Team for Saturday

[Jambo]

Now that the dust has (almost) settled after yesterday anyone have any ideas on what the team will be for Wigan.

Surprising I find myself favoring a back 4 that doesn't include Hughes.  Happy with Grygera, Baird, Brede and Riise.  the rest isn't straight forward.

I think we need to start with Ruiz, Zamora and Dempsey which leaves 3 from Murphy, Sidwell, Etuhu, Kasami, Duff, Johnson and Dembele.  Not easy.

Whoever starts due to Zamora's miss Saturday is a MASSIVE game.

[HatterDon]

Now that the dust has (almost) settled after yesterday anyone have any ideas on what the team will be for Wigan.

Surprising I find myself favoring a back 4 that doesn't include Hughes.  Happy with Grygera, Baird, Brede and Riise.  the rest isn't straight forward.

I think we need to start with Ruiz, Zamora and Dempsey which leaves 3 from Murphy, Sidwell, Etuhu, Kasami, Duff, Johnson and Dembele.  Not easy.

Whoever starts due to Zamora's miss Saturday is a MASSIVE game.

Is Grygera injured? If not, I think he's locked down RB.

[MJG]

If all fit my team would be:
4-2-3-1 formation.
Schwarzer
Grygera-Hughes-Hangeland-Briggs
Sidwell-Baird
Kasami-Ruiz-Dempsey
Zamora
Subs:Etheridge, riise, Murphy,frei,duff,Johnson, dembele

[ScalleysDad]

reading through the angst there is a comment saying Hughes tweaked his hamstring which is probably why he went straight off looking like he was about to shoot someone, like the physio. Gygera it is then. Briggs for Riise who looked knackered.
We have survived without BZ before and he is'nt putting in a shift. Do we wait for the kick up the backside to come along, the confidence to return or the long distance shinner to actually go in. Bigger gamble than Murph in some respects. Wigan have some flair and pace but we can play round them circa QPR. I'd be tempted to put Ruiz in as a starter and throw in the excuberance of youth. Gecov has hardly had a chance, Kassami needs games but the loss of Sa narrows down our striking options. Would Dempsy up top supported by Dembele and Ruiz work ? Time for Jol to start playing 'his' team. The times his signings have played they have'nt done much wrong a bit of game time would'nt help.............


....................... sentence collapses into garbage

[luckykat]

I'm old enough to remember Malcolm MacDonald who started with us as a full back, but was tried up front and the rest is history. I wonder whether Briggs could play up front? He has the ball control and is hard to knock off the ball. Try him in a Europa game.

[horse1031]

Grygera needs to start on Saturday.  I am fine with him at right back or center back.  I kind of like him at center back because i dont know if Baird is tall enough to play there on a day to day basis.

I dont think Grygera is injured either.  The reason he was taken off was because of blood on his shirt and the ref made him go off so Jol subbed him.

I would like Ruiz to start against Wigan.  I think we can attack these guys and get a result.  I am a little worried about Rodallega because he is a really good player so i hope that we can contain him in the back.  If we cant take it to Wigan away we arent going to beat anybody away so we better get three points :dft011:

i have no idea what to do with the other attackers.  We need a little change and spark but i dont know where.  Will it be AJ, Zamora, Dembele, Kasami?  I would like to see Kasami get a run out.  Hopefully we get up early and he can get some experience:)

[elgreenio]

Rodallega is injured isn't he?


ok physioroom thinks not


anywho, can see AJ getting pushed to the bench.

MS; ZG,CB,BH,JAR; DM,SS; MD,CD,BR; BZ

[AlFayedsChequebook]

4-2-3-1 for me:


                Schwarzer

Grygera    Baird    Hangeland   Riise

               Murphy  Sidwell

Dembele         Dempsey        Ruiz
                    Zamora

[BalDrick]

Not a single mention of Etuhu speaks volumes, and readers of my crap won't be surprised that I won't be suggesting he features either.

             Schwarzer

Grygera - Baird - Hangeland - Briggs

            Murph - Kasami (Sidders to replace Murph at some stage)

        Dembele - Deuce - Bryan

                 Zamora

[sipwell]

4-2-3-1 for me:


                Schwarzer

Grygera    Baird    Hangeland   Riise

               Murphy  Sidwell

Dembele         Dempsey        Ruiz
                    Zamora

Great minds think alike and fools never differ. This would be my line-up as well.

[BalDrick]

4-2-3-1 for me:


                Schwarzer

Grygera    Baird    Hangeland   Riise

               Murphy  Sidwell

Dembele         Dempsey        Ruiz
                    Zamora

Great minds think alike and fools never differ. This would be my line-up as well.

Similar system from me too - though Riise gets a rest (looked like he needed it) and Kasami gets a well deserved run out. But interesting we're all looking at the 3 players behind BZ.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

4-2-3-1 for me:


                Schwarzer

Grygera    Baird    Hangeland   Riise

               Murphy  Sidwell

Dembele         Dempsey        Ruiz
                    Zamora

Great minds think alike and fools never differ. This would be my line-up as well.

Similar system from me too - though Riise gets a rest (looked like he needed it) and Kasami gets a well deserved run out. But interesting we're all looking at the 3 players behind BZ.

I am completely unsold on 4-4-2 despite what certain players have been saying. 4-2-3-1 suits us best IMO. AJ should be sold in Jan and a decent striker bought in his place.

It would be interesting to see your line-up although it is pretty attacking. If you kept the same players, you could do a 4-1-4-1:

              Schwarzer

Grygera      Baird   Hangeland   Briggs

                  Murphy (Etuhu for me as we would need some cover)

Dembele      Kasami    Dempsey  Ruiz

                Zamora 

[MJG]

4-2-3-1 for me:


               Schwarzer

Grygera    Baird    Hangeland   Riise

              Murphy  Sidwell

Dembele         Dempsey        Ruiz
                   Zamora

Great minds think alike and fools never differ. This would be my line-up as well.

Similar system from me too - though Riise gets a rest (looked like he needed it) and Kasami gets a well deserved run out. But interesting we're all looking at the 3 players behind BZ.

the thing is we all know we have some really good attacking midfielders and are looking at fitting them in.
I'm tempted to stick with Zamora up top, but would consider Dempsey with a perm of three from : Dembele/Kasami/Ruiz/Frei/Duff and with Aj & BZ on the bench.
Find the right set up and we have a front 4 that should worry anyone.

[MJG]

4-2-3-1 for me:


                Schwarzer

Grygera    Baird    Hangeland   Riise

               Murphy  Sidwell

Dembele         Dempsey        Ruiz
                    Zamora

Great minds think alike and fools never differ. This would be my line-up as well.

Similar system from me too - though Riise gets a rest (looked like he needed it) and Kasami gets a well deserved run out. But interesting we're all looking at the 3 players behind BZ.

I am completely unsold on 4-4-2 despite what certain players have been saying. 4-2-3-1 suits us best IMO. AJ should be sold in Jan and a decent striker bought in his place.

It would be interesting to see your line-up although it is pretty attacking. If you kept the same players, you could do a 4-1-4-1:

              Schwarzer

Grygera      Baird   Hangeland   Briggs

                  Murphy (Etuhu for me as we would need some cover)

Dembele      Kasami    Dempsey  Ruiz

                Zamora 

Don't for one second believe Etuhu has the football brain to play as the one holding, he needs someone close to pass to, he would be lost.
Saying that, I would be open to that type of formation which is what we ended up with on Sunday.

[Mitch]

For me it's -

                MS

ZG       CB        BH         JAR

                SS

     DD        MD           CD

            BZ       BR


Very attacking, but let's take it to them.

[BalDrick]

4-2-3-1 for me:


                Schwarzer

Grygera    Baird    Hangeland   Riise

               Murphy  Sidwell

Dembele         Dempsey        Ruiz
                    Zamora

Great minds think alike and fools never differ. This would be my line-up as well.

Similar system from me too - though Riise gets a rest (looked like he needed it) and Kasami gets a well deserved run out. But interesting we're all looking at the 3 players behind BZ.

I am completely unsold on 4-4-2 despite what certain players have been saying. 4-2-3-1 suits us best IMO. AJ should be sold in Jan and a decent striker bought in his place.

It would be interesting to see your line-up although it is pretty attacking. If you kept the same players, you could do a 4-1-4-1:

              Schwarzer

Grygera      Baird   Hangeland   Briggs

                  Murphy (Etuhu for me as we would need some cover)

Dembele      Kasami    Dempsey  Ruiz

                Zamora 

Don't for one second believe Etuhu has the football brain to play as the one holding, he needs someone close to pass to, he would be lost.
Saying that, I would be open to that type of formation which is what we ended up with on Sunday.

Yep me too, fully agree.

Re my formation, Kasami has the legs to cover both attacking and defending roles, and I'm sure were that XI to take the field he'd spend plenty of time in Wigan's half.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

A super attacking formation would be very exciting - what have we got to lose?

As for the comments regarding Etuhu, it is depressing that people wont give him any credit at all. He played the centre midfield destroyer for our most successful seasons and allowed Murphy to flourish. Sidwell might be better going forward, but Etuhu is the best defensive midfielder in the team.

[twang]

I definitely think the 4-2-3-1 formation fits our squad best, and if there's no new injuries I'd go with the following team:

Schwarzer

Grygera - Hughes - Hangeland - Briggs

Murphy - Baird

Dembele - Ruiz - Dempsey

Zamora

[ImperialWhite]

[A.] A super attacking formation would be very exciting - what have we got to lose?

[B.] As for the comments regarding Etuhu, it is depressing that people wont give him any credit at all. He played the centre midfield destroyer for our most successful seasons and allowed Murphy to flourish. Sidwell might be better going forward, but Etuhu is the best defensive midfielder in the team.

A) If we play lots of nice attacking football, but lose by a freak goal or two FOF will meltdown again, and I'm not sure I could take it!

B) I wonder about that all the time. He was excellent in the Hodgson era. Perhaps he's still as good as he was then but people want to find a scapegoat now we're not playing as well. OR perhaps he isn't very good outside of a super organised 4411. OR perhaps he has just declined, he is 29 I suppose.

In my view it's a little bit of the first one, a little bit of the second one.

[TonyGilroy]

The Europa makes rotation necessary but I think we'd benefit by not rotating Murphy and Hangeland's partners.

I'd go for Etuhu over Sidwell and Baird (just) before Hughes and certainly Senderos but those are key positions where understanding is vital and it can't help Murphy, for example, by having Sidwell and Etuhu alternating because they're very different types of player.