Dodgyknees Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Thought it might be an idea to look at our squad for this coming season, and see where the strengths and weaknesses are. Also, I think it might be an idea to look at how we have improve from last season. Squad: GK: Guzan / Bunn / Steer - No improvement DL: Amavi / Richardson / Bennett / Cissokho - Vast improvement already, especially if Amavi can hit the ground running. DC: Richards / Clark / Baker / Crespo / Okore / Senderos- Certainly an improvement on numbers. Will Richards be more solid than Vlaar? DR: Hutton / Bacuna - No improvement, although Crespo can also fill in here. MC: Gueye, Westwood, Sanchez, Gardner, Veretout* - If Veretout does sign, this could be our best midfield for years. Vast improvement. AM: Gil, N'Zogbia, Grealish, Cole, Sinclair - Strong but could be better. Certainly looks better than the start of the 14/15 season. ST: Ayew, Agbonlahor, Kozak, Robinson, Adebayor - Losing Benteke is a blow but 'all round' we are stronger and should cope better. Not relying on one man is a positive. Stronger. (Might have missed some out) Looking at that I think we are stronger. If I were to look at the players in as this: -1 = weaker, 0 = same, +1 = stronger. I think we'd be like this. Bunn > Given (0) Richards > Vlaar (0) Amavi > Richardson (+1) Crespo > Senderos (+1) Gueye > Snake (+1) Veretout > Cleverley (+1) Sinclair > Weimann (+1) Ayew > Agbonlahor (+1) Adebayor > Benteke (-1) So, I think we are looking much stronger already. If we can add another midfielder, maybe a winger and another striker. I feel we could crack on and have a good season! How do you all see it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post rodders0223 Posted July 28, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2015 I think it is quite clear to see, we are going to challenge for the title. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrim Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I'd probably go with Bunn > Given (0) Richards > Vlaar (-1) Amavi > Richardson (+1) Crespo > Senderos (0) Gueye > Snake (0) Veretout > Cleverley (+1) Sinclair > Weimann (+1) Ayew > Agbonlahor (+1) Adebayor > Benteke (-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I don't know about a 1vs1 comparison of the squad, but I think we're now stronger as a team. (God bless Benteke for bringing us joy and also a pocket full of cash at the end of it). As well as the new additions, we'll have a full season of a slightly-more-experienced Grealish and the re-introduction of the Spanish wizard-cum-receptionist CARLES GIL. It will take a little while for everyone to settle in, which could be a worry given our "easy" run of games at the start of the season, but I'm pretty excited for a change. In particular, I think Amavi and Veretout (if he signs) will prove to be brilliant acquisitions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post GarethRDR Posted July 28, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2015 wizard-cum I googled that once. I wouldn't recommend it. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 1 v 1 comparisons never work. Who do you compare to whom? How do you account for a change in manager, a change in coaching staff or a change in tactics completely changing the dynamic of the side? What if a new player comes in and he causes three others to raise their game? If Benteke is replaced adequately or the midfield actually decide to chip in with more than about five goals between them this season then the 2015/16 squad is stronger than 2014/15. It has to be because if it's any weaker then it's getting relegated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted July 28, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 28, 2015 Rev's right y'know. Whilst you can compare 1v1, it is an almost entirely pointless exercise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 One could also look at which formations the squad provides good coverage for. Any formation that includes an LB or a LWB looks better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Its hard to say he's better than him or worse when the players you are talking about haven't even played for us yet. I am cautiously optimistic with all the signings we have made but lets wait and see how they perform next season before comparing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXD Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I feel there's a lot of FM style excitement because we are signing a lot of new players. While they all could turn out to real good players, I wouldn't be surprised if one or two fail. eg the original poster here says crespo is better than senderos. Why? When arriving we all knew senderos wasn't signed as starter, but his experience at Arsenal, champions league, national side, ... were better credentials than crespo's mid-table spanish/italian sides and U21 caps. I am happy with many of our signings, don't get me wrong. But gueye better than delph, veretout better than cleveley, ayew better than agbonlahor? All possible but apart from amavi, who I think will be a revelation in the PL, I'm only cautiously optimistic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skarroki Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 think it's interesting to point out that along with who we've signed, there are players who are in the squad who didn't feature last season. I think players like Gardner, Bennett, Robinson etc. who were out on loan will improve squad depth this season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Defence looks ropey to me. Even Amavi looks better going forward than defending, Don't like Richards as a CB - He we bring in a proven CB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderPower_14 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Stronger overall, but the hole left by Benteke is still absolutely gaping. We were never really going to be able to fix that though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted July 31, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 31, 2015 I think over the entire front 6, the Benteke-sized hole has been more than filled. That does assume Adebayor comes in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderPower_14 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 I think over the entire front 6, the Benteke-sized hole has been more than filled. That does assume Adebayor comes in. Waiting on the Adebayor signing before I make that call, but I tend to agree if he does come in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YLN Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) *Agbonlahor, Gabriel - RemainsBacuna, Leandro - Remains*Baker, Nathan - Remains*Bent, Darren - Gone. Replaced by GestedeBenteke, Christian - Gone. Replaced by AyewCissokho, Aly - Remains*Clark, Ciaran - Remains*Cleverley, Thomas - Gone. Replaced by Veretout*Cole, Joseph - Remains*Delph, Fabian - Gone. Replaced by Gueye *Given, Shay - Gone. Replaced by BunnGuzan, Bradley - Remains*Herd, Christopher - Gone. Replaced by CrespoHutton, Alan - RemainsKozak, Libor - Remains*Lowton, Matthew - Gone. Replaced by Richards*N'Zogbia, Charles - RemainsOkore, Jores - Remains*Richardson, Kieran - RemainsSanchez, Carlos Alberto - Remains*Senderos, Philippe - Remains*Siegrist, Benjamin - Remains, but likely to be replaced by Steer.Vlaar, Ron - Gone. Replaced by Gil*Weimann, Andreas - Gone. Replaced by Sinclair*Westwood, Ashley - Remains From a purely squad point of view, we're currently at capacity. But if we look at those players that qualify as being U21 (ie born after 1st January 1994), we can take them out of above. So they are Amavi. That is all. So that's one space left. To be filled by a CB or Adebayor. So any more additions will need to be tempered by a sale. And what about players who last year were U21 but now are Over 21. There are no such players. Right so who is going to go to make way? Senderos Richardson Cissokho N'Zogbia Hutton Bacuna Cole And that's my take on that. If we want to sign more than one more player, which we do, we need to let one or more of the above go. Edit: Forgot about Gil. So we can't sign anyone unless we move someone else on Edited August 1, 2015 by YLN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 I'm hoping some of those names at the end of YLN's post will move on and be replaced - still the whole of August to go! So maybe too early for comparisons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimcohen Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 Senderos, cissokho, n'zogbia and Richardson seem a long way of the team. Tonev too. Which is pleasing. How many can we shift though. Only one I've seen mentioned going is cissokho. Wouldn't mind senderos staying though. Unless we do buy one more cb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killeen30 Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 It very late for the squad number to be released isn't it? Must be any day now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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