[Archived] Your Starting Eleven Coming This Season.

[mustard]

Cringing at Reading Lowe in almost every lineup. Are you all halfwits? Lowe is only good enough to be a squad player for full back. Just as Joey correctly diagnoses Brown... Not fit for purpose.

I will meanwhile pray that the liability Hanley is sold before kick off and never makes the team.

Look at the centre mids we have available. Who else can we play there?! None of the trialists have signed. Williamson and Evans were woeful last season and our one creative centre mid in Cairney is gone. Marshall, Taylor, Conway - none of them are centre mids in my eyes.

Lowe has more to his game than Evans and Williamson IMO. Not saying he's great but he's arguably the best of a bad bunch.

[tomphil]

If you could squeeze those 3 together and make one player then I think he'd be decent. It's trying to find the right balance in the middle and it can be done even on a budget although it'll never be great.

For me Lowe has the energy and engine but his passing is bad and he needs to learn his positional sense better and tackling. Williamson is the most solid and hardest but he has feet stuck in treacle and his though process seems slow. Evans can tackle and move the ball about well on his day but mostly he painfully slows the game down, never looks or runs forwards and only passes short sideways passes although the are often too his team mates unlike the other two. Doesn't snap at the heals enough either. He could and should do better but I don't know whether it's all down to him or just the instruction he's under, probably 50/50. Other than just getting games no way has he improved.

Point is non of them gel properly.

[mustard]

If you could squeeze those 3 together and make one player then I think he'd be decent. It's trying to find the right balance in the middle and it can be done even on a budget although it'll never be great.

For me Lowe has the energy and engine but his passing is bad and he needs to learn his positional sense better and tackling. Williamson is the most solid and hardest but he has feet stuck in treacle and his though process seems slow. Evans can tackle and move the ball about well on his day but mostly he painfully slows the game down, never looks or runs forwards and only passes short sideways passes although the are often too his team mates unlike the other two. Doesn't snap at the heals enough either. He could and should do better but I don't know whether it's all down to him or just the instruction he's under, probably 50/50. Other than just getting games no way has he improved.

Point is non of them gel properly.

Pretty much agree with you here tomphil. Many times I saw Evans chasing a player but then give up and pass him on to someone else. I'm not sure what his game is. Is he a box-to-box, defensive mid or creative mid? IMO he is poor in every role. Whether this is due to Bowyer and his tactics I don't know. I'm certain he must have some potential somewhere but last season he was awful. I think Lowe would look better next to someone creative. Put him next to Williamson or Evans and he has to try and go beyond his capabilities to create. Just ends up in him making mistakes and looking poor. Williamson does sometimes get stuck in but god he is slow and often he is miles off the pace. Very error prone too. The only reason he didn't get much flak last season is because Evans looked even worse.

I have a feeling Bowyer must have known Cairney was leaving before the end of the season. If he didn't, why else would he sign Williamson up on a new deal? (Another year older, another year slower) If he expected to keep Cairney, plus Evans and Lowe then IMO Williamson has no place in the team. With all the CMs in on trial he must know we are weak there by now and thus wanted to bolster the position anyway. So why not keep those three, discard Willo and sign another player? Would certainly improve us. Losing Cairney and re-signing Williamson has significantly weakened us and is one of the biggest sign of things to come IMO.

[MGAndy]

Losing Cairney - last season he had a poor season, failing to live up to any of the promise shown the year before. His job was the creative midfielder. Too greedy. Half the time caught in two minds to pass or not and gives the ball away. Often resulting in conceded goals. Didn't score enough goals. Good business selling him on imo.

Williamson - I like him and don't get why he gets stick from so many. His job is breaking up the play, tackling, getting a foot or something in. He does that job better than anyone else in the squad at present.

Lowe can only really play the same role as Williamson. Yes he has a good engine. But he is certainly not creative. He slows the play and goes backwards. Runs about like a headless chicken. No venkys pun intended.

Often causes more danger to us when playing in midfield than he ever does to the the opponent.

Evans. Just a reasonable utility midfielder but inconsistent. His best role is substitute.

A naturally creative midfielder is required even if hes a kid.

The reason the above don't gel properly in any combination is that there is no balance.

It's going to be a long season.

[Rover_Shaun]

Lowe

Gestede Rhodes Marshal Raya

Kilgallon Henley Hanley Steele

Olsson Evans

Could happen. Gary Square pegs in round holes Bowyer

[Butty]

Steele Henley Duffy Killa Olsson Conway Evans Lowe Marshall Rhodes Gestede Such a poor centre midfield, need one or two in there desperately.

[Amo]

Abbey

Shaun, Stuart, Al and PhilipP

Gordon, Yoda, Yoda's Bro, 1864 Roverite

Amarillo, West Yorks Rover

I'm more of a box-to-box midfielder.

[Jimmy612]

Abbey

Shaun, Stuart, Al and PhilipP

Gordon, Yoda, Yoda's Bro, 1864 Roverite

Amarillo, West Yorks Rover

I can tell you now, Theno's right foot is only for standing on; you'll have to switch him and Roverite over, unless of course you're going for the 'opposite wingers' that Bowyer seems to like to play?

In any case his legs have gone too so he's a dead loss!

[onlyonejackwalker]

I can tell you now, Theno's right foot is only for standing on; you'll have to switch him and Roverite over, unless of course you're going for the 'opposite wingers' that Bowyer seems to like to play?

In any case his legs have gone too so he's a dead loss!

Turning up with his 5 iron won't help either.

[Rover_Shaun]

Abbey

Shaun, Stuart, Al and PhilipP

Gordon, Yoda, Yoda's Bro, 1864 Roverite

Amarillo, West Yorks Rover

I am right footed and was a decent full back in my youth. So naturally in a Bowyer XI I would be the left sided player in a centre back pairing with Ronnie Corbett.

[LewisF]

I am right footed and was a decent full back in my youth. So naturally in a Bowyer XI I would be the left sided player in a centre back pairing with Ronnie Corbett.

Or Bowyer would play you up front or somewhere daft

[joey_big_nose]

The way we are setting up at the moment formation wise suggests Bowyer is aiming for something like:-

--------------Raya

Henley---Hanley--Duffy----Olsson

-----------Lowe----Williamson

--Conway-----Kim---------Marshall

-------------------Koita

If Delfaneuso signs then he may slot in up front.

On the plus side if looks like we will be have a bit more pace this year. Kim, if we get him, is arguably a bit better in the hole than Cairney. And I suppose we have a lot of real punts coming in (Petschi etc.) and youngsters (Forrester, Tomlinson, Nyambe, O'Sullivan etc etc) so maybe some of them will come good.

Negatives - still no leaderlike players, central midfield does not look good enough technically, and most of all where are the goals going to come from? Also there is no way we are going to get anywhere near a settled side till October earliest. Such a bad situation to be in.

If we can hold onto one of Rhodes or Gestede it will be so much rosier. But it looks extremely doubtful.

[MarkBRFC]

I can pretty much guarantee that the likes of O'Sullivan, Lenihan, Petshi, Koita etc won't get much of a look in.

Steele will start in goal, Hanley and Duffy will start at the back, Lowe and Evans will be in the centre of midfield, then the tombola will come out for the other positions.

[joey_big_nose]

I can pretty much guarantee that the likes of O'Sullivan, Lenihan, Petshi, Koita etc won't get much of a look in.

Steele will start in goal, Hanley and Duffy will start at the back, Lowe and Evans will be in the centre of midfield, then the tombola will come out for the other positions.

I expect Koita to play as he has the pedigree. And we have very very few other options up front. It's him, O'Sullivan or Brown with maybe Delfanueso coming in also.

Agree that Peschi etc are unlikely to get much of a look in outside of the League Cup. Lenihan and O'Sullivan will need injuries to get a game probably.

[allanncd]

It sounds ominous that Lenihan has missed pre-season with a back injury as he previously missed 2 seasons with a serious back injury.

[Commondore]

As of now:

------------Steele-----------------

Henley-Duffy-Kilgallon-Olsson--

-------------Petshi----------------

-------Evans----------------------

------------New (Guthrie?)-------

Conway---Koita-----Marshall---

Guthrie's role might be taken by O'Sullivan if he has a real breakthrough season, but ideally I'd like someone with a bit more experience and flair (Cairney would have done nicely...) while Guthrie could instead be in competition with Evans for the box-to-box role in the midfield trio. Not entirely sure about Koita either, definitely wouldn't mind a sly loan or freebie who are fully cut out to play as lone striker.

[tomphil]

I really hope the back four he started with at Bury isn't his first choice, Henley aside.

[joey_big_nose]

I really hope the back four he started with at Bury isn't his first choice, Henley aside.

Worries me too, also we don't seem to be looking at any more defenders when we only have three in the squad.

Asking for trouble. Don't have any confidence in using makeshifts like Lenihan, Spurr or Lowe at centre back.

All the talk is about the strikers and midfielders but the defensive situation could really bite us. Duff and Hanley were both very shaky last season.

[Mike E]

Worries me too, also we don't seem to be looking at any more defenders when we only have three in the squad.

Asking for trouble. Don't have any confidence in using makeshifts like Lenihan, Spurr or Lowe at centre back.

All the talk is about the strikers and midfielders but the defensive situation could really bite us. Duff and Hanley were both very shaky last season.

I would argue that Lenihan may not be 'makeshift' simply because lots of players played a different position at youth level than at senior level.

He also performed much better than Hanley or Duffy in his few appearances.

[J*B]

Why am I so suddenly so confident now Gestede has gone - what is going on?

Steele

Henley Duffy Killa Olsson

Guthrie Lowe

Marshall Kim Conway

Rhodes

I mean, on paper, a good side.

Realistically, we'll sit back and try and contain a 1-0 win culminating in a 83rd minute equaliser and a 93rd minute 2-1 loss.

[Iceman]

Why am I so suddenly so confident now Gestede has gone - what is going on?

Steele

Henley Duffy Killa Olsson

Guthrie Williamson

Marshall Kim Conway

Rhodes

I mean, on paper, a good side.

Realistically, we'll sit back and try and contain a 1-0 win culminating in a 83rd minute equaliser and a 93rd minute 2-1 loss.

think that will be a good 11, but ive taken Lowe out and put in Williamson. I still feel that Williamson is slightly better than Lowe(thats scary yes)

[skous18]

Why am I so suddenly so confident now Gestede has gone - what is going on?

Steele

Henley Duffy Killa Olsson

Guthrie Lowe

Marshall Kim Conway

Rhodes

I mean, on paper, a good side.

Realistically, we'll sit back and try and contain a 1-0 win culminating in a 83rd minute equaliser and a 93rd minute 2-1 loss.

My opinin is that Duffy is one of the worst defenders ever, but other than that i would play the same team. And we do look very strong.

Lets just hope that we will keep Rhodes and sign Kim and Gutthrie

[Coatbridge rover]

Raya

Killa hanley Duffy

Henley Kim Guthrie ollson

Marshall. Conway

. delafonsa

[tomphil]

Why am I so suddenly so confident now Gestede has gone - what is going on?

Steele

Henley Duffy Killa Olsson

Guthrie Lowe

Marshall Kim Conway

Rhodes

I mean, on paper, a good side.

Realistically, we'll sit back and try and contain a 1-0 win culminating in a 83rd minute equaliser and a 93rd minute 2-1 loss.

Meanwhile in Bowyer and Venky land

Steele..or Easty..or Raysy depending on whos turn it is

Henley,Duffy,Hanley,Spurr

Conway,Lowe,Willo,Marshall

Browny,Delphy

..and that's if we are lucky an keep Marshy.