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Bowyer’s best XI...
Callumcafc
Posts: 63,764
It came up in the post match discussion earlier so thought I’d make a thread.
This is especially tough in midfield where we now seem to have a wealth of options.
Who would you pick for our current best XI, if everyone was fit?
This is especially tough in midfield where we now seem to have a wealth of options.
Who would you pick for our current best XI, if everyone was fit?
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Comments
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Copied from my comment on match thread
My personal team:
Maxwell
Solly Bauer Pearce Page
Bielik
Cullen Aribo
Williams
Taylor Grant
Subs:
Phillips
Dijksteel, Sarr
Reeves, Clarke
Fosu, Igor5 -
Copied mine from post match thread
Personally
---------------Phillips-------------------
Solly BFG Pearce Page
----------------Bielik---------------------
-----------Aribo Cullen---------------
---------------Williams----------------
-----------Taylor Grant---------------
Harsh on Naby I know but if we are leading towards the end take Williams off for Naby to defend the lead, but personally thing BFG and Pearce are 1 of the greatest partnerships at Centre Back we have had3 -
Phillips
Beliek Bauer. Sarr Page
Cullen
Lapslie. Aribo
Willams
Taylor. Grant0 -
Phillips
Solly | Bauer | Pearce | Page
Cullen | Bielik | Aribo
Williams
Grant | Taylor
Maxwell - Purrington - Sarr - Lapslie - Clarke - Fosu - Vetokele1 -
Once everybody is fit, Bowyer's got some tremendous players available for this level.
Only one caveat ..... the 11 best players, rarely make the best team.
Wasn't it Lawrie McMenemy, having guided Southampton to 2nd place finish in the Prem, who said something like:
"You need 9 virtuosos and 2 roadsweepers in a successful team".
Perhaps Bowyer and Jacko have already chewed the cud on this question over endless cups of tea after training. I expect they'll have more idea than I do.
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I think the best answer is there's no set eleven that makes the best team - Some players will do better in training than others whilst certain teams will require a certain approach like when we faced Bradford last season; Sarr was favoured at LB over Dasilva because of the long balls we'd have to deal with.Oggy Red said:
Once everybody is fit, Bowyer's got some tremendous players available for this level.
Only one caveat ..... the 11 best players, rarely make the best team.
Wasn't it Lawrie McMenemy, having guided Southampton to 2nd place finish in the Prem, who said something like:
"You need 9 virtuosos and 2 roadsweepers in a successful team".
Perhaps Bowyer and Jacko have already chewed the cud on this question over endless cups of tea after training. I expect they'll have more idea than I do.
Ideally I like to think of the Northampton game last season where it was either Bowyer or their manager who commenfed on their players crying when they saw us potentially having Mavididi / Kaikai / Fosu on the pitch because of the pace that could hurt them - In this aspect you'd hope opposing teams are crying at the prospect of playing us because we've so many options that can unlock an opponent they're left not knowing who we'd play2 -
Wooooaaaaahhhhh. Steady on Cowboy!paulie8290 said:Copied mine from post match thread
Personally
---------------Phillips-------------------
Solly BFG Pearce Page
----------------Bielik---------------------
-----------Aribo Cullen---------------
---------------Williams----------------
-----------Taylor Grant---------------
Harsh on Naby I know but if we are leading towards the end take Williams off for Naby to defend the lead, but personally thing BFG and Pearce are 1 of the greatest partnerships at Centre Back we have had17 -
Phillips or Maxwell
Solly Bauer Pearce Page
Cullen
Reeves Aribo
Williams
Grant Taylor
This is what I posted on the other thread, but it could easily be tweaked depending on the opposition.0 -
Fosu gets in in home games, IMO. Makes things happen1
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Fosu blows hot and cold too much, has moments of magic and also moments where he wants to do countless stepovers, flicks, tricks, and trying to beat the same player three times. A potential match winner but for me it's him or Williams and Williams gets the nod for me. Fosu will be a great player to bring off the bench to run at tired defenders.wmcf123 said:Fosu gets in in home games, IMO. Makes things happen
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Fosu is only effective as a winger in 4-4-2 which LB won't play. Doesn't make him a poor player though.0
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how can cafcfan pick maxwell over phillips when has almost certainly never seen hom play4
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Jess, I can't believe some of you have forgotten him...
If everyone is fit...
Phillips
Solly, Bauer, Pearce, Page
JFC
Cullen, Reeves
Williams
Taylor, Grant3 -
Very true Loopy... Ahead of Bielik though?0
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Yes. I made a mistake with Cullen. I'm not a big fan of loan players (however well they're playing). So I'll replace Cullen with Aribo...ForeverAddickted said:Very true Loopy... Ahead of Bielik though?
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Haha I did forget about JFC1
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Tough one. Assuming everyone is fit, on top form, and we’re just looking to impose our game on the opposition, then I’d say it’s:
Phillips
Solly Bielik Sarr Page
Cullen
Williams Aribo
Fosu
Taylor Grant
There are things to consider other than just who are the 11 best footballers though.
For example, although I like Bielik best at centre back, playing him midfield adds an extra physical presence that helps us in both boxes. Playing at the base of the diamond also means he can deal with a lot of long high balls that allows the centre backs to focus on picking up runners in case Bielik loses out in the air. Cullen can’t offer that, and Bielek is not that much worse on the ball than Cullen. If Bielek is in midfield Bauer plays by default because Sarr and Pearce both look bad at right centre back, not to say he’s not deserving of a place anyway.
Sarr has been very good since his Christmas suspension, looks confident and switched on, and does allow us to play out better from the back. Pearce is such a warrior though, and an organiser, and he’s hardly a cart horse by centre back standards. Being more pragmatic than in my above selection I think I personally just favour Pearce, but it’s now a much tighter call than I think most would’ve predicted in August.
Full backs pick themselves, at least until I’ve seen more of Purrington. As do the Strikers, best pair in the league, wouldn’t swap either of them for anyone. Similarly, Phillips has been great since he’s come back in, I wasn’t convinced previously but he looks much more solid now, so without ever seeing Maxwell play it’d be hard for me to pick him ahead of Phillips.
So then it’s down to the three remaining midfielders. Aribo must play, he’s got an x-factor, can dribble like a winger, but is a box to box midfielder and scores goals. Fosu at his best is a real threat in this league, but Williams does a lot of what Fosu can do, and he appears to have everything Ben Reeves can offer. With such a well rounded player at the point of the diamond we can perhaps sacrifice Fosu for a little more defensive cover. I’d pick Cullen for that and his range of passing, plus Cullen is another who looks capable of at least playing one level up.
So my real world best team is
Phillips
Solly Bauer Pearce Page
Bielik
Cullen Aribo
Williams
Taylor Grant
And I genuinely think that team will get us promoted, probably automatically, IF they’re all fit and on form for as much of the rest of the season as possible, ideally to include matches vs the top 8.
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That just isn't a Third Division standard midfield, is it?Exiled_Addick said:
Bielik
Cullen Aribo
Williams
Totally unfair to the other teams in our league.
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Only one word for that midfield: 🤤Oggy Red said:
That just isn't a Third Division standard midfield, is it?Exiled_Addick said:
Bielik
Cullen Aribo
Williams
Totally unfair to the other teams in our league.1 -
You call that a midfield?Oggy Red said:
That just isn't a Third Division standard midfield, is it?Exiled_Addick said:
Bielik
Cullen Aribo
Williams
Totally unfair to the other teams in our league.
I'll see that midfield and offer you Holmes, Foley, Crofts and Jackson from the start of the 16/17 season!
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Noneofthemwillbeattheclubnextseason ?Scoham said:
Only one word for that midfield: 🤤Oggy Red said:
That just isn't a Third Division standard midfield, is it?Exiled_Addick said:
Bielik
Cullen Aribo
Williams
Totally unfair to the other teams in our league.
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I'm surprised so many have left out Sarr, he has been superb lately.4
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Philips
Solly BFG Sarr Page
Cullen
Aribo Reeves
Williams
Grant Taylor0 -
Reeves has had a good season and I don't mind that team. I do feel having Cullen, Reeves and Williams would definitely amount to the shortest one in the league though.Cafc43v3r said:
Looking at that it's a bit weak down the left flank, just hope Leeds aren't spying on training.Cafc43v3r said:Philips
Solly BFG Sarr Page
Cullen
Aribo Reeves
Williams
Grant Taylor1 -
What a Great selection headache to have.
For me there are certain players that pick themselves automatically
Bauer,Beilek,Williams and Taylor- all would walk into any championship team.
Nice problem for Bowyer to have
COYR2 -
Phillips
Solly. Beilik. Pearce. Page
Cullen
Aribo. Fosu
Williams
Grant. Taylor
Would love to get promotion and hold onto our best players as I think we have the basis of a decent Championship team although would still need to splash some cash to really improve. Trouble is I think of the above only Solly, Page and Taylor have contracts beyond this season.0 -
It was ment to be a joke about my poor formattingcafcfan1990 said:
Reeves has had a good season and I don't mind that team. I do feel having Cullen, Reeves and Williams would definitely amount to the shortest one in the league though.Cafc43v3r said:
Looking at that it's a bit weak down the left flank, just hope Leeds aren't spying on training.Cafc43v3r said:Philips
Solly BFG Sarr Page
Cullen
Aribo Reeves
Williams
Grant Taylor
I think Reeves would look even better playing with Williams and Cullen, a simple pass will always be on, the interact triangles would be sight to behold. It would also benifit Sarr.1 -
Looking at all of these teams, i know a majority of our players are on loan but if a new owner comes in and can get everyone signed up onto a new contract and bring in some of the loanees permanently, we have a decent championship side1
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I could certainly see Williams extending his contract. Would imagine Cullen could be available permanently. Not sure on Bielik, although I reckon we could have him for another year in the Champ.JoshAddick said:Looking at all of these teams, i know a majority of our players are on loan but if a new owner comes in and can get everyone signed up onto a new contract and bring in some of the loanees permanently, we have a decent championship side
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