Current Strongest 11

Scenario: Your a new manager appointed under a new owner, but due to world cup commitments etc you have only started the job in august giving you no time to make any squad adjustments. As if by magic there are no squad injuries and a full selection is available. pick your starting 11 and formation for the first game of the season.

For me i would like to see;

---------------------Guzan--------------------------
Luna-----------Okore------Vlarr------------Lowton
-------------Clark-----------Delph-------------------
Grealish----------N'Zogbia--------------Albrighton
---------------------Benteke-------------------------

Subs: Steer, Baker, Gabby, Westwood, Bacuna, Bent, KEA

Team instructions: short passing, attack the wings.

while i agree that on past form this team would probably struggle, i'd like to think given a clean slate these players would have something to prove. Went for Clark in midfield as we seriously lack any ball winners in the team and while not technically a ball winner he is at least comfortable in possession of the ball.

Go

---------------------Guzan--------------------------
Lowton--------Okore------Vlarr-----------Clark
---------------------Sylla------------------
-------------Delph---------Westwood---------
Albrighton--------------------------------N'Zogbia
---------------------Benteke-------------------------

Subs: Steer, Baker, KEA, Bacuna, Grealish, Grealish, Gabby

Why did he buy so many strikers? No place on my bench for Kozak, Weimann or Helenious. To my mind, that's about £12m worth in assets (not to mention wages) that we could have used at either fullback or in midfield.

Lord knows, but then he's definitely from the MON school of thought, "need to score a goal? then flood the pitch with strikers and hope for the best".

never giving any thought to how the build play would pan out. it's not just him though we've been by-passing our midfield for years now

-------------Guzan
Bacuna-Okore-Vlaar-Bennett
-------Westwood-Delph
Albrighton-N'Zogbia-Agbonlahor
--------------Benteke

subs: Steer, Clark, Lowton, KEA, Grealish, Weimann, Kozak

not exactly keen on Bennett, but think he's probably better than Luna or playing Clark/Baker/Lowton out of position there. and we'd be too weak in CM against a lot of teams.

switters wrote:-------------Guzan
Bacuna-Okore-Vlaar-Bennett
-------Westwood-Delph
Albrighton-N'Zogbia-Agbonlahor
--------------Benteke

subs: Steer, Clark, Lowton, KEA, Grealish, Weimann, Kozak

not exactly keen on Bennett, but think he's probably better than Luna or playing Clark/Baker/Lowton out of position there. and we'd be too weak in CM against a lot of teams.

I've always thought that clark has done alright when asked to play in midfield, scored a couple from there too but never again. it makes you wonder if they're told not to have a go when they get in the final third, only no ever translated that to tonev

Clark could fill in at DM, but I can't really agree with your comment in first post that he's "comfortable in possession of the ball."

switters wrote:Clark could fill in at DM, but I can't really agree with your comment in first post that he's "comfortable in possession of the ball."

ha ha i knew i was pushing it a bit.  

Finding it hard to fill the left back and remaining midfield spot in my team. Really interesting to see that almost everyone so far has put in the bombed out N'Zogbia into the team, and putting him in would resolve my midfield dilemma as I'd have a flat 4-4-2. My team therefore ended up very similar to switters' one.

Guzan

Lowton Okore Vlaar Bennett

Albrighton Westwood Delph N'Zogbia

Gabby Benteke

Subs: Steer, Clark, Bacuna, KEA, Grealish, Kozak, Weimann

Central midfield a bit weak and I'd probably be moving hell for leather in the window trying to get a left back and defensive midfielder in. My training sessions would be focussed upon some basics. Getting the players more confident about short passing and movement off the ball. I might even get round to telling them how to work a fucking throw-in properly too.

What you mean you don't enjoy the current everybody run to the taker and stop like a statue. played a drinking game once involving the success rate of our corners and throw ins, my liver was to thankful afterwards.

Guzan
Lowton - Okore - Vlaar - Clark
KEA - Westwood - Delph
Albrighton - Agbonlahor
Benteke

Bench: Steer, Bacuna, Baker, Luna, Kozak, Weimann, Sylla

Need 2 new fullbacks, a large ball winning DM, an attacking midfielder to play in the hole, and a left winger/forward. Need these just to stay up next season.

New team
Guzan
New RB - Okore - Vlaar - New LB
New DM - Westwood/Delph
Albrighton - New CAM - New LW
Benteke

Subs: Steer, Clark, Kozak, Westwood/Delph, Lowton, Bacuna, Gabby

Have to say I'm surprised how many are sticking to the 433/4231 formation that hasn't exactly served us well this season!

Guzan

Lowton Vlaar Okore Luna

Albrighton Westwood KEA N'Zogbia

Benteke Bent

Straight forward 442. Benteke and Bent form a partnership up front that becomes known as B&B in the media once they get to 30 goals between them before Christmas thanks to width provided by two tricky wingers who can supply a cross.
Westwood and KEA do what Gerrard and Lampard could never do for England and play as a "one goes forward, one holds back" kind of partnership.
Okore and Vlaar start to click with an extended run of games together and gives confidence to the full backs who learn what their positions actually involve and we start to defend and overlap to create going forward.

A good old 442 where everybody understands their jobs. Simple. Just need to find out who the new owners are now so I can apply for the job ...

Guzan
Lowton Vlaar Okore Lerner

Cowans Delph
Albrighton Faulkner
Kozak Benteke

mefromhere wrote:Have to say I'm surprised how many are sticking to the 433/4231 formation that hasn't exactly served us well this season!

Guzan

Lowton Vlaar Okore Luna

Albrighton Westwood KEA N'Zogbia

Benteke Bent

Straight forward 442. Benteke and Bent form a partnership up front that becomes known as B&B in the media once they get to 30 goals between them before Christmas thanks to width provided by two tricky wingers who can supply a cross.
Westwood and KEA do what Gerrard and Lampard could never do for England and play as a "one goes forward, one holds back" kind of partnership.
Okore and Vlaar start to click with an extended run of games together and gives confidence to the full backs who learn what their positions actually involve and we start to defend and overlap to create going forward.

A good old 442 where everybody understands their jobs. Simple. Just need to find out who the new owners are now so I can apply for the job ...

KEA would be dead within half hour with all the running he'd have to do in that team.

formation not so much the problem this season as the personnel & their movement/ball retention - most teams in the league play some sort of 433/4231/451 & you get overrun in the middle playing 442 with 2 wingers unless you have two absolute top class CM players (which, needless to say, we don't).

switters wrote:

mefromhere wrote:Have to say I'm surprised how many are sticking to the 433/4231 formation that hasn't exactly served us well this season!

Guzan

Lowton Vlaar Okore Luna

Albrighton Westwood KEA N'Zogbia

Benteke Bent

Straight forward 442. Benteke and Bent form a partnership up front that becomes known as B&B in the media once they get to 30 goals between them before Christmas thanks to width provided by two tricky wingers who can supply a cross.
Westwood and KEA do what Gerrard and Lampard could never do for England and play as a "one goes forward, one holds back" kind of partnership.
Okore and Vlaar start to click with an extended run of games together and gives confidence to the full backs who learn what their positions actually involve and we start to defend and overlap to create going forward.

A good old 442 where everybody understands their jobs. Simple. Just need to find out who the new owners are now so I can apply for the job ...

KEA would be dead within half hour with all the running he'd have to do in that team.

formation not so much the problem this season as the personnel & their movement/ball retention - most teams in the league play some sort of 433/4231/451 & you get overrun in the middle playing 442 with 2 wingers unless you have two absolute top class CM players (which, needless to say, we don't).

I agree kea and Delph would get murdered in the middle. One would dwell to long on the ball while the other runs around like a headless chicken. Don't get me wrong Delph undoubtedly deserved player of the year but there were times throughout the season when he tried to do to much and it cost us

Mine would be like this;
Guzan
Bacuna Vlaar Okore Bennett
Westwood Delph
Grealish
Albrighton Agbonlahor/N'zogbia
Benteke
Subs; Steer, Clark, KEA, Lowton, Agbonlahor/N'zogbia, Kozak, Robinson.

With no new additions we will be about mid table at best with that group. I think after watching Grealish for Notts I believe he deserves a chance. The rest can rot for all I care injuries accepted.

---------------------Guzan--------------------------
delph-----------Okore------Vlarr------------delph
-------------delph-----------delph-------------------
delph----------delph--------------delph---------------
---------------------Benteke-------------------------
the rest can leave especially that waste of space wiemann who couldnt score in a brothel.
rant over:-p

SCATTERBAD wrote:---------------------Guzan--------------------------
delph-----------Okore------Vlarr------------delph
-------------delph-----------delph-------------------
delph----------delph--------------delph---------------
---------------------Benteke-------------------------
the rest can leave especially that waste of space wiemann who couldnt score in a brothel.
rant over:-p

That's a good way to reduce the wage bill.

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

Lowton - - - - - Okore - - - - - Vlaar - - - - - Bertand

Albrighton - - - - Westwood - - - - - Clark - - - Delph

- - - - - - - - - Bentekke - - - - - - Agbonlahor

Tried this with football manager and soon pressed the new game button!

Diablo wrote:Tried this with football manager and soon pressed the new game button!

Villa is one of the toughest jobs in the recent FM games. Poor players and no funds, used to be a great job back in the day usually with teams just needing a couple of additions.

Guzan

Lowton Vlaar Okore Bennett

Bacuna Westwood Delph Grealish

Kozak Benteke

Subs Steer Donacien Agbonlahor N'Zogbia Robinson

having name Lowton and Bennett I would hope we have replaced them by next season.