ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

Don't look now... We've got a squad

It has happened very quietly. Some of us have noticed and some of us haven't.

Some are still talking about our "wafer thin squad" problem but is this really a thing of the past?

Sure, we are short of players at the moment but this is due to a stonking injury list, rivalled only by Arsenal, not a lack of decent players in the squad.

Assume all players are fit, then write down your first team and then list the best players who aren't in it. There are some quality players in the reserves now. Players who can cover the first team. Players who can come on and change a game. Players who can be brought on to allow different tactics.

My 1st team: Howard, Baines, Lescott, Jagielka, Neville, Pienaar, Arteta, Rodwell, Osman, Cahill, Yakubu.

My reserves (not a reserve team): Nash, Valente, Yobo, Hibbert, Jacobsen, Castillo, Fellaini, Gosling, Saha, Jo, Vaughan.

Don't even make it into my list of best reserves: VDM, JPK, Anichebe, Jutkiewicz, Baxter.

My only question mark over our squad is the back-up keeper, but only because I dont remember ever seeing Nash play for anyone.

In my Arteta-depression, it is raising my spirits to think we have something to celebrate with Moyes perhaps having solved our long standing thin-squad problem with the players who have come in and the players coming through from the youth system.
Tom Brown, Kent Posted 28/02/2009 at 06:54:01

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Mark Cassin
1 Posted 28/02/2009 at 19:50:52

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Looking at that particular ’squad’ I will put down the players who would be both available to play most weeks and also who have the quality to boss games;

Howard, Baines, Lescott, Jagielka, Neville, Pienaar, Arteta, Rodwell,Gosling, Cahill, Yakubu,Fellaini,Jo,Yobo,Hibbert.

That’s 15 players and of those we have Rodwell and Gosling who are still young and Fellaini/Jo who are still finding their feet in the league. Hibert only gets in due to him being a solid backup.

So, no we don’t have a squad and we lack a pacy winger and another top ball player for our centre midfield.

Joshua Doherty
2 Posted 28/02/2009 at 22:08:42

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Mark, Tom has a point. Think how many players we had missing for the Villa game. Our backup players have been contributing in the good run of results we have had recently. Although I do agree we need another winger and another Ball player in midfield. Still, I think we have a decent squad and the last few weeks has made me realise we do have a bit of depth although we still do need a backup for Arteta.

Jason Broome
3 Posted 01/03/2009 at 10:11:52

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Joshua - spot on.

I dream of a Kranjcar - Moutinho summer which would elevate us beyond anything we could possibly imagine... Can’t see both happening though.

Our squad players have worked their socks off and derserve the plaudits come their way. Long may it continue.

Steve Jones
4 Posted 01/03/2009 at 12:27:17

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Problem with your theory Tom is that it?s not anything we?ll ever see in reality.

By the time Yakubu & Arteta are fit again, Jo, Castillo, Valente & VDM will all have gone.

The young lads coming in have done well but if we?re ever going to step up we need 3 if not 4 quality proven strikers available at any one time along with a couple of decent wingers (as well as Pienaar), another ball winner and another Arteta.

We?ve done fantastically recently but I think the best we can expect is to qualify for the UEFA cup and that?s not where the money is.

We had our chance to step up in 2004 and didn?t take it and ever since we?ve been playing catch up.

Matthew Lovekin
5 Posted 01/03/2009 at 13:34:01

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We have a decent squad now but what we need is more quality to cover for the major injuries such as Yakubu, Arteta and Cahill. We need to continue strengthening the first team and more creativity.

As mentioned a summer of releasing Valente, VDM, Jacobson, Castillo and Jo needs to be replaced with the likes of M’Bia, Moutinho, Kranjaer and Podolski arriving. Whether we can find the finances is a completely different argument!

James Boden
6 Posted 02/03/2009 at 09:14:56

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I would probably agree with that team with the exception of Osman who I would replace with Van der Meyde. Argue all you want about his love for a pint, fitness etc, but this guy knows who to play. He would give us width and can cross a ball. Gosling vs The Shite anyone? I'd happy sell Osman and Fellaini as both are shite and offer nothing and I hope we dont sign Jo either. He is bone idle and has first touch of an elephant. Whatever any of you may think of Anichebe when he can be bothered he has ability. When you think about it we have a fairly big squad just that we are so prone to injuries and have a fair shower of shite. If Saha and Vaughan were fit on a regular basis then id happily have them in the team but thats a big if and lets be honest here if Saha wasnt so injury prone he?d still be at United as he is on another level to us, as his goal Saturday proved.

We will go into next season without Arteta and Yakubu and will thus need to strengthen, but i hope they dont waste another 15 million of someone who clearly hasnt got it. If as expected he gets 3 bookings between now and april 12 that would have been 6 games he?s missed this season through suspension. And give the liability he is id welcome that tomorrow. This isn't intended to single out Fellaini but i just dont think the bloke has got what it takes. At £15 million you'd be expecting something far better than what we?ve seen. On the upside Rodwell even at his young age looks incredibly composed and I hope he goes straight back into the team as soon as fit. That being said my pessimist head tells me that if he can stay fit he will be at United in a couple of years, but lets hope I'm wrong. And let's not forget shall we that we won at the weekend and The Red Shite got beat.
COYB FTRS

Damian Wilde
7 Posted 02/03/2009 at 12:55:36

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Mark, I don?t think you?ve looked at the evidence. In the past when key players have got injured, we have lost a lot of games, that = a poor squad. Now, we have often had key players injured and we still win, that = a decent squad. If like you said we have no squad, we would have been losing a lot of games lately. When did we last lose? Was it Man Utd away? Ye, disgrace losing to the best team in the world at their place.

James, you on drugs? VDM has played 2 minutes all season (sorry, is it 4 because he played against Villa) and suddenly you think he can come in and play full games like Osman; play well, score goals, make some assists, and work so so hard, right up until the end because of good fitness and attitude???? Osman gives you that over 90 minutes, VDM over 2 minutes. Were?s your evidence that VDM can do that? You haven?t got any. I?m glad Moyes is in charge!

Steve Ashton
8 Posted 02/03/2009 at 14:14:56

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Necessity is the mother of invention - without the injury list the young lads would not have come through and we would not have a squad.

You could argue that DM is one very fortunate manager, getting all the plaudits for doing something he had no choice in.

What Saturday proves is that if you have a settled defence you can get away with an awful lot. It also proves that TC is by far our most important player and that without Arteta Fellaini will look more and more exposed and out of his depth.

Fellaini may yet prove to be a good buy, but at £15m you expect quite a bit more than we are seeing at present - especially when we have no money. With Arteta out he should be stepping up to the plate but at times on Saturday he looked like a frightened rabbit. I wish I could say he’s like a headless chicken but he’s not fast enough!