Starting XI v Crewe Alexandra? | Vital Football

Starting XI v Crewe Alexandra?

not looking great.
bridcutt- injured
jackson - injured, slim chance of making it if he did his hamstring around two weeks ago.
lewis - away with wales, and hardly played anyway
trialistA - won't be signed until we get the loanees
Archibald - apparently weeks away from being match fit.

so, unless we sign the wba loanees, or a couple of others the options are going to be limited. i think roughen deserves his place over melbourne.
Ross
Eyoma Montsma Walsh Roughen
Jones Edun
Elbouzedi Scully Grant
Hopper

leaving v few options on the bench
Anderson, McGrandles, Melbourne,
Bradley, JAS
youth team keeper Long?
and 1 of the youth teamers that have featured in the friendlies to make up the numbers. (Cann? Sault? Makama?)

is there anyone else?
 
Typing at just before midnight, with the possibility of a couple being added to the squad before Saturday ( and taking into account Lewis being with Wales U21 and Bridcutt being injured)

Ross
Eyoma Walsh Montsma Roughan
Edun
Jones Grant
Scully Hopper Elbouzedi

Subs :- Long (GK) Bradley Jackson Anderson McGrandless Melbourne JAS

To be reviewed if Morton/Palmer/mystery man number 17 sign this week
 
sedgleyimp said:
Typing at just before midnight, with the possibility of a couple being added to the squad before Saturday ( and taking into account Lewis being with Wales U21 and Bridcutt being injured)

Ross
Eyoma Walsh Montsma Roughan
Edun
Jones Grant
Scully Hopper Elbouzedi

Subs :- Long (GK) Bradley Jackson Anderson McGrandless Melbourne JAS

To be reviewed if Morton/Palmer/mystery man number 17 sign this week
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That looks pretty spot on as it stands.
 
Agree with Sedgley’s line-up. Not much choice really at the moment. Wonder if Harry will be preferred in place of Elbow for his defensive abilities and so Eyoma can overlap.
 
I think Zak will be preferred over Harry judging by the twos involvement in pre season friendlies so far. I thought someone did say that Zak might be away on international duty though?

As for the team, I would go with Sedgleys choice, we need extra bodies in that’s for sure. We could also do with having a little more time to get up to speed for preparation but I guess lots of teams will be having similar issues.
 
My answer would be the starting line up at Crewe will..

1 Be very different to our first choice side in six weeks time - injuries and incoming players mean a number of our potentially best players will not figure at Crewe.

2 I can't honestly judge what our best side is even with the limited availability at the moment.

Is Roughen a better option than Melbourne? Is the evidence of one view of Roughen enough to say he is the best option right now, obvious prospect though he is.

Is Elbouzedi better than Anderson. Harry is strong direct and created a good understanding with the previous right back and scores goals
Elbouzedi showed nothing last year, now he's settle a bit he looks comfortable in possession and gets in good areas but the final ball is missing.
Is this the real elbow or has he got a knack of picking out players in the box (once he really settled and knows his team mates).

I really don't know the answer.

The one thing that is almost guaranteed is we should improve with potentially the key players for this season not yet in the building and a bunch of new players learning how to combine effectively.

So in short I don't know our best side for Crewe, how can I .. but any decent away result or even performance would bode well for our long term prospects.
 
Ross
Eyoma Montsma Walsh Roughan
Grant Edun Jones
Anderson Scully Elbouzedi

Long, Melbourne, Jackson, McGrandles, Bradley, JAS, Hopper

Best I can do there
 
sedgleyimp said:
Typing at just before midnight, with the possibility of a couple being added to the squad before Saturday ( and taking into account Lewis being with Wales U21 and Bridcutt being injured)

Ross
Eyoma Walsh Montsma Roughan
Edun
Jones Grant
Scully Hopper Elbouzedi

Subs :- Long (GK) Bradley Jackson Anderson McGrandless Melbourne JAS

To be reviewed if Morton/Palmer/mystery man number 17 sign this week
Click to expand...

Can't see past your selection.

I'm pretty much meh about this game.

Nice if we could replicate the result at Sinny Bank in the first round many moons ago. 5 goals ,wasn't it?

Was staying at Anderby Creek at the time and remember seeing the result, next morning.

Just another pre-season workout, much as I would like to see us progress.
 
Yes, Roughan did look good against Salford for a few minutes, I had forgotten but these are only times I have seen him. He obvoiusly has talent... but how does that confirm he should start against Crewe was the question I was asking myself.

Scunthorpe were not great. If Crewe has a Harry Anderson style winger, strong quick and direct, I know Melbourne is very quick and powerful and would not be overpowered, if you like. Would Roughan be ? I really have little evidence to go on.

If he were able to be a regular L1 fullback at 17, that really would be something.
 
Chimpimp said:
Yes, Roughan did look good against Salford for a few minutes, I had forgotten but these are only times I have seen him. He obvoiusly has talent... but how does that confirm he should start against Crewe was the question I was asking myself.

Scunthorpe were not great. If Crewe has a Harry Anderson style winger, strong quick and direct, I know Melbourne is very quick and powerful and would not be overpowered, if you like. Would Roughan be ? I really have little evidence to go on.

If he were able to be a regular L1 fullback at 17, that really would be something.
Click to expand...

I think we need a new left back - Roughan looked phuysically and positionally better then Melbourne even at 17.
 
The magic sponge does its work, reinforcement imminent too many unknowns and waiting for the knowns to make an evidence based decision.
 
Subject to no new signings, and with Lewis being away, I think our line up will be one of these two:-

Ross
Eyoma Walsh Montsma Roughan
Edun
Jones McGrandle
Scully Hopper Elbouzedi

Subs :- Long (GK) Bradley, Jackson (if fit) Anderson, Grant. Melbourne, Archibald

or

Ross
Eyoma Walsh Montsma Edun
Jones
Grant McGrandle
Scully Hopper Elbouzedi

Subs :- Long (GK) Bradley Jackson (if fit), Anderson, Roughan. Melbourne, Archibald
 
bristolimp said:
I think we need a new left back - Roughan looked phuysically and positionally better then Melbourne even at 17.
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I have n't made my mind up about Melbourne and I am not sure you really should have done either. Max Melbourne has played a handful of league matches and like many is young and here to improve. He is big, strong and quick which is a good start. If he has issues positionally then we have a manager with great coaching pedigree and an assistant manager that has played as a defender for a top PL club. Surely it's their job to improve areas of weakness, not to bin them!

It's perfectly possible in six months time he could be looking like a worthy successor to Toffolo.

All these players will need time. The beauty of having young players is they should improve. (Unlike a Bostwick or an Eardley that will be in a battle to keep up their level as their peak years move further away from them).


It's an outlook that will test some supporters for sure. But fortunately the players we have will get a fair chance. Then we can make a proper assessment.
 
We are a work in progress with the potential to go through the gears as the season progresses. This year is about consolidation, experience and development.

I believe we have the make up of a good starting 11 against Crewe but I don't expect them to be tearing the opposition up this season and certainly not at this stage. Patience younglings, this is a team of growers not showers.
 
With regard to Melbourne and comparisons with Toffolo, when Toff first joined he was widely seen as being good going forward but with defensive weaknesses compared with his predecessor.

Melbourne needs to be given time to develop.
 
I agree that Melbourne does need time, and I suspect he will preferred next Saturday over Roughan in reality. I think there's some decent potential with Max which hopefully will come to the fore with a constant run of games.

Saturday's game would be nice to win as that might just give us another Everton like match in a couple of weeks time, but it is in reality still a pre-season run out in a competition which we get more money from just entering rather than progressing in.
 
Elbouzedi is not on international duty that weekend, he is attending a training camp between 31 August and 3 September; therefore he will be available for Saturday's game.

MA said it would be at least four weeks before we saw Archibald on the grass; no point in having him on the bench if he isn't ready to play.
 
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