Our squad was woefully weak ... decent starting 11 but a very weak bench. We cannot play "reserve" players in Europe as we did last season. And with 5 subs per game a strong squad is going to be vital. As for last time, I think you meant 2013 after we lost Bale and brought in Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela, Soldado, Chiriches, Paulinho and Capoue. None of those players had premier league experience, we'd lost our most attacking player and we didn't balance the squad. This time we have not lost our attacking threat, are strengthening the squad and rather than bringing players to replace others we are bringing in players to build a strong squad. Our transfer business has been good so far...I ain't sold on Richarlison but Conte obviously is but we still need strengthening in our wide defensive positions and need a creative midfielder. That would give us a strong and balanced squad imo.
Forster in the background having no idea what he's clapping! Brutal interview for Evertonians. Tapped up by Ancelotti and no longer watching the Champions League on his sofa. Ouch.
As RCL points out, it's about depth. We've barely touched the first XI so far. That season we lost our best player and had some utterly chaotic team selections. Only Dawson made more than 28 starts in the league from our outfield players. Villas-Boas was constantly chopping and changing and it wasn't tactical or fitness-related. He didn't know what his strongest team was and didn't have an overall plan. Could it happen again? Definitely. You can change too much, too quickly and lose stability and focus. Time will tell if we've done that or not.
Were they just working through South America? First you meet the Brazilians, then the Argentinians, then our resident Colombian. Bentancur is probably just out of shot.
Hope it works out for him and one day we see him in the Prem. Done alright there on loan last season.
Any recent news on Lo Celso and Ndombele leaving? I know they’re both training with the squad but surely they’re on the way out? Spurs don’t even need them to make up numbers anymore
They'd usually been a happy hunting ground for us in the past; Robinson, Lennon and Rose all contributed a fair bit here to say the least. Suppose we had to take a miss at some point.
If anything, their loaning him back in and not playing him for half a season did a hell of a lot of damage to his career All because apparently the Leeds top brass can't count how many players they loaned in (see also: Nile John at Charlton)
Interesting that Emerson has travelled. Is it because we're yet to sign a RWB or was his agent right when he said he is in Conte's plans and won't be moving this summer ? Tbh I like Emerson really impressed me towards the end of last season and I do think he would be an excellent RCB. Wouldn't be adverse to him staying at all.
Certainly didn't help but then we didn't help him out either by then sending him on further loans to clubs that didn't seemingly need him other than for depth purposes. It's something I'm hoping Paratici/ Steinsson or whoever it falls too can improve on for next season. Need more Skipp/ Parrott loans where there's a genuine need for them in the team.
His luck managed to get worse, as he was loaned to QPR and got a few games...and then lockdown put an end to that Then the following season he went out on loan to Stoke and got regular playing time...only to injure his achilles Last season's loan to Sunderland is the first time he had a sustained run of playing time in the almost three years since we signed him
Maybe it’s fallen down the priorities, depending on how quickly the club can get rid of the 4 above then maybe something will happen with Emerson towards the end of the window.
