It’s getting to the point now when any new signings won’t have time to integrate into the first team before the season starts. So we can take a pretty good guess at the starting line up vs Villa My first thought is that it’ll be a lot like last year to begin with, so, Bachmann Femenia, Sierralta, WTE, Masina Gosling, Etebo, Cleverley Sarr, Pedro, Sema Alternatives are maybe Kabs or Cathcart for Sierralta if not fit, Louza for Gosling or Cleverley, King for Pedro or Dennis for Sema, but I think the above more likely. 4-4-2 also looms, but it’s hard to feel we are strong enough for it. Your guesses for the first 11 to start?
Bachmann Kiko WTE Sierrelta Rose Clevs, Etubo, Gosling Sarr, King, Cucho* *id like Cucho to start but this may well be Sema and starting with tried and tested might be the right call with several new players already Rose > Masina as I think he got injured recently but might be wrong
Based on preseason, I don't think Gosling should be anywhere near starting. I would also start with Cucho over Sema all day long. I love Pedro but I don't think he is a lone striker and will struggle big time in the EPL if given that role. Not sure who should start as the "number 9" though. There are pros and cons for each of the candidates. What we desperately need, as we all know, is for one of them to hit a run of form and make the choice easier!
Team I would like it to be: 4-3-3 Bachmann Kiko Troost Sierralta Rose Chalobah Etebo Louza Sarr King JP Team I think it'll be: 4-4-2 Bachmann Ngakia Troost Sierralta Masina Sarr Etebo Cleverley Sema Deeney Fletcher
It's wishful thinking I'm a big deeney fan but I dont think he's a starter in the PL I really want Sarr King Cucho/Sema front 3 from game 1 as I think it can hurt some of the teams we play in the first 6 or so and if we can get points on the board early it settles everyone's nerves and boosts confidence
I rarely do, but even in the farked up world of Watford surely Deeney isn’t going to be considered fit enough to start?
I think Sema will be 'trusted' at first with Cucho getting 20 from the bench (this might not be the worst idea to start) For me though King has to be the 9
You are probably right but I would "take the risk" with Cucho personally. I think we need a strong start and I suspect his strength and speed will surprise a few teams to start with who will probably focus on Sarr as our main threat. Agree that King, if fully fit, would be my first choice striker atm.
Yep 100% the first 6 games we should be aiming to use the element of surprise a little and build momentum for the season. I want Cucho to start but I think itl be Sema. If you start Sema, and we don't start we'll then decide to give Cucho starts to mix it up and this coincides with our rough looking oct/Nov fixtures then you lessen his possibility of making an impact
Cucho King Sarr, would be my favoured front three home to Villa, which is as good a first home game as possible to stand a chance of getting points on the board!
I think Cucho will start, at least from what Ive seen at WBA and Stevenage , he looked our most consistent threat and works very hard for the team. I think King will be first choice ahead of Deeney but has not played so much in pre season and looked off the pace when he did, so I think Deeney will start. Another grey area will be the 3rd midfield spot. If Louza had excelled in pre season they may have thrown him straight in, but I think Xisco will start conservatively and go with experience for the first game which will mean Gosling. If we sign Yokuslu this week , I think he ll get the nod over Gosling as hes played EPL and 3 seasons in La Liga. The left back spot will be interesting, becuase if Rose is up to speed ( which he should be by then) he is probably the most expereinced player in the squad and who has played at the highest level, so I think they ll go with Rose. So I think Xisco will start with this and blood some of the new players in 2nd half. Bachmann Kiko Sierralta Troost Rose Etebo Youkuslu ( if signed this week) if not Gosling Cleverly Sarr Deeney Cucho
Especially since it is against Villa, the one game we get a tune out of him before he goes off on one saying "people doubted me but I've proved today I'm a PL striker" after scoring a penalty.
A team featuring Cleverley and Gosling in midfield in the Premier League? God ******* help us if so because that is beyond tragic. Going from the Championship to the Premier League with a massive downgrade in the middle of the park. Ideal.
Also in what world is playing Cucho a "risk"? It's a risk playing a talented, exciting yet hard working player over a Championship clogger? Sema is crap. People have a very weird outlook on football. The real risk is playing the same players who have already completely failed at this level as if they're somehow the safe bets in the squad. Bizarre.
I'm hoping for: Foster Kiko - Cathcart - Kabasele - Masina Cleverley - Dele-Bashiru - Gosling - Sema Deeney - Gray Low risk. Should serve us well.
Bachmann Ngakia (as Kiko will come back from his current injury and manage to pick up another one after a gentle breeze knocks him over) Troost-Ekong Sierralta Masina Louza Etebo Cleverley Sarr Deeney Cucho Despite Etebo and Louza begging Troost-Ekong for the ball he'll continuously pump it forward to Troy while he stands there holding hands with Mings and having some banter. The gurning Spaniard won't have a clue what to change except Sema on for Cucho and Gosling on for Louza, allowing us to comfortably see out a 4-0 defeat.
How many people who have put Gosling down to start have thrown up? The guy was barely good enough to start in the Championship for us. An option from the bench against todd like Newcastle and Norwich but I wouldn't want him starting a single game next season.
Loads of our fans call sema GOAT and he himself seems to lap it up. I used to think it was just a big joke, playing on the fact that is useless really, but I think these people do in fact actually think he is a great player. We have the thickest fans in the league and it's not even close. Nice guy (is he? It's not like any of us know him but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt) but crap footballer. So NGBCF, not GOAT.
You can make two sorts of predictions - what you think it will be and what you think it should be. I put Gosling in because I think he will start, but I hope the competition will be strong enough that he isn't first choice going forward. He strikes me as a sort of Ardley kind of player. Not without talent, not unreliable, but unspectacular.
From what I've heard during pre-season Henry Wise should be above Gosling now. Being reliable is great but if you can't move then a Premier League game is just going to pass you by. Etebo, Louza, Cleverley (same boat but slightly more mobile) and Zinckernagel (probably not up to it in the centre of midfield) should be ahead of him with the current options we have.
Don’t disagree but OP was what do you think Xiscos starting XI will be and I think he ll stick with experience in midfield in first game .
He wouldn’t be in my starting XI or even the bench but if we was never good enough for the EPL he wouldn’t have been picked up 184 EPL appearances under 3 different managers
If that is the team, there would be a palpable buzz of excitement around the Vic ahead of kick off and maybe for at least 15 minutes into it.
Of course there was a time the likes of Cleverley were "good enough" for the Premier League, it's just long, long since passed and faded into irrelevancy.
Exactly what it probably should be, except maybe Ngakia for Femenia, which may be enforced anyway. Unfortunately, it'll be absolutely nothing like that team and we'll revert to type with the usual suspects stinking the place up.
