Pre-Season 2017

[PuntsWolf]

Positives - everyone played well in the second half, no weaknesses.

Negatives - solid defensively in the first half, really disappointing from Cav and Zyro. Mason is garbage - slow, weak, poor touch, poor movement, poor awareness. I don't actually know if he has ANY redeeming features.

 

[Lycan]

Edwards is actually doing OK

He can play football when he wants to.

 

[AndyWolves]

Boly looks immense, loving his darts forward to nick possession. Douglas looks like an absolute bargain.
Graham doing their left back was comedy until he smashed it out of play.
Great finish by Samuels
Bennett looks like a CB in the same mould as Baath, maybe a bit more solid but rubbish at passing
Mason was just frustrating

 

[Dinowolf]

Incredible they knew to put Samuels in the squad. At 16yrs of age he has a bright future. My cat is older than him.

 

[darlowolf64]

So, a mix of the two teams tonight to start against 'Boro...

------------------------------------- Ruddy ------------------------------------

-------- Miranda ------------------ Batth ----------------------- Boly -----------

Doherty ------------------------ Neves -------------------- Douglas/Vinagre

-------------------------------- Price/Ronan --------------------------------

Graham ---------------------- New Striker ------------------------ Jota

 

[darlowolf64]

Batth actually looked composed and played the short pass really well in the first half. Miranda is class and Boly is a beast

 

[Tony Towner]

I've seen a total of zero minutes in pre season, but surely Miranda as the ball playing centre half should be the one to play in the middle of the back 3?

 

[thehistorymakers]

So much to look for this season, when we are full strength and the players have learnt to gel together, this team promises to be one of the most exciting for many a year.

 

[Lycan]

I think it'll be Miranda - Coady - Boly that start against Boro.

 

[AndyWolves]

4231 for me
Ruddy
Doc/Coady Miranda Boly Douglas
Neves Price
Graham Cav Jota
Dicko / New ST

 

[darlowolf64]

I've seen a total of zero minutes in pre season, but surely Miranda as the ball playing centre half should be the one to play in the middle of the back 3?

He's played right side every game. He has the pace needed to cover over down where the tight back should be and can release the ball down the line or through the middle. Boly on the other side is equally adept at stopping threats down the left. Danny looked ok tonight, won the ball and laid it simply to Miranda or Deslandes who had a good game

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If we're using the RWB role as more of an attacking one (and I haven't seen Doherty do much defending in this system, not that he can do it anyway) then I'd much rather have Graham out there. Doc is just about acceptable going forward as a standard full back, supporting a winger. Providing pretty much all of the width down one side, no ta.

 

[Jinky]

My guess for the opening game would be -

--------------Ruddy------------
----Batth---Miranda---Boly----
Doherty-----------------Douglas
----------Price---Neves----------
---Jota------Dicko----Graham---

Graham is the only question mark for me, but he has done more tonight than Zyro has done all pre-season (slightly worried Zyro may have a similar season to the one Dicko has just had). I really like Ronan and I suspect he will perhaps come off the bench for Graham/Jota in that opening game.

Price gets the nod ahead of Saiss for me, and the rest of the team picks itself, fitness permitting.

 

[pr0sl0]

I think - assuming that Nuno will use it as a chance to road test his final choice for first XI for the opening of the season - this is what we'll line up with against Leicester:

Ruddy
Miranda - Coady - Boly
Doherty - Neves - Price - Douglas
Jota - Dicko - Graham​

I'm not 100% on this, but from what I've seen of the preseason games, it would make sense. Batth has improved as time has gone on and Miranda has had some wobbles, so it might be between them for that right CB slot, but Bennett and Deslandes are going to be backup, and Hause isn't going to be in contention for a few more weeks apparently. After Shrewsbury, Price seems to have pushed ahead of Saiss for the slot next to Neves, while Doherty has played every pre-season game so far and appears the most natural fit for the RWB position. Vinagre was promising today, but Douglas is such a classy, comfortable all-rounder I think it's still Barry's place to lose. Graham is clearly the most capable of our attackers available for the front-left slot with Cavaleiro suspended, while neither Zyro nor Mason have done anything to suggest that they'll be a better choice than Jota front-right. And then there's the striker. Assuming he's available (like Neves, I think we might have just been protecting him today rather than it being anything serious), Dicko's played well enough to be the default choice for number 9 provided we haven't secured an obvious improvement by then.

It might not be firing on all cylinders yet, but that lineup should be good value for a top six push. Rotate in returning players like Costa, Ofosu-Ayeh, Cavaleiro, Marshall, Hause, and our inevitable new striker, and that's a hell of a squad for this division.

EDIT: Jinx, Jinky!

 

[darlowolf64]

I think it'll be Miranda - Coady - Boly that start against Boro.

Cody blew his chance at Shrewsbury on Saturday, he was bloody rank and at fault for both goals

 

[Freddeno]

My guess for the opening game would be -

--------------Ruddy------------
----Batth---Miranda---Boly----
Doherty-----------------Douglas
----------Price---Neves----------
---Jota------Dicko----Graham---

Graham is the only question mark for me, but he has done more tonight than Zyro has done all pre-season (slightly worried Zyro may have a similar season to the one Dicko has just had). I really like Ronan and I suspect he will perhaps come off the bench for Graham/Jota in that opening game.

Price gets the nod ahead of Saiss for me, and the rest of the team picks itself, fitness permitting.

that looks like a good team to me, cav from the bench when Jota or Graham has faded..and Ronan for Price at 60-65 mins

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

that looks like a good team to me, cav from the bench when Jota or Graham has faded..

Cav is banned for the Boro and Yeovil games.

 

[Freddeno]

Cav is banned for the Boro and Yeovil games.

aye forgot about that

 

[Freddeno]

Zyro then

 

[AndyWolves]

If we're using the RWB role as more of an attacking one (and I haven't seen Doherty do much defending in this system, not that he can do it anyway) then I'd much rather have Graham out there. Doc is just about acceptable going forward as a standard full back, supporting a winger. Providing pretty much all of the width down one side, no ta.

This is what I reckon Nuno is thinking too.

Ruddy
Miranda Coady Boly
Graham Neves Saiss Douglas
Jota Ronan
Dicko / New ST

There's a lot of attacking talent in that team