Quality of the Top 6 - First XI and Squad

[ItsBoris]

With the transfer window now closed I think it would be interesting to look at what each of the top 6 teams are left with and especially how we stack up against them. I'll give my interpretation of each team's first 11 and squad, starting with United:

Manchester United

First XI:

----------------De Gea----------------
Rafael---Vidic-----Ferdinand--Evra
----------Carrick---Fellaini------------
Valencia----Rooney----Welbeck----
--------------Van Persie---------------

Squad: Evans, Jones, Cleverley, Anderson, Hernandez, Kagawa, Nani, Giggs, Young

Manchester City

First XI:

-----------------------Hart----------------
Zabaleta-Kompany--Nastasic--Clichy
--------------Toure------Fernandinho-
------Navas--------Silva-----Jovetic--
---------------------Aguero---------------

Squad: Richards, Lescott, Kolarov, Milner, Garcia, Dzeko, Negredo, Nasri

Chelsea

First XI:

------------------Cech----------------
Ivanovic----Luiz----Terry----Cole
----------Ramires---Van Ginkel-----
----Willian------Mata----Hazard----
-------------------Eto------------------

Squad: Azpilicueta, Cahill, Bertrand, Essien, Mikel, Lampard, Schurrle, Oscar, De Bruyne, Torres, Ba

Arsenal

First XI:

------------------Shezney----------------
Sagna--Mertesaker--Koscielny--Gibbs
----------Ramsey---Wilshere-----
----Walcott------Ozil----Cazorla----
-------------------Giroud------------------

Squad: Vermaelen, Jenkinson, Monreal, Arteta, Flamini, Podolski, Chamberlain, Rosicky

Tottenham Hotspur

First XI:

------------------Lloris----------------
Walker--Kaboul--Vertonghen--Rose
----------Paulinho---Sandro-----
----Lamela----Eriksen----Townsend----
-----------------Soldado------------------

Squad: Naughton, Chiriches, Dawson, Fryers, Capoue, Dembele, Holtby, Sigurdsson, Lennon, Chadli, Adebayor, Defoe

Liverpool

First XI:

------------------Mignolet----------------
Johnson--Sakho--Agger--Enrique
----------Gerrard----Lucas-----
----Moses----Suarez----Coutinho----
----------------Sturridge------------------

Squad: Ilori, Skrtyl, Toure, Cissokho Henderson, Allen, Aspas, Sterling


Observations:
-United look weak to me, especially their starting XI. I don't think they've addressed the issues they had and they no longer have Ferguson to paper over the cracks.
-Liverpool have a strong first XI but the weakest squad of these teams. However they can afford that since they aren't competing in Europe.
-Overall, there doesn't seem to be much difference in quality between these 6 teams, at least on paper. Does that mean that all 6 will compete for the title, or will several drop off (or one or two pull out in front?). More importantly, can we compete for the league?

 

[Kendall]

Yey, lets have some squad analysis.

United were apparently the weakest of the lot last year, we were about equal they said.

 

[chrissivad]

thread already in General Football

http://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/index.php?threads/transfer-window-summer-2013.101913/