What is your SFC first XI of choice...

You're the manager, everyone is fit and raring to go, your formation/system has been implemented in pre-season successfully, and there are no more incoming transfers. Using the current SFC squad, what is your best/favourite XI, formation and tactic to start against Burnley?

For me, I'd be playing a 4-1-2-2 (a kind of elongated 4-3-3) with a back 4, one holding midfielder that can drop back into centre back if a full back bombs up field (Which in a perfect world would be more like Wanyama than Romeu but there we are), two box to box central midfielders, two wider players and a striker.

Team would be:

---------------------McCarthy----------------------

Cedric-----Vestergaard-----Yoshida-----Bertrand

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

------------Armstrong-----Lemina-----------------

-----Elyounoussi----------------Gabbiadini--------

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

McCarthy gets the nod over Gunn purely as he won POTS last season and deserves to at least keep his spot for a bit. Tactic - press them high up the pitch a la Pochettino, and counter attack quickly.

(But then all this is why I'm not a Football Manager. And do poorly playing Football Manager.)

---------------------------------------------Gunn------------------------------------------------------

Cedric----------------------------Yoshi---------------------Vestergaard-----------------------Bertrand

-------------------Armstrong------------------Romeu-----------------------------------Hoijburg-----------

-------------------Redmond--------------------Austin----------------------------------Ely----------------

McCarthy/Gunn

Cedric Yoshida Vestergard Bertrand

Romeu

Redmond Armstrong Lemina Elyounoussi

Austin/Gabbi

Mccarthy

Cedric, Yoshi, Vestergaard, Bertrand

Lemina, Armstrong, Romeu

Redmond, Austin, Ely

You're the manager, everyone is fit and raring to go, your formation/system has been implemented in pre-season successfully, and there are no more incoming transfers. Using the current SFC squad, what is your best/favourite XI, formation and tactic to start against Burnley?

 

For me, I'd be playing a 4-1-2-2 (a kind of elongated 4-3-3) with a back 4, one holding midfielder that can drop back into centre back if a full back bombs up field (Which in a perfect world would be more like Wanyama than Romeu but there we are), two box to box central midfielders, two wider players and a striker.

 

Team would be:

 

---------------------McCarthy----------------------

 

Cedric-----Vestergaard-----Yoshida-----Bertrand

 

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

 

------------Armstrong-----Lemina-----------------

 

-----Elyounoussi----------------Gabbiadini--------

 

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

 

McCarthy gets the nod over Gunn purely as he won POTS last season and deserves to at least keep his spot for a bit. Tactic - press them high up the pitch a la Pochettino, and counter attack quickly.

 

(But then all this is why I'm not a Football Manager. And do poorly playing Football Manager.)

Quite like that team but feel there's a place for Hoijburg and Redmond, i like the back four. I cant see Hughes scrapping the 3 at the back from all the pre-season friendlies played even tho i think we are better with 4-4-2. I also think Gunn will be in sooner than later.

We will see..

Gunn

Cedric Vestergaard Hoedt Bertrand

Lemina Hojbjeg

Elyounossi Armstrong Redmond

Austin.

McCarthy

Cedric Vestergaard Yoshida Bertrand

Lemina Romeu

Sims Armstrong Elyounoussi

Austin

Would consider trying Gabbiadini in place of Sims, Elyounoussi or Austin though.

Can't criticise SNSUN's line up ... but for me you can't beat 4-2-3-1

Team would be:

---------------------McCarthy----------------------

Cedric-----Yoshida (RF) ----Vestergaard (LF)-----Bertrand

-------------Lemina----------Romeu-----------------------

Elynoussi -------Armstrong-----Gabbiadini ------

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

However, MH seems determined to go with 3 CB, so :

Team would be:

---------------------McCarthy----------------------

Bednarek (RF) -----Yoshida ----Vestergaard (LF)

Cedric ---------------------------------------------Bertrand

--------Lemina/Romeu ------------------

------- Elynoussi -------Armstrong -------

------------Austin------ Gabbiadini ------------

Backup 11:

Gunn

Reed

Targett

Stephens

Hoedt

Hoejberg

Ward-Prowse

Sims

Redmond

Long

Gallagher

Wondering what Redmond has done over the summer to justify getting selected by many, given that he has been utter gash during his time at the club.....

Last year people were moaning on and on about switching to a back 3 and playing 2 up top. Now we are actually doing it everyone wants a flat 4 and 1 striker.

---------------------McCarthy----------------------

------Hoedt-----------VG----------Yoshi------------

Cedric -------------------------------------Bertrand

--------Lemina-----Romeu ------Armstrong------------

---------------------Gabbi-------------------------------

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

Gunn

Cedric - Yoshida - Vestergaard - Bertrand

Romeu - PEH

Redmond - Armstrong - Elyounoussi

Gabbi

Redmond makes it in there because of our lack of quality at attacking midfielders.

---------------------McCarthy----------------------

Cedric-----Vestergaard-----Yoshida-----Bertrand

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

------------Armstrong-----Lemina-----------------

-----Elyounoussi-------------------Sims-----------

-----------------------Gabbi------------------------

---------------------McCarthy----------------------

------Hoedt-----------VG----------Yoshi------------

Cedric -------------------------------------Bertrand

--------Lemina-----Romeu ------Armstrong------------

---------------------Gabbi-------------------------------

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

Yuk.

I would go for a change of formation back to 4231

---------------------McCarthy----------------------

Cedric-----Yoshida----------Vestergaard -----Bertrand

-------------Lemina----------Romeu-----------------------

--- Ward Prowse------Armstrong-----Elynoussi ------

------------------------ Gabbie ------------------------

4-2-3-1

.......,,,,,,,,,,.......McCarthy

Cédric-Yoshida-Vestergaard-Bertrand

...,,.....,,,,,,,,,Romeu-Lemina

........Redmond-Armstrong-Moi

................,,,,,,,.Gabbiadini

Shame we haven’t got an upgrade on Redmond and I fee we could improve at right back too

--------------------Mccarthy--------------------

Cedric----Vestergaard----Yoshida----Bertrand

--------------Romeu----Hojberg----------------

----Redmond----Armstrong---Elyounoussi----

------------------Gallagher---------------------

Gunn

Cedric - Yoshida - Vestergaard - Bertrand

Romeu - PEH

Redmond - Armstrong - Elyounoussi

Gabbi

 

Redmond makes it in there because of our lack of quality at attacking midfielders.

quite like this except..switch out Lemini with PEH.

----------------Gunn-------------------

Cedric-Yoshida-Vestergaard-Bertrand

-------Romeu---------Lemina---------

Redmond---Armstrong---Elyounoussi

----------------Gabbi-------------------

McCarthy

Yoshida Vestegaard Bertrand

Cedric Romeu Hoijberg Targett

Armstrong

Elyounoussi

Austin

---------------------McCarthy----------------------

Cedric-----Yoshida--------Vestergaard -----Bertrand

-------------Lemina----------Romeu------------------

---Sims------------Armstrong---------------Elynoussi

------------------------ Gabbie ------------------------

Would like to se Hesketh, Redmond, Gallagher and PEH get gametime so 3 of them subd in.

Need to focus on people who actually create in attack. Would play JWP every week, even in open play he was one of the better performers the last 2 seasons. Mo has a good record and needs to play too. Redmond I'd rather was a sub with pace off the bench, same with Sims.

 

McCarthy

Cedric Yoshida Vesterguard Bertrand

Hojbjerg Romeu

JWP Armstrong Mo

Gabbiadini

 

Subs: Gunn, Hoedt, Targett, Redmond, Sims, Lemina, Gallagher

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Wondering what Redmond has done over the summer to justify getting selected by many, given that he has been utter gash during his time at the club.....

Mo's been getting a lot of shouts too despite only a couple of half games and a 30 min run out. I'm guessing folks have seen more of him than I have to make a call on that or it's a sign of what options we have available from the squad. Hopefully he's the man.

Seen it mentioned by others but I don't see any reason why Bertrand can't be 'our Walker' in a back 3. Adds the much needed pace to the 3 and allows Yoshida and Vestergaard to do all the aerial work whilst Bertrand cleans up like Walker did for England in the World Cup. Then allows Targett to be the LWB, which he did well for us on occasion, providing a couple of good assists, and obviously was a very attacking full back for Fulham last year.

Not sure why people are bothering to put up teams in formations that we clearly aren't going to play this season.

Hughes swapped to five at the back last season got some results and judging by pre-season is going to stick with it this season. I really don't see him practising and playing five at the back all through pre-season only to swap to a completely different system as soon as the first game of the season starts

Seen it mentioned by others but I don't see any reason why Bertrand can't be 'our Walker' in a back 3. Adds the much needed pace to the 3 and allows Yoshida and Vestergaard to do all the aerial work whilst Bertrand cleans up like Walker did for England in the World Cup. Then allows Targett to be the LWB, which he did well for us on occasion, providing a couple of good assists, and obviously was a very attacking full back for Fulham last year.

Because we play a back 3 as it gets Bertrand higher up the pitch, he is one of our biggest attacking threats.

Not sure why people are bothering to put up teams in formations that we clearly aren't going to play this season.

 

Hughes swapped to five at the back last season got some results and judging by pre-season is going to stick with it this season. I really don't see him practising and playing five at the back all through pre-season only to swap to a completely different system as soon as the first game of the season starts

Cause its my first 11, not hughes who I don't think even knows his best 11....

Because we play a back 3 as it gets Bertrand higher up the pitch, he is one of our biggest attacking threats.

He was last year. But we were shocking defensively. He could makes us a hell of a lot more solid defensively, and I don't think Targett would limit us that much more in an attacking sense. Personally. But yeah ideally we have Bertrand at LCB and Bertrand at LWB in a perfect world.

Mccarthy

Cedric Yoshida Vestergaard Bertrand

Reed

Armstrong Hojbjerg

Sims Austin Elyounoussi

Gunn

Cédric , Vestergaard, Bertrand

Romeu

Mo Ely Lemina Højbjerg.

ARMSTRONG

Gabbi. Austin.

Hoedt wouldnt get near my 25, let alone 11