Squad strength?

[Bruce Wayne]

I suppose the challenge will always be improving on what we have. If you look at the market value of the three loan signings, they're probably around £40-50 million worth. We wouldn't have a hope of raising that kind of cash to spend.

Even Heitinga and Jelavic cost over £10 million between them. We're at a level now where even spending on squad players is tough because of the general quality we have in the squad. The teams around us can spend £10m+ on a bench warmer. We can't. That's the challenge.

 

[Whatson]

We can't break teams down who sit back simple as that

It is tough at times but Fulham and Stoke came to Goodison and did just that. We put 4 past both of them

...Squad is a little stretched at the moment, highlights the importance of early business this month!

 

[Southall]

Well, 4 points from the last 9 with three of the easiest fixtures we'll get; we couldn't handle the losses of Jagielka, Distin, and the suspensions of Howard and Barry for one game.

disagree with this, Southampton are a menace for anyone, stoke away is always tough for any team (lost 1 at home all season)

 

[bainesontoast]

If we take the cup game against QPR lightly we'll be out. They're doing well in the Championship.

Their position is a bit of a lie. They have SIX wins in their last 15 league games.


I think we can get away with some rotation in all honesty.

 

[bicycleheader]

I think, going forward, that Pienaar Mirallas and McGeady(if he comes), are the quality we want on our bench but that an extra level is needed in the first team in attack if we are to keep up near the top end and have a chance of top 3 which should be the aim now that we see the base strength of the squad playing Bobbys way.

Obviously the striker issue is key also but who knows how that will pan out. Excited to see who we get in.

 

[bainesontoast]

Well, 4 points from the last 9 with three of the easiest fixtures we'll get; we couldn't handle the losses of Jagielka, Distin, and the suspensions of Howard and Barry for one game.

re: Stoke - Chelsea are the ONLY team to score more than ONE goal past Stoke at home this season...and they lost 3-2. Not easy in the slightest.

re: Sunderland - What happened v Sunderland wouldn't happen again if the game was replayed 100 times. We were making it look easy with 10 men but their keeper wasn't having any of it. Look at Poyet's post-match reaction. Enough said.

re: Southampton - Both teams had weakened XI's in this one so it was always going to be a free-for-all, especially in midfield areas. Rodriguez had scored twice the week before but he was anonymous ie. marked out of the game, Lallana threatened once and Ramirez scored out of nowhere (admittingly Howard probably would of saved it) but we responded to conceding (not for the first time this season) and won.


To say we couldn't handle the losses of those players is a bit of a misguided opinion, isn't it?

 

[bicycleheader]

re: Stoke - Chelsea are the ONLY team to score more than ONE goal past Stoke at home this season...and they lost 3-2. Not easy in the slightest.

re: Sunderland - What happened v Sunderland wouldn't happen again if the game was replayed 100 times. We were making it look easy with 10 men but their keeper wasn't having any of it. Look at Poyet's post-match reaction. Enough said.

re: Southampton - Both teams had weakened XI's in this one so it was always going to be a free-for-all, especially in midfield areas. Rodriguez had scored twice the week before but he was anonymous ie. marked out of the game, Lallana threatened once and Ramirez scored out of nowhere (admittingly Howard probably would of saved it) but we responded to conceding (not for the first time this season) and won.


To say we couldn't handle the losses of those players is a bit of a misguided opinion, isn't it?

Agreed. The actual performances in an unlucky home game with a one-off event and in a tough away game showed that the players we had coming in could perform up to a very good standard.

However, obviously, that doesn't change the fact we need upgrades to the first team/squad in general despite the competence of what we already have.

 

[bainesontoast]

Agreed. The actual performances in an unlucky home game with a one-off event and in a tough away game showed that the players we had coming in could perform up to a very good standard.

However, obviously, that doesn't change the fact we need upgrades to the first team/squad in general despite the competence of what we already have.

Yeah, of course we need upgrades, particularly up front so we don't come unstuck if Lukaku gets injured. However, I'm not having someone criticise the efforts of the players that have come in with statements that quite frankly aren't true.

Look at Stones v Stoke, for example. A 19 year old making his first Premier League start at centre-back, despite being a right back in the Championship. He's up against Crouch and Walters who, despite possessing limited skill, are physically difficult to handle. Additionally, he's got a centre-back partner he's never played competitively with before beside him. Does Alcaraz even speak English? Statement's like Davek's that "we couldn't handle the loses of Jagielka and Distin" are truly mind numbing.

 

[billycopper]

If we have an injury to Barkley or Lukaku or a long-term injury to Barry we'll struggle to cover it, but hopefully we'll address that in this window anyway.

 

[Carlito]

We've seen that the defensive cover is more than adequate, and even Robles looked OK when called upon. The worry is in the final third, where important players seem to be running out of steam, and the backup have shown themselves to be frankly garbage.

I very much doubt there'll be money to spend unless another club is willing to overpay (i.e. offer anything at all) for Jelavic or Heitinga. Whether you think that's down to the board being worthless or Martinez preferring to rely on the likes of Steven Naismith is irrelevant; the fact remains it's going to be difficult to keep the momentum going for another five months.

Getting loans from the other big English clubs is probably a no-go now that Everton are in amongst them, so hopefully Martinez can sort something out with his mates abroad.

 

[Christiffa25]

If we have an injury to Barkley or Lukaku or a long-term injury to Barry we'll struggle to cover it, but hopefully we'll address that in this window anyway.

Pretty spot on, also add a winger to that. Think we can leave the defence till the summer even if heitinga goes and it wouldn't be too much of a worry unless major injuries happened. A good winger is very much needed IMO pienaar is 32 and there are games when it's just not happening for him, we need another option. A good winger also free's up mirallas to play up top or just off a striker. And a CM, gibsons injury has been a real killer for the squad and any sort of long term to Barry or McCarthy could derail our season. A replacement for jelavic needed also.

So CM, Winger and striker....Boom!!

 

[tim cahill]

Pretty spot on, also add a winger to that. Think we can leave the defence till the summer even if heitinga goes and it wouldn't be too much of a worry unless major injuries happened. A good winger is very much needed IMO pienaar is 32 and there are games when it's just not happening for him, we need another option. A good winger also free's up mirallas to play up top or just off a striker. And a CM, gibsons injury has been a real killer for the squad and any sort of long term to Barry or McCarthy could derail our season. A replacement for jelavic needed also.

So CM, Winger and striker....Boom!!

Agreed.