Team for Southampton

[loyalroyal4life]

..............McCarthy
..Kelly, Pearce, Mariappa, Shorey
........Guthrie, Akpan
McCleary....Robson-Kanu....Mcanuff
.............Pogrebnyak

Subs: Taylor, Cummings, Morrison, ALF, Hunt, Obita, Carrico


HRK will do a job just behind the striker

[paultheroyal]

^^^^^^

As a starting eleven I would like to see this. Tried everything else and failed miserably.

We miss a player and that player could be Kanu dropping deep off attacker, wanting ball and running at defenders etc. Other than down the wings we never see that of Reading.

I am hoping a vast improvement from last Saturday and a real Adkins stamp on the team.

[Royal91]

HRK and McAnuff should rotate throughout the game in that central role. Might make us a bit more dynamic.

[melonhead]

..............McCarthy
..Kelly, Pearce, Mariappa, Shorey
........Guthrie, Akpan
McCleary....Robson-Kanu....Mcanuff
.............Pogrebnyak

Subs: Taylor, Cummings, Morrison, ALF, Hunt, Obita, Carrico


HRK will do a job just behind the striker

#


a midfield utterly devoid of a tackle?
no defensive midfielder in front of our paper thin, and glass fragile defence?

[loyalroyal4life]

..............McCarthy
..Kelly, Pearce, Mariappa, Shorey
........Guthrie, Akpan
McCleary....Robson-Kanu....Mcanuff
.............Pogrebnyak

Subs: Taylor, Cummings, Morrison, ALF, Hunt, Obita, Carrico


HRK will do a job just behind the striker

#


a midfield utterly devoid of a tackle?
no defensive midfielder in front of our paper thin, and glass fragile defence?

If you are highlighting that Ledge would serve well in that role, i beg to differ he may be labelled as a DM but he certainly don't perform like one. Although it would never happen i would actually bring Morrison in at CB and move Mariappa at DM next to Guthrie

[Royalclapper]

Pog is just not agile and mobile enough to play on his own up top, It has been a real problem all season. Put another striker up there and our atrocious midfield is even more exploited and the defence just buckle under constant pressure. At least when you can retain the ball better it gives the defenders a breather which is even more important when you are not a strong side in the league. The defence has had many problems this season but it's been made worse by not having the ability to defend further up the pitch.

[maffff]

Why do people percieve Guthrie as an attacking midfielder o_O

I'd be happy with something like

-----------------McCarthy

Kelly-----Pearce---Mariappa---Shorey

----------Guthrie-----Leigertwood

McCleary------Robson-Kanu-------McAnuff

-------------Pogrebnyak

subs
Taylor
Gunter
Morrison
Blackman
Karacan
Obita
Hunt

I hope next season we see Gunter blooded into the team and McCleary nails down the start on the right.

[Ian Royal]

HRK and McAnuff should rotate throughout the game in that central role. Might make us a bit more dynamic.

That's my view. McAnuff was excellent when he drifted around the pitch and helped overload the flank against Sunderland. I'd like to see how HRK does switching in and out of the central role whilst primarily playing on the wing before I decide whether he can actually start there.

[Wipped]

The team will be frustrating and disappointing, and I trump all of you.

[Sanguine]

McCarthy
Kelly Mariappa Pearce Shorey
McCleary Karacan Guthrie McAnuff HRK
Pogrebnyak

[melonhead]

..............McCarthy
..Kelly, Pearce, Mariappa, Shorey
........Guthrie, Akpan
McCleary....Robson-Kanu....Mcanuff
.............Pogrebnyak

Subs: Taylor, Cummings, Morrison, ALF, Hunt, Obita, Carrico


HRK will do a job just behind the striker

#


a midfield utterly devoid of a tackle?
no defensive midfielder in front of our paper thin, and glass fragile defence?

If you are highlighting that Ledge would serve well in that role, i beg to differ he may be labelled as a DM but he certainly don't perform like one. Although it would never happen i would actually bring Morrison in at CB and move Mariappa at DM next to Guthrie

no deep underying message. just general lolation at the idea

[melonhead]

McCarthy
Kelly Mariappa Pearce Shorey
McCleary Karacan Guthrie McAnuff HRK
Pogrebnyak

have ledge over karacan, but yeah, summat like that

[Snowball]

If you are highlighting that Ledge would serve well in that role, i beg to differ he may be labelled as a DM but he certainly don't perform like one. Although it would never happen i would actually bring Morrison in at CB and move Mariappa at DM next to Guthrie

More interceptions and more successful tackles than any other Reading player at Arsenal

[Snowball]

Watching a little of the video of training, with Adkins' "pass-pass-pass" in midfield
I think team-choice might be harder than we think.

Elwood and Karacan have had "get rid of it wide" ingrained into them for at least three years,
but I remember Jem's early days and he could knock it around a bit.

I think he will have to go with Guthrie, but again, Guthrie likes to get it, hold it, pass it
a la quarterback and Adkins seems to be advocating very quick passing, a lot of one touch
and "flow" so can Guthrie do that?

I'd bet on Hal starting, McAnuff starting, and Guthrie, the other two being whoever
it is that Adkins thinks will do the passing thing best. IMO L-Wood can do that, but
he also gives the middle hardness.

Is Kebe fit? For all his skill is he the type to play a quick-passing game or does he prefer to run it?

Will we get chances/goals from THROUGH BALLS? That'd be nice.

If we play 4-1-4-1 will Guthrie play deep as the play-maker or L-Wood play deep as the extra defender?

[Millsy]

You may as well just pick names out of a hat for our midfield places.

..............McCarthy
..Kelly, Pearce, Mariappa, Shorey
........Guthrie, Leigertwood
McCleary....McAnuff.....Robson-Kanu
.............Pogrebnyak

Subs: Taylor, Cummings, Morrison, Akpan / Guthrie, ALF, Blackman, Obita


Happy to see Akpan instead of Guthrie, or maybe at a push Leigertwood. Harsh on Hunt maybe, but it seems excessive to have him, ALF and Blackman on the bench and at least with Blackman you've got a significantly different option to ALF.

+1

[largetrousers]

McCarthy

Kelly Pearce Mariappa Cummings

Morrison

Kebe if fit else McCleary Akpan Karacan McAnuff

Robson-Kanu

Southampton have fast wingers, thats my reason behind Cummings playing right-footed at left back over Shorey, his pace will get us out of problems.
Morrison to win some tackles and break up play in front of defence, also he likes to burst forward and pass the ball, and adds something to set pieces where our goals have dried up this season.
Kebe is a massive loss if not playing, the only real game changer in our side on his day. McCleary the only other option given the other wingers are already playing!
Akpan for box to box and creating chances, i'd have him taking set pieces too.
Robson-Kanu up front, hes big and strong, tricky and quite quick, at least he'll chase stuff more than that useless Russian who I can probably beat in a race with my dodgy knees and old fat body, and for his size my 10-year-old can probably out-jump him! Robson-Kanu might not be the best in front of goal but he is scoring and looking to score when given the chance in the right position. At this stage I don't think we've got anything to loose. For me one of our biggest downfalls this season is not having a game-changing forward (don't say Alf, hes a box player, thats not what I mean), I for one will be happy to see the Pog go as I know you can argue he can only score when given the service, but he's not the sort of player that can create a chance from nothing week in week out, he has no pace, he doesn't use his strength well, can't run at players, beat them and score, he's not that good and it angers me that my wages are paying for this...our problem as supporters is we've been spoilt with quality forwards for a number of years.

[Snowball]

Nice, interesting post

[RFCSPACE]

-------------McCarthy
Kelly-Pearce-Mariappa-Shorey
------Guthrie---Karacan-------
Kebe-------------------McCleary
---------Pog-------HRK----------

[SPARTA]

Nigel Adkins confirms only Jimmy Kebe is not fit for Saturday, so Carrico is fit and raring to go...

If he can't get in ahead of Leigertwood then he must be bloody awful!

[Tommy Youlden's Ears]

Nigel Adkins confirms only Jimmy Kebe is not fit for Saturday, so Carrico is fit and raring to go...

If he can't get in ahead of Karacan then he must be bloody awful!