Starting lineup to face Wigan

[Mahogany 0]

3313 was used to pretty good effect by Chile in the World Cup and would play to our strengths. Sure it probably wouldnt be a good idea to go up against Man U or Chelsea playing it but I reckon it''s at least worth a shot at some point.

And I didn''t say West Brom were a weak team, I said weaker, as in a team we will expect to get something off of.

[Yellow Wal 314]

Simply put, pre-season will determine which players are used in the opening games ......... isn''t that what pre-season is all about?

PL will look at his new players and the way they fit into his plans.

[alysha 0]

[quote user="Yellow Wall"]

Simply put, pre-season will determine which players are used in the opening games ......... isn''t that what pre-season is all about?

PL will look at his new players and the way they fit into his plans.

[/quote]

Agree, I don''t think Lambert will automatically pick players which won us promotion, nor will his starting 11 be picked on the basis that he paid good money for new players this summer, therefore they will start the first game. Lambert has assembled a squad which are together as Norwich City players, not seperate as in the promotion winning side and new players. Lambert will simply pick a team which he thinks will win us the game.

[Howson is now! 0]

[quote user="Legend Iwan"][quote user="Who Let The Fox Out"][quote user="Legend Iwan"]

[quote user="Who Let The Fox Out"]     What concerns me is that people seem to think new signings have a right to go straight into the first team despite having never played a competitive game together in their lives. The new signings may well replace some old players throughout the season but it was the togetherness of the team that saw us outplay a lot of teams who on paper should have been better than us. I don''t see Lambert throwing that all away in the first game of the season.
[/quote]

Then I am very thankful that Lambert is in charge and not you. If you take a few moments to look at the last couple of games from League 1 and the first couple of the Championship you will see Lambert doesn''t care who got us up, just who will make up the strongest team on the day.

Fox, Crofts, Surman and Ward all started the first match. Ruddy of course took the No.1 shirt and Jackson started because Holt was injured.

Now I don''t expect six new players to start but there will definitely be some of the new guys involved. Pre-season will give the indications as to what formation Lambert is siding for, but there is a reason why Lambert moves so sharply in the transfer window and that is to bed the new guys in to the rest of the squad. We have six matches in which the players can get to know each other. I''m sure they will be fine.

[/quote]

Don''t worry, I''m not gunning for Lambert''s job. I mean, I wouldn''t want you to not be thankful that Lambert''s in charge.

If you take a few moments to read my post again, you''ll notice I only said in the first game of the season that there won''t be wholesale changes and that I think that some of the new players will relegate some of our current starters to the bench.

As for pre-season, judging on the last one that Lambert undertook, it will tell us absolutely sweet FA about what formation Lambert is siding for. I went to most of the pre seasons last year and we used nearly all the players at our disposal and tried about 10 different formations. I mean we played Hughes and Gill in the centre against Lincoln at some point.

We do indeed have six matches for the players to get to know each other, but these aren''t competitive games. They''re all about fitness. If Lambert only uses 15 players and only tries 3 formations then I''m sure we''ll get an inkling of what he''s going to go with. I notice you''ve included Gorleston away in those "six games." How many of the starting XI do you reckon will start that?
[/quote]

Don''t be so flippant by saying you only meant the first match you quite clearly indicated that the new players will only get in the first team over the course of the season. You said, "the new signings may well replace some old players throughout the season."

Now don''t get me wrong, I understand the reason behind your response, the guy before must be on something to cull so many players. However, to comprehensively conclude that these players won''t be included from the off - which you argue by the ''may replace thoroughout the season'', and not from the off - is ridiculous, as I showed by his decisions in the past.

I also travelled to a number of the preseason matches, and you are correct that it isn''t the be all and end all in relation to prediciting Lambert''s tactics. After all, OTJ was played at the heart of defense against Dag&Red. However, much like our match against Dereham I expect to see the new guys and a number of the old first XI given a run out when we face Gorleston simply because otherwise their preseason doesn''t start until the 26th, which is very late.

Your belief that because they are not comeptitive matches they won''t know each other I feel is misjudged. These guys will eat, drink and spend an awful large amount of time together over the next month. Just because the matches aren''t ''competitive'' doesn''t mean come Wigan they will have no idea what the other 10 players are thinking. As you say, it is the togetherness and winning spirit that has seen us reach the Premiership. Something all the knew players seem to have taken on board quickly. Again a reason for the idea of competitiveness not to be a major concern.

Anyway, I can''t wait for the season to start again and see just how good this team is. I''m sure we can agree on that. [:)]

 

[/quote]

To some extent I do believe it could only be in the first game. Lambert is ruthless and while I think the game against Wigan will include few changes, if we have a stinker, Lambert has shown before that the very next game could be a completely different look.

I guess if you try and look at it from a numbers side of things and not the actual players, I would be happy with / expect to see 3 of 7 (if we sign another player) to start the first game of the season. I guess I''m being a touch too sentimental about the players that got us here but if you lose the faces and names, you would expect 3 to go into a higher league.

Good point about the amount of time spent together, especially with the training camp in Germany where they truly will eat, drink, and spend an awful large amount of time together.

Definitely agree with you on wanting the season to start. 

[Captain Fantastic 0]

Same 11 at Pompey.

[Thecanaryfan 0]

Now pre-season is over I retract my previous team and replace it with this:

Ruddy

Martin De Laet Whitbread Tierney

Surman Fox Johnson Bennett

Holt Morrison

Subs: Rudd, Jackson, Vaughan, Hoolahan, Pilkington, Barnett, Naughton