Your REALISTIC First XI 2013/2014 season

[Omega Yid]

---------------- Lloris --------------------
Walker - Dawson - Vertonghen - Rose
---------------- Sandro ------------------
---------- Holtby - Paulinho -------------
Bale ---------------------------- Dembele
--------------- Striker -------------------

I'm of the opinion that Holtby's clearly good enough to hold a spot, he's a much better defensive player than Dembele. I think he was a bit poor last season because we played some absolutely atrocious football in the second half of the year, and a positive, attacking player like him couldn't adapt to the sloppy, stagnant football we were playing. As for Dembele, I have him wide left as I think his best attribute, his dribbling, can be put to better use further up the pitch, as opposed to the center, where he would have to carry a lot of defensive responsibility.

Rose is definitely good enough to start at left fullback for me. Much more dynamic than Benny and gives us an extra weapon when moving forward.

Dawson in the team because I think he's better than Caulker and I'm not sure Kaboul is ready for consistent first team football yet (he may never be ready, injuries like that can stuff you up). Same applies to Sandro.

 

[CJMurray]

---------------- Lloris --------------------
Walker - Dawson - Vertonghen - Rose
---------------- Sandro ------------------
---------- Holtby - Paulinho -------------
Bale ---------------------------- Dembele
--------------- Striker -------------------

I'm of the opinion that Holtby's clearly good enough to hold a spot, he's a much better defensive player than Dembele. I think he was a bit poor last season because we played some absolutely atrocious football in the second half of the year, and a positive, attacking player like him couldn't adapt to the sloppy, stagnant football we were playing. As for Dembele, I have him wide left as I think his best attribute, his dribbling, can be put to better use further up the pitch, as opposed to the center, where he would have to carry a lot of defensive responsibility.

Rose is definitely good enough to start at left fullback for me. Much more dynamic than Benny and gives us an extra weapon when moving forward.

Dawson in the team because I think he's better than Caulker and I'm not sure Kaboul is ready for consistent first team football yet (he may never be ready, injuries like that can stuff you up). Same applies to Sandro.

Holtby a much better defender than Dembele? Sorry, but that's rubbish.

Dembele is excellent defensively. Holtby gives away way too many silly fouls as well.

 

[Omega Yid]

Holtby a much better defender than Dembele? Sorry, but that's rubbish.

Dembele is excellent defensively. Holtby gives away way too many silly fouls as well.

No need to be be aggressive.

Holtby has that tenacity Dembele lacks, and Dembele looked a bit slack when defending last season, particularly in the latter half of the season. Holtby may give away a few too many fouls now & then, but he's a young player, he'll learn from experience.

 

[CJMurray]

No need to be be aggressive.

Holtby has that tenacity Dembele lacks, and Dembele looked a bit slack when defending last season, particularly in the latter half of the season. Holtby may give away a few too many fouls now & then, but he's a young player, he'll learn from experience.

Sorry if I can across as a knob. Wasn't my intention.

Holtby is more energetic, but he's not a better defender than Dembele. He was a bit slack towards the end of the season I agree, but he was playing with an injury and wasn't at his best. He switches off sometimes at set pieces, but in open play, he's a far better defender than Holtby. He's stronger, more positionally disciplined and a better tackler.

Dembele makes more tackles, interceptions, clearences and is dribbled past fewer fewer times than Holtby per game.

 

[Omega Yid]

Sorry if I can across as a knob. Wasn't my intention.

Holtby is more energetic, but he's not a better defender than Dembele. He was a bit slack towards the end of the season I agree, but he was playing with an injury and wasn't at his best. He switches off sometimes at set pieces, but in open play, he's a far better defender than Holtby. He's stronger, more positionally disciplined and a better tackler.

Dembele makes more tackles, interceptions, clearences and is dribbled past fewer fewer times than Holtby per game.

Dembele averaged .2 more tackles & .7 more interceptions than Holtby when he was at Schalke (using Bundesliga stats because he wasn't given that many chances in the Prem), Holtby averages .2 more blocked shots however.

I understand what you're saying though, at the moment, Dembele probably is the better defensive option, but I still think Holtby has a higher ceiling in that area and considering we'll have Paulinho & possibly Sandro in the midfield triangle, I think we need extra attacking power Holtby provides (providing we play a less stagnant brand of football this season).

 

[Mouse!]

Probably the 10th time I've done this, but in light of recent events....

Bernard - Soldado - Lamela
(Chadli) - (Defoe) - (Townsend)

Dembele - Sandro - Paulinho
(Holtby) - (Siggy) - (Huddlestone)

Coentrao - Verts - Kaboul - Walker
(Rose) - (Chiriches) - (Daws) - (Naughton)

Lloris
(Friedel)

A few youngsters to play a part too. Carroll and Falque to go back out on loan. RB backup could be upgraded.

 

[ItsBoris]

Just assuming we sell Bale:

Sell: Bale (£90m + Coentrao), BAE (£6m), Adebayor (£6m), Parker (3mil), Livermore (4 mil), Naughton (3 mil), Gomes (4 mil).
£116 million + Coentrao in.

Buy: Suarez (45 million), Lamela (35 million), Llajac (12 million), the Romanian defender (7 million), maybe one other attacking player.

So that would be 99 million, we would still have 17 million to spend plus the money for Caulker, and whatever else we still have in the coffers at this moment.

 

[dannythomas]

Lloris
Walker Vertonghen Kaboul Coentrao
Paulinho Sandro
Pjanic
Lennon Soldado Chadli

Friedel Chiriches Rose Dembele Morata Defoe Townsend

 

[panoma]

With Soldado arriving, and Caulker and Bale seems to be off here is what i want. The rest of the squad is:

Reserves:

GK: Freidel
Defense: Rose, Fryers, Vlad, Daws, Naughton, Vrsalko
MF: McCarty, Dembele, Carroll, Gylfi
Forwards: Chadli, Gylfi, Defoe, Townsend

• If Bale stays I still want us to get in McCarthy, and we replace Di Maria with Chadli and Lamela with Bale as our starters.

• Thats a 23 players squad + 2 youngsters to fill in, just like AVB likes. And a lot of like for like replacements to enable us to rotate and keep the team strong and fresh to challenge on multiple fronts.

• I dont agree with starting Dembele, Sandro and Paulinho. We will lack creativity, and we will run our 3 best midfielders tired. Much better to simply rotate a strong 5-6 players so we never look weak.

• I dont care how much we get for Bale as long as we get Di Maria + Contreau and enough money for Lamela, Vlad and McCarthy. as a whole this team and squad is simply superb.

• we will have many players available for sale while having great squad depth, Ade, Dempsey, Lennon, Hudd, Parker, Livermore and BAE could all been sold and we still have great depth.

• Ideally we could use another forward, and if we raise enough funds from the "left over" players i would like us to get a player like Bruma/Oliveira in for the future

 

[beats1]

I refuse to put Soldado in my team as clearly Levy never pay £26million for a 28 year old

 

[crokey]

I don't even want any more signings. Just stay Gareth, please.

 

[Jesse]

I refuse to put Soldado in my team as clearly Levy never pay £26million for a 28 year old

Well obviously he just did.... its official. Soldado maybe older but he still is good. Just need the right chemistry.

 

[Jesse]

I don't even want any more signings. Just stay Gareth, please.

Thats what i think too.... I think bale will be back on left and put chadli in replace of Lennon. but yea thats how i see it as AVB is trying to enforce his 433 formation.

 

[carpediem991]

------------------------Lloris--------------------------
Walker--------Kabs----------Verts----------Coentrao
-----------------------Sandro-------------------------
------------Paulinho-----------Sigurdsson-------------
-Lamela-------------Soldado----------------Chadli

Subs: Friedel, Dawson, Chirches, Naughton, Rose, Dembele, Holtby, Huddlestone, Falque, Townsend, Lennon, Defoe, Morata

What a hell of a squad that would be.

 

[dontcallme]

Well obviously he just did.... its official. Soldado maybe older but he still is good. Just need the right chemistry.

The joys of someone not understanding a tongue-in-cheek comment.

 

[EnfieldYiddo]

With Bale:

Lloris​

Walker Kaboul Verts Rose​

Paulinho Dembele​

Bale Holtby Willian​

Soldado​

Not going to be everyone's onion but I think Holtby will be huge us and that trio can interchange behind Soldado. Also Dembele can be swapped out for Capoue or Sandro tbh.​

​

Without Bale:​

Lloris​

Walker Kaboul Verts Coentrao​

Paulinho Dembele​

Lamela Holtby Willian​

Soldado​

 

[WiganSpur]

With Bale:

Lloris​

Walker Kaboul Verts Rose​

Paulinho Dembele​

Bale Holtby Willian​

Soldado​

Not going to be everyone's onion but I think Holtby will be huge us and that trio can interchange behind Soldado. Also Dembele can be swapped out for Capoue or Sandro tbh.

Without Bale:

Lloris​

Walker Kaboul Verts Coentrao​

Paulinho Dembele​

Lamela Holtby Willian​

Soldado​

Would be absolutely delighted with either. Though if Bale were to stay then i'd consider finding an alternative LB or perhaps sign Sakho or Martins-Indi who could play there or CB and have better defensive ability than Rose.

 

[EnfieldYiddo]

Would be absolutely delighted with either. Though if Bale were to stay then i'd consider finding an alternative LB or perhaps sign Sakho or Martins-Indi who could play there or CB and have better defensive ability than Rose.

I agree, I hope we'd source one in the scenario of Bale staying. I still think there's a possibility they would sell Coentrao to us? Keep us sweet n all; or by then would Perez just sell to someone else to spite us?

 

[WiganSpur]

I agree, I hope we'd source one in the scenario of Bale staying. I still think there's a possibility they would sell Coentrao to us? Keep us sweet n all; or by then would Perez just sell to someone else to spite us?

It's certainly possible they could still sell Coentrao but I just think a CB/LB would be a great option for third choice CB and rotation LB in a 4-2-3-1 against more dangerous teams.

 

[kaz Hirai]

I'd really like to see us go full on Ultra MegaZord for an away game at one of the top 3 sides

--------------------------------Lloris
Walker----------Kaboul------------Vertonghen------Rose

----------------------Sandro---Paulinho
-----------------------------Kapow
-----------------Dembele--------------Bale

--------------------------Soldando


All width would have to come from Rose and Walker but that is pure Angus Beef, like to see Chelsea or City play there way through that