Originally Posted by
AucklandRover
As I said, Champs, TM is taking the pragmatic line here.
It's a bit hard on Rothwell, Buckley and Rankin-Costello, and even Travis and Johnson must be a bit nervous.
If Holtby moves into the first team quite quickly - as Downing, Johnson and Cunningham did - I'll be fascinated to see the shape of the team.
For example, will Travis and Johnson become "either/or"? Alternatively, will TM abandon the third forward altogether in some games, with Holtby playing between the front two and a three-man midfield?
Intriguing.
You said, the other day, that players like Buckley and R-C should be starting, but this signing is going to make that even less likely.
What I mean is, where would those two be placed in a midfield pecking-order that also includes Travis, Johnson, Downing, Bennett, Holtby, Rothwell, Evans, Smallwood and Davenport - not to mention Chapman, out wide?
And I am not talking about in our minds - but Mowbray's!
And the knock-on effect, further forward? If midfield numbers mean that we have to go with only two up front, which two from:
Gallagher, Dack, Graham, Armstrong, Samuel, Brereton, Butterworth, Rothwell? (I have included Rothwell there as well, because I'm still not sure what role TM sees him in).
As far as I can see, when he is fit again, it would make much more sense for Butterworth to go out on loan in January. He has virtually no chance of first team football with us as it now stands.
Whatever happens, we are going to have a very strong subs' bench!