Squad Depth for the New Coach

[Gian-Luca]

This is a re-post from another board about Canada's likely starting 11, though it might be useful to post it here, especially with the discussion of what our new coach (assuming it will still be Mitchell) will have to work with. Would be interested in hearing other people's thoughts on this:

I'm going to go with a 4-5-1 line-up (rather than a 4-4-2) in the same vein that Hart has been using for the past year, since it is also the style that Mitchell has been employing at the U20 level. I expect he will keep the formation & play a more possession style, I just hope that he doesn't try to restrict the likes of De Guzman from running around the field to wherever he pleases.

---------Hirshfeld-------------

Nsaliwa-McKenna-Hastings-Klukowski

--------Stalteri---------------

----De Guzman----Hutchinson

Radzinski---------De Rosario

-----------Friend

What I'm basically doing is moving Stalteri as the holding d-mid/long range distributor role that Hart had put Martin Nash in (he's not bad in the latter, but can't make a defensive tackle to save his life & often is out of position). Alternate for this position would be, in order, 1.Brennan, 2.Pozniak, 3.Serioux* 4.Imhof/Grande (would have put Daniel and Sandro over Chris previously, but Imhof is currently without a club & I'm not sure where Grande is. I want to see how Serioux recovers from his injury before moving him up). This is probably our deepest position, particularly as I've just moved the incumbent out of there and replaced him with 5 preferred choices.

Alternatively we could go with Brennan in that role and keep Stalteri at right back, but I'd like to see more of Nsaliwa at that position (where he played against Hungary). Also Nik Ledgerwood is starting to crack the first team at 1860 Munich at that position, so he needs to get a look pronto (& Mitchell was a huge fan of his when he was on the U20 team). Pozniak can also play this position.

Yes, that's right I've got Hastings in my starting 11! That would have been un-thinkable a year ago, but I'm rewarding him for a stellar Gold Cup (mix-up with Sutton against Guadeloupe notwithstanding), he was actually quite effective at a CB, tough enough to play there & mobile enough as well, and he even made Landon Donovan his bitch, which always gets top marks from me. Ability to mark his man was never a problem. Far more suited at CB than at left-mid when he used to cause me to curse at the tv screen. Pozniak & Brennan can also play here, and we have Hainault & Edgar waiting in the wings. I think the likes of Reda & Gervais are way down the totem pole now, unless Marco can somehow turn his game around for TFC. I also think Braz is much more suited for a CB than a RB, but I appear to be alone in my thinking there. Maybe someday I'll be proven right.

At left back, we've got Brennan & Jazic that can also play there.

I leave Radzinski at right-mid but we'll see how long his game at a high level can last. Bernier waiting in the wings, and Peters can be a major speed threat here (and likely won't have opposition players double-teaming him & man-marking him so closely if he's coming off the bench late and the team has to worry about the rest of our midfield, unlike with the U20's where they didn't).

At left mid, we have Josh Simpson & Issey as replacements, both could be used on the right flank as well (as could DeRo).

Where we have a problem of depth is that we don't really have players who can replace Atiba & Julian just yet. I think we simply move some of the other midfielders mentioned into the middle if they can't play.

Up front, Gerba & Hume would be the next choices after Friend. I keep Rob up there for now, but eventually he's got to start scoring a bit more. He's better at holding the play up than Ali, but Ali right now has got 5 times as many goals in a similar number of caps. Occean is also having a good year in Scandinavia so we may wish to give him another look at some point. Ali also needs to find a club that will play him again after his loan spell in Denmark ended.

Keeper right now has to be Lars, but the depth here worries me. We need Sutton to get back on healthy form & we need a few youngsters (Begovic, Wagenaar & Giacomi) to step up and prove themselves. If they don't & Lars doesn't accept call-ups, we might have to go with Pat again until they do. I don't know that Kenny is a number one at this level.

In terms of the other guys from the last two U20 teams, I think the striker position is well in hand right now so Lombardo will have to wait awhile, which is okay, he should continue to develop nicely at TFC. Not sure what to do about Johnson, I was somewhat disappointed in his play this tourney outside of his set pieces - he seemed to be more successful running at players & beating them in 2005. Also keen to see how Ryan Gyaki does at Hansa Rostock. A lot of the other players on the U20 team that are young enough to play on the next U20 team, so I think they are aways away.

[The Beaver]

Good line-up, though I think Brennan would start over Kluka. We'll see if a healthy Kluka has a much better year this year, but it is hard to pass up on Jimmy's speed and experience. I appreciate the nod to Hastings--and he should be with the team, for sure--but I doubt he'll be a starter.

On the right flank, I suspect Peters will displace Bernier as the #2 option. Bernier doesn't seem to have the creative flair and pace we need out wide. Mind you he is more reliable in a defensive role, which Peters will need to learn.

Love the idea that Ledgerwood might start getting games withe MNT, and maybe one or two other young guys who are developing nicely with their clubs. Seems a sin not to have Hume out there, but perhaps he's better coming on as a sub. If needed, he could play on the right flank, too.

[Grizzly]

---------Hirshfeld-------------

Stalteri-McKenna-Klukowski-Jazic

--------Nsaliwa---------------

----De Guzman----Hutchinson

Radzinski---------De Rosario

-----------Friend

Hastings was better than we thought he could be but if anyone needs to be rewarded for Gold Cup play it would be Jazic. Hastings still looks like a decent backup not a first choice. Nsaliwa is a more accurate distributer than Stalteri so I have switched them. Plus this is closer to where they are currently playing with their clubs. Left McKenna in CB but his is still the position I would most like to upgrade.

[jpg75]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

---------Hirshfeld-------------

Stalteri-McKenna-Klukowski-Jazic

--------Nsaliwa---------------

----De Guzman----Hutchinson

Radzinski---------De Rosario

-----------Friend

Hastings was better than we thought he could be but if anyone needs to be rewarded for Gold Cup play it would be Jazic. Hastings still looks like a decent backup not a first choice. Nsaliwa is a more accurate distributer than Stalteri so I have switched them. Plus this is closer to where they are currently playing with their clubs. Left McKenna in CB but his is still the position I would most like to upgrade.

Now that's a lineup. I could see De Jong playing LB over Jazic, but he has to choose us first. Occean could also push Friend. Then you have Peters or Issey off the bench at RM and Simpson off the bench at LM. Klukowski would give an element of skill we rarely see at CB and he's a capable defender too.

[striker]

Since De Rosario tends to drfit into to the middle of the park quite a bit, would Brennan be better suited for the spot infront on the back four since he's a naturally left-sided player? It might be easier for him to come over and help on the left flank, than say, Nsaliwa or Stalteri. Or should it be the LB's responsibility to do this? Or one of the CMs?

Just a thought. I like all the lineups posted. Hopefully Hirschfeld and Nsaliwa agree to join the team. De Jong would be a nice present as well.

[youllneverwalkalone]

I like Grizzly's line-up, but I think Radz is done. He had some decent matches on the wing for Fulham, but he's 34 and will be 35 before we play a meaningful qualifying match. I would be tempted to replace him with Brennan or Bernier to have another defensive minded player who can take corners and free kicks. If there's one player CONCACAF opponents will key on it's DeRo, and it would be nice to have a versatile wing partner who can switch sides without falling off his game. Brennan or Bernier could also switch positions with Tam, who looked really good going forward against Hungary.

[Guest Jeffery S.]

At striker you have to play the player who scores the most at the highest level. That is Hume, then Occean. Friend is not scoring at high enough rate, did not for us, and has yet to prove he is better than either.

I say play Hume alongside someone bigger, with more goal, and sacrifice one wing. Let one of four mids be strong moving up his side, like De Rosario, better on the left. Julian can shift slightly right and help there if needed in attack. To hold I think Serioux is the man when healthy, I think he has the pace defensively at least, and if you have the rest of the mids good with the ball he does not have to create.

Back line, well now I wonder about McKenna. Has he learnt to pass a bit, can he fit into our new standard where possession at the back is important and we build methodically? Because if he is not up to it I don't just want him for defending. Will have to see how he fits into the mix. About Hastings: isn't so weird to think you can't give a good reason for him not to be there, apart from the name of his club? Hasn't anyone else in Scotland seen what we have at the Gold Cup? If Klukowski gets playing time and if Hainault has success with his team two other options in the middle.

As for Nsaliwa, let's see how he takes his game up in Greece, where they are signing very well in the Athens clubs and I think they'll do well in Europe this season.

I prefer Stalteri in his habitual position, as he is confident there and really gives us solidity in one spot. For now Jazic on the other side, but that could move around. Onstad looks like our best keeper, until Lars shows he is willing to travel for Canada and miss out on club games if necessary I say forget him. Sutton deserves another chance. Begovic is not too far away. We will need some support here soon as Pat cannot play for too much longer- or can he?

So for now, next friendly, how about:

------Onstad---------

Stalteri-McKenna-Hastings-Jazic

-------Serioux---------

Atiba-----Julian-----De Rosario

----Hume----Occean

Of these there are just four I would always have on the field, now and into the WC qualifiers: Stalteri, Hutchinson, De Guzman, De Rosario. Starting spots for all the other positions are still to be won.

[Grizzly]

quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S.

At striker you have to play the player who scores the most at the highest level. That is Hume, then Occean. Friend is not scoring at high enough rate, did not for us, and has yet to prove he is better than either.

Friend's goal scoring totals in Holland were pretty decent especially considering he often came in as a sub and was loaned out to one of the worst teams in the league half way through the season. I agree more with GL's reasoning though because it doesn't matter how much he scores for another team, what matters is how much he scores for us. I think he will start scoring for us soon but if he doesn't Gerba is probably next in line. Radz has his spot as long as he is playing well which he has in his recent outings for us. If he transfers to a poor league and declines then we have to find an alternative. Incidentally, DeRo is also getting the Gold Cup reward from me. He finally started to play for the national team the way he played for his club. Based on his play before the Gold Cup he would not be a starter but if he keeps up his Gold Cup level he has a lock on the spot. I only hope Bernier will become a bit more consistent playing in Germany. Every third or fourth match he seems to show why he is so highly touted but then disappears for several matches.

[The Beaver]

I actually don't mind Onstad as our starter, especially with Lars seemingly reluctant to committ. I think our players felt really comfortable with Pat in net, and his leadership was part of the key to our success. If Begovic continues to develop quickly with his club, I agree that he could be our man before long.

[Guest Jeffery S.]

The numbers favour Occean over either Friend or Gerba. I don't want to slag either, as both did some important things for us at the GC, but we really need to see them step up. If Friend can get over 10 this year that will be acceptable I'd say, but even better would be promotion. Gerba is still searching for a team, and if in Scandinavia will not be as available for friendlies, even on FIFA dates, as he'll need to settle in.

Occean is on track to be leading scorer in Norway this year, should net over 15, and will transfer up for sure. Deservedly.

[Toronto MB]

Good basis GL - I have to input a couple of my differing thoughts. Now I know some of these players may not be in the immediate picture but I think Dale/Stephen/CSA need to show them they are serious about this WCQ and get them on-board and committed. I think it is realistically possible to have all of these players commit to the campaign. Here is my starting 11 + 7 subs for WCQ. And I have to admit, I get gitty (yes, like a 13 yr old girl) thinking about this team

----------Hirshfeld----------

Stalteri-McKenna-DeVos-Brennan

----------Hutchinson-----------

Radzinkski------------De Rosario

-----------De Guzman------------

--------Hume--------------------

----------------Friend---------

Subs

GK: Pat Onstad

D: Richard Hastings, Hainault

D/M: Tam Nsaliwa

M: Josh Simpson

S: Ali Gerba, Oliver Occean

Notes:

GK: I respect Onstad's commitment/leadership and want him in the sqaud but he has been less than world-class and even "weak" in recent years for Canada. Lars has shown flashes of brilliance and is undoubtedly the most talented keeper. I just hope we can sort out his reliability/club conflicts.

D: Stalteri and Brennan are obvious to me. McKenna is so dangerous in the air on set-pieces, something that we lacked at the GC and always plays with heart. De Vos is a rock and beast in the air. Recent interviews suggest there is some serious interest in returing for WCQ. Hainault and Hastings both had good GC showings and deserve to be in the squad over Kluka, Pozniak, etc...

M: Obviously a very offensively-minded starting four. All of them have superior class to what we are used to with the nats. I think Simpson has loads of potential which is why I have included him as a sub. Tam has great speed and deserves to show his skills. Hume would also be capable of playing wide right.

S: HOW IS EVERYBODY OVERLOOKING IAIN HUME?? I have simply seen to much magic from this kid in big games GC vs USA, U20's in UAE, FA Cup runs, etc... With Friend as his taget-man-partner and some service from our great midfield he will surely be our best finisher. Both Gerba and Occean have impressed with both strength and finishing quality.

What do you think? I am a dreamer?

(By the way I lost my old password/username, I'm Max, some of you will remember me from Boston, Kingston and Toronto nats games)

[CanadianSoccerFan]

Agreeing with the last poster, I think DeVos may make himself available for selection once again come WCQ. He's shown a lot of frustration towards the CSA but behind all that he's fiercely patriotic and I'm sure in a crunch he wouldn't hesitate to step in like Onstad did at the gold cup.

[Gian-Luca]

The interesting thing about Hume is that he seems to do better against the European teams & the US than he does against Carribbean & Central American teams. A lot of his goals at the U20 level came against the US (two in qualifying) and in the U20 World Cup Australia, the Czechs & Spain. For the senior team he has two goals, against Luxembourg & the US. I can't think off hand of any goals that he has scored against any Carribbean or Central American teams.

With the strikers we have available, it might be a case of picking which strikers seem to do better against which type of opponent we are playing.

[Grizzly]

If DeVos is available and is still playing with a similar form of 4 years ago he definitely takes over McKenna's spot at CB.

[youllneverwalkalone]

How about McKenna replacing Friend? It's been a long time since the defeat in Germany which, iirc, was the last time McKenna was upfront for the MNT? Could he be a decent target foward and hold the ball up, or is he more of a poacher? It's hard to argue with his strike rate for Canada regardless.

[Grizzly]

quote:Originally posted by youllneverwalkalone

How about McKenna replacing Friend? It's been a long time since the defeat in Germany which, iirc, was the last time McKenna was upfront for the MNT? Could he be a decent target foward and hold the ball up, or is he more of a poacher? It's hard to argue with his strike rate for Canada regardless.

I think Friend offers a lot more than McKenna or Occean does in his general play but he does have to start scoring. Friend really holds the ball up well, makes his presence felt and opens up space for the other offensive players. For whatever, defficiencies McKenna has, he does have the goalscoring touch. Thus, if McKenna is not our starting CB, Friend will definitely have to start scoring if he wants to keep his place over McKenna and Occean. One problem with McKenna as a striker is that he doesn't really like being a striker. One advantage of having him as CB is that he can move up for set plays although DeVos is pretty good in that regard as well.

[An Observer]

McKenna is needed at the back and he doesn't really offer anything that Friend, Gerba or Occean can offer so why waste him up front. It would leave a huge hole at the back. Other than McKenna, we don't have a proven center back playing at a high level. That is one of our major problems. Over the next year, we need Hainault or Edgar to step up, Nsaliwa to play that position regularly in Athens, Serioux to recover from injury and play there at Dallas, or Reda to regain form for TFC, or De Vos to come out of retirement. I am not holding my breath on any of these options. Personally, I hope Nsaliwa plays there in Athens and comes back into the fold. He has some speed which McKenna lacks, and maybe he could be a good partner. Otherwise, we may have to look at playing someone out of position there like Kluklowski or Hastings. My personal belief is Olivier Lacoste-Lebuis will start here for us as a 20 year old if we make the 2010 finals in South Africa. He's 6'5", is fast, and is good with the ball at his feet. He is also in a highly regarded program at Strasbourg.

A central midfield of De Guzman, Hutchinson, and Bernier would be good, especially against top teams as they would be difficult to break down and more so away from home. Otherwise, Nash or Grande playing the role of distributer in front of the back 4 is not a bad option. Both can pass and play the long ball over the defense or down the wings.

I also think Simpson has a shot at taking on the left wing position if he develops at Kaiserslautern. He has great pace and can stretch defenses. You can always move De Ro in side with Hutch and De Guzman and have Simpson on the wing.

The good thing is that we have more options than we ever have had; and we should be very competitive for one of the 3 spots based on our performance at the Gold Cup.

[gkhs]

---------------Hirchfield

-----------KM/JdV—-----Serioux

Stalteri --------------------- Brennan

----------------Bernier

--------de Guz---------Hutch

Radz---------------------------de Ro

-----------------Friend

I can’t imagine going away from the 4-5-1 after the success we had with it in the GC.

At keeper I would be totally comfortable with any combination of Lars, Sutton and Onstad…though I would assume Lars would only show up if he were the unquestioned starter. Having Wagenaar, Stamatopoulos or Begovic on the subs bench, instead of Sutton or Onstad, raises my anxiety level a little. But that’s a little irrational, I guess.

I would love to see McKenna or de Vos (especially de Vos), back in the middle, but I can’t see having both, as some have suggested. One big, one fast seems sensible to me. I really believe in Serioux, he is a dead solid player at the MLS level, and in close proximity for any training sessions or friendlies. I strongly prefer him to one of the youngsters.

JB is an absolute must. His skill on set pieces easily surpasses anyone we had at the GC.

In the ‘Nash’ role, I guess there isn’t a perfect fit in my first choice side…but I think we have to remember that JDG, Bernier and Hutch all frequently play in front of the back four…I would be tempted to have JDG in a kind of ‘quarterback’ role in DM, but that would waste his pace.

I love seeing Radz in the lineup…but I do hate the idea that including him likely means losing one of Hume, Issey or Peters. It might be time to let him go.

Johnson has absolutely plummeted in my mind; after the U-20s he is at least three notches further down the depth chart as far as I’m concerned.

Subs

Gerba

Peters

Klukowski

Nsaliwa

Hume

Jazic

(+ Nakajima-Ferran, if Radz is out)

Depth Players

Edgar

Hainault

Hastings

Imhof

Ocean

Legerwood

Simpson

Grande

In Case of Injury/Refusal

Johnson

Harmse

In Case of Emergency

Pozniak

Braz

Reda

Gervais

Nash

[Ivan]

Hirschfeld

Stalteri - McKenna - (Brennan or Nsaliwa) - Klukowski

(Brennan or Nsaliwa)

DeGuzman Hutchinson

Radzinski (until Hume beats him out) DeRosario

Friend

My biggest worry is who replaces DeGuzman or Hutchinson as well. We have cover at all other positions. I would suggest Bernier or Nsaliwa should the unthinkable happen and JDG or Hutch are hurt or lose form.

[jpg75]

quote:Originally posted by youllneverwalkalone

I like Grizzly's line-up, but I think Radz is done. He had some decent matches on the wing for Fulham, but he's 34 and will be 35 before we play a meaningful qualifying match.

Radz turns 34 in December, so he won't be 35 yet when we start the Semi-final round of WCQ next Fall.

[BearcatSA]

I like the G-L's title for this thread: Squad Depth. When I think depth I also think of competition for spots, which is very important in all team sports. I believe it is a healthy component that keeps players motivated and sharp knowing that younger, hungrier players are wanting your spot in the MNT starting XI. That said, I agree that we have a core of key players in midfield and defence that provide us with continuity, but I am not adverse to dropping someone if they are not "in form," regardless of who they are.

A couple of things I would add about the line up choices: first, I am still an advocate of selecting players for the same positions which they play on a regular basis at club level, regardless of the tactics their clubs play. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule but I think you get the most out of a player and reduce his margin for errors if he is in position he is used to playing day in day out at club level.

Second, with regards to the holding/distributor role in front of the back four: I would be happy with a player there who is disciplined defensively (especially positionally), athletic in the tackle (Nash's big negative), and who can quickly move the ball to different players, particularly to switch the field to the open man and relieve defensive pressure. As much as I like the long range passing dimension guys like Grande and Nash provided in the past, I now feel that I would prefer the above mentioned qualities as more important. If he happens to be a good longer range distributor, that's a bonus: all he has to do for us is to not get caught in possession when under pressure by moving the ball quickly and accurately within one or two touches. If Nsaliwa is playing the holding role for AEK then he is my clear first choice for us.

[Guest speedmonk42]

I think my state of mind is truly revealed....

As the front page came up and I quickly scanned it and read.....

Death Squad for the new Coach

Instead of...

Squad Depth for the New Coach

[BrennanFan]

2 squads should be called for the next 2 games (31 players in all):

Iceland:

Occean (Gerba)

Simpson Hutch deGuz Radz (Farran-Nakajima Gyaki)

Nsaliwa (Imhof)

Klukowski Hastings McKenna Stalteri (Hainault Ledgerwood)

Hirschfeld (Wagenaar)

Costa Rica:

Hume (Friend)

deRo Hutch deGuz Farran-Nakajima (Pozniak)

Bernier (Serioux Harmse)

Jazic Brennan Nsaliwa Braz (Reda Stewart)

Sutton (Wagenaar)

Best performances get called for following game. If people do not show up, forget them. Notice the lack of chokers/U20's. They will have to prove their worth through next season.

[Soju]

Attackwise DeRo running the left Radz running the right with Atiba and DeGuz in the middle is almost guaranteed to create scoring chances. Deciding on a CF and getting consistent performances out of him I think's the real challenge, the other four players should be no-brainers to start.

[BrennanFan]

quote:Originally posted by Soju

Attackwise DeRo running the left Radz running the right with Atiba and DeGuz in the middle is almost guaranteed to create scoring chances.

if simpson, peters, nakajima have solid seasons in europe this year, there is no question that they should take over on the wings. there is no reason we should be playing 30 year olds when we have these young studs in the prime of their careers who only need a chance to prove they can surpass their predecessors. the future is now.