With a first friendly tonight and some signings still to do, I'm interested to know what would be people's first choice 11 from the players currently on the books.

I know we have some knew players that are untested and also tonight we will probably play 2 sides with a half each, so this is just for fun!  For example, who would we play at left back? Zak Mills?

Hi

I can't believe I'm going to say this but I don't even think I could name an 11 without refreshing my memory on who's stayed from last season.   ;D

We don't seem to have had much activity since last season but if you look at the players on Towns books the squad looks entirely different to what it did. Who will be first choice and in what positions I haven't a clue. Seems to be plenty of options which is obviously a good thing

I'm clueless really, but assuming that the new signings will be in the XI and with Mills as a make shift LB I'll take a stab at:

                         McKeown
            Davies Clarke Collins Mills
                   McAllister Rose
            Dembele Osborne Kelly
                          Jones

(I have probably forgotten someone...)

Quoted from pizzzza

I'm clueless really, but assuming that the new signings will be in the XI and with Mills as a make shift LB I'll take a stab at:

                         McKeown
            Davies Clarke Collins Mills
                   McAllister Rose
            Dembele Osborne Kelly
                          Jones

(I have probably forgotten someone...)

No Clements? looks a good player IMO

I'd try this....

                       Mckeown

        Boyce        Clarke         Collins

Mills          Osbourne   Rose        Kelly

                        Dembele

              Jones           Vernon

I don't think that Jones wants to play as a striker though, does he? He did quite well in the role last season much of the time (though he did have some stinkers as well), but I think he still sees himself as an attacking midfielder of sorts.

Given our relative lack of strength up top but the amount of attacking midfielders we have available, it wouldn't surprise me if we saw the old "Christmas Tree" formation at times: 4-3-2-1.

How about the following:

           McKeown
Davies  Clarke  Collins  Mills
Osbourne  Clements  Rose
        Jones  Dembele
              Vernon

My main issues here are that Mills isn't a left-back, I don't think Davies has the legs to be first choice full-back and Vernon obviously isn't going to score too many so we've very reliant on the midfielders/supporting two to get the goals. I think Jones would certainly prosper in that position and perhaps get into the teens goals-wise. Would enough of the others be able to do the same?

Not sure about Osbourne and Rose on those sides, either. Is Rose right-footed? If so, swap him round with Osbourne.

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

No Clements? looks a good player IMO

Meh, possibly... Its all guesswork though at the minute isn't it? RS won't even know his best XI at this stage.

McKeown

Davies
Clarke
Collins
Mills

Rose
McAllister
Osborne

Dembele
Vernon
Jones

People are desperate to play jones out of position aren't they. I'd imagine for tonight a youth will be in left back with Davies and mills having a half each at right back. Something like this to start:

Mckeown
Mills clarke Collins youth
       Rose   Clements
Dembele jones   kelly/Osbourne
           Vernon

Slade did slip it into an interview a couple of weeks back that Ben Davies brought experience, good for the group off the field and can also play in various positions including left back.......(Confused).....until a.n other dedicated left back signs i think it will be him sitting in there.
Davies started last season very solidly, Mills couldnt get anywhere near a start until Davies picked up a knock around 12 games in and then Mills made the position his own.

Whether or not Davies can perform that well on the opposite side is another matter but as a full back he was fairly solid, it was only when he started getting asked to play wing back that he looked uncomfortable.

He also said in an interview that Dembele was a young lad and gave the impression that he will be using him as a sub mainly. Based on this I don't think he will be the definite starter that most seem to imagine.

I don't think anybody should read anything at all about formations/selections for the first few friendlies.
It will be all about giving players a run out, improving fitness levels and also trying out various positions.  If someone is a proven centre half  or right back etc it's worth having a look to see what other positions they could play in an emergency.
I don't place any stock on pre-season results good or bad.  I like to see us do well as I do believe that winning does breed confidence, but it's what happens when the season starts that counts.

Quoted from Mariner93er

People are desperate to play jones out of position aren't they. I'd imagine for tonight a youth will be in left back with Davies and mills having a half each at right back. Something like this to start:

Mckeown
Mills clarke Collins youth
       Rose   Clements
Dembele jones   kelly/Osbourne
           Vernon

Not a bad line up but would like to see Macca a little more central  ;)..

Looking forward to seeing Kelly/osbourne. :-)

Ozzy supplying the half time refreshments?

Quoted from Civvy at last

I don't think anybody should read anything at all about formations/selections for the first few friendlies.
It will be all about giving players a run out, improving fitness levels and also trying out various positions.  If someone is a proven centre half  or right back etc it's worth having a look to see what other positions they could play in an emergency.
I don't place any stock on pre-season results good or bad.  I like to see us do well as I do believe that winning does breed confidence, but it's what happens when the season starts that counts.

Agreed and was about to post something similar. The first few games are leg stretchers and not much more.

Harry Cardwell on trial is gonna have some game time tonight..Sam Jones doubtful, as is Harry Clifton.

Quoted from moosey_club

Slade did slip it into an interview a couple of weeks back that Ben Davies brought experience, good for the group off the field and can also play in various positions including left back.......(Confused).....until a.n other dedicated left back signs i think it will be him sitting in there.
Davies started last season very solidly, Mills couldnt get anywhere near a start until Davies picked up a knock around 12 games in and then Mills made the position his own.

Whether or not Davies can perform that well on the opposite side is another matter but as a full back he was fairly solid, it was only when he started getting asked to play wing back that he looked uncomfortable.

You obviously did not see Davies performance against Wycombe

Quoted from Mariner93er

People are desperate to play jones out of position aren't they. I'd imagine for tonight a youth will be in left back with Davies and mills having a half each at right back. Something like this to start:

Mckeown
Mills clarke Collins youth
       Rose   Clements
Dembele jones   kelly/Osbourne
           Vernon

Quoted from Grimal

Not a bad line up but would like to see Macca a little more central  ;)..

Maybe that'll be the line up when we have a direct free kick against us?  ;)

Might look like this if everybody is getting half a game.

G     McKEOWN          KILLIP or RAMSBOTTOM or PAIN

D     DAVIES               MILLS
D     COLLINS          CLARKE
D     BOYCE               KEEBLE
D     SAWYER               VENNEY

M     KELLY               DEMBELE
M     McALLISTER          BERRETT
M     ROSE M               SUMMERFIELD
M     OSBOURNE          BOLARINWA

F     VERNON           YUSSUF
F     CARDWELL          ROSE A

I was thinking, since he's not the best at collecting crosses, he can just go and close the crosser down instead.

Not many people have mentioned Bolarinwa- I would feature him if I could to give the unexpected so that we wouldn.t keep falling into predictability as we have done on lots of occasions

I'd generally have Bolarinwa starting on the bench. Strikes me as a player who can do more damage in 30 to 45 minutes coming off the bench than in 90 minutes as a starter.

does anyone see a role for Luke Summerfield? think he has a set of fans dead set against him, but as an option for us off the bench possibly could still do a job?

Due to the amount of changes that will be made tonight, its my opinion that Cleethorpes with a more settled side will turn out the victors tonight and put this board into melt down tomorrow over nothing ;D

Quoted from Hagrid

does anyone see a role for Luke Summerfield? think he has a set of fans dead set against him, but as an option for us off the bench possibly could still do a job?

Agree with you Hagrid

Quoted from Garth

Due to the amount of changes that will be made tonight, its my opinion that Cleethorpes with a more settled side will turn out the victors tonight and put this board into melt down tomorrow over nothing ;D

Chuckling......

Quoted from chaos33

Chuckling......

(ok)(noob)(fart)

Quoted from Maringer

I don't think that Jones wants to play as a striker though, does he? He did quite well in the role last season much of the time (though he did have some stinkers as well), but I think he still sees himself as an attacking midfielder of sorts.

Given our relative lack of strength up top but the amount of attacking midfielders we have available, it wouldn't surprise me if we saw the old "Christmas Tree" formation at times: 4-3-2-1.

How about the following:

           McKeown
Davies  Clarke  Collins  Mills
Osbourne  Clements  Rose
        Jones  Dembele
              Vernon

My main issues here are that Mills isn't a left-back, I don't think Davies has the legs to be first choice full-back and Vernon obviously isn't going to score too many so we've very reliant on the midfielders/supporting two to get the goals. I think Jones would certainly prosper in that position and perhaps get into the teens goals-wise. Would enough of the others be able to do the same?

Not sure about Osbourne and Rose on those sides, either. Is Rose right-footed? If so, swap him round with Osbourne.

Jones looked a comfortable striker to me he relished the role maybe needed a bit more service but to me he could easily play the striker role.

It's not Championship Manager where players have a set position and play excrement if you play them out of position. For all the talk of Jones not being a striker, his goal return and general play last season was very good/promising.

He's an attacking player, and he's a good finisher/likes to score goals. If he's played up front and performs well, then that's good enough for me!

But he's clearly better as an attacking midfielder. So many of his goals came from runs from deep, so it's be such a waste to play him up there. We need to get a striker who's athletic and can create space for jones to run into. With Osbourne and dembele on either side, it could have the potential to be a potent attack.

Quoted from Mariner93er

But he's clearly better as an attacking midfielder. So many of his goals came from runs from deep, so it's be such a waste to play him up there. We need to get a striker who's athletic and can create space for jones to run into. With Osbourne and dembele on either side, it could have the potential to be a potent attack.

I don't know how you can say that with confidence as he never played that position for us. He is clearly a scorer of goals from whatever position he plays as his previous record attests, so it's up to the manager to find his best position. That may well be as a striker as he develops his game over time.

                       Macca

Davies    Clarke      Collins      Mills

               Rose       Osbourne

Dembele         Jones              Kelly

                       Vernon

As it stands, would like a natural Left back and new striker but it still doesn't look to shabby

                             Macca

Davies           Clarke     Collins        Mills

                  McCallister     Rose

                         Clemments

  Osborne                                    Kelly

                             Jones


Or...

                           Macca

         Boyce       Clarke        Collins

Mills          Rose        Clemments       Kelly

    Dembele          Jones         Osborne

Jones will be best utilitsed with another striker who can occupy defenders up there with him, whether that be a strong hold up man (like Vernon) or someone who's more athletic (like that Walker) it doesn't matter but he's not a loan front man, he looked most dangerous when running from deep.

Jones will be best utilitsed with another striker who can occupy defenders up there with him, whether that be a strong hold up man (like Vernon) or someone who's more athletic (like that Walker) it doesn't matter but he's not a loan front man, he looked most dangerous when running from deep.

Quoted from Mariner_09

Jones will be best utilitsed with another striker who can occupy defenders up there with him, whether that be a strong hold up man (like Vernon) or someone who's more athletic (like that Walker) it doesn't matter but he's not a loan front man, he looked most dangerous when running from deep.

We know that, he's on a two and a half year deal.