Strongest 11

Can only echo others' sentiments that it is time to change up the formation. Rodgers has it in him - he used to switch things up at Liverpool. There's no reason he can't do so now.

 

Schmeichel
Ralston CCV Scales Tierney
McGregor
Hatate Engels
Tounekti Maeda Balikwisha.

We're essentially going to need to play one of our wingers out of position until January, can't rely on Forrest/Yang anymore.

Could argue Sinisalo over Schmeichel but I would give Kasper the benefit of the doubt just now.

 

Yang Bamford Forrest front 3 will take us to the EL final.

All fit this is what I’d currently want too see. Will never happen as McGregor can’t be dropped. Same way Brown wasn’t even as we feel we have to play these guys no matter what as they served us well (yet another unique thing you won’t see at another big club).


Kasper

AJ
CCV
Scales
KT

Engels
Nygren
Bernardo

Tounekti
Yamada
Jota

 

Not the best team we could put out, not what I'd do personally, but I'm pretty sure exactly what we will end up getting...

 

the squad is a * mess

 

Schmichel

Johnston
CCV
Trusty
Tierney

Engels
McGregor

Nygren
Balikwisha
Tounekti

Iheanacho

 

the now with players that are fit

Schmeichel
Donovan Cameron Scales Tierney
Nygren Engles Mcgregor Balikwishka Tounekti
Iheanacho

basically 451 but Tounekti in reality would be high up on the inside left position
Nygren would be a deeper right mid attacking mid at times
Engles would be the work horse on right central mid and Balikwishka same on the left
Callum would be picking the ball up dictating play and making penetrating runs with the ball up the middle which he is good at

in reality it would be more like a 4321 4411

that midfield tonight from us looked weak with callum nygren and hatate felt wed be over run but it didnt work out that bad all in all

id have probably had bernardo and engles in that starting line up

 

think id play hatate at rw ,nygren as a false 9, ,maeda at lw switching with yamada,iheanacho and tounekti .engels in where mcgregors playing ,bernardo in for hatate and mcgregor where nygrens at

 

With no obvious right winger I'd like to see us try a lopsided 4-4-2 like in Lennon's first season. Personally I think Engles could do that right midfielder role


Schmichel
Donovan CCV Scales Tierney
Engles/Nygren McGregor Hatate Tounketi
Maeda/Balikwisha Ihenacho

If not then maybe a 4-3-3
Schmichel
AJ CCV Scales
Donovan McGregor Nygren Tierney
Maeda Ihenacho Tounketi

 

Kasper

Aj/Donovan till Aj's fit
CCV
Scales
KT

McGregor
Reo
Nygren

Maeda(best option Rw if MAB cant play there)
Tounketi(when Jota's fit them 2 swapping both wings)
Ihenacho

 

Fully fit XI. Yes i think Donovan deserves the spot untill AJ can take it back. Hatate not in my squad at all.

Schmeichel
Donovan
CCV
Scales
Tierney
Nygren
McGregor
Engels
Tounekti
Iheanacho
Jota

 

Donovan is exciting, but AJ is by far our best RB

 

Nah, fully fit AJ is 100% in ahead of CD, not even debatable surely?

Props and I'm excited by CD, but he's not at the level of AJ at all.


Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro XL using Tapatalk

 

Schmeichel and Hatate both not in my team just now. Maeda on the wing, not through the middle, if he can be motivated.

 

Sinasalo

Johnston
Carter Vickers
Scales
Tierney

Nygren
McGregor
Engels

Maeda (Jota when fit)
Iheanacho
Tounetki

 

Is there an argument soon for going for 3 at the back?

If you look at us defensively we have more than enough options with Trusty coming back to give this a go

Carter-Vickers/Simpson Pusey
Scales/Murray
Trusty Inamura

Then in the middle we have

McGregor/Bernardo
Engels
Hatate/McCowan

We don't have the quality out wide just now and by having 2 up top, we could get something going attacking wise..

Maeda up with Iheanacho, Maeda left and Iheanacho right and Iheanacho peeling off and doing damage with his link up and finishing. Even Nygren who has played a false 9 a bit could also be freed up a bit more by playing in a 2 up top ans dropping deeper or arriving later..

Could also go a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1

Carter-Vickers
Scales
Inamura (to build the play and more cover in a 3)

Donovan
Engels
McGregor
Saracchi

Nygren
Iheanacho/Maeda
Tounekti

Nygren and Tounekti kinda inside 10 types with the width coming from the fullbacks

Defensively we aren't really a problem, it's everywhere else..

 

The defence is rock solid, we don't have any problem there. Lots of options too with Murray and Trusty.
The real problems are from midfield to the front attacking force.

The midfield is a real conundrum, no matter what mix you come up with, it does not seem to work.
But McGregor for me is the common denominator and issue. He needs dropped for a while to show him nobody is indispensable, skipper or not, but Rodgers has not shown the cojones to do it yet.
I would try Balikwisha in that No.6 slot instead, and see what he can do, he strikes me as having all the attributes of a good defensive midfielder, despite the reputation of a winger that came with him.

Rodger's sticking to his inflexible 4-3-3 is killing us, with the limited squad we have at our disposal, but try telling him that.

We could easily tweak the system with the current players at our disposal, and get a better tune out of them.

I have absolutely no idea why the management can't see that.

4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 3-4-3, they are all on

 

The accountant, the accounts controller
The two assistant accounts controllers
The finance director.
The two assistant finance directors
The guy who sharpens the pencils for the above.
Etc etc....

 

Sinisalo
​

AJ CCV Scales KT​

​

McGregor Bernardo ​

​

Tounetki Baliwisha Maeda ​

​

Ihaenacho​

 

Sinisalo
AJ
CCV
Trusty
KT

Bernardo
McGregor

Maeda (Jota when fit)
Nygren
Tounekti

Iheanacho