Popular Post Boumasbabies Posted January 26, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted January 26, 2017 .......................Johnstone........................ .............Chester.............Baker................ Bree..............................................Amavi ..............Lansbury..........Jedinak............ Adomah............Hourihane..............Thor ..........................Kodjia............................. Much better balance to the midfield. Jedi sits and allows Lansbury to drive forward and dictate play 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael118 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) 15 hours ago, thunderball said: Good sport Michael, but I genuinely would be interested in your team when the window closes as you have a unique view amongst many sheep here (of which I am one)? Thanks, tb. No problem. I'll be more than happy to post my team once all the signings are completed. Don't expect it to be much different from teams I've already posted though. Can't say I am thrilled with the players we have been linked with so far. Edited January 26, 2017 by Michael118 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JNortonAVFC Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) . Edited January 26, 2017 by JNortonAVFC mistake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 26 minutes ago, Michael118 said: Thanks, tb. No problem. I'll be more than happy to post my team once all the signings are completed. Don't expect it to be much different from teams I've already posted though. Can't say I am thrilled with the players we have been linked with so far. you aren't happy with Lansbury/Hourihane? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoof hearted Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 6 minutes ago, kurtsimonw said: you aren't happy with Lansbury/Hourihane? Don't feed it.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 6 hours ago, Boumasbabies said: .......................Johnstone........................ .............Chester.............Baker................ Bree..............................................Amavi ..............Lansbury..........Jedinak............ Adomah............Hourihane..............Thor ..........................Kodjia............................. Much better balance to the midfield. Jedi sits and allows Lansbury to drive forward and dictate play Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skarroki Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) So, looking toward the end of the season now as I still can't see us getting into the play-offs, let alone winning them. Kozak, Hutton, Bunn and Johnstone are going to be out of contract so I won't include them in the squad. GK: Steer RB: De Laet, Bree CB: Chester, Baker, Elphick LB: Amavi, Calder RM: Adomah, Bacuna CM: Lansbury, Hourihane, Jedinak, Tshibola LM: Bjarnason, Green AM: Grealish ST: Kodjia Thats 18 players, I'd be aiming for 22 with academy products not included in that number (Calder and Green) they can supplement. I'd say allow Bjarnason more time as a CM if it is his favourite position, bring in a good winger. A good goalkeeper too, we could offer silly money and wages to Pickford before Prem teams snatch him. A centre back to potentially break up the Chester/Baker partnership, although I'd have no problem with us signing a promising player who's a future Prem player, to push Elphick down the pecking order. A strong attacking mid option for this league and 2 decent strikers to add competition for Kodjia. All of this means I've assumed the following will leave, along with expiring contracts: Sanchez, Veretout, Gil, Cissokho, Richards, Ayew, Agbonlahor, Westwood, Gardner, McCormack. In total, that means 14 players will leave the club in the summer which seems a lot again, but looking at that figure, 7 of those haven't played for us since October at the latest, the rest are squad players at best really who are ageing, in positions we have enough cover in, on too high wages for their contribution to the side, or all three of those. The only exception is Ayew who I'd rather stay, but he's a difficult one to fit into the side and if someone is offering good money, it makes sense to part ways. Edited January 26, 2017 by skarroki 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) 3 hours ago, Michael118 said: Thanks, tb. No problem. I'll be more than happy to post my team once all the signings are completed. Don't expect it to be much different from teams I've already posted though. Can't say I am thrilled with the players we have been linked with so far. most probably be Bunn Hutton Richards Elphick Ally Westwood Gardner Bacuna McC Gaby Kozak Edited January 26, 2017 by Grasshopper 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 9 hours ago, Boumasbabies said: .......................Johnstone........................ .............Chester.............Baker................ Bree..............................................Amavi ..............Lansbury..........Jedinak............ Adomah............Hourihane..............Thor ..........................Kodjia............................. Much better balance to the midfield. Jedi sits and allows Lansbury to drive forward and dictate play I'd drop Jedinak to be honest 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanBalaban Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 16 minutes ago, KHV said: I'd drop Jedinak to be honest I think Jedinak will be able to complete more passes when his midfield partners actually move and show for the ball. Not to absolve him, as his passing has been woeful, but he's a good protector of the back four and I think he's a good extension of the Baker / Chester partnership. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 22 minutes ago, KHV said: I'd drop Jedinak to be honest Yeah. In games we're expected to dominate I'd like to see Hourihane instead of Jedinak, and Grealish in the spot behind the striker. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 22 minutes ago, sne said: Yeah. In games we're expected to dominate I'd like to see Hourihane instead of Jedinak, and Grealish in the spot behind the striker. Same here, to be honest we should be dominating almost everyone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat Kendrick's Dentist Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Johnstone Bree Chester Baker Amavi Hourihane Lansbury Bjarnason Grealish Ayew Kodjia Bunn Richards Elphick Bacuna McCormack Agbonlahor Adomah I think we now have 2 CMs who will be able to (at least) hold their own in midfield as a pair, rather than relying on a third pair of legs in there. A massive problem for us so far has been that we've had nobody to play an accurate vertical ball in midfield. Instead, it's inevitably recycled back to the CBs and out to the full-backs. This either leads to Hutton humping it into row Z, or Amavi giving it to an attacking mid who has dropped to halfway, and still has the whole defense to beat (with only 2 attack-minded teammates for assistance). Hourihane and Lansbury can not only allow us to play an extra AM, they can also pass it in between the opposition lines, finding Jack, Ayew, et al in space, and allowing them to get turned and attack. Bjarnason isn't quick or technical, but he's a workhorse and can provide energy with and without the ball. He and Ayew are both quick to get back into shape when possession is lost, so I feel we can live without a Jedinak in the middle. I actually think that having an able midfield behind him would suit McCormack too, but he obviously has a lot of work to do to prove himself worthy of another chance. If I'm greedy, Rhodes and versatile full-back cover would be great, given how we've struggled without Kodjia, and the trend of Hutton's rivals getting injured! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Two strikers and a GK in the summer, and we should win the division next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bose Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) According to Birkir, Bruce see's him mostly as a central midfielder. So I guess he'll either play in a three man midfield with Hourihane and Lansbury or give them some competition. Edited January 26, 2017 by bose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted January 26, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted January 26, 2017 With Conor and Lansbury in the middle I think Grealish will be on the left side, if he plays through the middle it will get a bit tight in there. Jedinak would be behind these two in the pecking order, unless we lose Baker to injury and need his strength in the air. With the players we have now its crying out for a 4-4-2 or 4-1-4--1, there are loads of options, Bruce has really shown his strengths in this transfer season, managed to balance the squad and hardly spent a penny. I can see Ayew going and another coming in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, bose said: According to Birkir, Bruce see's him mostly as a central midfielder. So I guess he'll either play in a three man midfield with Hourihane and Lansbury or give them some competition. Which maybe points to a 4-3-3? Johnstone Bree Baker Chester Amavi Bjarnason Lansbury Hurihane Adomah kodjia Gabby/Green I wouldn't be suprised to see Bruce line up like that. (I'm not a fan of Gabby, but Bruce clearly is) Its a shame McCormack has turned into a rocket polisher, in that formation, i would have liked to have seen him up top with kodjia coming in from the left in place of Gabby. Edited January 26, 2017 by av1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Squad's too big ATM. No doubt we are looking at loaning and selling a couple of players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJT123 Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Johnstone Bree Chester Baker Amavi Jedinak Adomah Lansbury Hourihane Ayew Kodjia It'll be really interesting to see how Bruce sets his side up now - that left midfield spot is very much up for grabs with Ayew, Grealish, Bjarnason and Green fighting for it. I can see Jedinak keeping his place, he'll probably look a lot better with the new midfielders around him, and there's no doubt that he makes us hard to beat as he's a presence in front of the defence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamsonwoodVillan Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 It was interesting to go back to the early days of this thread from August and September and read a lot of comments of how confident people were that our midfield would be decent in this division. Those who thought Jedinak and Tshibola would just come in and dominate this league.... I fully expect Lansbury and Hourihane to be very successful here. Not so sure about Bjarnason, I think he might be the one who struggles, but I certainly won't write anyone off. We should be a lot better in possession than we have been. There's no doubt in my mind that if the midfield can create more then all of Kodjia, McCormack, Gabby and Ayew can hit the net for us but they have to step up and perform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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