Hamer; Solly;Morro;Dervite;Wiggins; Pritchard;Hughes;Jacko;Harriott; Kermit; Wright-Phillips. Subs:Button, Wilson, Cort, Stephens, Hollands, Piggott, Smith. I wonder how this will change in the next 5 weeks or so?
Well i honestly don't think bwp will still be here the next time we kick a ball in anger. Also i seriously doubt we will play 442 next season either.
Quite a shock to see Stephens and BWP in your first XI. I had already written them off in my mind, although maybe I am wrong to do so. Same for Hollands (sadly) on your bench. I am hoping Wilson has got over whatever afflicted him (mentally or physically) towards the end of the season and is restored to RM. When playing well he provides a better shape and this would enable Pritchard to switch to CM (where he is better) as and when needed, (which will be often if we normally have to rely on the two "men of glass" in CM). If Evina is going we need a proper LM and can then use Harriott in a "free" role to support a traditonal CF. The only one we have of the right type is Pigott. Not sure if he is ready yet although Andy Hughes says he is. Would also mean Kermit playing a bit deeper but maybe that is a good thing to prolong his career (a la Rooney). He has the necessary skills.
I'd probably rather see Pigott than BWP in the team but I put BWP in because of seniority. must still be with us because no-one is prepared to match his wages at Charlton, I don't really expect him to feature much, and haven't given up hope of signing Obika. I don't know who else is after Obika, but I never feel very confident when I read that we are competing with anyone else for someone's signature.
So who now replaces BWP in the starting 11? Pigott will score more goals, but Smith will provide a few if he's allowed the feeedom he gets from Nathan Jones. Or Azeez for his pace? Let's find out if Smith can hack it at this level, I'm pretty sure Pigott will maybe not yet though.
Smith is only ready to be back-up for Kermit. And I would hate to see too much expected of Pigott or Azeez this coming season. I don't think we can rely on Harriott in 4-4-2. He's ideal for 4-5-1, though, except we haven't got the all-singing-and-dancing centre-forward you need to play 4-5-1 (the Darren Bent type). We really need two (free or cheap) strikers now BWP has gone. Maybe one experienced one approaching the latter stages of his career (please God, not Bothroyd) and one solid citizen from Div One or Div Two who can do an "honest job" until one of the youngsters pushes him out of the team but who will give it 110% to try and justify his move up the tiers, Pritchard style.
Matt Taylor from West Ham. No injury problems I am aware of, and I don't think he will do better than Charton. And it would be popular with our supporters who would otherwise have "Matthew Taylor" shirts going to waste.
