So what's our strongest first 11?

I'm looking forward to seeing Ilori, too.

Can't say I agree with your away game selection of Westwood & Sanchez. They just seem to be a cacophony of cnuts when played together.

Traore: Always thinks he can take on four players when, in fact, he can only take on three. Seems to bite off that little more than he can chew. A couple of Villa players gave him some filthy looks in the last game he played too when he ran into trouble rather than looking up and seeing the easy pass so not sure he's worthy of a automatic start (especially away but I can see a strong case for him in your starting line-up at home ). Deffo worth a run against a defence that's tiring. What a nightmare he'd be when you're halfway knackered!

I think Gestede is overrated on here

Joppe84 wrote:I think Gestede is overrated on here

You may be right but I think it's more the lack of alternatives. At the end of the day he's scored 4 in 8 appearances - and a 1 in 2 goal ratio is respectable by any standard. The thing is he needs to maintain that to remain the main man. He scored 32 in 60 for Blackburn (although as I've said before we need to remember that was in the Championship), and prior to that his goals to games ratio was actually quite poor, although he had a stop/start career for a while as he was on loan/injured on a few occasions.

I like the guy, I see his shortcomings, and playing to his strength means variation in team tactics may be a bit more 2 dimensional than I'd like, but I still think given the service he can do the job. I have to say if he was to maintain a 1 in 2 ratio of goals to games, I'd be very, very happy - and he can be as big a donkey as he likes - we just have to ensure attacks are varied enough to bring other players in on goal to add to the team tally. I'd be pleased with a 20 goal striker, but not if that's 75% of our total!

As I said, it's not so much overrating him as it is in having enough confidence in the alternatives (I can't be confident in Kozak as I just haven't seen him much at all - not the lad's fault, I know).

------------------Guzan----------------

Hutton-----Richards-----Clark-----Amavi

-----------Sanchez-----Gana----------

Adama----------Veretout-------------Gil

---------------------?-------------------

I'd like to see Veretout in the same kind of position he played for Nantes, where he was extremely effective (7 goals, 5 assists, lots of chances). I know they used him as both a box to box and a number 10, but we've only seen him in the centre.

Grealish, Sinclair, Ayew would be interchangeable with Adama and Gil depending on who's playing well.

No idea about the striker... Kozak on pre season form?

Kozak needs to be given a start imo.

I see what you're saying DK, but I honestly feel sticking by hoofing balls at Gestede is something that will get us relegated, even if it means him scoring 20 goals this season. It nullifies the strengths of our other attacking players. It also gives less possession which invites pressure back on.

At least we have a proven championship striker for next year.

Trotters wrote:I'm looking forward to seeing Ilori, too.

Can't say I agree with your away game selection of Westwood & Sanchez. They just seem to be a cacophony of cnuts when played together.

Traore: Always thinks he can take on four players when, in fact, he can only take on three. Seems to bite off that little more than he can chew. A couple of Villa players gave him some filthy looks in the last game he played too when he ran into trouble rather than looking up and seeing the easy pass so not sure he's worthy of a automatic start (especially away but I can see a strong case for him in your starting line-up at home ). Deffo worth a run against a defence that's tiring. What a nightmare he'd be when you're halfway knackered!

Value your opinion.

The reason for Westwood and Sanchez is just for a bit more solidity defensively as Sanchez is an out and out defensive midfielder even though away at Leicester it didn't work! (though i think that was more down to substitutions and tactics not him.) I just don't think away from home with probably 2 Cm's we are good enough.

In regards to Traore away, i was thinking more on the break with his speed, hence why i didn't play Gil due to not having much pace compared to Traore and Grealish.

I'm shocked too see how many people haven't had Westwood in the team... he starts all our attacks and picks up the pieces from the back-line. Yes, he can slow the play down and go side to side but sometimes you need that in a game. He's been one of the few better players we have had this season (thought not hard on current form!)

Westwood needs to cut the silly errors out of his game and keep his concentration up for the full 90 mins. Granted, he's far from the only one who tends to ball-watch though so I might be being unfair in picking on him- Hutton was an absolute voyeur for the first quarter hour against Stoke and had no idea where InOut-avich was half the time.

..................................Nigel Spink................................
Gary Williams.......Alan Evans.......Paul McGrath........Freddy Bouma
Tony Daley........Dennis Mortimer........Gareth Barry........Tony Morley
......................Dwight Yorke.............Peter Withe..................

Not a bad starting 11!

No Brian Little! !!!

No Sid Cowans either! He was 10x the player Gareth Barry was. But there's plenty more, you can only pick 11 :)

Synopsis wrote:------------------Guzan------------------
Richards----Lescott----Okore----Amavi
-----------------Sanchez-----------------
---------Veretout--------Gueye----------
--Gil----------------------------Grealish--
--------------------Kozak-----------------
Would be the line up I'd like to see, how ever it would obviously depend on opposition etc. looking at the way everyones suggestions are different just goes to show how we can't really say for certain who is best in any given position or how much our team selections are based on personal preference. For example I can't see how Gestede gets picked over Kozak when his movement is worse and he has has the first touch of a house brick in comparison, but I'm basing this on performances by Kozak prior to his injury, and very little game time by Gestede for us.  

lescott has been shocking so far no confidence with him being at cb,

Also richards has been a monster at the back, our best cb at present!!!