"Best squad in 25 years+"

Zatara · January 1, 2016

I noticed a lot of posters saying this and also everyone's "hero" Martin Samuel posted the same in a reply to someone today. I very much strongly disagree.

If you look at the squad in terms of "top players" and even fill it out with "unqualified potential" this is what i feel we have, note the ??? means no-one good enough:

GK -- ??? / ???
LB -- Baines / Garbutt(loan)
LCB -- Jagielka / Mori / Galloway
RCB -- Stones /Browning(inj)/ Holgate
RB -- Coleman / Pennington (inj)
DM -- Barry / McCarthy / Besic
CM -- ??? / Cleverley
LW -- ??? / ???
AM -- Barkley / ???
RW -- Deulofeu / Lennon
CF -- Lukaku / ???

--8 positions with top players for the first 11 when everyone is fit
--3 positions where we lack quality, that's 30% of the outfield
--Key positions lacking,GK /CM / LW
-- Mostly only young players for depth

The actual "squad" still has:

Howard - Finished
Robles - No confidence in him it seems
Oviedo - Contract expiring
Hibbert - Contract expiring
Gibson - Contract expiring
Osman - Contract expiring
Pienaar - Contract expiring
McAleny - Not good enough
McGeady - Not good enough
Mirallas - No confidence in him it seems
Naismith - Being sold imminently
Kone - Maybe ok as 3rd choice for a year
Leandro - Not ready till next season

13 players not good enough/unfavoured
+
18 "top players" consisting of:
12 senior players (incl 3DMs / 2 RW)
6 inexperienced players
Incl 1 on loan and 1 out for the season

I think we need to have a turnaround of at least 7 players coming in (thats if the young players are good enough!) and up to 13 players leaving.

I know Watford have changed around 10 players last summer whilst Martinez has gradually been adding in short-term stop gaps and spending on quality where he can with his budget but we could see 5 players out of contract in summer and 5 players imminently sold (Naismith/Howard/McAleny/McGeady/Mirallas).

I dont think we should consider this "squad" to be "Martinez's" squad yet nor a balanced squad and in no way "Our best squad in 25+ years" until at least this summer when dramatic changes occur.

This isnt intended to be a "transfer thread nor a young players thread". This is meant solely to discuss the squad strength in depth...

Furey1878 · January 1, 2016

Happy new year, Zat x

Zatara · January 1, 2016

It's going to be "Phenomenal" !

Furey1878 said:
Happy new year, Zat x

Chang Elephant · January 1, 2016

ijjysmith · January 1, 2016

For actual gods sake

Allezfan · January 1, 2016

Mostly when people say that it's just to point how utterly crap we've been for those 25 years.

maccavennie · January 1, 2016

On page 1 and that's a first for me!

davek · January 1, 2016

It'll take Martinez another two windows to add to the core of realistic starters and shuffle out the deadwood.

Allezfan · January 1, 2016

I mean the other choices for best squad in 25 years contain the likes of tony grant, kevin kilbane and phil neville.

It's not as much praise as it might appear.

Eggs · January 1, 2016

...it's only the best squad if it achieves more than it's predecessors. Having good players is not enough without attitude and organisation.

tim cahill · January 1, 2016

Only one CM and one AM eh?

Who knew?!

Allezfan · January 1, 2016

Eggs said:
...it's only the best squad if it achieves more than it's predecessors. Having good players is not enough without attitude and organisation.

Fortunately again that's not a high bar to meet.

We win a trophy and also finish above 15th and it's our most succesful season in those 25 years.

Being the best in our worst ever 25 years as a club is not a particuarly hard thing to do.