What is our best starting XI?

First of all and most contentious position, arguably:

  • Would you stick with Raya, his nerves and give him to settle in our team; Or
  • Would you go back to Ramsdale and his antics and yet effective Goalkeeping

Then, what is our best back four:

  • Would you keep last season’s formula: White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; or
  • Give a chance to: Partey, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko to basically have to FB with playmaking abilities, coming into the middle of the pitch…
  • Give a break to Zinchenko to play Tomy at LB: White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomy?

In midfield, what is our best midfield 3:

  • Would you play the obvious choice: Ode, Partey, Rice and how do you set-them up (2-1, 1-2?)
  • Would you give a chance to Havertz or Vieira in the middle of the park in lieu of Partey?
  • Would you play it safe and play Jorginho as the DM and again let Partey out?

Up front, what is our best front 3:

  • Saka, Jesus, Martinelli comes straight to mind, but what about:
  • Saka, Martinelli, Trossard, or
  • Saka, Havertz, Martinelli, or
  • Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli,
  • I think RN, ESR may be a bit behind in the pecking order but do have your say please…

So here is my best XI for what it is worth:

Ramsdale – White, Saliba, Gabs, Zinchenko – Partey, Rice – Odegaard – Saka, G.Jesus, Martinelli

So just Rice in lieu of Xhaka from last year’s starting XI. I think that:

  • Ramsdale deserves to stay in our goals. He has been very good for us and I find it slightly unfair that Raya was just given the N.1 spot just like that…
  • White is currently our best RB and that the defence is more solid with Gabriel in it so I keep the usual back four. I also do not like having two FB that would come in the middle of the pitch, one is enough. We need balance…
  • Odegaard is our play maker and Rice is already indispensable. I like Partey over Vieira and Havertz in our current set-up. He brings more defensive grit and also he is not bad on the ball so with him and Rice in the team, we have enough grit, engine and they can take turn at DM depending on the game evolution. I would play them as a double pivot too with Odegaard as a real CM/AM.
  • Saka and Martinelli are our best wingers and they are decisive on the wings and are also learning more and more on when to come to the middle of the pitch/box. For the CF position, G. Jesus is our best option although Nketiah does work very hard too. Trossard is best as a “super-sub”.

So there you go, this is my take on it. What about you?

4 Responses to What is our best starting XI?

  1. fred1266's avatar fred1266 says:

    I honestly would like to see the party experiments against only reason cause I think je would be much better I’m midfield than zinchenco, obviously don’t want to see Gabriel out the team again hence stick with current back 4

    And stop this havertz I’m midfield it should be Partey Rice once available and when rest is needed use jorginho and Vieira

  2. fatgingergooner's avatar fatgingergooner says:

    Football is dead.

    That MNF game between Spurs and Chelsea was confirmation that we’ve moved away from football as we know it. I actually found myself agreeing with the Spurs manager, in that all the waiting around and the VAR checks have killed the game. I Imagine that same match without any VAR involvement and it would’ve been up there with the likes of the Newcastle/Liverpool games of old, but instead it was a farce. They still get the decisions wrong with technology, so it begs the question….what is the point!?

    If you actually want to watch a proper game of football then you need to move down a couple of leagues, because the stuff that’s being served up in the ‘elite’ competitions is awful. Not only has all the fun been sucked out of it by VAR and the endless analysis from pundits, but we’re now watching a game where you can’t even celebrate a goal….!

    It’s joyless.

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