Starting: Etheridge, Peltier, Morrison, Manga, Bennett, Ralls, Vaulks, Decordova-Reid, NML, Murphy, Zohore
Subs: Smithies, Bamba, Cunningham, Hoilett, Tomlin, Paterson, Ward
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Who would be in your starting eleven and who would be the subs?
And who don’t we need anymore?
Starting: Etheridge, Peltier, Morrison, Manga, Bennett, Ralls, Vaulks, Decordova-Reid, NML, Murphy, Zohore
Subs: Smithies, Bamba, Cunningham, Hoilett, Tomlin, Paterson, Ward
I'm not sure it's as easy as saying a definite 11. For me I would play the back 5 started pl with as I think they are our best defenders I know manga is better at cb but I think he is better than Peltier.
For me I think Patterson should play every game whether that be central , 10 or rm.
I wouldn't play both Murphy and Nml as nice to have a pace option of the bench.
For me would be nice to see what Reid can do but if he's better at 10 or up top.
I am a fan of Hoilett and think he is one 9f our cleverest players where can get away with not being rapid in championship.
I still think Zohore can be one of the best strikers in the division
""Were going up as ducking champions ""
Think that, ageing, side could be run off their feet by some of the teams I saw in last season's Championship and when you look at the bench it is still too short of depth in central midfield.
I feel one of those two keepers will leave the club soon, Cunningham is too good at this level to be kicking his heels on the bench every week, I'll believe Tomlin is worth persevering with when I see him consistently doing the business for us and we really need someone to push Zohore for his place every week.
I agree that the defence are ageing (32, 30, 28 and 29) but I don't see Curtis Nelson (no youngster at 26) starting yet. I still prefer that back 4 over the alternatives (Richards, Connolly, Cunningham, Coxe, Bamba) for the start of the season.
The question was if all our players stay at the club and play to their potential.... which won't happen but for fantasy football line-up purposes, I want Ken at his best up front, Bobby Reid used in the best way we can (as a No 10) and for me Murphy at his best is marginally ahead of Hoilett - although based on what we saw last season Hoilett may be a more reliable and consistent pick.
Vaulks and Ralls as a 2 man midfield? At their best (from what I have seen of the Vaulks clips) they are the most likely pairing - better than Bacuna or a converted midfielder like Paterson, Richards or Bamba. I would like to see Warnock play 4 - 2 - 3 - 1, but I doubt he will, at least not as a default formation.
It does show how big the squad is now - with maybe another 3 to come in. There must be a shedload of players to leave - with a goalkeeper, Connolly and Bogle probably at the front of the queue.
The squad listed above is pretty much what would start given the players we have at the moment. But I expect to see a few go out and maybe three new players coming in. Hopefully we can get another couple of midfielders and a striker.
No Bacuna??
The squad is big but very few players absolutely stake a claim to s position being theirs.Paterson, Hoilett, Bamba would all expect starting positions as would others. The likes of Richards, Cunningham, Bacuna, Lamour and so many others will need to believe that can compete for a place too.
Starting: Etheridge (29), Peltier (32), Morrison (28), Manga (30), Bennett (29), Ralls (25), Vaulks (25), Decordova-Reid (26), NML (27), Murphy (24), Zohore (25)
I really don't think that can be considered an aging side. Every player is in their 20s bar 2. And I wouldn't be surprised to see Peltier be replaced either.
I like the team but I think Bacuna over Tomlin is a better option, otherwise someone is getting shoe horned into CM if we have a knock there. We really have to get someone else in there as well.
I'd like another option at RB (maybe Coxe is our man) and as TOBW says, a striker is a must for me. I think we're at least 3 or 4 short at present. We're waiting on Smithies/Etheridge, Connolly, Bogle, Madine, Damour and others to go before we can start buying. Also, I'm not exactly gutted we're no longer in the running for Holtby (allegedly). He'd have been a great signing had he lived up to his potential but probably both of Reid and Paterson would have to be sacrificed and we're still lacking actual CMs.
Let's be honest, if Bamba is fit, he'll be straight back in the team so that, by the time we get to March, what I would say is our top five defenders at the moment will have a combined age of 158 consisting of Bamba (35), Peltier (33), Manga (31 on the sixteenth of this month), Bennett (30) and Morrison (29), Greg Cunningham will be twenty nine, Matt Connolly thirty two, Jazz Richards will be twenty nine in April and our so called concession to youth at the back, Curtis Nelson, is nearer to thirty than twenty after reaching twenty six in May.
Last season we conceded more home goals than anyone else in the Premier League (a two a game thirty eight) and were wide open to quick counter attacks. Obviously, the quality we're going to be up against isn't going to be as good, but there seemed to be more sides basing their attacking play on pace, as opposed to power, in the Championship last season - just because we were good at the back in a more physical league two years ago, it doesn't automatically follow that we won't struggle in defence this time around.
I think we'll be ok but almost everyone agrees we need to get younger, especially at right back. One benefit of their age is experience, which is extremely valuable. I also think we conceded on the break because of our midfield deficiencies, as well as our inability to pass and keep the ball. They're good players and we have other holes to fill but we're going to potentially have a problem next summer, especially with Bamba and Peltier who will be knocking on for 36 and 34!
I think you've been playing too much Championship manager bob, 30 isn't old for a defender. Other than Peltier and Bamba (who I don't think will play as much this season) they should be in their primes.
We conceded so many goals last year because we were one of the 3 worst teams in the league up against a top 7 who were stronger than ever.
I don't think our issues are at the back, I think our issues are lack of creativity in midfield and we are hoping on Zohore having a hot streak which more than likely won't come.
Given Cardiff's unique approach to Young Player of the Year awards, Nelson could be a contender for the trophy just in time for his twenty seventh birthday - the fact that he is considered to be the "young pup" among our defenders says so much.
There have been so many seasons down the years where supporters have looked at the team pre season and decided that one section of it would not be a problem only for it to turn out to be the weakest element in the team - I think it's dangerous that a group of good quality Championship defenders have been allowed to get to thirty, or very close to it together and, assuming this really is going to be Neil Warnock's last season, his successor is going to be handed a real rebuilding job next summer.