Pick your team

[Ntini]

So, with what seems to be our full squad in place for the new season, what would be your team for our opener against Grimsby?

--------------------HALSTEAD--------------------
SUTTON---LAVELLE----OLD-----CONLAN
---O'SULLIVAN-----TUTTE----CRANSTON---
---ALESSANDRA--MILLER--STOCKTON---

(If he's fit, Buxton in at RB and Sutton replacing Old)

This season is the one to go Keegan-esque with the mentality 'we'll score one more than you'!

[BerlinWaller]

I would like to see 3 at the back for home games. We need to be far more adventurous at home, really have a go at teams and get the feel good factor going again.

Halsted
Old-Sam-Sutton
Buxton Conlan/Cranston
Tutte Wildig
O'Sullivan
Stockton Miller/Aj/Lewis

Stockton has to be the main striker, the one everyone plays off.

Away from home we have some decent pace to hit teams on the break which has proven successful in previous seasons.

[Redalert1970]

Roche

Sutton Lavelle Old Conlan

Allesandra Cranston Wildig O Sullivan

Stockton Miller

Subs from

Halstead ,Tutte, Ellison, Buxton, Leitch Smith, Howard, Hawley, Kenyon, Jagne, Brewitt, Lynch, Oates, Gomes, Brownsword

Good luck Jim / Ken picking an 18 out of all that

[Keith]

The great thing is, there are very few 'first name on the team sheet' lads in the first team squad. Competition in every position is healthy and good cover for injuries too. Who would you name as a 'definitely starting if available'? Lavelle? Anyone else head & shoulders above the rest?

Everyone has got to be giving it 100% and performing or there will be someone chasing their place, including goalkeeper.

____________Halsted______________
____Sutton___Lavelle_____Old______
Cranston___________________Conlan
_____A-Jay___Wildig___Allesandra___
__________Miller__________________
______________Stockton___________

[Little Shrimp]

I think we're in a completely different position to this time last year. I felt that the recruitment was very targeted towards us playing in a 4-2-3-1 last season. Mandeville as the CAM, another 'target man' (a very different type of target man) in Oswell etc. This season is different in that I don't feel that Jim is necessarily recruiting for a certain system, although I'm sure he has a general style of play in mind.

I don't think we simply have a 'best XI', I think our squad has a variety of different options. A few pros and cons to this in my opinion. Pro obviously is that we've got lots of different options, and if something isn't working then we have the capacity to change things. The main con is obviously that tying down a consistent starting XI may be tricky.

I've only seen the YouTube highlights, but this is generally what I'd say so far:

Halstead
Buxton Lavelle Old Conlan
O'Sullivan Tutte Wildig Alessandra
Stockton/AJ/Miller (any two from those, really not sure who I'd pick and would probably depend on opponent)

I noticed how strong our right hand side looked with Buxton and O'Sullivan in the highlights from earlier this preseason. Alessandra and Oates as another option for both wings means we're quite strong in that area imo. Up front we look strong too, with Alessandra also able to play there and hopefully Mendes Gomes continuing to kick on.

Going to see tomorrow's game so my opinion may change after seeing that! I like some of the back three formations but I'm not sure we have great options at RWB. Also a big fan of 4-3-3, although that could well mean only seeing one out of Stockton/AJ/Miller, which feels a little like a waste of our talented attackers.

I suppose these are good headaches to have!

[redrobo]

So many options that could see some of the youngsters out on loan to maintain there progress.

If we don't finish at least in mid table with that squad then I doubt we ever will.

[mrpotatohead]

We have our strongest squad for years and as far as I'm aware very few injury worries, Keith's team looks about right to me .

[black morse]

I'd be very happy with Little Shrimp's team.

[CityShrimp]

I agree this is surely the best squad we’ve had for 10 years +

Stockton, AJ, Miller, Alessandra, O’Sullivan, Ellison, Oates etc... when’s the last time we went into a season with that kind of firepower up front?

[black morse]

Might be worth that 10/1 top 7 finish this year!

[Castaway]

The great thing is, there are very few 'first name on the team sheet' lads in the first team squad. Competition in every position is healthy and good cover for injuries too. Who would you name as a 'definitely starting if available'? Lavelle? Anyone else head & shoulders above the rest?

Everyone has got to be giving it 100% and performing or there will be someone chasing their place, including goalkeeper.

____________Halsted______________
____Sutton___Lavelle_____Old______
Cranston___________________Conlan
_____A-Jay___Wildig___Allesandra___
__________Miller__________________
______________Stockton___________

I think your team leaves us very exposed through the middle Keith. What would stop an opposition player running through that midfield? Who would get a tackle in?

Here's mine:

-----------------------Halstead---------------------------

Buxton----------Lavelle---Old-------------Conlon

----------------Tutte---------------Wildig---------------

Sulivan---------------Miller-------------------Oates

-------------------------Stockton----------------------------

[Andy D]

4-4-2


--------------Halstead
Buxton - Lavelle - Old - Conlan
Lewis - Sullivan - Brewitt - Cranston
----------Stockton - Smith


Good Summer in the Transfer Market, but I'm not sure with the Full-backs, Buxton lacks pace but Conlan with Cranston near by might work on the left side.

[CityShrimp]

Halstead
Buxton - Lavelle - Old - Conlan
O'Sullivan - Wildig - Tutte - Alessandra
Stockton - Miller

That's my team but it's very difficult to choose!

[Vinny]

Halstead
Buxton - Lavelle - Sutton - Conlon
O'Sullivan - Cranston - Wildig - Alessandra
Stockton - Miller

[Keith]

____________Halsted______________
____Sutton___Lavelle_____Old______
Cranston___________________Conlan
_____A-Jay___Wildig___Allesandra___
__________Miller__________________
______________Stockton___________

I think your team leaves us very exposed through the middle Keith. What would stop an opposition player running through that midfield? Who would get a tackle in?

I think you are right, but it has goals in it. Jim Harvey style, you score two, we'll score three

[Castaway]

Were you at Northwich and Staylebridge mate?!

Joking aside, Jim H's mentally to get the ball down and attack was a joy to watch, at its best.

[BerlinWaller]

It's sad that the days of out and out wingers bombing down the sides are gone. Thommo and Mark Shirley were worth the admission on their own.

[Castaway]

Thommo and Mark Shirley were worth the admission on their own.

Happy memories! Lee Elam (although he used to cut inside) on one wing and Thommo on the other was indeed worth the entrance fee. Loved Shirley too.

[Caton83]

Ian Cain still looks fit enough to play too.

[Westgate Wanderer]

Ian Cain still looks fit enough to play too.

He was too adventurous for Harvey so he's no chance now!

[jbc.shrimp]

The great thing is, there are very few 'first name on the team sheet' lads in the first team squad. Competition in every position is healthy and good cover for injuries too. Who would you name as a 'definitely starting if available'? Lavelle? Anyone else head & shoulders above the rest?

Everyone has got to be giving it 100% and performing or there will be someone chasing their place, including goalkeeper.

____________Halsted______________
____Sutton___Lavelle_____Old______
Cranston___________________Conlan
_____A-Jay___Wildig___Allesandra___
__________Miller__________________
______________Stockton___________

I don't think Keith's is too far out, but not knowing about A.J.s fitness, I would replace him with Howard, and instead of Shaun Miller I'd go with Kyle Hawley.

[mrpotatohead]

Interesting post from last July, not one person including Mendes Gomes in their team to start!

[marky No.1]

Npt many knew who he was last July

[Gone_Shrimping]

Some of the comments haven't stood the test of time very well.

It turned out to be one of the worst squads we have had for a long time. No pace , no goalscorers , unbalanced , too big.

We were going down faster than the Titanic up till the change of manager and he still has a lot of work to do to arrest our slide.

If we hold our position as I think we will do then close season will be very interesting.

Did anyone watch Ross County v Rangers yesterday. It was very much like watching Morecambe playing one of the big clubs in our league. They played well but were beaten by a deflected goal.