyone else under Koeman, people want him replaced with someone who has never played in the premier league, makes no sense.
Pickford, Keane, Zouma and Lucas have to carry on working together unchanged

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

Zouma and Davies will rotate with them. When Zouma leaves next year Mina will have the simple route. I have this feeling Morgan Schederlin will be surplus to requirements so Davies and Gomes could play together.

 

[CRIMHEAD]

Gomes has yet to play for this team in this league. Davies, in my opinion, hasn’t been bad and certainly shouldn’t be shunted aside the second Gomes is fit.

My point - albeit clearly not made very well - was just that certain combos may work better in reality than on paper.

In any event, it is nice to have options. Davies in CM is like Keane at CB: much-maligned and with good reason after last season, but putting up a very welcome fight now that there is competition on the horizon, at least. If we can get that kind of competition happening up front in January it could be an exciting second half to the campaign!!

You explained it fine and Davies has been decent, but there is just no way Gomes isn't much better. Davies still has value as a backup and spot starter. He can continue to get better. But all the chemistry in the world can't make up the gap in quality between those two players.

Digne hadn't played in England, either.

 

[PickeringBlue]

It depends how the two of them do in training. Zouma and Keane seem to be striking up a decent partnership and if this continues, Mina will need to fight for a place unless he looks massive in training.

Davies has been ok, but not brilliant. I suspect that Gomes will get a couple of sub appearances when first fit and probably start soon after unless he's very unimpressive or Davies improves massively.

It's quite exciting actually. The front four of Bernard, Richarlison, Walcott and Sigs looked quite good. Its actually remarkable that at the end of last year Walcott was by far our best attacking player and on the weekend he was by far the weakest of the four.

 

[OneTrueLegend]

To me it’s fairly straight forward, on current form, Mina comes in for Keane.

For Gomes position, if everyone is fit, Gana has to start, and Gomes would be next to him, Davies would be on the bench

 

[Boba Fret]

The thing that annoys me the most is that most on here advocate the bencing of two English talents.

The choice in defence should be easy as a loanee should never trump a full team member so when the time is right Zouma goes.

Midfield is a different matter and I would simply have two systems, one of an attacking of style in which Gana is dropped and then a defensive set up when Gana stays.

Davies stays put as he is a talent to be nurtured not squandered.

 

[Nymzee]

The thing that annoys me the most is that most on here advocate the bencing of two English talents.

The choice in defence should be easy as a loanee should never trump a full team member so when the time is right Zouma goes.

Midfield is a different matter and I would simply have two systems, one of an attacking of style in which Gana is dropped and then a defensive set up when Gana stays.

Davies stays put as he is a talent to be nurtured not squandered.

Don’t care if they’re on loan or our player - drop the worst of the two and that’s Keane.

 

[thebluenosebolt]

I thought Davies was class last game, aggresive, speed of thought and was generally making good decisions. It was the only game he shone in though but if he could become consistent...well a tough choice for Silva for sure. Keene has also been a different player this season too. My biggest concern is right back and we really don't seem to have a steady replacement, both Kenny and Coleman have looked shaky and thats my main area for concern.

 

[smileychap]

Bizarre there are people on here saying we should drop players from a winning team for 2 that haven’t even kicked a ball for us yet.

Not a fan of changing a winning team and dropping the captain tbh.

Think they will appear from the bench and try and win themselves a starting place from there.

This is exactly right. Injuries, FA Cup, rotation etc will create opportunities as we come up against different teams and situations. Need to keep what we have for now - it's not optimal but it's the front-line we need to start sticking goals in. Christ how did we lose to So'ton - what an opportunity that cup is for clubs in our position.

 

[Phil86]

I’m not really getting the talk of how because Zouma is only on loan he doesn’t warrant a starting place ahead of Keane when Mina is fit. With this in mind at the start of Martínez first season Jelavic or Koné would’ve been starting ahead of Lukaku, who didn’t make noises about staying until towards the end of his loan when he seemed more open to it. If Zouma is in form he should keep his place, as should Keane.