As we saw on Saturday, Harry’s transfer dealings have made first team selection just that little bit easier and after several departures from the Lane at the end of August, the temptation to slot in Jenas or Crouch has now been removed.

Injuries also played their part in the final line up against Wolves with Sandro, VDV, Dawson and Pienaar ruled out while the likes of Bassong, Corluka and Pavlyuchenko were left out for other reasons.

So was the team that took to the pitch at Molineux on Saturday your first choice XI from those that remain? While the formation could be tinkered with depending on the opposition, the Adebayor / Defoe combination up front looked strong and the manager himself alluded to this being his first choice pairing.

When Sandro comes back, who will make way and where will VDV slot in? Is Kranjcar the most vulnerable from Saturday’s team and should Lennon force his way back in?

The horses for courses rule will always apply at some stage but is Friedel, Walker, Kaboul, King, BAE, Kranjcar, Modric, Parker, Bale, Adebayor and Defoe our strongest starting XI right now?

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43 COMMENTS

    • ————Friedel———-
      Walker–Gallas–King–BAE
      ————Sandro———-
      Lennon——VDV—-Bale/Mod
      ——-Defoe—-Ade——-

      …Against smaller teams

      ————Friedel———-
      Walker–Gallas–King–BAE
      ——-Parker–Modric——
      Lennon—-VDV——Bale
      ———Adebayor——-

      …When playing better teams

  3. Close, but our best 11 is without doubt the following
    friedel, walker, benny, ledley, gallas -bale, modric, parker, sandro, vdv-adebayor.
    How you play them is another matter!!!! does vdv unsettle out best formation 442 – thats another more complex question !!!

  4. It will be interesting when all fit who misses out in midfield. If you need pace (Lennon) down the right (for example) and Harry starts with Parker and Sandro in midfield as I think he might, it will leave two places for Modric, Vdv and Bale (who can also play lb of course). The versatility of our midfield players makes it even better, allowing us to keep a wc midfield despite injuries, possibly. Can’t wait for games now!! Ade is a big key player for us now, as he’s the only one who can fill that role. Defoe plays the withdrawn role much better than off the shoulder. However, he, Krancs and Kaboul won’t get anywhere near the first team if everyone were fit.

  5. Harry is God. Tactics suck. 442 my ass. A striker always drops deep. Call it 451, 433, 4231… jeez! Just get out there and fucking run around a bit! Ok?

  8. Friedel

    benny, king/gallas, dawson, walkers

    bale, modders, parker, VDV

    defoe, adebayor

    I would stick to our beloved 442, and play VDV on the right side of midfield, as the defoe, adebayor combination looks strong. and we can’t mess that up just to keep rafa happy. COYS!

  9. I think it’s fair to say that we now have a squad good enough to play in different formations. Attacking at home or a team that can give the defence enough protection while still giving us enough attacking qualities.
    However I’d love to see
    Freidel
    Walker Daws King BAE
    Sandro Parker/Hudd
    Lennon/vdv Modric Bale
    Adebayor

    • This is almost perfect. We’re best in a 4-5-1 with two holding mids (as you show).
      I would replace VdV for Lennon, though. Lennon and Bale offer too similar of an attack while Bale and VdV allow for more attacking options.
      Modric should be played as an attacking mid where his incisive passing can lead directly to goals.
      Lennon’s best attribute is his speed so bring him on as an impact sub at 60-70 minutes — when VdV always seems to be tiring and when Lennon’s speed vs. tired opponent’s would be successful.

      I’d also like to give Falque some playing time so we can decide if he’s worth picking up permanently (I think we have that option).

  11. ………………FRIEDEL
    WALKER..KING..GALLAS..EKOTTO

    …………PARKER..MODRIC

    LENNON…..v.d.VAART…….BALE

    …………….ADEBAYOR

    WITHOUT A DOUBT…and SANDRO inn if VDV, MODRIC, OR PARKER is out injured.. if VDV is out..push Modric up an slot SANDRO infront of our back 4…
    LEnnon needs to find his feet though, or we should get some competition in his spot in January. Gotze or Marin would do

  12. ……………………………Friedel
    …………..Walker….Gallas…King…BAE
    ……………………………Sandro
    ………………………Parker…Modric
    …………………VDV………………..Bale
    ………………………….Adebayor

  13. Slaven Billic said something a while back…and it is still relevent: Formations do not matter so much. What does matter is the personnel. Kevin Bond said that we played 4-4-1-1 on Saturday (Defoe in the hole), yet most people thought – or assumed – that it was 4-4-2. When Man U play, the play 4-4-1-1, as Rooney comes deep. So forget the 4-2-3-1 stuff. We will have 4 defenders, 4 midfielders, 1 forward/striker, and another striker. We will not have a strongest 11. Sandro/Hudd/Parker/Modric will tussle for central positions. Pienaar/Niko will fight for apps too. Pav is far from finished. Gallas/King/Daws/Kaboul will tussle for CB, Corluka/Walker will tussle for RB.

  14. Friedel

    Walker Gallas King Assou-Ekotto

    Falque Sandro Ceballos Bale

    Van der Vaart
    Adebayor

    Substitutes: Lennon, Krancjar, Modric, Dawson, Cudicini, Kaboul, Defoe

    Youngsters for Europa: Kane, Carroll, Parrett

  15. How about playing Gio on the right, Lennon is too predictable. Gio has far more composure and could cut in and allow Walker to pass him,
    On the other side have modric and Bale at left back. Sandro and Parker sitting, be a bit like City???

    ……………..Friedel…………..
    Walker….king…gallas….bale
    ………..sandro..Parker……..
    Gio………..Van d v……modric
    …………….adebayor………….

    Subs
    Cudicini
    Corluka
    Bae
    Hudds
    Lennon
    Kranjar
    Defoe

  18. i cant understand why everyone puts friedel before gomes.friedel is a good goalkeeper but he is way to old.so if we lose gomes then who the hell we gonna get for the future.alnwick is not good enough and cudicini is to old as well.o.k gomes has had his bad days but everyone always remember the bad things and not the good.he makes world class saves every game but they are soon forgotten. gomes walker king dawson bae lennon modric parker bale vdv adebayor.subs friedel kaboul gallas hudds sandro defoe kranjcar

  19. FRIEDEL

    WALKER DAWSON THE KING BAE

    PARKER SANDRO MODRIC

    LENNON ADEBAYOR BALE

    SIMPLE 4-3-3 FORMATION.
    BENCH- CUDICINI, KABOUL, GALLAS, KRANJCAR, VDV, DEFOE AND PAVS.
    SELL CORLUKA, HES CRAP.

  21. 4-2-3-1
    Friedel
    Kyle Walker, Ledley King, Billy Gallas, Gareth Bale
    Sandro Ranieri, Scott Parker
    Aaron Lennon, Rafa Van der Vaart, Luka Modric
    Manny Adebayor

  22. …………….Friedel…………….
    Walker. King. Gallas. Bae
    ……….Sandro. Parker………
    …………….Modric…………….
    ….VDV………………..Bale…..
    …………..Adebayor ………….

  23. ———— friedel————–
    Walker—-king—-gallas—-bae

    Sandro—-Parker—-bale

    Modric——vdv

    Adeybayor

    Terry Venebals Xmas tree formation fits us

  24. A formation I’d like to see tried in Europe is
    Gomes

    Huddlestone

    Kaboul. Gallas. Bassong

    Livermore BAe
    Do santos Falque. Rose

    Coulibaly
    If it worked the 1st team playing it would be
    Gomes

    Hudd
    Walker. King. Kaboul
    Sandro. BAe
    Modric. Bale
    Vdv

    Adebayor

  25. In all the teams above there’s 3 players in most of them king modric and adebayor, not a bad spine so HR should pick the rest on form and I think bale picks himself that’s all.

  27. ———— friedel————–
    Walker—-king—-gallas—-bae
    ——-Parker–Sandro——-
    —Van der Vaart– Modric–
    Lennon—-Adebayor—- Bale

    That is the best line up if all are fit. It’s attacking and we have the protection of Sandro and Parker but can all so push forward.

  28. how about

    Friedal
    Walker Gallas King Bale
    vdVaart Sandro Parker Modric
    Adebayor Defoe

    With modric and vandervaart coming inside and being overlapped by the fullbacks bombing forwards giving us width, with defensive midfielders able to cover?

  29. ………….Friedel
    Walker Gallas King Bale
    …..Parker…Modric….
    Lennon VdV Kranjcar
    Adebayor

    Dawson and Kaboul rotating with CB’s
    Sandro in when Modric plays on left.:uddlestone when injuries arise.
    Pienaar and Gio getting oppotunities down the flanks as no squad stays fit.
    Defoe on bench,
    Walker and Bale will terrorise defences when they link up moving forward.
    TOP 3 team
    COYS

  30. FRIEDEL
    WALKER KABOUL HUDD BENNY
    SANDRO PARKER
    VDV MODRIC BALE
    ADEBAYOR

    with all the CB injuries, now’s Harry’s chance to try Hudd again at CB… with all the wealth we now have in midfield, he can reinvent himself as a tough yet classy CB, and rather than those long hopeful Dawson highballs from the back, have Hudd distribute as only he knows how.

    • JPG really has something going here.. what the F%$k is he thinking leaving Mr Lennon out??

      Not even Barcelona will be able o get through that defence

      watever ormation, they play pool on Sunday – we will have to see where this goes..

      ynwa

  31. Lots of people seem to be going for the 4-2-3-1. however if you are only playing with 1 striker I think the 3 attacking midfielders need to be scoring 10-15 goals each. Although Bale and van der Vaart could do this, neither modric or lennon will get more than about 5, so we would not score enough goals. I was gutted that we didnt sign Mata, as he would have been perfect as the 3rd attacking midfielder. with the players we have, I therefore conclude that we need to play 2 up front.

    If we assume we go 4-4-2 then, the problem with playing lennon on the right is that this nullifies walkers attacking threat. so far this season I have been disappointed that he has not been getting forward more and can only think that its because lennon is in front of him, and not the type of player you overlap.

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