- Feb 22, 2010
- 30,039
- 29,629
Trippier and Aurier 100% would be in the liverpool team, they have literally no RB's and even then their first choice RB was a youth player they were willing to develop whereas we won't allow ours to go out on loan nor play meaningful minutes. Applying the same logic liverpool have no Striker, quality CB outside of Van Diyk and RB after getting rid of Clyne. You know our problems because you watch us week in week out but the teams around us have the same issueGet real. Our starting eleven and squad is not good enough to challenge for the title. Do you think players like Winks, Sissoko and Trippier, Aurier etc. would get much playtime in Liverpool and Manchester City? The answer is no. We have some good players, that's for sure. But our starting eleven is weaker than the likes of Liverpool and Man City. With better CM:s and and better WB:s we would challenge for the title.
The idea that that starting 11 is weaker than Liverpool and Man City is silly as well, there is a strong case we have a weaker squad. We have a first 11 that is amongst the best in the country. We currently have holes in CM and RB but the rest of the starting 11 is amazing.
Kane
Alli --- Eriksen --- Son
Dier -- Winks
Rose -- Vertonghen - Alderweireld -- Trippier
Lloris
Now outside of Trippier and Winks, also potentially Dier, that is a great first 11.
Do you apply the same logic to the squads of Liverpool, United and Arsenal.Players good enough for the starting XI of a title winning team:
Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Eriksen, Son, Dele, Kane. 6 players
Players good enough for a top 4 finish:
Lloris, Rose, Dier. 3 players
Decent squad players:
Gazzaniga, Aurier, Trippier, Walker-Peters, Davies, Sanchez, Foyth, Wanyama, Skipp, Winks, Sissoko, Lucas, Lamela, Llorente 14+ Players
When you consider that we lost Dembele & Walker, 2 clearly good enough for a title challenging team and have replaced their positions in the squad with players that realistically you would regard as decent squad players for a top 4 team it's clear that the quality levels for the first team are hampered by players that have backup qualities.
We currently have 6 top footballers, 3 that can hold their own and the rest that are of second string quality, meaning that in every match day we have at the very least 2 players starting who should be backup, most notably in the right back and central midfield areas.
Here is where we come up short, we have a squad too top heavy with decent squad level quality, a few that hold their own and half a dozen top players that do the dirty work. When they ain't on song the others simply don't have it in them to muster what it takes.
We have many young players that are decent who have room to grow but not enough quality surrounding the other positions. We have one player like Eriksen, have fallen back on a midfield consisting of Winks & Sissoko when before we had Wanyama & Dembele and have half the quality on the right side of our defence.
The quality we had is still there in large parts, but there is a weak underbelly that, due to injuries has slowly seeped into our first XI this season.
14 players in a 25 man squad that, let's be honest we wouldn't miss if they were sold tells you all about the class difference from the magical to the mediocre. If Poch is serious about this club, which he should be because it is a great club he needs to turn at least 5 of those decent squad positions into new signings that can more than hold their own in the top 4 or a title charge.
There is this bullshit idea that on this forum, that you need players of a high standard that are of top 4 quality to deserved of the position. Yet other teams are littered with players who aren't exactly of that standard.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Kellher, Lovren, Gomez, Moreno, Milner(solid player but a level below Rose imo at his age), TAA, Wijnaldum, Shaqiri, Chamberlain, Lallana, Origi, Sturridge - 13 players
Arsenal: Cech, Holding, Lichtsteiner, Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Mustafi, Lucas, Sokratis, Elneny, SHIT MOST OF THEIR FUCKING SQUAD Only PEA, Lacazette, Leno(me being kind), Ozil(me being kind), Kosceilny, Bellerin and Mkhitaryen, are even possibly considered of being decent and I rather have some of our scrubs than their star players. Actually if their manager gets 3rd place, he should get manager of the year lol.
Man Utd: Lindelof, Jones, Smalling, Mata, Grant, Lingaard, Perira, Rojo, Fred, Young, dalot, Herrera, Shaw, Valencia, Romero, Fellaini, Darmain - 17 players.
The point is, we are about the same level Liverpool maybe slight below but every squad has holes, so that can't be used as an excuse. The fact we didn't spend anything doesn't negate the fact, that we didnt make it worse either(except the dembele transfer).
Liverpool's CB's options: Van Diyk, Matip, Lovren, Gomez
Liverpool's RB options: TAA, Gomez then milner
Liverpools Strikers: Sturridge, Origi and an out of position Firmino(who plays a false 9)
We have these holes in our squads but so do the teams around us, so that cant be always used as an excuse. Liverpool fans are criticising Klopp for getting rid of Clyne on loan when they have no RB at the moment.
Last edited: