What is our best XI?

I certainly think it's time to return to Walker, Dias, Laporte and Ake as our back 4. Laporte coming on last evening gave us the ability to beat their press with balls into central midfield where Akanji (who was cental until Stones left) had been struggling.

Beyond them Rodri and Haaland are certain starters.

Beyond that is 4 from the rest. The immediate thought is we must have KDB, but his workrate and non-existent recovery runs makes him at times a passenger, so he's benched for me.

I think my other 4 are Gundogan, Bernado, Mahrez and Alverez.
 
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We don’t have a best Xi.

We have a squad and depending on who is in or out of form or who we’re playing (deep lying defences or open end to end games) mean that our best XI would look different from one game to another.

You look at the current form of Bernardo and Foden and you’d not have them in our current strongest XI, but at their best they’d be straight on the team sheet.

de Bruyne didn’t play consistently well from August to January last season and only came into any sort of form from Chelsea at home onwards, after which he was arguably in the form of his life. And he hasn’t played consistently well from August to now either but all it takes is him to find his form and he’s the best player in the league. We could leave him out of our current strongest XI but in a month’s time it could be a case that he’s the first name on everyone’s team sheet.
 
Ederson
Walker
Any two from Stones, Dias, Laporte
Cancelo
Rodri
Bernie
KDB
Foden
Haaland
Mahrez

That’s our best team but unfortunately the majority of those are either injured, out of form and/or have thrown their toys out of the pram. In some ways, when you compare our best side to what we are putting out on the field each week, it’s no surprise we aren’t the same team this season.

If player unrest issues are true, we need major work in the summer, because our current team is levels below what has gone previously.
 
I actually don't have a clue who I would pick for a champions league final.

I see that i am the OP if this thread and haven't checked my initial post yet. I believe there are too many factors to make a best 11 as form, injuries, mentality, hunger, replacement player option, chemistry with other teammates, defensive shape and consistency, formation in starting 11 and opponent are too important. It's even difficult to now definitively select players who must be in starting 11. We are so lucky to have such a strong interchangeable squad. But the fact we don't have a best 11 can also be disadvantageous. Add to that as fans we have our own individual and fan favourites.

I'd suggest from back to front Ederson, Rodri, KDB and Haaland are the only 4 players I would say must start that champions league Final. Walker previously would also have been in that starting 11 but the form of Cancelo (midfield joiner from LB) and the breakthrough of Lewis has put that in jeopardy.

By my reckoning that leaves 7 other players unsure if they will start the match. Personally I'd like to shoehorn Alvarez into team as goals win games, that said Mahrez has been class of late.

Personally I would like us to have a more fixed back 4 and front 3 in the league but I can't see that happening.

Now out of interest i'll go look at my initial post. I'm guessing I had those 4 in the team and most likely no Mahrez or Grealish
 
Ederson

Walker Dias Laporte Ake

Foden Rodri Bernardo

Mahrez Haaland Grealish


That would be what I would like to see tried. Was tempted to put KDB in Foden's place and then Foden in for Mahrez, as I think he is more effective from the right than the left. In the end I went for more energy in CM.

We then have Alvarez, KDB, Gundogan, Akanji, Lewis and Cancelo to come in as and when needed.
 
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Psychedelic Casual said:
We don’t have a best Xi.

We have a squad and depending on who is in or out of form or who we’re playing (deep lying defences or open end to end games) mean that our best XI would look different from one game to another.

You look at the current form of Bernardo and Foden and you’d not have them in our current strongest XI, but at their best they’d be straight on the team sheet.

de Bruyne didn’t play consistently well from August to January last season and only came into any sort of form from Chelsea at home onwards, after which he was arguably in the form of his life. And he hasn’t played consistently well from August to now either but all it takes is him to find his form and he’s the best player in the league. We could leave him out of our current strongest XI but in a month’s time it could be a case that he’s the first name on everyone’s team sheet.
Click to expand...

I disagree.

We play Real Madrid in the CL Final and we have a best 11.
 
It's hard to say really because most of our squad are of a similar quality. A lot depends on the opposition and what kind of game we're expecting. The only thing I can say for certain is that Rodri is definitely in our best XI and Gomez, Phillips and Palmer definitely aren't.
 
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