First Choice?

[paul_e]

I think we're going to see the same version of 4-4-2 that we saw last season


Martinez


Cash - Konsa/Carlos - Mings/Torres - Moreno/Digne


McGinn/JPB - Luiz - Kamara/Tielemans - Ramsey/Buendia/JPB


Diaby/Bailey - Watkins/Archer/Duran


We've got a huge possible range of possibilities in midfield so I didn't list every possible permutation (Tielemans can play in Ramsey's spot for example). The only place we still look a bit short is right back and up front, where I think Archer and Duran are too untried to be considered reliable replacements if anything happened to Watkins.

I agree on Archer and Duran. I also think the 2 of them would both benefit from playing together rather than competing to directly replace Watkins. I'd include Dendoncker in the midfield options because I think he's fairly reliable cover as the more defensive option but won't start many. Coutniho will be in there somewhere as well because, in my opinion, he looks the fittest he's been since he joined us right now and if he can find some sharpness and form to go with that he can still have a massive impact.

[London Villan]

We won't be able to predict the starting 11 anymore and neither will the opposition. (Hopefully) playing 55ish games this season, I can see Martinez starting 40+ at this rate, but no-one else starting more than 35...

[Drummond]

If Coutinho is fit, and can stay fit, he'll do brilliantly for us this season. The pace and movement of Watkins and Diaby will give him lots of options and with the potential runs and power of Tielemans, McGinn or Luiz.... Yes please.

I have a feeling we're not looking for a Right Back, after Cash, there is Chambers (who Emery identified as being cover for RB or CM) but almost certainly another pacy forward player.

[Risso]

I'm just not sure that Emery likes the idea of someone not pulling their weight in the midfield 4, which is why we've seen Ramsey and McGinn in the wide spots there. Anybody coming in is going to have to be as physical as they can be, and even Buendia puts himself about. I can see Phil coming in when we're 2-0 up or chasing a game, but don't see him starting many games.

[rougegorge]

I just hope we don't have some kind of separate cup line up or wholesale changes, at least not for the ECL or the FA Cup; hopefully given Unai's aims and his past successes, we won't anyway.

We did so well to qualify for Europe, so we need to take it seriously like West Ham did.

Maybe for the EFL cup it would be ok to rotate, or (if we get there and do really well) a group game in the ECL where nothing is riding on it.

[Drummond]

I just hope we don't have some kind of separate cup line up or wholesale changes, at least not for the ECL or the FA Cup; hopefully given Unai's aims and his past successes, we won't anyway.

We did so well to qualify for Europe, so we need to take it seriously like West Ham did.

Maybe for the EFL cup it would be ok to rotate, or (if we get there and do really well) a group game in the ECL where nothing is riding on it.

But in order to keep the squad match fit, they need to play. So we need to keep using the squad.

[AV84]

Just as an experiment I wanted to see if we could actually play 2 completely different squads from game to game. Not sure what formation/tactics would be, and it assumes everyone is fit and on form.

Martinez     Olsen

Cash            Chambers
Konsa          Carlos
Mings          Pau
Digne           Moreno

McGinn        Tielemans
Luiz               Kamara
Philogene     Buendia
Diaby            Ramsey
Coutinho      Bailey

Archer           Watkins


It's obviously not perfect, and I tried to mix and match experience and youth in both sides. (And I know we all hate Olsen but for the purposes of the exercise....)

[paul_e]

I'd make a few changes to those 2 teams to balance things better and I'd probably bring Dendoncker into 1 of them to keep a genuine '6' in the team but fundamentally I agree, we're cose to being able put out 2 teams that could both hold their own in the premier league, which is a very good place to be.

[Legion]

I don't think anyone hates Olsen. He's just not a very good GK for back-up at this level.

[Pete3206]

I hate him. He's absolutely shite.

[Toronto Villa]

The question isn’t comparing him to other #2 GKs at other clubs. It’s that the drop off from Emi is monstrous and it shouldn’t be that big. More importantly, it’s his lack of comfort with the ball at his feet. We play the ball out pretty much all the time now. If he puts us in difficult situations when he distributes then a key tactic that Emery values is significantly diminished.

[dave.woodhall]

Second keepers we've had have included Spink, Bosnich, Spink again, Oakes, Guzan and Given. It's been a long time since we had a reliable one but Olsen is surely the worst. 

[PeterWithesShin]

I look at those names and then compare them against Olsen and think to myself, yeah i'd take Spink over him. I mean Nigel is 65 next week but i'd still pick him over Olsen.

[SoccerHQ]

Second keepers we've had have included Spink, Bosnich, Spink again, Oakes, Guzan and Given. It's been a long time since we had a reliable one but Olsen is surely the worst. 

Steer is probably the best in recent times. Came in and did o.k in his early seasons in cup games and when he finally got a consistent run he became a bit of a cult hero in the famous penalty shoot out.

Shows how bad our strategy was back then we keep putting him out on loan even after relegation and eventually ended up with Bunn somehow number one again halfway through the first season in the championship.

[Risso]

Second keepers we've had have included Spink, Bosnich, Spink again, Oakes, Guzan and Given. It's been a long time since we had a reliable one but Olsen is surely the worst. 

Oakes was pretty good, and even Enckelman as a reserve was decent enough. Postma was OK as a back up as well.