Tactics Everyone is fit, what's your starting XI and bench?

[spids]

We have a very good squad now. Yes some further work to do, but if everyone was fit and in decent form what would your starting XI plus bench be for a PL game? Interested to see who people choose to sit in the stands. I think the only positions of contention in the starting XI will be Bentancur vs Bissouma at #6. Much more interesting is the bench:

• Forster vs Austin (GK)
• Davies vs Dragusin vs Gray (CB)
• Davies vs Spence vs Gray (LB and RB).
• Bissouma vs Gray (DCM)
• Bergvall vs Sarr (CM)
• Richarlison vs Odobert vs Moore vs Werner (WFs).
• Richarlison vs Lankshear (ST)

Quite hard to pick just 9 players. For me I'm leaving Forster, Davies, Gray, Werner and Lankshear in the stands for PL games.

Vicario

Porro -- Romero -- VdV --- Udogie

Bentancur

Kulusevski ----- Maddison

Johnson ------- Solanke ---------- Son

Subs (9): Austin, Spence, Dragusin, Bissouma, Sarr, Bergvall, Moore, Odobert, Richarlison

In the stands: Forster, Gray, Davies, Werner, Lankshear
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I cannot believe I'm putting Gray in the stands as he covers so many positions and think he will be our starting DCM in 18 months, but think Spence is better offensively and has better recovery pace, whilst Bissouma is a better DCM at present. Almost glad we have some injuries, and that we have so many games this season!

(Also shows we can cancel Werner's loan in Jan, especially as Yang is also joining us then).

 

[Yiddy]

Agree with all of that apart from Gray and Bergvall. Up to this point gray has shown a lot more and deserves to be on the bench over Bergvall at this point.

 

[spids]

Agree with all of that apart from Gray and Bergvall. Up to this point gray has shown a lot more and deserves to be on the bench over Bergvall at this point.

Click to shrink...

I do agree which was why it was so hard to leave Gray out. But it is about cover for positions on the pitch. Bergvall (and Sarr) offer cover for the two hybrid #8/#10 roles. Gray offers cover for RB, CB, LB and DCM. I had thought that flexibility would make Gray a shoe-in for the bench. But Spence, Dragusin and Bissouma are all better options for those individual positions right now. IN another 10 mins I'll think Gray can replace Spence on the bench as he can also cover CB and CM.

 

[sudoku]

Gray is an automatic pick for the squad.

 

[Crockett]

Pretty much picks itself. Bentancur or Bissouma is the only question.

 

[spids]

Interested to see what benches people would pick. Try actually naming 9 players on the bench than say team picks itself or Gray is an automatic pick.

 

[Crockett]

Bench: Austin, Spence, Dragusin, Gray, Bissouma, Sarr, Bergvall, Richarlison, Moore.