Was having a quick look back at our starting lineups for the opening round of fixtures for the last two seasons and it really makes you realise just how much our team is changing.

10/11 Season Vs West Brom (Robbie D as their manager)

-----------------Cech

-----PF------JT----Alex------Cole

----------------Mikel

------------Ess-----Lamps

--Anelka---------------malouda

-----------Drogba

11/12 season Vs Stoke

------------Cech

----Bos--JT-----Alex----Cole

------------Mikel

------Ramires----Lamps

--Kalou-------------Malouda

---------Torres

Not really too much of a change between these two here. But looking at what our starting lineup could potentially look like for this season:

----------------Cech

--Ivan-----Cahill---Luiz------Cole

----------Mikel----Oscar

--Marin------Mata------Hazard

-------------Torres

Now this is assuming JT gets a ban and to be perfectly honest I would be very surprised if Lamps or Ramires didn't start over Oscar but between now and two seasons ago our team is barely recogniseable. Not to mention the average age of the team has absolutely plummeted. Very exciting stuff!!

Edited August 1, 201213 yr by sals

It's definitely going to be an exciting season Sals. It's hard to gauge expectations for this season because of what we were able to accomplish in the second half of last season. Still, our lineup is looking a lot different and our average age has decreased. I believe we've positioned ourselves well for the future we just need a few more pieces to finish it off.

I, for one, cannot wait to get it started!

I can't wait for us to get playing again either.

Probably, except Ramires in for Marin and Lamps for Oscar.

The side will have come nowhere if the philosophy of the club has not changed...I worry that RDM will stick to his boring counter-attacking football after all he is Italian! Mancini employed the same tactic and as soon as he realised putting 2 DM on the field who cannot get up and down that pitch he put some legs in midfield and won the league...and this is a manager who is very poor

Robbie has spent very little of his career (both playing and managerial) in Italy. His time at MK Dons and West brom showed that he is a very offensive minded manager and that was to his detriment at West brom where he did not have the personnel capable of playing to his philosphy. He came in last season and had the team playing the way we needed to to get results. He is not a defensive minded manager!!!!

We really must fit Ramires into the team, such a vital clog in my opinion.