Is our squad actually weak?

I'm getting a bit frustrated with other fans saying "You've got a fantastic starting 11, especially your front 3, but after your starting 11, you have a weak squad and that will harm your premier league season if you are gonna compete in Europe".

Is it actually weak?

IMO it isn't. It definitely could do with some strengthening in certain areas, but IMO we're only a few signings away from having a solid squad.

Our fringe players are severely under rated and unrecognided, which is why when other fans look at our squad and see Guthrie, Perch and Raylor as our back up, they think "jesus this is ****e".

We've shown we can win with important players out, and still do well.

Everyone predicted that we'd slide down the table after Christmas, but they were proven wrong, and it's because of players like Willo, Perch, Raylor and Guthrie that have got stuck in and filled in when they were asked.

We even have cover for defensive midfield, creative midfield, and holding midfield. Guthrie can do the holding and creative midfield job. Perch can be a good defensive mid. Raylor can offer creativity and defensive quality.

I think everyone just compares our squad to the likes of Chelsea and Spurs, which makes our look weak in comparison, but that's mainly due to people underestimating our players.

Of course we will need to strengthen if we want to compete at the top and in Europe, but I'd say our sqaud at the moment isn't weak. It has weak spots, but as a whole it is hardly weak.

 

I think we have weak back up defensively and on the wings if i'm honest.
We dont have a clear-cut left back, only 3 CB's (one of which is severely injury prone), after Ben Arfa and Jonas, we have a couple of youngsters in Sammy and Ferguson, Marveaux is, again, injury prone and Obertan's unspectacular.

I wouldnt say our squad is massively weak, but it needs strengthening in a couple of areas to consistently compete for a top 4 place.

 

To compete for a top 4 place yes but some people claim we'll slip down the table whilst in Europe because of poor squad depth but I don't agree.

 

I think that if we dont build on our squad this summer we will slip down the table because of the sheer amount of games we would play. But we apparently have some summer signings almost tied up already, so hey.

 

Our squad is pretty damn good, even perch is a better cb than alot of the first choice cb's at other clubs, we have promising young players and under-the-radar players like guthrie.

Apart from defence we dont need much strengthening really, maybe a young promising striker, winger?

Hopefully Guthrie stays around next season.

Abeid? Vuckic? Ferguson? Gosling? It's not like we dont have good youngsters.

 

Bit of a clichè but to compete in the top 4 consistently you need 2 quality players in every position. We don't have that. I don't think we are far off though.

 

**** these people!! they forget the fat we lost Tiote and Ba for ages and we only had Cisse from Feb ad Benny has only just started playing regularly. I guess the players that filled theor boots and kept us in the top 6 are **** then are they? **** what these arseholes are saying, they have got it worng all season so let them keep digging. They know nothing about football simple a that.

 

Perch, Williamson, Guthrie, Simpson, these are all players I could liken to Aaron Hughes...We let him go as he 'wasn't good enough' and yet he has played Premier League football more consistently than we have since then! They're all solid Premier League players, ideally we'd have better lads, but they're good enough squad players for a European jaunt!

 

Depends who you are comparing our strength in depth with? Are we weak compared to the likes of Arsenal, Man C, Man U, Chelsea, Spurs? For sure. We haven't been operating on the budgets they have! Undoubtedly we are particularly weak in the defensive areas, I doubt anyone would sit and say otherwise. We have no natural left back in the squad and our third choice centre half wouldn't get into many teams in the league.

However we're addressing these issues and building slowly. Rome wasn't built in a day as they say so we'll just have to be patient. I'd rather we built in the sensible way we are now. The days where we make massive jumps in squad quality with over exuberant spending are over, and its for the better. Give it two more seasons, if we stay on this path we'll be able to put together a squad to match up to that top bracket of clubs.

 

If you wanna play in Europe, I think you need 20 or so quality players (2 for each position pretty much) with a couple of quality versatile players. We have:

GK: Krul
LB:
CB: Coloccini, Saylor, Williamson (just)
RB: Santon, Simpson
LM/LW: Marveaux
CM: Cabaye, Tiote, Guthrie
RM: HBA
ST: Ba, Cisse, Best (some would argue - not me)
Versatile: Raylor, Perch, Gutierrez

Could do with a left back, a centre back, a winger and a striker, IMO (as well as keeping all our current players). Then we could hopefully compete in Europe AND battle for the top 7 again next year

 

yes

 

Our squad isn't a weak as it might seem.

If we can add a LB and a CB, then we'll have, as fully blooded pro's or very promising youngsters:

Strikers:

Ba, Cisse, Best, Shola, HBA (unless you want to call him a winger)

Left wing:

Guittierez, Fergie

Right Wing

HBA(if you don't call him a striker) Obertan, Sammi, Marveau

CM

Tiote, Cabaye, Guthrie, Gosling, Vukic, Abeid, Perch, Raylor

LB

Newbe, Raylor, Perch, Fergie

RB

Santon, Simpson

CB

Colocinni, Saylor, Willo, Newbe [Tavernier, Streete]


GK

Krul, Harps, Elliott


I appreciate I've repeated a couple of names, but that I don't think that's a problem if you're talking about back up players who will only play a game or two, ass opposed to starters.

It's nor the strogest squad I'v ever seen, but it isn't the weakest. A good starter and a decent cover in every position, more in some positions

 

Not weak, just very thin. Although the players that we have after the starting 11, have been performing beyond all expectations this season.

 

An important point.

As of September, Perch as a back up DM seemed an act of desparation, as did Raylor at LB.

 

when we lost a few players to injuries and ACON just after Christmas we went on a really bad run. I think it highlighted our squad is quite small and frail.
I think it's also fair to argue Pardew and Hughton to some extent got the best out of our 'fringe players' by instilling a real togetherness.
Like I said earlier, we are not far off, a couple of quality players and a couple of decent squad players and we are up there.

 

we played tough games

 

ok different arguement then:

Krul
Simmo Taylor Collo Santon
Tiote Cabaye
Ben Arfa Jonas
Cisse Ba


Harper
Raylor Perch Willo Ferguson
Obertan Guthrie Gosling Marveux
Best/Ameobi Vucick/Ranger...



against

Cech
Ivanovich Terry Luiz Cole
Ramires Lampard Essien Mata
Drogba Torrez


Turnbull
Bosingua Cahill Alex Ferreria
Malouda Merieles Mikel Kalou
Sturridge Lukaku

From one extreme to the other. I would call Chelsea's squad strength in depth but I fancy we have a very strong starting 11 too.

And yes I know I'm probaby missing a few and these are not the formations we play etc and yes I know chelsea have billions and we have mike ashley, just using them as an example.

 

I suppose the poitn could be validly made that IF we finish in the top 4, we will have the weakest squad in the Top 4. Frankly, we probably have the weakest squad in the top 6.

Does that make our squad weak ? Don't know, it's a matter of defining your terms

 

If you look at the teams around us, it certainly is.

 

But I find the argument that just because there are 5 stronger squads in the division than us, that we have a weak squad.

Manure
City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Spuds

They have stronger squads. After these 5, we have the strongest squad IMO.