Playing in World Cups, I think 3-5-2 is the best way to get the most out of our players and set up to frustrate the opposition. I can see our full strength lineup at Qatar being something like this:
Woud
Cacace Boxall Reid Tuiloma Payne
Thomas Bell
Singh
Waine Wood
Swap out Waine for Barbarouses, Woud for Sail, Marinovic, or Payne for Fenton, Roux, Elliot, Ingham if you'd like.
That's a pretty tough back 3 to get past, and allows Cacace more freedom to attack which will be crucial, also allowing Payne to get forward to swing in a cross. A spark of creativity with Singh sitting behind two strikers, which will take some attention of Wood and allow another target to aim at in the box.
I get people think 5 at the back is inherently negative football but we have to be realistic, even with how promising we look at the moment, we will be coming up against stronger footballing nations and will need to be able to set up defensively and counter well, I think 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 allows us to do that best
Woud
Cacace Boxall Reid Tuiloma Payne
Thomas Bell
Singh
Waine Wood
Swap out Waine for Barbarouses, Woud for Sail, Marinovic, or Payne for Fenton, Roux, Elliot, Ingham if you'd like.
That's a pretty tough back 3 to get past, and allows Cacace more freedom to attack which will be crucial, also allowing Payne to get forward to swing in a cross. A spark of creativity with Singh sitting behind two strikers, which will take some attention of Wood and allow another target to aim at in the box.
I get people think 5 at the back is inherently negative football but we have to be realistic, even with how promising we look at the moment, we will be coming up against stronger footballing nations and will need to be able to set up defensively and counter well, I think 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 allows us to do that best
Other than the ones you mentioned: Smith (is he still available?), Rojas (if he gets injury free and has a big year for MV), Just and Stensness are the others who I could see as possibilities, maybe McCowatt Or Champness in the squad too.
I thought Just looked very good the first two games, but looked tired against Romania/Japan. Stensness is a versatile player (defense or good midfield backup for Thomas/Bell and better than Lewis) who has improved rapidly, should definitely be in any squad - maybe even ahead of Tuiloma in the starting lineup from what I've seen (which admittedly isn't much of Bill seeing as the AW's never play and I don't watch MLS).
Pijnaker is another one who depending on injuries/availability might come into consideration.
Nice to have so much depth! My biggest concern would be if Wood gets injured... other than Waine we don't have any decent out and out strikers (I don't think Kosta qualifies as one).