Our best team at the moment?

[dylanisabaddog 6,197]

Fingers very much crossed, we should have a full strength squad to chose from by Christmas. I think if we're within 6 points of the play off places at that point we'll make it and with Sainz in the team anything is then possible. But picking a first 11 out of this squad will be difficult. 

I'll go for 

Gunn

Fisher Duffy Doyle Chrisene

Nunez McLean 

Crnac Marcondes Sainz

Sargent

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,712]

No Stacey after the last two performances is harsh I think.

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,712]

I also think JHT has a big selection headache when Cordoba is fit. But for me, him Doyle and Duffy all need to be on the pitch, but Doyle can’t be left back.

[Bovril 275]

(At home / easier away match)

Gunn

Fisher Duffy Cordoba Doyle

Nunez McLean 

Crnac Marcondes Sainz

Sargent

(Medium - Difficult away matches)

Gunn

Stacey Duffy Cordoba Doyle Fisher

Nunez McLean 

Slimane  Sainz

Sargent

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 2,076]

           Gunn

Stacey Duffy Cordoba Doyle

               Slimane

       Nunez      Mclean

                Marcondes

              Sargent         Sainz

[Ulfotto 836]

5 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

           Gunn

Stacey Duffy Cordoba Doyle

               Slimane

       Nunez      Mclean

                Marcondes

              Sargent         Sainz

That would be mine to its harsh on fisher but I feel Stacey gives us an outlet down that side that Fisher does not.

[dylanisabaddog 6,197]

1 hour ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

I also think JHT has a big selection headache when Cordoba is fit. But for me, him Doyle and Duffy all need to be on the pitch, but Doyle can’t be left back.

The biggest issue of all. I agree with you about Doyle 

[wcorkcanary 4,841]

2 hours ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

No Stacey after the last two performances is harsh I think.

He's reasonably sound defensively,  but didn't put in one decent cross last night. My Dutch mate in Cornwall thought the same. ....and his uncle was a scout at ajax 😂

[BigFish 2,333]

2 hours ago, dylanisabaddog said:

Fingers very much crossed, we should have a full strength squad to chose from by Christmas. I think if we're within 6 points of the play off places at that point we'll make it and with Sainz in the team anything is then possible. But picking a first 11 out of this squad will be difficult. 

I'll go for 

Gunn

Fisher Duffy Doyle Chrisene

Nunez McLean 

Crnac Marcondes Sainz

Sargent

Swap Cordoba for Doyle and I think this is the one. Harsh indeed on Stacey but his style isn;t an ideal fit to the model and Slimane. But it is a squad game, so both would get minutes.

[Ward 3 502]

Stacey has 4 assists so far this season to fishers 1. Thought Stacey was very very good last night. Surely you can't change that side from last night, confidence will be high going into Luton game 

[Jim Smith 2,673]

I think we looked significantly better with Slimane and Oscar on last night.

based on Sarg not being back for a few weeks and Cordoba still out I’d like to see the following for the next few games:

Gunn

Stacey Duffy Doyle Chrisene/Fisher

Nunez Mclean Slimane

Marcondes Crnac Sainz 

[BigFish 2,333]

7 minutes ago, Ward 3 said:

Stacey has 4 assists so far this season to fishers 1. Thought Stacey was very very good last night. Surely you can't change that side from last night, confidence will be high going into Luton game 

 

6 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

I think we looked significantly better with Slimane and Oscar on last night.

based on Sarg not being back for a few weeks and Cordoba still out I’d like to see the following for the next few games:

Gunn

Stacey Duffy Doyle Chrisene/Fisher

Nunez Mclean Slimane

Marcondes Crnac Sainz 

Not sure Jim is answering the exam question but with his caveats there is no way Nunez doesn't play if fit Saturday.

[Jim Smith 2,673]

If everyone fit I’d go for:

Gunn

Stacey Cordoba Doyle Fisher

Nunez Mclean 

Crnac Marcondes Sainz

Sargent 

 

[wcorkcanary 4,841]

37 minutes ago, Ward 3 said:

Stacey has 4 assists so far this season to fishers 1. Thought Stacey was very very good last night. Surely you can't change that side from last night, confidence will be high going into Luton game 

Also makes sense. 

[Mr Angry 2,097]

Not surprised to see no mention of Forson, and most of the comments in the match thread were not that positive, but Flo Allen said in the co-commentary that JHT will have been happy with the way that he was always snapping at the heels of the Plymouth players so I wouldn’t be amazed if he starts on Saturday.

[Robert N. LiM 6,448]

I'm not sure we have a best XI.

We have a few players whose strengths and weaknesses might make them better suited to different opposition.

Think this is especially true of Stacey vs Fisher, who play the RB role completely differently.

It's also true of Doyle at CB or LB. Lots of people noting his defensive weakness at LB, but he is exceptionally creative in that position (hence being in those Championship teams of the season so far). Got to be lots of games in which his strengths there outweigh the weaknesses. He's not up against Doak every week.

Finally Marcondes looks very creative but you want him up the pitch. Would be some games where Slimane's extra combativeness would be preferable.

In short, I'd like to see JHT mixing and matching, using the squad and picking the right team for the right opposition. The one advantage of our injury crisis is that it must have given him a good idea of what he has to work with.

[rock bus 1,115]

13 minutes ago, Mr Angry said:

Not surprised to see no mention of Forson, and most of the comments in the match thread were not that positive, but Flo Allen said in the co-commentary that JHT will have been happy with the way that he was always snapping at the heels of the Plymouth players so I wouldn’t be amazed if he starts on Saturday.

I thought Forson had a better game last night, showed a lot of nice touches and more tenacity in chasing back and tackling. Made me think he definitely has a future in the team (which I'd started to doubt) but with the players now coming back In. I think he should be used as a sub for the short term until he develops further and ousts one of the other players.

[daz 163]

Chrisene very good too tbf. Duffy however... Thinking he's pirlo, can't pass😔😁🔰

[Mr Angry 2,097]

36 minutes ago, daz said:

Chrisene very good too tbf. Duffy however... Thinking he's pirlo, can't pass😔😁🔰

I counted at least 5 misplaced passes from Doyle last night-by which I mean that the pass went to a Plymouth player. I don’t think Duffy was as bad as that!

[Corbs1 183]

I’m noting a few posters on here are warming to Marcondes, I’m still evaluating, but I was pleased with Forson v baggies, similarly adapting. 

[Mr Angry 2,097]

11 minutes ago, Corbs1 said:

I’m noting a few posters on here are warming to Marcondes, I’m still evaluating, but I was pleased with Forson v baggies, similarly adapting. 

I thought Marcondes was poor against Stoke and Preston (went to both games) but he would have been rusty as he hadn’t played since May-as he’s got fitter and getting to know the system and his teammates he’s been steadily improving.

[Monty13 2,811]

1 hour ago, Corbs1 said:

I’m noting a few posters on here are warming to Marcondes, I’m still evaluating, but I was pleased with Forson v baggies, similarly adapting. 

He was excellent last night, would have been my MOTM personally although very hard to overlook a hat-trick.

He’s definitely been and still is a little rusty but he definitely has a lot of quality as his previous experience would suggest.

Edited November 27, 2024 by Monty13

[Mason 47 2,036]

1 hour ago, Mr Angry said:

I thought Marcondes was poor against Stoke and Preston (went to both games) but he would have been rusty as he hadn’t played since May-as he’s got fitter and getting to know the system and his teammates he’s been steadily improving.

He seems to have settled into a playmaker role now instead of trying to be an all-round CM. Maybe a bit of tactical tweaking by Thorup. 

Last night looked the closest we have had to a Nunez replacement. Interesting to see if that remains the case vs Luton, as Plymouth really were poor

[shefcanary 3,089]

8 hours ago, Ward 3 said:

Stacey has 4 assists so far this season to fishers 1. Thought Stacey was very very good last night. Surely you can't change that side from last night, confidence will be high going into Luton game 

How many goal scoring opportunities have they both made though? I'd argue the "net goals against" swings back in favour of Fisher. Stacey is great to bring on late in the game when the opposition are tired, or where there is no perceived threat on the left from the opposition. Fisher keeps us in the game, or at best ahead, for much longer.

But generally agree with @Robert N. LiM; after the recent spate of injuries, I can see Hoff being more "horses for courses" / "rotational" in his selections now he has seen how players perform under pressure. Not quite a "Wagner tombola" before each match, but I can see very few starting line-ups being unchanged.

[chicken 3,139]

9 hours ago, wcorkcanary said:

He's reasonably sound defensively,  but didn't put in one decent cross last night. My Dutch mate in Cornwall thought the same. ....and his uncle was a scout at ajax 😂

Only issue with this is that he assisted twice last night. The same number Marcondes got, and one of those was from a corner.

If he's being defensively solid and has assisted 3 goals in two games, which he has, it's incredibly harsh to drop him. 

[AJ 1,377]

9 hours ago, wcorkcanary said:

He's reasonably sound defensively,  but didn't put in one decent cross last night.

Not sure what game you were watching but Slimane literally scored from Stacey crossing the ball to him...

[RugbyCanary 107]

Bit of a curve ball.....agree Doyle needs in but left back suspect

Gunn

Fischer Cordoba Doyle McLean 

Slimane Nunez

Crnac Marcondes Sainz

Sargent 

 

Honestly could swap Chrisene for McLean and move slimane to the bench 

 

[chicken 3,139]

1 minute ago, RugbyCanary said:

Bit of a curve ball.....agree Doyle needs in but left back suspect

Gunn

Fischer Cordoba Doyle McLean 

Slimane Nunez

Crnac Marcondes Sainz

Sargent 

 

Honestly could swap Chrisene for McLean and move slimane to the bench 

 

Two left footed CBs and McLean out of position?