Team for Forest (H)

[St. Brynjar]

Same Reading. New year. It's a chance for the current squad to prove why they shouldn't be shipped out/replaced and I bloody well hope 2014 is better than 2013. I think we need three central midfielders playing in either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. Our lack of defensive options could cause us to play 3 at the back which would certainly be interesting but for now I'd like to see something along the lines of:


------------------------------McCarthy----------------------------

Kelly--------------Gunter--------------Pearce-------------Cummings

------------Obita-----------Guthrie--------------Williams---------

------------Blackman--------Pog----------------Drenthe-----------

Subs: Federici, Keown, Akpan, McAnuff, Taylor, McCleary, ALF

I'd be fine if Federici started. Fingers crossed Baird is back!

[RoyalTank]

We need to pack the midfield as for the last few games winning the ball back has been a problem. Although I know it would not be a popular decision, I think it would be right to get Akpan in.

-----------------------Amac----------------------
Cummings-----Pearce------Gunter------Kelly
-----------------------Akpan---------------------
-------------Williams-------Guthrie------------
Gmac---------------------------------------HRK
-------------------------Pog----------------------

Sorry for my opinion in advance

[CountryRoyal]

We need to pack the midfield as for the last few games winning the ball back has been a problem. Although I know it would not be a popular decision, I think it would be right to get Akpan in.

-----------------------Amac----------------------
Cummings-----Pearce------Gunter------Kelly
-----------------------Akpan---------------------
-------------Williams-------Guthrie------------
Gmac---------------------------------------HRK
-------------------------Pog----------------------

Sorry for my opinion in advance

[SCIAG]

I have too many traumatic memories of watching Gunter fail to defend. I would not be comfortable if I saw him playing centre back.

I'm fairly clueless about who is injured/fit/missing, presuming we're without Morrison, Bridge, Baird, Leigertwood, Karacan, Roberts, and the suspended Gorkss, but that's all... right?

-------------------McCarthy------------------
Gunter-------Kelly----Pearce----Cummings
McCleary---Guthrie---Williams----Drenthe
---------------Sharp--Pogrebnyak------------

Subs: Feds, Cooper, Keown, Tshibola, McAnuff, Obita, Le Fondre

Hopefully Baird is fit- if so, drop Cummings to the bench in favour of Keown, shift Kelly to left back, and play Baird at centre back.

I expect, with considerable trepidation:
----------------McCarthy-----------------
-Cummings--Gunter--Pearce-----Kelly-
McCleary--Guthrie---Williams---Obita
------------Pogrebnyak--Sharp----------

Subs: Feds, Akpan, HRK, McAnuff, Drenthe, Blackman, Le Fondre

resulting in Gunter being given the runaround by Halford. Hopefully he proves me wrong!

[SPARTA]

What I expect to see:

-------------------------------- McCarthy --------------------------------

KeLOLOLy --------- Gunter ------------ PeaROFLce ------ Cummings

McCleary ----------- Williams -------- GuthROFLie ------------ Obita

---------------------- Sharp --------------- Pog --------------------------

[SPARTA]

What I'd like to see (why not):

---------------------------------- McCarthy ----------------------------------

------------ Gunter ------------- Pearce --------------- Cummings --------

McCleary ------------ Williams ---------- Guthrie ------------------- Obita

-------------------------------- Pogrebnyak ----------------------------------

--------------------- Le Fondre ----------- Sharp ----------------------------

[CavershamRoyal]

Think we need more in midfield in a vague attempt to create some chances.

------------- McCarthy -----------------

Cummings - Gunter - Pearce - Kelly

----- Guthrie - Obita - Williams -----

McCleary -------------------------- Drenthe/McAnuff (whoever's fit/can play)

-------------- Pogrebnyak ----------------

Subs: Federici, Akpan, HRK, Le Fondre, Taylor, McAnuff/Drenthe/someone else, Keown

[Harrydog]

Alex
Kelly, Gunter, Pearce, Cummings
Carrico,
McCleary, Williams, Guthrie, Drenthe
POG

Roberts, Bridge, Leigertwood, Baird, Gorkss, Karacan, Feds

[marcusopp]

Is Hector fit/ available?
Apparently he did really well for Aberdeen....

[SPARTA]

Hector returns on the 5th.

[Victor Meldrew]

Surely it will be Kelly at centre-back?
Elsewhere under normal circumstances with losing so many games recently changes would be expected but we are going to struggle to cope with poor left-back and centre-back options. However ,with Gunter, McCleary and Sharp looking to perform against their old club, we can hope but with Halford as a makeshift striker also out to show what he can do against HIS old club it's fingers crossed that their old boys do better than our old boy.

When you look at all the options available to Adkins it is clear that this was poor squad building back in the summer with just too many right-backs and wingers and not enough elsewhere.

[LoyalRoyal22]

i would go 4-2-3-1

Defence picks itself

Guthrie
Williams

McCleary
Drenthe
HRK

POG

[LoyalRoyal22]

If Adkins gets the back 4 to pass it out, Kelly, Gunter, Pearce and Cummings.. We are oxf*rd.

Need to mix it up until he gets a 2/3 new players in January. Assuming he has the money to strengthen.

[Westwood52]

Hector returns on the 5th.

FFS who agreed that deal !

[Barry the bird boggler]

Yes a big to Reading for loaning our, at best, 5th choice untried centre back out for 6 months back in July/August when we had Pearce, Morrison, Gorkss and Mariappa all way ahead of him with promises at the time of more transfer activity still to follow.

[Victor Meldrew]

Surely it will be Kelly at centre-back?
Elsewhere under normal circumstances with losing so many games recently changes would be expected but we are going to struggle to cope with poor left-back and centre-back options. However ,with Gunter, McCleary and Sharp looking to perform against their old club, we can hope but with Halford as a makeshift striker also out to show what he can do against HIS old club it's fingers crossed that their old boys do better than our old boy.

When you look at all the options available to Adkins it is clear that this was poor squad building back in the summer with just too many right-backs and wingers and not enough elsewhere.

I forgot Dan Harding and Simon Cox which (if fit and/or selected) means 3 exs from each side so I'll go for a 3-3 result.

[sandman]

Yes a big to Reading for loaning our, at best, 5th choice untried centre back out for 6 months back in July/August when we had Pearce, Morrison, Gorkss and Mariappa all way ahead of him with promises at the time of more transfer activity still to follow.

Mariappa wanted out long before he actually went. Poor planning.

[Royal Ginger]

I recon we'll see a very positive CB performance from Gunter. Gone are the days of big lumbering bruisers.

[RoyalBlue]

Yes a big to Reading for loaning our, at best, 5th choice untried centre back out for 6 months back in July/August when we had Pearce, Morrison, Gorkss and Mariappa all way ahead of him with promises at the time of more transfer activity still to follow.

Only at that time the piece of transfer activity most likely to take place was the transfer out of Mariappa. And so it proved to be. I believe managers tend to say that to be successful you always need 4 specialist centre backs and 4 specialist strikers in your squad?

Also, we knew that Morrison (and Baird + Legs) were crocked long term before the last window closed so maybe knowing Hector couldn't return we should have looked to have loaned in a centre back.

I recon we'll see a very positive CB performance from Gunter. Gone are the days of big lumbering bruisers.

Well Henderson is suspended anyway!

[SCIAG]

Think we need more in midfield in a vague attempt to create some chances.

------------- McCarthy -----------------

Cummings - Gunter - Pearce - Kelly

----- Guthrie - Obita - Williams -----

McCleary -------------------------- Drenthe/McAnuff (whoever's fit/can play)

-------------- Pogrebnyak ----------------

Subs: Federici, Akpan, HRK, Le Fondre, Taylor, McAnuff/Drenthe/someone else, Keown

I'd switch Obita and McAnuff if we want to go with 4-5-1. Obita could play in the hole, but I wouldn't want him in central midfield.

What I'd like to see (why not):

---------------------------------- McCarthy ----------------------------------

------------ Gunter ------------- Pearce --------------- Cummings --------

McCleary ------------ Williams ---------- Guthrie ------------------- Obita

-------------------------------- Pogrebnyak ----------------------------------

--------------------- Le Fondre ----------- Sharp ----------------------------

Why not?

1) Only one centre back against a team who play 4-4-2.
2) Not playing our best fit full back who is also the best defensively of our full backs.
3) Three strikers, all of whom are primarily goalscorers.

We've seen some crazy suggestions in these threads down the years (Bikey on the wing, Duberry up front, Matejovsky at right back, Akpan to be selected) but I think this is comfortably the worst.