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Galacticos list makes case for Kelssek lineup shuffle
As the World Cup qualifiers get underway again, is the Galacticos list lobbying for Mason Blueman and Tim Bowler to get more international caps? Sure looks like it, after the two players were named to the longlist of the world’s top footballers this season, although neither has been the clear first choice for Kelssek.
That’s not to say Kelssek manager Andrea Crowe has been wantonly ignoring the talents of the two players. Mason Blueman caught the attention of Soldarian FC, a Vanorian club that’s one of the most successful in international club football, two years ago when he was playing for Colwynian Vale. Initially a squad player, his first season saw Soldarian come visit Kelssek as they went to Outineau for the Challengers Cup final (which they lost, unfortunately).
After earning 9 caps in the World Cup 85 qualifiers, he then went along to the finals in Farfadillis, although he’s clearly behind Ruslan Demetriev and Gabriel Lapierre in the midfield pecking order. But that could change as Blueman has gone on to work his way into the starting lineup for Soldarian this year, and after an excellent start to the season Blueman is a key part of a team that is a strong challenger for the Elven Premiership despite many expecting Raynor City United to simply stroll to another win.
Therein lies the dilemma for Blueman – he’s certainly as good as Demetriev and Lapierre overall, but while Demetriev is an energetic ball-winner and Lapierre a crafty playmaker, Blueman is more of a jack of all trades and does both jobs well but not at the level of those two. The chance will come if Demetriev decides to step back from the national team, making a gap that the 26-year old Blueman would be the odds-on favourite to fill.
Tim Bowler, in his fourth season at Taeshan’s Bayern Phoenix, has seen both ups and downs with his club, although he’s long been the established left-back for the club. Yet Andrea Crowe has preferred the more attack-minded Thamior Liadon on the left to overlap with Colm Ó Tuathail. The understanding between the two is something Crowe will probably be reluctant to break up even if Bowler is making a strong case for the left-back position. But it might also be an option to play Liadon as right-back, where he’s accustomed to playing with his club Burnaby SC, and then move the versatile Ashley Douglass up to right midfield.
However, it’s when things are going well as they seem to be that there can be a reluctance to change the methods that got Kelssek into the knockouts of the World Cup. Better to be proactive and switch things up – whether Crowe will do this will depend on how the first set of fixtures go.