22 Jul 2018 09:10:56
It seems that Marco Silva's preferred basic formation is pretty much a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3.
In both cases, the front six comprise two midfielders, a "umber ten", two wide players (who can "tuck in") , and a centre-forward.
His team's players have to show pace and movement, have high energy, always be looking to go forward (rather than sideways or backwards! ) , and press from the front.
It's also reported that Silva wants a first-team squad of around 25 players - that's two players for every position and probably a third goalkeeper plus maybe a third/ fourth centre-forward or a "utility midfielder/ defender".
So, assuming (reasonably I'd think) that Sigurdsson is first choice "number ten", that probably leaves Klaassen, Dowell, (perhaps even Williams J. ) competing for the second "number ten" squad place. That's without any new recruits. Who would you want as the two "number tens" in the first-team squad?
The choices for "midfielders" would seem to be: Schneiderlin, Gueye, Davies, Besic, McCarthy, Baningime and Connolly. That's seven players competing for the four "midfield" squad places. That too is without any new recruits. Who would you want as the four "midfielders" in our first-team squad? If the 25-player first-team squad also had room for a "utility midfielder/ defender", who would you want?
Assuming we do get Richarlison, which players - from Walcott, Lookman, Vlasic, Mirallas, Bolasie, Sandro - would be the other three "wide players" in the first-team squad?
As for "centre-forwards", who would you keep Tosun, Niasse and Calvert-Lenin - and would you want to recruit a fourth?

1.) 22 Jul 2018
22 Jul 2018 09:29:00
A “thumbs down”!
The contrarians are up and about early this Sunday ;-)

2.) 22 Jul 2018
22 Jul 2018 11:05:51
People seem to like giving you the thumbs down Bobby.
Not sure why as you are merely asking a question.

3.) 22 Jul 2018
22 Jul 2018 12:06:17
Working on that basis i thinkt he squad should look as follows;

GK
1) 1st Team - Pickford
2) Back Up - Steklenburg
3) Youth - Hewelt

RB
4) 1st Team - Coleman
5) Back Up - Kenny

CB
6) 1st Team - Keane
7) 1st Team - Jags / / Mina should we sign him
8) Back Up - Holgate
9) Back Up - Jags (should Mina sign)
Youth - Feeney

IMO Pennington and Browning must go, they are both older now and not shown they can ut it in the prem. My knowledge may be lackng but as they are both over 21 YOA i belive they will also take up on of the squads registration numbers for the league?

LB
10) 1st Team - Tierney (would love to see him signed as i'm unsure of Digne)
11) Back Up - Baines / / Robinson dependant on transfers (i iwsh Galloway could reclaim the spot he filed so well when baines was injured but he seems to be on a downward spiral snce that west brom loan)

Holding Mids
12) 1st Team - Gueye
13) 1st Team - Besic ( i worry having two smaller players to hold the mid but i can't stand schniderlin and don't think this role suits Davies
14) Back Up - Besic
15) BAck Up - McCarthy (eaily one of our best payers when fit)
16) Youth - Connolly/ Banigemi (lads looked good but at 22 Connolly needs the game time to prove himself a good enough player for the squad)

Attack Mid
17) First Team - Siggy
18) Back Up - Davies (his role seems so versatile that i'm not really sure where marco sees his best fit, would like to see dowell get some rotated game time too

Wide Players
19) First Team Left - Richarlison (assuming this is all done and finalised i can't see why he wouldn't start
20) BAck up Left - Lookman (want hi to stay but if he desnt want to be at the club then i don't think he should be here same goes for all the player syoung or old)

21) First Team Right - Walcott (doubted the signing but really pleased with him)
22) Back Up Right - Vlasic (we need to see more from him and he needs more game time to show it) Mirallas was one of my favourite players under moyes but his attitdue needs to be fixed. he's played well but really is fighting for his spot here

Attack
23) First Team - Tosun
24) BAck up - Niasse / / Calvert Lewin (if a prem side is interested it may be worth letting Dom go out on loan and pay a lot of games to try get more goals under his belt)
25) Sandro - i really don't know what to do with the lad, he's not looked worth having n any game he's played but considering his potential talent are we affriad to let him leave on the cheap and wathc him florish else where?

Id like to see Hornby get a few odd cames herea nd there, maybe in the cup but we have no chance of that if we can't trim the squad.

4.) 22 Jul 2018
22 Jul 2018 12:24:43
Holgate would start over Keane, Vlasic isn't a winger so he needs to compete for the 10 spot.
Davies an 8 rather than a 10 and I'd rather have Baningime than Besic. Not seen Baningime have a bad 1st team game yet.

5.) 22 Jul 2018
22 Jul 2018 15:07:06
I agree Smit. Baningime should be step up and Besic will only hinder his progress. Always looks like a red card looking to happen and has spent far too long on the sidelines in recent history.

6.) 22 Jul 2018
22 Jul 2018 15:24:53
When you see that squad listed like that it shows you how hard the job is. So many players not good enough to get where we want too, no disrespect to many of those players but how many of them get into any of the pop 6 teams 2 at most we are all very, sadly many of the youth won’t reach the heights we think, lookman I see as a top top player in a couple of years and I think Dowell will if we can find a position that suits he sees things very well and has a wand of a left foot but we will see weather he can make it over next season as prem player or will be cast aside.