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I get that it'll be horses for courses and there will be rotation; but if everyone is fit and we want to play to our strengths, what would team, and more specifically, what formation would you pick. Assume we sign no one else and everyone is fit.

Hart
Zaba Kompany Denayer Clichy
Fern 1
Yaya. Nasri
Silva. Aguero. Sterling

MP won't do this but that's my expert suggestion.

I wouldn't have thought so before seeing him in the pre-season games, but Sterling is definitely in there for me. As are Silva, Joe and Aguero of course. The rest is down to form and opposition.

Having Nasri in the Middle when quoting our strongest 11, doesn't quite sit with me. Apart from that it's a fair shout

Bluedj wrote:Having Nasri in the Middle when quoting our strongest 11, doesn't quite sit with me. Apart from that it's a fair shout

I'm not keen on just 2 in the middle like MP plays. We always seem to get overrun against the better sides. I picked a side to keep possession and I'm not too keen on Fern 2. We could play Delph in there instead of Nasri, but given he only made 97 league appearance in 6 years I'm not expecting him to be available too often.

Hart
Zaba Demichelis Mangala Clichy
Fern 1 Yaya
Navas Silva Sterling
Aguero

Hart
Zaba Kompany Mangala Kolarov
Fern 1 Delph
Yaya
Silva Sterling
Aguero

C & C wrote:Hart
Zaba Kompany Mangala Kolarov
Fern 1 Delph
Yaya
Silva Sterling
Aguero

Ha ha, I just wanted to post exactly that line up, but thought it was too much hassle to do it on my phone. My only amendement is that the midfield triangle should be turned upside down when we have the ball at the back. I.e. Yaya should be the one to come get the ball from the back four when we're looking to build up play.

mr_nool wrote:Yaya should be the one to come get the ball from the back four when we're looking to build up play.

I can get on board with that.

mr_nool wrote:

C & C wrote:Hart
Zaba Kompany Mangala Kolarov
Fern 1 Delph
Yaya
Silva Sterling
Aguero

Ha ha, I just wanted to post exactly that line up, but thought it was too much hassle to do it on my phone. My only amendement is that the midfield triangle should be turned upside down when we have the ball at the back. I.e. Yaya should be the one to come get the ball from the back four when we're looking to build up play.

Agree also.

mr_nool wrote:

C & C wrote:Hart
Zaba Kompany Mangala Kolarov
Fern 1 Delph
Yaya
Silva Sterling
Aguero

Ha ha, I just wanted to post exactly that line up, but thought it was too much hassle to do it on my phone. My only amendement is that the midfield triangle should be turned upside down when we have the ball at the back. I.e. Yaya should be the one to come get the ball from the back four when we're looking to build up play.

The only problem there is that you have a defence that cant defend. Kolarov and Kompany is a combination I never, ever want to see on our team sheet. I think I would prefer Kompany not to play again until he proves he is less of an accident waiting to happen than Titus Bramble.

Our defence worries me. The front 3 and middle 3 will be good. But our defence is the problem. It may well cost us. Last season our best defender was Martin he must be 35 now.
Kompany zabba both below par. Kolarov can't defend, clichy very erratic, mangler still has a lot to prove. We should be looking at left back and centre of defence.
Denayer is yet to be proven at PL level.

Our strongest team hinges on how we defend.

this is an interesting question now.

after the Juve loss is apparent we need to play quicker, and the side's speed was something that was praised in the early season. with Sterling and Navas on opposite flanks we had a genuine counterattack threat on each side and players with enough pace to keep the opposing fullbacks concerned. however, Navas often picks the wrong ball, fails to beat the first man, and will never score again. AND we just splashed the cash on De Bruyne who won't want to sit on the bench.

logic tells us that Navas is the one to lose out. however, we then lose his pace. Now KDB isn't Bony/Mertesacker slow but he's no Navas/Sterling/Bellerin either. Maybe his increase in skills over Navas will replace the loss in pace.

either way, we cannot play against any serious opposition with Nasri and Silva in the team together.

phips wrote:
logic tells us that Navas is the one to lose out. however, we then lose his pace. Now KDB isn't Bony/Mertesacker slow but he's no Navas/Sterling/Bellerin either. Maybe his increase in skills over Navas will replace the loss in pace.

Wasn't KDB the fastest player on the pitch on Saturday? I'm sure I read he had the fastest sprint in the match. He isn't slow at all!

If everyone was fit I would play

Aguero
Sterling Silva De Bruyne
Fernandinho Toure
Kolarov Mangala Kompany Zabaleta
Hart

Not sure when we will see that line-up though!

Mase wrote:

phips wrote:
logic tells us that Navas is the one to lose out. however, we then lose his pace. Now KDB isn't Bony/Mertesacker slow but he's no Navas/Sterling/Bellerin either. Maybe his increase in skills over Navas will replace the loss in pace.

Wasn't KDB the fastest player on the pitch on Saturday? I'm sure I read he had the fastest sprint in the match. He isn't slow at all!

i didn't say he was slow. i just said he's not as fast as some of the fastest players in the league.

Interesting that everyone seems to have Zaba in although acknowledging our defence is the key problem area. IMO Sagna is a better defender than Zaba.

phips wrote:

Mase wrote:

phips wrote:
logic tells us that Navas is the one to lose out. however, we then lose his pace. Now KDB isn't Bony/Mertesacker slow but he's no Navas/Sterling/Bellerin either. Maybe his increase in skills over Navas will replace the loss in pace.

Wasn't KDB the fastest player on the pitch on Saturday? I'm sure I read he had the fastest sprint in the match. He isn't slow at all!

i didn't say he was slow. i just said he's not as fast as some of the fastest players in the league.

But on Saturday he scored a faster sprint than Navas - who you've just classed as one of the fastest in the league

Mase wrote:

phips wrote:

Mase wrote:

phips wrote:
logic tells us that Navas is the one to lose out. however, we then lose his pace. Now KDB isn't Bony/Mertesacker slow but he's no Navas/Sterling/Bellerin either. Maybe his increase in skills over Navas will replace the loss in pace.

Wasn't KDB the fastest player on the pitch on Saturday? I'm sure I read he had the fastest sprint in the match. He isn't slow at all!

i didn't say he was slow. i just said he's not as fast as some of the fastest players in the league.

But on Saturday he scored a faster sprint than Navas - who you've just classed as one of the fastest in the league

He's slower than the ones who are faster than him

Moonchesteri wrote:If everyone was fit I would play

Aguero
Sterling Silva De Bruyne
Fernandinho Toure
Kolarov Mangala Kompany Zabaleta
Hart

Not sure when we will see that line-up though!

Agree with that, although I may be tempted to put Otamendi in for Mangala. Would come down to form.

I'm shocked that some people wouldn't have De Bruyne in their first team.