Saturday I expect:

-------------------------Myhill-------------------------

Carr-----------Davies---------Dann----Murphy

Burke--------Gomis---Mutch---Fahey----Redmond

---------------------------Rooney---------------------

Thats a decent line-up, some experience mixed in with young players looking to prove their worth

If we offload Zigic but keep the rest then i think that side provided we dont get injuries will certainly get us Promoted

Could do with some cover for upfront and another CM still.

I guess we can enjoy next few games, before players go but yes a solid side. Piity Jerome was not fit

I would go for


-------------------------Myhill-------------------------

Carr-----------Davies---------Dann----Murphy*

----------------Mutch-----------Michel

Burke-----------------Gomis---------------Beausajour*

------------------------Rooney---------------------

* Redmond if Beau not fit.

* Ridgewell if it looks like he will stay.

We can unlesh Redmond and Asante after 60 mins to then take advantage of a tired Derby Defence.

The KiD

I will be completely honest and say the squad is so different from last seasons that I have no idea what to think.

I'm optimistic, but I have no idea if Gomis is any good, if Rooney will perform or if Burke will remain as good as he has during pre-season.

Fingers crossed though! I can honestly see Fahey performing well in the Championship and I'm genuinely excited to see a bit of youth force their way into the team, being as confident as I am that Hughton is the kind of manager who would give them a fair go.

I'm with Brummerdickens I also have no idea how these players will work as a team let alone their individual ability.

From the top list we could still lose Ridge, Jerome, Dann and possibly Carr, but I think we will pull together a strong defence. Strikers our biggest problem (as they have been for the last few years). One young quality striker would be my dream. But I guess we won't get anyone unless Zig and Jerome go, which is hard when they are injured. Be good to see what a fit Zig could do in the championship. Hope we can 1-0 it until we get more firepower. And let's hope that we really use our subs for a change. C'mon you blues.

Yes will be interesting to see how we go.

I read today that Hughton is willing to try different systems depending on what works and what doesn't. I think this is great - McJudas played a silly 442 against Fulham when he didn't have the right players and we were murdered, so I am glad that Hughton sounds more flexible.

It was interesting to see us playing 451 and yet looking so attacking last week. A dull manager can make 433 look boring, it depends on the system and the freedom offered to the players.

On Saturday Burke and Redmond were awesome. Gomis did very well fist half, whilst Rooney was disappointing, he didn't seem to fancy the job as lone striker, especially in that heat, hopefully he'll get fitter once we're playing competitive football again. But to his credit he was still alert to get the goal, which is the sign of a proper forward.

Oh and very pleased with Caldwell, he was shouting for the ball all the time off the keeper and wanted to play it on the grass, great compsure and a decent first touch. I have heard he is slow so we'll have to watch for that.
.

Not sure about offloading Zigic, we need as much fire power upfront as possible this season.

If you dont score plenty of goals in this league, you go nowhere.

As for the rest, we will find out on Saturday...

If rumours are to be believed I would prefer Carew to Zig, only because Zig just does not want to be here. Ive always been a fan of Zigic but he doesnt want to be here we must let him go.
Carew Rooney King and maybe one other would be a decent enough line up. as long as they get the service.

KRO

Comment deleted by Article Creator

Taity, just cos Zig dont wanna be here why should we let him go? He signed a contract right?
Try going down your bank and tell them you dont wanna pay the loan off anymore... see what reaction you get

Why are some people writing off the strikers before we've even kicked a ball in anger.

No-one can get really competative in a warm up/friendly when it's all about fitness levels and muscle toning.

Come the real battle, the likes of Rooney will show their true worth.

If he is lazy, I'm sure he will told. Very loudly.

KRO

I don't think anyone's writing Rooney off. He just looks a bit lonely with Zig, Cam and King injured. Zig will need to prove some level of fitness before anyone's likely to take his wages off our hands, which is really the issue there.

For me the core of any great team is miserly goalie, stalwart central defenders, crafty playmaker, who nicks some long range goals and a deadly striker. Get that right and you can mess around with the rest.

I suspect Myhill, Caldwell and Davies are good enough for the top six of the championship. (Carr, Murphy and Ridge too).

Haven't seen enough of our attacking midfield or strikers to know if we have the right stuff there, but think that's where we should spend any pennies we have left after the dust settles. Fahey might be up to it and I fancy Beausejour at this level, but attacking midfielder and sharp striker please. Preferably both young. We've got enough experience.

They are the flair + expensive pieces of the puzzle and we've been lacking there for a long, long time.

KRO

Hats off to Banjokid and the op I share your optimism and I am definately looking forward to our team turning a few a heads this season and to those who will mock I really don't care. I have switched off to all negativity as I will admit I have succumbed to it in the last few months but not any more. Sod it. Bring it on. Cest la vie. We have a fantastic manager trying to create a squad with no money and I think he isn't far off (despite losing Dann and jerome, maybe zigic, if/when fit) that can survive this season with an outside chance of play offs. KRO

For once I agree with jh that team will struggle in the championship league one next season me thinks

I think you may need to change your name Moxey, as only the rag that is the express and star are reporting that you got Johnson for £4.5M, all other more worth media outlets are saying we got £7M for him.

As for the squad, I still think it is a little light at the moment. I think there will be still a few players to go out ie Jerome, Dann and Zigic. I also think that CH will still bring a few more players in, possibly just loans but I can see 3-5 players coming through our dorr beforwe 01/09/2011.

Once Dann got injured you could see that Johnson was far less effective... clearly shown by Pavs late winner against us on the last day of the season...

4.5M... 7M, either way he is not the player they think he is

Ha ha typical!! Last season when Capello announced england squads the amount of blues fans moaning that Johnson was not in the mix was unbelievable. now he has moved on to further his career with a bigger club and he ain't all that!!!! sour grapes me thinks!

Ho are Wolves a bigger club than blues? Becasue you won the league when the fans that now attend games weren't even born?

Who knows with Johnson.

I can beleave we would sell for £4M if we was desperate as we had no cash flow.

But how would Wolves know we would sell for that.

They offered £6M and we rejected it, i cant see McCarthy then going "ha ok, lets now offer £4M because their owner has his assets frozen"

A Wolves fan told me that they paid between £3-3.5M cash plus further 3 installments of £500K (provided Wolves are in Prem) and the rest is addons depending on appearence and performances.

so that means he could cost them at least £4.5-5M but upto about £6.5M if all addons met.

If thats True who knows, i dont think Wolves would have paid £7M cash and i dont think we would have sold for £4M cash so i think it could be in the middle but based on addons.


The KiD