Condimentalist Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 (edited) We've had these sort of threads before but there's a bit of discussion kicking around the board as to how good our squad actually is and people seem to have some very different readings. My own position would be that the potential in our squad is decent but underdeveloped; that we do have some good players, but the the balance and experience is missing. Ranking both current ability and potential ability, where 6 is an average/solid premiership player and 7 is a good premiership player, and including only those who have first team league minutes behind them this season, I'd go: Goalkeepers Guzan - CA: 8 PA: 9 Given - CA: 7 PA: 7 Current Average: 7.5 // Average Potential: 8 Defenders Lowton - CA: 6 PA: 7 Lichaj - CA: 4 PA: 5 Vlaar - CA: 6 PA: 7 Dunne - CA: 6 PA: 6 Clark - CA: 5 PA: 7 Baker - CA: 6 PA: 7 Bennett - CA: 5 PA: 7 Stevens - CA: 4 PA: 5 Current Average: 5.25 // Average Potential: 6.4 Midfielders El-Ahmadi - CA: 5 PA: 6 Westwood - CA: 6 PA: 7 Sylla - ??? Bannan - CA: 5 PA: 5 Herd - CA: 5 PA: 5 Delph - CA: 6 PA: 7 Gardner - CA: 4 PA: 6 Ireland - CA: 5 PA: 7 Albrighton - CA: 5 PA: 6 Holman - CA: 5 PA: 5 N'Zogbia - CA: 7 PA: 8 Dawkins - ??? Current Average: 5.3 // Average Potential: 6.2 Forwards Weimann - CA: 7 PA: 8 Agbonlahor - CA: 7 PA: 7 Bent - CA: 7 PA: 8 Benteke - CA: 8 PA: 10 Bowery - CA: 4 PA: 5 Delfouneso - CA: 4 PA: 5 Current Average: 6.2 // Average Potential: 7.2 Clearly this is a pseudo-science but one obvious objection is that poor squad players who rarely feature bring down the average, which is true. So going with a notional "First XI" Guzan Lowton Vlaar Clark Bennett Westwood Delph Weimann N'Zogbia Agbonlahor Benteke Current Ability: 6.5 // Potential Ability: 7.6 So conclusions from that rather longwinded exercise are: - We have a decent first 11 with good potential. - We are very strong in goal and up front, but weak in defence and midfield. - We have a number of players who are not and will not ever be good enough for this league. - A few choice additions in key areas, along with a cull of some chaff, could see us much better positioned for next season. Perhaps nothing we didn't know already but I'd be interested to hear your ratings at least... Edited March 7, 2013 by PatrickCousens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 I think you have vastly over rated the goal keepers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCforever1991 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Football manager CA/PA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted March 7, 2013 Author Share Posted March 7, 2013 I think you have vastly over rated the goal keepers Why? Guzan is already excellent in his first full season of PL football. It's possible for him to improve further and he's still young for a keeper. Given is a good Premier League goalkeeper, nothing more nothing less. Football manager CA/PA Guilty! But I wanted to put potential in there because it's such a young squad so looking at them without taking that into consideration sort of misses the point. I'm sure that's Paul Lambert's view anyway, whether it actually does miss the point rather depends on whether we stay up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Pretty sure the only place we have any strength in depth and real talent is goalkeepers and up top. the rest is just on average an upper half Championship squad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Given is way past it Guzan is very average Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Given is way past it Guzan is very average Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Given is way past it Guzan is very average why is that so funny? Guzan is not a world class keeper and will not be a 9 out of 10 player at all. Given has been shite for some time now too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 nobody has said he is a world class keeper but he is far from average. He doesnt make many howlers and on current form probably top 5 keepers in the league. again Given might not be in his prime but if he wasnt on a stupid contract he would have been snapped up by another Premier LEague club in january 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 I'm not so sure the forwards earn those high rankings. Weimann, Gabby and Bent all 7? Really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Guzan is way above average and easily a top 10 PL goalkeeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 I'm not so sure the forwards earn those high rankings. Weimann, Gabby and Bent all 7? Really? Bent is indisputable IMO. The guy might not be playing atm for whatever reason but he's clearly a 'good' Premier League player without necessarily being an excellent PL player. Weimann has been better than average this season. Gabby was a v close call... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Ah, so the "CA" doesn't rank how they're actually currently performing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 Ah, so the "CA" doesn't rank how they're actually currently performing? No but that's certainly a factor. It's how good a player they are at the moment, which is a mixture of form and ability. In Bent's case, for example, if you gave him a run of games in a team with even semi decent wingers he would be a good striker and score plenty of goals. If I was just ranking it on form this season he'd be about a 4 but that's clearly a nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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