next seasons eleven

[SuitsBlue]

Howard is signed up full time, so thats out of the way. great.

Valente is signed up for another season, thats sorted LB. great.

defensive unit of

.............Howard
hibbert yobo lescott valente

is the best Defensive 5 we have.

i reckon we will persist with the midfield 5 that allows cahill to push up, my midfield for next season would be

........neville.........fernandes
arteta..........cahill...........G.pedersen

So the full signing of fernandes from benfica and pedersen from blackburn would transform us. Osman simply isnt up to plugging the gap on the left side, vdm has been ejected from the last chance saloon, we need that left side spot filled, because as it is now, we arent balanced.

opposition know the dangerman is arteta, and try to deny him space or kick him out of the game, left footer pedersen would help share the burden of creative responsibility. I cant think of another left sided player we have a reasonable chance of signing.

to finish, johnno up front in the single attacker role.

jobs a good un.

 

[Cal]

I can see Mikel or Tim, one of the two leaving in the summer :sad:

Cant see us signing up Manuel either

Need a new striker but i dont think we will sign Nuge either ¬¬

 

[BenRigbyEFC]

yeah if we don't make europe then i rekon Arteta may be off. Would like to see a real pacy winger aswell

 

[blarg]

Need quality bodies in back up. That's the problem, we have a good first 11 but all our back up players are not really prem standard.

I wouldn't mind selling Cahill and Arteta in a way and buying midfielders who can play in a 442. I don't like 451, it is too negative. 442 is better.

 

[Tennessee Blue Mike]

Blarq what are you saying. Who could replace our #2 & #3 goal scorers. Cahill is a major presence in the air and Arteta would be sorely missed on set pieces alone. I just couldn't agree with you on that. I'm a 4-4-2 guy also but don't get rid of our most potent players.

I understand last games saddness but lets not throw the baby out with the bath water. It will turn around. Couple more shrewd acquisitions this summer and we will be fine.

 

[Royal Blue Jersey]

Whats wrong with 4-5-1 if it works, Blarg? Cahill and Arteta are brilliant players and the fulcrum of our side. Getting rid of them is folly.
We play the system to suit the players, not the other way round.

 

[Great Dane]

I can't believe we are one of the only teams in the PL that needs 5 midfielders in order to boss the midfield. I would try - like others have said - to bring balance to the team, which means either playing with regular wingers or without.

Considering that we don't have any wingers at the club I would choose to have a strong midfield with players capable of a fast passing game and being able to put a foot in.

With that in mind Osman will be a benchplayer at best, and Hibbert as well I'm affraid.

Offload Beattie and McFadden and get Fernandes signed up permantly. In midfield a move for Kevin Nolan would be welcommed. Up front I would invest in Jeremie Aliadiere of Arsenal and Mohammed Zidan of FC Mainz in Germany. Both are young and able to take on players. In the case of Zidan he is faster than AJ and has the skill of Arteta. Either player would fit in perfectly with AJ.

Team:

----------Howard---------------

Neville - Yobo - Lescott - Valente

---------Fernandes-------------

----Nolan - Cahill - Arteta-------

--------Zidan - Johnson---------


Bench: Turner, Hibbert, Aliadiere, Vaughan, Anichebe

I know this would require some investment from the board - which I don't is realistic, but hey we are allowed to dream. With this team everyone is comfortable on the ball, central defense and attack is loaded with pace and in midfield everyone likes to push forward.

 

[Cal]

Need quality bodies in back up. That's the problem, we have a good first 11 but all our back up players are not really prem standard.

I wouldn't mind selling Cahill and Arteta in a way and buying midfielders who can play in a 442. I don't like 451, it is too negative. 442 is better.

If we want to do well in the premiership, then we cant sell our best players.

 

[Rob]

We don't play 5 in midfield to boss the midfield we play 5 in midfield because we have cahill in the midfield, he is a luxury and yes he scores goals but the price of that is that we have to play an extra man to cover.

 

[monty]

It is plainly wrong to say we should set up in one way or the other, versatility has to be the byword. No club, Barcelona and Real Madrid included set up in the same fashion all the time. Those who hate 4 5 1 have short memories of last September when we scored three against the [Poor language removed] using that same system:shock: :huh: :biggrin:

 

[Neiler]

It is plainly wrong to say we should set up in one way or the other, versatility has to be the byword. No club, Barcelona and Real Madrid included set up in the same fashion all the time. Those who hate 4 5 1 have short memories of last September when we scored three against the [Poor language removed] using that same system:shock: :huh: :biggrin:

I think that is a great point monty. it is true to say we have made 4-5-1 a very successfull formation for us however i dont thiink the formation is as defensive as many would suggest. For me the holders of the 5-1 positions have improved dramitcly in quality from the team that finished 4th a couple of seasons ago and have certainly won games this season based on this (the [Poor language removed] and spurs away games spring to mind). However it is double edged sword in the sense that though arteta, fernandes, carsley, cahill, osman, johnson are undoubhtedly of better quality than gravson, carsley, cahill, osman, kilbane and bent. They are more inexoperienced and younger and as such the consistent levels gained in the champions leauge season can not be expected (at this point) from our young side! Paitence i beleive should be the watchword.

To get back to your point about versatility i beleive real progress for us would be the signing of two wingers in the summer who could start in a 4-4-2 or come of the bench and de-compact the midfeild to give us width when 4-5-1 just isnt happening, or vary the system to play 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 during games. The addition of wingers i think would not only give us options in terms of the strating line up but the versatility of options to change our approach during a game when its just not happpening for us. Similar to Chelsea who often add width by brining on wright phillips or robben during a game.

I know i wont be popular in saying this but i beleive they could also bring the best out of Beattie whiping crosses in. I beleive the lad is bereffed of all confidence and genuinly beleive that our tactics at times havent done him any favours. Though i accept that he has big questions to answer before the season ends to secure his future at the club.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Midfield is the main area of concern for me. If we get Fernandes permanently and Da Silva is worth keeping then we're ok in the middle, but you can only assume that VDM is on his way out and I don't like Osman on the wing. Hopefully Vidarsson will come through to provide a bit of competition on the flanks but a decent winger would be great.

I think Moyes will also look to bring in an extra centre back having let Weir and Hughes go. So a winger and a centre back are the only additions I can see, along with Howard and Fernandes (and Da Silva maybe) being signed permanently.

 

[monty]

I would like to see the squad enhanced further than that Bruce, it can be so disconcerting to see us picking from bare bones once some injuries and suspensions come along.:shock:

having said that DM's track record on players from our lower leagues is good, here's hoping he can pick out two of three decent bargains

Nice to see your composed style around the place, brings back happy memories of the better times at TW

 

[Bruce Wayne]

lol, thanks. Yes, it would be nice to see a few more additions to the squad, I'm just thinking realistically. Howard is in, hopefully Fernandes too. Those two command big fees + wages. Add in da Silva too perhaps and that's three additions. I can't see too many more players being added. Moyes tried to buy a centre back in the winter so I would think he'll look there again in the summer.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Howard is signed up full time, so thats out of the way. great.

Valente is signed up for another season, thats sorted LB. great.

defensive unit of

.............Howard
hibbert yobo lescott valente

is the best Defensive 5 we have.

i reckon we will persist with the midfield 5 that allows cahill to push up, my midfield for next season would be

........neville.........fernandes
arteta..........cahill...........G.pedersen

So the full signing of fernandes from benfica and pedersen from blackburn would transform us. Osman simply isnt up to plugging the gap on the left side, vdm has been ejected from the last chance saloon, we need that left side spot filled, because as it is now, we arent balanced.

opposition know the dangerman is arteta, and try to deny him space or kick him out of the game, left footer pedersen would help share the burden of creative responsibility. I cant think of another left sided player we have a reasonable chance of signing.

to finish, johnno up front in the single attacker role.

jobs a good un.

Couldn't agree more with that lineup, think Perderson is out of our range though.