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Premier League Squad

Gutter Boy said:
Would be nice to ship out wanyama and nkoudou before the European deadline - get the squad back down to 25ish.

Guess Edwards could go back to Holland or to league one still too
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The football league loan window is still open which might be an option for Edwards. I can't see Wanyama wanting to go abroad or drop down. Maybe we can still find someone to but GKN.
 
P.D. said:
Do people think the squad is better than last season, I would say it's about equal.

Ndombele - will be able to play more games than Dembele but still needs to adapt to the league
Le Celso - needs to adapt but promising, also different style of player to Eriksen to difficult to make direct comparisons
Sessegnon - can play anywhere on the left but will have to see where he fits in, don't think he'll get more than 15 starts this season anyway

Lack of depth at RB and CB (assuming Foyth moves to RB) and no cover at CF worries me, feels like we have similar holes in the squad and not signing anyone last summer whilst still giving us a good season shows how difficult it is to fill 2 seasons worth of squad development in one summer.
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I think we have improved a little, although the fate of Eriksen in the next three weeks will have a big say in how healthy our squad will be for the season. The reason I think we have improved a little is because 1. I think NDombele now is better than Dembele at the beginning of last year; 2. Kane, Dier, and Alli have had a proper pre-season (edit: have not had a long WC I mean - Dier's pre-season wasn't good at all of course), and Lamela is fit and playing well; 3. Winks and Sissoko have a good season under their belt for the first time since breaking through/joining us.

Lo Celso is the real wild card for me. I cannot see him emulate Eriksen this season, perhaps never. But I don't know his game well, and I am looking forward to being surprised.
 
milo said:
The football league loan window is still open which might be an option for Edwards. I can't see Wanyama wanting to go abroad or drop down. Maybe we can still find someone to but GKN.
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None of them will get a minutes football this season with us, so they need to move if they have any regard for their careers.

Wanyama needs to accept he's not EPL level anymore. The Scottish window is still open - maybe a return to Celtic?
 
As it stands the Champions League (submission deadline 2nd September)

Non "Locally trained players" 18/17
Lloris
Gazzaniga
Alderweireld
Vertonghen
Sanchez
Aurier
Davies
Dier
Wanyama
Sissoko
NDombele
Lo Celso
Son
Lamela
NKoudou
Eriksen
Moura
Parrott


Local trained players (Club trained and Association trained) 6/8
Rose
Winks
Kane
Alli
Walker Peters
Sessegnon
Georgiou

B list players (born on or after 1 January 1998 and has been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years since his 15th birthday by the time he is registered with UEFA. Players aged 16 may be registered on List B if they have been registered with the participating club for the previous two years without interruption)
Foyth
Skipp
Tanganga
Marsh
Whiteman
Roles
etc

For the Premier League squad Davies is considered homegrown and Parrott get in the u21 list.
 
P.D. said:
Do people think the squad is better than last season, I would say it's about equal.

Ndombele - will be able to play more games than Dembele but still needs to adapt to the league
Le Celso - needs to adapt but promising, also different style of player to Eriksen to difficult to make direct comparisons
Sessegnon - can play anywhere on the left but will have to see where he fits in, don't think he'll get more than 15 starts this season anyway

Lack of depth at RB and CB (assuming Foyth moves to RB) and no cover at CF worries me, feels like we have similar holes in the squad and not signing anyone last summer whilst still giving us a good season shows how difficult it is to fill 2 seasons worth of squad development in one summer.
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Disagree, and you are comparing what? end of last season or beginning of last season?

GK & CB is as strong as can be expected (Gazza now locked #2, Foyth and Sanchez have had another year PL +copa experience, and Tangaga looks a real prospect)
FBs, left side improved as Sessegnon is now an option, RB weaker with Trippier (off his worst season with us) gone
CM, N'dombele with fit Winks, Sissoko knowing his role in the side plus Lo Celso is significantly better off
AM, add fit Lamela, Lucas seemingly incorporated more plus Dele should have more options
FW, Kane, Son with Parrott as prospect, lost Llorente

Honestly, the big thing to see here is

- Consistency of squad (it's a big part of why we have made 4 top 4's in a row)
- Players rested (we ran out of legs, Kane, Son will be much more rested)
- Biggest hole last season was CM, we have added two of the best prospects in Europe to cover that.
- More depth and three fringe players (Tanganga, Parrott, Skipp) who will be part

The real concern is injury to Kane or any of the RBs

But compare it to clubs around us

- City has lost Kompany and Sane (ACL fudged) with Rodri and Cancelo in, depth improved (already had tons of that) but dependence on a year older Aquero continues
- Pool, fudge all, bought a back up keeper
- United, sold their front line striker with no replacement, overpaid for a decent CB
- Chelsea, lost Hazard, Luiz, Cahill, Drinkwater, two fo their youngsters injured or coming back from injury
- Scum, lost a CB, bought Luiz, Pepe, Tierney and Ceballos

Out of top 6, I think it's us and Scum who have done best with us addressing more of the "issues" in squad than them (not sure how Luiz makes a back line more reliable)
 
Gutter Boy said:
None of them will get a minutes football this season with us, so they need to move if they have any regard for their careers.

Wanyama needs to accept he's not EPL level anymore. The Scottish window is still open - maybe a return to Celtic?
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It's a shame that nothing came of the Bournemouth link to Wanyama. I agree that they need to move on, there is no point having them block chances for academy players.
 
I think this has been a really strong window.
We have literally added strength (in every sense) to the team.
We have so many options now.

RB a bit of a concern. But we do still have Aurier as well as KWP and Foyth.
I suspect we'll see Dier at CB more.

I reality, we have proven high level Internationals in every position - two for most positions.
And a few players looking to force their way through - KWP, Sessengon, Foyth. Arguably Lamela.
Then below that Tanganga, Skipp and Parrot who will have the space to develop.

Gk- lloris, gazza
LB - Davies, Rose. (Sess?)
CB - Verts, Alder, Sanchez, Dier
RB - Foyth, Aurier, KWP
MF - Winks, Sissoko, NDombele, Lo Celso. (Dier, Skipp)
AM - Eriksen, Alli, Son, Moura, Lamela (sess? Lo Celso?)
ST - Kane, Son, Moura (Parrott)

There are very few weaknesses In there.
But what really strikes me is;
I. Workrate. There is huge workrate throughout that squad.
II. Rewind three years and some of the players we considered first team, possibly even essential, are now just part of the squad - Lamela, Rose.
We are constantly improving.
 
milo said:
Lo Celso looks like a big upgrade on Eriksen for pressing.
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All the comparisons I saw between the two showed Eriksen as a better passer, Lo Celso better at dribbling.

Seems that he is more likely to break the lines himself and then get a goal/assist as opposed to sliding the ball through.

Defensively I think Lo Celso is better, more combative, but its not by a huge amount. Eriksen is deceptively effective.

All in all I think its a case of styles, rather than quality, and Lo Celso signals a shift in tactic/attitude for us IMO.


Hotspur75 said:
Hm, very interesting to see how alike they are. Based on this - but then stats never tell the complete story - a midfield three with Winks, Lo Celso and NDombele might be a real option. So 4-3-3, alongside the other system we can play which is 4-2-3-1. With the departure of Trippier and the near departure of Rose, Poch may be rethinking his tactical options. Fewer flying full-backs (so fewer opportunities to play 3-5-2), but more creativity and steel in the middle of the park.

Looking forward to the season!
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I actually think with Sessegnon on a 3-5-2 becomes more likely. He and Aurier/KWP boming wide, loads of quality central, can really overwhelm teams.

Though Ive been mostly inclined to expect something of a 4-3-3 with the players we now have.

Either way I agree, I think we are in for a shift in tactics/attitude this year.
 
Biggest thing to some out of the window was not the signings (although Lo Celso, NDombele and Sessegnon are all improvements to our squad) but the fact that half our team weren't involved in the WC semi-finals and will have returned to pre-season more refreshed. Add in Son not having to miss most of January for the Asian Cup and we'll have a fresher squad with more ability to rotate players.
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
All the comparisons I saw between the two showed Eriksen as a better passer, Lo Celso better at dribbling.

Seems that he is more likely to break the lines himself and then get a goal/assist as opposed to sliding the ball through.

Defensively I think Lo Celso is better, more combative, but its not by a huge amount. Eriksen is deceptively effective.

All in all I think its a case of styles, rather than quality, and Lo Celso signals a shift in tactic/attitude for us IMO.
Click to expand...

Eriksen covers a lot of ground but is quite standoffish when he closes a player down. I am expecting Lo Celso to be a lot more aggressive and get more turnovers.

On passing, from what I have seen, Lo Celso looks more direct but has less range. I think that both Ndombele and Lo Celse playing sharp passes through defences could be very effective. There should be plenty for our other forwards to run into.
 
milo said:
Eriksen covers a lot of ground but is quite standoffish when he closes a player down. I am expecting Lo Celso to be a lot more aggressive and get more turnovers.

On passing, from what I have seen, Lo Celso looks more direct but has less range. I think that both Ndombele and Lo Celse playing sharp passes through defences could be very effective. There should be plenty for our other forwards to run into.
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Thats my thinking.

Mobile, fluid, ever moving. Able to pass through or run through. Both of them.

Imagine trying to defend against that, AND keep an eye on Kane/Son/Moura...
 
I know realistically it’s never like this and now we just have a pool of very very good players at our disposal... but

As it stands are we thinking,


First XI:

Lloris
Aurier Alder Vert Rose
Winks
Ndombele GLC
Eriksen
Kane Son

Second XI:

Gazzaniga
KWP Foyth Sanchez Davies
Dier Sissoko
Lamela Dele Sessegnon
Moura
 
diego_maradona said:
I know realistically it’s never like this and now we just have a pool of very very good players at our disposal... but

As it stands are we thinking,


First XI:

Lloris
Aurier Alder Vert Rose
Winks
Ndombele GLC
Eriksen
Kane Son

Second XI:

Gazzaniga
KWP Foyth Sanchez Davies
Dier Sissoko
Lamela Dele Sessegnon
Moura
Click to expand...

Yeah that's roughly the way I see it too, though as you said things are obviously much more fluid in reality.

If Eriksen does stay I think this will be the strongest depth we've had in the PL era (I was born in 84 so don't remember much before). Our first XI won't necessarily be stronger than 16/17 when we had peak Walker, Dembele and Wanyama, but we'll at least be getting closer to it than we have been the last two seasons. All in all I think this squad could push all the way in every competition, and hopefully finally win at least one of them! (If Christian stays...)
 
diego_maradona said:
I know realistically it’s never like this and now we just have a pool of very very good players at our disposal... but

As it stands are we thinking,


First XI:

Lloris
Aurier Alder Vert Rose
Winks
Ndombele GLC
Eriksen
Kane Son

Second XI:

Gazzaniga
KWP Foyth Sanchez Davies
Dier Sissoko
Lamela Dele Sessegnon
Moura
Click to expand...
Other than right back I would be comfortable with 2 or 3 players from the second x1 making regular starts due to form / injuries and a theoretical bench of Moura dele Lamela Sessegnon and Sissoko would offer lots of options to change the flow of a game that wasn’t going out way. Ditto Dier Sissoko and Sanchez for shutting up shop.
 
The obvious worries for me going forward is addressing the right back situation, and replacing Alderweireld, Vertonghen and potentially Lloris in the long run.
 
I am very happy with the squad, we have strength, balance and options. And Im considering it without Eriksen whom I expect to leave, or be sidelined.

I think it looks class. And thats on top of the fact its rested, had a pre season, and looks in form.

RB is a weak area quality wise, but its no worse than last season and does have depth. So it could be a lot worse. I do also think with the midfield improvements the whole team comes up a couple of notches as well, so its likely RB will be less exposed (and the defence in general).

I really hope Vertonghen signs a new deal, get the feeling he will, he is making all the right noises about being happy.

Sanchez replaced Alderweireld for me. We keep Toby this season (absolutely no point selling at this time) and if he leaves on a free thats fine, Sanchez is ready to step in. And then what we really want to buy is another young/potential type player, not the finished article. Far easier done.
 
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