What would be your best side?

[Brown@FFC]

We have the most talented youth set up in the country so lets use them.

Villa will be stronger this season, as all their "kids" will be mature and more expierienced.... Keeping hold of Benteke makes them a top 10 challenger

i think we will. or will have no choice but to. i can see mesca starting if kaca is not ready, and id like to think jol will have kasami and david on the bench with adel hughes stockdale the bubble and hugo. although no doubt he will put duff on the bench and do his usuall boring change of duff the bubble and hughes pushing amboreti (spelling) out to the left cos richardson got injured again, when we need a goal

The bench should have the likes of David, Kasami and Mesca on it. What have the useless bunch Rodallega, Duff and Hughes.

[Deanothefulhamfan]

Trotta deserves his chance ahead of Rodallega, the fact he is behind him is sad really.... Jol really should have given him his chance pre season.... Rodallega will play as Jol is predictabke and continues to play people that dont perform.... Rodallega is quick and I love his work ethic.... But he is an awful striker, if we are relying on him for goals we are down already

[fulhamben]

We have the most talented youth set up in the country so lets use them.

Villa will be stronger this season, as all their "kids" will be mature and more expierienced.... Keeping hold of Benteke makes them a top 10 challenger

i think we will. or will have no choice but to. i can see mesca starting if kaca is not ready, and id like to think jol will have kasami and david on the bench with adel hughes stockdale the bubble and hugo. although no doubt he will put duff on the bench and do his usuall boring change of duff the bubble and hughes pushing amboreti (spelling) out to the left cos richardson got injured again, when we need a goal

The bench should have the likes of David, Kasami and Mesca on it. What have the useless bunch Rodallega, Duff and Hughes.

we will need hughes on it, as senderos isnt much better and kieran will get injured sooner rather than later. so the back four will be jigged around alot this season as it was last year

[Denver Fulham]

Regardless of how we align things, we are going to be mercilessly carved open on our left flank.

So I guess I would embrace that and go back to the lopsided type of formation that helped Dempsey thrive. Play Taarabt centrally behind Berba and play Ruiz very narrowly on the left, so he can fill to become a secondary striker as we move forward, with Richardson staying at home and any fullback threat coming from Riether paired with Dejagah. Have Berba drift principally to the right half of the field in attack. Or drop Ruiz/Taarabt loser for CAM and play Kaca. Either way, our defensive mid on that side (Boateng, I guess) is going to have to provide cover.

[JackyFulham90]

I agree with playimg youngsters but not too many at once for me the only ones good enough for the 18 are Kacaniklic , Kasami & Frei. I think Mesca & David are good talents but should be eased in

[Matt Inglis]

                Stekelenburg
Riether   Hangeland  Amorebieta   Riise
Dejagah  Boateng      Taarabt     Kaca
                Ruiz
                      Berbatov

[Danitar]

                Stekelenburg
Riether   Hangeland  Amorebieta   Riise
Dejagah  Boateng      Taarabt     Kaca
                Ruiz
                      Berbatov

How are struggling with a team like this

[Matt Inglis]

                Stekelenburg
Riether   Hangeland  Amorebieta   Riise
Dejagah  Boateng      Taarabt     Kaca
                Ruiz
                      Berbatov

How are struggling with a team like this

Lord knows.

[Humbled]

think it will be

                        Stek
Riether Amorebieta Hangland Richardson
                 Sidwell Boateng
Dejagah              Ruiz                Taarabt/Kaca
                      Berbatov

if Jol felt they were all fit enough to start I would like either -

Dejagah          Taarabt                 Kaca            OR                       Dejagah            Berba            Taarabt
                      Berba                                                                                       Rodders

[MJG]

                Stekelenburg
Riether   Hangeland  Amorebieta   Riise
Dejagah  Boateng      Taarabt     Kaca
                Ruiz
                      Berbatov

How are struggling with a team like this

the danger is in the centre of the pitch and Taarabt too far up field leaving a lot of defensive work for Boateng. We could get outnumbered.

[JackyFulham90]

My team is

Stekelenburg

Riether Hangeland Amorebieta Richardson

Sidwell Boateng

Dejagah Berbatov Taarabt

Rodallega


The team st Sunderland I am pretty sure will be

Stekelenburg

Riether Hangeland Amorebieta Richardson

Sidwell Boateng

Dejagah Ruiz Mesca

Berbatov

Subs - Stockdale , Hughes , Karagounis , Duff , Kacaniklic , Taarabt , Rodallega

[OxfordWhite]

Rodallega has to start! Berbatov doesn't stay upfront he should be used as a number 10, until we sign a new striker we have to start Rodallega,  he needs games works hard offers a threat in behind, like him or not atleast he will play on the last man, Berbatov doesn't

Please look at the stats from last season with and without Berbatov. We need him. Rodallega speeds up play but is not good enough to cope with the increase in pace. He has the first touch of an elephant! Not to be rude but anyone suggesting Rodallega over Berba is slightly mad

[rusty shackleford]

As a fan of Ruiz, even i have to now admit that he is becoming a big problem since Jol wont drop him.

[OxfordWhite]

 :plus one: I love him but feel he is confused.

[ffctom_b]

cant be having Berbatov as the main striker by himself up top,

he offers little or no threat in behind, therefore allowing opposition to squeeze up the pitch and narrow the pitch meaning we have less room to defend.

I think it's clear that Berba and Ruiz together does not work, hence why Rodders needs to be the striker choice out of what we have.

Yes we have good youngsters coming through in that position, but very much unproven at this level, I think next season will be the one where Woodrow breaks through, although I am guessing we will see a lot more of David as the season progresses if we do not get the creative midfielder in that Jol wants.

The game against Burton could be very interesting in terms of having the chance to bloodsome of the youngsters!

[Count Berbatov]

Or maybe, you can get Boateng, Ruiz and Taarabt, Kaca behind Berbatov and Dejagah

[Big Martin Jol]

As a fan of Ruiz, even i have to now admit that he is becoming a big problem since Jol wont drop him.

I agree. For a long time (right up until Parma) I've been backing the Ruiz/Berbatov partnership to come good but I'm fast running out of patience. The arrival of Taarabt has given us a genuine alternative and we should look at utilising it.

At the moment my best side for Sunderland would probably be this:

            Stekelenburg
Riether/Hangeland/Amorebieta/Riise
Dejagah/Kasami/Boateng/Kacaniklic
              Taraabt
              Berbatov

Subs would be Stockdale, Hughes, Richardson, Sidwell, Duff, Ruiz and Rodallega.

[Enter the Frei]

Or maybe, you can get Boateng, Ruiz and Taarabt, Kaca behind Berbatov and Dejagah

has Dejagah ever played there before?

I still think Ruiz has a role to play but half the problem we have right now is that we don't have good enough players to make it worthwhile dropping him. With Taarabt and possibly a player like Bent he won't be a guaranteed starter and you've got to hope it would get the best out of him.

[hongkongfulham]

I think I myself get a bit deluded by wanting Ruiz to play well and work SOMEWHERE on the pitch that I never think about dropping him. But at this stage it might be better for the team which is a bit sad as he has bags of talent and seems like a genuine fella. I really wish he could just play CM for us effectively and we could all laugh to the bank. Think we will see 1 player brought in at least who will be expected to start week in week out so I am very interested to see how it all pans out.