[Archived] What Squad Would You Select?

[West Sussex Rover]

I just wondered what everyones chosen Rovers line up would be allowing for form and current team fitness obviously excluding players who have long term injuries.

I would also like peoples opinions on youth/reserve players who people think should be given more of a chance.

I know allot of you have been wanting to see more of our youth players to be given a chance and several players lacking in form to be removed from the squad (not naming names).

To save on critisisms i will leave my squad choice until some people have put down there ideas...

Enjoy!

Edited November 6, 2006 by Rover The Moon

[Eddie]

Friedel

Emerton*, Zurab, Ooijer, Neill*

Bentley, Tugay, Mokoena, Benni, Pedersen

Nonda

Would I actually do that? Probably not, but it is late and it doesn't really matter what I say, don't think Hughes reads the messageboard.

*Currently have knocks, but probably won't be out for long.

[West Sussex Rover]

Id go with:

Freidel

Emerton, Zurab, Neil, Taylor

Gamst, Bentley, Tugay, Peter

Gally, Benni

Subs, Brown, Ooijer, Mokoena, Treacy, Nonda

[LeChuck]

Friedel

Emerton Ooijer Zurab Gray

Bentley Neill Tugay Pedersen

McCarthy Nonda

Neill in centre midfield may look a bit crazy, but I think he's the only person who has the combination of going box-to-box whilst tackling hard we have with both Savage and Reid out. Tugay can make up for his lack of passing ability. Neill also has a decent shot on him, I wouldn't bet against a goal or two if he were played there.

[West Sussex Rover]

Friedel

Emerton Ooijer Zurab Gray

Bentley Neill Tugay Pedersen

McCarthy Nonda

Neill in centre midfield may look a bit crazy, but I think he's the only person who has the combination of going box-to-box whilst tackling hard we have with both Savage and Reid out. Tugay can make up for his lack of passing ability. Neill also has a decent shot on him, I wouldn't bet against a goal or two if he were played there.

Bearing in mind, chances are he will be gone in 2 months...

Going back to my one, reason i had Gally upfront is because id play him slightly behind Benni...

[modes98]

Bearing in mind, chances are he will be gone in 2 months...

Going back to my one, reason i had Gally upfront is because id play him slightly behind Benni...

But on that premise it doesn't matter where you play him, he'll still be gone.

The Gally & Benni combo would mean that we would never have a striker in the penalty area! Benni drops off too much for my liking but he does have the habbit of turning up just at the right time to slot it home from 4 yards out!

Personally with Bentley playing so well on the right wing i would move MGP into a roll just behind nonda and benni. Then putting Peter on the left.

[vyeo]

Big Brad

Neill Todd Ooijer Taylor

Gally Emerton Tugay Bentley

Benni Jeffers

[Perth_Rover]

Neill came here as a midfielder

Also rover the moon, taylor is on loan to blackpool at the moment? Or Crewe? I had a feeling it was blackpool

Edited November 6, 2006 by Perth_Rover

[herbergeehh]

It's Crewe.

I like the idea of Lucas in midfield, alongside Tugay of course. I can't help liking the idea of 4-5-1 either, after some really poor showings of late. With Benni dropping down there, we would still have flair and pace/strenght upfront in Nonda.

[West Sussex Rover]

Big Brad

Neill Todd Ooijer Taylor

Gally Emerton Tugay Bentley

Benni Jeffers

No Zurab?? He's been one of our most consistant players this season...?

[Exiled_Rover]

Friedel

Emerton*, Zurab, Ooijer, Neill*

Bentley, Tugay, Mokoena, Benni, Pedersen

Nonda

Would I actually do that? Probably not, but it is late and it doesn't really matter what I say, don't think Hughes reads the messageboard.

*Currently have knocks, but probably won't be out for long.

Right now the injury list is so long that we have to get back to basics - i.e picking up points every game and becoming hard to beat again. It's tough to argue that a 4-5-1 formation isn't good at that.

Still, the media (Talksport and the like) would immediately revive the Bully Boys tag.

[pksrover]

Friedel

Emerton*, Zurab, Ooijer, Neill

Gally, Bentley, Tugay, Gamst

Nonda, Jeffers

Benni seems a bit tired atm, doesn't seem like he care too much about whats happening on the pitch.. Zurab was awful against West Ham and had a blunder yesterday that led to 2-0, but I don't think Henchoz is good enough. A shame that Hughes don't wanna play Toddy anymore

Tugay and Mokoena can't play together at all. Both likes to play in the holding midfielder role, neither of them can run the midfield like Savage. But if we play Bentley in central mid, he have the work rate to chase the ball as well as the ability to create attacks with his skills and creativity.

If we're going to revert to 4-5-1 is my choice definitely this line up:

Friedel

Emerton*, Ooijer, Zurab, Neill

Mokoena

Gally, Bentley, Tugay, Gamst

Nonda

Hopefully Emerton will be ready for the Man Utd match, cos Mickey 'the turtle' Gray isn't exactly a world beater on left back (although I've seen ppl writing he was one of our better peformers against villa).

[Presty On Tour]

friedel

emerton zurab ooijer neill

gallagher bentley tugay peter

pedersen (free role)

benni

i rather attacking line up i know but the best form of defence is attack.

with all the injuries we are struggling in midfield, with those 5 there is plenty of support for benni and more pace in the side.

i would like to give derbyshire a run out, see what he's made off at this level.

[West Sussex Rover]

If we're going to revert to 4-5-1 is my choice definitely this line up:

Friedel

Emerton*, Ooijer, Zurab, Neill

Mokoena

Gally, Bentley, Tugay, Gamst

Nonda

Might wanna swap Ooijer and Zurab around unless you wanna play them out of position...

[James No. 7]

No Zurab?? He's been one of our most consistant players this season...?

Khizanishvili has been our weakest link in central defence this season, save for Ooijer's horrid introductory period to English football. He's looking a class act now does our Andre.

As for the team I would select, I would probably gun for the following.

                    Friedel

              Todd Neill Ooijer
Emerton                            Gamst
                   Mokoena
             Bentley     Tugay

            McCarthy      Nonda

I am not a particular fan of 3-5-2, at least for the Rovers, but it is the only formation that I think best fits our players at the moment, considering all those injuries.

I have a bit of time, so allow me to play around with a few formations and line-ups in a game I call "(very) amateur football manager".

                    Friedel

               Todd Neill Ooijer

      Bentley Emerton    Tugay Gamst

          McCarthy Jeffers Nonda

The two central midfielders would play as box-to-box players, helping out in both defence and attack to make up for the lost defender, and I've seen Emerton play this role with Australia well. He is a player who bases his game on athleticism so I think he would do a rather good job at it as a temporary measure. I'm hardly confident that Tugay would be up for it, but he can be replaced by Mokoena when he gets tired, so obviously the roles of the central midfielders would change with one defensive-minded player and the other more attack-minded. McCarthy and Nonda would drop back a bit to more of a wing position when defending and then push forward when attacking.

These are very much Guss Hiddink-inspired formations so I will revert to a couple of 4-4-2 line-ups.

               Friedel

Emerton    Todd   Ooijer    Neill

Bentley  Mokoena    Tugay  Gamst

         McCarthy  Nonda

Khizanishvili could very well be in place of Todd, if you like. He has been the weakest link in defence, in my opinion, but I am not confident that Todd would do a better job of it. Zura could very well replace Todd in my three-man defence line-ups as well. Similarly, I consider Peter a direct replacement for Gamst.

Anyway, alternatively, if you are not a fan of Mokoena, we could try the following.

                    Friedel

Khizanishvili    Todd  Ooijer    Neill

Bentley        Emerton    Tugay     Gamst

               McCarthy   Nonda

I think we are too weak defensively at the moment to play a 4-4-2, but that might not necessarily have much to do with the formation. We have clearly been lacking that bit of "bully" that the media were hanging us out to dry for two seasons ago. Perhaps Hughes has eased off that fight, either consciously or unconsciously, to appease the media and improve our reputation? Whatever the case, I would like to see the return of a tougher style, even if we are missing a couple of our hard nuts through injury and the "get into 'em" Savage.

I am in two minds on our best 4-4-2 formation, which is why I listed two preferred line-ups.

Finally, I will list a 4-5-1. I have shied away from this formation because I do not think that putting Benni up field will toughen the team up, which is what the whole point of a 4-5-1 is. I would actually prefer this formation, though, strangely enough (although not in Europe), but not the line-up.

            Friedel

Emerton  Todd  Ooijer  Neill

            Mokoena
Bentley Tugay McCarthy Gamst

            Nonda

The following could work if we have a midfielder or two push-up into more forward positions, because McCarthy, as others have already mentioned all over the message board, drops back into midfield far too much to play as a lone striker.

              Friedel

   Emerton  Todd  Ooijer  Neill

              Mokoena
  Gallagher Bentley Tugay  Gamst

              McCarthy

I don't think Hughes is one to change his formation these days, so I expect that he will play a 4-4-2 and continue to put faith in the current squad and wait for players to return. He might feel a combination of the results in Europe and referees screwing us over means that the current poor form with the recent 4-4-2 line-ups will eventually change in fortune in the league.

[Mr. E]

actually i think Hughes has been getting it right, can't think of much I would change. These are the players we have, and we'll have to make do.

[West Sussex Rover]

Top post mate!!

My favourate ones out of the ones you have selected would have to be the first one... However i would be tempted to give Franny a game or 2 alongside Benni...

[joey_big_nose]

Honestly I think we just have to play 451. We cannot keep doing 442 until we get either Reid or Savage back. I don't really think Neill or Emerton will make particularly good central midfielders.

                      Freidal

   Emerton  Ooijer   Zurab    Gray

                    Mokoena
           Gallagher      Tugay
  Bentley                         Pedersen
              
                   McCarthy

I suppose the genius of the formation is that Peter or McCarthy could slot into midfield if there are any injuries/tiredness (thinking of Tugay) or underperforming players (thinking of Pedersen) as the defensive demands are less than that of a 442. We all know that the axe is outstanding in this lineup (as opposed to generally poor in a 442) which is what really makes me think we have to play it.

[West Sussex Rover]

Honestly I think we just have to play 451. We cannot keep doing 442 until we get either Reid or Savage back. I don't really think Neill or Emerton will make particularly good central midfielders.

                      Freidal

   Emerton  Ooijer   Zurab    Gray

                    Mokoena
           Gallagher      Tugay
  Bentley                         Pedersen
              
                   McCarthy

I suppose the genius of the formation is that Peter or McCarthy could slot into midfield if there are any injuries/tiredness (thinking of Tugay) or underperforming players (thinking of Pedersen) as the defensive demands are less than that of a 442. We all know that the axe is outstanding in this lineup (as opposed to generally poor in a 442) which is what really makes me think we have to play it.

Or possibly the same but switch Gally and Bentley around so Bentley is in center and Gally is in Hughes prefered right midfield role....

Edited November 6, 2006 by Rover The Moon

[OJRovers]

What happened to Gally vs Villa - was he on the bench?

I think he deserves a run in the side, maybe as support for benni.

[pksrover]

Might wanna swap Ooijer and Zurab around unless you wanna play them out of position...

please explain??

[West Sussex Rover]

Friedel

Emerton Ooijer Zurab Gray

Bentley Neill Tugay Pedersen

McCarthy Nonda

Ooijer needs to be left center and Zurab right center... Thats all

[krislu]

This kind of thread always pops up when we are having a bad spell. Hughes is IMO picking the best starting XI he can given our current injuries.

We are losing games because our squad is not big enough. With the likes of Savage, Reid, Nelsen and the new version of Emerton out injured there is no wonder we can't win.

Untill these players gets back to the starting XI we are most likely going to struggle in the bottom half of the premier league.

At least things are looking rosy in the Uefa cup!

[pksrover]

Ooijer needs to be left center and Zurab right center... Thats all

well, I seem to remember from watching Rovers in most games this season that Ooijer is playing right center. Although it doesn't matter at all for just suggesting a line-up, and I wasn't thinking of this at all tbh when I wrote this line up

[pksrover]

Ooijer needs to be left center and Zurab right center... Thats all

well, I seem to remember from watching Rovers in most games this season that Ooijer is playing right center. Although it doesn't matter at all for just suggesting a line-up, and I wasn't thinking of this at all tbh when I wrote this line up