Cleverly’s a winger or so I’m told. So I imagine he’ll play a similar role to that Scott Sinclair did last season.
I think we need a holding midfielder alongside McCarthy, who I see as the box-to-box player to drive the midfield. Diame or Thomas will be good alongside him to protect the back four and allow him to attack.
Zog will be a potent threat on the right, if he gets his head straight. But Hugo isn’t a winger, and notice that against Spurs, he created far more from the right than he ever has from the left.
Boselli definitely needs a partner, although I’m not sure about Di Santo, I need to see him play a bit before making a judgment on him. My starting XI would be…
Al Habsi
Boyce G Caldwell Gohouri Figueroa
N’Zogbia Dame McCarthy Moses
Boselli Rodallega
Stam is good, but I think he’s vulnerable defensively and won’t get much support from Zog, as we saw against Chelsea, so Boyce gets the nod from me, I would put Stam at right midfield until N’Zogbia gets back. Like he did against Spurs.