starting eleven after deadline day?

[marty mcfly]

IMO Del is an impact sub until he proves otherwise. Lennon IMO is the more complete player.

I don't think Martinez sees Cleverley as a DM. Neither do I really. For me he is the new Osman.

I would like to see Besic replace Barry long term, but when he was partnered with McCarthy last year it didn't work.

He worked brilliantly when partnered with Barkley. I think we wrote off the McCarthy/Besic partnership too early. It probably does require either Besic or both of them to be more disciplined to work but surely that's something that can be worked on.

 

[FTY]

Howard

Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines

Clev McCarthy Barkley

Lennon Lukaku Mirallas

 

[ah11984]

Lol at those who think Roberto won't pick Gareth Barry.

 

[marty mcfly]

He is a more complete player than Del at this point and will improve us.

Take that however you want to, but I am guessing you will prefer to fume versus seeing the bigger picture.

Enjoy your choice.

I agree but do we have the time for that bigger picture. That's the problem.

 

[Raino85]

Griffiths

Browning Stones Galloway Garbutt

Ledson Besic

Dowell Barkley Henen

Lukaku

Think we need to get the average age of the team down otherwise they will have no sell on value.



No one over 23 allowed

 

[Swarfiga]

Against the weaker teams especially at home I'd like to see a 4123. We shouldn't be playing 2 DMs as has been said before.

Howard
Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines
McCarthy
Barkley Cleverley
Deulofeu Lukaku Mirallas

Better teams 4231, I like how lennon will track back in defence as cleverly seemed to do against City esp. I expect this a lot when clev's back. Still lacking in creativity though. 65 mins hit them with Del and kev.

Howard

Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines

McCarthy Barry

Lennon Barkley Cleverley

Lukaku

 

[marty mcfly]

Top 7? That's ambitious. When you put it like that, we have a great squad. Just don't expect Stones, Barkley, Lukaku and co. to be around for too much longer. Why would they? To finish top 7!? Dreaming.

The negativity stems from the fact that we have a core group of exceptional youngsters, that with the right signings, we should be aiming for higher then top 7. Much, much higher.

This is fundamentally the issue. In order to finish higher, you need to score more goals. Those goals need to come from somewhere. Why do you think Spurs let him go?

Martinez plays 4-3-3... now think about where Lennon plays. The fact is he averages 3 goals a season. Nowhere near good enough for a player in his position. As an FYI, Mirallas averages 7 and he divides opinion.

Lennon is a good squad player. Should we be spending £4.5 on him when we have major gaps in other positions?

Lets see.

You read my post on individual player's goals tally. I knew someone was listening I agree and this is the problem in a nutshell.

Lennon, Deulofeu and Mirallas are all around the same level. So are Cleverly, Besic and McCarthy. Besic and Deulofeu certainly have potential but it's a bit unknown just how much at this stage. Right now we haven't greatly improved as a 1st 11. What we have done is made us more resilient to injuries. How that will improve our league position I'm not sure with the teams around us strengthening.

That said. Utd and Spurs have had a bit of a nightmare window so Top 4 is still very much possible. I like our team and squad - we are in that fight but bloody hell where could we have finished if we got Yarmolenko.

The first step if we are to finish higher than 4th is to move Barkley back when at home against easier teams. Then we might just have enough goals in us.

 

[Ashtonian]

wishful thinking (and what i want to see generally)

Howard
Coleman Jags Stones Oviedo (obviously baines when fit)

McCarthy Besic

Barkely


Mirallas Delofeu

Lukaku


Subs - Lennon/barry/robles/mori/kone/rodriguez/McGeady

 

[mkrudden]

-------------Howard--------------
-----Stones-----------Jagielka-----
Coleman-----------------------Baines
-----McCarthy-------Barry---------
-------------Barkley---------------
Deulofeu----------------------Pienaar
-------------Lukaku---------------

 

[mkrudden]

wishful thinking (and what i want to see generally)

Howard
Coleman Jags Stones Oviedo (obviously baines when fit)

McCarthy Besic

Barkely


Mirallas Delofeu

Lukaku


Subs - Lennon/barry/robles/mori/kone/rodriguez/McGeady

McCarthy and Besic mate?

They are dreadful together as both are negative footballers. I like them both as individuals, but based on the fact we have the majority of possession in the majority of games, we can't have those two bringing the ball to the edge of the oppo' area and then pass it sideways to each other as none can see a subtle pass.

Say what you want about Barry's mobility, but his distribution is excellent.

I'd go Gibson but he's made out of paper-mache.

 

[Greek Fisherman]

You read my post on individual player's goals tally. I knew someone was listening I agree and this is the problem in a nutshell.

Lennon, Deulofeu and Mirallas are all around the same level. So are Cleverly, Besic and McCarthy. Besic and Deulofeu certainly have potential but it's a bit unknown just how much at this stage. Right now we haven't greatly improved as a 1st 11. What we have done is made us more resilient to injuries. How that will improve our league position I'm not sure with the teams around us strengthening.

That said. Utd and Spurs have had a bit of a nightmare window so Top 4 is still very much possible. I like our team and squad - we are in that fight but bloody hell where could we have finished if we got Yarmolenko.

The first step if we are to finish higher than 4th is to move Barkley back when at home against easier teams. Then we might just have enough goals in us.

No Yarmolenko / #10 is the real issue here. To give Martinez credit, he desperately wants to move Barkley back but can't as only Osman could possibly play the role further forward. I hope we make a move for Gourcuff, a one year, pay as you play type deal. Yes, I'm desperate.

 

[marty mcfly]

McCarthy and Besic mate?

They are dreadful together as both are negative footballers. I like them both as individuals, but based on the fact we have the majority of possession in the majority of games, we can't have those two bringing the ball to the edge of the oppo' area and then pass it sideways to each other as none can see a subtle pass.

Say what you want about Barry's mobility, but his distribution is excellent.

I'd go Gibson but he's made out of paper-mache.

I think you are being very harsh on Besic.

 

[Raino85]

If you look at our first 15/16 players fully fit then we aren't looking all doom and gloom as people think

Howard
Joel

Coleman
Jags
Stones
Baines
Galloway
Mori
Browning
Oviedo

Cleverley
Barry
Besic
McCarthy
Osman

Lennon
Mirralas
Kone
Naismith
Deulofeu

Lukaku

That's 21 players,haven't included McGeady-Garbage, Hibbert- Injured, Pienaar- Injured, Gibson- Injured & Drunk as they are unreliable.

Defensively on paper we look strong, as long as Howard has picked his form up and not replicating last season which I think was a one off. Although we are prone to not getting protected by the midfield sometimes and the full backs can get caught forward abit to much (I think one of the reasons we did well v Southampton was because we had Galloway at left back and his main duty was defending so there was always two cb's and a full back back).

People are kidding themselves if they think Barry wont play every game. Sometimes he struggles to protect the back four but im happy with the rest of the centre mids although I think Besic is going to struggle to get a game this season as I think Martinez is more likely to put Cleverley or Barkley in if McCarthy or Barry get injured suspended.

Its the next part we struggle, wingers we are fine with a good blend of goals (mirralas), skill (Deulofeu) and work rate (Lennon) also Kone has done ok on the right if we get a couple of injury's (anything but Barkley or Naismith their). Naismith seems to be the guy who will fill in as no.10 if Ross gets injured and also upfront if Rom gets injured.

Im not going to go on about the two additions that will turn that squad into a very very good squad as we all have spoke about it till we are blue in the face.

All in all its a lot of players to keep happy and a couple in there that should of got moved on. Keep our main players fit and play a suitable system that doesn't show us up as missing a creative outlet then we should be in for a good seaason

 

[marty mcfly]

No Yarmolenko / #10 is the real issue here. To give Martinez credit, he desperately wants to move Barkley back but can't as only Osman could possibly play the role further forward. I hope we make a move for Gourcuff, a one year, pay as you play type deal. Yes, I'm desperate.

Not as desparate as me when I suggested Quintero at the end of the window

 

[mill]

Howard

Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines

Clev McCarthy Barkley

Lennon Lukaku Mirallas

This.