In a way this is a pointless blogpost in that we don’t know exactly who will be available to play on 9 August, when we travel to the Emirates, but bear with me. This is an entirely possible first eleven, but it’s more interesting to see who I have left out rather than who is in. Out are Mark Noble, James Tomkins, James Collins, Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll.
I am assuming Andy Carroll may not be fit, but even if he is, will he oust Sakho? I also reckon Stewart Downing will not be at Upton Park by then. Middlesbrough seem to be offering silly money for him, and although I’d be happy if he stayed £8 million or more for a 31 year old can’t be sniffed at. We have at least three other players who can play in that position and having paid £14 million for Payet, it’s unlikely Downing would start the season as first choice. Why not accept the money and put it into the “Buy Charlie Austin” fund, although the Sunday papers reckon Bournemouth (where he has a house) are now in for him too, along with Leicester, Chelsea and Newcastle.
But it’s in midfield that the real dilemma comes. I’m assuming that we have five players vying for three spaces. Let’s assume Kevin Nolan will have departed by 9 August we have Mark Noble, Pedro Obiang, Diego Poyet, Alex Song and Cheikhou Kouyate to choose from. Assuming Song signs and recovers his form you’d have to put him in as the defensive midfielder, with Kouyate as an automatic choice. So it’s then three players competing for the final place. My heart says Noble should start the season, but my head says he will do well to hold off the challenge from Obiang.
All good fun!