Squad Analysis 2018/19

[The_Playmaker]

I like the idea, but I'd like to have a look at Chambers. He's not done badly at all at Fulham. Covered CDM and CB. Always liked him because he could pass. He gets turned too many times for my liking.

you also lose Kos and Monreal, so its barebones already.

Unless we get another HG player in, it will be too much to sell Chambers, Iwobi and Jenkinson probably.

Part of the problem. Chambers isn't good enough. He needs to be sold.

Buy fast strong players for the Premier League. No room for sentilementality.

Kos- Old and injury prone.
Monreal - Old slow and injury prone.
Mustafi- Error prone and lacks quality.
Xhaka -Too slow and error prone.
Jenkinson - Not good enough.
Elneny- Not good enough.
Miki- Not consistent enough.
Özil- Too expensive and outdated.
Chambers- Lacks physicality and speed.
Welbeck- Gone
Cech- Gone
Ramsey- Gone
Lacazette- at this point 75 million from Barca and I'd sell to fund a rebuild. He is too emotional.

Internally I would loan:

Mavropanos to Germany
ESR to Germany
Amaiechi to France
Willock to the Championship
Nketiah to the Championship
Bring back Martinez.
Bring back Nelson.

GK: Leno is clear number 1 with Martinez as no.2.

LB: Buy a starting left back,Kolasinac is back up to be sold the following year.
RB: Buy a young rb that can compete with Bellerin physicality wise.
CB: Buy a young starting dominant CB, Sokratis is back up to leave on a free the following year.
CB: Buy a young physical English centre back to compete with Holding.

DM: Activate Bennacer clause and bring him back to rotate with Torreira.

CM: Buy a box to box CM who has good shooting technique, Iwobi to be converted to CM and deputise with Guendouzi.

CM: Buy an athletic box to box, AMN to compete.

LW: Buy a physical cheap left winger, Nelson to compete.

CF: Auba to share game time with new centre forward who needs to be good in the air, and a potential good scorer. Someone of Adebayor levels and skill set when we brought him in.

RW: Bring in a starting right winger. Saka to deputise.

CB: Konate
CB: Konte or Kelly
LB: Sessegnon
RB: Aarons
DM: Bennacer
CM: Nkunku
CM: Fornals
RW: Ziyech
LW: Thuram
ST: Dolberg

 

[krackpot]

Part of the problem. Chambers isn't good enough. He needs to be sold.

Buy fast strong players for the Premier League. No room for sentilementality.

Kos- Old and injury prone.
Monreal - Old slow and injury prone.
Mustafi- Error prone and lacks quality.
Xhaka -Too slow and error prone.
Jenkinson - Not good enough.
Elneny- Not good enough.
Miki- Not consistent enough.
Özil- Too expensive and outdated.
Chambers- Lacks physicality and speed.
Welbeck- Gone
Cech- Gone
Ramsey- Gone
Lacazette- at this point 75 million from Barca and I'd sell to fund a rebuild. He is too emotional.

Internally I would loan:

Mavropanos to Germany
ESR to Germany
Amaiechi to France
Willock to the Championship
Nketiah to the Championship
Bring back Martinez.
Bring back Nelson.

GK: Leno is clear number 1 with Martinez as no.2.

LB: Buy a starting left back,Kolasinac is back up to be sold the following year.
RB: Buy a young rb that can compete with Bellerin physicality wise.
CB: Buy a young starting dominant CB, Sokratis is back up to leave on a free the following year.
CB: Buy a young physical English centre back to compete with Holding.

DM: Activate Bennacer clause and bring him back to rotate with Torreira.

CM: Buy a box to box CM who has good shooting technique, Iwobi to be converted to CM and deputise with Guendouzi.

CM: Buy an athletic box to box, AMN to compete.

LW: Buy a physical cheap left winger, Nelson to compete.

CF: Auba to share game time with new centre forward who needs to be good in the air, and a potential good scorer. Someone of Adebayor levels and skill set when we brought him in.

RW: Bring in a starting right winger. Saka to deputise.

CB: Konate
CB: Konte or Kelly
LB: Sessegnon
RB: Aarons
DM: Bennacer
CM: Nkunku
CM: Fornals
RW: Ziyech
LW: Thuram
ST: Dolberg

Good lineup. Bennacer, Nkunku and one of the CB is realistic and achievable. We might get in a Ziyech if we manage to sell one of our players for a high price.

But, you are buying 7 almost first teamers. I don't think we would compete next season with such a major rebuild.

Chambers: can be sold probably
Mustafi: Won't be easy to sell
Özil: Won't be easy to convince to move
Mkhi: Dunno, frankly
Laca: Feels like its a classic case of cutting off our own foot, but he is the only one who we can sell.

What I would try is:
GK: Leno (Martinez)
CB: Kelly (Chambers)
CB: Holding (Kos/Sok)
RB: Bellerin (Aarons/AMN)
LB: Kola(Sessegnon/Monreal)
DM: Xhaka (AMN)
CM: Torreira/Nkunku (Guendoozi/Willock)
CAM: Özil (Iwobi + ESR)
RW: Nelson (Saka)
LW: Sessegnon (Iwobi/academy)
ST: Auba (Eddie)

That is 4 first teamers and much less upheaval.

Really, it is still a poverty lineup. Yours is much better, but don't think it is realistic.

 

[Beksl]

We're one top quality CB away from having a very solid spine of Laca - Torreira - CB - Leno.

It's paramount we bring in a top class central defender this Summer. We saw how Liverpool benefited with an addition of Van Dyke and it should be a priority for us as well.

I'd focus on wide areas after that, we need wingers and a LB. We need trickery and pace and I'm sure we can find a suitable addition(s), especially if we dip into SA market. Nelson will get his chance as well, I'm sure.

Someone we'll have to fill the Ramsey role in midfield, ESR could be a longterm replacement but he's still miles off atm. If there's any funds left I'd try to add a quality CM but it will all depend on how much we can get from player sales IMO.

If I was Emery (or Sanllehi) I'd try to go big on a CB and a winger rather than spread the funds over multiple transfers. I think we can get away with one more season of Monreal/Kolasinac tbh.

 

[ptrcopp]

We're one top quality CB away from having a very solid spine of Laca - Torreira - CB - Leno.

It's paramount we bring in a top class central defender this Summer. We saw how Liverpool benefited with an addition of Van Dyke and it should be a priority for us as well.

I'd focus on wide areas after that, we need wingers and a LB. We need trickery and pace and I'm sure we can find a suitable addition(s), especially if we dip into SA market. Nelson will get his chance as well, I'm sure.

Someone we'll have to fill the Ramsey role in midfield, ESR could be a longterm replacement but he's still miles off atm. If there's any funds left I'd try to add a quality CM but it will all depend on how much we can get from player sales IMO.

If I was Emery (or Sanllehi) I'd try to go big on a CB and a winger rather than spread the funds over multiple transfers. I think we can get away with one more season of Monreal/Kolasinac tbh.

Totally agree with this. We need to be focusing on getting in top quality in the positions we are desperate for it. At the moment it’s a winger and a CB.

There’s no point in dreaming up fantasy scenarios about bringing in up to 7 youngsters who will be an instant it. That kind of turn over never helps a team. Now imagine if they’re all 19...

Liverpool have also been helped by a less aggressive press. They still press, of course, but not as often. And they are compact. They are a lot more organised without the ball. Adding personnel has helped, but it’s not the only reason they haven’t suffered as many counter attacks.

I still maintain that the players still don’t look like they know what they should be doing, and I don’t believe that all 10 outfield players aren’t following instructions. Something that needs to be installed is not just a tactical understanding, but a tactical responsibility.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

This squad is in desperate need of major surgery in several parts.

I don't care if it impacts the budget, rip up the contracts of Mustafi, Kolasinac , Mkhitaryan & Xhaka immediately. To those saying we can't take such a financial hit, we've already taken several hits by fielding this team of imbeciles who have collectively cost us time & again.

Enlist the reserves, send Suarez back to Barca's bench, get rid of the aformentioned for + El-Neny, Monreal, Ospina & Lichsteiner.

Suffer for a few seasons but allow the youth to gain experience & come good in addition to making some smart acquisitions from the lower leagues.

This phase is about excising the gangrenous rot that has been allowed to set in for far too long.

 

[Beksl]

Suffer for a few seasons but allow the youth to gain experience & come good in addition to making some smart acquisitions from the lower leagues.

By developing youngsters at the expanse of results you basically become a feeder club. The better youngsters will want to be part of winning teams not ''suffer'' from season to season. You quickly find yourself in a cycle of constant rebuilding and developing because your top players will all want to play for top teams.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

By developing youngsters at the expanse of results you basically become a feeder club. The better youngsters will want to be part of winning teams not ''suffer'' from season to season. You quickly find yourself in a cycle of constant rebuilding and developing because your top players will all want to play for top teams.

A fair assessment but anything is better than the malaise the club finds itself in.

 

[tap-in]

We're one top quality CB away from having a very solid spine of Laca - Torreira - CB - Leno.

It's paramount we bring in a top class central defender this Summer. We saw how Liverpool benefited with an addition of Van Dyke and it should be a priority for us as well.

I'd focus on wide areas after that, we need wingers and a LB. We need trickery and pace and I'm sure we can find a suitable addition(s), especially if we dip into SA market. Nelson will get his chance as well, I'm sure.

Someone we'll have to fill the Ramsey role in midfield, ESR could be a longterm replacement but he's still miles off atm. If there's any funds left I'd try to add a quality CM but it will all depend on how much we can get from player sales IMO.

If I was Emery (or Sanllehi) I'd try to go big on a CB and a winger rather than spread the funds over multiple transfers. I think we can get away with one more season of Monreal/Kolasinac tbh.

Agree, I said ages ago if we were only allowed one signing I would go for a CB. As you said, it has to be top top quality, we've been lacking in defence for years, its about time we made it a priority. We should also get shot of Bould, no idea what he brings to the table.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

Apart from FB's and Wingers our midfield is our biggest problem. Xhaka is terrible, Guendouzi really shouldn't be getting the minutes he is and Torreira doesn't seem to have the stamina for the Premier League and Özil is pretty much a white elephant at this point.

 

[yybecause]

can someone remind me of what kind of a deal we have to bring Bennacer back? first option, or what?

 

[Sanchez11]

By developing youngsters at the expanse of results you basically become a feeder club. The better youngsters will want to be part of winning teams not ''suffer'' from season to season. You quickly find yourself in a cycle of constant rebuilding and developing because your top players will all want to play for top teams.

What do you want us todo then?

 

[Beksl]

What do you want us todo then?

I've touched on this in my previous post.

I want us to go big on a top top CB and a winger, two additions in the region of 40m, someone like Zaha and Umtiti for example. We'll have a very good spine with Laca - Torreira - CB - Leno and an outlet on the wings we desperately lack.

We can flip a couple of players, Chambers is a +20m asset on this market and I'm sure we can get a reasonable fee for Mustafi, Mkhi and Elneny. Those are the first teamers I see most likely to be on the transfer list.

With additional funds we can bring in at least one more quality addition, preferably a Ramsey replacement. We need goal threat from midfield.

We lack in squad depth and here I can see Emery utilising our academy players, especially Nelson, maybe even Willock or Nketiah although I don't rate them that highly.

 

[Ceballinhos]

I've touched on this in my previous post.

I want us to go big on a top top CB and a winger, two additions in the region of 40m, someone like Zaha and Umtiti for example. We'll have a very good spine with Laca - Torreira - CB - Leno and an outlet on the wings we desperately lack.

We can flip a couple of players, Chambers is a +20m asset on this market and I'm sure we can get a reasonable fee for Mustafi, Mkhi and Elneny. Those are the first teamers I see most likely to be on the transfer list.

With additional funds we can bring in at least one more quality addition, preferably a Ramsey replacement. We need goal threat from midfield.

We lack in squad depth and here I can see Emery utilising our academy players, especially Nelson, maybe even Willock or Nketiah although I don't rate them that highly.

We will need another very good CM to have a solid spine.
We can't continue to rely on Xhaka.

 

[Beksl]

We will need another very good CM to have a solid spine.
We can't continue to rely on Xhaka.

Agree but it's too much to ask in one transfer window.

 

[tap-in]

Apart from FB's and Wingers our midfield is our biggest problem. Xhaka is terrible, Guendouzi really shouldn't be getting the minutes he is and Torreira doesn't seem to have the stamina for the Premier League and Özil is pretty much a white elephant at this point.

Agreed, people say never make too many changes but we really have to if we don't want to get stuck where we are now, ie fighting for 5th or 6th. With teams like Wolves & Everton on the up next year will be even tougher. Out of our current squad I would only have Leno, Sokratis, Bellerin, Laca, & Auba as starters.

 

[yybecause]

so it's Torreira's time now...ok..

 

[DanDare]

So it looks like it'll be a summer of selling players for around £20m (Mustafi and Chambers, one can dream Xhaka) and replacing with similar players to last summer.

I suppose our only hope of replacing the 5/10s with 7/10s will get us to CL where we can try and buy a properly good player while hoping some of our purchases develop

 

[dashsnow17]

We're the runt of the Top 6, and there are no signs of that changing in the near future. Might change, but there are no indications of it. We'll finish this season, rinse and repeat.

 

[Maybe]

By developing youngsters at the expanse of results you basically become a feeder club. The better youngsters will want to be part of winning teams not ''suffer'' from season to season. You quickly find yourself in a cycle of constant rebuilding and developing because your top players will all want to play for top teams.

Nobody cares about winning things, it's all about the money you can offer them.

 

[Ricardinho]

can someone remind me of what kind of a deal we have to bring Bennacer back? first option, or what?

£4m buy back clause it seems