Looks like we have no option but to play 4-3-3 now...

[General]

6 wingers, 3 CM's (inc Kasami)

5 strikers

and only 8 defenders...

Bloody better score loads.

[Lighthouse]

Where are our 5 strikers? Rodders,Petric and Berbatov are the only proper strikers we have.

Have to play with one up front and wide players taking up three of the five positions in midfield.

[General]

Where are our 5 strikers? Rodders,Petric and Berbatov are the only proper strikers we have.

Have to play with one up front and wide players taking up three of the five positions in midfield.

They've got Ruiz and Trotta down as strikers on our first team page...

[Lighthouse]

Where are our 5 strikers? Rodders,Petric and Berbatov are the only proper strikers we have.

Have to play with one up front and wide players taking up three of the five positions in midfield.

They've got Ruiz and Trotta down as strikers on our first team page...

Yep I know. But Trotta isn't close yet and Ruiz is not a striker. Wide or playmaker by all means. But striker never.

[Whitewash]

How about this?

                     Schwarzer

Riether   Hangeland   Hughes   Riise

         Dejagah    Diarra     Duff

                           Ruiz

               Berbatov     Petric

[Lighthouse]

I am all for playing two strikers. But aren't Petric and Berbatov too similar to play together? Not much pace. Why no Richardson?

[General]

Why no Richardson?

too predictable and inconsistant. He'd probably be best suited to us as a super sub unfortunately.

[WestCountryWhite]

I am all for playing two strikers. But aren't Petric and Berbatov too similar to play together? Not much pace. Why no Richardson?

I fear you are correct, can you imagine Ruiz, Petric and Berbatov all together? It may work but we would offer nothing in behind and no one plays on the shoulder. Be very very predictabl, pretty granted. The only way I can see it working is the pace from wide.

[hesedmedia]

I think Berba can play almost as a poacher, on the last man. We're fairly indirect in build-up now anyway, so it isn't as if he'd have to beat the defender 20 yards regularly. He and petric swapping the in-the-hole position would be hellish as a cb, and dejagah looks as if he can exploit space made by drawing one or the  other cb out of position to press our in-the-hole striker. Neither petric nor berba are afraid to have a crack from distance, so there's going to be a tendency to close both down. I think (er, well, ok, I hope) we could make some defenses look pretty pedestrian.

[MrFFC]

I think come October our team will look

.........................................Schwarzer.....................................

Riether.....................Hughes..................Hangeland.........Riise............

............................................Diarra..................................................

............................Ruiz............................Kasami.............................

Dejagah..............................Berbatov......................Petric...............

[ffcbulgaria]

however i think such lineup will LEAK goals but then we could be watching a 2-2 5-4 3-3 2-6 games every week...

[MasterHaynes]

I think Duff has to play he has shown he still carries a threat and is the best at tracking back and protecting the defence

[Swedish Terrier]

             Schwarzer

Riether Hughes Hangeland Riise

           Sidwell Diarra

Duff                           Ruiz

          Berbatov Petric

Subs: Stockdale, Baird, Kasami, Dejagah, Richardsson, Kacaniklic, Rodallega.

This is the team that I'm expecting us to play today.

[PokerMatt]

I do like that team Swedish, my only concern is it won't get the best out of Ruiz on the left.

Perhaps it'll be more like Ruiz behind berba or Petric in future with Richardson or kaca or frei on the left?

But Then, Petric and berba are two of our best players so both would be nice...