Our squad...

Okay so over pre-season I've seen plenty of threads/comments saying "top half will be a good season" or words to that effect.

Now call me deluded, ridiculously optimistic or just plain ambitious but for me we need to be aiming for top 7 and above. In our squad we have:

Krul, Debuchy, Colo, Yanga-Mbiwa, Steven Taylor, Santon, Tiote, Anita, Sissoko, Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Cisse, Remy and possibly Gouffran.

Fourteen players there that I'd say would get in to 80%-90% of the teams outside of the top six. In reserve we then have youngsters such as Dummett, Bigi, Haidara and Campbell all of whom have the potential to become good quality premier league players. If you then take in to account a seasoned pro like Jonas who will be/is effective if used sparingly and in the right games (think of Ji-Sung Park at Man Utd) and also add Marveaux in to the mix and I fail to see how top 10 is the aim???

Should we also sign another striker as it widely reported and confirmed by Pardew then we'll have a pool of 21 players that in my opinion should be able to achieve top half with ease.

I've read some comments saying City will smash us and the game is a write off?! Why though? We aren't a newly promoted team, we've got no injuries other than Remy and there's no fatigue as it's the first game of a new season and we've had just as much preparation as City to get our players match fit.

Yes we may well lose, but to talk as if receiving a hammering is okay just because it's City is a crazy attitude to have in my opinion. It's almost like some of us are trying so hard to not be labeled as 'deluded' that we've now gone too far in the opposite direction and are now afraid to be ambitious, the very thing our owner is accused of on a near daily basis.

Yes we haven't spent much (if anything at all) but we have a very good squad of players and once another striker is over the now infamous line it's time for us to set targets that are difficult to achieve (top six) instead of those that should be easily achieved (top half).

 

We have a terrible manager..... Parpoo will be our downfall.

 

You're deluded and ridiculously optimistic.

Our squad is still unbalanced and until we get our attacking options in line with others gunning for a top half finish we'll be up against it. I can't see what has changed in this regard and we all felt we were shy last year. You have to be realistic about the City game. They are on a completely different level. Bigger clubs than us with better resources will go there and get hammered. I don't think you can write off any game. Anything is possible. It just doesn't make it likely. Looking at the respective squads, their home record and performances over the last two seasons, its just common sense to expect a torrid time. Hopefully they'll be more Southampton 2012 than Swansea 2011 in terms of how they start.

One thing for sure is the fans need to forget last season, stop being so negative about the manager and actually start looking forward. Its pretty backward to do otherwise.

 

Everton have Kone, Jelavic with Fellaini supporting. Miralles plays wide so can't really count him.
Swansea have Bony and Michu.
West Ham have Carroll and Maiga with Nolan supporting.
Sunderland have Fletcher and Altidore.
West Brom have an ageing Anelka, Long and Rosenberg.
Southampton have Lambert and Rodriguez (don't think I've forgotten anyone for them).
Norwich have Hooper and Van Wolfswinkel
Villa have Benteke and Weimann.

I fail to see how any of them are better than Cisse and Remy with Gouffran and/or HBA supoorting if i'm honest. Add to that the other striker that we're likely to bring in. After that we are only a winger away from a well balanced squad for me.

Edit...left out Agbonlahor for Villa.

 

Really ????
Strength and depth last season was a big issue, what have we done this summer??

We have just got far weaker in numbers we still ain't actually signed anyone unless you call loaning a player that is.

Defensively we were shambolic
And have we done anything about that
Nope just lost Simpson/perch as back up.

Imagine if remy/colo or cisse get injuried we are FCUKed.com.

Has pardew been sacked ???

If you think last season was bad wait for this one !!!

We need 3 or 4 etc players or its blackpool and Yeovil for us next year

 

Defensively Debuchy and MYM have had six moths and a full pre season to settle. You can't under estimate how big that will be for them. Same goes for Sissoko and Gouffran. We will also add another striker.

We've lost Perch but that will just mean more game time for Anita who is better. I think given the six months bedding in time for our January signings there's no reason why we can't hit the ground running.

 

Agree 100%on the January signings bedding in more
I also believe the lack of European games will help us
But it's the numbers and pardew that is the issue
Hope I am wrong but can't see it

 

Agree that Pardew is a worry but he's in charge so as Norma says we need to back him (for the first 10-12 games anyway).

 

Man city will obliterate us, They are better in every position (except maybe GK). We should be able to compete in and around 7th with our squad but they (they being our competion) have 1 major advantage over us, they dont have Pardew but time will tell

 

Can't imagine them two having moths for breakfast, dinner or lunch...

As if it'll help them settle into the English game

 

even with the Barca first eleven Pardew will drop Iniesta to fit Jonas into the team... then play hoofball....

 

Sad but true...

After all, Iniesta can't offer half the work Jonas does no the defensive end can he ?

 

Everton also have Anichebe, Velios, Gueye. In the mould of Gouffran they have Miralles, Naismith, Deufolou.
West Ham have Vaz Te who is maybe more Gouffran and I fully expect they'll sign one or two strikers.
Sunderland also have Wickham and Dong with Sessengnon supporting.
Southampton have Ramirez supporting and I thought they signed that Zambian kid who impressed at the ACON? I think they'll still add too.
Norwich have Becchio but are generally short.
Villa have Agbonlahor and Helenius. They also have Bent and Delfuenso or whatever his name is.
WBA are short but also have Odemwingie at present. I would think they'll add.
Swansea obviously have Lita and Moore who are not great but Laudrup has mad eit clear he wants another.

Don't get me wrong if I look at the likes of Southampton, WBA, West Ham, Swansea I think we are equally as strong at present. All of us are supposedly in the market for strikers, I'd just be more confident if I was their fans that we'd get them. The others are bit ahead of us though. If we got a striker and a winger I think we'd be well on for a top 10 finish provided Pardew can rgain the thread from the season before last and use the extra preparation time in the same way.

 

We're doomed I tell ye, doomed!

 

I can't help thinking we are still rather lightweight. It's all well and good having a team containing wonderful footballers but if they are bullied off the ball like they were against Liverpool, we don't stand a chance. As I remember, the Liverpool game was very late on in the season. Surely those January signings had bedded in by then?

 

I'll dfend the french lads here. I don't think it is easy to settle in 4-5 months in England coming from France. One end of the scale to the other intensity wise. Add in they joined a pretty pressurised and precarious situation I think you have to cut them a bit of slack. Those 5 months will have given them an insight into what they needed to do. Can we match up physically? Yes. Its more how we deal with the physicality in a mental sense which will be key. For all Sissoko is a big laddie, he wasn't interested in putting himself about.

 

**** manager who still insists on playing Jonas and bringing on Shola. For those reasons alone we will never progress under him. Also, the disgusting long ball merchantry must never be forgotten about either.

 

I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to be deluded and optimistic, but unfortunately I agree with this...

 

I'd say you're scraping the barrell a bit with players such as Velios, Gueye, Wickham, Dong, Becchio, Bent (been frozen out so won't play), Lita & Moore. I doubt they have 15 premier league goal between them and nor do I think they'll manage that between them this season.

We are definitely a striker & a winger short, I think we're all in agreement there. It's just on paper our midfield pool of Sissoko, HBA, Cabaye, Anita, Gouffran, Tiote, Bigi, Marveaux and Jonas (when used correctly) surely has to be amongst the best aside from the top teams of Arsenal, Man Utd, City, Spurs, Liverpool & Chelsea. I'd say we have better midfield options that Everton to be fair. Granted on paper means squat when you look at a partnership of Baines and Pienaar down the left wing but I just think we should be raising the bar slightly higher than a top half finish. After all is a top ten finish going to keep Cabaye, HBA and Sissoko at our club???

 

Seriously, how high do you think an Evertonian rates Bigirimana, Gouffran, Marv or Jonas? I think you're seeing things a bit one-sided. Don't forget that all bar one or two of those players were responsible for taking us to 16th. The unfortunate situation is that we currently have the 16th best squad in the country and have added one loan signing. It's looking unlikely we'll do much more business, though I hope at least Ince is on the horizon. I don't think we're one x Loic Remy away from finishing 7th.