Benwell Lad Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Now that the ridiculous assertion that we had played "nobody" seems to have been blown perhaps another of the criticisms levelled at us deserves an airing. The often trawled out claim that we have a paper thin squad - voiced most recently by one M.Owen on MOTD2 last night. Now no one in their right mind would claim that we have a squad like Man City or Chelsea nor that a couple of decent acquisitions wouldn't go a long way to consolidating our progress, but apart from that we have a pretty decent squad. Anyone who may still have a programme from our most recent decent teams, i.e. those managed by KK and SBR, have a look at those squads. Outside of very impessive first elevens you were looking at the likes of Wayne Quinn, Diego GAvilan, JAmie McClen, Brian Kerr, James Coppinger,Stuart Green, Jimmy Crawford, Des Hamilton, David Burt etc etc as immediate cover. No disrespect to the afore mentioned but the present covering players enhanced by some great academy products look a lot better than what we had then. Indeed already this season we have played quite a few who would have been considered no more than squad cover in the summer but they have done excellently and helped us achieve a great start. We must be realistic too, we'd all like another quality central defender, but assuming we have three when Williamson is fit how many clubs can afford to keep 4 top quality central defenders happy. It's probably unrealistic to think we have enough going for us to attract a good premier league centre half who will be happy to be our fourth choice, so like just about every other club, in the unfortunate situation where 2 out of 3 are out we'll have to make do with a stand in player. Anyway, now the other myth has been blown, the lazy pundits will be able to wheel this one out now, but overall while there is room for improvement we don't have a bad squad and it certainly looks healthier than it was on the last occasions we we were up at the right end of the league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prophet Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 It isn't a myth that we're thin up front and at the back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skirge Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Our defensive cover is piss poor, if Colo or Taylor get injured we have Perch to fall back on, I think the ONLY place our team has any real strength in depth is our midfield. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Only a tiny number of clubs have a genuinely quality squad anyway. It's probably only Man City and maybe Man Utd that can replace first team players with people of equal ability. We don't have a massive amount of quality beyond the first team, but unless we were to suffer 3 to 4 serious injuries to key players at the same time I think we'd be OK. Like you say too, we can't realistically expect to have players who are as good as the first team but also happy to sit on the bench for a midtable side. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Defintely dont think we have a strong squad but off on a slight tangent and although its obvious, we are blessed with a very strong first team. Sometimes we go through patches where we will have good strikers, but porr midfield and defence or good keepers and poor strikers. Today we seem to have a fantastically good spine of Goalkeeper, defence, midfield and attack. The let down in it all for me is on the wings where we could desperately do with some real quality or Guile. Think if we had a Solano or Robert we would be real contenders for the top four / five. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benwell Lad Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Only a tiny number of clubs have a genuinely quality squad anyway. It's probably only Man City and maybe Man Utd that can replace first team players with people of equal ability. We don't have a massive amount of quality beyond the first team, but unless we were to suffer 3 to 4 serious injuries to key players at the same time I think we'd be OK. Like you say too, we can't realistically expect to have players who are as good as the first team but also happy to sit on the bench for a midtable side. That is my point. Of course we could improve, but we are deluding ourselves if we think we are big enough or rich enough to have 11 top players sitting patiently. Our squad has already been tested this season and towards the end of last seson it was stretched to breaking point and it has done pretty well when called upon. Also as I said, covering players and academy products give us better cover than the last time we had decent first elevens, imo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Our defensive cover is p*ss poor, if Colo or Taylor get injured we have Perch to fall back on, I think the ONLY place our team has any real strength in depth is our midfield. Aye, an injury to one of our CB's and it's curtains. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 The fact you have a thin squad which is severely weakened by 2 or 3 players being injured is hardly a myth. What is a myth is that it is portrayed that other clubs don't face this same problem. As has been said, only a few clubs in this league can say they can consistently replace quality with quality. Arguably only 2. Maybe 3 (Spurs have a very good squad). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
relámpago blanco Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 We wont have strength in dpeth unless we got into the champions league tbh, players wont come as cover if they are of the quality of the first 11. They might come in for one season not play then decide fuck this and be sold for less than was paid as they havent played regular football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest je85 Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Certainly not a myth, the lack of cover in certain positions is certainly the difference between ourselves and some of the other teams looking to finish 5th-9th. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benwell Lad Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Our defensive cover is p*ss poor, if Colo or Taylor get injured we have Perch to fall back on, I think the ONLY place our team has any real strength in depth is our midfield. Aye, an injury to one of our CB's and it's curtains. Undoubtedly it would be a big problem, particularly if it was Colo who I think is irrreplacable. But do you think we can attract a good premier league standard CH right now who may be fourth choice when Williamson is fit ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam1 Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Our defensive cover is p*ss poor, if Colo or Taylor get injured we have Perch to fall back on, I think the ONLY place our team has any real strength in depth is our midfield. Aye, an injury to one of our CB's and it's curtains. This is the fourth time ive heard this in two days. Santon can play anywhere over the back 4 cant he? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benwell Lad Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 The fact you have a thin squad which is severely weakened by 2 or 3 players being injured is hardly a myth. What is a myth is that it is portrayed that other clubs don't face this same problem. As has been said, only a few clubs in this league can say they can consistently replace quality with quality. Arguably only 2. Maybe 3 (Spurs have a very good squad). You've put that very well, which is part of the point I was trying to make, along with that we have had to use our squad already and we've done well and that even when we were playing regular European football our squad was no better and probably not as good as the present one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cronky Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 I certainly think our squad has more strength in depth than it's been given credit for. The young players - Ferguson, Sammy - are more ready than one might expect, and Guthrie has really upped his game. Best's all round play has also improved. With Willo injured, I'd agree that Centre Back looks a weak area. The big bonus this season though is how well the defence have played as a unit. Taylor and Colo have developed a system whereby they play to each other's strengths, and of course young Tim has been outstanding. I'd still like to see Santon and Ferguson take over as full backs in the near future. They could add a new dimension to our attacking play. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 The young players definitely have the potential to do our squad a lot of good. I don't know why Ferguson has disappeared off the planet mind, and I'd like to see more of Kadar and Vuckic as well. Abeid looks a player as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Our defensive cover is p*ss poor, if Colo or Taylor get injured we have Perch to fall back on, I think the ONLY place our team has any real strength in depth is our midfield. Aye, an injury to one of our CB's and it's curtains. This is the fourth time ive heard this in two days. Santon can play anywhere over the back 4 cant he? Also, let's not forget that we have already arguably suffered an injury to one of our main CBs (Williamson) and one of our most promising young ones as well (Kadar). To have more than two first-team-squad CBs injured at once would be pretty unlucky. Saying that, I would feel better if we signed another! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eric Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Myths aren't real. At left back we have two right footers, the position hasn't been addressed for countless Years. We have one injury at CB and our only cover is a utility player who is far below the required standard. Right Midfield we only have Obertan, anyone else playing there is playing in an unfamiliar position or one they don't want to. Not a myth to me, regardless if other squads were weak in areas too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliGupter Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 At left back we have two right footers, the position hasn't been addressed for countless Years. I think Bernard is available. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madras Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 you can only be weak in comparisson to others and i'd say we are as stronger than most in our division. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benwell Lad Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Myths aren't real. At left back we have two right footers, the position hasn't been addressed for countless Years. We have one injury at CB and our only cover is a utility player who is far below the required standard. Right Midfield we only have Obertan, anyone else playing there is playing in an unfamiliar position or one they don't want to. Not a myth to me, regardless if other squads were weak in areas too. Agreed. If you'd told me pre season that a back four which included Simpson and Raylor would have the best record in the league after 13 games I'd have called you insane. But it has so credit where due, to some extent the proof of the pudding is in the eating. That said, like you, I probably still see our present full backs more as squad than first eleven although Simpson has really surprised me in the last few games and looked a lot better than I thought he could be. Re the CH position, you obviously subscribe to the opinion that we can have 4 established premier league central defenders on our books. Fair enough so do quite a few others. Of course I'd like it, I just doubt how pragmatic it would be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Then again, we reached a decent stage of the Champions League with a back four that looked embarrassing on paper. A well-drilled defence can surprise people. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benwell Lad Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Then again, we reached a decent stage of the Champions League with a back four that looked embarrassing on paper. A well-drilled defence can surprise people. I think it's a part of human nature to have a tendency to be self critical and too inward looking. This probably extends to our teams as football supporters. We are far from perfect, but as someone has already pointed out the real issue should be how we compare to others and right now with a few obvious exceptions we probably compare quite favourably. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberto2005 Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 I think we're strong in cover out wide and quite strong in central midfield. We do need cover especially upfront as Ba will be off and also in central defence. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottledDog Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 We haven't beaten any of the six around or above us. We lack any capable fit centerback cover or striker cover you'd have confidence in scoring regularly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beren Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 We haven't beaten any of the six around or above us. We lack any capable fit centerback cover or striker cover you'd have confidence in scoring regularly. You support Chelsea? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now