Given that it hasn´t been a great pre-season, and that the 1st game against Millwall isn't far away. Compounded by the in this moment lack of transfer activity, further made worse by the lack of a sighting of a pot to piss in. In G(T)od's name can anyone guess our best 11 at the moment? All looking peachy going into the first run of fixtures, I wonder what Tom makes of it all.
Right now? Bachmann; Ngakia, Porteous, Hoedt, Sierralta, Morris; Dele-Bashiru, Kayembe; Chakvetadze, Vata; Baah. But with Hoedt injured - and Ngakia, Sierralta & Chakvetadze in the treatment soon knowing their histories - the backline looks much flimsier and the attack is very uninspiring.
Right now: Bachmann Porteous Sierralta Hoedt Andrews TDB Louza Sema (Larouci) Asprilla Bayo Chakvetadze
Bachmann Porteous - Sierralta - Hoedt Andrews - Sissoko - Louza - Larouci Vata - Chakvetadze Rajovic Subs: Bond, Pollock, Ngakia, Sema, Dele-Bashiru, Kayembé, Ince, Baah, Bayo
Bachmann Porteous - Sierrelta - Ticvic (until Hoedt is back) Andrews - Sissoko - TDB - Sema Apsrilla - Chak - Vata
If all fit, available, happy, staying, part of training, in the country, liked by TC etc then; Bachmann Andrews Pollock Hoedt Porteous Sema Sissoko TDB Asprilla Chak Baah But more realistically for Millwall; Bachmann Andrews Pollock Hoedt Porteous Laurouchi Sissoko TDB Vata Chak New St
TC, then Deeney, then Gosling, then finally Pardew. No idea after that. Ah sorry, I assumed you meant the "First 11" managers.
Whilst I’m aware that this is all we have, some of the XI’s listed here are awful. I really think we’re going to struggle this season.
You've not seen our pre-season games then? He's been a real worry. Absolutely awful. Defending like a traffic cone.
He wasn't, but they most likely left him out because he was refusing to sign a new contract, not because he wasn't good enough. But your little dark age of posts must continue it seems.
Agreed but for a game against Millwall, the #1 priority is usually a couple of huge immobile traffic cones who can head a football.
I took your inference to be that because he wasn't worthy of being on the bench at Celtic that's why we were able to sign him. Apologies if that wasn't what you had intended to mean.
The "can head a football" is the key part of that - you're not going to be winning many key headers if like yesterday you're constantly stood still watching the ball while the opponents are actually running to head it before you.
We are not going to win many games with Bachmann & Porteous in the side. It's mad how long we've had to endure calamitous defending. A small handful of mistakes over the course of the season is expected, but it was near enough happening every game last season and the season before and the season before.
Starting lineup for Millwall will probably be: Bachmann Porteous Sierralta Pollock Andrews TDB Sissoko Morris Ince Bayo Chakvetadze Comfortable 3-0 defeat.
Langstaff, bought for less than 1 million, to score a hat-trick. Agree to that line-up, except I think Baah may start up front and an outside chance that Louza starts over TDB. Of course there’s a chance that Hoedt and/or Asprilla will be rushed back as well. As weak as that starting XI is, the most frightening thing is how weak the bench and rest of the squad is. This next month will be critical, because the current squad is definitely bottom 6 and if Hoedt, Asprilla and Louza leave we’re pretty much nailed on for relegation. The absolute minimum we need is a left wing back, a striker who can actually lead the line, and proper replacements for the trio above should they leave. I’m not sure we’ll get any of that, except perhaps some emergency loans like the left back from Sheff Utd and a youth striker from the Prem with no first team experience. We need the likes of Abbott, Clarridge, Ramirez-Espain, Nabizada and Tobi to develop at record speed the way things are going….
Good side that: loads of international experience, £5m striker, keeper that Man Utd wanted and ex Liverpool, Blackpool, Palace, Hull, Derby, Huddersfield, Stoke, Reading winger.
Almunia Doyley - Cassetti - Ekstrand - Briggs Anya - Abdi - Battocchio - Chalobah Deeney - Vydra A team in their day capable of beating a team with Knockart the capital diver.
I’d say “full strength” with everything we have looks like: Bachmann Ngakia, Porteous, Pollock, Hoedt, Larrouci. Sissoko, Louza. Asprilla, Chakvetadze. Bayo Bench: Bond, Andrews, Sema, Sierralta, TDB, Kayembe, Vata, Baah, Rajovic. The number 9 is super urgent as none of the three options are any good but Baah is just too raw for me. It’s not a terrible bench but I don’t think Asprilla will stay and this team is still badly short a goal scorer.
Interesting formation choice, 5-2-2-1. I get it though, need to be a lot more defensive minded. I would probably play Vata in an attacking role behind Bayo but then you have to sacrifice Asprilla or Chak, who are two of our best players so it's a tough call to make. Baah looks likely to step up this season, and I really hope Clevs can give him some game time.
