So How Good Are Our Players Really

[machiavelli]

The only way you can make wholesale changes to a squad and be successful is if you do a Chelsea, and that something I don't think (or at least hope not) will happen.

I think what it does do, besides giving Rafa his first choice players as opposed to scraps, is it will allow us to compete in a Rooney type situation. As wonderful a human being as Shrek is, he would benefit any squad.

What United have done well is, from a successful base, they have spent big on the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo, and Saha to move them up a level. Their weakness is that their first team is their only team and I think they will suffer as the season progresses.

I think we have a good squad, but in order to compete for the league we need the likes of Alves and Villa to take us that extra step. And if, for whatever reason, a superstar becomes available, we must make a move for them. If big money is spent correctly, it makes it worthwhile. So where you have a situation where around £25 million seems ridiculous for SWP, £30 million seems a bargain for Rooney.

What is needed is that we must be able to get our first choices and not have to plump with 2nd,3rd or even 4th choice.

I my opinion sissoko when fit is the 1st name on the team sheet

[enema of the state]

The only way you can make wholesale changes to a squad and be successful is if you do a Chelsea, and that something I don't think (or at least hope not) will happen.

I think what it does do, besides giving Rafa his first choice players as opposed to scraps, is it will allow us to compete in a Rooney type situation. As wonderful a human being as Shrek is, he would benefit any squad.

What United have done well is, from a successful base, they have spent big on the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo, and Saha to move them up a level. Their weakness is that their first team is their only team and I think they will suffer as the season progresses.

I think we have a good squad, but in order to compete for the league we need the likes of Alves and Villa to take us that extra step. And if, for whatever reason, a superstar becomes available, we must make a move for them. If big money is spent correctly, it makes it worthwhile. So where you have a situation where around £25 million seems ridiculous for SWP, £30 million seems a bargain for Rooney.

[Mattshark]

I think Reina, Agger, Carra, Xabi, Gerrard are probably safe from being displaced from the first XI. Garcia, Kuyt, Finnan, JAR, Gonzales are all safe as squad players at least and if Bellamy keeps doing well he will join this list. Everyone else has a lot to prove before they can be thought of as safe bets to be in a squad put together with the intention of winning the league with a large amount of funds behind it.

Having said that I hope we keep Crouch as I like him a lot as a player and he seems good for the squad.

Nicey - Crouch winning goals against the scum and the chavs, but he doesn't do well against the big team
Garcia is our most creative player, I'm amazed people haven't noticed the positive attacking difference he makes to our team.

Enema, Carragher is an excellent centre back and you vasty under rate him imo.

Steve Finnan I believe is a excellent defensive right back, he is also a great crosser of the ball, however he could do with being a little more adventurous at times.

[Ryan_Derrick]

Finnan has been miles and miles below par this season.

And he's not getting any younger.
Shame Barragan left, he looked ideal to be Finnan's understudy for this season and maybe next before taking over.

[Poker]

Do you really think Momo, Kuijt and Riise are expendable?

I dont think so. They are hard workers for the squad and I wouldn't replace any of them.

The positions I'd look at would be the following :

RW (Our Obvious weakness, Maybe even two of them if Pennant doesn't shape up)
LW (Dont know if Gonzalez will make it but he could use competition anyway. Kewell looks gone. Aurelio - Injury prone and not sure if he'll adapt)
Striker (I'm happy with Kuijt, Crouch and Bellamy but we need to replace Fowler with a similar goal poacher as competition for Bellamy)
RB(Finnan has been a bit dodgy this season. He can do with decent competition)
LB(Riise needs competition, Warnock is a hard worker, but not convinced he's good enough)
CM (Backup for Momo, Xabi and Stevie G. This was exposed with Xabi and Momo injured. Zenden not the answer)

The ideal would be a RW that can double as a RB (Alves), A Good RW (SWP) , a LB (Risse could play LW and LB), World class striker to replace Fowler and a young CM to act as backup for the current Trio

just compare our starting 11 to chelseas, Ashley Cole or Riise, Makelele or Momo etc etc

I think we need a reality check now that we may be able to buy top players

[Mattshark]

just compare our starting 11 to chelseas, Ashley Cole or Riise, Makelele or Momo etc etc

I think we need a reality check now that we may be able to buy top players

Makelele is at the end of his career though, Momo is at the start of his so it is hardly a fair comparison is it? Ashley cole is a good lb, but he don't contribute as much going forward as Riise though does he.

[carheex]

We need a couple of players who can be regarded as definite starters when fit, not more squad players. At the moment only gerrard, sissoko, crouch, carragher, riise and reina fall in to that category. That leaves us with half a team that can be filled with just about anyone from the squad without the strength really changing.

that said, is the quality of our squad the issue? look at what ferguson has done at Utd this season - on paper, his squad is probably the poorest it has ever been and yet they're favourites to win the prem again.

[Poker]

I take it you are a card player we should start a Poker thread, share tips, stories etc. I fecking love Texas Holdem

Ive started a Poker thread in the Libary because Poker is a very serious subject

[Poker]

Makelele is at the end of his career though, Momo is at the start of his so it is hardly a fair comparison is it? Ashley cole is a good lb, but he don't contribute as much going forward as Riise though does he.

I just love to name drop and back in 1981 at the Meridien Hotel in Paris after we had won the European cup I remember Bob Paisley saying if you want to win things you cant afford to play players with potential or words to that effect and to win a championship you just need quality throughout the whole team and not potential hence why chelsea have won the title for the past two seasons

[SouthAfricaRed]

just compare our starting 11 to chelseas, Ashley Cole or Riise, Makelele or Momo etc etc

I think we need a reality check now that we may be able to buy top players

I would take Momo ahead of Makelele any day. Look at their ages? Also Riise ahead of Cole (I dont rate him that highly. If he wasn't English, nobody would get excited about him)

And I think you should follow your own advice about a reality check. More money doesnt always equal better players for a team.

[CAD]

Lowest score rules. Based on the performance this season:

Reina 3 --- Hilarious 3 --- VDS 1
Sami/Agger 3--- Terry 2--- R. Ferdinand 1
Carragher 3--- Carvalho 2--- Vidic 1
Finnan 2--- Boulahrouz 3--- G. Neville 1
Riise 3--- A. Cole 1--- Evra/Heinze 1
Alonso 3--- Makelele 1--- Carrick 2
Gerrard 1--- Lampard 3--- Scholes 2
Sissoko 3--- Essien 1--- Fletcher 3
L. Garcia 3--- Ballack 2--- C. Ronaldo 1
M. Gonzalez 3--- Robben 1--- Giggs 2
Kuyt 3--- Drogba 1--- Rooney 1
Bellamy 3--- Shevchenko 2--- Saha 1
Rafa 3 ---- Mourinho 2 ---- Ferguson 1

LFC 36
Chel 24
Scum 19

It is bull**** obviously but still...

[Red_Polo]

Based on the performance this season:

But then all you're getting is a form guide, and you can just look at the table for that. Base it on how good you think the players are and then it has a little more meaning. Then we need to factor in how well those players perform together as a team.....

[Rich]

Lowest score rules. Based on the performance this season:

Reina 3 --- Hilarious 3 --- VDS 1
Sami/Agger 3--- Terry 2--- R. Ferdinand 1
Carragher 3--- Carvalho 2--- Vidic 1
Finnan 2--- Boulahrouz 3--- G. Neville 1
Riise 3--- A. Cole 1--- Evra/Heinze 1
Alonso 3--- Makelele 1--- Carrick 2
Gerrard 1--- Lampard 3--- Scholes 2
Sissoko 3--- Essien 1--- Fletcher 3
L. Garcia 3--- Ballack 2--- C. Ronaldo 1
M. Gonzalez 3--- Robben 1--- Giggs 2
Kuyt 3--- Drogba 1--- Rooney 1
Bellamy 3--- Shevchenko 2--- Saha 1
Rafa 3 ---- Mourinho 2 ---- Ferguson 1

LFC 36
Chel 24
Scum 19

It is bull**** obviously but still...

What the hell is all that about? Completely ridiculous and totally unfathomable! Or Bull****, like you say....

[CAD]

But then all you're getting is a form guide, and you can just look at the table for that. Base it on how good you think the players are and then it has a little more meaning. Then we need to factor in how well those players perform together as a team.....

You first

[CAD]

What the hell is all that about? Completely ridiculous and totally unfathomable! Or Bull****, like you say....

You make me feel like Shirley!