Blue Wiz
Player Valuation: £25m
Ok, I did one evaluation last year so this is my thoughts about our squad this year around..
Goalkeepers: Well.. Howard is still the undisputed nr 1. A very good keeper. He's reliable, and was fairly close to break the record for most clean sheets last season. Nash is the most likely nr 2. Not sure about him to be honest, 3:rd choise keeper at Wigan says pretty much actually.. feels a big step back from Wessels last season. Turner and Ruddy are further down the line, both young and not given many chances in the A-squad. But more troubling is that when they have been given chances.. they haven't made me confident about their abilities. Lets just hope that Howard will be matchfit the whole season.
Verdict: 7/10
Defenders: We can field a very, very good lineup defensively. Baines, Lescott, Yobo, Hibbert/Neville/Jacobsen is, on paper, one of the best defensive four in the league. Add to that experienced cover in form of Jags & Valente and some youngsters like Irving and I'm quite happy with our defensive line.
Verdict: 9/10
Midfielders: This was our weak area last season.. and it still is. Our first choise line is top-class. Pienaar-Arteta-Cahill-Fellaini-Osman sounds very good. I knew Fellaini is new, but he has the talent. Hope he can step up and show us we have a solid replacement for Carsley in him. But apart from those 5 we are still weak, Castillo is another unknown that might work and might be a flop like daSilva, Neville is good in fits and spurs, VdM is injured or unfit 85% of the year. While Jags and Baines can do some work in this area as well, they doesn't show confidence there. Then we have the youngsters; Rodwell has already played this season, mostly due to injuries. I wouldn't be surprised if 1-2 of the other youngsters won't get a chance as well. So while our first choise is good, the backups aren't up to par. Injuries on key-players can't be filled here.
Verdict: 7/10
Strikers: Yakubu is a great goalscorer and our first pick on that position 8 days a week if he's fit. With AJ gone we have lost pace up front, but it's up to the others to show that that won't hurt us. Saha has a very good goal-average but he's injury prone. Hope he will fair better under our physio than the one at ManU. If he can stay fit he will be a huge asset. Vaughan is another player whose injurylist is frightening for one his age, but the kid has talent and has shown that as well. Anichebe has shown he can play at high lvls, even scored in the Olympic Games. So we have 4 more or less experienced strikers, and a few youngsters to air once in a while as well as subs or against weaker opposition. I for one think we'll see Baxter more in the A-squad and perhaps Agard or Jutkiewicz as well.
Verdict: 8/10
All in all a fairly similar team like last season, slightly weakened offensively though and it's crucial that our midfield stays healthy. If Moyes can bring players in in January I hope he will look at midfielders. We still need more good players there.
Goalkeepers: Well.. Howard is still the undisputed nr 1. A very good keeper. He's reliable, and was fairly close to break the record for most clean sheets last season. Nash is the most likely nr 2. Not sure about him to be honest, 3:rd choise keeper at Wigan says pretty much actually.. feels a big step back from Wessels last season. Turner and Ruddy are further down the line, both young and not given many chances in the A-squad. But more troubling is that when they have been given chances.. they haven't made me confident about their abilities. Lets just hope that Howard will be matchfit the whole season.
Verdict: 7/10
Defenders: We can field a very, very good lineup defensively. Baines, Lescott, Yobo, Hibbert/Neville/Jacobsen is, on paper, one of the best defensive four in the league. Add to that experienced cover in form of Jags & Valente and some youngsters like Irving and I'm quite happy with our defensive line.
Verdict: 9/10
Midfielders: This was our weak area last season.. and it still is. Our first choise line is top-class. Pienaar-Arteta-Cahill-Fellaini-Osman sounds very good. I knew Fellaini is new, but he has the talent. Hope he can step up and show us we have a solid replacement for Carsley in him. But apart from those 5 we are still weak, Castillo is another unknown that might work and might be a flop like daSilva, Neville is good in fits and spurs, VdM is injured or unfit 85% of the year. While Jags and Baines can do some work in this area as well, they doesn't show confidence there. Then we have the youngsters; Rodwell has already played this season, mostly due to injuries. I wouldn't be surprised if 1-2 of the other youngsters won't get a chance as well. So while our first choise is good, the backups aren't up to par. Injuries on key-players can't be filled here.
Verdict: 7/10
Strikers: Yakubu is a great goalscorer and our first pick on that position 8 days a week if he's fit. With AJ gone we have lost pace up front, but it's up to the others to show that that won't hurt us. Saha has a very good goal-average but he's injury prone. Hope he will fair better under our physio than the one at ManU. If he can stay fit he will be a huge asset. Vaughan is another player whose injurylist is frightening for one his age, but the kid has talent and has shown that as well. Anichebe has shown he can play at high lvls, even scored in the Olympic Games. So we have 4 more or less experienced strikers, and a few youngsters to air once in a while as well as subs or against weaker opposition. I for one think we'll see Baxter more in the A-squad and perhaps Agard or Jutkiewicz as well.
Verdict: 8/10
All in all a fairly similar team like last season, slightly weakened offensively though and it's crucial that our midfield stays healthy. If Moyes can bring players in in January I hope he will look at midfielders. We still need more good players there.
