Would this be the fully fit / on form team we would hope to have on display? Very difficult to say eh? Maybe the simple answer is we dont have a 1st choice11 nowadays.

Esson

Cox Tokely Hogg G.Shinnie

Doran Tansey Hayes Ross

Tade Foran

Subs:Tuffey Tudur-Jones Piermayr Gillett Mckay Davis Chippendale

(some players missing out would include Golobart Meekings Sutherland Morrisson Proctor A.Shinnie)

Edited September 26, 201114 yr by tm4tj

Davis would be in my first choice, he's a class act.

I doubt it would be Hayes in the middle and Doran on the left.

Probably, when fit and on form, Esson, Tokely, Foran and Hayes are first picks. Tansey, Doran, Ross and Tade close to it but probably struggling to fit them all in, with a defensive midfielder. Hogg would probably be in there but with no pre-season and an injury, perhaps not. I think we have options at RB and excellent LBs. Anyway, here goes:

Esson

Piermayr - Tokely - Hogg - Shinnie/Gillet

Tudur-Jones - Ross/Tansey

Hayes - Foran - Tade/Doran

(no-one)

Don't think any of the strikers have covered themselves in glory. Foran and Tade don't look as though they're strikers (any more in Foran's case), so I'd give Sutherland or McKay a go, until maybe just going back to Foran again (still might be our best bet after all that).

Good thread. Was thinking about this earlier so was going to come on and ask peoples opinions.

Without seeing everyone and their full potential, its going to be hard to tell at this stage. Tudor-Jones had a couple of good games, we know how good Cox can be, Doran and Hayes are mach winners when on their game, we havent seen Meekings or McKay yet.....and thats just a few. It really is bad times for the squad on the whole at the moment, which is why it would be premature for people to start the alarm bells ringing. Get 3 or 4 of those back and we are still footing the table, then I will start having doubts, but not before.

A team needs to gel. A team cant gel if the squad changes 3 to 4 times a game. I'll always look back on our last season in the 1st division as eveidence of this.

Esson

Piermayr Hogg Tokely ShinnieG

Tansey Tudur-Jones Davis

Hayes Tade Foran

Do to injuries and not being allowed to play a consistent team I am not even sure that Terry even knows his best starting line up at the moment

I'm with those who say that we just don't know, nor can we be expected to know, what our 1st Choice starting 11 would be.

It's just assumed that certain injured players would come straight back in to the squad, but (leaving aside the Utd game) there's not much individuals who are currently playing have done wrong to justify them being hooked as a matter of course.

We're also in a situation where the current team are starting to get to know each other and you would have to weigh up the risk of upsetting that with the potential of any player returning from injury adding more than might be taken away.

Then there's the fact that it's a dangerous mindset to believe that any one set of eleven players is going to be the best team to put out for every game. Against the stronger opponents we might want to set things up for counter-attacking football, whereas against teams closer to our level might demand a more positive attack minded team/formation. At home where we have plenty of width we might want to set ourselves up to exploit that, and at places such as Celtic Park (who I think still have the narrowest pitch in the league) you may want stronger as opposed to faster wide players.

Esson

Piermayr, Tokely, Hogg, G. Shinnie

Hayes, Tansey, Davis, Doran

Foran, Tade

Subs: Tuffey, Tudur-Jones, Gillet, Ross, Cox, McKay, Sutherland

Whereas I agree with CaleyD, it's just a bit of fun. I'm quite sure Butcher will pay no heed. It's Championship Manager, except that you get over-ruled most weeks.

Esson

Piermayr, Tokely, Hogg, G. Shinnie

Hayes, Tansey, Davis, Doran

Foran, Tade

Subs: Tuffey, Tudur-Jones, Gillet, Ross, Cox, McKay, Sutherland

Dont think I'd be dropping Ross to the bench. I'd have that back four. Cox and Ross in the middle with Hayes and Doran on the wing. Tade as the holding striker and Sutherland running of him. Yes I've dropped Foran. He may be a great motivator and works hard but he is far too unfit just now. IMO Foran needs a long rest to recuperate.

Esson

Piermayr, Tokely, Hogg, G. Shinnie

Hayes, Tansey, Davis, Doran

Foran, Tade

Subs: Tuffey, Tudur-Jones, Gillet, Ross, Cox, McKay, Sutherland

Dont think I'd be dropping Ross to the bench. I'd have that back four. Cox and Ross in the middle with Hayes and Doran on the wing. Tade as the holding striker and Sutherland running of him. Yes I've dropped Foran. He may be a great motivator and works hard but he is far too unfit just now. IMO Foran needs a long rest to recuperate.

Must admit i did find it a very difficult choice between Ross and Doran, if Davis leaves in January then it would be Ross i would put in the middle. I can only imagine the headache Terry will have when more players regain fitness.

Esson

Piermayr, Tokely, Hogg, Gillet

Tansey, Tudur-Jones

Hayes Doran

Foran, Tade

cant wait for st mirren !!!!!!!!!!

esson

piermayr tokely hogg g.Shinnie

ross cox

hayes tansey Doran

Tade

subs: tuffey, sutherland, gillet, golabart, tudour-jones, davis, foran

i haven't seen a couple of these guys play yet, jones and davis, so can't justify putting them in the starting line up ahead of ross or cox.

I don't think we have room for two all action strikers who can't finish and tade is more all action and fitter than foran. on the flip side foran playing back at his left midfield role of last season could be good.

g.shinnie has been more consistent at the back and contributed more going forward than gillet.

would still like to see sutherland played more as a forward but it seems never to happen no matter what injuries we have.

Dont really know what Butchers first choice team would be if all were fit but mine would be

Esson

Piermayr, Tokely, Hogg, G. Shinnie

Hayes, Foran, Cox, Ross

Tade, Sutherland

It startles me that every line-up so far includes Foran and Tade.

It startles me that every line-up so far includes Foran and Tade.

It startles me that no one has included Andrew Shinnie in their starting XI!

It startles me that every line-up so far includes Foran and Tade.

It startles me that no one has included Andrew Shinnie in their starting XI!

Personally I just haven't seen enough of him yet.

yet neither of you has suggested your line-up. Easy to criticise. Would you have put A.Shinnie in 3 weeks ago? I very much doubt it. No Foran and no Tade? So, presumably Mackay up front? Our strongest line-up is then a player that's never started an SPL match, much less scored a goal. Let's see your choices before criticising others.

From my perspective you simply cant pick any of the short term loan signings and you have to look to the future. I would be looking to get a couple of central defenders in during the next window. Unfortunately - ever since pre season NOBODY appears to have known what the first X1 should be:

Esson

Piermayr Tokely Hogg G.Shinnie

Doran Morrison Cox Hayes

Shinnie Sutherland

-----------------Esson

Piermayr Tokely Proctor G.Shinnie

----Hayes Cox Ross A.Shinnie

-----------------Foran

-----------------Tad?

I've avoided the loanees too. Davis and Chippendale look very good though from what I've seen of them.

tried to pick one just couldnt all i know is that when we have all our players back butchers gonna have a major selection headache