Couldnt find a thread about this anywhere else

Would expect our team to line up something like this:

ESSON

RAVEN---WARREN---KING---G. SHINNIE

---DRAPER---FORAN---

DORAN------A.SHINNIE------ROSS

MCKAY

I have just heard that David Templeton has accepted a 2 match ban for kicking James McPake at the weekend so he will be out of the Hearts team for this fixture, great news for us as he is a very dangerous player on his day

I'd go with that team but no doubt Shane will be prefered over Nick

Esson

Raven, Warren, King, G Shinnie

Draper, Foran

Ross, A Shinnie, Doran

McKay

Subs: Matheson, Meekings, Morrison, Pepper, Sutherland, Oswell, Polworth

I'd start with that too, although Meekings has to be in contention soon for right-back.

esson

raven--warren--king--shinnie

ross--draper--foran--doran

shinnie--mckay

dont see any need for change, bring in captain fantastic for jones and we are sorted i reckon. jones will be sorely missed i feel though, he can find space like no other centre midfeilder ive seen at tcs and he makes it look so easy.

ross in for sutherland, hes earned his spot, the competition between them will do them both good too. cant have complacency in the team

can almost play a 4-1-5 when attacking, with the wingers pushing up and either draper and foran supporting. that doesnt take into account shinnie and raven pushing up aswell, this team can gel into being an attacking force imo

Edited August 14, 201213 yr by lukemackay

Looks like most peeple are going with the same. I note that all of you prefer Raven in front of Meekings. My only change would be Meekings for Raven. Am I missing summat ? Can I ask the rationale behind that preference ?

For the first time in a long time selections of the fans are comparative to how the team turns out. The "trick" will be, as Luke alludes to, the ability to interchange and change the system. We have players like Draper and Foran who can hold and allow the likes of Raven and Shinnie to attack as well as defend. Ross and Doran can interchange. Shinnie can move about in the "hole" and I feel that McKay could go wide to allow Ross to move forward. The more "systems" that we can adapt to the better.

Looks like most peeple are going with the same. I note that all of you prefer Raven in front of Meekings. My only change would be Meekings for Raven. Am I missing summat ? Can I ask the rationale behind that preference ?

For the first time in a long time selections of the fans are comparative to how the team turns out. The "trick" will be, as Luke alludes to, the ability to interchange and change the system. We have players like Draper and Foran who can hold and allow the likes of Raven and Shinnie to attack as well as defend. Ross and Doran can interchange. Shinnie can move about in the "hole" and I feel that McKay could go wide to allow Ross to move forward. The more "systems" that we can adapt to the better.

Quite simply the reason for my line up with Raven at RB is because that is what i predict Terry will opt for, not what i would necessarily go for though myself.

IMO Ross should have started in place of Sutherland for the Killie game and Oswell whould have been given at least 30 mins up front to see if there was another way through the Killie defence

With regards to the system changing. We all know Butcher well enough now that he tends to stick to preferred formations and unfortunately adaptability is not something he readily opts for.

We saw it against Killie where we were bossing the game and Shiels changed things tactically and things improved vastly for them. I have rarely seen an ICT team in recent times change tactics mid-way through a game to a positive outcome

I can understand and agree with all of that but if I was picking the team for TB's perspective then I would be including Sutherland. A drift from the dogged peservation in regard to selection and tactics would be very encouraging.

So what would you go or yerself and the same question to others ?

I feel that there must have been a fall out between Meekings and TB. Meekings was played in all the friendlies and appeared to be a cert to start. I have only seen Raven twice but was not convinced on either occasion and I felt that meekings completely stole the show at Midden. Meekings appears to have more pace, is more attack minded and also has the long throw option. Raven looks unsure and uneasy at rite back. It may well be that he needs more time to adjust and gel in.

And before the happy clappers chip in this is not a knock at Raven - it is an attempt to bring some tactical debate in to this.

An attacking 4-3-3 for me -

Esson

Meekings Warren King G.Shinnie

Draper A.Shinnie Foran

Doran Oswell McKay

Subs - Reguero, Raven, Sutherland, Ross, Morrison, Pepper, Laing

With OTJ out would like to see TB trying a 4-1-4-1 formation of....

Esson

Raven, king, warren, Gshinnie

Draper

Doran, Ashinnie, foran, ross

Mackay

It won't happen ofcourse, I expect to see a team abit like what Ajs has put with shane instead of Nick

I think Raven has higher to go to. I presume Butcher sees more talent in him, once settled. Remember, he persisted with A.Shinnie when most were wanting him dropped. I'd give Raven one or two games, then Meekings comes in. But look at Raven's history. Worth giving him a try.

Isn't coming up with your own selection a lot more interesting than guessing what Butcher will do? I'm not having a go. It just seems a more interesting way of approaching this thread.

Foran will replace OTJ, Nick Ross has to start, he's been lively all pre-season and when he has came on in the league.

Although not convinced by Raven, keep his place till Cooper is fit again, not a fan of Meekings either i'm afraid

Right back looks fairly assured to me, ravens got a good head on him and never seems out of position he put in a fabulous ball for Ross on Saturday aswell so theres potential there, I see meekings as more attacking than raven, but can see him scooting over to centre half over the next couple of seasons.

Add cooper to te equation and we have an experience right back, a good fill in for him in meekings for him, and a promising youngster there, can't say I'm worried for this, left back on the other hand, well there's only shinnie, amazing how things change over a summer last season was the other way around with Piermayr perma crocked and proctor low on confidence. We only really had meekings.

King is supposed to be a left-back too. So, when Hogg is fit, it's a pretty strong defence we have there, with room for movement. Obviously a goal-scorer would be good (I wonder if Oswell might just be that) but not many clubs have that. The only other piece of the jigsaw is a passing midfielder is we move away from 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2.

That's really not a bad squad.

Esson

Raven Warren King ShinnieG

Draper Foran

Doran ShinnieA Ross

McKay

Esson, Raven, G Shinnie, Warren, King, Draper, Foran, Doran, McKay, A Shinnie, Ross. 4-4-1-1 to start, shift to a 4-4-2 with Shinnie much closer to McKay if we are doing well after 50 mins. or so. Changes? Pepper could be a handful for a Hearts defence which has some young boys in it and Oswell could prove an unknown to them if brought on in plenty of time. I'd leave Meekings on the bench; he's young and Raven is a better attacking option. He's also the ideal option if the defence need reinforcing.

There y'are, cards on the table.

I can understand and agree with all of that but if I was picking the team for TB's perspective then I would be including Sutherland. A drift from the dogged peservation in regard to selection and tactics would be very encouraging.

So what would you go or yerself and the same question to others ?

I feel that there must have been a fall out between Meekings and TB. Meekings was played in all the friendlies and appeared to be a cert to start. I have only seen Raven twice but was not convinced on either occasion and I felt that meekings completely stole the show at Midden. Meekings appears to have more pace, is more attack minded and also has the long throw option. Raven looks unsure and uneasy at rite back. It may well be that he needs more time to adjust and gel in.

And before the happy clappers chip in this is not a knock at Raven - it is an attempt to bring some tactical debate in to this.

I think, like the majority of fans on Saturday, Terry was getting frustrated with Sutherland and i think he may be realising that he is stronger up front than he is on the wing. Ross has made an instant impact in each game he has been brought on as a sub so i honestly think Ross may get a start.

If it were my choice then i would love to try something along these lines:

----ESSON----

MEEKINGS----WARREN----KING----FORAN

----DRAPER----

ROSS------------------------------------DORAN

----A. SHINNIE----

----OSWELL----MCKAY

Going for a 4-4-2 Diamond with Draper in the holding midfield role and A.Shinnie in the deep lying forward/trequartista role that he has made his own. Ive opted for Foran at left back because having seem him in pre-season at centre half he has adapted to defensive roles very well. Also, I can remember when we first signed Foran, he was often played out wide left, he didnt have the pace to be a winger but had the tenacity to get stuck in and win tackles. For these reasons I think he offers a better defensive option at left back than Shinnie. If we are playing weaker teams then G Shinnie is great at attacking down the flank but sometimes worry that his defensive game isnt as good as his attacking. McKay has the movement, vision and pace to be a real poacher but he needs a big forward up there with him to win headers and hold up the ball, I think Oswell could do this. Meekings at RB as well because from what I have seen so far this season (including pre-season) then Meekings edges it over Raven

Libero, that looks like a 4-2-4 to me. Applaud your attacking mindset but leaving us a wee bit exposed methinks.

I wouldn't tinker too much with the team for the Hearts game. One more game for Raven before introducing Meekings if things need to be shaken up, Foran for OTJ and Ross for 2-3 games (and hopefully longer). We need goals from midfield, Ross seems to have found his goalscoring touch and is getting into good goalscoring positions so seems a no brainer to me. Oh, and he is a right midfielder!

Hey lads whats in the water these days? you are all sounding positive, great to hear!

You can virtually permutate a winning team from all the suggestions on here. For my part I like Luke's 4-1-5 attacking formation and yes IHE probably meekings in the team if that formation is changed to a 4-3-3. Either would give best attacking options and i would start with the latter to sound out Hearts attack ability then quickly change it to the former if as I believe hearts front men will be ineffective.