CURRENT first eleven

[Bergen Blade]

Thought it would be worth having a look at who'd make our first eleven now before any new signings have come in, and how it will change through the summer.

Let's exclude long term absentees, but assume the rest of the squad is available, i.e. no Brayford or Baxter, but Wallace should be ok, unless we're told otherwise in pre season.



At the moment, I'll be assuming he'll play 4-2-3-1 as it seems to have been his most used formation, but we may learn more as we start playing friendlies.

Howard
Freeman Basham McEveley Harris
Reed Wallace
Adams - - - Scougall - - - Murphy
Done
​

Comments on the above team:

• Lack of height
• Centre half problem not fixed
• Few players able to play in the role behind the main striker
• Question marks regarding the defensive qualities of the central midfield duo
• Playmaking from Reed and Wallace could be good, but would they be too similar?

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Thought it would be worth having a look at who'd make our first eleven now before any new signings have come in, and how it will change through the summer.

Let's exclude long term absentees, but assume the rest of the squad is available, i.e. no Brayford or Baxter, but Wallace should be ok, unless we're told otherwise in pre season.



At the moment, I'll be assuming he'll play 4-2-3-1 as it seems to have been his most used formation, but we may learn more as we start playing friendlies.

Howard
Freeman Basham McEveley Harris
Reed Wallace
Adams - - - Scougall - - - Murphy
Done
​

Comments on the above team:

• Lack of height
• Centre half problem not fixed
• Few players able to play in the role behind the main striker
• Question marks regarding the defensive qualities of the central midfield duo
• Playmaking from Reed and Wallace could be good, but would they be too similar?

Berg , the same thoughts Nigel Adkins will have , every time he wakes up in the morning . He knows the problem , and will come up with the solution , and were there is a solution , theres a opportunity for players already on the books , and potential signings to fill the gaps.

UTB

 

[Wards]

Needs two centre halves obviously but I'd be moving Bash for Reed in the middle. Got some good height/presence then, Bash/Wallace plus your two new defenders.

Sure Reedy can do a job from the bench for now.

There's also Flynn not in there who was by and large a very consistent player for us again last year.

 

[Worksop II]

Wallace should be ok

pfffft

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Thought it would be worth having a look at who'd make our first eleven now before any new signings have come in, and how it will change through the summer.

Let's exclude long term absentees, but assume the rest of the squad is available, i.e. no Brayford or Baxter, but Wallace should be ok, unless we're told otherwise in pre season.



At the moment, I'll be assuming he'll play 4-2-3-1 as it seems to have been his most used formation, but we may learn more as we start playing friendlies.

Howard
Freeman Basham McEveley Harris
Reed Wallace
Adams - - - Scougall - - - Murphy
Done
​

Comments on the above team:

• Lack of height
• Centre half problem not fixed
• Few players able to play in the role behind the main striker
• Question marks regarding the defensive qualities of the central midfield duo
• Playmaking from Reed and Wallace could be good, but would they be too similar?

Can't name 11 as we have no centre halves.

I'd love Kennedy to be one but his knee/s say different.

Sign two centre halves and then we can discuss it.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

CURRENT first eleven

First thing Adkins has to work on is RAISIN the tempo.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Needs two centre halves obviously but I'd be moving Bash for Reed in the middle. Got some good height/presence then, Bash/Wallace plus your two new defenders.

Sure Reedy can do a job from the bench for now.

There's also Flynn not in there who was by and large a very consistent player for us again last year.

And play Collins then (gaps not allowed on this thread! )? Hard to predict what will happen with Kennedy.

I think Adkins will expect the wide men to be goal threats, so Flynn will have to improve on that to become first choice. His goal contributions from his seasons with us are 3, 3, 7 and 3. I think Done will also be playing in a wide role at times if the 4-2-3-1 system is chosen.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

If we're including players finding fitness and doing the business, there will be a place for Coutts.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Coutts, Basham and Wallace should be the midfield 3 in my opinion if we are assuming full fitness. I just don't think you need two deep lying players in league one, certainly against the majority of teams.
Before I'm asked Reed and DiMaio would be ready to come off the bench.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Can't name 11 as we have no centre halves.

I'd love Kennedy to be one but his knee/s say different.

Sign two centre halves and then we can discuss it.

I'd refuse to discuss any team based on what we had last year and still have this year.
2 CH's are the start of solving the problem as you have written above.

Give us a strong base and we have the start of the building blocks.

Having been a supporter of Clough all season, I felt let down and deflated by his intransigence and simply want to forget about the "league" performances and their relevant teams. The mere thought of such (continued) uninspiring performances from some of those players fills me with dread. It is nothing personal against any players - we need to forget the past and move forward.

Here's to a NEW start under Adkins.

UTB

 

[Woodwardfan]

All "summmertime and academic debate" but I do think Flynn should be a serious candidate for right back until Brayford returns. My personal view of Freeman is that he would be a good wing back but not good enough defensively at full back. Yes, I think Flynn defends better than Freeman at full back.

A fit Wallace might give us licence to play 4-4-2. What are the chances of him playing week in week out though?

Next season will be a "development year" for Adams and Reed who will need careful handling.

Done could become the new "Ched" with loads and loads of goals. Sign Henderson from Rochdale and they both would !

 

[blader]

All "summmertime and academic debate" but I do think Flynn should be a serious candidate for right back until Brayford returns. My personal view of Freeman is that he would be a good wing back but not good enough defensively at full back. Yes, I think Flynn defends better than Freeman at full back.

A fit Wallace might give us licence to play 4-4-2. What are the chances of him playing week in week out though?

Next season will be a "development year" for Adams and Reed who will need careful handling.

Done could become the new "Ched" with loads and loads of goals. Sign Henderson from Rochdale and they both would !

I thought Freeman was our best player in the last 5/6 games. Looks a real talent with age on his side. I believe every position is replaceable with the possible exception of full back.

Also, please don't obsess over 4-4-2, it's a dead formation for good sides who play passing football now.

 

[Trafford]

Thought it would be worth having a look at who'd make our first eleven now before any new signings have come in, and how it will change through the summer.

Let's exclude long term absentees, but assume the rest of the squad is available, i.e. no Brayford or Baxter, but Wallace should be ok, unless we're told otherwise in pre season.

A more interesting exercise might be to plot out how what the team would look like if we only include players who genuinely warrant a first team place in their own right and play the best player in each position, eg don't put Basham as centre half, don't put a left back in if they aren't good enough or put a spare left back in midfield if the left back slot is already taken. That would show the extent of the challenge that Adkins faces over the summer.

 

[Bergen Blade]

A more interesting exercise might be to plot out how what the team would look like if we only include players who genuinely warrant a first team place in their own right and play the best player in each position, eg don't put Basham as centre half, don't put a left back in if they aren't good enough or put a spare left back in midfield if the left back slot is already taken. That would show the extent of the challenge that Adkins faces over the summer.

Well I like the thread as it is!

When we eventually make a new signing, I look forward to hopefully change it. If it's a centre half, we can discuss if we should move McEveley out of the team or Basham into midfield. If Basham is available to play midfield we can discuss who should step out of the team and how those two changes will affect the team's overall balance. Maybe a particular signing will make it more tempting to change the system, even.

The point isn't to predict the first eleven in August. There would be lots of random "_NEW CH_" etc with us having no idea who it would be and how that player would affect our balance. This thread is about having a real look at what've got currently and see how the preferred XI can change and evolve and improve during the summer, as signings are made and players leave or get injured.

 

[sitwell]

First thing Adkins has to work on is RAISIN the tempo.

And prune the squad a bit more.

 

[Woodwardfan]

I thought Freeman was our best player in the last 5/6 games. Looks a real talent with age on his side. I believe every position is replaceable with the possible exception of full back.

Also, please don't obsess over 4-4-2, it's a dead formation for good sides who play passing football now.

I love this idea that some formations are "dead" because they are not, indeed sometimes a good manager will change his formation after 20 minutes or so and then again in the second half. I love the easy phrase "passing football" and the implication teams who play 4-4-2 don't pass the ball through midfield.

Anyway, just a point, I personally "obsess" about 3-5-2 but it's even more "dead" than 4-4-2 amongst those who tell the coaches how to play.

Whatever the system, let's have some width, let's have at least 1 plus 1 up front and also get men in their box to pick up the scraps. Let's also not have a midfield so congested that our players are bumping into each other and can't see through all the bodies to think of longer balls that may be on. Let's get behind the defenders rather than passing across the front of them all day.

Freeman? Good with the ball, poor defender, but as you say he is young.

 

[BushBlade]

So 235 isn't a dead formation?

I thought it was now commonly accepted that if you play two in CM against 3 in CM then you can't pass the ball through mid, you have to play longer and more direct.

There's been a thousand discussions on this over the last two years due to Pellegrini trying to play 442 in the champions league.

There are basically two situations where 442 works; against sides whose players aren't as good and are easily stretched or in the lower leagues where upanatem gerritintbox can be effective.

352 isn't dead. Both Man U and Liverpool played it last season.

 

[Ben_1982]

As it stands

 

[blader]

As it stands

What a dreadful team!

 

[Bergen Blade]

As it stands

What a dreadful team!

I think that's an interesting team - quite a bit of pace, but also more height and strength than the one I suggested. Diego would have to show his potential for it to work. We should have realistic hopes of replacing the centre halves and main striker with better quality as well. I think a strong, mobile target man would be a key signing for us.

 

[blader]

I think that's an interesting team - quite a bit of pace, but also more height and strength than the one I suggested. Diego would have to show his potential for it to work. We should have realistic hopes of replacing the centre halves and main striker with better quality as well. I think a strong, mobile target man would be a key signing for us.

Wow. That's a wonderfully optimistic view on that team!

Clearly, that's an even worse side than we put out last season, and we were garbage then! That team would be flirting with relegation, and you'd be deluded to think otherwise.

 

[BushBlade]

Howard
Freeman McGahey/Kennedy Collins Harris
Coutts/Wallace Basham
Flynn Scougall (would have been Baxter) Murphy
Done
at home or against weaker sides, depending on what kind of defenders they have and how they line up

For some games I'd play Done behind Higdon.

Would have Adams, McNulty and possibly Di Girolamo as impact subs depending on their form and what was needed tactically.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

As it stands

Nice team for preseason friendlies and testimonials but not for Winning league 1 matches. You see that team . and it does hit you , how disjointed and unbalanced we actually are.

UTB

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

My preference with current personnel:-

Howard
Freeman Kennedy Collins Harris
Basham Reed
Murphy Adams Done
Higdon
​

Tells me we need at least another centre half and a centre forward. If we want to seriously challenge for automatic I would add a full back to that. Possibly an extra midfield player for cover/competition.

On the subject of James Wallace, I liked what little I've seen of him but is he ever going to be fit enough for a prolonged run in the team? I stopped asking folk on here how far off he was as he seems to be out indefinitely. Sometimes I forget he plays for us.

 

[Barney]

I would go with the following:

Howard
Freeman Kennedy Collins Harris
Basham Coutts
Adams J.Wallace Murphy
Done

Coutts might just improve after initially being convinced he was beyond repair and after thinking back to some performances, he maybe has the potential to be a good player. I think if J.Wallace is fit he could be a real threat to opposition defences and would love to see him in a trio with Adams and Murphy on the flanks. Done, with his commendable goal scoring abilities obviously gets his place.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Wow. That's a wonderfully optimistic view on that team!

Clearly, that's an even worse side than we put out last season, and we were garbage then! That team would be flirting with relegation, and you'd be deluded to think otherwise.

From what I wrote, what do you disagree with?

 

[Barney]

Wow. That's a wonderfully optimistic view on that team!

Clearly, that's an even worse side than we put out last season, and we were garbage then! That team would be flirting with relegation, and you'd be deluded to think otherwise.

I have to agree with that. Scougall and Reed are nowhere near the standard to be in the first team, both incredibly weak, lack any conviction in their actions on the pitch and both lack any sort of height. Basham is best utilised in midfield and McEveley is an absolute liability in the heart of the defence.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

As it stands

If Higdon and Collins make the starting 11 then the season is over before it starts.

 

[Barney]

If Higdon and Collins make the starting 11 then the season is over before it starts.

Higdon, yeah of course. He should of have been binned months ago, horribly slow and awfully un-agile. With Collins, the last time he was a consistent name on the team sheet was in a season where we had one of the best defences in the league, so I suppose that speaks for itself. Collins' performances in that season were light years ahead of any defensive player we have seen since Maguire departed that's for sure.

 

[Nedski]

As it stands

As it stands, I would like to see this team play. It's worth a shot pre-season if there's no movement in or out, and would be interesting to see the attack with Basham and Wallace supporting.

Ideally we'd have Brayford at right back, a new CB to replace Collins possibly a new LB, but we currently have no other options. There's no point in putting Basham as a temp CB if he won't be staying there.