11 Aug 2016 18:39:17
Going by RK's press conference, Williams won't be ready for the weekend, Coleman and Lukaku are injury doubts, while Besic, Browning and Pennington are long-term absentees.
If the five players without squad numbers (Garbutt, McAleny, McGeady, Niasse and Rodriguez) aren't considered current first-them players by RK, that just leaves 15 aged-over-21 players available for selection: Baines, Barkley, Barry, Cleverley, Deulofeu, Funes Mori, Gana, Gibson, Kone A., Lennon, McCarthy, Mirallas, Oviedo, Robles and Stekelenburg.
There are also the aged-under-21 players who've got squad numbers: Davies, Dowell, Galloway (who might be going out on loan anyway) , Holgate and Tarashaj. Assuming no other aged-under-21 players are considered ready AND we don't sign anyone in time (I believe they'd need to be registered by midday Friday) AND the injured players don't recover, then we won't have that many players available for the 18-man match-day squad.
Anyone care to speculate about the starting XI and the subs bench?
11 Aug 2016 18:49:49
No Jags?
11 Aug 2016 18:59:22
Jags is fit last I heard.
11 Aug 2016 19:00:20
NBTB: Whoops! My bad. Of course Jagielka should be in my list of 16 (not 15) available aged-over-21 players.
11 Aug 2016 22:24:08
What's your point Cowpat? Clearly the squad is bare, clearly from the same press conference you watched he said 3-4 players are needed that's 20 over 21s with 6 or 8 under. How many does a team with no euro football need?
I'd go for basing on all doubtfuls being out
Robles
JMac. Jags. Mori. Baines
Barry
Gueye. Davies
Barkley
Mirallas. Delboy.
11 Aug 2016 22:48:24
Svenny: who'd be your 7 players on the subs' bench?
11 Aug 2016 23:07:35
Steklenberg Holegate, Galloway, Cleverly, Lennon, Tarshaj (apologies for spelling) Conolly
For me the 4 players needed are a keeper, a centre mid, winger and striker.
I think the young defenders can fill in at fullback and I don't understand the Garbutt situation either. I think because of Besic another centre mid is needed then I think we need a striker as Kone and Niasse are not even registered within the squad and a winger/ 10 because we need creativity and we need a frickin exciting signing to appease a increasingly impatient and irrational fanbase.
Why can't we just make Goodison a nightmare again? Why are we so negative?
What are your (not explicitly you Cowpat) expectations? I'd take 10th and young players coming through this season. Then I'd expect top 8 in Koemans second year, followed by top 5 the season after if he wants his dream Barcelona job after that's what he needs to deliver anyway in my opinion.
Won't achieve anything near without a keeper though, all this talk of players and the foundation is being ignored, again. Tim had 2 seasons too many and we never addressed it.
12 Aug 2016 01:08:07
My best guess assuming there's no Rom or Coleman, (based mostly on preseason) would be:
Stekelenburg
Davies Galloway Mori Baines
Gueye Barry
Barkley
Lennon Deulofeu Mirallas
RK seems to prefer Stekelenburg over Joel. With Coleman out, the only options are Holgate, McCarthy or Davies. As he played him there a few times I'd suggest Davies may get the nod. Assuming Jags current level of fitness is poor due to a preseason marred by injury, it's a choice between Holgate and Galloway for that right CB position and although Holgate is right footed Galloway's experience would probably give him the nod. Due to an inexperienced backline I think that he would pick Barry alongside Gueye in the centre of midfield and then the rest of the team is pretty much a shoe in from this point on.
12 Aug 2016 08:25:10
I'd make just 3 changes to your team Blue Tommy. McCarthy to replace Barry. Holgate to replace Davies and Jags to replace Galloway. I think that's what he'll go with but may be wrong with him not going with Barry.
The thing I don't understand is a lot of people looking to sign another CM. We have Gueye, Barry, McCarthy, Cleverly, Gibson, Barkley and Besic when he returns. For me just because Besic is injured isn't a good enough reason to buy another player there.
7 players listed above for 2 positions. Why would you go out and buy another? We need a keeper, striker and even a winger more IMHO.
I'd buy a right back quicker than a CM too. We only have one properly regonised right back in Coleman. He gets injured then whoever comes in is just filling in.
Come to think of it the last 2 positions IMO we need to buy for is left back and CM. These 2 IMHO are our strongest positions in depth.
12 Aug 2016 20:57:17
I outlined the reasons for selecting that line up but I could well see your team being picked NBTB.
I agree with the CM thing. I realise that most of those are defensively minded, but for me if we go and buy someone Mata what do we do with him and Ross? You can't leave out Ross in my opinion.
I think we need a quality left winger. I am not the biggest fan of Bolasie, feel like he's another Geri, a mercurial talent who is incosistent and doesn't offer enough goals (Geri also offers more assists) . However he is another player who just causes trouble for the opposition, which is better than Cleverly or Kone on the left for sure!
I also agree that we need a top goalkeeper. Begovic, Butland or Forster would do for me.
Slimani would be a great addition and I'd happily pay £30m. Don't want a striker who is just a backup, as it would be good to have one who can play with Rom.