Good move, hopefully the young lads can get a win. Itll be interesting to see the likes of Greenwood, Chong and Gomes surrounded with players they're used to playing with too.

Trying to guess the starting lineup should be fun! What do we reckon?

-------------------Grant
Laird--Tuanzebe--Taylor--Shaw
------------Garner---Levitt
Chong--------Lingard-------Gomes
---------------Greenwood

??

good move

Hope Laird starts, heard good things about him.

Nice. Don’t we kick off at 15:50 as well? No chance of watching it then

Good, no need to risk any first teamers for such a meaningless game, good experience for the kids too.

-------------------Grant
Laird--Tuanzebe--Taylor--Shaw
------------Garner---Levitt
Chong--------Lingard-------Gomes
---------------Greenwood

-------------------------------------------

I'm expecting to see something very similar. Maybe Bernard or Mengi in for Taylor from the start and Gomes central.

Holy sheet, it’s the U23s

Would love to see Kovar start and both Bernard and Mengi at this level, and slightly disappointed that Elanga isn’t included (which is ridiculous, granted), but really looking forward to this

slightly disappointed that Elanga isn’t included

--------------------------------------------

Injured I think.

comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 44 minutes ago
Trying to guess the starting lineup should be fun! What do we reckon?

-------------------Grant
Laird--Tuanzebe--Taylor--Shaw
------------Garner---Levitt
Chong--------Lingard-------Gomes
---------------Greenwood

??

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Swap gomes and lingard.

Levitt not a winger?

Levitt not a winger?

------------------------------------------------

Central midfielder.

This is good news. They should play more entertaining football than the senior team.

Good move by Ole. No need to bring senior players to this one.

Regardless of what happens in this game win against AZ at home wins us the group.

comment by N2 (U22280)
posted 46 minutes ago
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 44 minutes ago
Trying to guess the starting lineup should be fun! What do we reckon?

-------------------Grant
Laird--Tuanzebe--Taylor--Shaw
------------Garner---Levitt
Chong--------Lingard-------Gomes
---------------Greenwood

??

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Swap gomes and lingard.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm guessing what Ole might go with, not what I'd want. Otherwise I'd have Chong left, Gomes in the middle and Lingard on the right.

comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by N2 (U22280)
posted 46 minutes ago
comment by BerbaKing11 (U6256)
posted 44 minutes ago
Trying to guess the starting lineup should be fun! What do we reckon?

-------------------Grant
Laird--Tuanzebe--Taylor--Shaw
------------Garner---Levitt
Chong--------Lingard-------Gomes
---------------Greenwood

??

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Swap gomes and lingard.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm guessing what Ole might go with, not what I'd want. Otherwise I'd have Chong left, Gomes in the middle and Lingard on the right.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ole does love lingard at no. 10 with his one assist all year. Can't see gomes doing well out wide.

It’d be daft playing Lingard centrally, which is why it’ll happen, given Gomes’ familiarity with most in the squad, something that we’d benefit from more with him centrally.

Plus if Laird starts he may need some help over on that side, something Lingard would be better at than Chong or Gomes.

comment by The Red Side™ (U11275)
posted 46 minutes ago
Levitt not a winger?

------------------------------------------------

Central midfielder.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you think of him in the box-to-box role TRS? I’m not totally convinced tbh. Still looks better as an eight/ten stationed higher up the pitch with lighter defensive duties to me.

And still needs to bulk up. He looks a bit tougher than he did, but he’s still too willowy for a lad of his build.

Levitt is the Welsh Thiago Alcantara.

Still looks better as an eight

-----------------------------------------------

If you're playing as an 8, you're pretty much box to box anyway. There's no getting away from having to defend when you're playing that role, regardless of what responsibilities you have going forward.

Lots of players though have begun as 10s/attacking midfielders and settled deeper and vice-versa. It's probably still too early to say either way but it wouldn't surprise me if he established himself deeper in the future.

Wow... Might actually watch this with some interest.

Wonder if any fans traveling to see this

comment by Memphis_bleek #TeamOle (U20611)
posted 1 minute ago
Wow... Might actually watch this with some interest.

Wonder if any fans traveling to see this
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Seen some photos of our fans there on Twitter, wading through the snow. Looks facking cold. Looking at a high of minus 10 degrees there through the day at the moment

I reckon it’s going to become more and more common for players that come through playing as attackers to drop into deeper central positions.

Give there’s a big focus now on a midfielder to be press resistant I think it’ll influence this, and attacking midfielders are usually more gifted in this regard.

Just looking at some of the best central midfielders in this respect around Europe you’ll see Thiago, Modric, Kroos, Pjanic, Jorginho, Kovacic and, before leaving Spurs, Dembele all start their careers further forward before dropping deeper.

We’ll be seeing at United soon with Mata, Lingard and Pereira.

comment by The Red Side™ (U11275)
posted 11 minutes ago
Still looks better as an eight

-----------------------------------------------

If you're playing as an 8, you're pretty much box to box anyway. There's no getting away from having to defend when you're playing that role, regardless of what responsibilities you have going forward.

Lots of players though have begun as 10s/attacking midfielders and settled deeper and vice-versa. It's probably still too early to say either way but it wouldn't surprise me if he established himself deeper in the future.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I take your point to a degree, but there’s a difference between the roles commonly played by the likes of Pogba (previously), Iniesta, Eriksen, Mata and Réus, which I think would be how Levitt might be best deployed, and the roles or Herrera, Rakitic, Kroos etc.

I think his growth and bulk might have a say. He isn’t so pacy (other than over five yards), he really isn’t strong and he isn’t noticeably brave. I’m not sure the grit or the physical presence are really going to be there, and you need either one or a bit of both of those to play in the middle of the park nowadays, unless you’re an exceptional talent.

comment by Mike (U1170)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by Memphis_bleek #TeamOle (U20611)
posted 1 minute ago
Wow... Might actually watch this with some interest.

Wonder if any fans traveling to see this
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Seen some photos of our fans there on Twitter, wading through the snow. Looks facking cold. Looking at a high of minus 10 degrees there through the day at the moment
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jaysis