I know it's a week away but how would you line up vs Liverpool.
I'm going to make a couple of presmptions here (everyone will be fit and we sign Ugarte early in the week).
Onana
Mazraoui
De Ligt
Martinez
Dalot
Casemiro
Ugarte
Garnacho
Bruno
Mount
Zirkzee
De Ligt gets the nod before Maguire. He's obviously going to be ahead of Maguire long term so do it now.
Ugarte for Mainoo. Perhaps controversial but, in this game, feel we'd need a bit more competitiveness in the middle and the height and defensive know how Casemiro brings. I'm a fan of Mainoo but sometimes I am a little underwhelmed. Seems more style over substance at times. It's OK though. He's only been playing as many games as he has because our options are so poor. Think he'd make a good sub with his quick feet against a tiring defence.
Mount at LW. Not ideal as doesn't have that much pace but, at present, will offer more than Rashford IMO. Will offer much more defensively too.
Garnacho at right wing. We need some directness up front. He provides that.
Zirkzee up front. The two false nines have worked to an extent but we've lacked a focal point. Zirkzee has looked tidy so it's his time to shine IMO.
What say you JA606 squad?
Team v Liverpool
posted on 25/8/24
Interesting career move, England to Italy.
Thought about it myself a few times.
Fair play.
posted on 25/8/24
30m pretty decent for us
posted on 25/8/24
Rumours of Sancho to juve too, please please happen.
I’d drop mainoo too if we have the Uruguayan in. Not controversial at all he’s been awful so far this season
posted on 25/8/24
comment by Baz tard - Ineos your face (U19119)
posted 12 minutes ago
Rumours of Sancho to juve too, please please happen.
I’d drop mainoo too if we have the Uruguayan in. Not controversial at all he’s been awful so far this season
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mainoo is an odd one. He's clearly a good player and shows flashes of real quality but he does seem to be involved a lot of the times we get outplayed too. Not so much this season of course. It wouldn't do his development any harm though, IMO, if he wasn't an automatic first choice.
posted on 25/8/24
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Baz tard - Ineos your face (U19119)
posted 12 minutes ago
Rumours of Sancho to juve too, please please happen.
I’d drop mainoo too if we have the Uruguayan in. Not controversial at all he’s been awful so far this season
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mainoo is an odd one. He's clearly a good player and shows flashes of real quality but he does seem to be involved a lot of the times we get outplayed too. Not so much this season of course. It wouldn't do his development any harm though, IMO, if he wasn't an automatic first choice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mainoo should be in a midfield three, he’s also 19 years of age playing in the most difficult position of the pitch.
He’s going to make mistakes, and not just glaringly obvious ones, tactical nuances that cost us.
Truth is, we should have at least 2 midfielders ahead of him. No other top side are relying on a 19 year old midfielder.
posted on 25/8/24
comment by Busby (U19985)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Baz tard - Ineos your face (U19119)
posted 12 minutes ago
Rumours of Sancho to juve too, please please happen.
I’d drop mainoo too if we have the Uruguayan in. Not controversial at all he’s been awful so far this season
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mainoo is an odd one. He's clearly a good player and shows flashes of real quality but he does seem to be involved a lot of the times we get outplayed too. Not so much this season of course. It wouldn't do his development any harm though, IMO, if he wasn't an automatic first choice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mainoo should be in a midfield three, he’s also 19 years of age playing in the most difficult position of the pitch.
He’s going to make mistakes, and not just glaringly obvious ones, tactical nuances that cost us.
Truth is, we should have at least 2 midfielders ahead of him. No other top side are relying on a 19 year old midfielder.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Didn’t Barca have gavi and pedri playing when around that age? Tbf they are both a fair bit better than mainoo, but, I wouldn’t say mainoo has done a lot wrong. He’s done very well for his age, but you do have a point.
posted on 25/8/24
To clarify. I'm not blaming Mainoo at all. He's done well after being thrust into a dysfunctional team.
I do agree he'd be better in a proper midfield three though. Perhaps we won't really see that until Bruno leaves. I wonder how he'd do as the more attack minded midfielder?
posted on 25/8/24
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 2 minutes ago
To clarify. I'm not blaming Mainoo at all. He's done well after being thrust into a dysfunctional team.
I do agree he'd be better in a proper midfield three though. Perhaps we won't really see that until Bruno leaves. I wonder how he'd do as the more attack minded midfielder?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mainoo would excel as an 8 or 10. Bruno extending his contact means we won't see Mainoo in a more advanced position.
posted on 25/8/24
You saw with England how Mainoo could develop, allowing for the fact that he was surrounded by much better players. But we really have asked so much of him, and we have to be careful we don't do him more damage than good. He is also capable of doing these silky runs going forward, he has very good close control, and has shown he is a composed finisher given the chance. But with us, we have very much dumped him in there and gone, ok, go and save us. And he is now a marked man, whereas last season he was living off the crest of a wave. This season was also going to be tough, and at 19, very difficult to remain consistent.
posted on 25/8/24
Our biggest weakness is out wide, both in terms of creating chances and movement, but also helping in defensive situations also. I really have had enough of Rashford - a luxury we can't afford to have starting every game, his occasional flashes of brilliance out weighed bu the poor performances, he is living off that 3-4 month purple patch he had, apart from that, he's been average.
We all know we don't score enough goals, surely need to start Zirkzee. False 9s are all well and good if you have a team to cope with that, but we don't. We are a team where the goals will be spread around, we seem to be creating a few more chances, we need to be more clinical, but it could be a confidence thing.
I would be surprised if Mainoo doesn't start, it could be the type of big game where he can shine, I can't see ETH starting Ugarte assuming he is here by then.
In the future, it would be nice to see ETH try Mainoo in Bruno's position, but I'm not sure he is brave enough to do that