McGurk must've taken a dump every day in Holloway's graaaaveyaarrrd to not even be in contention. Unused sub now for a while even when he makes then matchday squad. Clearly doesn't come top in Hollowhead's fated shuttle run {that feels a bit PE Teacher/Former Drill Sergeant style to me, which is outdated as fuck. Fine have a shuttle run/bleep test/cooper twelve min run etc but don't let it be your fucking defining parameter for selection}.
My ideal Starting XI to go with and be settled on {meaning I would run with it for ten matches, bar injuries and suspensions and see how it looked}, would be something like this:
Barden
Sobo Minturn Wright Longelo
Okafor
McGregor Cox/Kilkenny
McGurk/Clarke
Glatzel Smith
Sub: Bycroft, Delaney, New Utility FB/CB, Cox/Kilkenny, McGurk/Clarke, Butterworth, Ameen
The thinking behind this is both Sobo and Longelo can overlap with their respective McGregor and Cox/Kilkenny. Not too happy having Minturn in full time, but that would mean Delaney/Hall starts but they are either one of injured/crap. Minturn would be given the chance though to build a partnership with Wright. In a similar way that Scott Cuthbert became a better defender alongside Greer {I admit, this is somewhat the ''Wish or Temu'' version of that}. Delanely can at least come on and do 30mins on occasion and if not then it means Clarke or Ofoborh would have to fill in, which isn't ideal. A new CB is needed. Send back/sack off Freckleton and Hall.
Ofoborh in CDM should be the most organic position on the field, if he can't manage 90mins, then if Clarke starts in the No.10/free role, you drop him into CDM, to replace Nnamdi and McGurk comes on in the No.10/free role. There's some rotation that could be done here.
McGregor and Cox/Kilkenny should be comfortable. I'd favour Cox over Kilkenny purely from a defensive POV, when say Longelo overlaps. But again, it gives an element of rotation/cover in those positions.
McGurk/Clarke in No.10/free role. I favour McGurk but purely because I'd want to give him an actual run of games and see if he evolves there/makes it his own. Clarke could rotate in/out with either Ofoborh and McGurk as mentioned.
Glatzel and Smith just seems obvious really. If Smith is being a dick you give him some cool down time and whack Butterworth in. Ameen, should be to bring on when a game is comfortable/low risk. Rotate him with Glatzel occasionally to give him more first team mins. Likewise, Drinan can be on rotation with Butterworth and Smith.
This isn't necessarily the squad for tomorrow, but I'm saying with what is on the books, this is the First XI and Subs that I would like to see somewhat. Oh and a fucking manager that knows how to both utilise them and when to bring them in/out without quoting some absolute supernatural bollocks or saying they started a player because someone said he looked decent. I would say, if that somewhat normal cocktail existed at STFC, then it could mean a probable finish somewhere in mid table; I won't hold my breath.
Formation reads as:
4-1-2-1-2 or a 4-4-2 {Wide Pressing Diamond}. It has scope to easily adapt into a 4-1-3-2 or a 4-3-1-2 {taking off Ofoborh and playing both Clarke and McGurk} during a match.
