What will Harry's 1st choice 11 be now?

[Stanley]

he (Barton) needs to be made aware that he is to be our Gary Waddock, not our Tony Currie, so should cut out the fancy dan stuff to more talented colleagues.

....oh and I agree!

[Kevin Mcleod]

And don't forget rios only here for a season, would send put a bad message to make him captain.

[stainrodisalegend]

Thats exactly how i see it as well stains (if remy stays which i highly doubt), so if that happens swap him with our chaz.

Agreed.

[stainrodisalegend]

....oh and I agree!

In the Paddock as a kid was right down near the pitch and Waddock had run back and made this brilliant crunching tackle. Waddock looked up and had glory in his eyes, planning to launch a 40 yard pass. TC, who had been standing there not helping, shouted really loudly: "Oi Waddock - give me that f*cking ball." Poor old Gary looked over meekly and laid it off to five yards to TC who then launched the perfect 50 yard pass to the other side of the pitch. That to me was team work. Both had skills, and both used them brilliantly.

[DeepcutHoop]

-----------------Green---------------- ....................... ----------------Green-------------
-------Onuoha----Rio----Caulker------- ...................... Onuoha-----Anton---Hill-----Fabio
Isla-------Barton-----Fer--------Traore ...................... --------------Diakite------------
--------------- Mutch ---------------- ...................... Mackie---Park-------Taarabt---Hoilett
-----------Remy---Austin-------------- ..................... --------------- Cisse -----------------

Defence is very much stronger and the biggest difference between the two for me. Hopes were still high at that point for the team of two years ago. Easy to look at it now with the benefit of hindsight though and perceive a bigger difference.

We don't know how successful the new signings will be. My hopes are high, but they were before too.

[DeepcutHoop]

He wasn't always even THAT great in the Championship. In the play off final think the stats showed he misplaced more passes than he completed and we were completely out-played and over-run in midfield even with 11 men. Kranjkar actually made more impression than Barton that day. All that said I do see 77s point and from everything Harry has said ("future manager" etc) I wd be surprised if Barton were dropped. As we learned under Hughes its not necessarily about fielding your 11 most talented players (because then I agree with you Barton would now struggle badly to get in the team and imho wd also come behind Faurlin) but if you are looking to bed in a lot of new players you need a couple of strong personalities who have been with the club a little while and Barton fits that profile perfectly. He won't want to make Ferdinand capt because he has only been here two minutes. Whether we like it or not Barton is our glue and our continuity from last season. Think he has a big role to play for us this season for his personality as much as anything else which we will need after some inevitably heavy defeats - but he needs to be made aware that he is to be our Gary Waddock, not our Tony Currie, so should cut out the fancy dan stuff to more talented colleagues.

Well that's a excellent post.

[SuperHoopNik]

Defence is very much stronger and the biggest difference between the two for me. Hopes were still high at that point for the team of two years ago. Easy to look at it now with the benefit of hindsight though and perceive a bigger difference.

We don't know how successful the new signings will be. My hopes are high, but they were before too.

This time we have an english speaking core though. Some of the players a couple years ago couldn't speak a word of english which caused divisions imo.

[Rangers77]

He wasn't always even THAT great in the Championship. In the play off final think the stats showed he misplaced more passes than he completed and we were completely out-played and over-run in midfield even with 11 men. Kranjkar actually made more impression than Barton that day. All that said I do see 77s point and from everything Harry has said ("future manager" etc) I wd be surprised if Barton were dropped. As we learned under Hughes its not necessarily about fielding your 11 most talented players (because then I agree with you Barton would now struggle badly to get in the team and imho wd also come behind Faurlin) but if you are looking to bed in a lot of new players you need a couple of strong personalities who have been with the club a little while and Barton fits that profile perfectly. He won't want to make Ferdinand capt because he has only been here two minutes. Whether we like it or not Barton is our glue and our continuity from last season. Think he has a big role to play for us this season for his personality as much as anything else which we will need after some inevitably heavy defeats - but he needs to be made aware that he is to be our Gary Waddock, not our Tony Currie, so should cut out the fancy dan stuff to more talented colleagues.

Excellent post. Only thing I'd add is that Joey's Tony Waddock..... Shouldn't take corners, mind.

[DeepcutHoop]

This time we have an english speaking core though. Some of the players a couple years ago couldn't speak a word of english which caused divisions imo.

That maybe true, but at the same stage of the season, we couldn't know that, and had made some seemingly decent signings, albeit with a fear we'd overloaded in midfield perhaps.

Just pointing out that we're at the optimistic stage now with the current squad, and although it appears to be much stronger (I think it's better balanced this time for example), the difference in our optimism levels then and now probably isn't that marked.

[1QPRDK]

[MYU]

Thanks Nik. The new team looks a lot stronger.

Looks like they'd beat them 10-0.

[Stanley]

1QPRDK, Vargas is right-footed and plays as striker, no.10 or right-wing.

As far as I know he's never played as a LWB.

[1QPRDK]

Yes, I guess you are right. You would probably not get many crosses from him in that position. So it will probably be Traore in for Austin or any of the 3 CMs in a 352



or instead of Dunne if we play 433/442

But either way the 25 man squad is beginning to look pretty strong, so he will be able to field a host of different strong starting 11´s without necessarily favouring one over the other.

[Ginger Ninja]

He wasn't always even THAT great in the Championship. In the play off final think the stats showed he misplaced more passes than he completed and we were completely out-played and over-run in midfield even with 11 men. Kranjkar actually made more impression than Barton that day. All that said I do see 77s point and from everything Harry has said ("future manager" etc) I wd be surprised if Barton were dropped. As we learned under Hughes its not necessarily about fielding your 11 most talented players (because then I agree with you Barton would now struggle badly to get in the team and imho wd also come behind Faurlin) but if you are looking to bed in a lot of new players you need a couple of strong personalities who have been with the club a little while and Barton fits that profile perfectly. He won't want to make Ferdinand capt because he has only been here two minutes. Whether we like it or not Barton is our glue and our continuity from last season. Think he has a big role to play for us this season for his personality as much as anything else which we will need after some inevitably heavy defeats - but he needs to be made aware that he is to be our Gary Waddock, not our Tony Currie, so should cut out the fancy dan stuff to more talented colleagues.

Makes a lot of sense, superb post.
No one should be guaranteed a start week in week out unless performances are consistently good imo.

[Stanley]

Yes, I guess you are right. You would probably not get many crosses from him in that position. So it will probably be Traore in for Austin or any of the 3 CMs in a 352. Or instead of Dunne if we play 433/442

But either way the 25 man squad is beginning to look pretty strong, so he will be able to field a host of different strong starting 11´s without necessarily favouring one over the other.

That does makes sense. However, assuming Harry plays 3-5-2 on a regular basis and employs a No.10 (which he likes to) that leaves two CM's - Fer will be a starter, then I see Mutch and Barton competing for the other spot. That way Austin wouldn't need to be sacrificed.