If there's no more ins and outs...

... What would your line up be for Swansea?

For the purposes of this I'm going to assume Virgil will play too.

Forster
Cedric - Maya - VVD - Bertrand
Romeu - Hojgberg
Redmond - Boufal - Tadic
Gabbi


Bit harsh on Davis but still don't see him as a DM, and against what will be a relatively weak swans team would like to see us as quite attacking. Tadic can always drop back and make a 3 if necessary too.

Thoughts?

 

Don't offend me by putting VVD in the team...so go with Jack. What about Austin....will Mauricio try going for 2 up front again. I suppose he could start with Gabbi on his own and bring Austin on later if we need a goal (sorry, another goal ).

 

For me:
Forster
Cedric-Stephens-Yoshy-Bertrand
Davis-Romeu
Tadic-JWP-Redmand
Gabby

 

Bloody hell forgot about JWP!

We got quite a few options really. I suspect tonight and Saturday will tell us more.

 

We do have options and a pretty good team...Mauricio has to show that he can get the best out of them.

 

A DM and goalscoring am would still be nice though

 

Forster
Pied Stephens Yoshida Bertrand
Davis Romeu
Tadic JWP Boufal
Gabbi

Will be too soon for Cedric I think and I really doubt Van Dijk will play that soon.

 

Tadic on the right

 

I think that's where was against St Etienne for the majority of the game.

 

Forster
Cedric - Maya - VVD - Bertrand
Romeu - Hojbjerg
Redmond - JWP - Boufal
Gabbi

It just feels like there's a very good player in Hojbjerg that gametime would bring out. But personally I would like to spend 20m on a DM, sell Clasie and be done with the window.
Boufal has looked better than Tadic for me in pre season.

It will be pretty hard for Pellegrino to put out a formation I would be unhappy with though. We still have a fair amount of depth.

 

I'd have to play Austin up top and Gabby in behind. He could be the goal scoring 'midfielder' we've been looking for and if Austin stays fit he is scoring goals.

Forster
Cedric Stephens VVD Bertrand
Romeu Davis
Redmond Gabby Boufal
Austin

This is if everyone is fit and no one leaves...

 

I'd play Pied. He's looked excellent pre season.

 

For me we need 2 proper DMs so Davis/JWP impact bench players unless they make places their own. Clearly can't name a team with VVD in it and I would concentrate on making Targett or McQueen number one left back instead of the mardy, want away Bertrand.

Forster
Cedric (happy for Pied instead) Stephens, Maya, Targett
Romeu, Clasie
Redmond, Boufal, Gabby
Austin

Bench is really tough having selected an 11. Need 7 from:
Keeper (when's Alex back?), Bednarek, Pied, McQueen, Bertrand, Hojlberg, JWP, Davis, Long, Tadic, Gallagher!!!!

 

Bertrand seems happy enough to me and we would surely have heard a lot of offers if he was being proffered around. As for JWP, I expect to see a lot of him this season....this will be his year....you heard it here first.

 

I definitely agree about JWP. Picking a side is so difficult which must be a good thing. If Bertrand genuinely wanted to stay, knuckle down and play his heart out then fine but his attitude and at times his performances were not acceptable for me last year and there has been so much smoke about him wanting away. Besides, I had a spat with him on instagram where he was bloody obnoxious and rude to me.

 

No idea on final lineup but there are some players who can't be left out. Jeremy Pied is fast becoming the first choice RB, and he has the advantage of being able to play on the left as well I seem to remember. Gabbiadini is obvious, and he's been looking sharp in preseason, and Romeu is about our only genuine CDM. If Højbjerg can step up a bit he should be nailed on to play alongside Romeu, but despite looking good in preseason he hasn't convinced me yet.

If only there was a way of including Steven Davis, but I think he loses out to JWP, who surely has to be played centrally as an attacking midfielder. Personally I think Tadić and Boufal can't yet be played together, but I hope they prove me wrong this season.

The one position we have an embarrassment of riches in is LB. If Bertrand has been reintegrated, then with him, Targett, and McQueen, Mauricio has a real dilemma.

So despite all of the above I would go for something like this:

Forster
Pied, Stephens, Yoshida, Bertrand
Romeu, Højbjerg
Redmond, JWP, Boufal
Gabbiadini

Subs: McCarthy (if fit)/ Taylor , Cedric, Jones, Targett, Davis, Austin, Gallagher

Edited, as I completely forgot Redmond!

 

Forster; Cedric Stephens Yoshida Bertrand; Davis Romeu; Redmond JWP Boufal; Gabbiadini
McCarthy, Bednarek, McQueen, Hojberg, Long, Austin, Tadic

 

Depends on the opposition too, of course. If it's a top team who are confident enough to allow us to play/space up top, Gabbi is the classy player no doubt. There may be occasions like, I dunno, Stoke, where you need a more physical flat track bully like Charlie.

 

As people keep forgetting to include first team regulars, does that mean we have too many players. We used to manage quite well with 15. Blue writing.

 

Forster

Pied VVD Yoshida Bertrand

Romeu JWP

Redmond Boufal Gabbiadini

Austin

Home to Swansea is a game we should go for it so am happy to drop one of the more defensive minded DMs and move JWP back there