Team for Morecambe

I'm thinking 4-4-2

Mckeown

Hewitt  Waterfall  Pollock/Ohman  Preston

Wright/Tilley  Rose  Williams  Scannell

Green  Sisay

I'm sure Tilley was described as a tricksy dicksy winger , Scannell a winger and Green plays better in a 2 man attack. (a bit like Amond who played awesome for us but Hartlepool played 3 up front and we know what happened next )

Tilley can play as a wing back. He did so for Yeovil.

I'm expecting us to sign (permanent or loan) a holding midfielder/deep-lying playmaker, a la Benson, before Saturday as I don't think we really have one yet. That'll allow us to go 4-3-3 comfortably.

A lot of people seem to think it's a formality that we're going to play 3-5-2 but I don't think it is at all. Holloway said a few months back that because Hanson is so effective to work in a partnership with someone to play off him, he'd like to have the option to go 3 at the back and have 2 strikers.

He didn't say he wants to play that formation or that's what he wants to build for. Yes we played it at Scunthorpe, where it kept us solid and with an extra body at the back after a run of conceding a lot of goals before that. And we'll probably see it again at some point, but I don't think it means we're building to play 3-5-2 at all.

Personally, I think if we play it this Saturday it'll be because we're short of a player in a particular position for 433 - for example if we don't have anyone to play right back in a back 4, but have Max who could play the wing-back role.  Although the way Holloway is talking, there's every chance he'll just stick with his preferred 4-3-3 and give opportunities to young pro's or even YT's if there are gaps to be filled.

Preston confirmed and Ollie has said he hopes to announce another trialist has signed on before the end of today.

Quoted from StaffsMariner

I'm thinking 4-4-2

Mckeown

Hewitt  Waterfall  Pollock/Ohman  Preston

Wright/Tilley  Rose  Williams  Scannell

Green  Sisay

I'm sure Tilley was described as a tricksy dicksy winger , Scannell a winger and Green plays better in a 2 man attack. (a bit like Amond who played awesome for us but Hartlepool played 3 up front and we know what happened next )

Sisay not match fit yet

Got my seat booked beer in and looking forward to seeing the new lads playing.

So, early team news (feels nice just to be able to write that). Looks like the following are unavailable or doubtful:

Hanson
Hendrie
Moshni
Clifton
Jackson Jr
Sisay
Gibson (doubt)

That limits things quite a bit. Youngsters Luis Adlard and Evan Khouri are likely to 'feature' (no mention of Starbuck et al) so that probably gives you the following to take your pick from:

GK
Macca
Russell
Battersby

Defence
Hewitt
Preston
Ohman
Pollock
Waterfall

Midfield
Rose
Williams
Wright
Tilley
Scannell
Khouri

Forwards
Green
Adlard

Based on that, assuming no more incomings fit and ready to go, I'd envisage a system with three up top (most likely 4-3-3); Green down the middle with two from Tilley, Wright and Scannell out wide. I know a few have said that Green centre of a front-three doesn't work, but options look limited. Central midfield looks tricky too, with Hewitt needed at full back if we go with a back four.

Of course, a fit signing up top between now and the weekend could change all that.

I would think Starbuck, Hope et Al are in the mix and he's just mentioned the other twk as they aren't members of the senior squad are they? All bodies needed by the sound of it!

For me I expect something like this:

--------------------------------McKeown--------------------------------

Hendrie------------Pollock------------Waterfall------------Preston

----------------------Rose---------------Williams----------------------

----------------------------------Tilley----------------------------------

Wright-------------------------Green-------------------------Scannell

Tilley given a free role in the middle. When we saw him last season he seemed incredibly versatile and is obviously rated highly by Holloway.

I think Holloway was also mentioning about wanting us to press highly (earlier this summer) with Wright Scannell and Green I think this is achievable.

Having said that with it not being a League game could see some different players in place of the above.

Issue I would have with the above is do we have a ball winner in midfield? Not sure how tough in the tackle Rose and Williams are.

Quoted from Tommy

I'm expecting us to sign (permanent or loan) a holding midfielder/deep-lying playmaker, a la Benson, before Saturday as I don't think we really have one yet. That'll allow us to go 4-3-3 comfortably.

A lot of people seem to think it's a formality that we're going to play 3-5-2 but I don't think it is at all. Holloway said a few months back that because Hanson is so effective to work in a partnership with someone to play off him, he'd like to have the option to go 3 at the back and have 2 strikers.

He didn't say he wants to play that formation or that's what he wants to build for. Yes we played it at Scunthorpe, where it kept us solid and with an extra body at the back after a run of conceding a lot of goals before that. And we'll probably see it again at some point, but I don't think it means we're building to play 3-5-2 at all.

Personally, I think if we play it this Saturday it'll be because we're short of a player in a particular position for 433 - for example if we don't have anyone to play right back in a back 4, but have Max who could play the wing-back role.  Although the way Holloway is talking, there's every chance he'll just stick with his preferred 4-3-3 and give opportunities to young pro's or even YT's if there are gaps to be filled.

I know he's not available this week, but I think IH sees Clifton as being that.  Personally I see him as a sort of marauding box-to-box kind of player, but maybe he's not quite lived up to that yet.  I still have hope for him figuring for us this season.