Team for City?

I can see Shola starting with best not 100%.

 

I like this as well, think Raylor should stay in defence but definitely preferable to Santon in midfield.

Also, Kompany is out??

 

Kompany is back plus I wouldn't change the back 5 that has conceded the least amount of goals in the league.

 

or how about:

-------------------Krul---------------------
Simpson-----Saylor------Colo-----Raylor
------Guthrie---Cabaye----Jonas--------
---------HBA-----Best------Ba------------

Ba and HBA can come back into the midfield when jonas and guthrie are forced to double up in the defense, thats what ba has been doing when jonas covers raylor anyway?

 

Changing him from a RB to a RM for a game isn't going to ruin him. He'll still be doing a similar job really. All the clips I've seen of him, he goes forward a heck of a lot and assists in attack, and his extreme pace allows him to track back quickly.

Santon and Simmo, IMO, could just keep on rotating, if Simmo goes forward to assist an attack, Santon could stay back to cover him, and vice versa.

Both would assist each other in defending and attacking.

Santon could still use his defensive qualities while playing as a RM. I'd go for Santon.

 

He's already played left back and right back for us, no way would I then make him play in midfield. For one, the guy's 20, let him hold down one position before he's tried in others, and putting a RB in RM isnt as easy as it is on paper, remember when we played Simpson there and he just had no idea how to play the position?

 

Sorry thought Kompany got 3 match ban for straight red

Well we're screwed then.

 

no he's not

 

Yes but Simpson is not a RM, Santon can play RM. I agree about wanting Santon to just hold down one position and not chop and change all the time but if Obertan is not back then we do not really have any other options. Guthrie is rubbish out wide, Gosling has not impressed in his best postion yet so moving him out wide he will probably be even worse and just cut inside all the time leaving us exposed down the right. Sameobi is not ready to start matches yet, especially against City, and Ben Arfa is not a winger. Santon would help Simpson defensively and also give us an attacking threat.

 

Agree with this. Although Ben Arfa could play on the wing.

I'd have Santon on the right. Him and Simpson can do a solid job between them. And Santon will just be pleased to get game time, even if it isn't his #1 position. Someon like Sammy is nowhere near ready to start in a game like this.

 

I am pretty sure he is. Unless he is injured?

 

Ferguson is by default a LB, but we all agree that he looks more of a winger.

Santon has shown through his short career so far, that he can attack and defend. He could play as a RW.

Players are going to have to learn to rotate. Raylor has played CM, RM, RB and LB since he's been here.

 

If we were to bring in Santon I'd put him LB and Raylor RM, think it's much more natural.

 

I was going to suggest that, but I thought everyone would say "ffs tash you'd move a player who's in great form, out of his position? I'm glad you're not the manager"

Raylor lacks pace, but he has immense crossing ability, and he'd track back to help Simmo.

 

Ferguson isnt anything "by default", he's a player who can play LW and LB because he has played well in both positions.

Santon has played less than 2 full games in England, I cant believe people would play him in a position he has barely played against the best side in the country before he's even had time to adjust to the English game.

And Raylor's played all those positions because he's versatile and has played them all before for a run of games, name one more player who has been rotated that much.

 

Raylor is not a long term option at LB, we're buying a new one in January and already have Santon, but he could easily push Obertan for the RM spot, I think it's by far his best position.

Also Santon is a better defender than him and he'd be playing with Jonas in front of him and Colo next to him.

 

This, yes I understand people saying they don't want to break up the back 4 but it's not like Santon hasn't played with our defenders before, he's had some game time with them and by all accounts Pardew takes the defenders away and trains them, Santon will be well aware of the defensive drills and how the rest play. It's not like he's a new signing, he's been with us a while now.

 

What about...

Krul

Simpson-Saylor-Colo-Raylor

----Gosling - Cabaye----

-----Guthrie------

Ben Arfa-------Jonas

---------Ba---------

 

Exactly, and he's going to oust Raylor eventually, it's not like we're just going to play him at LB forever.

 

This then?

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

Simmo----Saylor------Colo-----Santon

-----Cabaye-----------Guthrie-------

Raylor---------HBA----------Gutierrez

---------------Ba---------------------