But the ones that are ready will improve with experience....train with the first team, sometimes travel with the first team, and minutes here and there when possible. All this will help the best ones mature. The manager will only know the ones who are worth bringing on if he actually watches them....at least Puel is doing that.
I would have been disappointed if fonte or jrod had left at the end and it would have been nice to have had an additional signing. However, 3 big players out, 5 in and a whole host of others on new contracts. In addition to the team that finished 6th last season we have a fit again Austin and jrod and academy players who are a year wiser and experienced. The players that left wanted to go and we made a profit of 20m. Next chapter now. I am more concerned about the manager and formation than the squad but optimistic. I don't think we will improve on 6th as the transfer market has gone mad and the top clubs have massively strengthened.
I agree with what you say but I don't buy this whole thing that Ron was against playing the academy players full stop. I honestly think that he thought they weren't good enough. As someone mentioned yesterday he's been happy to start one of Evertons academy players this season. I understand Puel seems to be more happy to watch the youth and that's great, but I'm against playing academy players just for the sake of it. We haven't strengthened the squad so does this mean the academy players are going to play the EL games? I hope not.
Then we are doomed but you won't know if any of the kids are ready by watching them playing L2 teams or playing in the U23 league. It's time for some of them to be evaluated properly or just give up on the whole "babble" that we sell to the media.
So voting that we've had a terrible window means you're happy with who we've brought in? Ok, that's not how I interpreted it though. I agree we are short on numbers, chiefly down to the injury to Pied but thats life and its the **** end of the stick for the board to have him injured so soon. I think we are a different, stronger squad than last year and I think we will play a more exciting style of football. We have replacements for all the players who left and they're not cheap rubbish either. Many people are re-writing last season especially with Mane who was ****ing absent for much of it. Boufal actually doesn't have to step up too far to replace him. Austin and Pelle I see as like for like swaps in the squad. Then we have J-Rod and Redmond to call on too. Yes we are light at the back but we have strong graduates in that position. DM I think we are fine, we have a wealth of midfielders who are better at harrying and closing down than they are at going forwards. I'm not professing to know the future but I'm happy with the squad. Just my opinion : )
*So a position we have the same number of players (and the same 2 to boot) as last season is the chief reason we're short on numbers? **We'll have to disagree here, what's your basis for this? ***Again this is only my opinon, but my problem with this is I think we need a striker ON TOP of that. I was hoping a new striker bought in January in Rons first season as I thought we were pretty light there. Replacing one for another doesn't solve this in my eyes. **** Again I'll disagree, this is the position that worrys me most, our success over the last couple of years was built on a solid defence and if we lose that while still struggling to score we are going to struggle big time. You say we have a lot of midfielders who are better at harrying & closing down going forwards but if we get an injury to Romeu would you be happy with say Clasie or JWP starting a lot of games in a row as the sole DM?
We will play our strongest side in the Europa League game....can only see an occasional youngster getting involved. Not sure why people think we will play kids in that routinely. We will probably play a weakened team for the league cup if necessary.
I agree to an extent, particuarly about the babble we sell to the media. I just think the academy is going through a bit of a lean spell. I'm all for giving academy players a chance don't get me wrong, but I'm also against playing them for the sake of it. There's got to be a happy balance in between.
All good. Nothing anyone says will make you feel better about the squad but I don't see anything in your posts but we need more bodies. Who would you have shipped out to make room in this expanded squad? I personally think classie hojberg, reed, Romeu, ward prose and Davis are capable midfielders. A single DM requires a better understanding among the back lines than we have at the moment, they're all used to a pair of DMs. We can operate fine like that and if we can't make a single DM work, I'd be going back to 4231 but that's a manager call not a squad issue. I couldn't name a single DM who I would think of as the secret sauce in this formation. I haven't seen anyone mentioned by you either. As for the youth, I'd be surprised if none of them are good enough as you claim. Playing alongside VVD with first team coaching will be very diff to U23 games.
I watched a wonderful episode of Yes, Minister the other night. It was about equal opportunity in government between men and women. In the meeting the department heads said they were all in favour of the principle of equal opportunity, but then gave a reason why it would not work for their department. The point is you shouldn't bloat your squad and deny youngsters the potential for an opportunity. We have a senior team of 22 players and some players which can play in multiple positions. Most faults at this window are "I would like..." not "We need..." The reason there is discontent about the window is because we don't all rate those 22 players very highly, but that's personal preference rather than numbers.
You didn't answer my question about how you think we've strengthened our squad. As for naming a DM no I haven't but I don't have a really advanced scouting system at my disposal. I agree about how that position requires understanding but my point is I don't think we have enough players who can play that role to the level required. I certainly don't think JWP or Clasie suit that role. Nor Davis for that matter. Also I'm not claiming that the youth aren't good enough, just throwing the thought out there as a possibilty. I honestly don't believe Koeman was just simply ignoring them. Again it's about balance. I would also argue that if we're struggling then throwing youth players in could damage them just as easily as help them. Also I wouldn't reccomend shipping any current players out to 'make room' that's the entire point isn't it?
I don't believe the squad is bloated though for a team in 4 competitions. I actually think it's quite thin in SOME places. Even if we addressed one of those then I'd be a lot happier. We're going to pick up injuries and suspensions at points this season and have a lot of Thursday/Sunday weeks. I think even if we signed 1 or 2 more there still would have been plenty of opportunity for the youth if the manager deems them ready. You seem to be talking in black and white and I'm talking about the grey in between.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again ... he was happy playing them once upon a time, then he changed his mind and they werent seen again.
Yeah I did answer your question. In my first post. Mane wasn't that great last season, boufal is an upgrade, pelle can be replaced by Austin and we also have Jrod and now Redmond too. That's stronger than last year. In Midfield we have replaced VW with hojberg who I'm excited about and believe to be an upgrade. At RB we have pied who I believe to better than Martina. Upgrade. **** that he's injured tho. In defence we have got Gardos back and two promising younger players coming through. This is my main area of worry. We needed a CB. So I have answered again. You disagree with me, Fair enough but please if you're going to reply - make a point.
I made plenty of points in that post and you have addressed only one - talk about pot and kettle On the one you did answer then if that's the way you see it then fair enough we'll have to agree to disagree Funny how we all see things differently though. Cb would have been 3rd on my list of signings!
