We have 2 games before the season starts, we should be getting as close to our best XI as we can

This is what I want to see tonight......

Aug 06, 2024

Good Afternoon Ladies and Gents,

Tonight we play Real Madrid in our last stateside fixture of this pre-season, it’s been hit and miss from a results and performance perspective but it’s pre-season you cannot take those metrics to seriously.

It’s all about the fitness of the players and coming home injury free (fingers crossed). It is another good opportunity to start edging closer to the starting XI Enzo Maresca wants to name against Manchester City in just 12 days time. I am excited to see the lineup in this game and against Inter Milan on Sunday, a game that I will be in attendance with a few other of our SPTC contributors and gaffer/top dog Mr. Si Phillips!

On to tonight’s game and I would like to see us lineup like this;

I want to see Sanchez displaced as quickly as possible, so starting Jorgensen makes the most sense to me, currently the back 4 pick themselves with Wesley Fofana needing minutes and the other 3 are the obvious starters currently.

Malo Gusto needs to continue inverting into midfield, he is such an excellent manipulator of the ball and incredibly good in tight spaces and being press resistant like Romeo Lavia.

Nkunku is far more dangerous as an advanced 8 or from the left, he is to isolated as a no9 for me. He has a great bond on the pitch with Nicolas Jackson who will eventually replace Guiu. Madueke has been pretty good in pre season but he does continue to frustrate me with his decision making in the final 3rd.

Raheem Sterling is exactly the style of winger Enzo Maresca likes and he has been pretty good so far in pre season. This lineup leaves the likes of Tosin, Badiashile, Vega, Chilwell, Enzo Fernandez, Chukwuemeka, Dewsbury-Hall, Mudryk all with the chance to come from the bench and try to impact the game.

As we stand this (below) would be my lineup vs Inter Milan if everyone is fit and available with this the closest thing to my current lineup for the opening Premier League fixture of the season, there is still scope for change over the next 12 days though.