Your starting XI & Subs V BHA FC

[ellafella]

Ella Think that lad at Chesterfield was Mitchell he was very useful turned Fozzy inside out a few to many times Fair play to Pearson everyone Has had a chance to impress but I think there are still to many failures at the club Fans have been seduced by that excellent display at Hull but forget the terrible home game and the Ipswich game Hope fans will be patient it could take two transfer windows for Pearson to get the players he wants and more important who does not want

I think rather it was Gboly Ariyibi...but I may be wrong. I suspect that you may be on to something; will Pearson see how his current charges play until moving for players to come in?

[ellafella]

Hi Ella,

I like your narrow 4 midfielders formation but from the evidence so far I would say not a cat in hell’s chance that NP will pick that team.

I watched 90 mins against Benfica and Karlsruher, and I’m pretty certain we will adopt the 4411 formation that has featured heavily so far under NP.

A few tactical observations.

It’s rigid.

Potentially 'watching paint dry' rigid. It’s possible in the early games we may hanker for some free-flowing McClaren ‘role the dice’ football, or even some sideways Clement action.

It will be sturdy and effective.

Rome was not built in a day and Pearson will start by putting strong foundations in place with 2 banks of four.

He will pick 2 central midfielders most likely Bryson and Hendrick. Hendrick will have more creative licence.

The wide players will be selected on their ability to break with pace in the channels, so expect to see Russell, Weiman and Blackman fight it out for the 2 spaces. I’d say Blackman has nailed down a place with his application shown so far in pre-season.

The full backs will not overlap regularly.

Pearson is big on the ‘transition’ and I noted a few occasions against Karlsruher where we won back possession and flooded their half very quickly with 6 or 7 players, pinning them back in their half.

Ince will link midfield in his number ten role.

Darren Bent will play as an advanced forward.

Watch Shackell regularly look for the long cross-field aerial ball to Blackman.

Martin and Bent could also be used as a striking partnership in a more conventional 442, possibly with Ince going wide left.

I might be wrong.

Very interesting post Wristslasher. I purposely asked people to name their starting XI...and not the one that they think NP will go with. I actually think most of your observations may well be proved to be correct. I suspect we will become very rigid and a bit turgid and gone will be the more fluid and open style of play...it may be effective and give us 1-0's and 1-1's home and away respectively to give us points on the board early doors but it will be yawningly dull. I noted too NP's comments about what we need to do when not in possession...a key feature of Leicester in the Prem last season.

[ellafella]

It looks very much as if Pearson will go either 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 - , whilst technically thats only two in midfield, we dont have what I would call proper wingers, more wide midfielders and two banks of four with overlapping full backs can be very effective and I expect thats how we will play.

Agree largely with your team, though the midfield will be interesting Johnson can play LM as can Weimann, Ince or Russell, the latter two can also play RM or in that shadow striker no 10 role. Not entirely sure who pearson will go with though.

As for the score its got 1-1 written all over it.

That could also well be the system NP adopts. We don't have the flair to beat teams convincingly with that, but, it's quite rigid and hard to overcome, especially away from home. I also agree about the score; 1-1 would be ok against Brighton, assuming they are as good as last season; which they will be.

[mistaram]

Ella agree about the result I will go 2-2 I've never seen us play against Glen Murray and him not score he's a class striker we got a lucky draw against them at home last year but no Wilson for them this. time ( so far )

[stamfordram]

Could be a big difference between fans starting X1 & NP's X1 I think - I can probably cope with most permutations as long as Hughes plays from the start. Surely he has got to play every minute of every game - in my view he is ideally suited to the no 10 role but my suspicion is that Ince will be picked for that job.

My X1 would be
Carson
Christie
Keogh
Shackell
Forsyth
Hendrick
Russell
Bryson
Ince
Hughes
Martin

I am guessing NP's X1 will be
Carson
Christie
Keogh
Shackell
Forsyth
Blackman
Hendrick
Bryson
Weiman
Ince
Martin

Score 1-1

[AdiSalisbury]

------------------Carson------------------------
Christie----Keogh----Shackell----Olson-----
Russell----Hughes---Hendrick----Weimann
----------------Ince----------------------------
------------------------Bent-------------------

Subs...

Bryson on for Hendrick if we need to ruffle them up.
Martin in for Bent if we want to go more defensive.
Butterfield in for Ince should we require a goal from nothing.

[ellafella]

------------------Carson------------------------
Christie----Keogh----Shackell----Olson-----
Russell----Hughes---Hendrick----Weimann
----------------Ince----------------------------
------------------------Bent-------------------

Subs...

Bryson on for Hendrick if we need to ruffle them up.
Martin in for Bent if we want to go more defensive.
Butterfield in for Ince should we require a goal from nothing.

I would definitely star with Bryson and Hughes;I think Bryson can have his best season yet for us in terms of goals from around the edge of the box; He is now a very seasoned pro and he knows where the goals are.

[ellafella]

Could be a big difference between fans starting X1 & NP's X1 I think - I can probably cope with most permutations as long as Hughes plays from the start. Surely he has got to play every minute of every game - in my view he is ideally suited to the no 10 role but my suspicion is that Ince will be picked for that job.

My X1 would be
Carson
Christie
Keogh
Shackell
Forsyth
Hendrick
Russell
Bryson
Ince
Hughes
Martin

I am guessing NP's X1 will be
Carson
Christie
Keogh
Shackell
Forsyth
Blackman
Hendrick
Bryson
Weiman
Ince
Martin

Score 1-1

A 1-1 would be a good result against BHAFC; a victory would be a great start and would be a strong indicator of Derby's potential because Brighton are a very good side under Hughton.