Who's in your Opening Day starting 11?

[Morten]

Sinclair will start after his hattrick yesterday and rightly so. Westwood will also start, Sherwood speaks so highly of him, see latest interview on the home page. In the same interview he says that Ayew can play number 9 or from the left. But I think Sinclair will start on the left after yesterdays game, so maybe he will try Ayew on the right or up front. Or Gil if he is fit. So the line up against Bournemouth could be:

Guzan

Hutton
Richards
Clark
Amavi

Gueye
Westwood
Veretout
Sinclair

Ayew (Or Gil if he is fit)
Kozak/Gestede

I am not sure if it will be 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, but they are just numbers as they say.

Subs:

Bunn
Bacuna
Baker/Crespo
Sanchez
Grealish/Cole/Ayew (depending on who is fit)
Agbonlahor if fit
Kozak/Gestede

And perhaps Adebayor in the squad if we sign him.

[brontebilly]

Guzan
Hutton Richards Clark Amavi
Gueye Westwood Veretout
Ayew Gestede Sinclair

Likely side alright but that midfield is very lightweight and I'm not sure what protection our back four is going to get this season.

Gestede needs crosses into the box so Hutton is not even a short term solution at right back. We need to move him on ideally, still have some faith in Bacuna. If we bought an experienced sweeper type, think we might be better off with three at the back with Bacuna and Amavi bombing forward to give width and quality deliveries from deep.

-----------Guzan
Next Baresi/Matthaus
Okore/Richards, Clark
Bacuna, Sanchez, Gueye, Amavi

[KRS]

Hutton and Bacuna in the same team would give us a strong right hand side which is why I would play both.

The reality of playing them both on the right is actually quite the opposite.

[Matt Collins]

I don't think gestede has played in a pre season game. That's a lot of players not really fit for next weekend: okore, Gil, grealish, Kozak, gabby, gestede, Kozak, adebayor all have some form of doubt about them.

I guess Kozak might be the most likely to get the no 9 gig then - perhaps unless gabby is fit.

[tomd2103]

Guzan
Hutton Richards Clark Amavi
Gueye Westwood Veretout
Ayew Gestede Sinclair

That team looks spot on at this moment in time.

Yep, though if Gestede hasn't played yet then he might be on the bench with Kozak starting.  I also wouldn't be surprised if Bunn started ahead of Guzan.

I could see a possible bench of (presuming Crespo, Gil, Grealish and Okore are not fit) :

Bunn / Guzan, Bacuna, Baker, Sanchez, Cole, Agbonlahor, Kozak / Gestede

[Matt Collins]

I think he might go 442

Bacuna and Sinclair wide. Kozak and Ayew up front

Not a lot of good movement and creativity there. Looks quite poor to me.

[KRS]

Depends if Veretout is considered to be ready to play after training with the team all week, in which case there wouldn't be a place for Bacuna unless he replaces Hutton at RB. We'll look a much better outfit once Jack n Gil return from injury (can't believe I've just walked straight into a nursery rhyme pun!).

[CT Villan]

First game, away from home...I would go 4-2-3-1 :

Guzan
Hutton  Richards  Clark  Amavi
Westwood/Sanchez  Gueye
Gil/Ayew  Grealish/Veretout  Sinclair
Kozak/Gestede

and a 0-2 victory

[SashasGrandad]

Does anybody know when the squad numbers will be announced? Wanted to buy my grandson a shirt he could take on holiday this week, but when I was in Villa Village last Friday they didn't seem to have a clue when they would know.

[rougegorge]

I hope I am wrong, but I think that whatever team we put out, the line up at the back could be a concern.

[mr underhill]

agreed, anything which mentions defence and Hutton in the same sentence is plain wrong

[silhillvilla]

If I bought a shirt would the club put BOMB SQUAD on the back for me? Or would that be considered offensive

[CT Villan]

What is an acceptable alternative to Hutton though...and the answer doesn't include Bacuna Personally, I'd prefer the right-back equivalent of Amavi, then save Hutton for when we play Man City...if Delph is playing.

[silhillvilla]

----------- Bunn --------------

Hutton.  Richards (c) Clark  Amavi

--------- Westwood -- ---------
 
Gueye ------------------ Sinclair

------------- Veretout -------------

------ Gestade ---------- Ayew-------

Modified

[Dave]

If I bought a shirt would the club put BOMB SQUAD on the back for me? Or would that be considered offensive

1) Why would that be considered offensive?

2) Why would you want a shirt with that written on it in the first place?