Fulham Strongest 18?

[MrFFC]

For me is

                Schwarzer

Pantsil  Hangeland  Hughes  Baird

Dembele  Sidwell  Murphy  Dempsey

              AJ     Zamora     

SUBS - Stockdale , Senderos , Etuhu , Davies , Duff , Kakuta , Gudjohnson

Which leaves out Kelly , Salcido , Briggs , Halliche , Greening , Dikgacoi , Riise , Gera , Kamara

When you look at it that way what a squad Hughes has assembled now! We are looking strong! What you think? 

[MikeR]

You only have one sub defender. Also, I would expect Duff to make the starting XI as long as we have issues at RB - neither Demebele nor Dempsey provide the defensive cover we get from DD.

[White Noise]

Agree with Mike about having two defenders on the bench.

I would have your starting 11 but with Baird at RB and Salcido at left back. Pantsil would then be on the bench and Etuhu would drop off the bench.

Its tough though when you look at who you leave out from players like Davies, Duff and Etuhu. For any one of them not to even make the bench over a period of time would surely mean they would look for a move in the Summer.

[MJG]

Can't agree with Gera behind EG because he is a bit of a unknown quality at the moment and he has not done much in the last two years wherever he has been.

[Tom]

For me is

                Schwarzer

Pantsil  Hangeland  Hughes  Baird

Dembele  Sidwell  Murphy  Dempsey

              AJ     Zamora     

SUBS - Stockdale , Senderos , Etuhu , Davies , Duff , Kakuta , Gudjohnson

Which leaves out Kelly , Salcido , Briggs , Halliche , Greening , Dikgacoi , Riise , Gera , Kamara

When you look at it that way what a squad Hughes has assembled now! We are looking strong! What you think? 

The only one I disagree with is Gera. He would have to make the bench. This is great that we actually have quality depth now.

[Tktd]

To be honest Hughes needs to find a rotation system like that Roy implemented to keep everyone happy.... there are too many good players to encorporate all at once but also too many to leave out and in this league there are too many different styles of play with other teams to rid ourselves of various players.

He needs to set his stall out, otherwise players will jst become unhappy - and discontent at not being given proper chances.

Etuhu, Gera and Kamara being three of these players.

Stat of the day - Kamara has started 8 games and been a sub 3 times and scored 5 goals. Geras scored 4 in 12. - Why these two are being dropped at the moment is beyond me.

[Tktd]

In fct just take a look at this...

http://www.skysports.com/football/squad/0,19752,11681,00.html

If you go by this - games to goals ratios - Kamara and Gera are our two most consistant attacking threats.

[MJG]

It seems to me that Hughes likes to play a settled side and come  what may he pretty much sticks to the team no matter the result or the form. I know he juggled the full backs early on and also had gera in and out (now out) of the side, but take Davies for example..he should have been dropped a lot earlier for his loss of form.
With this squad of Midfielders and attackers the question is can he rotate them and make changes at the right time?
Let's say dempsey and Johnson have a couple of bad games against chelsea and man city, does he drop then and make a change or is it a case of his best XI no matter what.if its the latter then expect a few transfer requests in the summer.

[clint23]

To be honest Hughes needs to find a rotation system like that Roy implemented to keep everyone happy.... there are too many good players to encorporate all at once but also too many to leave out and in this league there are too many different styles of play with other teams to rid ourselves of various players.

He needs to set his stall out, otherwise players will jst become unhappy - and discontent at not being given proper chances.

Etuhu, Gera and Kamara being three of these players.

Stat of the day - Kamara has started 8 games and been a sub 3 times and scored 5 goals. Geras scored 4 in 12. - Why these two are being dropped at the moment is beyond me.

Tktd, great post, Hughes needs to put Demps and Murphy on the bench in the Bolton/Wigan Cup game. Plus, when Duff will get tired, Simon Davies in.

[Senior Supporter]

In fct just take a look at this...

http://www.skysports.com/football/squad/0,19752,11681,00.html

If you go by this - games to goals ratios - Kamara and Gera are our two most consistant attacking threats.

Tktd, you can prove anything with statistics. Are you suggesting that Kamara and Gera should be automatic starters on the basis of their performances this season? If so, I don't think too many of us would agree. Bearing in mind that Hodgson showed that he liked to keep an unchanged starting eleven, and that he had an aversion to using substitutes, I would say that MH is more open to giving playing time to players on the bench. I accept that all this changes when we have the extra demands of European matches, particularly in the early stages when a decision has to be made as to the level of commitment that should be made but, of course, that does not apply this season.

[Ron Sheepskin]

Putting 2 players in the strongest 18 with a combined total of roughly 30 seconds of football for us may be a bit previous.

I'm not picking a fight and saying EG and Senderos shouldn't be in, but I can't whittle the squad to 18.

Rotation is the only realistic way forward with the squad we've got - if we want to keep them. I bet Cookie would have killed to have this sort of selection problem. Sparky is really reaping the benefits of some cracking acquisitions over the last 4 years, and a second to none team spirit legacy from Roy.

I used to stroll through Bishops Park having absolutely no idea whether the 11 playes in white could be bothered or not. Now I know that at least I'll see a team performance.

[MikeR]

Stat of the day - Kamara has started 8 games and been a sub 3 times and scored 5 goals. Geras scored 4 in 12. - Why these two are being dropped at the moment is beyond me.

True, but 6 of the 9 goals that Kamara and Gera have scored have been in cup competitions against weak opposition. Gera seems to have the quality to deserve more minutes but just doesn't fit MH's system at the moment.

[Tom]

Stat of the day - Kamara has started 8 games and been a sub 3 times and scored 5 goals. Geras scored 4 in 12. - Why these two are being dropped at the moment is beyond me.

True, but 6 of the 9 goals that Kamara and Gera have scored have been in cup competitions against weak opposition.

Exactly

[The Equalizer]

AJ and Zamora didn't work up front before AJ was injured, why would they work now? BZ spent too much time holding the ball up and laying it off to AJ when he should've been the one getting the ball laid off to. And AJ was always found out wide back then too, which is probably why he never scored.

Still, could be interesting to see now that we know BZ can score and AJ has been playing very well recently...