Squad strength?

[bourneblue]

Speaking of agendas, how things in the boardroom?

Wouldn't know, but events on the pitch are looking good,as much as it irks you and your cronies.
Yes am pleased with Martinez and how the team is playing,impressed too that he has no hesitation in starting some of our more talented youngsters.
There's an insight to my agenda, it's called supporting the team.
Regards, Bourneblue.

 

[Glasambyth]

I actually think we have begun to strike up a relationship with Barca. Roberto is Catalonian (a la Barca) - not Spanish - and Del Boy may be the first of several exciting "arrangements". January window may be very interesting!
BTW (mundanity) Barca's red and blue strip was allegedly established by a (British) club founder, based on colours of his old school - Merchant Taylors Crosby!

 

[steken1]

Wouldn't know, but events on the pitch are looking good,as much as it irks you and your cronies.
Yes am pleased with Martinez and how the team is playing,impressed too that he has no hesitation in starting some of our more talented youngsters.
There's an insight to my agenda, it's called supporting the team.
Regards, Bourneblue.

Haha, Thats me told, and me cronies, whoever they are?

 

[davek]

Squad is creaking.

Milkman has a grade 1 and out for 10 days.

ROM only played today after passing a fitness test.

...it's just a flesh wound, we'll be ok...

 

[davek]

You pathetic little muppet, how is it you only appear when the result is less than a win ?
Always posting negative **** and predicting doom and gloom.
Whatever your agenda is it does nothing for the well being of this great club.(fact)

He's stating what the manager is saying. We're stretched and Distin is maybe another two weeks out.

 

[Ihaters]

He's stating what the manager is saying. We're stretched and Distin is maybe another two weeks out.

We have hardly any injuries at the moment and we are playing well. The few we have are well covered.
Martinez has started using the obvious plan B of not playing two DM's against the likes of Stoke... albeit once we are down a goal.
And we are still looking better than any opponent we encounter.
We are not stretched as a squad at all to be honest, and I hope Martinez is just saying this to try to squeeze the chairman that he's so very very impressed with, for some of the money he should have from his first transfer window.
You wouldn't even of mentioned this if we hadn't of been unlucky in a couple of recent games.

 

[griffla]

We have hardly any injuries at the moment and we are playing well. The few we have are well covered.
Martinez has started using the obvious plan B of not playing two DM's against the likes of Stoke... albeit once we are down a goal.
And we are still looking better than any opponent we encounter.
We are not stretched as a squad at all to be honest, and I hope Martinez is just saying this to try to squeeze the chairman that he's so very very impressed with, for some of the money he should have from his first transfer window.
You wouldn't even of mentioned this if we hadn't of been unlucky in a couple of recent games.

We've got 2 out for the season in Gibson & Kone, our captain and the milkman, our rocks at the back, are also both out. We've also lost our top class, 'get-us-a-goal' impact off the bench in Deulofeu and Lukaku is great but he looks knackered. How can you say the squad isn't at all stretched?
There's no room for error in the chase for top 4, we might have been unlucky but if we're serious about this CL chase then we'll need a really good transfer window.

 

[deipnosophist]

We are stretched...end of. Reinforcements are required, similarly, end of. The Jan/Feb period sorts the men out from the boys. We need fresh men. The PL is an effing war of attrition over late Dec to mid Feb. And this year, particularly so since it is such a close contest.

 

[bluestevon]

We can dream. We should be all over Mourinho for De Bruyn. I think the lad wants the Bundesliga switch though.

One conversation with Martinez would change his mind on where to play mate, of that i have no doubt whatsoever

 

[bluestevon]

Can't have another Prem loan and there's zero chance he'd sell him to us.

Why Brennan? you honestly think Mourinho is of the opinions that 1. we are gonna finish above his chelsea team and 2. De Bruyne would be such a massive asset to us that he could see him pushing us ahead of them?

Think a lot need a reality check, if we put a bid in suitable to chelseas evaluation of him then they would sell, simple as, De Bruyne is simply not a Mourinho player same as Mata isn't, he's a manager who has always had the belief that if your not happy then go, a belief he has basically said about a few players so far, the stories linking De bruyne for a switch permanently to the bundesliga show pretty much that he is not someone Mourinho is particulary arsed about losing or see's in the immediate future as fitting his sytems

 

[bluestevon]

I dont think we need to succumb to that sort of fatalism. Our destiny is in our hands if resources are found.

There's no leap for this club off the pitch either via a new stadium scheme success or a billionaire...THIS is our only realistic way of crashing through to another level - on the pitch.

We have the manager of his generation at Everton...of that I am utterly convinced. We cant waste his time here with us. We need that breakthrough moment and we are capable of making it with a bit of investment into this squad.

With the influx of the increased tv revenues being their a lot where frustrated it wasnt spent in the summer, now playing devils advocate, and by no ways a defense of kenwright who im not a fan of in the slightest see archives on that), i will say that with the managerial change and lets face it a lot on here expected a small to big dip in our position this year at the least, i can understand why not dipping into that money was a smart business move until it was seen how we'd adapt and if we'd slip down the league.

However its patently obvious that we are stronger than ever now, not gonna be embroiled into any relegation type battles for the foreseeable future, NOW with those facts their, the reason to not spend the money that we know is incoming is no longer a valid one, ANY money not spent from the summer dealings should be added to a decent percentage of the estimated place finish money from the tv deals and used to strengthen the first team and squad depth this window as the choice is clear.

Finishing in the champions league would effectively give us right back any large investment made this window, if we invest and dont qualify then all we have done is spent a substantial amount of the summer budget, which may mean a relatively quiet sumer but with a lot of dealings done in January we would not need to have a large influx in the summer if were not in the extra games of the CL anyways

 

[ToffeeDan]

4 from 9 it was but you don't always get what you deserve in football - if we did we'd have got a point against Sunderland (albeit with 10 men), just about deserved 3 from the Saints game and 3 yesterday. Being reasonably fair we probably merited something like 6 or 7 points more so far this season - so perhaps we're due a few lucky wins. Furthermore with Jags and Sylvain probably carrying knocks we weren't really at 100% and it's good that AA and Stones have had some game time - done ok.

Since Heitinga and Jelavic (possibly) are on the way out we could do with 2 or 3 replacements - a midfielder and a striker at least to freshen the team up. We're not far away from where we need to be - and yes, despite only 4 from 9 it's 7 from 12 over the whole Xmas period and very consistent all season.

 

[bluestevon]

4 from 9 it was but you don't always get what you deserve in football - if we did we'd have got a point against Sunderland (albeit with 10 men), just about deserved 3 from the Saints game and 3 yesterday. Being reasonably fair we probably merited something like 6 or 7 points more so far this season - so perhaps we're due a few lucky wins. Furthermore with Jags and Sylvain probably carrying knocks we weren't really at 100% and it's good that AA and Stones have had some game time - done ok.

Since Heitinga and Jelavic (possibly) are on the way out we could do with 2 or 3 replacements - a midfielder and a striker at least to freshen the team up. We're not far away from where we need to be - and yes, despite only 4 from 9 it's 7 from 12 over the whole Xmas period and very consistent all season.

Its about expectations mate, i dont expect to see us winning the league, be nice but nah too much quality at city and chelsea for it not to click for one of them at least this season, overall with that in mind then maintaining in the hunt for 3rd or 4th like we are is a very satisfying place to be at imo, not losing vs stoke yesterday was absolutely huge imo, as big a result as the utd or arsenal ones in many ways

 

[Ihaters]

We've got 2 out for the season in Gibson & Kone, our captain and the milkman, our rocks at the back, are also both out. We've also lost our top class, 'get-us-a-goal' impact off the bench in Deulofeu and Lukaku is great but he looks knackered. How can you say the squad isn't at all stretched?
There's no room for error in the chase for top 4, we might have been unlucky but if we're serious about this CL chase then we'll need a really good transfer window.

I'd take one of a CM and/or a striker this jan window.
Alkaraz, Stones and Heittinga should be able to cover for the two CB's for a couple of weeks
Pienaar, Mirallas, Naismith, Oviedo and Osman should be able to cover the two wings whilst Deu gets better
Barkley can swap with most of the above as well if he needs a rest but that shouldn't be an issue from now on.
Lukaku has survived the new years rush and now gets a game a week so should get better again, Jelavic has been alright when he's come on, hitting the woodwork and getting in some good positions, but that would be a good position to improve on.
Whatever we get will be a bonus added to a squad more than capable of covering injuries now that the games are one a week again.

 

[Christiffa25]

The squad isn't strong enough for a serious top 4 challange IMO. If everyone is fit, maybe just maybe can get away with it but a few key injuries were always going to be a problem. Kone and Gibson our massive long term losses. We'v not seen kone but I trust RM judgment in spending 5M on him and believe he would of played plenty of minutes this season. Of course Gibson too, a big big loss to a squad like ours. Deleufoe getting injured took away the only real game changer left on the bench away!

fully fit bench of: Robles Stones Alcaraz Deleufoe Osman Gibson Kone
Compared to : Robles Hibbert Oveido Naismith Osman Jelavic Vellios

Big difference in benches that. And benches win you games these days!