- Dec 15, 2014
- 4,563
- 9,064
The infamous description from Sherwood went down poorly at the time, but the more I see the squad, the more true it rings. We've rotated quite a bit amongst the team across the season, but we still don't really have a "good" first 11.
With that in mind, do we have a squad of players who are at their peak? Or, in the optimistic sense, are we a team looking to build upon what we have. Don't want to be cruel or harsh, but he's my blunt assessment.
I think that, if we're being honest, it's difficult to pick more than 2 or 3 players in the squad who are massively important to the team, such that we are unlikely to have that many players who are in the team of the week, player of the month, or comparable accolades. It also worries me that we speak to highly of Eriksen in a 'must start' sense when he can be so quiet in games.
Obviously, our three most important/indispensable players are Lloris, Eriksen and Kane. Beyond this, here's my positional evaluation, along with their ages at the start of next season:
Keepers:
Lloris. That's it. Vorm is good, but is sort of a Paul Robinson style keeper that is there as a good backup and not much else.
Defender/Wingback Left:
Rose, 25: Can have good games, but is (even by his standards) so far off the England team and struggles for consistency. Good attitude, but difficult to see him ever being a regular international.
Davies, 22: More of a defender than a wingback imo. Very similar to Rose, but less pacey and more dependable. Seems mature, and is young enough to still have plenty of development in him.
Defender (Center)
Vertonghen, 28: Popular and Captain material, but I wonder whether he has consistent dependable games left in him. He seems to be a wannabe midfielder that players in defence, rather than a solid defender capable of attacking. A good player, but I just can't see him ever being near what we had in King
Dier, 21: One of the best signings we've had for a while, imo. Mature, strong, quick and can score from corners. Non-HG, but looks like a solid world class England defender in the making.
Fazio, 28: Just hasn't looked an upgrade on Dawson. I can't see him getting into the Argentina squad as a regular, and just isn't the standard of player we can rely on in the back 4.
Kaboul, 29: Injury/attitude has ruined him. Was once our best hope of having a world class CB, but is now quite rightly no where near our side, and questionably no longer has PL ability
Chiriches, 25: Has looked good at times, but always has a bodge in him. Unfortunately, he's like an inferior Vertonghen (midfield wannabe) and has looked like a mid-table defender for too long, although I appreciate he's been played out of position for quite a while now.
Defender/Wingback Right:
Walker, 25: Really worried that he's not the answer going forwards. Looked good pre-injury, but it's worrying how much I've missed Naughton since Walker has been back.
Yedlin, 22: Still yet to see him, but looked like an excellent prospect in both positions in the summer for both Seattle and USA. High hopes for him.
Central Midfielders:
Mason, 24: First season, but has had some good games. Really not sure he's deserving of a consistent place in the squad though, as he doesn't seem to offer much more than our other options.
Bentaleb, 20: Keeps improving, our next big player I feel. Has a poor game in him, but makes up for it over the season by far.
Stambouli, 25: Has had some good games, but needs to have a bigger impact in games and could benefit from some more time in the squad. Still unsure about him.
Paulinho, 27: A square peg in a round hole. Not been the same since he got flattened by Adam, and is neither a good DM or good #10. Can't see a use for him in the squad at all.
Dembele, 28: Has shown some signs of real talent, but we could be running out of time to find that magic position we know he has in him.
Capoue, 27: So confused by him. He's an inferior version of Vertonghen playing in Midfielder, but capable (just) of being a CB. Just not a very good one in either position. He's a 'meh' player that you'd expect to see at a club like Everton or Palace.
Wingers/Wide/Attacking Midfielders:
Eriksen, 23: Free-kick specialist, and gets some good goals from midfield. Unsure where he's best playing, and needs more unpredictability in his game to stop him being silenced, but one of our better players on the evidence so far.
Chadli, 26: Started the season so well, but has been so crap since his bereavement. If he can get back to form he can be important, but I feel he probably will only be given until the end of the season to prove that to the coaching staff.
Townsend, 24: Wants it so much, wants to be Bale so badly, but he reminds me so much of Dawson in such that determination and desire can only get you so far. Just can't see him being the player that he wants and needs to be.
Lamela, 23: Has youth on his side, and has adapted to the pressing game well in recent times. Still has plenty of time to prove himself, but needs to offer more in attack in order to be part of a push to improve as a team. Wouldn't be upset in the slightest if we sold him for £20m, though.
Strikers:
Nothing worth saying. We have Soldado in purgatory, Adebayor in mental rehab, and Kane doing it all himself.
With that in mind, I can only see the following being part of our 'need to keep' future, if we really want to improve as a squad:
Lloris, Dier, Bentaleb, Eriksen, Kane.
I think the following need to be offloaded and offer nothing:
Kaboul, Fazio, Capoue, Paulinho, Adebayor, Chiriches
The rest either still need to prove themselves, or are players we need not be too concerned about leaving.
Now, I accept fully that many will disagree with what I'm saying here, especially around players like Vertonghen perhaps, but it's really worrying how many players we have we are just filling up spaces on the team registration list, without actually being quality players.
With that in mind, do we have a squad of players who are at their peak? Or, in the optimistic sense, are we a team looking to build upon what we have. Don't want to be cruel or harsh, but he's my blunt assessment.
I think that, if we're being honest, it's difficult to pick more than 2 or 3 players in the squad who are massively important to the team, such that we are unlikely to have that many players who are in the team of the week, player of the month, or comparable accolades. It also worries me that we speak to highly of Eriksen in a 'must start' sense when he can be so quiet in games.
Obviously, our three most important/indispensable players are Lloris, Eriksen and Kane. Beyond this, here's my positional evaluation, along with their ages at the start of next season:
Keepers:
Lloris. That's it. Vorm is good, but is sort of a Paul Robinson style keeper that is there as a good backup and not much else.
Defender/Wingback Left:
Rose, 25: Can have good games, but is (even by his standards) so far off the England team and struggles for consistency. Good attitude, but difficult to see him ever being a regular international.
Davies, 22: More of a defender than a wingback imo. Very similar to Rose, but less pacey and more dependable. Seems mature, and is young enough to still have plenty of development in him.
Defender (Center)
Vertonghen, 28: Popular and Captain material, but I wonder whether he has consistent dependable games left in him. He seems to be a wannabe midfielder that players in defence, rather than a solid defender capable of attacking. A good player, but I just can't see him ever being near what we had in King
Dier, 21: One of the best signings we've had for a while, imo. Mature, strong, quick and can score from corners. Non-HG, but looks like a solid world class England defender in the making.
Fazio, 28: Just hasn't looked an upgrade on Dawson. I can't see him getting into the Argentina squad as a regular, and just isn't the standard of player we can rely on in the back 4.
Kaboul, 29: Injury/attitude has ruined him. Was once our best hope of having a world class CB, but is now quite rightly no where near our side, and questionably no longer has PL ability
Chiriches, 25: Has looked good at times, but always has a bodge in him. Unfortunately, he's like an inferior Vertonghen (midfield wannabe) and has looked like a mid-table defender for too long, although I appreciate he's been played out of position for quite a while now.
Defender/Wingback Right:
Walker, 25: Really worried that he's not the answer going forwards. Looked good pre-injury, but it's worrying how much I've missed Naughton since Walker has been back.
Yedlin, 22: Still yet to see him, but looked like an excellent prospect in both positions in the summer for both Seattle and USA. High hopes for him.
Central Midfielders:
Mason, 24: First season, but has had some good games. Really not sure he's deserving of a consistent place in the squad though, as he doesn't seem to offer much more than our other options.
Bentaleb, 20: Keeps improving, our next big player I feel. Has a poor game in him, but makes up for it over the season by far.
Stambouli, 25: Has had some good games, but needs to have a bigger impact in games and could benefit from some more time in the squad. Still unsure about him.
Paulinho, 27: A square peg in a round hole. Not been the same since he got flattened by Adam, and is neither a good DM or good #10. Can't see a use for him in the squad at all.
Dembele, 28: Has shown some signs of real talent, but we could be running out of time to find that magic position we know he has in him.
Capoue, 27: So confused by him. He's an inferior version of Vertonghen playing in Midfielder, but capable (just) of being a CB. Just not a very good one in either position. He's a 'meh' player that you'd expect to see at a club like Everton or Palace.
Wingers/Wide/Attacking Midfielders:
Eriksen, 23: Free-kick specialist, and gets some good goals from midfield. Unsure where he's best playing, and needs more unpredictability in his game to stop him being silenced, but one of our better players on the evidence so far.
Chadli, 26: Started the season so well, but has been so crap since his bereavement. If he can get back to form he can be important, but I feel he probably will only be given until the end of the season to prove that to the coaching staff.
Townsend, 24: Wants it so much, wants to be Bale so badly, but he reminds me so much of Dawson in such that determination and desire can only get you so far. Just can't see him being the player that he wants and needs to be.
Lamela, 23: Has youth on his side, and has adapted to the pressing game well in recent times. Still has plenty of time to prove himself, but needs to offer more in attack in order to be part of a push to improve as a team. Wouldn't be upset in the slightest if we sold him for £20m, though.
Strikers:
Nothing worth saying. We have Soldado in purgatory, Adebayor in mental rehab, and Kane doing it all himself.
With that in mind, I can only see the following being part of our 'need to keep' future, if we really want to improve as a squad:
Lloris, Dier, Bentaleb, Eriksen, Kane.
I think the following need to be offloaded and offer nothing:
Kaboul, Fazio, Capoue, Paulinho, Adebayor, Chiriches
The rest either still need to prove themselves, or are players we need not be too concerned about leaving.
Now, I accept fully that many will disagree with what I'm saying here, especially around players like Vertonghen perhaps, but it's really worrying how many players we have we are just filling up spaces on the team registration list, without actually being quality players.