Green
Anita Pennington Jansson Ayling
Bridcutt Vieira
Sacko Saiz Dallas
Wood
far from a total rebuild, they are killing Ayling where all their danger has come from ... Jansson looks well off the pace ... what Tommy s learning very quickly is that Bridcutt/Vieira as our holding mids just doesn't work, they simply can't bring Saiz or the wingers into the game ... this was our biggest problem last season, our two holding mids were totally ineffective when we were in possession, and we missed a stack of counter attack opportunities because of this
Tommy may well have to look at 4-4-2 to make us more solid and allow us to get a passing game going ... struggling to see Bridcutt being a regular starter at this rate, also can't see Dallas keeping Alioski out of the team ... Wood once again cuts a very solitary figure up front, because our holding mids are dropping so deep and so we just don't get numbers into their half ... *Monk's bad habits (see what I did there?) regarding our holding mids are still there for all to see, as both Vieira and Bridcutt seem afraid of getting anywhere near the halfway line
at least Tommy has time to fix this, but this will no doubt not be our starting eleven come Bolton ... there are some players who are playing themselves out of the shirt, and fair play to Tommy for giving them the chance to show him what they've got ... think Bridcutt and others must be feeling big pressure from the new signings and it may well have dented their confidence, but they can't complain that they haven't been given a fair shake in pre-season
3-0 down is not fantastic for sure, but it does help Tommy to sort out the men from the boys ... the poor form under Monk for the run in has not been shaken off, so lots to do in the next week or two
Green
Ayling Pontus Cooper Anita
O'Kane Phillips
Roofe Pablo Alioski
Wood
not convinced about Phillips either, just a touch slow