What is our strongest first 11???

Title of the thread says it all to be fair, what does everyone believe to be our strongest team when we have everyone available?

I'm going to be including Debuchy, as he's the only player out of everyone we're linked to that is almost definitely going to be signed IMO. Granted we've been strongly linked to Douglas, Anita & Carroll etc but I'm not as confident that those deals will get done as I am with the Debuchy deal.

So my team for the Spurs game should everyone be fit would be as follows:

------------------Krul------------------

Debuchy-----Taylor-----Colo-----Santon

----------Tiote----------Jonas---------

Ben Arfa---------Cabaye----------Ferguson

------------------Cisse------------------

Obviously there is no Ba in my first 11, but he's just not a left winger for me and every time I see Ferguson play he never fails to impress me. Ba would be a great option of the bench to either pair with Cisse if we need a goal or to replace like for like if the above formation was working.

 

I can't really decide on a formation right now.

I kind of like -

-------Ba----------Cisse--------

Marv----------------------Ben Arfa

------Tiote--------Cabaye--------

or

Marv--------Cisse----------Ben Arfa

------------Cabaye-------------

------Jonas---------Tiote--------

We're at our best in a 4-3-3, but a 4-3-3 works best with two wingers and a striker up top, not a striker out of position.

For Spurs, I'd play something similar to yours, because we need to keep some of our better players for European games as well.

However, this game could be essential in deciding who finishes 5th if it's a race between Spurs and us. So we need to get a result.

I just can't decide, it's too hard to decide what our best formation/line up will be, and choosing line ups will be effected by Europe now, so we can rarely put out our best side.

 

Jonas is a bit of an enigma. He's not brilliant going forward, but he's brilliant at backtracking.

 

To be honest I think he is great going forward, it's just he gets hacked so much that we never see him really shine, but so what? He wins us a **** load of freekicks, and if we can get good at set plays then he'll be a very useful player.

He was playing a very defensive role all last season, yet set up a decent amount of goals, and scored 4.

He's not amazing at either attacking or defending, he's just an all round very hard working, very good player.

 

We don't even need Debuchy.

.............Cisse
Ba ....................Ben Arfa
............Cabaye
......Jonas/Bigi Tiote
Santon Colla Saylor Simmo
..............Krul

Simpson is awesome. We need a left winger to replace Ba imo as he just doesn't suit my preferred 4-3-3. Other than that we're fine, I would only suggest a striker and a centre back for cover, and maybe a full back, but these can be picked up cheap and young.

 

Simpson is a solid RB, but we should be aiming for better, but I'd like him to stay.

We need depth, and getting rid of Simmo wont help.

Although I have faith in Perch and Tav.

 

If we get Debuchy:


-------------------Krul----------------
Debuchy --- Saylor --- Colo --- Santon
--------Tiote --- Cabaye --- Jonas----
------Ben Arfa --- Cisse --- Ba--------

OR:


-------------------Krul----------------
Debuchy --- Saylor --- Colo --- Santon
--------Tiote --- Cabaye --- Jonas----
------Ben Arfa --- Cisse --- Marv-----

Just with Cisse and Ba rotating.

 

Simmo is underrated, I think we would realise that after he was gone. Goal line clearance, last ditch tackles, he has flaws but he's mint imo.

 

IMO with the current squad....

Krul
Simmo Saylor Colo Santon

Gutierrez Tiote

Cabaye

Benni Cisse Marv

 

Ben Arfa - Ba - Cisse

Jonas - Tiote - Cabaye

Santon - Colo - Saylor - Raylor

Krul


Ba scores as many a Cisse when in a central position, and Cisse is quicker out wide

3 Midfielders who can tackle and get forward

Raylor, as his free kicks are an added weapon and he is not bad defensively

 

Cisse, Ba, Ben Arfa
Jonas, Tiote, Cabaye
Santon, Colo, STaylor, Raylor
Krul

Not including our top scorer from last season is just plain stupid in my opinion (yeah, ****ing come at me!) and Cisse always looked good down the left, mucking in with defensive work. Part of me wanted to drop Jonas for Bigi, as I've been massively impressed by him and I think:

Cabaye
Bigi, Tiote

Would give Cabaye the freedom to push on without leaving the defence as exposed, BUT, Jonas' engine is second to none and he runs the ball out of trouble too much to lose his place.

Only semi-controversial choice I think, is Ryan Taylor above Simpson - neither are the finished article, but Simpson's crossing is fairly poor and he doesn't get to the byline enough...Raylor provides more from set-pieces and doesn't need to get to the byline to deliver a good ball.

EDIT: Fred posted almost the exact same line-up and reasoning as me, a minute before...

 

Remy------Cisse------Benny

------------Cabaye----------

-----Anita/Jonas--Tiote------

Santon--Colo--Douglas--Debuchy

-------------Krul--------------

For a new LW id like Afellay or Adam Johnson as long as they are reasonal wages and fees involved or Remy could play there with Ba rotating throughout the frontline

 

Cisse--- Ba----Ben Arfa


Cabaye Tiote
Jonas

Santon ---Colo---Saylor---Debuchy

Krul

 

Jonas further back than Tiote...Bit different, any particular reason?

 

Cisse quicker out wide? I'm not so sure. Cisse is a bit quicker off the mark, but Ba's long distance pace is better than Cisse's.

 

This but Simmo instead of Raylor. I like both because they are very committed but I prefer the better defensive skills of Simpson behind Benni. I'd also keep Cisse central but have it interchangeable as at the end of last season. Ideally I'd like to see Santon right and a left back in but Santon is the best left back we have in the current squad.