We talk - rightly - about the importance of having a settled team. But however settled and blended our first-choice starting XI is, they obviously can't and won't play every game.
Question is, who will Ramos regard as the heart of the team...the key group of players that'll automatically feature whenever possible ?
I'd suggest:
Goalkeeper - hasn't arrived yet !
Defence - King, Woodgate, Hutton
Midfield - Modric, Dos Santos
Strikers - Keane, Berbatov/AN Other
To that group, add a defensive midfielder.
Fringe - Bale (though he'll probably move into the core group once he's proved his fitness/form), Jenas, Huddlestone, Gunter, Malbranque, Lennon, Bent, Kaboul or Dawson, Gilberto, Zokora, no2 keeper, maybe O'Hara.
As for the likes of KPB/Taarabt - maybe a season on loan somewhere ?
Question is, who will Ramos regard as the heart of the team...the key group of players that'll automatically feature whenever possible ?
I'd suggest:
Goalkeeper - hasn't arrived yet !
Defence - King, Woodgate, Hutton
Midfield - Modric, Dos Santos
Strikers - Keane, Berbatov/AN Other
To that group, add a defensive midfielder.
Fringe - Bale (though he'll probably move into the core group once he's proved his fitness/form), Jenas, Huddlestone, Gunter, Malbranque, Lennon, Bent, Kaboul or Dawson, Gilberto, Zokora, no2 keeper, maybe O'Hara.
As for the likes of KPB/Taarabt - maybe a season on loan somewhere ?