Starting Eleven 24/25 Season

[Raziel]

This is true, I hope you're right and we get there. It's also true that when the bigger games roll around we'll see a team made up of more or less what Ange will see as our strongest 11. I think a conversation around what that team will be is worth having.

Starting yes, but Ange likes subs for "high energy" roles

Honestly the back 5 is pretty set, with Dragusin being the obvious rotation/cover
Fully fit, it it's current version (unless incoming), Front line is similar -> Son, Richi, Johnson, with Werner/Deki as options

Midfield is where Ange needs to work -> Maddison, Bergvall, Bentancur, Sarr, Bissouma, Gray, maybe one of Skipp, PEH, GLC

 

[Grays_1890]

Absolutely no chance I would play Romero in midfield or MVDV as a LB, they are our best CBs by miles and one of the best pairings in the league, no chance I break that up.

Drag will get many a chance, I think come end of the season he will have played 20+ times given the nature of the game.

 

[Jurgen the German]

For a 21 year old having his first season at the club and in this league he did brilliantly imo. Having no real options for him probably hurt him as much as it did us in the second half of the season. And even though he wasn't as good as he was in the first half of the season the drop off to Davies and then Royal was clear as day.

It was his effort or lack of it when tracking back that really disappointed not his performances. Always been a bug bear of mine when a full back ambles back and doesn’t run.

 

[Yiddo]

Why do people on here insist on playing people out of position? It really doesn’t make sense to me at all. Romero in CM is not going to happen.

 

[Lemonade Money]

Vicario

Porro......Romero......VdV......Udogie
(Dragusin)(Dragusin)(Davies)(VdV)

Sarr......Bentancur
(Gray)(Bissouma)

Johnson...Maddison...Eze
(Kulusevski)(Bergvall)(Werner)

Richarlison
(Son)​

 

[Gutter Boy]

Vicario

Porro......Romero......VdV......Udogie
(Dragusin)(Dragusin)(Davies)(VdV)

Sarr......Bentancur
(Gray)(Bissouma)

Johnson...Maddison...Eze
(Kulusevski)(Eze)(Werner)

Richarlison
(Son)​

I think it might be Doue instead of Eze (we're not going to pay big upfront for someone that age, i.e. no sell on after the end of his likely contract). But otherwise agree.

I do wonder if we might also release Davies and go for a specialist attacking LB. With one of Philips or Dorrington not going on loan.

 

[P.D.]

Im not sure if any of Romero, Bentancur or van de Ven will make the first week because of their international committments/now needing a legally mandated 3-4 week break. But ignoring that, id reckon

‐‐---‐------------Vicario
Porro----Romero----vdV---Udogie
‐-‐---------Sarr-----Bissouma
---‐--------------Maddison
Johnson-----Richarlison-----Son

No one we sign in the next 5 weeks is going to be influencing the starting 11 for a month or so. So its just a Biss vs Bentancur and a Johnson vs Kulu call

That's probably the starting 11 for the first game but I hope there's some improvements to come, need a new striker, winger and better options in cm (maybe Grey later on in the season).

 

[Yiddo]

I just hope Ange gets at least another season before people get on his back. A Europa league win would be outstanding and definitely doable.

 

[Raziel]

I just hope Ange gets at least another season before people get on his back. A Europa league win would be outstanding and definitely doable.

fudging idiots won't ..

Even if we do 5th again but improve (cut down the GA, get better in final third, get further in cups), he's worth giving more time.

 

[alekaras]

I doubt we will be looking at a line up with Romero at CM and VDV at LB or RB

With VdV at RB probably. But I think Romero at DM with Dragusin and VdV behind him would be a pretty solid setup. Bissouma's defensive awareness still leaves a lot to be desired and the other alternatives would be Skipp and Gray. As I mentioned in the Archie thread, he might be the one that makes that position his, but I'm just spitballing here.

 

[Bullet]

It was his effort or lack of it when tracking back that really disappointed not his performances. Always been a bug bear of mine when a full back ambles back and doesn’t run.

Maybe that was the instruction at the time e.g. if Udogie had played too much and was near the red line and carrying a couple of knocks, get him to push all the way up the pitch like a forward and impact the game BUT use someone else to fill in his space.
A bug bear of mine is expecting full backs to be both furthest forwards AND furthest back.

 

[Bullet]

We must get away from the notion of a first eleven and then everyone else being below that.
I know the OP phrased it as 'starting eleven' but we must get to a point where it doesn't matter i.e. all options are just as strong as each other and we can use horses for courses e.g. if we need speed or power or dribbling.

In general I want to see FIT and ENERGISED players e.g. I might think player A is better than player B in general, but if player A is tired and hobbling and player B is fully fit and raring to go then I'd rather see him whilst player A gets fit.

Gray is an extremely good player and will be looking to get involved right away, after a great season in the Championship.
Ditto Bergvall, the guy is a real talent; in the UEFA League we will come up against loads of overseas (non-Prem) players from smaller clubs like Rennes, Ghent etc. who will do a brilliant job against us, so there is no reason Bergvall cannot do a brilliant job for us.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I think it might be Doue instead of Eze (we're not going to pay big upfront for someone that age, i.e. no sell on after the end of his likely contract). But otherwise agree.

I do wonder if we might also release Davies and go for a specialist attacking LB. With one of Philips or Dorrington not going on loan.

Why does it matter how much we pay up front when the fee is the same?
That’s just cash flow

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Why do people on here insist on playing people out of position? It really doesn’t make sense to me at all. Romero in CM is not going to happen.

Something to talk about I assume

 

[Gutter Boy]

Why does it matter how much we pay up front when the fee is the same?
That’s just cash flow

And all the new PSR/FFP issues. Paying £60m now is very different to pating £15m over 4 years. It binds our hands on any other business we might want to do.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

And all the new PSR/FFP issues. Paying £60m now is very different to pating £15m over 4 years. It binds our hands on any other business we might want to do.

No it doesn’t
It’s all amortised the same way
Over 5 years as per the agreed rules

 

[Jurgen the German]

fudging idiots won't ..

Even if we do 5th again but improve (cut down the GA, get better in final third, get further in cups), he's worth giving more time.

No way Levy gives him another season if we finish 5th. People act like our fans are the problem but they aren’t the ones sacking the managers.

 

[Bullet]

I think it's relevant to remember just how good our players are WHEN ON FORM.
We've seen a really poor side to many of them, when they are off form for whatever reason (injury, fear, mental, whatever).
But just look how good they can be

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812855576818278647

 

[SpurMeUp]

I think it's relevant to remember just how good our players are WHEN ON FORM.
We've seen a really poor side to many of them, when they are off form for whatever reason (injury, fear, mental, whatever).
But just look how good they can be

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812855576818278647

He definitely wasn’t himself after AFCON. But he is also not consistent enough. One of those players who’s always going to frustrate a little because you know the talent is there. Some games he’s a world beater. Others he can look lost on the pitch. In his zone he’s amazing.

 

[parklane1]

He definitely wasn’t himself after AFCON. But he is also not consistent enough. One of those players who’s always going to frustrate a little because you know the talent is there. Some games he’s a world beater. Others he can look lost on the pitch. In his zone he’s amazing.

My thoughts as well, 28 in a couple of weeks and has always been a hit and miss player [ and i do not think that will change]. He was the same at Brighton.