Starting XI

[PistolPete]

Now we know Gomes a bit better, the style and the setup, what would be your starting XI, who would be on your bench, and were would you buy/sell? I think we can all agree the Rinomhota experiment at RB won’t happen again.

I’d go with...

££
Yiadom Moore Blackett ££
6 Rinomhota 8 Bacuna
Barrow 10 Swift Ejaria
££

Jaakola
Osho/McIntyre
Gunter
Ezetolahi
Baker
Aluko
Meite

Harsh on Bodvarsson not to make the bench, but as a sub, I think Meite offers more and can play wide if needed. Harsh on a Richards, who is developing nicely, but Gunter offers greater versatility. I love Kelly and Illori, but both have sale-value and maybe now’s the time. I’d keep Harriott and McLeary as a match day alternative on the flanks.

Meyler, Mannone, Walker, McNulty, O’Shea can all go.

I’ve felt for 2 years now that the position we desperately need is left back - I have NO IDEA why it’s not been addressed!

[SCIAG]

First team/second team

New GK/Jaakola (ideally Southwood but eh)
Gunter/Bacuna
Moore, Blackett/McIntyre, Osho
Yiadom/Richards
Ezatolahi/Kelly
Rinomhota/Baker
Swift/Aluko
No clue about the wide players - Barrow and McCleary are "best" but inconsistent, haven't seen enough of Ejaria or Harriott, would probably prefer Baldock on the left tbh
Bodvarsson/Meite

No obvious place for Walker, Mannone, O'Shea, Ilori, McShane, Popa (is he still here?), Meyler, or McNulty. Think some of them have things to offer, just not for us.

GK is #1 priority, followed by a full back, ideally left footed but it doesn't make much difference.

The issue has never been our squad on paper though, it's been the team on the pitch.

[NewCorkSeth]

Feel like we have this conversation a lot but I love it so here I go.
4-2-3-1(Narrow)
-----------------Jaakkola
Yiadom--Moore--Ilori--Blackett
------Rinomhota---Bacuna
---------Aluko--Swift--Barrow
---------------Bodvarson

If all were fit I think the following would suit our players best though.
4-3-2-1(Christmas tree)
-----------------Jaakkola
Yiadom--Moore---Ilori--Obita
Rinomhota--Bacuna--Ezatolahi
--------------Swift---Aluko
------------------Meite


It's fairly clear that LB and GK are weak currently and that our strikers have been struggling but fitness has been an issue up front and in an alternate universe a fully fit Meite and Bodvarson would have been enough to create a first team headache.

The true problem in the squad (as has been for several seasons) is the balance. We find ourselves with poor or severely out of form wide options. McCleary, Barrow and Harriott are not enough and the drop off from the first 2 has left us short of attacking options.

For a while I quite liked the idea of a 4-3-3 like this:
----------------Jaakkola
Yiadom--Moore---Ilori--Obita
Rinomhota--Bacuna--Ezatolahi
Bodvarson---Meite---Baldock

But I've given up believing anyone will be fit long enough for it to work, Baldock seems to have been shunted out and Swift is coming back into form in his natural position.

[URZZZZ]

I think Popa went out on loan somewhere a while ago

I'd go with :

New GK (Jaakkola is dreadful but the best of a bad bunch)

Yiadom
Moore
Blackett
New LB

Rinomhota
Swift

Barrow
Aluko
Ejaria

Bodvarsson

Jaakkola, New CB, Gunter, Kelly, Bacuna, Harriott, Oliveira

Look to sell McCleary who's finished, possibly Gunter too and of course the liability Tiago. Then there's the others like Mannone, Meyler, McNulty on the transfer list already. I'd also look to loan Loader, a loan to a league 1/2 team would be so much better than putting him back into reserve games IMO

Not a fan of Barrow but looks to have improved recently, possibly put Bacuna in for him and shift Aluko further wide but that doesn't suit Aluko well at all. Or give Harriott another start if he ever stops getting injured

[Denver Royal]

I think Popa went out on loan somewhere a while ago
I'd go with :
New GK (Jaakkola is dreadful but the best of a bad bunch)
Yiadom
Moore
Blackett
New LB

Rinomhota
Swift

Barrow
Aluko
Ejaria

Bodvarsson

Jaakkola, New CB, Gunter, Kelly, Bacuna, Harriott, Oliveira

Look to sell McCleary who's finished, possibly Gunter too and of course the liability Tiago. Then there's the others like Mannone, Meyler, McNulty on the transfer list already. I'd also look to loan Loader, a loan to a league 1/2 team would be so much better than putting him back into reserve games IMO
Not a fan of Barrow but looks to have improved recently, possibly put Bacuna in for him and shift Aluko further wide but that doesn't suit Aluko well at all. Or give Harriott another start if he ever stops getting injured

No spot for Baker anywhere?

[URZZZZ]

I think Popa went out on loan somewhere a while ago
I'd go with :
New GK (Jaakkola is dreadful but the best of a bad bunch)
Yiadom
Moore
Blackett
New LB

Rinomhota
Swift

Barrow
Aluko
Ejaria

Bodvarsson

Jaakkola, New CB, Gunter, Kelly, Bacuna, Harriott, Oliveira

Look to sell McCleary who's finished, possibly Gunter too and of course the liability Tiago. Then there's the others like Mannone, Meyler, McNulty on the transfer list already. I'd also look to loan Loader, a loan to a league 1/2 team would be so much better than putting him back into reserve games IMO
Not a fan of Barrow but looks to have improved recently, possibly put Bacuna in for him and shift Aluko further wide but that doesn't suit Aluko well at all. Or give Harriott another start if he ever stops getting injured

No spot for Baker anywhere?

I really think Kelly will suit this style and Bacuna has had a good season so far, difficult to leave him out the 11. However, it doesn't look like Gomes rates Kelly too much, so more likely he'll be there instead of Kelly. Don't think Baker was the right signing for us but time will tell

[Denver Royal]

I think Popa went out on loan somewhere a while ago
I'd go with :
New GK (Jaakkola is dreadful but the best of a bad bunch)
Yiadom
Moore
Blackett
New LB

Rinomhota
Swift

Barrow
Aluko
Ejaria

Bodvarsson

Jaakkola, New CB, Gunter, Kelly, Bacuna, Harriott, Oliveira

Look to sell McCleary who's finished, possibly Gunter too and of course the liability Tiago. Then there's the others like Mannone, Meyler, McNulty on the transfer list already. I'd also look to loan Loader, a loan to a league 1/2 team would be so much better than putting him back into reserve games IMO
Not a fan of Barrow but looks to have improved recently, possibly put Bacuna in for him and shift Aluko further wide but that doesn't suit Aluko well at all. Or give Harriott another start if he ever stops getting injured

No spot for Baker anywhere?

I really think Kelly will suit this style and Bacuna has had a good season so far, difficult to leave him out the 11. However, it doesn't look like Gomes rates Kelly too much, so more likely he'll be there instead of Kelly. Don't think Baker was the right signing for us but time will tell

Yep, early doors, but you may be right. Although, Howe did say Baker had been on their radar for some years. I'd imagine Gomes will continue to utilize him and would be surprised if he doesn't.

[Hound]

Dunno, its very tough to pick at the moment. Lots of good cameos, from midfielders, but still not getting the results. Only Swift and Rino seem to be consistently playing well.

I've somehow managed to only watch one game under Gomes and that was Swansea, so not in a great position to judge, but:

New GK (otherwise Jaakola)
Yiadom Moore Ilori Blackett
Rinomhota Bacuna
Ejaria Swift Barrow
Bod

Seems as good a line up as we have at the moment. Baker could come in for Bacuna, Gunter for Blackett and Meite for Bod without affecting things too much.

[PistolPete]

We’ve come to a collective realisation on this portal that despite all the attributes, Blackett is not a left back... haven’t we?

Also, we know Swift is not a box-to-box midfielder; surely by now we know he’s best playing as a number 10.

Which brings us to Aluko. At Fulham he played narrow out wide, if that makes sense. At Reading he’s only ever looked decent in the middle for Gomes. So... it’s Swift or Aluko, or persisting Fulham style with him out wide...

[Hound]

We’ve come to a collective realisation on this portal that despite all the attributes, Blackett is not a left back... haven’t we?
.

he's not, but he can do a better job there than Yiadom, Gunter or Richards there imo. Not much in it though

[jar95]

New GK

Yiadom
Moore
Ilori / new CB
New Lb

Rinomhota
Bacuna
Swift

Barrow
New Striker
Harriott (if fit)

Subs - Jakkola, Gunter, O'shea, Baker, Ejaria, Aluko, JDB

[Snowflake Royal]

As XI going into next year assuming Gomes in charge in the Champ I'd want:

......................New GK
..Yiadom, Ilori, New CB, New LB
............Rinomhota, Ezatolahi
...........Ejaria, New AM, New LW
......................New ST

Bench: Walker, Blackett, Gunter, Kelly, Bodvarsson, Meite, Harriott/McCleary

Sell: Moore, Swift, Barrow, Bacuna, Aluko, which should bring a tidy wedge in if we can achieve whilst shifting a metric shittonne off the wages.

I appreciate this will be somewhat contravertial.

[Zip]

As XI going into next year assuming Gomes in charge in the Champ I'd want:

......................New GK
..Yiadom, Ilori, New CB, New LB
............Rinomhota, Ezatolahi
...........Ejaria, New AM, New LW
......................New ST

Bench: Walker, Blackett, Gunter, Kelly, Bodvarsson, Meite, Harriott/McCleary

Sell: Moore, Swift, Barrow, Bacuna, Aluko, which should bring a tidy wedge in if we can achieve whilst shifting a metric shittonne off the wages.

I appreciate this will be somewhat contravertial.

Blimey

[Snowflake Royal]

As XI going into next year assuming Gomes in charge in the Champ I'd want:

......................New GK
..Yiadom, Ilori, New CB, New LB
............Rinomhota, Ezatolahi
...........Ejaria, New AM, New LW
......................New ST

Bench: Walker, Blackett, Gunter, Kelly, Bodvarsson, Meite, Harriott/McCleary

Sell: Moore, Swift, Barrow, Bacuna, Aluko, which should bring a tidy wedge in if we can achieve whilst shifting a metric shittonne off the wages.

I appreciate this will be somewhat contravertial.

Blimey

I thought this was maybe a bit impractical:

New GK
New RB, New CB, New CB, New LB
Rinomhota, New CM
New RW, New AM, New LW
New ST

[Zip]

As XI going into next year assuming Gomes in charge in the Champ I'd want:

......................New GK
..Yiadom, Ilori, New CB, New LB
............Rinomhota, Ezatolahi
...........Ejaria, New AM, New LW
......................New ST

Bench: Walker, Blackett, Gunter, Kelly, Bodvarsson, Meite, Harriott/McCleary

Sell: Moore, Swift, Barrow, Bacuna, Aluko, which should bring a tidy wedge in if we can achieve whilst shifting a metric shittonne off the wages.

I appreciate this will be somewhat contravertial.

Blimey

I thought this was maybe a bit impractical:

New GK
New RB, New CB, New CB, New LB
Rinomhota, New CM
New RW, New AM, New LW
New ST

I thought you would have had Rinomhota at full back

[Snowflake Royal]

Blimey

I thought this was maybe a bit impractical:

New GK
New RB, New CB, New CB, New LB
Rinomhota, New CM
New RW, New AM, New LW
New ST

I thought you would have had Rinomhota at full back

#smarterthangomes

[Lower West]

Best x11 needs to be permed from the players we already have.

Need to stick with Richards at LB. At least provides attacking threat.

Blackett in for Illori.

Meite for Bod. We need a plan B when we need to play long.

Need to be better defensively. I'd switch Harriott for Barrow. Harriott being the better finisher. Also would give a better balance to the team.

No wingers as such but both full backs can get forward.