So forget Burnley, the season starts here with a goalfest. Wins against derby and Forest and Saint Owens army will be on the march.But what changes from yesterday?
Sordell and Afobe? Eagles for CYL(who clearly needs games though)Ricketts or Vela in midfield ? Or do the piemen stay in and sweat(or should that be perspire Mavis) their way to fitness.

I kind of think the starting 11 will be the same as at Burnley.Bit early to start the bingo/juggling if coyle decided that was his best 11.

0-3

Average at best side Derby, if we lose this then Owen needs to go..

Bogdan
Riley-Mills-Knight-Alonso
Eagles-Andrews-Vela-Petrov
Mavies
Sordell

6 changes and a new formation one game into new season.That would be like coyle admitting he is clueless!

I'd always have Ricketts in but not at left back. Course the problem is the other left back Coyle signed isnt a defender.So maybe we need a left back who is.

I'd be very surprised if Coyle abandons 4-4-2 for a home game.

The first of three incredibly vital home games for Coyle and his mates. 7 points minimum, but, if only to get the fans off his back, he needs to kick them off with three.

4-2-3-1 for me.

Bogdan

Mears - Mills - Knight - Ricketts

Andrews - Vela

CYL - Eagles - Petrov

Sordell

But then, we could play any formation you can think of and still get tonked if Coyle still hasn't even attempted to sort out the defence and the vacuum between them and the midfield.

I was saying we should 4231 last season but he never did if he was to play Mavies in the postion you have Eagles and then tell Mavies to roam the field and look for the space.

You mean roll about don't you

ABSOLUTELY. if it has to be 442 then

Bogdan
Riley Knight Ricketts Alonso
CYL Andrews Vela Petrov
Afobe Sordell

Never happen though.Ream probably needs time and should be given a run ideally alongside a settled partner so Coyle needs to make his decision and stick with it. I still think Ricketts and knight might be our best available centre back pairing(not a fan of Knight on the whole but he has looked good with Ricketts before)
Successful teams defend effectively and have a strong spine.Time for coyle to address some basic principles and stop pinning his hopes on golden moment players who flit in and out of the game and do nowt when we dont have possession.

But in reality it will be 442 and most likely the same starting 11.Rightly so aswell. You pick what you think is your best team for the first game and have to give it a few games to bed in and work.

Truewhites team looks promising but assumes some flexibility from the man who knows the game.

We need a left back so Ricketts can play central or right.He's being dragged down to the level of the rest and he's better than that.

Needs three in midfield 'cos neither Mavies, Pratley, Vela or Eagles can survive in the middle of a 4-4-2.

Can't see him making too many changes from what must've been in his opinion his best side.


Like IM says, 6 changes would be Champmanesque.

4-4-2 for a home game looks nailed on.

The problem is, we have quite a lot of positions now, that have two players, that are largely much of a muchness, so you're typically swapping out one bit of dross for another.

Our centre midfield now makes you think how lucky we were to have Muamba & Holden! and then the amount of time we spent slagged Muamba off calling him shit!

cough, "we didn't", cough.

We might go a goal up. matter not cos all derby need to do is wait till our unfit players run out of steam after 30 minutes and they will pick us off, if they are good enough.

Vela might but who can say.With the squad we have he cant make 442 work unless vela is up to it or maybe even ricketts could go in there but there are two problems
A Coyle believes 442 is the only formation in the game

B Coyle hasnt signed anyone able to play effectively in the centre of that formation.

ironically he seems to have signed players more suited to 451 but without a decent holding player.I still think Alonso might be able to play that old campo role but you wont find out while coyle is still here. He'll play left back and get done for pace everytime.

A 5 man midfield might provide bodies but they're all too similar and ineffective. 451 still needs players capable of defending and we dont have any apart from possibly Andrews and Vela.Even with 451 I still think those two should start.

The squad coyle has put together is totally unbalanced.Loads of Indians and no chiefs.Lots of runners with the ball who cant pass tackle or postion themselves defensively. 3 right backs and no left backs and 3 players(eagles/Pratley/Mavis) who are best in the hole which isnt a system coyle wants to use. Oh and 4 wingers who dont want to track back.Not forgetting unless there is a major change this year strikers who refuse to attack the crosses our wide men occasionally put in and defenders who refuse to attack the crosses opposition wingers put in.

All looks a bit silly to me.

I'd rather not chuck a kid into the heart of the team with so little protection. Try him in a five first and if it works, he's an option in a four. Mind, if it works, why change?

Understandable,it'sa bit desperate pinning a lot on a youngster but if you're old enough you're good enough.There arent any other alternatives that offer a more likely solution in 442. Maybe coyle will switch formations but I wont be holding my breathe. Tried to do that last year. Nearly killed me.

These 4-2-3-1's or whatever look very nice on paper, but rely on the players having the confidence and ability to pass it short and stay compact.

As it stands I don't think they have that confidence. Not the ability in some cases. Not one player came short to look for the ball yesterday. Not one.

I'm deffo old enough. Think you might want to try that one the other way round.

I gotta say im dreading this game