General Current side

[TeamOX]

After the (understandable) persistent posts regarding our unbalanced squad and ‘square pegs in round holes comments’.

I’m interested to see what people would say is our current best side- taking into consideration current fitness/form. Looking for your own personal best side, what you would select. I have thought about this and must admit doesn’t come easy. But I guess I must go first. So if we were to play tomorrow:

McGinty
Long Mousinho Findlay Brown
McGuane
Brannagan Bate
Goodrham Browne
Joseph

If I knew Anderson and Gorrin were fit they would come straight in. Bate for Gorrin and Anderson for Mous and Long to CB. I would be massively pro Gorrin being in the side if I knew he was capable from a fitness POV. I feel pushing Brannagan and McGuane as far up the pitch as possible with Gorrin in behind completely transforms this team.
Also note 4-3-3 formation. I do think the back 3 offers us more solidity, however the formation completely falls down for me because we do not have the required wing backs. So I do not see it as an option right now. This could of course change if Anderson comes into the side and impresses. But I would be shoehorning Seddon in on the other side, because in no way do I think he should be starting for us.

Obvious weaknesses in this team for me. Mousinho in a back four would worry me,but prefer him over the option of playing Seddon and then Brown at CB. Don’t think either Brown or Findlay would be comfortable on the right side. Also, going for Goodrham over Henry because he brings more pace to the side and he has generally impressed me in his Cameos. Henry could be seen as a safer option- as could Bodin. But personally feel like neither have offered enough this season and much prefer Bodin more centrally in the ‘10’.
Henry vs Bate was a close call. But feel as though Bate offers more energy and balance as a left footer.

Overriding feeling is that this side struggles to be anything other than mediocre in league one. Must stress this is based on who I believe to be available if we were to play today/tomorrow.

Thoughts? Interested to see you ideas.

 

[TeamOX]

This thread has really sparked debate..

 

[CCYellow]

This thread has really sparked debate..

Robinson out!!

There, that should do it

 

[holdsteady]

Best team of players who I think are fit to play now, harsh on Mousinho but not sure he can play in a back four and every week. Don’t know much about McGinty, Smyth and Jones but at least they allow us to play a side that makes sense.

 

[holdsteady]

After the (understandable) persistent posts regarding our unbalanced squad and ‘square pegs in round holes comments’.

I’m interested to see what people would say is our current best side- taking into consideration current fitness/form. Looking for your own personal best side, what you would select. I have thought about this and must admit doesn’t come easy. But I guess I must go first. So if we were to play tomorrow:

McGinty
Long Mousinho Findlay Brown
McGuane
Brannagan Bate
Goodrham Browne
Joseph

If I knew Anderson and Gorrin were fit they would come straight in. Bate for Gorrin and Anderson for Mous and Long to CB. I would be massively pro Gorrin being in the side if I knew he was capable from a fitness POV. I feel pushing Brannagan and McGuane as far up the pitch as possible with Gorrin in behind completely transforms this team.
Also note 4-3-3 formation. I do think the back 3 offers us more solidity, however the formation completely falls down for me because we do not have the required wing backs. So I do not see it as an option right now. This could of course change if Anderson comes into the side and impresses. But I would be shoehorning Seddon in on the other side, because in no way do I think he should be starting for us.

Obvious weaknesses in this team for me. Mousinho in a back four would worry me,but prefer him over the option of playing Seddon and then Brown at CB. Don’t think either Brown or Findlay would be comfortable on the right side. Also, going for Goodrham over Henry because he brings more pace to the side and he has generally impressed me in his Cameos. Henry could be seen as a safer option- as could Bodin. But personally feel like neither have offered enough this season and much prefer Bodin more centrally in the ‘10’.
Henry vs Bate was a close call. But feel as though Bate offers more energy and balance as a left footer.

Overriding feeling is that this side struggles to be anything other than mediocre in league one. Must stress this is based on who I believe to be available if we were to play today/tomorrow.

Thoughts? Interested to see you ideas.

It’s not easy to pick a decent team out of what we have available, but then trying to pick one when everyone is fit isn’t that easy with all the weaknesses in certain positions.

 

[Marked Ox]

Robinson out!!

There, that should do it

Horton out!

 

[SteMerritt]

Horton out!

Careful, you'll have this lot after you...

 

[TeamOX]

It’s not easy to pick a decent team out of what we have available, but then trying to pick one when everyone is fit isn’t that easy with all the weaknesses in certain positions.

Totally agree. Hence the reason for the thread. Interested to see what people would do.

 

[WuTang]

Best team of players who I think are fit to play now, harsh on Mousinho but not sure he can play in a back four and every week. Don’t know much about McGinty, Smyth and Jones but at least they allow us to play a side that makes sense.
View attachment 10281

Players... playing... in their actual... positions

 

[Marked Ox]

Careful, you'll have this lot after you...

That is quite a queue forming for Brian considering they want THE Horton.

 

[holdsteady]

Totally agree. Hence the reason for the thread. Interested to see what people would do.

Here is my go at one of everyone is fit, not certain it works but wanted two up front so Wildschut (whose brief cameo at Wimbledon I saw and liked) misses out because I don’t know enough about him yet, ditto Anderson.

They will never all be fit together though.

 

[Isle of Wight Yellow]

Current fitness: (I have no idea what the best side is when everyone is fit as I don’t know how good half of them are!)

4-3-3:

McGinty
Long Mousinho Findlay Brown
McGuane
Brannagan Bate
??? Joseph Browne
​

3-5-2:

McGinty
Long Mousinho Brown
Anderson C.Bran McGuane Bate Seddon
Joseph Browne
​

(Basically, we need to get a right winger fit ASAP, or Anderson, or have Seddon regain form…)

 

[Oxford1996]

McGinty
Anderson Moore Findlay LB?
Murphy McGuane Brannagan Wildschut
Browne Baldock​

 

[oufc1991]

McGinty
Long Moore Findlay brown
Brannagan Mcguane
Murphy Browne wildschut
Baldock

 

[holdsteady]

Current fitness: (I have no idea what the best side is when everyone is fit as I don’t know how good half of them are!)

4-3-3:

McGinty
Long Mousinho Findlay Brown
McGuane
Brannagan Bate
??? Joseph Browne
​

3-5-2:

McGinty
Long Mousinho Brown
Anderson C.Bran McGuane Bate Seddon
Joseph Browne
​

(Basically, we need to get a right winger fit ASAP, or Anderson, or have Seddon regain form…)

We do have a fit right winger (I think) but Robinson won’t play him.

 

[TeamOX]

Surely we need to see Gorrin re-instated to the side to free up CB and MM? They are both completed wasted spending the majority of the matches collecting and then distributing the ball back to our defenders.

Id like to see-
Eastwood
Long Moore Findlay Brown
Gorrin
McGuane Brannagan
Henry (?) Browne
Taylor

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Of course, the discussion point is 'McGuane has been our best player when at CDM. Is that because his form/fitness has improved or does he need that extra few seconds he gets in that position as opposed to playing further forward?'

I don't know the answer to that, but I think you are right to say that we ought to play Gorrin in his proper position (rather than in front of McGuane, which was daft) to at least see what happens. There seems to be very little creativity further forward, linking the midfield and the striker(s) and McGuane could certainly help. Also Gorrin is a better tackler than McGuane, which might help plug that gap that seems to appear just in front of our central defence so often. What is the worst that can happen? We lose? That's happening anyway. Let's try putting players in their proper positions.

Mind you, I still have doubts about Gorrin's fitness to do 90 minutes, so it may be a moot point.

 

[Berliner]

With Gorrin we are automatically on the back foot when we are already struggling to create and score goals. This is also due to the fact that neither Findlay nor Moore are capable or willing to take the ball further out and stand further upfield like McNally and Dickie used to do.

Will Gorrin solve this in his current form? I don't know. What I do know is playing a suspect keeper who can't play with his feet behind four centre backs across a back four, leaving both the defence caught square time and again, a gaping hole between midfield and defence, having little energy in the overlap and not being able to counter attack with pace, thus isolating an out of form one or two up front is not the answer.

If I were to combine form with the need to shake things up, I'd personally play the following

McGinty
Anderson Mousinho Moore Brown
Jones McGuane Brannagan Henry
Browne
Taylor

 

[holdsteady]

With Gorrin we are automatically on the back foot when we are already struggling to create and score goals. This is also due to the fact that neither Findlay nor Moore are capable or willing to take the ball further out and stand further upfield like McNally and Dickie used to do.

Will Gorrin solve this in his current form? I don't know. What I do know is playing a suspect keeper who can't play with his feet behind four centre backs across a back four, leaving both the defence caught square time and again, a gaping hole between midfield and defence, having little energy in the overlap and not being able to counter attack with pace, thus isolating an out of form one or two up front is not the answer.

If I were to combine form with the need to shake things up, I'd personally play the following

McGinty
Anderson Mousinho Moore Brown
Jones McGuane Brannagan Henry
Browne
Taylor

James Henry on the left wing?

Murphy will hopefully be close to starting soon which will at least give us a bit more going forward, we are desperate if Henry as a left winger is being suggested though.

 

[TeamOX]

With Gorrin we are automatically on the back foot when we are already struggling to create and score goals. This is also due to the fact that neither Findlay nor Moore are capable or willing to take the ball further out and stand further upfield like McNally and Dickie used to do.

Will Gorrin solve this in his current form? I don't know. What I do know is playing a suspect keeper who can't play with his feet behind four centre backs across a back four, leaving both the defence caught square time and again, a gaping hole between midfield and defence, having little energy in the overlap and not being able to counter attack with pace, thus isolating an out of form one or two up front is not the answer.

If I were to combine form with the need to shake things up, I'd personally play the following

McGinty
Anderson Mousinho Moore Brown
Jones McGuane Brannagan Henry
Browne
Taylor

I’m sorry but from what I have seen of Anderson so far he should be nowhere near the team (will be very happy to be proven wrong)

 

[RyanioBirdio]

If I were to combine form with the need to shake things up, I'd personally play the following

McGinty
Anderson Mousinho Moore Brown
Jones McGuane Brannagan Henry
Browne
Taylor

Mousinho can’t play in a back four. His legs have gone too much for that to be an option. He says that himself - not my opinion, his opinion. That’s why we went to a back three, so he could sit in the middle, and even then he couldn’t play twice a week and needed extra recovery time. He is 36 and stopped playing regularly nearly three years ago. He can’t get his conditioning back at this point.

I love the guy and the fact that he came in for a few games and won player of the month is simultaneously a credit to him as well as a damning indictment of his team mates and their own performance levels, but he physically cannot play regular professional football anymore. Especially in a four.

That he has played a handful of games and looked our best defender is such a dreadful reflection of where we find ourselves. The squad is in bits.

 

[Berliner]

Mousinho can’t play in a back four. His legs have gone too much for that to be an option. He says that himself - not my opinion, his opinion. That’s why we went to a back three, so he could sit in the middle, and even then he couldn’t play twice a week and needed extra recovery time. He is 36 and stopped playing regularly nearly three years ago. He can’t get his conditioning back at this point.

I love the guy and the fact that he came in for a few games and won player of the month is simultaneously a credit to him as well as a damning indictment of his team mates and their own performance levels, but he physically cannot play regular professional football anymore. Especially in a four.

That he has played a handful of games and looked our best defender is such a dreadful reflection of where we find ourselves. The squad is in bits.

Fine, Findlay then...thank God we have enough options there, just like everywhere else on the pitch.
Right...?

Basically, Henry is in there because I don't want Browne or Bodin there, as they should be used elsewhere (former) or not at all (latter). I admit it is a square peg in a round hole and I wanted to avoid that if at all possible.

Anderson and Jones I am prepared to give a go because Long is consistently awful and they showed at least a bit of vim against Chelsea. After which they were both binned off entirely against Wycombe.

Hard life being a football manager eh?

 

[southcoastyellow]

I’m sorry but from what I have seen of Anderson so far he should be nowhere near the team (will be very happy to be proven wrong)

I’ve not seen him play , but a very worrying sign if this is the case, who is making the decision on these players (Jones, smyth) etc??

 

[werthersoriginal]

I’m sorry but from what I have seen of Anderson so far he should be nowhere near the team (will be very happy to be proven wrong)

He played that Chelsea game and did well I thought. Has he played any other matches?

 

[Isle of Wight Yellow]

I’m not sure why Browne is suddenly considered not to be a choice at left wing. I thought he’s done well there recently over the last couple of games, certainly a lot better than when he was looking lost centrally earlier in the season.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

I’m not sure why Browne is suddenly considered not to be a choice at left wing. I thought he’s done well there recently over the last couple of games, certainly a lot better than when he was looking lost centrally earlier in the season.

I’m pretty convinced personally that his best position is on the left, where he can either get 1v1 or where teams doubling up on him creates space for others inside. I think putting him centrally at 10 or as a striker nullifies him. Virtually every game I’ve ever seen him shine in has been when he’s been on the wing.

 

[Oxford1996]

I’d like to see Saturday:

3-4-3

McGinty
Long Moore Findlay
Anderson McGuane Brannagan Seddon
Jones Browne Murphy​

 

[werthersoriginal]

I’m pretty convinced personally that his best position is on the left, where he can either get 1v1 or where teams doubling up on him creates space for others inside. I think putting him centrally at 10 or as a striker nullifies him. Virtually every game I’ve ever seen him shine in has been when he’s been on the wing.

TBH I didn't think he really shone on Saturday, we need more from him. But I'd say he is a winger or wide attacker.

 

[TeamOX]

He played that Chelsea game and did well I thought. Has he played any other matches?

Only a very brief cameo VS Plymouth off the bench.