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

[SydenhamRoyal]

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 ------------------

So what now we think we're Spain, playing without a centre forward? Hmmmm. Well, you never know

[Born 'n Bred Royal]

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 ------------------

So what now we think we're Spain, playing without a centre forward? Hmmmm. Well, you never know

It's a good job RockheadRumple isn't picking the team every week as with a comedy formation like that with Robson Kanu as the only striker we'll never score.

I would like to see Guthrie back though, although I think Brian will refuse to swallow his pride on this occasion.

[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 ------------------

So what now we think we're Spain, playing without a centre forward? Hmmmm. Well, you never know

It's a good job RockheadRumple isn't picking the team every week as with a comedy formation like that with Robson Kanu as the only striker we'll never score.

I would like to see Guthrie back though, although I think Brian will refuse to swallow his pride on this occasion.

I knew someone would say something about this. Think about it though; Robson-Kanu has proved on many occasions he's a better finisher than anyone else in the squad including Le Fondre (Peterborough, Millwall, Man U, etc.) and he's quicker than our other striking options too. We need a striker with pace if we want to be playing it a little more on the floor as my formation suggests. And I don't mean completely, I know we're not bloody spain. And about that point, Sydenham Royal; I would argue that Robson-Kanu could be a better striker than a winger. He's always played pretty narrow and likes to cut in, he's got very good close control, his positioning is usually pretty good (Millwall, Man U, Fulham) and he's the best finisher in our squad IMO, like I said earlier. McD experimented with putting him in strike at the start of last season and, despite the 5 loses in a row, I think he could've been pretty good there had McD persisted with it.

Think about it.

[SydenhamRoyal]

So what now we think we're Spain, playing without a centre forward? Hmmmm. Well, you never know

It's a good job RockheadRumple isn't picking the team every week as with a comedy formation like that with Robson Kanu as the only striker we'll never score.

I would like to see Guthrie back though, although I think Brian will refuse to swallow his pride on this occasion.

I knew someone would say something about this. Think about it though; Robson-Kanu has proved on many occasions he's a better finisher than anyone else in the squad including Le Fondre (Peterborough, Millwall, Man U, etc.) and he's quicker than our other striking options too. We need a striker with pace if we want to be playing it a little more on the floor as my formation suggests. And I don't mean completely, I know we're not bloody spain. And about that point, Sydenham Royal; I would argue that Robson-Kanu could be a better striker than a winger. He's always played pretty narrow and likes to cut in, he's got very good close control, his positioning is usually pretty good (Millwall, Man U, Fulham) and he's the best finisher in our squad IMO, like I said earlier. McD experimented with putting him in strike at the start of last season and, despite the 5 loses in a row, I think he could've been pretty good there had McD persisted with it.

Think about it.[/quote]

What exactly does "Hmmm, you never know" imply other than that I'm thinking about it. You're bang on about the finishing, but only when its a snap finish. When he does run through the middle with the ball and gets the chance for a shot, and time to think about it, he bottles it (Leicester)

[Ian Royal]

Some of the crazy drivel with stupid formations and the players wildly out of position in roles they are totally unsuited to on these sorts of threads are hilarious.

[RockheadRumple]

Some of the crazy drivel with stupid formations and the players wildly out of position in roles they are totally unsuited to on these sorts of threads are hilarious.

I struggle to see how HRK is "wildly unsuited" to strike.

Although if its a general comment about the whole thread then fair do's.

[RoyalBlue]

Some of the crazy drivel with stupid formations and the players wildly out of position in roles they are totally unsuited to on these sorts of threads are hilarious.

The depressing thing is that, crazy as they are, they are unlikely to lead to much more of a different result (points gained/lost) than McDermott's 'considered' formation and tactics.

[Reading4eva]

Does it even matter

[maffff]

Based on what is available I would like

Federici,
Cummings - Pearce - Mariappa - Shorey
McCleary - Tabb - Guthrie - HRK (with a central midfielder to come on after 60 - when Karacan is back we desperately need him in)
ALF - Hunt/Pog

That side worries me though as there's little protection for the defence from midfield. I'd rather have Kebe in, or Gunter with McCleary.

I don't want to see Hunt move to the wings part way through.

[Royalclapper]

....................Federici....................
Cummings...Pearce...Mariappa......Shorey
....................Guthrie.....................
Roberts.........Leigertwood........McCleary
...........Le Fondre.........Pog..............

[melonhead]

....................Federici....................
Cummings...Pearce...Mariappa......Shorey
............Guthrie.....Tabb.....................
McCleary..........HRK.............Mcanuff
.....................Pog..............

[RFCSPACE]

Federici
Mariappa -Morrison
Cummings - Shorey
Tabb
Guthrie
McAnuff
Pog
HRK
Roberts

I'd like to think of it as a 2-2-1-1-1-1-1-1, kind of like a ladder with rungs, which will completely solve our issues with passing accuracy. A long ball of any length within the bounds of Roberts and Tabb will be picked up by us and can be recycled to the individual(s) in the adjacent rung towards our goal, ready to be pumped forward again. Once the ball has reached Roberts, he must shoot immediately. It's kind of a two steps forward, one step back approach. Kind of like how we play now but with a bit more goal threat centrally.

[Royal91]

Why are people throwing Guthrie into CAM again. He's not an attacking midfielder he's a deep lying play maker.

Why are people throwing HRK up front. If you want someone with pace throw McCleary up top as he's previously played there for Forest.

Assuming Pog, Karacan, Morro and Kebe remain out I'd have

----------------Taylor-----------------

Cummings-Pearce-Mariappa-Shorey

McAnuff----Guthire----Tabb----HRK

----------Roberts----------------

------------------McCleary-------

Anderson, Gorkss, L,wood, Alf, Samuel, Bryn (Tragically) and Hunt

I would get our wingers switching sides throughout the match. I'd have HRK drifting inside as he actually looks natural on the ball and confident and we know shorey can overlap providing the width. I would get our wingers driving inside, I would get our wingers driving into the box not just aimlessly throwing in crosses. Tabb certainly has the ability to arrive late into the box. He might do something you never know so I would encourage him to do so.

I would love to ask McDermott that because you value McAnuff so much as a CM why do you not start him there?

[Optimist]

Why are people throwing Guthrie into CAM again. He's not an attacking midfielder he's a deep lying play maker.

Why are people throwing HRK up front. If you want someone with pace throw McCleary up top as he's previously played there for Forest.

Assuming Pog, Karacan, Morro and Kebe remain out I'd have

----------------Taylor-----------------

Cummings-Pearce-Mariappa-Shorey

McAnuff----Guthire----Tabb----HRK

----------Roberts----------------

------------------McCleary-------

Anderson, Gorkss, L,wood, Alf, Samuel, Bryn (Tragically) and Hunt

I would get our wingers switching sides throughout the match. I'd have HRK drifting inside as he actually looks natural on the ball and confident and we know shorey can overlap providing the width. I would get our wingers driving inside, I would get our wingers driving into the box not just aimlessly throwing in crosses. Tabb certainly has the ability to arrive late into the box. He might do something you never know so I would encourage him to do so.

I would love to ask McDermott that because you value McAnuff so much as a CM why do you not start him there?

HRK has a much better goalscoring record than McCleary, and also has experience playing up front, he has 3 PL goals so far this season, and in total he has 27 goals from 141 games, whereas in McCleary's 135 games he's scored 14 goals, 6 of which came in one purple patch of a month last March. In 08/09 Kalifa Cisse randomly went on a goalscoring run early on in the season, didn't mean he was striker material.

[bcubed]

Federici
Mariappa -Morrison
Cummings - Shorey
Tabb
Guthrie
McAnuff
Pog
HRK
Roberts

I'd like to think of it as a 2-2-1-1-1-1-1-1, kind of like a ladder with rungs, which will completely solve our issues with passing accuracy. A long ball of any length within the bounds of Roberts and Tabb will be picked up by us and can be recycled to the individual(s) in the adjacent rung towards our goal, ready to be pumped forward again. Once the ball has reached Roberts, he must shoot immediately. It's kind of a two steps forward, one step back approach. Kind of like how we play now but with a bit more goal threat centrally.

why not go the whole hog and play 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1?

[paddy20]

Federici Cummings Pearce Gorks Shorey
Tabb Guthrie Mariappa Leigherwood Mcleary
Pog

[murof]

Federici
Mariappa (yes he started his career at right back)
Morrison
Pearce
Shorey
Kebe Right Wing
McAnuff Left wing (Kanu as sub)
Karacan
Guthrie
Leighterwood (or Tabb for sub)
Le Fondre (Roberts as sub)

[murof]

I knew someone would say something about this. Think about it though; Robson-Kanu has proved on many occasions he's a better finisher than anyone else in the squad including Le Fondre (Peterborough, Millwall, Man U, etc.) and he's quicker than our other striking options too. We need a striker with pace if we want to be playing it a little more on the floor as my formation suggests. And I don't mean completely, I know we're not bloody spain. And about that point, Sydenham Royal; I would argue that Robson-Kanu could be a better striker than a winger. He's always played pretty narrow and likes to cut in, he's got very good close control, his positioning is usually pretty good (Millwall, Man U, Fulham) and he's the best finisher in our squad IMO, like I said earlier. McD experimented with putting him in strike at the start of last season and, despite the 5 loses in a row, I think he could've been pretty good there had McD persisted with it.

Think about it.[/quote]

HRK is not good enough to start a premier league game, he has a use as an impact sub late in the game when opposition defenders are getting tired

[melonhead]

nonsense reactionary nonsense based on nothing but your own predjudice and blinkered view

he clearly started AND played well AND effectively in several premiere league games this season, one very recently

[RFCSPACE]

I knew someone would say something about this. Think about it though; Robson-Kanu has proved on many occasions he's a better finisher than anyone else in the squad including Le Fondre (Peterborough, Millwall, Man U, etc.) and he's quicker than our other striking options too. We need a striker with pace if we want to be playing it a little more on the floor as my formation suggests. And I don't mean completely, I know we're not bloody spain. And about that point, Sydenham Royal; I would argue that Robson-Kanu could be a better striker than a winger. He's always played pretty narrow and likes to cut in, he's got very good close control, his positioning is usually pretty good (Millwall, Man U, Fulham) and he's the best finisher in our squad IMO, like I said earlier. McD experimented with putting him in strike at the start of last season and, despite the 5 loses in a row, I think he could've been pretty good there had McD persisted with it.

Think about it.

HRK is not good enough to start a premier league game, he has a use as an impact sub late in the game when opposition defenders are getting tired

His performance against Man Utd was sensational. Agreed he may not be the most consistent, but consistency is just something a Reading player can dream of.