How "Deep" Do You Expect Our Squad To Be?

[coys200]

As things stand we are completely fine. Should any of the obvious 3 leave that changes.

CB: depths wise probably better than city and Liverpool with Dier and Davies giving 6 strong options and could possibly add Tanganga and a host of youth options coming.
LB: 3 solid options now
RB: The one obvious area of concern as no outstanding option but all 3 obvious can do a decent job and still other options in Dier or Sissoko
CM: very well covered to the point Skipp means we can ditch wanyama. Also a very strong area in our youth ranks and I expect Harvey white to progress.

Attacking options: Established a benchmark from city Liverpool basically number of players that can play as striker or in a 3 behind the striker. I think this is a good indicator as forward positions are now so flexible. For us I’m including Sissoko and Ndombele as they can definitely do a job if needed as Keita wjnaldum Gundagon can. So basically we now have 10 plus Parrott same as City and Liverpool.

All round we are very well stocked with 2 or 3 good youth options. However I’d seriously consider ditching wanyama and giving llorente a year. He’s just a very useful plan C.

Although I’ve mentioned llorente people really need to forget a “ Kane back up”. We simply won’t find better than Son and Moura for reasonable money to sit on bench. The issue was covering Son or Moura should they go central and Lo Celso and Sessegnon definitely help with that. The complete lack of links with a back up striker in summerbi think shows we are taking a different strategy. Only reason I’d consider llorente is cause he’s free and we know he’s a good pro.

I see main squad at this moment as 27 with Whiteman Skipp Parrott added to the 24 mentioned.

 

[Espen Mowinckel]

The most pleasing thing for me, is the engineroom. Sissoko was like a new signing last season. And we have adde Ndombele. Skipp looks a real talent and this will be a HUGE year for Winks to avoid injuries and take that next step.
Lo Celso and Lamela, and maybe Alli will compete for that 10-role, as I think Eriksen is a goner.

In other positions we are strong, and the only thing I am gutted about is missing out on Dybala, as he would have made us titlecontenders. Now we are ready to compete with Arsenal and Manu and att a stretch Chelsea for that 3. and 4. place.

 

[joelstinton14]

In: Ndombele, Out: Dembele
In: Sessegnon, Out: Trippier
Not like for like, but i expect Foyth to move to RB, Davies to move to CB, Sessegnon to LB
In: Lo Celso, Out: Eriksen/Wanyama?
In: None, Out: Jansson
In: Parrott, Out: Llorente

I think we have upgraded from Dembele to Ndombele. But the Lo Celso acquisition is pending if Eriksen departs. If we keep Eriksen, we have improved in depth. If Eriksen departs, then potentially we have lost some quality which will depend on how quickly Lo Celso can adapt and whether he can perform as well as Eriksen.

So i think we have improved on last years squad but i'm not sure it is that significant enough to challenge a Man City or Liverpool. We needed another acquisition to make that step up to Man City class, and annoyingly, Dybala seemed to be that perfect player. Someone capable of scoring 20 goals and creating. To take some pressure off Kane and Son.

Don’t mean this to knock you, but it seems replacing players is the new net spend. To me it doesn’t make sense as no two players are alike but you what about players like Moura and Sissoko? No one was using this argument when we brought those players in. Also I think our formation is going to change between a diamond and 4-3-3 which completely changes the dynamics of the squad.

 

[vegassd]

There will always be people who like to grumble so they will go out of their way to find negatives. It's a common thing in the real world and gets amplified online. If we don't sign a player it's "lack a squad depth". If we do sign a player it's "how can we keep these players happy". Best to just ignore them.

I think there are two main fallacies when talking about depth; first that it's just about numbers and second that it's about specialisms.

We are yet to see how GLC and RS fit into Poch's plans for the season but on the surface they both appear to be versatile players who can cover multiple positions. If they can be successful that's a massive boost to "depth" right there.

A good measure of depth is to consider what the matchday squad would look like if the entire spine were injured, for example Lloris, Vertonghen, Ndombele, Eriksen and Kane all out. If you can still put out a good XI with options on the bench that are old enough to vote I think that's all the depth you need.

 

[punkisback]

I disagree. If we are playing a 433 we lack decent backup wingers. However a more narrow 4231 or the stupid diamond we seem flush with players who can play in the AM and CM. If you look at it we only have two genuine wide pace options up top with quality.

 

[wrd]

I think our depth is fine, Dybala replacing Llorente would have been an outrageous coup but wasn't to be. I don't think there's any area of the pitch that is a concern in terms of lack of bodys just one particular area is glowing in terms of quality in right back. However people on here were screaming for KWP to get an opportunity and he is going to get one so it's pretty funny to see the concern there.

I also think Poch believes in Foyth making the role his own and I back his opinion as his football knowledge just ever so slightly edges mine. Also appreciated the effort Foyth was making in pre-season to make that spot his, I'd put my money on Foyth winning the battle personally or alternatively forcing back to switch to 3 at the back once again. Aurier has never got going for me, mostly due to injuries so we'll see.

 

[HildoSpur]

We had depth in terms of bodies but not always in terms of real quality - now we do.

 

[RichieS]

Some good stuff in here - thanks! A few observations so far:

@JKendall13 - I'm not sure a long time injured is quite the same as "oft injured". Winks and Rose have both had a long road to recovery from serious injuries (ankle and knee respectively) but are showing signs of being over them now. In addition, Dier was ill last season far more than he was injured (appendicitis and tonsillitis within weeks of each other, poor bugger).

@journeyman - I don't think we'd miss either of Wanyama or Nkoudou and I just can't see Eriksen being allowed to go now.

@danielneeds & @Everlasting Seconds - I totally agree that depth is not just numbers. But how realistic is it to expect like-for-like replacements for every player, especially Kane? Far better and more effective to have a flexible squad that can play in a number of ways (as showcased by our good form with a fluid forward line when Kane was out last season). Just because "we" think a player is not up to a job does not mean that Poche thinks the same, and he's the one paid millions of pounds a year to be a football manager, so... . Almost all of the players in that squad have his full trust (doubts over KWP, Aurier, Wanyama and Nkoudou imo, but 3 of them could be gone in 3 weeks without really affecting anything).

@Timberwolf , @Shadydan, @Lilbaz, @nicdic, @vegassd, @wrd & @HildoSpur - spot on imo.

@The Big E Train - we need to get away from this "replacement" idea and look at the squad as a whole imo. The squad was literally too big so it was never going to be the case that every outgoing player was directly replaced.

@yawa - what do you mean by "push for winning the title"? Actually win it or repeat what we did in the last season at WHL? We'll be a lot closer to Man City this season and there is no way Liverpool will repeat what they did last year imo. I could see us second again.

@punkisback - maybe Poche doesn't consider 433 a serious option (although I'd argue that Dele and Lamela either side of Kane would be plenty good enough to tear most lower table teams a new one). Agree with you on the bloody diamond but he does seem committed to it for some reason (as above, gotta trust the expert I suppose).

Sorry for the StartingPrice length post!

 

[spids]

We have masssive squad depth. Potentially we will have 9 or 10 players who won’t even make the bench if everyone is fit! Quality is a different discussion. For example, Right Back. We have Aurier, KWP, and Foyth (who apparently Poch is keen to play as a RB and he plays there for Argentina), plus Dier who can play there. That’s 4 RBs.... but are any of them in the top 3 RBs in the league? No. And surely that is our marker.

 

[Shadydan]

I disagree. If we are playing a 433 we lack decent backup wingers. However a more narrow 4231 or the stupid diamond we seem flush with players who can play in the AM and CM. If you look at it we only have two genuine wide pace options up top with quality.

How many times are we going to play 4-3-3, in fact when has Poch ever used that formation? Even so our recogonised wingers are Son, Lucas and Sess and for a team that don't play with wingers that's more than enough.

You know in Poch's teams the width has always come from the full backs.

 

[coys200]

I disagree. If we are playing a 433 we lack decent backup wingers. However a more narrow 4231 or the stupid diamond we seem flush with players who can play in the AM and CM. If you look at it we only have two genuine wide pace options up top with quality.

Players like Son and Moura are less flexible so you can’t fill your squad with them. How many do City have Sterling Mahrez and sane now out for season. Liverpool Mane Salah. Lo Celso although not a genuine winger can definitely play out wide and he’s pretty quick.

 

[wrd]

How many times are we going to play 4-3-3, in fact when has Poch ever used that formation? Even so our recogonised wingers are Son, Lucas and Sess and for a team that don't play with wingers that's more than enough.

You know in Poch's teams the width has always come from the full backs.

I wish we would though, we have such quality in Son and Moura and now in midfield it's a shame we never bust it out. I think we have 4 quality players who can play on the wing in Son, Moura, Lamela and Sessegnon.

 

[Shadydan]

I wish we would though, we have such quality in Son and Moura and now in midfield it's a shame we never bust it out. I think we have 4 quality players who can play on the wing in Son, Moura, Lamela and Sessegnon.

I think we could possibly see it this season which is an exciting prospect. However I don't agree on having back up wingers for the sake of it, Liverpool play 4-3-3 and don't even have back up wingers.

We play though midfield where we have a number of options now and our width has always come from full back areas where again we have a number of options.

 

[wrd]

I think we could possibly see it this season which is an exciting prospect. However I don't agree on having back up wingers for the sake of it, Liverpool play 4-3-3 and don't even have back up wingers.

We play though midfield where we have a number of options now and our width has always come from full back areas where again we have a number of options.

Yeah we aren't lacking depth on the off chance we change to a brand new formation, I'd say we already have the personnel within. I'm just hopeful because Lo Celso is that creative midfielder who can play 10 or drop deeper as the attacking part of a midfield 3 which we have lacked as Eriksen hasn't suited that type of role. I think our current squad depth has the most flexibility we have ever had.

 

[coy-spurs1882]

imo for a deep squad you should have two sets of competitive starting XI, for our squad, we can have:
Lloris; Rose, Verts, Toby, Aurier; Ndombele, Sissoko; Dele, Eriksen, Lucas; Kane
and
Gazzaniga; Davies, Sanchez, Foyth, KWP; Winks, Dier; Sessegnon, GLC, Lamela; Son
both teams should be able to beat lower mid table teams imo

 

[THOWIG]

Think it all depends on the shape we play.

 

[punkisback]

Think it all depends on the shape we play.

I agree, it houh

I think we could possibly see it this season which is an exciting prospect. However I don't agree on having back up wingers for the sake of it, Liverpool play 4-3-3 and don't even have back up wingers.

We play though midfield where we have a number of options now and our width has always come from full back areas where again we have a number of options.

I do see your point in askign whenever had poch played 433, however i thought that ITK said we were looking for a new formation and that this would be it. Hopefulyl we're not going for a diamond

 

[Shadydan]

I agree, it houh

I do see your point in askign whenever had poch played 433, however i thought that ITK said we were looking for a new formation and that this would be it. Hopefulyl we're not going for a diamond

Possibly we'll see.

Don't forget we still kept Nkoudou, I make that 4 players who can play the wide role.

 

[THOWIG]

Seems we are intent on playing 442 with a diamond of sorts. In that case think we may have needed another forward, but we shall we as we're well stocked in midfield even if Eriksen depart.

 

[Shadydan]

Seems we are intent on playing 442 with a diamond of sorts. In that case think we may have needed another forward, but we shall we as we're well stocked in midfield even if Eriksen depart.

Kane, Son, Lucas, Parrott - we're fine in the forward positions.