Sunderland (A) - Who do you WANT to start?

[noelgallagher]

It really doesn't matter we are not good enough so what's the point changing anything.

That said I'd drastically change things by dropping both wingers and playing three more central midfielders at least it might make us look tighter and more solid and perhaps stop opponents getting through so easily

Pretty much share this sentiment. All players of same/similar qualities. No matter how you line them up the end product will still be the same. Hate being negative, especially about RFC but after today, well, hard not to be. MOTD is like staying up to watch porn and then realising the laptop power lead is at work.

[W&E Royal]

feds
shorey, mariappa(if morrison cant play), pearce, cummings
mcanuff, tabb, guthrie, HRK
pog, alfie

Why would you swap the full backs? I'm not sure Shorey could swap over.

[SydenhamRoyal]

4-3-1-2:
Feds
Defence: Shorey, Mariappa Pearce Cummings OR if Morrison available Shorey, Morrison, Pearce, Mariappa
Midfield: Guthrie, Tabb, McAnuff
Link Man: Harte
Up Front: Hunt, Roberts

We need quality on the ball, and creativity, and putting Harte in a roaming role, where his pace wont matter, but his quality on the ball will be a foil for Guthrie might give us more options going forward

[RoyallyFcuked]

Federici
Cummings Pearce Mariappa Shorey
McCleary Guthrie Tabb HRK
ALF Roberts

Assuming Morrison is out that is.

[Arch]

4-3-1-2:
Feds
Defence: Shorey, Mariappa Pearce Cummings OR if Morrison available Shorey, Morrison, Pearce, Mariappa
Midfield: Guthrie, Tabb, McAnuff
Link Man: Harte
Up Front: Hunt, Roberts

We need quality on the ball, and creativity, and putting Harte in a roaming role, where his pace wont matter, but his quality on the ball will be a foil for Guthrie might give us more options going forward

Appropriately desperate!

[royalsroyalsroyals92]

I'd really like to see the Pog play instead of Roberts.
he's clearly a player who needs a bit of a run in the team, but he clearly can score more goals than Roberts. Roberts works hard, but he's hardly a guy who's going to score many goals. I think if we had Guthrie in their too, ALF and Pog would do pretty well, but they need time to gel together. McD needs to take a chance, start different palyers and give them a run and a chance to gel, just like he has done with the current squad. They havent performed, now time to move on

[winchester_royal]

Fed
Cummings
Pearce
Mariappa
Shorey
HRK
Guthrie
Tabb
McAnuff
Roberts
Samuel

[Basingstoke Royal]

Feds
Gunter Pearce Mariappa Shorey

McCleary Tabb Guthrie McAnuff

Roberts Le Fondre

Subs: Taylor, Gorkss, Cummings, Leigertwood,
Robson-Kanu, Hunt, Samuel

[The Prisoner]

Judging by his twitter account Guthrie has been told he is playing:

Tweet 1: @dannyguthrie20: So disappointed and disheartened

Tweet 2: @dannyguthrie20: So happy that the next game is only 3 days away #urzzz #rfc

[Pandoras Box]

30 + posts - only two include Leigertwood in the team. Bet you McD has him starting Tuesday.

[CavershamRoyal]

Federici

Gunter - Pearce - Mariappa - Shorey

McCleary - Tabb - Guthrie - HRK

Roberts (Pog if fit) - ALF

[Doolittle]

I would go:

-------------------Federici---------------------------
Cummings--Mariappa--Pearce--Shorey
--------------------Guthrie--------------------------
----------Tabb---------------------Legs--------------
--McCleary---------------------------------HRK------
-----------------------Le Fondre----------------------

The theory being:
(1) Get more bodies into central midfield
(2) We must play at least one winger who can go past their full back on the outside, to make the opposing back four drop off a bit, and give the front players some space to play in
(3) HRK doesn't defend that well, but is a good auxiliary striker. So in this set-up, he can get well forward and use his main assets better.

When Karacan is fit, I would replace Leigertwood with him, and put Legs on the bench in case we need more physicality on occasion. When Kebe is fit (and firing), he would probably get my vote over McCleary. If/when Morrison is fit, he would challenge Mariappa. Pearce is the more solid option we have at CB, and needs to play.

When Pog is fit, he would challenge ALF for the front man spot-- because in a system like this, there would be more chance of giving the guy a chance to play to his strengths. Jason/Noel can be options on the bench, if we need to go longer ball 4-4-2 towards the end of a game.

I would give McAnuff a spell on the bench. Partly because HRK offers more goal threat, and also because he needs a bit of time away from the cares of captaincy to remember why he spent so long striving to get in the PL.

[The Beardy Man]

I would go:

-------------------Federici---------------------------
Cummings--Mariappa--Pearce--Shorey
--------------------Guthrie--------------------------
----------Tabb---------------------Legs--------------
--McCleary---------------------------------HRK------
-----------------------Le Fondre----------------------

The theory being:
(1) Get more bodies into central midfield
(2) We must play at least one winger who can go past their full back on the outside, to make the opposing back four drop off a bit, and give the front players some space to play in
(3) HRK doesn't defend that well, but is a good auxiliary striker. So in this set-up, he can get well forward and use his main assets better.

When Karacan is fit, I would replace Leigertwood with him, and put Legs on the bench in case we need more physicality on occasion. When Kebe is fit (and firing), he would probably get my vote over McCleary. If/when Morrison is fit, he would challenge Mariappa. Pearce is the more solid option we have at CB, and needs to play.

When Pog is fit, he would challenge ALF for the front man spot-- because in a system like this, there would be more chance of giving the guy a chance to play to his strengths. Jason/Noel can be options on the bench, if we need to go longer ball 4-4-2 towards the end of a game.

I would give McAnuff a spell on the bench. Partly because HRK offers more goal threat, and also because he needs a bit of time away from the cares of captaincy to remember why he spent so long striving to get in the PL.

I like that set up and largely agree with your reasoning. Do think McAnuff gets an unfair amount of stick on here though (not suggesting you are bad mouthing him in this post). He has been far from our worst perfomer....and nobody emerged from yesterdays debacle in credit

[RFCSPACE]

It will be the same team with the same boring tactics, the clueless boss doesn`t know how to change it.

I'd be willing to wager a hefty chunk the team won't be the same, even disregarding the forced change of Morrison. BMac has always been willing to change a losing team.

Not sure that the last 4, desperately poor games back up your point.

Our wingers need to be instructed to do a different job than just sprint to the corner flag and lump in a hopeful cross that we never get onto the end of. I'd go to a Brendan Rogers style 4-3-3 but with less pointless passing, but more passing than we're doing now (which shouldn't be too hard).

-----------------Federici-----------------
Cummings-Mariappa-Pearce-Shorey
------------Guthrie---Tabb-------------
-------------------HRK-------------------
McCleary-------Roberts------McAnuff

[RockheadRumple]

I'm not gonna choose who may start tomorrow, only what our best team is regardless of injuries or current form.

----------------------McCarthy---------------------

Cummings ---- Pearce --- Morrison ----- Shorey

-------------- Karacan ------- Leigertwood -----------

Kebe ----------------- Guthrie ---------------- McAnuff

--------------------- Robson-Kanu ------------------

[Victor Meldrew]

It will be the same team with the same boring tactics, the clueless boss doesn`t know how to change it.

I'd be willing to wager a hefty chunk the team won't be the same, even disregarding the forced change of Morrison. BMac has always been willing to change a losing team.

Same team for the last 3 (losing) games doesn't fit with what you have said.

At Sunderland I would go with just the one winger and bulk up the central area of midfield-that would mirror the way Sunderland play and might at least get us a 0-0.
As for who should play in those positions I'm the same as Brian-I don't have a clue.

[Doolittle]

I would go:

-------------------Federici---------------------------
Cummings--Mariappa--Pearce--Shorey
--------------------Guthrie--------------------------
----------Tabb---------------------Legs--------------
--McCleary---------------------------------HRK------
-----------------------Le Fondre----------------------

The theory being:
(1) Get more bodies into central midfield
(2) We must play at least one winger who can go past their full back on the outside, to make the opposing back four drop off a bit, and give the front players some space to play in
(3) HRK doesn't defend that well, but is a good auxiliary striker. So in this set-up, he can get well forward and use his main assets better.

When Karacan is fit, I would replace Leigertwood with him, and put Legs on the bench in case we need more physicality on occasion. When Kebe is fit (and firing), he would probably get my vote over McCleary. If/when Morrison is fit, he would challenge Mariappa. Pearce is the more solid option we have at CB, and needs to play.

When Pog is fit, he would challenge ALF for the front man spot-- because in a system like this, there would be more chance of giving the guy a chance to play to his strengths. Jason/Noel can be options on the bench, if we need to go longer ball 4-4-2 towards the end of a game.

I would give McAnuff a spell on the bench. Partly because HRK offers more goal threat, and also because he needs a bit of time away from the cares of captaincy to remember why he spent so long striving to get in the PL.

I like that set up and largely agree with your reasoning. Do think McAnuff gets an unfair amount of stick on here though (not suggesting you are bad mouthing him in this post). He has been far from our worst perfomer....and nobody emerged from yesterdays debacle in credit

Yes, I agree that Jobi gets too much stick. I certainly think he is one of our players who can hold his own technically in the PL, and definitely still has a role to play. But just wonder if he needs a short break - has been a bit anonymous in the last few games, with the exception of the first 30 mins against Man U.

[loyalroyal4life]

.......Federici
...Cummings.Mariappa.Pearce.Shorey
..................Tabb.Ledge
McCleary.................Guthrie...........HRK
....................Roberts

Subs: Taylor, Gorkss, Hunt, ALF, Mcanuff, Samuel, Gunter.

[Arch]

It will be the same team with the same boring tactics, the clueless boss doesn`t know how to change it.

I'd be willing to wager a hefty chunk the team won't be the same, even disregarding the forced change of Morrison. BMac has always been willing to change a losing team.

Same team for the last 3 (losing) games doesn't fit with what you have said.

It's still correct, though, as will be evidenced on Tuesday.

[howser]

I think the composition of the side is pretty irrelevant as long as we keep playing this championship style and continually thumping the ball upfield, giving it back to the opposition, certainly Guthrie to start along with Pearce, would like to see Taylor in goal, according to yesterdays reports Federici had a few iffy moments