Best 11

[edgysatsuma89]

I'll be bald young so i can't say shizzle Mr Redsox.

I'm giving zog benefit of the doubt over his fitness, I'll decide soon if i think he should have a future.

[not3bad]

N'Zogbia shouldn't be anywhere near the first 11.

Did N'Zogbia do anything against Hull?  I thought it was him who hit the post from the free kick but it turned out it was Westwood.

should've gone to specsavers!!! (apologies if you have a serious eye problem obv)

Both Westwood and N'Zogbia were standing over the ball before the kick. Best defense I can muster.

[SoccerHQ]

One thing's for sure - when everyone's fit, there's going to be some fairly decent players not even making the bench. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see one or all of Lowton, Clark and Herd shipped-out on loan shortly, but I would also be concerned if I was Bacuna, Joe Cole and even N'Zogbia, unless he starts producing whilst he is in the side.

Bacuna is very versatile, you need one of those on the bench. N'zogbia I'd always have as an impact sub, certainly if it's between him and Joe Cole.

Our bench potentially will have quite a few game turning options. We could have Gabby and CNZ on it with their pace depending on the game situation and also Kozak if we want to lump it long in the last 20 minutes.

It makes a change.

[UK Redsox]

Guzan

Walker
Cahill
Vlaar
Cissokho**

Milner
Barry
Delph

Young
Benteke
Grealish***


** Just shows how bad things have been at LB for Villa recently that after just three games, Aly is already the best current or former (but active) Villa player in that position.

*** A slight case could be made for Downing.

[Brian Taylor]

My Dad never stopped talking about this lot..Where are they today?

Defender
      Peter Aldis   England   England   11/04/1927
      George Ashfield   England   England   07/04/1934
      Gordon Lee   England   England   13/07/1934
      Pat Saward   Ireland   Ireland   17/08/1928
Midfielder
      Vic Crowe   Wales   Wales   31/01/1932
Forward
      Johnny Dixon   England   England   10/12/1923
      Gerry Hitchens   England   England   08/10/1934
      Peter McParland   Northern Ireland   Northern Ireland   25/04/1934

[paul_e]

Mind you, i do agree with you that we should stick to one formation with this team. Hopefully we can come up with a few more ideas than MON used to, enabling us to change a particular situation at any time.

I'd hope we don't.

If the situation calls for us to play 4-4-2 then do that. If it calls for 4-5-1 then do that. If it calls for 3-5-2 then do that.

Like you allude to, MON's biggest failing was being tactically inflexible and it was one of the things that Lambert looked really good at with Norwich. It would be nice if this season we got to see a bit of that here.

The only time I'd be happy to see 352 is if we're playing against a side in a traditional 442, the current 433/451 formations which are the standard pretty much force your fullbacks into a 5 at the back and you end up looking short on numbers and width going forward.

[Simon Ward]

Presume this has already been mentioned but Brew XI?

[Matt Collins]

Mind you, i do agree with you that we should stick to one formation with this team. Hopefully we can come up with a few more ideas than MON used to, enabling us to change a particular situation at any time.

I'd hope we don't.

If the situation calls for us to play 4-4-2 then do that. If it calls for 4-5-1 then do that. If it calls for 3-5-2 then do that.

Like you allude to, MON's biggest failing was being tactically inflexible and it was one of the things that Lambert looked really good at with Norwich. It would be nice if this season we got to see a bit of that here.

The only time I'd be happy to see 352 is if we're playing against a side in a traditional 442, the current 433/451 formations which are the standard pretty much force your fullbacks into a 5 at the back and you end up looking short on numbers and width going forward.

Completely agree. I think we showed last Saturday why 433 seemed to be the death of 352. It's interesting that after all the talk of 352 at the World Cup, it's hardly taken the premier league by storm. Three teams seem to be trying it. Hull and QPR both switched from it after looking horrendous. And Man U look awful with it.

Perhaps more suited to the more sedate pace of international football?

[OCD]

Hull switched against us with how the game was going but it's been their first choice formation for the last couple of years. It does look like QPR might be scrapping it though despite bringing Glenn Hoddle in to coach it.

It's easy to get drawn into a discussion as to which formation is best but for me it always comes down to the players in the squad. Juve (and to a lesser degree, Hull) are able to use 3-5-2 effectively but it doesn't mean that other teams are automatically going to perform as well using it.

[brontebilly]

Hull switched against us with how the game was going but it's been their first choice formation for the last couple of years. It does look like QPR might be scrapping it though despite bringing Glenn Hoddle in to coach it.

It's easy to get drawn into a discussion as to which formation is best but for me it always comes down to the players in the squad. Juve (and to a lesser degree, Hull) are able to use 3-5-2 effectively but it doesn't mean that other teams are automatically going to perform as well using it.

I think Bruce would be mental to persist with three centre backs if Davies and Dawson are going to be two of those.

Senderos looks exposed the further out of the centre he goes, wouldnt like to see him in that formation.

[JJ-AV]

Depends on the opposition doesn't it? We have options and alternatives now.

I think we've got 8 players who would be in my team regardless of who we're playing (at the minute):

Guzan
Hutton, Vlaar, Cissokho
Westwood, Delph
Gabby, Benteke

The outfield players there are pretty flexible in different roles as well. Which is why the squad has a nice balance to it, you could almost take any three of Okore, Richardson, Sanchez, Cleverley, N'Zogbia, Cole, Kozak and Weimann and change the shape of the side.

[robbo1874]

Everyone to their own, but i just don't see how people can keep putting gabby and especially weimann out wide in an attacking 3 when we are choosing our best 11. Don't we all keep saying weimann is useless if not playing through the middle?
As Lambert doesn't do 'wingers' I'd personally go diamond.

------------Guzman-----------
Baldy---Baldy2----Baldy3---Bitoffuzz
------------Sanchez-----------
-------TC23--------Delph------
------------Grealish------------
-------Benteke-----Weimann------

Arguments could be made for jack being too young, so replace with cole/Zog or change formation and bring Richardson in/play TC23 further forward etc. Weimann could easily be replaced with Kozak depending on form although i think he links well with the beast. Gabby needs to go some way in proving to me he's still up to it. The Hull game was a very good start but I've seen it too often from him. Harsh on Westwood, come in for cleverley if he's shite, he's not strong enough to be our DM in my humble opinion.

We do actually have options and now actually have the opportunity to completely disagree with each other. Kushty.

I like the look of that setup orange man. How to include Richardson though?

[robbo1874]

My Dad never stopped talking about this lot..Where are they today?

Defender
      Peter Aldis   England   England   11/04/1927
      George Ashfield   England   England   07/04/1934
      Gordon Lee   England   England   13/07/1934
      Pat Saward   Ireland   Ireland   17/08/1928
Midfielder
      Vic Crowe   Wales   Wales   31/01/1932
Forward
      Johnny Dixon   England   England   10/12/1923
      Gerry Hitchens   England   England   08/10/1934
      Peter McParland   Northern Ireland   Northern Ireland   25/04/1934

they are probably still looking for the other 3 players in their team : )

[tomd2103]

Everyone to their own, but i just don't see how people can keep putting gabby and especially weimann out wide in an attacking 3 when we are choosing our best 11. Don't we all keep saying weimann is useless if not playing through the middle?
As Lambert doesn't do 'wingers' I'd personally go diamond.

------------Guzman-----------
Baldy---Baldy2----Baldy3---Bitoffuzz
------------Sanchez-----------
-------TC23--------Delph------
------------Grealish------------
-------Benteke-----Weimann------

Arguments could be made for jack being too young, so replace with cole/Zog or change formation and bring Richardson in/play TC23 further forward etc. Weimann could easily be replaced with Kozak depending on form although i think he links well with the beast. Gabby needs to go some way in proving to me he's still up to it. The Hull game was a very good start but I've seen it too often from him. Harsh on Westwood, come in for cleverley if he's shite, he's not strong enough to be our DM in my humble opinion.

We do actually have options and now actually have the opportunity to completely disagree with each other. Kushty.

I agree with the majority of the team in your post, although I would probably have Gabby in for Weimann.  What really encourages me though is the bit in bold and the bench for the above team could be from Given, Okore, Westwood, Richardson, Cole, Weimann, Kozak, Bacuna, N'Zogbia.     

[edgysatsuma89]

Bench doesn't look all that bad does it tom?

Not sure how i could fit Richardson in that formation really robbo, unfortunately I've not been able to see us play this year (just highlights). So I'm not exactly certain how he's being utilised, i just know he's more 'central' by the sounds of things. Wide left of a front 3 maybe? I think I'd rather him be out wide if we're going to play that than Weimann for instance. But i don't think we're suited to that formation anyway, directly in for Cleverely maybe if he's been showing the discipline to play in the middle?

What have you lot thought about how and where Richardson is playing? You could enlighten me.