If we had the 2004/05 squad today...

[Naiskill]

The Premier league seems to have changed a lot in recent years with the lower sides taking points off the top sides more often and the break up of the conventional 'top four' giving other teams a real opportunity which makes me wonder how our 2004/05 squad would have fared in the current conditions. Do you think we'd finish a lot lower than we did given our 61 point tally we achieved and the teams below us weren't particularly great either...

 

[Groucho]

Hmm.

I think we've much more talent now, and that side in this league with finish lower than 4th. I think we could do with its defensive nous though.

This current squad with that teams organisation would be interesting.

 

[Naiskill]

Hmm.

I think we've much more talent now, and that side in this league with finish lower than 4th. I think we could do with its defensive nous though.

This current squad with that teams organisation would be interesting.

If i remember correctly, a lot of our wins were by the odd goal with a lot of 1-0s thrown in there

 

[Deleted member 28206]

I'd be out fingering birds

 

[catcherintherye]

The joint team would look something like

Martyn

Coleman
Weir
Stones
Baines

Deulofeu
Arteta/Gravesen
Carsley
Barkley
Kilbane

Lukaku.

A 5-6 split. The difference is we didn't cry anyone in 2005 unlike now where we carry Howard and have had 3 players under 22 in defence.

 

[Huyton Layne]

Nah. Bunch of 40 year olds would get battered in this league.

 

[toffeejack]

mirallas is better than kilbane imo

 

[Baines' left foot]

We'd bottle the Champions League qualifier again thanks to our negative fans.

 

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

The joint team would look something like

Martyn

Coleman
Weir
Stones
Baines

Deulofeu
Arteta/Gravesen
Carsley
Barkley
Kilbane

Lukaku.

A 5-6 split. The difference is we didn't cry anyone in 2005 unlike now where we carry Howard and have had 3 players under 22 in defence.

Kilbane over Mirallas? Oh my.

 

[tim cahill]

Virtually every time we went ahead that season we held on for 3 points. We could do with some of that now. There aren't many players from that squad I'd have in our first team now though. Nigel Martyn though... What a difference he'd make!

 

[Goat]

The joint team would look something like

Martyn

Coleman
Weir
Stones
Baines

Deulofeu
Arteta/Gravesen
Carsley
Barkley
Kilbane

Lukaku.

A 5-6 split. The difference is we didn't cry anyone in 2005 unlike now where we carry Howard and have had 3 players under 22 in defence.

Kilbane?

Actual tears.

 

[Coffee and TV]

That team with this manager would be a trainwreck

 

[AndyC]

Arteta over Gravesen every day of the week !!

 

[toffee matt]

2007/2008 and 2012/2013 were much better squads if you want to compare this side with a Moyes one

 

[Dymak]

2007/2008 and 2012/2013 were much better squads if you want to compare this side with a Moyes one

Agreed, but we were pretty much doing a Leicester until Gravesen was sold during 04/05. Moyes was the pioneer of the 4-5-1 system at that time, a system that then became commonplace in the league for the next 10 years.