Starting Eleven? As it stands .....

[hallamblue]

Phillips cant play Saturday Gary ... x

[Bluemike]

Gary, have you not been impressed with Delap, or is it a case of can't fit them all in ?

[Ricco]

The player I’m trying to work out where he fits is Kalvin Phillips

I see him as direct rotation with Morsy Charnwood, I think they'll battle for the position and I don't think even McKenna knows the conclusion, if Morsy keeps Phillips out the team, then that means he's playing well, which is fine by us lot.

I can't see Phillips playing CB, certainly not initially, he's only 5ft10, yes Cannavaro was 5ft9 and yes he played some pre-season there... but... he hasn't played there in a professional match (to my knowledge), and I don't think you'd bring an unknown quantity in to the club when there were/are so many proven CBs out there.

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Phillips cant play Saturday Gary ... x

Yeah I know Liz , my lineup is what I consider to be our best option given everybody being available

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

Gary, have you not been impressed with Delap, or is it a case of can't fit them all in ?

More a case of fitting him in, Mike.

I've been impressed by what I have seen so far, but he's not the finished article and doesn't look at the moment to be a prolific goal scorer. That will change, of course, but at the moment I see him being used more as a sub.

[Bluemike]

Gary, have you not been impressed with Delap, or is it a case of can't fit them all in ?

More a case of fitting him in, Mike.

I've been impressed by what I have seen so far, but he's not the finished article and doesn't look at the moment to be a prolific goal scorer. That will change, of course, but at the moment I see him being used more as a sub.

Yep completely agree, I think he'll blossom under McKenna though which is win win for us. Hirst is gonna be down the pecking order if all goes to plan.

[hallamblue]

Phillips cant play Saturday Gary ... x

Yeah I know Liz , my lineup is what I consider to be our best option given everybody being available

ah, I see... no worries then... But I wish he could play Sat !!

[ITFC2024]

Anyone else thinking, it's a bit difficult to pick our starting line up at the moment with all the transfer activity?!

[Bluemike]

Exactly that, you write down a line up and think bloody hell I've left out him, him and him, it's ridiculous but oh so needed for this league.

[arana peligrosa]

what about last season starting in the championship league. We brought in about 20 players or more throughout that summer if memory serves, it was absurd. In retrospect it worked. Maybe not everyone was utilized or didn't start regular but there were a certain cohesive success from what was brought together or assembled.

It's just not possible to keep track of all transfer activity we're involved in. Time, obligation and effort elsewhere just won't permit it so you're left with catching up with associated news items when possible to see who else we've added to the squad or even those moved on to other club names.

Best guess here is we wait until all business is concluded, take a moment to step back and view a completed picture. Just seems too frenzied at times, there's too much activity we're just not used to etc. Fucks sake Evans was always content to not invest or do next to nothing to strengthen the team when in ownership here. What we're doing right now, what we've done last two years, it's simply new territory for a number of the fanbase.

[Charnwood]

I’ve no idea where you get 20 from AP but I think you’ll find it was 10 or 11 new signings over the season which is very similar to the number I think will have brought in by the time this window closes in a week or so’s time.

The average age and quality of the players we’ve signed could prove to be a huge investment with lots of growth potential, their ages also make it less challenging for McKenna to mould them into what he wants them to be to fulfill their maximum potential and contribute maximum input into the team. I see this as something really exciting and zi think the players who’ve joined us see that too. Apart from possibly Townsend from WBA we have no journeymen signings who can only play their way and look for nothing more than a wage in return, these new guys have all joined up to be part of a project and that’s the way it’s been sold to them.

I think McKennas style is to forget a starting 11 but to think of a match day team of say 17 with everyone having a role to play and be expected to perform at the highest level regardless of how many minutes that might be. I think in a McKenna team all 17 of these players or whatever the number is are expected to be equally switched on and feel equally as important as the other.

If I’ve called this right it develops maximums team spirit and makes it easier to keep a larger number of players happy when they’re involved on match day.

Instead of “Starting 11” maybe we should be thinking of “Matchday 17”

[Mauswara]

I think that makes sense, and we have to draw the matchday 17 from a fair bit larger active squad when suspensions and injuries are factored in.

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

I think that makes sense, and we have to draw the matchday 17 from a fair bit larger active squad when suspensions and injuries are factored in.

To be fair, it's nothing new for us, it's what happened all of last season and it worked really well for us.
As long as the new players all buy in to this approach, we will have no problems.

[Charnwood]

That’s exactly my point Rossi, all the players bought into it last season and I’m sure they will again this season. Put simply it is McKennas Modus Opersndi and builds great team spirit.

[Mauswara]

I do believe we're all on the same page here.

[shabba]

Random but who will play on Weds?

Walton / slicker

Rb?
Burgers
Edmundson
Townsend

Catjuste
Phillips (both of those to get 45-60mins)

Harness
Taylor
Chaplin

al-Hamadi

[Bluemike]

Our likely starting Eleven

Walton

Tuanzebe
O'Shea
Greaves
Davis

Morsy
Phillips

Hutchinson
Szmodics
Clarke

Delap

[arana peligrosa]

wimbledon isn't it, they're like league two or something. Guess whichever team we field should ideally be enough to get past them but then you immediately think back to the Maidstone game from a few months back and that was with a home advantage of all things.

i'd pick our third choice goalkeeper which presume is slicker and omit the usual recognized forward and midfield players and save them for Fulham in the league thereafter. We're not going to win no cup competition this season which is kind of a shame as would want to see us do well and progress as far as possible but after the lousy league start kind of thinking we're going to need to put all and any focus into the league and just allow all other interest to go by the wayside.

Wimbledon should be a Town win no matter who we put out on the night but our past record against lower league opposition in this kind of thing is regrettably sub-standard if not embarrassing. Smodzics, Greaves, Phillips (if available) need not be risked for a game of this nature.

[shabba]

Our likely starting Eleven

Walton

Tuanzebe
O'Shea
Greaves
Davis

Morsy
Phillips

Hutchinson
Szmodics
Clarke

Delap

It won’t likely be Walton though.

Looking stronger now though - just a shame we’ve signed a whole new XI almost but I guess no room for sentiment now.

[Bluemike]

It is a shame yes but I'm sure the old guard will get plenty of game time too and if they perform they'll grab a place in the Team. It probably won't be Walton initially no, but if Muric continues as he started it will be. I'm happy to give him the benefit of the doubt for a time but we can't afford to gift goals too often.

[ITFC2024]

Let’s have a stab at the lineup for the Wimbledon match.

Walton…

No idea! Lol!

[Bluemike]

My team for Wimbledon

Walton

Johnson
Edmundson
Burgess
Townsend

Cajuste
Phillips

Harness
Chaplin
Clarke

Al-Hamadi

[hallamblue]

I'd go with that too Mike.But is Clarke cup tied at all?

[Charnwood]

We’ve come a long way since struggling to fill our bench for the pre season friendlies but what does our strongest starting line up look like now ?

————————————Muric ————~~~~~~~~~~~~

——Tuanzebe ——O’Shea —-Greaves ——-Davis

————————Cajuste ———~~~Phillips~~~~~~

—-Hutchinson ———-Szmodics ———Clarke —-

————————————Delap ————

Subs; Morsy, Johnson, Townsend, Woolfie, Burgess, Edmundson, Chaplin, Walton, Broadhead, Clarke, Harness, Al-Hamadi, Burns, Hurst.

Have I missed anyone to make up our 25 man squad.

[shabba]

The midfield pair there need to prove themselves worthy of ousting Masimo and Sam before we can make that call.

[ITFC2024]

The midfield pair there need to prove themselves worthy of ousting Masimo and Sam before we can make that call.

Yeah I'd be surprised if Morsy doesn't start when fit and available. I think he may begin to be subbed more in the second half of matches, which is probably a good thing at this age.

[Bluemike]

Yes I think the skipper will still be in there until his performances drop which over the last Two years has never happened, of course this is a massive step up but based purely on the last 18 Months Phillips has no chance.

[Bluemike]

We’ve come a long way since struggling to fill our bench for the pre season friendlies but what does our strongest starting line up look like now ?

————————————Muric ————~~~~~~~~~~~~

——Tuanzebe ——O’Shea —-Greaves ——-Davis

————————Cajuste ———~~~Phillips~~~~~~

—-Hutchinson ———-Szmodics ———Clarke —-

————————————Delap ————

Subs; Morsy, Johnson, Townsend, Woolfie, Burgess, Edmundson, Chaplin, Walton, Broadhead, Clarke, Harness, Al-Hamadi, Burns, Hurst.

Have I missed anyone to make up our 25 man squad.

just Taylor I think Andy.

[The Odious Mr Rossi]

We’ve come a long way since struggling to fill our bench for the pre season friendlies but what does our strongest starting line up look like now ?

————————————Muric ————~~~~~~~~~~~~

——Tuanzebe ——O’Shea —-Greaves ——-Davis

————————Cajuste ———~~~Phillips~~~~~~

—-Hutchinson ———-Szmodics ———Clarke —-

————————————Delap ————

Subs; Morsy, Johnson, Townsend, Woolfie, Burgess, Edmundson, Chaplin, Walton, Broadhead, Clarke, Harness, Al-Hamadi, Burns, Hurst.

Have I missed anyone to make up our 25 man squad.

That's pretty much how I see things panning out, assuming of course that Phillips makes the grade with us. A bit harsh, maybe, on the players that got us here, but that's going to be the reality of staying in the PL.

[Bluemike]

I never thought I would see Davis as the weak link.