Team for Burton

[Top Flight]

I think it's safe to say that Stam will have one eye on next weekend when he picks his side for the game with Burton on Saturday.

He will give some of our lads with little niggly injuries more of a rest so that definitely means GMAC and McShane will be out. He will also probably give older lads like Kermie a break and lads who have had a long season like Gunts and Kelly a possible rest. This is probably going to be the most difficult week to predict a Stam line-up so let me have a crack at it. This is what I think Stam will do:

GK: Al Habsi
RB: Gunter (I would have liked to see Watson start at Burton and give Gunts a rest. But Gunter has a hell of an engine and can run all season. He is the best right back in the league and is rightly an ever present in the side year after year.)
LB: Obita (No other choice really)
CB: Oxford (Let's give Moore a break)
CB: Tiago (He needs a match to show more of what he can do. Blackett could use a week off to think about his recent performances)
CDM: Evans (VDB give him another week. Kelly give him a break)
CAM: Swift (The more he plays the sharper he gets)
CM: Williams (Tireless runner - He can take the all these games in his stride)
RF: Popa (GMAC needs time out)
CF: Mendes (Impressed at Villa. This is a good time to give him another chance)
LF: Grabban (Beerens needs a rest too, who better than Grabban to replace him) Or we could try Yakou.

What do you guys think Stam will do? The nobber who correctly predicts Stam's line-up for the weekend wins the respect of the board.

[maffff]

---------------------Jaakkola-----------------
Watson------Dickie---Ilori-----Blackett
-------------------tiny Danzell---------------
-----------Evans------------Mutch-----------
Popa--------------------------------Beerens
----------------------Mendes------------------

Bench: Ali, Obita, Oxford, Williams, Swift, Kermorgant*, Rakels

*or Meite if he recovered from the u23 game.

[NewCorkSeth]

-----------------Al-Habsi------------
Watson--Oxford--Ilori--Obita
------------------Evans---------------
------------Kelly------Williams----
Popa----------------------Beerens
---------------Mendes---------------

[CountryRoyal]

-----------------Al-Habsi------------
Watson--Oxford--Ilori--Obita
------------------Evans---------------
------------Kelly------Williams----
Popa----------------------Beerens
---------------Mendes---------------

Happy with that.

[AthleticoSpizz]

-----------------Ian Royal----------
Me--Frimmers--Royal Lady--Shards
------------------Genome---------------
------------Leon------Uke----
Brendy---------------------Lux
---------------Wolfie St Pauli---------------

(like it really matters)

or anyone even cares

[CountryRoyal]

-----------------Ian Royal----------
Me--Frimmers--Royal Lady--Shards
------------------Genome---------------
------------Leon------Uke----
Brendy---------------------Lux
---------------Wolfie St Pauli---------------

(like it really matters)

or anyone even cares

Do I make the bench?

[Mike Hunt]

-----------------Al-Habsi------------
Gunter---Moore---Ilori---Obita
------------------Evans---------------
------------Kelly---------Mutch-----
Popa----------------------Beerens
---------------Mendes---------------

[lewesroyal]

-----------------Ian Royal----------
Me--Frimmers--Royal Lady--Shards
------------------Genome---------------
------------Leon------Uke----
Brendy---------------------Lux
---------------Wolfie St Pauli---------------

(like it really matters)

or anyone even cares

Aww, I was looking for my first start between the sticks!

[SCIAG]

Don't really care as long as Watson plays and McCleary doesn't.

[genome]

Rest: Kermorgant, Moore, Kelly
Maybe give McShane a run out in the second half.

Al-Habsi; Gunter, Oxford, Ilori, Obita; Williams, Evans, Swift; Meite, Beerens, Mendes.

[Elmer Park]

I'll say he'll go for

Al Habsi

Gunter, Moore, Ilori, Blackett

Popa, Evans, Swift, Williams, Grabban

Mendes

Subs: Jaakkola, Obita, Oxford, van den Berg (if fit), Kelly, Beerens, Kermorgant

[jar95]

Got to be

AAH

Gunter Ilori Blackett Obita

Evans Swift Mutch

Grabban Mendes Meite

Bench - Jakkola, Watson, McShane, Van Den Berg, Williams, Beerens, Kermorgant

Give McShane and VDB 20 minutes at the end

[Hound]

like that side, though I think we have (thankfully) seen the last of Mutch

Blackett should be rested I think, give Oxford a go.

[Nameless]

Got to be

AAH

Gunter Ilori Blackett Obita

Evans Swift Mutch

Grabban Mendes Meite

Bench - Jakkola, Watson, McShane, Van Den Berg, Williams, Beerens, Kermorgant

Give McShane and VDB 20 minutes at the end

That back 4 would get destroyed.
No chance Blackett and Illori would function as a pair. Blackett needs a strong character alongside him and I suspect Illori will too, although he looks a better player.

[jar95]

Got to be

AAH

Gunter Ilori Blackett Obita

Evans Swift Mutch

Grabban Mendes Meite

Bench - Jakkola, Watson, McShane, Van Den Berg, Williams, Beerens, Kermorgant

Give McShane and VDB 20 minutes at the end

That back 4 would get destroyed.
No chance Blackett and Illori would function as a pair. Blackett needs a strong character alongside him and I suspect Illori will too, although he looks a better player.

that is one change from our recent back 4! only difference being Ilori in for Moore...

[NewCorkSeth]

-----------------Ian Royal----------
Me--Frimmers--Royal Lady--Shards
------------------Genome---------------
------------Leon------Uke----
Brendy---------------------Lux
---------------Wolfie St Pauli---------------

(like it really matters)

or anyone even cares

I don't even make my own team??

[jd82]

-----------------Ian Royal----------
Me--Frimmers--Royal Lady--Shards
------------------Genome---------------
------------Leon------Uke----
Brendy---------------------Lux
---------------Wolfie St Pauli---------------

(like it really matters)

or anyone even cares

I don't even make my own team??

Hobnob XI AE spin off potential there Spizz..
Nice to see schards on the left for a change.

[Nameless]

Got to be

AAH

Gunter Ilori Blackett Obita

Evans Swift Mutch

Grabban Mendes Meite

Bench - Jakkola, Watson, McShane, Van Den Berg, Williams, Beerens, Kermorgant

Give McShane and VDB 20 minutes at the end

That back 4 would get destroyed.
No chance Blackett and Illori would function as a pair. Blackett needs a strong character alongside him and I suspect Illori will too, although he looks a better player.

that is one change from our recent back 4! only difference being Ilori in for Moore...

I know.
Your point being ?
Putting a hamster in instead of Moore would be one change, not sure I'd be confident.
I think a combination of Illori and Blackett would be disasterous, if your centre back pairing doesn't work then you will get destroyed. Neither look like leaders, they've not played together, We know Blackett is suspect positionally and I don't think Illori needs to be worrying about a straying partner.

[Ian Royal]

Al-Habsi
Watson
McShane
Moore
Ilori
Obita
Evans
Kelly
Swift
Grabban
Meite

Jaakkola, Gunter, Blackett, Williams, McCleary, Beerens, Mendes

[Top Flight]

You quite like the 5-3-2 or 3-5-2, however you want to call it, don't you Ian. Both 4-3-3 and your system have worked well for us this season depending on who we've played. We are able to switch between those shapes very effectively at the moment.