Fulham's Strongest Line up at the moment(I believe)

[Zu-Meister]

Hear me out.

I prefer Burn and Bodurov pairing for now(until we get new signings) because they are steadier than Hutchinson. Hutchinson is committed but just lacks ability and makes foolish mistakes.

We need one midfielder to be given the specific role of protecting the back four. Currently O'hara fits the role best. So often last season, and pre season we lacked the midfield man blocking attacks.

Christensen and Cairney both prefer to play in the centre, both like the freedom to play and are able to go box to box, so with O'Hara Protecting, they are able to roam and create.

Pringle and Mccormack are the best crossers of the ball at the club, while Mitroglou is the best finisher. Whether or not he will still be here come September is a different matter. I know people prefer Ross to be int he middle, but he is able to keep the ball in wide positions, and is able to provide the final ball. And this way we can fit both Cairney and LVC in the middle which i think is key to winning the midfield battle.

This is our best team at this moment......I think.

[MJG]

Just can't agree to any team where Ross is nowhere near the last defender.

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[Craven Mad]

Just calling this one now:

That CB pairing will be controversial.
Ross out wide [particularly on the right] will be controversial.
Mitrog will be controversial.
Your Grimmer selection will be discussed.
The formation might get comments.


No one seems to be agreeing about too much on here right now! Probably unsurprising considering the tough few years we've had as a club...

[Zu-Meister]

Just can't agree to any team where Ross is nowhere near the last defender.

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I knew a lot of people would make that comment. My thinking is that the midfield really needs to be as strong as possible. Which means both LVC and Cairney in the middle. And some would agree that Ross isnt great by him self up top. If he goes wide, as he has done so before, one would fully expect him to drift up front anyway.

[Zu-Meister]

Just calling this one now:

That CB pairing will be controversial.
Ross out wide [particularly on the right] will be controversial.
Mitrog will be controversial.
Your Grimmer selection will be discussed.
The formation might get comments.


No one seems to be agreeing about too much on here right now! Probably unsurprising considering the tough few years we've had as a club...

Haha fully expecting.

[Craven Mad]

This is sort of how I expect us to play (expecting a few new faces though), but it's hard to pin a formation down when I reckon Kit will have our midfield as very fluid and regularly changing in-game.

Shaded players are expected backups.

[Mince n Tatties]

I'm glad you got Grimmer in.
I believe(not many will agree) he is our best
prospect defense wise,and will improve with game
time..Centre Half or Sweeper in the future?

[bill taylors apprentice]

This is sort of how I expect us to play (expecting a few new faces though), but it's hard to pin a formation down when I reckon Kit will have our midfield as very fluid and regularly changing in-game.

Shaded players are expected backups.

Spot on!

[filham]

This is sort of how I expect us to play (expecting a few new faces though), but it's hard to pin a formation down when I reckon Kit will have our midfield as very fluid and regularly changing in-game.

Shaded players are expected backups.

Spot on!

This is the line up for me but ensure that Dembele ,Woodrow,Hutch, Hyndman and Grimmer are available on the bench.

[fulhamben]

This is sort of how I expect us to play (expecting a few new faces though), but it's hard to pin a formation down when I reckon Kit will have our midfield as very fluid and regularly changing in-game.

Shaded players are expected backups.

Spot on!

This is the line up for me but ensure that Dembele ,Woodrow,Hutch, Hyndman and Grimmer are available on the bench.

kit will pick andy in goal all day long.

[Craven Mad]

Yeah, I was starting to think Andy might be making his way up the pecking-order...

If he does become our number 1 I'd be very disappointed, because:

A) I like Bettinelli and think he's only gonna get better.

B) Lonergan is a good signing for a second choice keeper, but we could've gone for someone better if we were looking to dislodge Marcus.

[westcliff white]

Just can't agree to any team where Ross is nowhere near the last defender.

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Agree 100%

[Ron91]

Lonergan should be our first choice keeper IMO. Betenelli would become a better keeper by battling and fighting for that spot next season. And Dembele direct running at defenders and dragging them away is very good and we should see him start and get 60 mins atleast in a friendly?

[Bill2]

Hear me out.

I prefer Burn and Bodurov pairing for now(until we get new signings) because they are steadier than Hutchinson. Hutchinson is committed but just lacks ability and makes foolish mistakes.

We need one midfielder to be given the specific role of protecting the back four. Currently O'hara fits the role best. So often last season, and pre season we lacked the midfield man blocking attacks.

Christensen and Cairney both prefer to play in the centre, both like the freedom to play and are able to go box to box, so with O'Hara Protecting, they are able to roam and create.

Pringle and Mccormack are the best crossers of the ball at the club, while Mitroglou is the best finisher. Whether or not he will still be here come September is a different matter. I know people prefer Ross to be int he middle, but he is able to keep the ball in wide positions, and is able to provide the final ball. And this way we can fit both Cairney and LVC in the middle which i think is key to winning the midfield battle.

This is our best team at this moment......I think.

Having never see Mitro play, even in the short snippets from the pre season friendlies, not sure you can include him.

[Bill2]

I am not sure what is our strongest side as never having seen the new players apart from the short videos, however, we do seem to have some good players and I am feeling more confident than I was at the end of last season.

Don't recall seeing Kaca in any of the teams and from what I have seen could be his best season yet. No doubt the starting 11 will change with some squad rotation.

[FPT]

I have had a number of different thoughts about how we would line up over the post-season, and I did think at one point that Tom Cairney and Lasse Vigen Christensen would be ahead of a deeper of player - but with Ross McCormack as the lone striker - which I have reservations about. I think a number of systems are possible, from three at the back to your standard 442; but we're certainly sticking with the 442/433 that has been utilised in pre-season with Ross dropping off of a leading striker and a number four dictating play. We have almost created a headache for ourselves with Ross (in my opinion) incapable of leading an attack on his own, and Tom Cairney 'uncomfortable' on the right hand side, though I think he'll grow into the role.

I don't think Tom Cairney is disciplined enough to play in a central midfield role as a number 8, whereas Lasse Vigen Christensen has been honed and developed to be that player since he joined us at 17. I don't think Christensen is quieter, as been mentioned on here, more just playing in a more reserved role. In the diamond, Christensen benefitted from the task of providing thrust from deep and was allowed to take the shackles off knowing he had Parker and another more defensive midfield player on the other side. I don't think we have defensive assurance in the middle of the park so Christensen is always needed to have an eye behind him with Jamie O'Hara. So I think in putting Cairney in the middle and Christensen right, we're weaker in both areas.

The key for me, is Christensen and Cairney playing off of each other to get Cairney on the ball and involved in play. I can't find anything that can make a plays system like system so I'll have to try describe it: Christensen plays it wide to Cairney and moves to the edge of the box, Cairney pops it back into Christensen and comes inwards, from there, Christensen can run direct into the box; Tom Cairney is now edge of the box where he can shoot, cross or slide a pass into Christensen. < I hope that somehow helps picture the kind of patterns of play that can get Tom Cairney involved from the right.

Moving from there, I'd love to see us bring in a more mobile striker or just give Moussa Dembele a run to lead the line. Or at the least, avoid the long ball when it's not necessarily - I don't mind it as a desperation or clearance, but when Hutchinson has acres of space but he hits a woeful lump up to Smith it's eye rakingly bad.

Anyway, I don't mind the shape as it's forming. It has some teething issues like Cairney being isolated and uninvolved and Ross coming super deep and how to play through the pitch - but I'm confident that once it gels and solidifies, we'll be a good footballing side with a strong backbone.

[fulhamben]

Lonergan should be our first choice keeper IMO. Betenelli would become a better keeper by battling and fighting for that spot next season. And Dembele direct running at defenders and dragging them away is very good and we should see him start and get 60 mins atleast in a friendly?

What are you basing that on? And please don't say it's because he is old

[nose]

Hear me out.

I prefer Burn and Bodurov pairing for now(until we get new signings) because they are steadier than Hutchinson. Hutchinson is committed but just lacks ability and makes foolish mistakes.

We need one midfielder to be given the specific role of protecting the back four. Currently O'hara fits the role best. So often last season, and pre season we lacked the midfield man blocking attacks.

Christensen and Cairney both prefer to play in the centre, both like the freedom to play and are able to go box to box, so with O'Hara Protecting, they are able to roam and create.

Pringle and Mccormack are the best crossers of the ball at the club, while Mitroglou is the best finisher. Whether or not he will still be here come September is a different matter. I know people prefer Ross to be int he middle, but he is able to keep the ball in wide positions, and is able to provide the final ball. And this way we can fit both Cairney and LVC in the middle which i think is key to winning the midfield battle.

This is our best team at this moment......I think.

CB are correct
any team with mitro will be at 50% maximum
any team where ross is not the front man is a waste of his talent

but I am impressed that you have a best 11.. i couldn't fill in most of the blanks
I know betts, LVC ross, boubrov and burn should all start..after that i either haven't seen enough or haven't sen at all the players we have in the squad.....

[Ron91]

Lonergan should be our first choice keeper IMO. Betenelli would become a better keeper by battling and fighting for that spot next season. And Dembele direct running at defenders and dragging them away is very good and we should see him start and get 60 mins atleast in a friendly?

What are you basing that on? And please don't say it's because he is old

I dont think Betenelli is good enough at claiming crosses or coming out for corners. Remind me of Anti Niemi who was a great shot stopper but would always stay on the line. Then Schwarz came in and was better all round. I think Betts will get better hes only 23 but for our poor defence a keeper who will come out to claim crosses more often will help our CB.

[millsy]

This has been my main concern with Betts too. A keeper who doesn't command the box and take most crosses, causes a lot of uncertainty and leads to too many goal chances. Is the new guy any better though?