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Team for first game of season?


Globetrotter

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It's dull on here at the moment so let's try and predict team for first game of the season. Think Jose and Cedric will still need a week or two by then so I'll go with:

 

Fraser

Cuco/newbie, Stephens, VVD, Bertrand

Romeu, Davo/newbie, Clasie

Redmond, Long, Tadic

 

Subs: Gazza, Yoshi, Targett*, Reed*, JWP, J-Rod, Austin

 

(Displaced by Cuco/Davo as applicable)

 

Jack Stephens is my wildcard entry ;-)

 

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It's dull on here at the moment so let's try and predict team for first game of the season. Think Jose and Cedric will still need a week or two by then so I'll go with:

 

Fraser

Cuco/newbie, Stephens, VVD, Bertrand

Romeu, Davo/newbie, Clasie

Redmond, Long, Tadic

 

Subs: Gazza, Yoshi, Targett*, Reed*, JWP, J-Rod, Austin

 

(Displaced by Cuco/Davo as applicable)

 

Jack Stephens is my wildcard entry ;-)

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

 

Ooh difficult to say, when are José and Cedric due to report back?

I saw in L'Equipe that Utd have recalled all of their remaining Euro players for today, even those that made the final.

I'd not want to start the real nitty gritty with Stephens, neither will Claude.

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Yeh probably unlikely, just wonder if Claude would want to make a positive statement about youth early on, and no real gaps elsewhere for Reed etc. Stephens could possibly right-hand... and with a view to second game, he did pretty well at Old Trafford last year in midfield for Middlesbrough...

 

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If Fonte couldn't play I am fairly certain Maya would (rightly) be picked ahead of Stephens.

 

If we play this two strikers and one behind 4-3-3 it will be interesting to see if Tadic and Redmond feature in the same team very often.

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God knows at this stage. Still time to impress Puel.

 

My team depending on fitness:

 

Forster, Cedric, Fonte, VVD, Bertrand, Clasie, Hojbjerg, Davis, Redmond, Tadic, Long.

 

Subs: Gazzaniga, Martina, Yoshida, Romeu, JWP, Austin, JRod.

 

But I suspect it very much won't be that...

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------------------Forster----------------

 

Cedric-----Fonte-----VVD-----Bertrand

 

-----------------Romeu-----------------

 

---------JWP--------------Davis--------

 

-----------------Tadic-------------------

 

----Austin--------------------Long-----

 

 

Bench: Gazza, Yoshida, Targett, Hojberg, Clasie, Redmond, J-Rod

 

Maybe J-Rod or Redmond for Austin, maybe Clasie for Davis. Doubt we'll start Hojbjerg straight away, probably see him coming on as a sub.

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Is Stephens better than Gardos??

Arguably, but certainly while Gardos is injured.

I would expect: Forster, Cedric, Fonte, VVD, Bertrand, Clasie, Romeu, Davis, Redmond, Tadic, Long

Subs, Gazza (or new GK), Stephens, Yoshida, Targett, Hojbjerg, Austin, JRod

 

[using this site at the moment is absolute ****]

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Ooh difficult to say, when are José and Cedric due to report back?

I saw in L'Equipe that Utd have recalled all of their remaining Euro players for today, even those that made the final.

I'd not want to start the real nitty gritty with Stephens, neither will Claude.

 

Probably because Morgan didn't get a minute on the pitch and Martial didn't get many minutes whereas Cedric and Fonte played 4 games on the trot some going 120 minutes!

 

They'll probably be back after Holland.

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A bit off topic, but any word on shirt numbers?

Seems Austin is wearing 10, Redmond 22, and Targett 23. Hojbjerg is currently wearing 5, but I'm sure Gardos will keep 5.

Will Forster wear 1?

I know numbers are not that important. Just curious what everyone else was thinking.

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I thought Puel was a 4-3-3 guy.

 

------------Forster----------

Cedric-Fonte-VvD-Bertrand

-Clasie--Romeu--Hojbjerg-

-Redmond---Long---Tadic-

 

maybe Davis for Hojbjerg...

 

If the players don't trip over each other then that looks great. proper competition let alone cover for some of those position's.

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I thought Puel was a 4-3-3 guy.

 

------------Forster----------

Cedric-Fonte-VvD-Bertrand

-Clasie--Romeu--Hojbjerg-

-Redmond---Long---Tadic-

 

maybe Davis for Hojbjerg...

 

If the players don't trip over each other then that looks great. proper competition let alone cover for some of those position's.
Kind of what I was thinking..

 

second Starting XI being...

 

----Gazzaniga (new GK) -----

Martina--Yoshi-Gardos-Targett

-----JWP----Reed----Davis----

????--------Austin-----JRod---

 

Would be nice to get another quality winger (£16+)... That would give us more flexibility to maybe play Tadic in the 10 position now and then, but I am not sure how completely comfortable he is with that, even though you think he would be a natural. Always though Clasie had the chance to move in to the 10, not sure he has been given the opportunity or even wants it.

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So far only one person in this thread has picked a team using the formation Puel has used with the senior players in the first half of both friendlies...

 

------------------Forster----------------

 

Cedric-----Fonte-----VVD-----Bertrand

 

-----------------Romeu-----------------

 

---------JWP--------------Davis--------

 

-----------------Tadic-------------------

 

----Austin--------------------Long-----

 

 

Bench: Gazza, Yoshida, Targett, Hojberg, Clasie, Redmond, J-Rod

 

Maybe J-Rod or Redmond for Austin, maybe Clasie for Davis. Doubt we'll start Hojbjerg straight away, probably see him coming on as a sub.

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Hopefully the likes of Fonte/Cedric will be ok for first game of the season. Wouldn't like to go into it without Fonte in particular.

 

Forster

Cedric Fonte VVD Bertrand

Romeu Clasie Davis

Redmond Long Tadic

 

Subs, Gazza, Stephens(though likely to be Yoshi), Hojberg, Jrod, Austin, JWP, Targett

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The back 5 pick themselves : Forster, Soares, Fonte, VVD, Bertrand

The front 2 pick themselves : Long, Austin. I have my doubts about J-Rod making it back

The competition for the middle 4 looks tasty. Claisie, Hojberg, Davis, JWP, Romeu, Redmond, Tadic. Thats going to end in tears for a couple...

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So far only one person in this thread has picked a team using the formation Puel has used with the senior players in the first half of both friendlies...

 

Seeing the strikers fan out and mark full backs when we were out of possession was a painful experience in both games.

 

But it was good to see two players in the box when the crosses came in each time.

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------------------Forster----------------

 

Cedric-----Fonte-----VVD-----Bertrand

 

-----------------Romeu-----------------

 

---------JWP--------------Davis--------

 

-----------------Tadic-------------------

 

----Austin--------------------Long-----

 

 

Bench: Gazza, Yoshida, Targett, Hojberg, Clasie, Redmond, J-Rod

 

Maybe J-Rod or Redmond for Austin, maybe Clasie for Davis. Doubt we'll start Hojbjerg straight away, probably see him coming on as a sub.

 

I think this team for me, I really want to see JWP ush on this season and make a claim for MVP, I really think he will be the one to benefit of the supposed focus on academy.

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For me, if we play a formation with a central striker then Austin needs to be in, like the 3-5-2 everyone is talking about. Long is great, but his strength is getting into open space and using his quickness and pace. Austin is the only "in the box" guy we have, who is a threat in the air, can get the dirty goals in the box, and hold the ball up (like he did on his assist for Redmond's first goal Saturday). I've always though him and Long would be a good complement to each other.

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Not convinced by Tadic central, he seems to lose his impact a bit. He was brilliant left wing. He's suffered with our formation changes before and never fitted anywhere in the 3-5-2 or 3-4-3.

 

Also, while 2 up front might be a nice change, I think we'll need another striker. If we're going 2 up front keeping Pelle would have made more sense. I assume we have a good signing lined up, as our best 2 up front last season was Long and Mane.

 

Against teams that will sit back more I'd play 2 up but with one dropping back a bit while defending, then revert to the 3 CMs against the bigger teams

 

-----------Forster------------

Cedric--Fonte--VVD--Bertrand

Redmond-Romeu-Pierre--Tadic

-----------Long---------------

----------Austin--------------

 

Subs GK, Targett, Yoshida, Clasie, JWP, Davis, Rodriguez

 

Against the bigger teams/away from home

 

----------Forster-----------

Cedric-Fonte-VVD-Betrand

-------Romeu-Pierre-------

Redmond--Davis--Tadic---

------------Long------------

 

Subs GK, Targett, Yoshida, Clasie, JWP, Austin, Rodriguez

 

Pacey versatile wide man option and 2nd choice GK still very much needed before the window closes.

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Most will pick a team that includes their favourites and excludes their own scapegoats. No doubt we mostly agree on the on-paper best starting XI but this close season has produced its own uncertainties because of Euro 16 and our manager swap in the midst of it so picking a starting XI for the first PL game will be a massive headache for Puel. Worryingly for him he has not seen 6 of the club's automatic first choices in serious match action so what does he do, take a flyer or be cautious? After all he too will be out to impress Les Reed and the Board and get off to a flying start, 3 points from the Watford game are pretty much a requirement of his job.

 

Those are the questions. Were it me, I'd take a risk on the returning 6 doing their job, Watford is as good as a six-pointer bearing in mind the tough start we have and we cannot afford to stuff it up.

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