More content to follow... Squad update following press conference: Not good news for Papa Diallo who is now expected to be out until the end of the year, possibly into next year. Potentially returning: (LB) Lucien Mahovo - Has trained for a week now and could be ready (LB) Jeffrey Schlupp - Has joined a couple of training sessions, probably too soon to start games (CM) Kenny Mclean - Back issue kept him out last week, still being monitored Out: (LW) Papa Amadou Diallo - Quad injury and surgery required - 3-4 Months (CAM) Amankwah Forson - Hamstring injury - 3 months (LB) Ben Chrisene - Hamstring Injury - 7 weeks (CF) Mathias Kvistgaarden - Knee injury - 5 weeks (CB) Shane Duffy - Calf injury - 2-3 weeks Positive vibes!!! ON THE BALL CITY!!!
That's crap news about Diallo but glad to hear Mahovo and Kenny back in the mix. So who in the left attacking role? Is it a chance for Forsyth? Hardly like-for-like but Marcondes or Crnac maybe? Springett can play both sides (though is he injured too?). Schlupp depending on fitness?
Don't think Springett will ever play for us again. Makarma could get a start, but more likely last 30 minutes.
I'd consider Jurasek off the left and bring Makama in for the right hand side. Schwartau did well off the left last time out as well. I'm not to sure where we are at with Elliott Myles fitness. Errol Mundle-Smith played there in pre-season so could be brought into the squad. Schlupp not ready for a start and I could see him and Mahovo sharing the left back role while they both come back to fitness.
Anyone but Crnac, please! Onel MkII. Radical suggestion, Fisher as RB, Stacey at RW, or swap as preferred. Schwartau, Marcondes or Gibbs in AM,, Jurasek off the left. Make some of these work for their pay packets.
I don't believe Manning trusts young players. As far as I can see, over his entire career as a head coach, he has only ever consistently selected one youngster in his starting eleven; that was George Earthy last season (a talented 20 year-old on loan from West Ham). If everyone 23 or over were fit, I think this is the sort of lineup he would put out: Kovačević Stacey, Medić, Darling, Schlupp Topić, McLean Mattsson, Marcondes Sargent, Kvistgaarden
So you believe he would change his entire formation just so he didn’t have to play younger players. He’d stick Mattsson out at RAM out of position? Surely he’d play Duffy there for his height and age His attack in preseason was built around Crnac (21) and Forson (22) behind Sargent, now one is injured and the other has been playing despite his poor form. Hes had every excuse to drop the 21 year old but hasn’t yet.
The lineup I'd choose: Kovačević Fisher Medić Duffy Mahovo Mattsson Wright McLean Jurásek Sargent Marcondes
What formation? Manning has said he's mystified by the obsession with trying to pin him down to a particular formation. If it makes you more comfortable, Suffolk, stick Mattsson in between McLean and Topić, and Kvistgaarden alongside Marcondes in a 4:3:2:1. As Manning says, it's not numbers that matter, it's whether the player is where he needs to be on the pitch at any given moment. Duffy has more chance of playing at CB under Manning than McConville has, that's for sure. Pre-season he was committed to "giving everyone a chance". Since the season started, injuries have impacted the options available. So "yet" is the operative word. And maybe he was hoping to find that Crnac was another George Earthy. Let's see how many youngsters start regularly once he has a full range of "older" players available.
