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Is the squad big enough and does it have the right balance with what we have at present? Do we need extra players? If so, why and whom?

The season is now upon us and like last season, pre season has not been kind, what with the Copa America and such like. We have seen a few of the EDS lads and a couple look ready to step up. We havent as yet started with our best XI though so we are likely to be a little rusty come next Monday.

I for one am not a fan of the short termist approach favoured at the swamp so wouldnt be a fan of buying a player just because we arent at full strength from the get go. However, I am concerned about the defence. It hasn't been improved upon since last year. I know Denayer will play a part but let us not forget he is only 19, a baby for centre half. It will be a big ask of him to be first choice if Kompany doesn't rediscover his mojo. Similarly, Mangala has a big season ahead of him.

I would like to see fresh impetus in midfield, preferably someone wjo can do the hard yards and dirty stuff. It looks like Pogba is not coming which is a huge shame.

Up front doesn't concern me as i think we will still continue to score plenty and Sterling will give us much needed pace.

In summary, should we be happy and confident or a little worried?

I'm sure the consensus is the weak defence, not only based on pre-season, but it has been an area of concern for a while now, which needs to be addressed asap if we are to have any hopes of regaining the league title and progressing further in the champions league.

no is the simple answer
paying the price for shit transfer activity since the spafia took over

I'm decidedly underwhelmed with our transfer activity, given Khaldoon was waxing lyrical about signing world class players. I assumed we had a plan. I don't think it matters who is in our defence if we provide no protection. Yaya is the only central midfielder who is available for WBA. I know we bought Delph but he has been involved in only 97 league games in 6 years at Villa. Given his injury record it is essential, IMO, that we sign a top drawer central midfielder. I take your point about short termism, but our midfield is always overrun against the better teams.

Whilst we all have concerns in the defence I think it will work with a proper shield and at present we haven't got the man for that job, Yaya is better further up as is Fern 1 and I am unconvinced about Fern2. It is the role NDJ did for us and we need a player of that ilk to break up the attacks before they get to Vinnie at al.
No talk other than Pogba which I have heard

I'm incredibly twitchy about the situation with Kompany. For those who say he's out of form (despite all the evidence of this 'form' lasting well over a year), I can't accept that we need to suffer the consequences of us dropping points whilst he plays himself back into form. Alternatively if he doesn't get games, how does he get back into form?

He appears to have simple footballing basics wrong, and so unless we sign another centre back now, I think we might be in a bit of a mess at some point in the season - particularly with toure carrying on where he left off last season and providing zero cover for the defence.

All we've really done to try and address last seasons weakness is bring in Delph, sort of as a Milner replacement.

The problem is midfield, not having the players who can commit to the shape and tactics.

I think Yaya is our biggest problem.

Im_Spartacus wrote:I'm incredibly twitchy about the situation with Kompany. For those who say he's out of form (despite all the evidence of this 'form' lasting well over a year), I can't accept that we need to suffer the consequences of us dropping points whilst he plays himself back into form. Alternatively if he doesn't get games, how does he get back into form?

He appears to have simple footballing basics wrong, and so unless we sign another centre back now, I think we might be in a bit of a mess at some point in the season - particularly with toure carrying on where he left off last season and providing zero cover for the defence.

Exactly.
Why should we keep relying on the link up between defence and the cover of Yaya or Fern 1, thus tiring them out, which is remedial at best, when we should rather provide a concrete fix for the back? Doesn't make sense to me.

I feel we are short but not sure the players we have been linked with are the answer. Our defence needed a refresh, but other than Deneyer's addition it looks exactly the same. Midfield also as Delph doesn't inspire me as a step up on Milner, so status quo there. Sterling looks a quality addition so pleased there, but I just feel underwhelmed. Mind there's still 29 days to go so who knows what'll happen. Cant see Pogba going as that'll leave Juve really short in the middle, KDB would be good but again isn't really an answer. Maybe for all those clammering for youth to get a chance, then maybe that'll happen. We relied too much on Aguero last year, Hart won the golden glove, so maybe our problems lie somewhere other than defence?

Crossie wrote:All we've really done to try and address last seasons weakness is bring in Delph, sort of as a Milner replacement.

The problem is midfield, not having the players who can commit to the shape and tactics.

I think Yaya is our biggest problem.

Looking at this without my negative head on, if we are going to keep players like him around for the positives he brings, we have to adapt way we line up in recognition of his weaknesses.

Essentially meaning we need to play two of Delph, Fernando & Fernandinho, in order to compensate for Yaya in more tricky games. This would actually support the case for switching to a 433 of sorts with Silva taking up a more advanced position. However that then exposes the fullbacks, and we only have 1 out of 4 who can actually defend, and he was poor last season too! In losing Milner, in fact the biggest thing we have lost is protection of the fullbacks, as we don't have two midfielders at the club who could play wide and protect the flanks at the same time.

So would the whole problem be most simply solved with a new left back who can defend and a 433?

Firstly, the quality of our youngsters must be giving those in charge pause for thought. For example. I'd start Denayer against West Brom. Yes he's young and inexperienced in the Premier League, but if it looks like a defender and thinks like a defender then I reckon it's a defender (and who else out of our back four can we say that about at the moment). So the question of where we strengthen is made more difficult for me as more than one of these youngsters can step up.

We've lost 4 attacking-minded players in Milner, Lampard, Jovetic and the soon to leave Jayko. Ian Nacho can step up and obviously Sterling has joined, but that means we're still short despite the mooted change of formation. That's why De Bruyne would be the most important signing of the summer if we could get him as he will allow us to play any kind of formation and allow us to freely rotate players given both his quality and versatility.

We need a quality box-to-box central midfield player and as I can't see Pogba joining and think it's too early for any of our youngsters I think this is where we'll struggle mostly this season as there aren't many out there that are good enough and none seem to be on our radar (Pogba aside).

We need a left-back but don't see anything happening with that but don't see it as crucial as both left-backs, when give a good run at it, are perfectly capable in most games.

In central defence I'd go with what we have as Kompany will no doubt be given another go, Mangala has to be given another season, Denayer I think will be fine and Martin is more than dependable. I just hope they get more protection from the midfield.

All-in-all I'm not confident going into the season but neither am I worried. I think we'll finish in the top 3 and domestic cups are always a possibility. If De Bruyne joins I'll be confident of winning the league.

Tim777 wrote:

Im_Spartacus wrote:I'm incredibly twitchy about the situation with Kompany. For those who say he's out of form (despite all the evidence of this 'form' lasting well over a year), I can't accept that we need to suffer the consequences of us dropping points whilst he plays himself back into form. Alternatively if he doesn't get games, how does he get back into form?

He appears to have simple footballing basics wrong, and so unless we sign another centre back now, I think we might be in a bit of a mess at some point in the season - particularly with toure carrying on where he left off last season and providing zero cover for the defence.

Exactly.
Why should we keep relying on the link up between defence and the cover of Yaya or Fern 1, thus tiring them out, which is remedial at best, when we should rather provide a concrete fix for the back? Doesn't make sense to me.

I suppose the problem is putting your finger on the source of the problem. Is Kompany playing erratically because we have nobody protecting the space between the defence and midfield, causing him to do crazy shit? If so, the problem is in midfield as much as it's in Kompany's head. A bit more stability in front of him will enable him to play back into form if that is genuinely his problem. I fear the problem is somewhat more permanent though - but both issues need resolving simultaneously as we can't expose a 19 year old to the same lack of cover, regardless how good he is, its not fair.

Full backs are my big concern. We needed cover as neither left back and Sagna are not good enough. Kolarov is an absolute joke as a full back and isn't pacy or fit enough to play as a bombing forward wing back. Zabaleta was poor last season but deserves the chance to show that this was temporary.
In midfield, as has been said, we needed an aggressive break up player. Think we lost a trick in not going for either Khadeira on a free or moving for Vidal.

I think we are all a little shell shocked after the first 45 yesterday. I'm pretty sure Pellers & the team weren't expecting Stuttgart to play like it was a do or die cup semi final. Not to mention some of their tackling, it was a friendly supposed to be for getting match fitness FFS!

The defensive MF is proving problematic for sure, De-jong was mentioned earlier and was great at breaking up play but what used to frustrate me about Nigel was his perpencity to only play the ball sideways or back instead of forward.

I only follow the EPL so cannot profess to know who the answer is, but we certainly need one.

Gareth Barry was better than what we have now and he's been gone 3 seasons?

I suspect George Evans learnt himself a lone this season.

The Denyer, well let's hope we don't manage to break him, by putting him on against Chelsea in a fortnight. Yesterday, he looked at home, early weighted tackling and good distribution, calm as fuck compared to Kaptain Kalamity of the first half

Nacho, is also another addition for someone so young has a great future with us, there are goals in those boots for sure. But again, like Denayer is it too much responsibility too soon? Perhaps with Sterling playing just behind he will be confident enough?

Bony, well with Sergio supposedly not starting first game of the season, left me wondering where the goals might come (without Sergio), it doesn't appear to be from Bony.

We are so many players who won't be up to speed come the 10th and as things stand I can honestly see us dropping all SIX points from our first two games, unless something changes drastically in the next 7 days

Could Kompany still do a job in front of the back 4? He's turned to shit in the back 4. Push him further up where he can do less damage. Obviously we'd need another cb (which i'd prioritise above buying KDB at the moment). May give him a new lease of life. Just a thought.

branny wrote:Could Kompany still do a job in front of the back 4? He's turned to shit in the back 4. Push him further up where he can do less damage. Obviously we'd need another cb (which i'd prioritise above buying KDB at the moment). May give him a new lease of life. Just a thought.

I've said for a while now that I think the issue is that he is thinking faster than his body can react, and as a result he knows what needs to be done but can't physically do it as quick as he once could, hence all the mistimed challenges and being out of position. He could get away with being out of position once upon a time as he always managed to get back and get a toe on the ball etc, but now he is getting found out week after week.

If he is misjudging challenges in defence, I don't see a spell in midfield helping - although he could be worth a shout as 3rd or 4th choice there if we play as 433 and need an extra body from time to time, arguably I'd still rather play zabaleta there in an emergency.

If Peller's can just see how he needs to protect the defence, like all of us can, then yes, we have the squad to compete at the top. However, if he continues to ignore this area we will be once again scrapping for the lesser spots.

branny wrote:Could Kompany still do a job in front of the back 4? He's turned to shit in the back 4. Push him further up where he can do less damage. Obviously we'd need another cb (which i'd prioritise above buying KDB at the moment). May give him a new lease of life. Just a thought.

He may have to against WBA. I can't think of who else can play alongside Yaya. What is sure is MP will revert back to two in midfield.

If we want to finish Top 4 we're fine.

If we want to win the League we need a couple more players.

If we want to win the CL we need 2 top top top players 1 each in midfield and defense.

I'd guess on current Spafia form and our defensive bollox we will win fuckall this season and can look forward to Pep turning it all over next summer. Yawn.

Cheers

I see yesterday's match as us losing the first half 4-0 and winning the second half 2-0. The question is why did we let four in? Was it the defence to blame or the midfield? (Or both). I think it was a product of how we set up to play (plus a couple of bad individual performances) - we got our act together at half time and their chances largely dried up with the threat seeming to shift more to the wide areas rather than through the middle (thanks to us controlling the midfield at last). Denayer and Zuculini were as responsible for the change as the tweak to how we were set up, in my opinion (although I don't think the second half lineup would have made it through the first half without letting in a goal or two).