I'd play --------------McGregor Rosenior - Chester - Davies - Robertson Elmo - - Livermore - Hudd - - Snodgrass ------------Long - Jelavic but I expect summat like ----------------McGregor --------Chester - Bruce - Davies Elmo - Livermore - Hudd - Meyler - Rosenior --------------Long - Jelavic
Genuinely difficult to see which way he'll go and that's largely due to the impressive additions. Thought Ince, Maguire and Robertson were all excellent yesterday. However I think only Robertson will be in the first 11 on Saturday. I think he'll go 3-5-2 with McGregor Chester Davies Bruce Elmo Robertson Hudd, Livermore, Snodgrass Long, Jelavic Subs: Harper, McShane, Meyler, Brady, Ince, Aluko, Figueroa That's my best guess, great options from the bench this season.
Thought Meyler pulled up after he scored. Assumed it was an injury that could make him doubtful for Saturday. If not,... Meyler for Boyd.
He did get a knock whilst scoring, but was not substituted until 62 minutes, so I would have thought if he was injured he wouldn't have come out for the 2nd half.
Ok...good news. I only saw the highlights of the game so wasn't aware he stayed on. Would definitely expect him to play some part on Saturday then. Very valuable player for us and always a goal scoring threat.
I also like Meyler in the side, he does a lot of hard work which to a large degree goes unnoticed, until he is not there.
Gawd where do you start with this one.... Mac Chessie Curtis Bruce Elmo Thud Jake Rosie Snoddy Ince Jelavic Bench. Harps, Meyler, Robertson, McGuire. Long, Brady, Aluko
Think you will win Saturday. Our last 2 opening home games in the prem were 0-4 against Bolton and the following season 0-5 against Swansea and weve been pretty mediocre against sub standard oppo pre season (Southend, Orient and teams ive never heard of in Germany). Anyway thinking of backing Hull Each way at 16/1 on the prem handicap with a 43 point lead and over the scratch team Chelsea. The only concern is Hulls involvement in the Europa league which is never good come October/November when the travel to far Eastern bloc countires takes its toll on the players and squad. Wondered what the thoughts of Hull fans ending in mid table. 3 good players in Long, Jelavic and Snodgrass.
We have the squad to finish anywhere from around 9th - 17th, but then so do a bunch of other teams. It's hard to predict how the bunch will end up, likely only a few points separating a number of positions mid-low table. Also, as with anyone outside the top 7, complacency can easily lead to relegation. I'd be happy to comfortably 15th though, maintaining a nice buffer to the bottom 3 all season to not be worried and a nice European group stage run.
I'm sticking my neck out here. But I'd say there are another 8 teams that will occupy those positions. Assuming we also do.
Fair point. I meant it's pretty hard to separate teams around there. Stoke, Villa, Swansea, West Ham... you wouldn't be massively shocked to see any of them finish in 10th or 16th. There's the top 7, then you'd expect Newcastle in the top half (bottom half would be an underperformance), but who knows what order the rest will be in. On paper our squad has the potential to squeeze into the top 10 if we're in top form or survive in 17th cutting it close due to European fatigue. If we finish bottom 3 with the players we have we'd be underperforming, in contrast to this time last season when it wouldn't have been a shock, and we won't finish top 7-8. That mid-lower range is just impossible to predict. Burnley have the toughest task, and most would say they're bottom three and anything in safety is a near miracle, but there's not really anyone else you'd say really has a tough task ahead. Leicester and QPR could easily end up in those mid-lower positions after coming up. It's not like team X will be 8th - 10th, team Y 9th - 11th, Team Z 10th - 12th etc. Quite a big spread of positions where nothing much would surprise me.
I don't mind that team at all..... Although I'd be disappointed if SB agrees with you and gives Fig a place on the bench over the more dependable and more versatile Rosie......
I'd go: ----------McG----------- Rosie Chester Davies Robertson Elmo Thudd Livermore Brady -----Long - Jelavic --------- (Tempted to throw Ince on the wing there, or Aluko with Long, but maybe best to stick with the old core to start with). More realistically?: -----------------McG--------------------- ----------Chester Bruce Davies--------- Elmo----------------------------Robertson- -------Thudd - Meyler - Livermore -------- -----------Long ----- Jelavic -------------- (Obviously it will be Snodgrass rather than Meyler, but, whatever).
With Sagbo suspended for the dramas and stoke city i expect SB to go with Long and Jelavic in the PL and Sagbo and Aluko or Ince in the Lokeren games. That way we keep them all fresh. In saying that, The team that totally outplayed Stuttgart on sunday for most parts should be given the Lokeren game next week as a reward for the performance of pre-season so far. With all due respect to Lokeren they are not as good imo. In fact SB has no reason to start anyone in both PL and EL games at this moment in time.
Except for James, Curtis, Tom, Jake, Allan and possibly Robert. Not much competition for their places really is there, with the exception of Robert.
