So Pick Your Best 11+7 Thread

[Wimb]

Right,

This seems to pop up across the threads but I'm lazy and like it in 1 neat place

Just thought It would be interesting to see what different nobbers consider our 'best team'

The rules are you can recall any of the short term loans, but not get Harper/Rosie back (as I'd assume we can't) also assume that Armstrong is back in the next month or so. You might also want to think with a slight long term view (hence why I'd go for Mills over O'Dea)
Please also put a preferred formation.


For me.

4-4-2

GK - Fed - Not perfect but learning with every game.

LB - Armstrong -Player of the season, experienced and solid we need to stop the goals before we consider the likes of Berty's attacking skills)
CB - Mills - Again experienced and a threat at set pieces too
CB - Ivar (C) - experience, good captain
RB - Karacan - He played well pre season there by all accounts, has a good engine and can make a tackle, we have lots of good CM so he'll be sacrificed)

LM - Kebe - Love him or hate him the guy can create goals when he's on form. He clearly prefers the left flank so just put him there. With Armstrong behind him he should be more free to venture up the pitch.
CM - Cisse - During our peak times last season he was one of our best players. Had an awesome spell playing with Harper and can put a good tackle in. However this place could very easily go to Tabb or Gunnar. Cisse gets the nod for me though because he'd good defending set pieces and is fitter then Gunnar.
CM - Howard - Tough to pick him over Marek but right now we need players that have proved themselves at this level and don't go missing at key points. Admittedly Howard hasn't been brilliant so far but he does have a good track record at this level.
RM - McAnuff - Like Kebe, when he's on form he's a real threat, the only risk with him and Kebe in the side is that if both go AWOL we're a bit oxf*rd.

ST - Noel Hunt - One of the most commited players we have. He's scored goals at this level last season and up in Scotland and busts a gut every game. He's lost playing up top on his own but when Doyler was on form last year so was Hunty. Hopefully with another striker up with him he can do the business.
ST - Rasiak - Yes he's hardly set the world alight, but the guy knows where the net is and can head the ball. Useful when definding our own goal as well as the opponents the guy could well flourish if played with another fairly experienced player (i.e Hunt)


Bench

GK - Hamer - Solid at Brentford and in the cup, really could push Fed.

CB - O'Dea - A class above what we have now but long term I'd rather keep Mills in there. Great cover on the bench at LB or CB and if we need to go 5-4-1 etc.

LB - Berty - Good going forward and not too shabby at the back. Again if we decided to play a more defensive game he could slot in to provide counter attacking threat.

MC - Gunnar - Can't go wrong with that lad.

MC/L/R - Tabb - Versatile and gives 110%

ST - Church - Can also play out wide and can run about a bit

ST - Long - Always been a a decentish threat off the bench


Just miss out but useful.

Marek,The Sig, Davies, Mooney, Kelly, Anderson, Bignall, maybe Cummings

[The Knitting Circle]

i'd pick any 18 players that do not play for us

[Wimb]

i'd pick any 18 players that do not play for us

Isn't that on page 22 of Brenda's big book of tactics?

[Schards#2]

My priority would be to stabilise at this stage, so nothing fancy.

Federici

Gunnarsson
Mills
Ingimarsson
Armstrong

Mcanuff
Karacan
Howard
Tabb

Hunt
Raziak

Bench

Keeper
Matejovsky
Pearce
Sigudsson
Church
Cisse
Henry

Dustbin

Kebe
Cummings
Bertrand
Long

[W&E Royal]

442

Hahnemann

Murts
Sonks
Ivar
Shorey

Blakey
Sidders
Harps
Bobby

Kits
Doyler

Bench: Stack, Makin, Oster, Hunt, Leroy, Halls, Dobson

[(.)Boobies(.)]

My priority would be to stabilise at this stage, so nothing fancy.

Federici

Gunnarsson DISAGREE - He lacks pace and abiltiy to last 90 minutes against anyone half decent
Mills
Ingimarsson
Armstrong

Mcanuff
Karacan
Howard
Tabb

Hunt
Raziak

Bench

Keeper
Matejovsky
Pearce
Sigudsson
Church
Cisse
Henry DISAGREE - Hal Robson-Kanu (we need width, and he can beat his man - just needs games)

Dustbin

Kebe
Cummings
Bertrand
Long AGREE

[Mad Dog's Ghost]

Sky say Hunt has knee inury and Rodgers expects him to be sidelined for some time. So that's probably him gone for the season.

[brendywendy]

fed
berti
mills
ivar
armstrong
karacan
sigurdson
kebe
mcanuff
nhunt
long

cisse,brynn, tabb, davies,rasiak,marek,hamer

[(.)Boobies(.)]

Sky say Hunt has knee inury and Rodgers expects him to be sidelined for some time. So that's probably him gone for the season.

We're lumbered with Shane Long then, whoopie. He may even get a new contract at this rate.

[cmonurz]

Federici

Gunnarsson
Ingimarsson
Mills
Armstrong

Matejovsky
Karacan
Cisse

McAnuff
Kebe

Hunt

Subs:

Hamer
O'Dea
Henry
Long
Sigurdsson
Rasiak
Church

[Big Foot]

Sky say Hunt has knee inury and Rodgers expects him to be sidelined for some time. So that's probably him gone for the season.

Basically we can't afford his performance bonus then?

[songvip]

-------------------------Federici-------------------------------

Rosenior---------Mills-------Ingimarsson--------Armstrong

--------------------------Karacan------------------------------

Kebe------------------------------------------------------Tabb

-------------------------Sigurdsson---------------------------

--------- --Tommy Smith-----Rickie Lambert-------------


Sub
GK - Hamer
LB - Kelly
RB - Dan Harding
CB - Cisse
Attacking Mid - Marek
Defensive Mid - Gunnarsson
Winger - McAnuff
FW - Liam Dickinson

[(.)Boobies(.)]

-------------------------Federici-------------------------------

Rosenior---------Mills-------Ingimarsson--------Armstrong

--------------------------Karacan------------------------------

Kebe------------------------------------------------------Tabb

-------------------------Sigurdsson---------------------------

--------- --Tommy Smith-----Rickie Lambert-------------


Sub
GK - Hamer
LB - Kelly
RB - Dan Harding
CB - Cisse
Attacking Mid - Marek
Defensive Mid - Gunnarsson
Winger - McAnuff
FW - Liam Dickinson

I think the FA might notice us having 8 subs.

[Charles Dapper]

I'd like to see Bodgers stop playing around and allow a team to play together for a bit.

Feds

Armstrong
Ivar
Mills - we spent so much money on him, why replace him with a loanee
Jem - apparently played very well there in pre-season & deserves to be in the team

Kebe - would prefer him on left, but don't know what is McAnuff best side.
Marek - give him a decent run, if it doesn't work let him go in January stop messing him around
Cisse
McAnuff

Hunt
Church - Although I have to be honest I've not seen what all the fuss is about yet, the championship isn't League 1.

I can't see any of our strikers that fit into a 4-5-1

or is that
4-2-3-1

On bench:

Hammer

Bertrand
O'Dea
Bryn

Tabb
Sigurdsson - would love to play Sig, thing maybe replace Kebe
Howard

Long

[brendywendy]

regarding 2nd half fitness
rodgers is a football coach
he should coach football
the players are supposedly athletes
is it beyond the reach of their tiny minds to ensure their own fitness through regular running/gym sessions without being told to?

[cmonurz]

regarding 2nd half fitness
rodgers is a football coach
he should coach football
the players are supposedly athletes
is it beyond the reach of their tiny minds to ensure their own fitness through regular running/gym sessions without being told to?

Actually yes. I'm an 'athlete' and can manage a game of footy (just) and a few km run, but any sportsman needs to be properly trained to achieve the level of fitness required to compete in professional sport. It's beyond anything that an individual can achieve on their own, imho (as a general rule).

[winchester_royal]

Simple 4-4-2. Wingers with trickery, solid box to box CM's and energetic striker who run the channels. A-la Coppell.

Fed

Armo
Mills
Ingi
Bertrand

McAnuff
Kara
Tabb
HRK

Hunt
Church

Hamer
Sig
Kebe
Long
Marek
Gunnar
Howard

[bassavage]

I'll go for a 4-3-3.

The problem we have a massively unbalanced in terms of numbers for positions. We are completely overloaded in central midfield with players all of similar ability - Cisse, Gunnar, Tabb, Sig, Karacan, Howard, Marek (could add Davies to it as well). If you asked 10 different people the best midfield 3 combination, I bet you'd get 10 different answers. Then on the other edge of the we basically have one right-back at the moment, and he's not exactly setting the world alight.

Also, the strikers Hunt and Rasiak are probably the two at the moment who are ok, but they've only got 3 goals between them. Church has the potential but he's not ready to be a first team regular IMO. Long is just oxf*rd.

With it as it is, I'd probably go for:

Fed

Cummings
Ivar
O'Dea (Mills when he goes back to Celtic)
Armstrong

Gunnar
Tabb
Marek

McAnuff
Kebe

Hunt

Subs:
Hamer
Berti
Cisse
Sig
Howard
Robson-Kanu
Rasiak

[Wimb]

God I'd love Stretch back right now, but is that just a case of a player being magically better when out of a losing side? bit like Ivar

[Hoop Blah]

If I was in charge the side would probably look something like

Sorensen

Rosenoir
Bikey
Cahil
Shorey or Mattock

O'Neil
Harper
Elliott
Taylor

Doyle
Kitson

Hahnemann/Federici
Nugent
Pearce
Davis
Routledge
Matejovsky
A.N Other

We'd also be playing in the Premiership still!!

If I was Rodgers right now, with the poor squad I've been left with/helped assemble I would probably look at something like this to be my strongest team, and the one I'd most like to get on the pitch (without chopping and changing it every game!).

Federici

An experienced loanee right back
Mills
O'Dea
Bertrand

Karacan
Tabb

McAnuff
Matejovsky
Kebe or Robson-Kanu - it makes little difference but I would've got Bouazza in the summer to play there

A big but mobile centre forward on loan - Marcus Bent perhaps? If no one else, Hunt

Any selection of the youngsters and other average squad players, as long as that includes Gunnarsson but not Howard.