Squad assessment

[calvoboy]

There have been a few posts recently talking about our squad and how we probably over-rate a few of them. It got me thinking, how far off do people think our squad actually is?

My assessment is below, based on 4-3-3 and having two players for every position. Entirely based on current form, e.g. Shelvey might turn out to be good enough for CM in a couple of seasons but he's not yet.

Good enough = unquestionably good enough to form part of a top 4 squad.
Possibly = players that could turn out to be (plus Skrtel who I'm just really not sure about)
Missing = either not good enough yet, or probably leaving in the summer (e.g. Carra and Coates)

GK

Good enough - Reina
Need at least one more

Defence

Good enough - Johnson, Enrique, Agger
Possibly - Wisdom, Kelly, Skrtel
Need at least two more - probably a left back and commanding centre back

Midfield

Good enough - Lucas, Gerrard
Possibly - Henderson, Allen
Need two more - probably cover for Lucas and a creative spearhead

Attack

Good enough - Suarez, Sturridge, Downing (well, he does a job anyway)
Possibly - Coutinho, Sterling, Borini
Could be OK here, depending how Borini and Coutinho turn out. Unlikely we'll move either on having only just signed them, so we're probably not targeting another attacker.

I make that at least two players short of a first 11 you can rely on (three if you count Downing), and 5 players short of a good all round squad. It's going to take a couple of windows to sort that out - particularly given the number of possibles in the squad that might turn out to be useless, and the fact that you're never going to have a 100% hit rate in the transfer market (our recent record has been nowhere near).

The caveat with this of course is that a good team can be much more than the sum of its parts, but it highlights what Rodgers has got to work with, and why he may have retreated back to 14 or 15 players he thinks he can trust rather than throwing youngsters in like earlier in the season.

[Cormack74]

The squads ok IMO. The problem is that they are performing below the sum of their parts.

[Fosterbloke]

Compare them to Man Utd squad and tell me we don't have a decent squad.

[Tee]

Big difference is that the Man U squad has players who actually perform consistently. On paper we may look half decent but its all worthless if the players cannot grow a pair and put in the performances. I think our players are generally not good enough and that is why we continue to struggle.

[Mattshark]

Compare them to Man Utd squad and tell me we don't have a decent squad.

List the United players who'd walk into our team.

Then list how many of ours would walk into United's team.

See which list is bigger, I can assure you it won't be the list of our players.

[Gibbo]

List the United players who'd walk into our team.

Rooney
Nani
Young
Valencia
Van Persie
Kagawa
Fletcher
Possibly Vidic

[Tee]

List the United players who'd walk into our team.

Off the top of my head.......Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Wellbeck, Rooney, RVP, Valencia.

[Tee]

And the LFC players who would get into the Utd team right now.....Suarez, Gerrard and probably GJ

[Gibbo]

Off the top of my head.......Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Wellbeck, Rooney, RVP, Valencia.

I don't think Evra and Welbeck would.

Based on the fact we play 2 striker and Sturridge and Suarez are better than Welbeck.

And Evra really isn't all that great, Imo.

[Gibbo]

And the LFC players who would get into the Utd team right now.....Suarez, Gerrard and probably GJ

I also think Agger would get into their back 4, as Jonny Evans is classed by some as their #1 defender.

I reckon he'd play Reina over De Gea too.

[Tee]

Evra is killing our LBs on form this season. And in a front 3 I think Wellbeck would get in ahead of Downing and Sterling.

[Gibbo]

Evra is killing our LBs on form this season. And in a front 3 I think Wellbeck would get in ahead of Downing and Sterling.

I actually think Enrique is better, Evra gets skinned near enough every time he comes against someone skillful.

Well you didn't specify formation did you Tee, amateur hour here. . He probably would get in a 4-3-3 then. Although I'd hate it.

[frank the tank]

Honestly? Most of their team would walk into ours.....

Vidic, Ferdinand, Evans, Jones, Smalling would all be better than Skrtel

Evra would be a better player than Enrique

Carrick, scholes would make our team ahead of Allen and possibly Lucas as well...

Valencia, Young, Nani, Kagawa would all add creativity to our midfield....

Sturridge is good but Rooney, RVP and probably Hernandez would be a better partner for Suarez.....you could argue that Rooney and RVP would be better than Suarez and either one of them as well

[red g]

And the LFC players who would get into the Utd team right now.....Suarez, Gerrard and probably GJ

Reina, Agger, Lucas and Sturridge would all get into the Scum team knowing they are better players than the Scum counterparts as Ferguson would get more out of them

[MrMichael]

There have been a few posts recently talking about our squad and how we probably over-rate a few of them. It got me thinking, how far off do people think our squad actually is? <snip>

I think you're over rating some of our players there

You said -

Good enough = unquestionably good enough to form part of a top 4 squad.

But then you put Enrique and Downing in that group? Not for me, Enrique has been massively up and down with us so far and nothing yet indicates he'd get in a top 4 team. Downing "doing a job" does not fit with your definition of good enough imo.

I'd also consider challenging Reina, given his form in the last few seasons, and possibly even Agger too. I really like Agger and up to this season I'd be arguing with myself here, but I'm not sure he's kicked on from being a young CB of immense talent but dodgy fitness to being a top class defender. Positionally he has made quite a few mistakes this year, and to an extent his ability on the ball might obscure his overall defensive ability. Also, Lucas has not yet recovered his form completely since his injuries, hopefully he will after getting a full pre-season under his belt.

Honestly, on the basis of this season alone, the only players we have who are genuine top 4 quality are Johnson, Gerrard and Suarez. Sturridge will prove to be too I believe, but hasn't been with us long enough really to be sure. Lucas, Agger and Reina all can be or have been but right now I'm not sure are. On top of that, some of our younger players may develop to be and some of our others may improve to show me to be wrong, but as things stand now (and have done for several seasons), I don't think I'm far off here.