Starting eleven for 15/16 season

[jpinblue]

Just my prediction - not my ideal 11

Hart
Zaba
Kompany
Mangala
Clichy
Yaya
Fernandinho
De Bruyne
Silva
Sterling
Aguero

Subs
Denayer
Bony
Kelechi
Caballero
Lopes
Nasri
Demi

 

[willipp]

-------------------Hart----------------
Zaba--Kompany--Mangala--Clichy
------------Yaya----Fernandinho---
De Bruyne-----Silva--------Sterling
----------------Aguero---------------

(or the same players in a 4-3-3 with Fernandinho behind Yaya and Silva, and De Bruyne, Aguero and Sterling as the front three)

For me that doesn't address one of our biggest needs this pre season and that is a hard working DM who can win the ball. Means we still have Yaya being relied on for doing hard work and undoubtedly leave Fern exposed and out of position. For me if Yaya stays we still need a world class holding midfielder and that allows yaya to play further forward.

 

[richards30]

Hart
Zab
Vinny
Mangala
Alex sandro
Fernandihno
Pogba
Yaya
De bruyne
Silva
Aguero

 

[GX Blue]

Hart

Zab Kompany Mangala Kurzawa

Fernandinho

Pogba Yaya

Stirling Silva

Aguero

 

[Daz_Blue]

Most team lineups have us signing 2 or 3 players.....I expect to sign 5 or 6 based on players going too ....

 

[aguerooo93]

Hart
Zabaleta Kompany Mangala Clichy
Yaya Verratti
Sterling Silva Isco
Aguero

Verratti, in my mind, is more consistent than Pogba (who looks to be going to Barcelona after their transfer ban is lifted) and yet is continually underrated. I also prefer Isco to De Bruyne in the left wing position he played in at Malaga under Pellegrini. But obviously landing Pogba, Sterling and De Bruyne would be a hugely successful summer.

 

[bugsyblue]

Hart
Zabaleta Kompany Mangala Clichy
Yaya Verratti
Sterling Silva Isco
Aguero

Verratti, in my mind, is more consistent than Pogba (who looks to be going to Barcelona after their transfer ban is lifted) and yet is continually underrated. I also prefer Isco to De Bruyne in the left wing position he played in at Malaga under Pellegrini. But obviously landing Pogba, Sterling and De Bruyne would be a hugely successful summer.

I completely agree with you re Veratti but unfortunately PSG will never sell him.

 

[sh249]

For me that doesn't address one of our biggest needs this pre season and that is a hard working DM who can win the ball. Means we still have Yaya being relied on for doing hard work and undoubtedly leave Fern exposed and out of position. For me if Yaya stays we still need a world class holding midfielder and that allows yaya to play further forward.

Perhaps you're right - the above certainly isn't my 'dream team', it is just a prediction of how we might line up, based on little other than the likelihood of us going for Sterling and De Bruyne. Signing Pogba would be great, but I don't really see it happening.
For what it's worth, I think too much has been made of the idea that Yaya 'can't play in a midfield two'. For me, the main problem last season was the huge gap between defence and attack - we could have put anyone in there alongside Fernandinho (including Pogba) and they would have struggled like fuck. Even switching to three central midfielders towards the end of the season didn't really help that much - results improved, but it was still far too easy for opposing players to get into the space in front of our defenders. Villa, for instance, were seemingly able to do it at will, and caused us all sorts of problems.
If we get back to playing much more compactly, as I think it's fairly clear that Pellegrini wants us to (any time down on the touchline seems to be spent urging the defenders to get up the pitch), I don't think that having Yaya in the centre of midfield alongside Fernandinho will pose any great problem.

 

[Sergio Picasso Aguero]

___________________________________________________________

__________________________Aguero___________________________

___________________________________________________________

__________________Silva____________Firmino__________________

___________________________________________________________

_______________Yaya Touré__________Pogba___________________

___________________________________________________________

_______________________Fernandinho_________________________

___________________________________________________________

Sandro__________Mangala__________Kompany__________Zabaleta

___________________________________________________________

__________________________Hart_____________________________

___________________________________________________________

 

[kun]

--------------------------Aguero
-------de Bruyne----------------------Silva
---------------------------Toure
--------------Fernandinho-----Pogba
Kurzawa-------Mangala------Kompany-----Zabaleta
----------------------------Hart

Subs from: Willy, Sagna, Clichy, Denayer, Demichelis, Fernando, Wilshere, Navas, Lopes, Sterling, Bony, Iheanacho