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Our strongest starting XI?

Ellafella

By Ellafella
in Derby County Forum

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Parsnip

Parsnip

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Nuwtfly said:

So difficult to answer this question because it depends on the style of football the manager is going for. For me, this squad could suit two styles: a fluid, McClaren-esque 4-3-3, or a more Kloppite 4-2-3-1, with a front four that attack fluidly, wide men as inside forwards, similar to the style in the Wagner video I shared earlier.  For those formations, I'd say these are our strongest sides:

- - - - - - - - Marshall - - - - - - - -                              - - - - - - - - Marshall - - - - - - - - 

Byrne - Wisdom - Clarke - Buchanan                        Byrne - Wisdom - Clarke - Buchanan

- - - - - - - - - Bielik - - - - - - - - - -                            - - - - - - Bielik - - - Bird  - - - - - - -

- - - - Holmes - - - - Bird - - - - - - -                           Ibe - - - - - - Lawrence - - - Jozwiak

Jozwiak - - - Kazim - - - Lawrence                             - - - - - - - - Waghorn - - - - - - - - 

Love the way you've done that instead of just putting the two teams seperately. What makes it even better is if you stick a pin in one of your eyes while trying to read it. 

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brady1993

brady1993

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Posted
6 minutes ago, Ellafella said:

Very astute tweaks @RamNut. Agree with everything but Wisdom; He does switch off at times but he’s the best we have unless we try and convert Bielik to CH. Bielik’s size concerns me if he’s deployed in midfield and also think he over-commits and would concede too many free-kicks in dangerous areas but at CH would be Stimac-sequel. 

I think it's likely the position that will see him play at the highest level. Just needs time there to get the positional sense right he's got everything else you'd want. I also think he's probably the most physically dominant player we have at the club.

Also from a different angle, in my opinion we should be looking to build the side around the most talented players we have and for me that's: Bielik, Buchanan, Bird, Knight, Sibley, Jozwiak and Ibe (if we can get him right).

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Parsnip

Parsnip

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Posted

It's criminal that we haven't started this season by building our team and our identity around the midfield three of Bird, Knight & Sibley. I can't get my head around it at all. All the momentum last season was heading towards that - it seemed such a natural progression. What happened?

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angieram

angieram

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Beetroot said:

It's criminal that we haven't started this season by building our team and our identity around the midfield three of Bird, Knight & Sibley. I can't get my head around it at all. All the momentum last season was heading towards that - it seemed such a natural progression. What happened?

Fear.

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Nuwtfly

Nuwtfly

Posted
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11 minutes ago, Beetroot said:

Love the way you've done that instead of just putting the two teams seperately. What makes it even better is if you stick a pin in one of your eyes while trying to read it. 

Just thought to myself that it probably looks fine if you're looking at it on a computer...on a phone, not so much...

And frustratingly now I can't edit it. Ah well.

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brady1993

brady1993

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Beetroot said:

It's criminal that we haven't started this season by building our team and our identity around the midfield three of Bird, Knight & Sibley. I can't get my head around it at all. All the momentum last season was heading towards that - it seemed such a natural progression. What happened?

A combination of needing to squeeze in Rooney, paying the price for dreadful performances around them and the move to being more pragmatic following the team discussion after Blackburn.

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Parsnip

Parsnip

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Nuwtfly said:

Just thought to myself that it probably looks fine if you're looking at it on a computer...on a phone, not so much...

And frustratingly now I can't edit it. Ah well.

Just put me phone down and loaded it up on the old Amiga 1200. Still no idea what's going off and I still can't see Jason Knight anywhere. ?

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RamNut

RamNut

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Posted

I’d love to be a fan of Bielik - not least because i was aware of him before he moved to Arsenal -  but I have become a sceptic. 
he just looks clumsy in midfield. I have a recurring nightmare of Wigan away where he was subbed to avoid being sent off, and his passing was awful. He was then subsequently sent off v Charlton at home shortly after. 

he played centre back the other week and allowed the guy to score from the edge of the box because he was too slow to close him down. One of those where keogh would have thrown himself in the way. Not sure that he is a natural centre back.

like wisdom, he is rowett type of player. Big, strong and physical and he appeals to those who value brute force, but I tend to favour skill; Colin Todd over kenny burns; Roy McFarland over Larry Lloyd; sugar ray leonard over roberto Duran. I can be pursuaded. I loved Rioch at his absolute dirtiest. Just remain to be convinced by Bielik that’s all.
 

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Comrade 86

Comrade 86

Posted
Posted

Bielik has to start from me. Love Shinnie's heart but Bielik is a possible gamechanger. I'd also have Buchanan in for Fozzy, despite the latter being one of our better players on Saturday. Again, all kinds of love for Fozzy who has been an absolute soldier for this club, but Buchanan is the future. I was messing around with formations the other day and came up with this:

image.png.f59cc9d4253de5de18ebe21b779f4c5f.png

 

Loose thinking being a mixture of positive and negative reasoning as follows:

  • Knight and Sibley pick themselves but if we are to play both we need someone shielding the back four - Bielik is the lad for the job as I really think he could be a class apart
  • Andre just can't seem to get through a game without switching off. Pains me to say it as before the stabbing he looked back to his very best. Mike te Wierk has yet to bed in. He's a player but is clearly lacking confidence. Fozzy is not at his best in the middle either so the slot alongside Clarke goes to Evans. If we continue with being 'direct' then Curtis has a part to play for sure.
  • Saw someone suggesting Marshall needs dropping today - get in the sea! An easy pick for me.
  • Buchanan is improving in leaps and bounds and is the starting LB for me. Fozzy is a hero of mine and a very able stand-in. Byrne has been a little quiet the last couple of games but had looked really good previously and always at least puts in a shift. Wizz looks way happier at RB then CB to me, so he would be  next best.
  • The forward line is a little more speculative given it contains Ibe who we've yet to see in the senior team. I did watch him in an U23s game though and he looked as if he retains plenty of the kind of ability that made him such a handful last time - scored an absolute belter too. Jozzy has bags of talent, despite looking subdued last time out. CKR is a lion - set him loose and watch him roar! When he runs out of steam, Lawrence can get 20-30 minutes playing centrally where I think he's best. He might rediscover some form and confidence against tired legs if used for impact and not as a starter, at least for the moment. He's not a target man however, so when CKR does tire, we need a plan b as lumping it long to Lawrence is a non-starter.

 

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RamNut

RamNut

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Beetroot said:

It's criminal that we haven't started this season by building our team and our identity around the midfield three of Bird, Knight & Sibley. I can't get my head around it at all. All the momentum last season was heading towards that - it seemed such a natural progression. What happened?

Having to accommodate Rooney. 

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brady1993

brady1993

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Posted
8 minutes ago, Ellafella said:

I’d take a lot of convincing. 

That's fair but I just don't think 3 or 4 games is enough to completely right someone off especially as no other contender for that role has really pulled up any trees. In fact I can think of mistakes every defender in that position has made this season.

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i-Ram

i-Ram

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, RamNut said:

I’d love to be a fan of Bielik - not least because i was aware of him before he moved to Arsenal -  but I have become a sceptic. 
he just looks clumsy in midfield. I have a recurring nightmare of Wigan away where he was subbed to avoid being sent off, and his passing was awful. He was then subsequently sent off v Charlton at home shortly after. 

he played centre back the other week and allowed the guy to score from the edge of the box because he was too slow to close him down. One of those where keogh would have thrown himself in the way. Not sure that he is a natural centre back.

like wisdom, he is rowett type of player. Big, strong and physical and he appeals to those who value brute force, but I tend to favour skill; Colin Todd over kenny burns; Roy McFarland over Larry Lloyd; sugar ray leonard over roberto Duran. I can be pursuaded. I loved Rioch at his absolute dirtiest. Just remain to be convinced by Bielik that’s all.
 

I think you should cut him some slack re. his first game back. He obviously wasn’t ready, and for a good few games I doubt he will be throwing himself around too much. He needs to build up some confidence, most of all with his knee.

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RamNut

RamNut

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, i-Ram said:

I think you should cut him some slack re. his first game back. He obviously wasn’t ready, and for a good few games I doubt he will be throwing himself around too much. He needs to build up some confidence, most of all with his knee.

I’m not writing him off. But atm I would favour Bird. Yes he is a bit lightweight. he also has moments where I’m seeing Don Masson and have to call for the nurse. But let’s see if those three can give us a platform.

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