squad strength

[EwarWoo]

Journo writing in the Telegraph day or two back reckoned we had the strongest first team in the prem (when all fit etc) but that our second string would fail to qualify for the UEFA cup or whatever it's now called.

You take the best 11 players out of a team and it would fail to finish top 6?

That's worthwhile journalism pointing out something meaningful

We do have issues with our squad, but that really a bit of a silly dramatisation of it, same could be said for anyone.

[kris90210]

But thats at least 2 months away, then he needs to adapt to the premiership (he may not, he's known as a bit of a pussy in Italy so god knows what he'll be like here) and anyway, he doesn't have the range of passing or eye of Xabi, he's a completely different player. By the time he's even settled, I think we'll be a good 10 points behind the top.

How depressing. Would you have posted this if we'd drawn or beaten Spurs? My point being that you are being overwhelmingly negative on the back of one performance.

We played badly. Lets not over react though eh? We've lost one player, albeit a class player, but apart from that we're the same side. As Rafa said in his press conference, we lost games with Xabi in the side, and we played badly with Xabi in the side.

We were shocking at the beginning of last season as well - we were extremely lucky against Villa.

Its the first game of a long season. Utd hardly got off to a flier last season and they still won it. In fact as I recall we were about 9 points clear of them at one stage and they overturned it.

We have some very winnable games coming up to build up some form. The result on Sunday was dissapointing for everyone but its one game!

[FatTony]

How depressing. Would you have posted this if we'd drawn or beaten Spurs? My point being that you are being overwhelmingly negative on the back of one performance.

We played badly. Lets not over react though eh? We've lost one player, albeit a class player, but apart from that we're the same side. As Rafa said in his press conference, we lost games with Xabi in the side, and we played badly with Xabi in the side.

We were shocking at the beginning of last season as well - we were extremely lucky against Villa.

Its the first game of a long season. Utd hardly got off to a flier last season and they still won it. In fact as I recall we were about 9 points clear of them at one stage and they overturned it.

We have some very winnable games coming up to build up some form. The result on Sunday was dissapointing for everyone but its one game!

This isn't based on the weekends performance, there were no surprises there. Its based on the fact that we now have no one directing us from midfield at all, and the player coming in for alonso is two months away from fitness and then needs time to adjust. Its going to be november time before he's even had a run. We all know that mascher and lucas doesn't work so theres a gaping hole in the most imporant part of the pitch for a quarter of the season. Then we have to pray that aquilani is an instant success.
If rafa can surprise and pull a big signing out of the air we will be in with a shout, but if he doesn't this season will be fruitless. Alonso may be just one player, but he's one of very few out there that can do what he can, our backup doesn't have it at all.

Btw arbeloa was a solid performer too, not as instrumental as xabi no, but an important player.

[kris90210]

This isn't based on the weekends performance, there were no surprises there. Its based on the fact that we now have no one directing us from midfield at all, and the player coming in for alonso is two months away from fitness and then needs time to adjust. Its going to be november time before he's even had a run. We all know that mascher and lucas doesn't work so theres a gaping hole in the most imporant part of the pitch for a quarter of the season. Then we have to pray that aquilani is an instant success.
If rafa can surprise and pull a big signing out of the air we will be in with a shout, but if he doesn't this season will be fruitless. Alonso may be just one player, but he's one of very few out there that can do what he can, our backup doesn't have it at all.

Btw arbeloa was a solid performer too, not as instrumental as xabi no, but an important player.

We beat Man Utd 1-4 last season without Alonso and Arbeloa.

Mate, just relax and have a bit of faith. No one is arguing it wasnt a bad performance, but we haven't suddenly gone from a great team to a **** team after losing Xabi.

Of course its a risk with Aquilani, but all the top 4 are having to take risks this season. Utd are without Ronaldo and Tevez, Chelsea are playing a brand new system under a manager that can barely speak English, and Arsenal have lost Adebayor.

As I said in my last post, if we can win our next few games (as we should do on paper) then we can build up a bit of confidence and it will cast a different light on things