Potential Team - First Game of Season

[hellogregory]

I think we're much better set to match up to teams like Portsmouth this season instead of relying on a good backs-to-the-wall performance where we get a lucky result. First game of the season as well, Curle will surely be looking to set out our stall for the season as being a passing side instead of starting off with a defensive lineup.

Also, I'm not at all expecting Atkinson to start, especially now he may be slightly behind physically and mentally due to dealing with new parenthood. He still hasn't been given a proper run of games yet, hopefully he'll get one relatively early in the season so we can see how good he is; but I'd expect Ellis to start in his place vs Portsmouth.

Yeah definitely, changing the system for different games doesn't necessarily mean we're going for a negative backs to the wall performance. If we were then we wouldn't be starting 3 attacking players behind the striker. I certainly don't think any of the team choices in this thread are defensive lineups. I meant more to do with the other teams approach. E.g you'd expect teams coming to BP to be less open than say Portsmouth at their place, meaning we might change to a more gung-ho approach at home to break certain teams down. That's jus an example

 

[mowgli]

No point in putting ours up as we haven't even got a keeper for next season

 

[BeesKnees]

GK: Stack
RB: Pearson
CB: Dembele
CB: Nelson
LB: Johnson
RM: Nicholls
CM: Weston
CM: Togwell
LM: Gambin
CF: Gash
CF: Akinde

Subs : Mackenzie-Lyle, N'Gala, Sesay, Watson, Akpa Akpro, Taylor, Muggleton.

Not necessarily what I would go with, but what I can see Allen going with.

Jamie Stephens is a big miss in goal and I'm not even sure that Stack has signed a new contract with us, unless I missed it, although he has been playing in pre-season.

Ryan Watson has hit the ground running since signing, but Weston is a favourite of the manager. For similar reasons I can see Gash getting the nod up front over Akpa Akpro to begin with.

I'm still hopeful that we've got another couple of signings lined up. Another wide midfielder which would allow Nicholls to be a back-up striker if needed and another centre mid. That probably depends on us moving on the four listed players that we have in Champion, Vilhete, Tomlinson and Batt.

Edit* I forgot Muggleton. I know Allen won't.

Not convinced there will be more sigings or that we will manage to offload the four that are transfer listed. that 3 of the 4 are last years signings that MA gave two year deals to highlights what a balls up last years signings were. I see Nicholls, Watson and Akpa Akpro as direct replacements for those three, with Vilhete already out of the picture as far as MA is concerned..

 

[jacobncfc]

Adam Collin
Matt Tootle - Richard Duffy - Haydn Hollis - Carl Dickinson
Alex Rodman - Stanley Aborah - Michael O'Connor - Graham Burke
Jon Stead - Jonathan Forte

Sumit like that, looks alright actually. Would expect us to sign another centre back to replace Hollis 'en all.

 

[LeonTheGreen]

Personally I think we will go with:

McCormick

Miller/Osborne/Bradley/Sawyer

Threlkeld/New CM

Jervis/Carey/Goodwillie

Spencer.

Not a bad 11 actually, depending on who the new CM is.

 

[TimeyWimey]

GK. Garrett

LB. Bakayogo
CB. Gutgrie
CB. Davis
RB. Turton

LM. Ainley
CM. Jones
CM. Bingham
RM. Cooper

ST. Dagnall
ST. Lowe

Subs: Richards, Nugent, Ray, Smith, Kirk, Saunders, Udoh.

Keeper is brilliant defence are a circus act, midfield is powderpuff, forwards old but goal scorers.

We're likely to bring in a winger on loan any day soon. Unfortunately we need to find a mug to buy one of our defenders so we can bring in fresh blood at the back.

Midfield is as depressing as defence. It is going to get walked over before the defence gets walked through.

 

[George Reilly's Hairpiece]

Not convinced there will be more sigings or that we will manage to offload the four that are transfer listed. that 3 of the 4 are last years signings that MA gave two year deals to highlights what a balls up last years signings were. I see Nicholls, Watson and Akpa Akpro as direct replacements for those three, with Vilhete already out of the picture as far as MA is concerned..

I hope you're wrong, but I suspect you are right. The best hope is that we can get some long term loan deals done. Tomlinson, Vilhete and Champion could all do a job at National level. You'd have to have a screw loose to take Batt given his injuries and complete lack of form, but I must have a screw loose as I think if we are forced to keep him, he might just come good. He is starting from a very low benchmark admittedly.

 

[Urban]

I hope you're wrong, but I suspect you are right. The best hope is that we can get some long term loan deals done. Tomlinson, Vilhete and Champion could all do a job at National level. You'd have to have a screw loose to take Batt given his injuries and complete lack of form, but I must have a screw loose as I think if we are forced to keep him, he might just come good. He is starting from a very low benchmark admittedly.

He's genuinely the worst player I've ever seen at Barnet, and I've sat through appearances from Tommy Black and Charlie Taylor. If that benchmark isn't low enough then I don't know what is!

 

[EricSabin]

Marriott signs new 3 year deal at Luton, seems as though there'd been some interest from other clubs.

 

[Judge Dredd]

Marriott signs new 3 year deal at Luton, seems as though there'd been some interest from other clubs.

He signed (or had automatically triggered, not entirely clear) an extension to 2018 less than a month ago and very publicly stated then that he had no interest in leaving at the moment regardless of interest from other clubs.

Still, nice to have him tied down for even longer, I'm pretty convinced he'll hit 20+ this season and I can see us having to fend off decent money offers for him come January so it's nice to have a better bargaining position. Hopefully he sticks around for a while yet, he's a joy to watch when he's on it.

 

[EricSabin]

He signed (or had automatically triggered, not entirely clear) an extension to 2018 less than a month ago and very publicly stated then that he had no interest in leaving at the moment regardless of interest from other clubs.

Still, nice to have him tied down for even longer, I'm pretty convinced he'll hit 20+ this season and I can see us having to fend off decent money offers for him come January so it's nice to have a better bargaining position. Hopefully he sticks around for a while yet, he's a joy to watch when he's on it.

How much do you think you'd sell for?

 

[Judge Dredd]

How much do you think you'd sell for?

No idea really, but given his contract situation and his importance to us I'd be disappointed if we even started seriously negotiating below £750k. Some may laugh at that based on one season, and I accept that he's obviously not worth that right now... but if he continues his progress he will be very soon, we have a strong negotiating position for years to come, no pressing financial need to sell, and he's vital to any aspirations we have for promotion.

Basically I don't think he is for sale right now barring a ridiculous offer, which we won't get. If he keeps up his goals-to-minutes ratio from last season, by January we might be struggling to keep hold of him as bigger clubs will firm up their interest. But right now no-one would be willing to pay what I think (hope) it would take to seriously tempt us.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Don't disagree much on the above - I think he's probably worth around £500,000 now, although I wouldn't have said he's in the same league as Andre Gray.

 

[Hatter86]

I'm inclined to agree. He scored a decent amount of goals despite not being first choice for much of the first part of the season in a team that had very little creativity. Should flourish this year. Anyway, this is how I want us to set up. Whether we do or not is a different matter

Hylton Marriott
Cook
McGeehan Pelly
Rea
Sheehan Mullins Cuthbert O'Donnell
Walton​

Gooch
Potts
Smith
Lee
Bakinson
McQuoid
Banton

 

[AtaturkOzgutson]

Heh. Gooch.

 

[cufc17]

Great Banton.

 

[Kenneth E End]

No idea really, but given his contract situation and his importance to us I'd be disappointed if we even started seriously negotiating below £750k. Some may laugh at that based on one season, and I accept that he's obviously not worth that right now... but if he continues his progress he will be very soon, we have a strong negotiating position for years to come, no pressing financial need to sell, and he's vital to any aspirations we have for promotion.

Basically I don't think he is for sale right now barring a ridiculous offer, which we won't get. If he keeps up his goals-to-minutes ratio from last season, by January we might be struggling to keep hold of him as bigger clubs will firm up their interest. But right now no-one would be willing to pay what I think (hope) it would take to seriously tempt us.

If he's scored 12-15 by Christmas, his price automatically goes up, but selling in January can ruin any potential promotion push. If we sell him, we sell him in May.

 

[EricSabin]

If he's scored 12-15 by Christmas, his price automatically goes up, but selling in January can ruin any potential promotion push. If we sell him, we sell him in May.

Money talks sometimes though

 

[SVH]

Personally I think we will go with:

McCormick

Miller/Osborne/Bradley/Sawyer

Threlkeld/New CM

Jervis/Carey/Goodwillie

Spencer.

Not a bad 11 actually, depending on who the new CM is.

How's Donaldson looked in pre-season? Donaldson always said his best position was CM. Where has he been playing for you?

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

He's genuinely the worst player I've ever seen at Barnet, and I've sat through appearances from Tommy Black and Charlie Taylor. If that benchmark isn't low enough then I don't know what is!

At what point can I be really smug and say told you so?

I still think Barnet are a cm away from being able to do something. Odds on signing one?

 

[BeesKnees]

At what point can I be really smug and say told you so?
I still think Barnet are a cm away from being able to do something. Odds on signing one?

Very low. Hoping that Harry Taylor and Ryan Watson can step up.

 

[Urban]

At what point can I be really smug and say told you so?

I still think Barnet are a cm away from being able to do something. Odds on signing one?

When he scores a last minute winner vs Luton he'll instantly become a cult hero.

I doubt we'll sign one. We've replaced Champion with Watson who's seemed decent, and we've got one or two younger players coming through. One of those, Harry Taylor, has looked capable towards the tailend of last season so perhaps he'll continue to step up.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Based on injuries and that as yet we have no loan signings I would expect us to line up something like this:

Etheridge
Lund Wright Butler Evina
Blair Rowe Coppinger Calder
Williams Marquis

 

[ProfessorGreen]

How's Donaldson looked in pre-season? Donaldson always said his best position was CM. Where has he been playing for you?

He's been playing centre mid and has been average. I probably wouldn't have him in my starting XI as he's a bit lightweight in the middle of the park I think. I wouldn't bring him off the bench either until he gets rid of that awful haircut.

 

[hellogregory]

Not necessarily what I'd go with, but this is what I think we'll start with against Portsmouth on Saturday.

Gillespie
Miller Raynes Ellis Grainger
Jones Kennedy
Lambe Devitt Adams
Wyke​

 

[BeesKnees]

We are very predictable.
Vickers
Taylor
Dembele
Nelson
Johnson
Nicholls
Watson
Weston
Togwell
Gambin
Akinde

 

[SVH]

We are very predictable.
Vickers
Taylor
Dembele
Nelson
Johnson
Nicholls
Watson
Weston
Togwell
Gambin
Akinde

How many you going to bring to the Abbey sat?

 

[BarnwoodCTFC]

I expect CTFC to line up 3-5-2 as follows:
Phillips (GK)
Dickie (DF) Parslow (DF) O'Shaugnessy (DF)
Barthram (RB) Jennings (LB)
Hall (CM) Dayton (CM) Pell (CM)
Wright (CF) Holman (CF)

Subs:
Kitscha
Bower
Whitehead
Rowe
Waters
Morgan-Smith

We have Aaron Downes out injured until September, Storer suspended but Jack Munns could be back and will either be on bench or maybe replace Dayton in starting team.

 

[BeesKnees]

How many you going to bring to the Abbey sat?

A few are talking 800+ but I think that's nonsense and it will be nearer 500