Our strongest 11 now we know our squad.

[Mickyblueeyes]

Not sure yet but in terms of key players, we need to get the best out of:

 

Fatawu

Mavididi

Ricardo

james 

and…

 

Winks - big job on for Marti to reintegrate and get him playing. He’s a star man at this level and if we can get him hungry and committed again, the midfield that looked quite weak a few days ago, looks pretty decent. 
 

Guys like Monga and Page as they develop will only strengthen us.

 

We’ve done more than alright without Bilal (2 wins) but he is a very good player (especially at this level) with the X factor. Interesting to see how Ramsey does and we still have match winners in Fatawu (the ultimate X factor at this level), Mavididi (in form) and Monga. If Ramsey can find form and consistency, we’ll be pretty dangerous. 
 

Striker is my only concern and the one position I think Saints are stronger - who I see as our number 1 competitor.

 

[Jacnah]

20 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Yeah I think fans probably need to get used to the fact there's a lot more Faes to come. He's probably still out best centre back if people can put their personal feelings aside. I acknowledge that says more about our squad building than his ability. 

 

I think he'll get his starting place back alongside Vestergaard now the window is closed. 

 

Tbh, I hope Winks does too and I know that'll be unpopular as well. With JJ giving us a bit of strength in the middle I hope we can drop Bouba and properly get Winks back on board. Again, however unpopular he is, he's just better than the alternatives. 

 

Agreed. Whats most important is current and future collective capability not individual personalities and historical antics. That means we have have to be uber pragmatic when dealing with one or two for sure. Always a possibility that Faes still moves on as the window in Turkey remains open(?)

 

Edited 2 September 2025 by Jacnah

[funkyrobot]

Stolly

 

Thomas

Vesty

Faes

Riccy

 

James

Winks

 

Mavs

Rambo

Abdul

 

JC

[scinnell]

                     Storlarcyk 

Ricardo Faes Vesterguard Thomas 

                 Winks Soumare 

           Fatawu James Mavididi 

                          Ayew 

 

I know little about Ramsey and Carranza at this stage, so reserve judgement. I'd love to build a team around Nelson, but quite simply, Faes and Vesterguard are our best CB's at this level. Monga is a better impact sub at this moment in time, but I'm sure replaces Mavididi as the season progresses and he gets more experience. 

Edited 2 September 2025 by scinnell

[richardsfoxes]

Not 100% this is our strongest lineup but its the lineup i would like to see against Oxford.

 

Love Mavvy but Monga should be starting, everytime he plays he looks far more dangerous.

 

The lineup I would like to see against Oxford would be something like this, all depending on whether Winks is going to get his head down and want to play, if not Ramsay can play where i've put James and James can play where Winks is. 

 

                                                Jakub

Ricky                 Okoli                          Faes                Thomas

 

                               Winks                   Soumare

                                           

                                              James   

                  

Fatawu                               Carranza                     Monga

 

Obviously we've only seen clips of Carranza, I dont think we can judge him based on just the clips, clearly our recruitment have seen something whether thats his workrate to help with the pressing traps Marti tries to create as ayew cannot do that. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

I'm not sure exactly what it'll look like but I'm pretty sure we can put out a very good XI with everyone fit and motivated. Despite the outgoings we still have depth a lot of teams in this league can only dream of really. 

[LVFox]

Ideally.

 

               Stolarczyk 

Ricardo Okoli Nelson Thomas

              James Winks

Fatawu.     Ramsey.    Mavididi

                  Carranza

 

however, completely understand that some experience is needed alongside Okoli at this point.

 

Winks depends wholly on his attitude and application which dramatically needs to improve.

 

Monga is still best placed off the bench for 20-30 minutes and there are obviously roles for Hamza, Ayew. I was even impressed with Daka off the bench on Friday.

 

Its a much healthier squad now, when all fully fit, will be interesting to see who doesn’t make match day squads

 

[pmcla26]

Ramsey is the only one who’s completed 90 minutes out of the new signings this season. 
 

If any of them start then I think it’s likely to just be him as a straight swap for Page. I’m not sure the other two are going to be up to speed to go straight in. 

Edited 2 September 2025 by pmcla26

[lanefox]

Any team without Ayew in is unrealistic unfortunately he's played every minute of every game in the league

[shen]

I don't like Soumaré much either, but hasn't he been much better than Skipp this season? If Winks doesn't pick up the slack, then I Imagine it's JJ next to Bouba in the middle.

[EnderbyFox]

 

Monga has been class as a super sub so far so i'd probably go with this. 

[Scotch]

I think a lot will depend on Winks and Faes and whether or not their attitude changes now the window has closed. There is no doubt that they are two of our better players in those respective positions but it will all depend on how they apply themselves. 

 

One is out of contract next year and will need to play for a decent move and the other has a WC squad to try and get into. 

[Finnegan]

41 minutes ago, Jacnah said:

Agreed. Whats most important is current and future collective capability not individual personalities and historical antics. That means we have have to be uber pragmatic when dealing with one or two for sure. Always a possibility that Faes still moves on as the window in Turkey remains open(?)

 

 

I don't think we'll let Faes or Daka go until January, to be honest. 

 

I think that's it now.

 

Doesn't look like Cifuentes entirely trusts Nelson yet and Souttar is still a way off. At the other end, Carranza hasn't kicked a ball yet and would be the only recognised striker on the books if Daka goes. 

 

[ithuriel]

I doubt even the manager knows, players are going to either buckle down and get on with things or vanish, the new guys are going to be trying to fit in, youngsters still here know they are going to have to step up too because no ones future at this club is guaranteed.

[Xen]

If the new signings live up to potential, then:

 

Stolarcyzk

Ricardo - Nelson - Vestergaard - Thomas

Soumaré - James

Fatawu - Ramsey - Mavididi

Carranza

 

I've said it in previous seasons and been woefully wrong, but hopefully a dynamic midfielder like JJ will help Soumare to step up a bit.

Monga is technically incredible but I still feel he needs to be phased in a bit as an impact player until he's a bit more developed. Not doubting his potential for a second, but he's still a kid at the end of the day.

 

Not sure on the second centreback alongside Vesty. Nelson potentially but he had a shocker last time I saw him (so did Okoli to be fair), and I'm still not convinced that Faes will be here when all the other windows close. 

 

Backup options for each position from the above XI would be:

Begovic

Choudhury - Faes - Okoli - VK/Aluko

Winks - Skipp

BDCR - Ayew/Page - Monga

Daka/Evans

That second XI should be capable of top-half championship at the very least. So as long as we don't have an injury crisis in one particular position, I think we're well covered on the whole.

[FoxinNotts]

When all fit and available, 4-3-3

 

Stolarczyk

 

Ricardo(c)

Okoli.

Souttar.

Kristiansen.

 

Choudhury.

Winks.

James.

 

Fatawu

Carranza

Mavididi

weaknesses here are obviously creativity from midfield, and 'quarterback' passes from centre of defence.

 

My tactic would be get the ball wide asap and have James arrive late in the box. Heavily reliant on Carranza's work rate, and Ricardo stepping in with Choudhury to sweep up in defensive midfield 

 

Left back continues to be a concern. Not much between Thomas and Kristiansen, but  both should be absolutely fine at this level tbh

 

[Lionator]

Lunatics who can’t get over themselves are not putting Soumare in the strongest team. Which is insane given he’s been our best player in the last two games, running a midfield by himself.

Edited 2 September 2025 by Lionator

[MancFox24]

If Faes doesn't go, he has to start. Still comfortably our best ball playing defender and that will be needed in most games where we'll dominate possession. Same goes for Winks in the midfield. Daka would be useful against high pressing teams like Birmingham, even though he can't hit a barn door. Not having the Soumare renaissance, even if it looks like he's having a good game, if you watch him closely he's positionally terrible and a liability defensively 

[BeaumontFox]

1 hour ago, TonyN11 said:

Too early to say.

Cifuentes won't yet know either 

I bet you’d be a nightmare to watch pick lotto numbers

[PaulW]

7 hours ago, MaidstoneFox said:

Still too many players. You've got BDCR, Souttar, Marcal, Golding, S.Thomas, Aluko, Evans, Cover, all kicking their heels and not in that 22.

Ao you would havw been happy with no signings then, and a few more out of the door as well?

[Gloria]

I realise this is against the spirit of the exercise, but the game really isn't about the strongest 11 anymore, is it? The three incoming are all punts to differing degrees, but it freshens up the squad, creates competition and strengthens the bench. And as we know at championship level across 50+ games - it's a marathon not a sprint...

[Tommy G]

3 hours ago, Sly said:

Technically, the transfer window still isn’t shut worldwide.

 

Netherlands - Today at 23:00

Belgium - 8th September

Switzerland - 8th September

Greece - 12th September
Turkey - 12th September

Serbia - 17th September

Saudi Arabia - 23rd September

 

I could maybe see Daka, Faes, Kristiansen or even Winks going out yet to Turkey, Greece or Saudi. 

 

 

Winks isn't going to any of those places, he wet the bed remember when asked to stay one night a week at Seagrave. 

 

He needs to go home to his mummy and suck his thumb, not Galatasaray. 

[Tommy G]

We've got a good blend of youth and experience - with some loan players ready to prove a point ready for next summers window. Yes, we still have a few players that we could of shifted, but we've made strides in getting rid of quite a lot of deadwood and shifted the best part of £20m+ off the wage bill. 

 

Main concern is still a 20 goal a season striker - lets hope the new lad can chip in - the prospect of Daka and Ayew for the whole season makes me feel poorly. 

 

We still have a few players on decent wages we need to shift, but you can say that about every club in the pyramid, we just had more than most prior to this window. 

 

Overall we should be able to cobble together a good XI week in week out to get us fighting in and around the top 6. 

[jayfox26]

46 minutes ago, EnderbyFox said:

 

Monga has been class as a super sub so far so i'd probably go with this. 

Exactly the team I went with. 

[pmcla26]

34 minutes ago, Xen said:

Not sure on the second centreback alongside Vesty. Nelson potentially but he had a shocker last time I saw him (so did Okoli to be fair), and I'm still not convinced that Faes will be here when all the other windows close. 

I've been impressed with Okoli so far this season - I think him and Vestergaard is our partnership for the foreseeable this season.