Freshening up the starting 11

[CarelessAir]

With it looking probable that Jesse Marsch coming in will we finally see a long overdue changing of the guard with our starting lineup?

I think we will finally get to see Joffy, Bate and Cresswell starting, and they could form a new spine of our team. What would your line up be for the Leicester game?


Joffy

James Bate Klich/Rodrigo (whoever is in better form, interchanging them will keep them fresher) Raph
Forshaw/KP if he is back from inury in time

Harrison (has played LB before at CITEH) Cresswell Koch/Struijk/Llorente (whoever is in better form) Dallas

Meslier


Hopefully we will see Summerville come on more often as well. Our bench will look at lot better too.

Ayling has been atrocious this season, Firpo needs to stop getting booked, hopefully we won't see Twinketoes come on.

[SG90]

If Marsch is there, he prefers 4-2-2-2

Meslier
Shackleton Koch Cresswell Struijk
Bate Forshaw
Raphinha James
Rodrigo Gelhardt

Time for Cresswell and Bate to get a chance and the favourites and stalwarts benched finally.

[The Subhuman]

Meslier
Ayling --- Koch ---- Hjelde --- Firpo
Struijk
Raphinha - Dallas - Gelhardt - Rodrigo - James

[Johnboy1965]

Meslier
Ayling Koch Cresswell Firpo
Bate Forshaw
Raphina James
Rodrigo as 10
Gelhardt

[DDB220]

Preferred line up is definitely the topic of the most differing opinions. Once the man to man marking system goes there will be a reset to some degree. My view is that quite a few players really struggled with the man 2 man concept, particularly new signings since we went up.
Therefore, we may see a different side to their game. Very difficult to predict but I doubt there will many changes for the next game, quite frankly there are not a great deal of options. Our inability to score is a big worry and we were still creating a bucket full of chances in a number of games despite the results.
The failure to convert chances cannot be confidently blamed on our tactics. Although confidence and anxiety does affect composure so it may have been a factor. Throwing Gelhardt in now just heaps extra pressure on the lad, he may relish the prospect and thrive, but nevertheless it is huge burden of expectation to throw his way at this stage of the season.

[William]

I dont expect too much from whoever takes off.

He would be crazy to play kids when every game will be a fight for points.

The players haven't been that far off, the system just hasn't worked for us and caused us to leak goals.
There isnt one player who started yesterday I would drop.

[Johnboy1965]

I dont expect too much from whoever takes off.

He would be crazy to play kids when every game will be a fight for points.

The players haven't been that far off, the system just hasn't worked for us and caused us to leak goals.
There isnt one player who started yesterday I would drop.

What about Llorente.?
His form has dropped dramatically of late.

[DDB220]

Need Coops back. There has been a shortage of leadership on the pitch for me. Ayling does not strike me as particularly verbal. Perhaps I am too old school but I want a captain who can deliver a bollocking when necessary as well as an arm round the shoulder.

[DDB220]

What about Llorente.?
His form has dropped dramatically of late.

I think LLorente is a victim of the tactics and loss of confidence as a team. Defenders will always face the most pressure when it starts to go wrong. Struijk has suffered also.

[John in Louisiana]

I dont expect too much from whoever takes off.

He would be crazy to play kids when every game will be a fight for points.

Exactly.

[DDB220]

From a defensive perspective - If and when Cooper is fit I would play him as one of 3 centre backs with Llorente and Struijk.
Dallas, Firpo or Harrison as a wing back and Ayling on the other side.
Main things now is to stay in games and not concede early as we have been doing.
Turgid perhaps - but necessary. Look at set plays and counters to try and score. We have pace and Raph - so for me there is still hope on paper.

[William]

What about Llorente.?
His form has dropped dramatically of late.

Yeah he has struggled with the man to man stuff of late, but I think dropping anyone at this point wouldn't help.

New guy just needs to tweak in my opinion, perhaps using the very popular double pivot to protect the back line.

Hard times ahead but at least it will be interesting

[Cjay]

If Marsch is there, he prefers 4-2-2-2

Meslier
Shackleton Koch Cresswell Struijk
Bate Forshaw
Raphinha James
Rodrigo Gelhardt

Time for Cresswell and Bate to get a chance and the favourites and stalwarts benched finally.

Hasn't done Manure any good.

I am not convinced by this at all, Manure look far far to narrow playing that formation


However I'd go.

Meslier
Dallas, Cresswell, Struijk, Firpo.
Bate, Koch
Raphinha, James
Rodrigo, Gelhardt.

He needs to stop us conceding like we are first a foremost.

If he comes in and fails to do that we will go down still..

[weasel]

Will leave it up to the new manager to decide. The only hope I have is that we get the so called new manager bounce - although has been proven by people who analyse the game it is more a case of several things rather then simply a new manager - in our case it will be a) key players returning from injury, b) correct refereeing decisions, c) our players taking a higher percentage of our chances and the opponents missing occasionally and d) luck evening itself out.

To expand

A) We will be a far stronger team with the likes of KP, Cooper and Bamford being available. KP and Bamford are key to the system, Bamford for pressing from the top (not allowing centrebacks to simply waltz forward against us) and KP for being a one man wall in the centre of our pitch and knowing when to follow a man, when to stay, when to occupy space and also the ability to transform defence into attack with those long range passes of his. Cooper to a lesser degree than those two but I think his importance to the team has been shown during his absence as he is a good organiser, decent reader of the game and like KP has the ability to hit long passes.

B) Poor refereeing decisions have certainly been going against us of late. The 2 most obvious being the penalty v Liverpool when we were playing well and the score was 0-0 (contrast that to Everton not getting a blatant one v City - strnage how the 'best' teams get a lot of calls in their favour) and the penalty not given for the push yesterday. Whilst it may not have changed the final outcome in those matches it would certainly have helped. At 0-0 v Liverpool there was the chance for us to nick a goal and go in front that would have changed the match dramatically. As it was it gave Liverpool the lead and allowed them to play their way. Likely also knocked the stuffing out of our players having played so well to that point. The Spurs one would have given us a lifeline and as shown with the other missed chances the possibility of a remarkable turnaround could have been on.

C) Against Man Utd and Spurs we actually had more shots than the opposition. Against Spurs we had 19 of which only 3 were on target. How many matches did we see in the championship where we lost 1-0 after having 15 to 20 shots and the opposition just having 1 or 2? However over time that sort of anomally can't carry on (albeit our 19 shots are without a striker and Spurs have the clinical Kane and Son). People have been praising the likes of Burnley and Watford for getting a draws against MU but Man U had 22 shots against Burnley and again 22 against Watford. Burnely and Watford didn't produce masterclasses of defending they just benefitted from MU scoring 1 from 44 shots - a statistical anomaly. Man U only had 15 shots against us but were clinical that day scoring 4. For all we deserved to lose against Spurs how different might it have been if Struyjk scored when it was 0-0, if our 2 shots that hit the post had gone in, if Dallas had scored or passed instead of dithering and we'd got a penalty. For all people knock Bielsa's attacking approach you should win more games than you lose if you create more chances than the opposition.

D) Luck - the amount of times we have hit the bar of late. The shot v the bar against Villa to put us 2-0 up, the 2 shots against the bar v Everton at 0-1 and 0-2 and the 2 shots against the post yesterday. The shot by James goes a couple of millimetres lower and we likely win that game. Against Everton one of Rodrigo's shots go in and maybe we get something from the game, similar yesterday if Koch's goes in. While luck can be seen as an excuse it does play a vital role at times.

So hopefully we get the new manager bounce and pull away from the drop zone.

[Orange Box]

That’s a well put together piece weasel, my only comment is that oft-repeated view on how we’ll improve with returning players. I’ve said elsewhere, with Bamford’s reported symptoms he’s not coming back this season, so we have to play with the hand we’ve got CF wise.

[mentalcase]

I can't see the new manager changing en-masse, the young un's won't be thrown in now , it's too risky, he'll simply have a week to analyse what's gone on, no doubt he was approached a week or so ago so will already have seen what is on offer.
He'll be able to see where the youth can fit in, more importantly who's been letting the side down with slack passing and not tracking back, his system will be totally different to MB's so can maybe expect a CF as an outlet ie: someone to hold the ball up front , hopefully a good kick up t' arse for the lot of them, at the end of the day, it's now the players' future on t'line.

[WhiteRose]

One thing is for sure the new guy dosnt have the luxury of time, he can’t come in and try to carry on what Bielsa was doing he needs to quickly implement his style and get some belief back in to the players. A clean sheet at Leicester would do them the world of good.

[Ellandbach]

I personally don't see a problem with throwing some of the "kids" in. They're professional, hungry and fresh. They haven't had a lot of experience of Bielsa's system so adapting to the new system, whatever it might be, might actually allow them to shine and maybe inspire the current first eleven who look broken for all sorts of reasons. I think it's safe to say we're in free fall as it is so they can't really make it any worse. Worth a try and I would happily take some stinky performances if it means we grind out the points we need to stay up. Then, in the summer, do the hard work, recruit and go get revenge on all those who dared annihilate us this season.

[joelufc20]

If he uses his preferred formation I hope it looks like this

Meslier

Ayling
Llorente
Struijk
Firpo

Kock
Forshaw

Raphinha
James

Rodrigo
Gelhardt

Think we need to be a lot more solid and difficult to break down 6 at the back like graham used to.

[Madron]

James to the wing (instead of Jack) with Rodrigo supporting Gelhardt up front is only change I'd want to see to start with .Think they could work really well together. Work Bate into the side slowly.