Our Best Starting XI?

[ellafella]

Defence picks itself.

Midfield: Issues are Hendrick or Hughes? Bryson and Thorne are in.
Attack: Martin obviously and Russell.
But is it Ward or Dawkins or Bamford?

Is it dependent on who we play or regardless of opposition in the first leg away game?

[Rattea]

When ever I see this kind of post I think about your last line.

with people talking tactics all the time is surely does have to be down to who you are playing!

[ellafella]

When ever I see this kind of post I think about your last line.

with people talking tactics all the time is surely does have to be down to who you are playing!

So if it's Reading away, how would you select it Rattea?

[roger_ramjet]

If its Reading away I'd be tempted to play Dawkins in the hole behind Martin and start both Thorne and Eustace as holding midfielders.

No width at all carries dangers but after 60 minutes of defensive stalemate then we could deploy fast wide men depending on circumstances and scoreline.

We don't have extra defenders to throw into midfield to park the bus Mourinho style, but this set up would keep it tight early on. Don't forget this is a 3 hour tie so let's not chase it too soon.


I would also trial this lineup at Leeds just to make sure everyone doesn't run into each other

[AdiSalisbury]

Rather negative Roger?? I think I'd go the opposite and have a right go, Reading are picking up injuries and they weren't too good in front of goal at their place a month ago.

In direct answer to Ella, going by Mac's tactic of having wide frontmen, I'd go with the following:

---------------Grant----------------

--Wisdom---Keogh---Buxton---Forsyth--

------Bryson---Thorne---Hughes-------

--Ward----------------------Dawkins--

--------------Martin-----------------

[RamazonHateForest82]

I'd go Hughes, Bryson Thorne in midfield with Russell, Martin, Dawkins up front and start from there. I think Ward and Hendrick both have greater impact from the bench.

[Rattea]

If its Reading away I'd be tempted to play Dawkins in the hole behind Martin and start both Thorne and Eustace as holding midfielders.

No width at all carries dangers but after 60 minutes of defensive stalemate then we could deploy fast wide men depending on circumstances and scoreline.

We don't have extra defenders to throw into midfield to park the bus Mourinho style, but this set up would keep it tight early on. Don't forget this is a 3 hour tie so let's not chase it too soon.


I would also trial this lineup at Leeds just to make sure everyone doesn't run into each other

Id go more towards this as if you get too far behind in the first leg its over. Better 0 - 0 than lose 3 - 1!

[ellafella]

If its Reading away I'd be tempted to play Dawkins in the hole behind Martin and start both Thorne and Eustace as holding midfielders.

No width at all carries dangers but after 60 minutes of defensive stalemate then we could deploy fast wide men depending on circumstances and scoreline.

We don't have extra defenders to throw into midfield to park the bus Mourinho style, but this set up would keep it tight early on. Don't forget this is a 3 hour tie so let's not chase it too soon.


I would also trial this lineup at Leeds just to make sure everyone doesn't run into each other

Very interesting call Roger. I remember the 1-3 reversal at home V Reading this season very well. They are very good at snuffing teams out. Getting past them is not going to be easy. They will fancy their chances at our place having done us once this year, so wouldn't it be better to do them first in their own backyard?

[roger_ramjet]

Having watched them at their place their attacks mostly built up through the middle...They did not seem to have quick wide men and their full backs weren't great coming forward (although I don't think Wayne Bridge was playing then).

So my theory would be to crowd the where they are best and try to snuff out their supply lines with extra bodies.

It may seem negative to some but it's not just a 90 minute game when you can only make one lot of tactical changes with subs. Yes you could go all out to try to win quickly but at the cost of losing quickly, so I'd be inclined towards caution for at least 60 minutes.

[D_D]

The whole tema picks itself for me, with the exception of the wide two.

Grant, Wisdom, Keogh, Buxton, Forsyth

Thorne, Bryson, Hughes

Martin.

Then, for me, it boils down to form and opposition.

Russell offers defensive cover, much more so than Bamford and Dawkins. Ward can be spectacular, right from the off, and if he has an off day, we can pull him off.

Dawkins offers incredible control and tidiness, if you will. He doesn't give the ball away cheaply like Bamford, Russell and Ward. He's also often involved in our best passing moves. However, he's a defensive liability.

Bamford would remain a substitute for me. He's a cracking talent and real goalscoring threat, but his ability to score out of nothing should be saved for when we really need it.