What Are We Lacking?

Without doubt we're really really resilient in defence and we can also create chances out of nothing ... But on the other side I feel that we just give the ball away too easily even against weaker teams. Yesterday it caused our defence to be put under tremendous pressure and eventually we committed some costly mistakes. If only our players had the composure and skill to keep the ball, even if it's in our half, and pass it around a bit instead of hoofing it , like Enrique ... Also I think that both Cabaye and Tiote should use some of their energy getting forward and running into space like Nolan did cos this season I feel that we're relying too much on our wingers ... Your thoughts ?

 

A squad basically. We lack a bit of depth of quality. We need a world class striker to be truthful, but the prices are extortionate!! Ba and Best do well for us but I don't think anyone is rating them alongside the top teams with RVP, Aguero/Dzecko/Tevez/Balotelli , Roo/Berbatov/Hernandez/Welbeck, Drogba/Torres/Sturridge/Anelka, Suarez, Adebayor. We can't expect to have 4 but if we can get one like Liverpool, Spurs or Arsenal and a bit of depth we will threaten them. Due to us not really wanting to pay the big bucks we need a bit of Carr magic!

 

Depth. Ben Arfa should ease the reliance on our wingers with his central creative play and running.

 

A natural LB. I'm not knocking Raylor based on yesterday's performance at all. But it's obvious we need a natural LB, even before yesterday. One who can defend better than Raylor so Jonas doesn't need to get back so much and can attack more. He's done brilliantly I know but we still need a proper LB! Imagine if we still have Jose...

And yeah, I agree with Warm Pouch, squad depth! You see our bench yesterday too? Horrible!

 

squad depth which was massively highlighted yesterday as well as against teams like spurs all the top 6 teams man city/manure/chelsea/spuds/arsenal/dippers have better quality on the bench and in depth maybe not so much the dippers but they do have a better squad depth than us imo.
I wouldn't worry though as we aren't competing with these teams this season and is something to improve in jan and the summer(as long as we keep key players) but it is a worry when injuries take hold as they have recently but i think we've coped so far.

 

Its just 3 or 4 quality players to move up to Liverpool/Spurs for me. You can see the boards thinking though. We might have 4 or 5 PL quality players sitting in our youth squad. So in one or two years time we get the depth for free. For the fan its not great because we want to take advantage now of what is clearly a competitive first xi. But it may be a case of patience unfortunately. I can live with it because I just wanted to survive last season!

 

We lack good full backs to support the wingers, a striker with real pace and class, and central defensive cover.

If we got all of those in January, I genuinely believe we could give Liverpool a scare and push for top 6. (We won't though, we'll just sit happily in 7th-10th...)

 

Aye, it's worrying really. Our first XI is class, but you look at the rest of the squad and think.. not top 10 PL standard. Having Smith, Lover, Shola, Perch as a bench doesn't fill me with confidence. Although ordinarily we'd have Obertan, Marvo, Besty, Tiote on top of what we had yesterday, add to that Maiga and possibly Pieters to come in in January and we're looking better. I agree, I think we're looking to add bits at a time and hope that, say, in a years time, Abeid, Vuckic and Fergie are all ready, then we'd have that squad depth all ready and set out for us for free.

If we do bring in 2 in January and Abeid, Vuckic and Fergie do make the step up by next summer, and we manage to bring in someone like Hoillet in the summer, then I think we'll be looking pretty good.

 

This. Centre-back is the area were we definitely need to strengthen because if Colo/Saylor get injured/suspended then we'll be in big trouble with Willo still out injured and not as good as either of them too but he still does a reasonable job and is a solid no-nonsense defender.. still someone like Ridgewell would be nice! He has good experience at this level, 27 years old, can play CB and LB quite effectively and I think he'll be good for us although nothing spectacular.

Also a quality striker to partner Ba and/or compete with Best. IMO the type of striker we need is someone who can run the channels well, have great movement and agility, have bags of pace and good dribbling ability too.

CB, ST and maybe a back-up to Tiote... Wanyama from Celtic would've been great but Celtic just bought him in the summer.. :/ he would have been natural cover for Tiote and can play CB too.

 

I would have said a creative player who can create something out of nothing but if Ben Arfa can fill that role then it would be two more wingers to give competition and maybe even take a first team place. Jonas works hard in defence but he needs to improve in the attacking third. Obertan doesn't really have any natural competition for his place without playing someone out of position.

 

Aye we definitely need cover on the right. What side does Hoillet play? ...

 

Right-winger and striker. Although he can also play on the left and ''on the hole'' if needed.

I'll personally play him either as a RW or as a out-and-out striker. His pace, dribbling and finishing ability is quite good IMO.

 

LB, RB, RW.

------------- krul ------------
rb --- saylor --- colo --- lb
rw -- tiote --- cabaye -- jonas
-----------barfa-------------
---------------ba------------

that'd see us push for europe imo. the fullback positions are obviously pending what santon turns out like and maybe marveaux could stake a claim for rw. also feel that if we are truly to puch on we need an absolute quality striker and cb to partner colo (saylor and ba are not in the top bracket that i would put barfa, cabaye, tiote and colo in)

 

All we do is buy a LB, get Hoillet in for free and...

------------------Krul---------------
Santon --- Saylor --- Colo --- Pieters/Cissokho
------------Tiote----Cabaye---------
Hoillet----------HBA-----------Jonas
-----------------Ba-----------------


How's that looking?

 

Yeah that looks quality. We'll also have a strong bench with the likes of Sammy, Obertan, Best, Guthrie, Simpson and Raylor.. we'll definitely need it if we make Europe

 

I'm hoping our squad will look like this by next season -

-------------------Ba----------------------

Jonas-------------HBA---------------Hoilett/Drenthe

------Tiote------------------Cabaye-------

Santon-----Coloccini----Saylor----------Pieters

--------------------Krul---------------------

Subs -

Harper
Maiga
Best
Sammy
Marveaux
Ridgewell
Raylor

 

A striker, right sided midfielder, cb cover and a proper left back!

 

DAMMIT TASH STOP DOING THEM THE OTHER WAY ROUND IT CONFUSES ME

Also, swap Pieters and Santon...

But yeah, looking class. Don't forget Marvo on the bench too Sanchino! Looking good. Lets just hope we can keep all our players in January first eh..

 

Think a left back and a winger is a must in the near future. Obertan and Simpson are alright, but think they are our two weaker points (providing Santon comes in for Raylor). Obertan offers some pace in which we need, but would much prefer to see Hoillet there, just for us to try and beat other teams for him in the summer, unless we try a cheeky january bid

 

Depth and match-ready full backs.

Lack of depth was proven yesterday when Man City brought on Johnson and Silva while we brought on Perch and Lovenkrands .