Ask a handful Cardiff City fans to name their starting XI for the first Championship clash with Norwich City and you would likely hear a handful of different answers.
Very few positions are locked in at the minute and with less than two weeks to go until the league season kicks off, there are only two more opportunities for Steve Morison to assess his players.
Cardiff's final pre-season games against Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday and Swindon Town on Saturday will likely play a significant part in deciding a number of positions which, at present, are very much up for grabs.
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In one sense, of course, that is a positive thing. Having a scrap for the shirt only drives up standards and it means you aren't forced into picking players out of form or those who are not 100 percent fit. It means a dip in standards could see your position come under threat and, in almost every position, Cardiff have that.
We have seen a number of players miss large chunks of the pre-season games, too, so these next two outings will likely give them a chance to stake their claim to start against the Canaries. Even the manager himself, when asked about whether he knew what his starting XI might be for Norwich, kept tight-lipped about selection, hinting that the rule would still be run in the final two pre-season outings.
"It depends who is available after the Swindon game," Morison said. "Let's have a look at that and we will go game to game from there, like we always do."
While most clubs, at this stage, might have half-a-dozen nailed-on starters, given Cardiff's campaign last year and their squad overhaul in pre-season, the Bluebirds have two, possibly three, players who would be on most fans' team sheets.
After Ryan Wintle's end-of-season performances last year, many believe him to be a shoo-in at the heart of midfield. His pace and ability to mop up when City were hit on the break really shored up the midfield and it's easy to see why Blackpool fans were gutted to see his loan spell cut short back in January.
Another is Perry Ng. Quite where he plays is yet to be known, having played centre-back, right-back and, occasionally, in midfield, however it appears he will most likely feature at centre-half. But, again, if Cardiff are to change their style of play, Ng is the best ball-playing defender they have and showed it in spades last season.
He is a very competent defender positionally, too, and reads the game extremely well. Cardiff might lose out in terms of height, especially defending set pieces, and that might be a consideration, but you would be hard pressed to find a supporter who doesn't have Perry Ng in their starting XI at the minute.
Elsewhere, take your pick, really. Some might argue Joe Ralls should be a nailed-on starter, given his consistency, longevity and likelihood of taking over the captain's arm band. Others would point to the other central midfielders brought in such as Andy Rinomhota and Romaine Sawyers and believe they have more than a fair chance of starting that first game.
That's the gist, really. Everywhere else on the pitch you can make a case for any of the options to start, there are very few standouts. There is not a Kieffer Moore-type figure up front or a Cody Drameh-esque right-back. Max Watters is likely the leading candidate to start up front as things stand, however signings are expected in that department, while Mahlon Romeo is winning the race for right-back, but Vontae Daley-Campbell will want to use the final two pre-season games to change that school of thought.
Left-back is a real 50/50 call at the minute between Joel Bagan and Jamilu Collins, while, alongside Ng, who starts between Mark McGuinness, Curtis Nelsobn, Oliver Denham and new-boy Cedric Kipre is quite literally anyone's guess. In goal there are three genuine options in Ryan Allsop, Dillon Phillips and Jak Alnwick, what that pecking order looks like right now only the coaches will know.
Who should be in Cardiff City's starting XI? Let us know in the comments section below.
In the forward positions there is Callum O'Dowda, who is short of pre-season minutes, rookie Ollie Tanner, the returning Sheyi Ojo, Gavin Whyte and Rubin Colwill, who has still not featured this summer. Many hope he will play some part in the final two games before the season kicks off.
Watters and Mark Harris are the only two fit strikers City have at the minute, so unless signings are made in the next two weeks they appear to be the only options if Cardiff opt for two strikers, so they are shoo-ins in that sense. Although it is unlikely the Bluebirds will enter the season without having bolstered that position.
As it stands, Wintle and Ng can probably feel aggrieved if they don't start the first game of the season, but the toss can be argued for the other nine players on the pitch.
While fans rightly read little into pre-season fortunes, the fixtures provide useful insight for the coaches and the analysts, all of whom are gearing up to ensure they get selection absolutely bang on for that first game against Norwich in order to give them the best chance of starting the season well, something which has not happened in recent years.
It's a clean slate for many. There's a new backroom staff, a new squad and a new playing style. These pre-season matches are the best opportunity they have to show the manager they fit the system, can thrive under a new style and make themselves indispensable.
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