I'm suprised not many people are considering Puncheon. Ok what he did was idiotic but he's obvously trying to prove himself to NA and it sounds like he is having a very good preseason so far
Our first team
- Thread starter lamby
- Start date
Maybe it's the fact that he hasn't been important for us at all in the last two years, so it'd be a bit of a risk to make him suddenly very important in the Premier League?
There's no one in this midfield who can chase people down and tackle. Sorry, but you need at least one of Davis, Hammond, Chaplow or Cork, probably two of them away at city. JWP should not get anywhere near the team until the more experienced heads have adjusted to life in the Prem. Playing him too soon could hold his development back.
Davis
Richardson
Fonte
Hooiveld
Fox
Cork (on the right)
Schneiderlin
Davis
Hammond
Lallana
Lambert
We're playing the Man City away, some of the lineups people are posit are far too attacking.
Yeah a 4-5-1 probably makes more sense against man city, but i'd be reluctant to put cork on the right. It'd limit any attacking threat, and whilst you need to be somewhat defensive it is still pretty risky to just sit deep and try to stop man city from scoring. Guly on the right might add a bit of fluidity, switching between a 4-5-1 and 4-3-3.
I would go with:
Davis
Richardson Hooiveld Fonte Fox
Schniederlin Davis
Chaplow Cork Lallana
Lambert
Man City away is one of the toughest games so trying to bring too many new signings in would be a massive risk. City like to try and play through the middle with Silva in the hole, so we would need to have protection for the defence. Would have Chaplow on the right because of his engine and I think he would sit back more than say Do Prado. Lambert up front on his own running the line. Ideally I would drop a CM out and play J Rod or Sharp off Lambert but not against City.
Davis
Richardson Hooiveld Fonte Fox
Schniederlin Davis
Chaplow Cork Lallana
Lambert
Man City away is one of the toughest games so trying to bring too many new signings in would be a massive risk. City like to try and play through the middle with Silva in the hole, so we would need to have protection for the defence. Would have Chaplow on the right because of his engine and I think he would sit back more than say Do Prado. Lambert up front on his own running the line. Ideally I would drop a CM out and play J Rod or Sharp off Lambert but not against City.
Yep, his intricate passes and movement create space and chances. His form dipped at around the same time City's did and UTD went top. They obviously have plenty of class all over the pitch but I think if we could keep him quiet it would be a start! Just think we need to pack out the midfield and protect the defence at all costs. I know the old saying of attack is the best form of defence but if we stretch ourselves too much we will get battered.
Thats the dilema, drop a someone out from CM and play him, but then that weakens us in the middle and at the back. Chaplow and Lallana can get forward if we are attacking and try to play off Lambert. I just think that we will have to set up defensively and play with one up front and hope to nick one.
Attack is the best form of defence...
Best form of defence is keeping the ball. Pack the team full of ball-players.
Well indeed. Plus the almost certainty that Adkins and Cortese haven't finished their little spending spree just yet.
Incidentally, I've heard a rumour that Saints have been in touch with Van Persie's agent. Basically, the gist of it was to tell Robin not to get his hopes up.
Davis
Richardson - Fonte - Hooiveld - Fox
Cork - Schneiderlin
S.Davis
Guly ---------- Lallana
Lambert
Richardson - Fonte - Hooiveld - Fox
Cork - Schneiderlin
S.Davis
Guly ---------- Lallana
Lambert
Doesn't take into account new arrivals from now, obviously.
Well, we can only have a squad of 25, and there a rules on how many English trained players we can have. Somebody did a thread on this and the conclusion was that somebody's for the chop.