First 11

[PaulTheVillan]

Given
Young Collins Dunne Warnock
Petrov
Delph Jenas
Agbonlahor..............NZogbia
Bent

[pedro25]

What no Beye?

[remy]

I think it should be

Bannan - Delph - Jenas

as our midfield fulcrum, ditching petrov.

[Mazrim]

Formation and alternatives in brackets.
Plenty of room for flexibility. i.e, Albright and N'Zogbia wide, playing three out and out strikers etc.


                        Given
                      (Guzan)

Hutton    Collins       Dunne     Warnock
(Beye)    (Cuellar)    (Clark)      (Lichaj)
   
         Jenas     Bannan     Delph
        (Herd)     (Petrov)   (Gardner)

   N'Zogbia                      Agbonlahor
   (Albrighton)                   (Ireland)   
                          Bent
              (Delfouneso, Heskey)       

[Dante Lavelli]

Would people be against sending Gardner on loan?
I think at this stage in his career he needs regular games and looking at these formations he is probably 2 or 3 injuries away from that at Villa often not making the bench.

[Mazrim]

I would be against it at the moment because the numbers we have and I dont think it will be long before he breaks through anyway.
I understand the benefit of loans but in his case, he's really going to come through and take to it naturally anyway in my opinion so in his particular case I'd say there was little value in it.

[Risso]

I would be against it at the moment because the numbers we have and I dont think it will be long before he breaks through anyway.
I understand the benefit of loans but in his case, he's really going to come through and take to it naturally anyway in my opinion so in his particular case I'd say there was little value in it.

I think a loan would be beneficial.  Unless we have a bad run of injuries again, he's not even going to get in the squad at the moment, so I'd send him to somewhere like Derby who play decent football, and look like having a decent season so he gets a taste of being in a winning side.  A spell on loan stood the likes of Gary Cahill and Bannan in good stead.

[Concrete John]

I'd send him out.  A few months in the Championship would be better for him than playing for our reserves and right now you'd have Petrov, Delph, Bannan, Jenas and Ireland ahead of him, so quite unlikely to play.

[Mazrim]

Well it would have to be short term and/or with a recall option.
Because as things stand he's fourth or fifth choice central midfielder which sounds a way down but isn't really at all. And each injury or lack of form or fitness or suspension moves him one up the list.

Hopefully we can still go and get somebody like Mahamadou Diarra soon in which case the pressures off a bit and we can loan him out.
Personally, the sooner Gardner is playing in the first team, the better.

[Risso]

Well it would have to be short term and/or with a recall option.
Because as things stand he's fourth or fifth choice central midfielder which sounds a way down but isn't really at all. And each injury or lack of form or fitness or suspension moves him one up the list.

He hasn't played a single minute of first team football, so how he'd be 4th choice central midfielder is beyond me.  Petrov, Delph, Jenas, Bannan and Ireland will all be picked ahead of him, and that's without considering Herd and Clark as well.  He hasn't even been in a match day squad yet has he?

[pedro25]

I like the thought of Petrov, Jenas and Delph in the middle. Also, Delph and Petrov will need resting at various points this season for different reasons and we can genuinely do this now with Jenas, play one of Petrov/Delph with Jenas and Bannan or Ireland further up.  Well hopefully that will be the case and not Heskey as the front of a middle 3. Heskey can be back up for Bent/Gabby, N'Zog and Bannan back up for Gabby/N'Zog too.  Albrighton and Delfouneso need to buck their ideas up to be any more than fringe players for the rest of the season.  I still don't see much game time for Ireland either, injuries aside.

[Mazrim]

Well it would have to be short term and/or with a recall option.
Because as things stand he's fourth or fifth choice central midfielder which sounds a way down but isn't really at all. And each injury or lack of form or fitness or suspension moves him one up the list.

He hasn't played a single minute of first team football, so how he'd be 4th choice central midfielder is beyond me.  Petrov, Delph, Jenas, Bannan and Ireland will all be picked ahead of him, and that's without considering Herd and Clark as well.  He hasn't even been in a match day squad yet has he?

I dont consider Bannan and Ireland as the same position. Gardner to my mind would be in the same pool as Petrov, Jenas, Delph and Herd with Ireland and Bannan as more specialist positions. What I would call the third midfielder in our current system.
You could play Gardner as one of two central midfielders whereas I wouldn't advise that with Bannan or Ireland.
Therefore, as things stand, he's 4th or 5th choice.

No, he hasn't played senior league football yet but I dont see what that's got to do with it at the moment.
He's considered the brightest young talent at the club and due to our paucity of numbers will have to figure at some point. I'd say it's in our interest to get him involved soon too. I think he's pretty much ready for it.

[pedro25]

I think at a push you can now play Bannan as one of a central 2 with Jenas.  You couldn't with Petrov as his legs are going and you couldn't with Delph as they are both left footed and inexperienced.  But ideally Bannan or Ireland should play in front of a solid 2.  I just hope Mcleish does this now, but fear it will be Jenas or Heskey in this role and our creativity problems will persist.  I think with Herd still about too and a new right back Gardner cab be loaned out comfortably.

[bob]

John, I assume you mean Petrov as the "sitter", but he seems to be getting forward more now than he has done in a few seasons.

He said in the Mail he was enjoying having the licence to get further forward under AM.

[garyshawsknee]

If he plays a three in central midfield,one has to be Bannan or Ireland. Were really lacking any kind of guile,Bent would benefit as well. Hopefully its wee Bannan,as the more games he gets,the more he'll improve.