Championship standard squad?

[onje_villa]

It seems to be universally accepted these days that our squad is completely championship standard and that no manager could get us to beat the drop.

I found myself thinking yesterday, is that really the case? Or do they just look like it because tactically and positionally they are all over the place?

Take the squad without injuries and AWOLs:

GK

Guzan, Given - One highly experienced keeper, perhaps on the wane and one hugely promising one

DEF

Dunne, Vlaar, Hutton, Warnock, Lowton, Lichaj, Clark, Baker, Bennett, Stevens - Experience and promising youth players - 4 full internationals in there

MID

Petrov (sadly no longer part), Bannan, Ireland, N'Zogbia, Herd, Westwood, Holman, KEA, Delph - I'd argue that this is our weakest area yet there's still plenty of talent there, they all look shit now but are they really shit or just all over the place?

ATT

Gabby, Bent, Weimann, Bowery, Benteke - A class squad of strikers if you ask me. As good as anything outside the top 6 or so.


I ask you, try and look past how they are all playing collectively at the moment, which is a shambles, and tell me that there's no talent in there, that there's nothing to work with and that that squad isn't capable of beating several teams in the division.

The problem, if you ask me, is they are all over the place, whatever organisation and tactics are agreed on are not being implemented or the players don't understand them. They lack a leader on the field clearly but that squad, united and organised could play blindfolded and not finish lower than 15th.

[curlytailavfc]

the real danger would be this lot wont hack the championship as the games a lot more physical

[OzVilla]

Obviously injuries have been a problem and at no point this season has everyone been fit.

But i still think that that's a Championship squad - a top 4 Championship squad it has to be said but a Championship squad none the less.

[andyh]

There are so many players on there that we will have no memory of in a few years time, just a vague recollection that they were utterly shit when villa were in the doldrums.

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The midfield is the weakest midfield in all four divisions and completly unfit for purpose.

It can neither create nor cover the back for and it is so weak, that it is incapable of winning the ball back.

Lambert is no fool, which is why we have begun to bypass it.

[onje_villa]

Obviously injuries have been a problem and at no point this season has everyone been fit.

But i still think that that's a Championship squad - a top 4 Championship squad it has to be said but a Championship squad none the less.

Really, the likes of Vlaar, Benteke, Gabby and Weimann?

I just think that there's real quality there, I wouldn't class any of the above as championship-standard.

The problem is the midfield is desperately lacking a leader.

I think you should be able to utilise those strikers well enough to get you more than enough points to stay up.

[eastie]

If we go down any decent player will be sold to try and recoup some of the lost money, I think relegation would be a disaster and it would be very hard to get back up.

[OzVilla]

Don't get me wrong, we do have some good players.  Vlaar, Benteke, Bent, Weimann (of which you can probably only start with two).

But that starting 11 and squad is not good enough imo.  Our current Midfield for example would be a weak one in the Championship, poor defensively and can't create and defensively they are mostly rookies (badly missed an old head like Dunne). 

[onje_villa]

Don't get me wrong, we do have some good players.  Vlaar, Benteke, Bent, Weimann (of which you can probably only start with two).

But that starting 11 and squad is not good enough imo.  Our current Midfield for example would be a weak one in the Championship, poor defensively and can't create and defensively they are mostly rookies (badly missed an old head like Dunne).

Fair enough but I can totally see the point that others are making that if Vlaar and/or Dunne get back fit, we get a proper midfielder in and play to our strengths, we'll be well clear of relegation but Lambert has to get them playing coherently.

[Trinitymiddle]

If Vlaar and Dunne were fit, I'd say all we need is a couple of old heads in the middle. However, our "class squad of strikers" (OP's words not mine) have only scored 7 goals in the last 10 league games.

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We would lose Gabby, Bent, Benteke, N'Zogbia, Ireland, Vlaar, Dunne and Warnock are off anyway.

We would be left needing two strikers, two centre halves, two creative/wide players, two central midfielders and all with a massively reduced income. Given how bad the owner is, can you really see us doing the business required?

The only plus is that we would be comfortably the biggest club in the Micky Mouse league and any no-mark pish would want to play for us.

We are in SHA's shoes. Congratulations Randy you fucking moron.

[onje_villa]

If Vlaar and Dunne were fit, I'd say all we need is a couple of old heads in the middle. However, our "class squad of strikers" (OP's words not mine) have only scored 7 goals in the last 10 league games.

Well that's my point exactly. I think they are class.

Weimann is as natural a finisher as I've seen in a long time, Benteke is incredibly powerful. Bent has one of the best scoring records in the division and Gabby though not a goalscorer is a proven workhorse.

Lambert has to be the one to put them in a formation and team that makes the most of them.

[brontebilly]

In terms of our first team wage bill, we must still be in the top 10 in the EPL? Lambert is definitely hugely underachieving despite the many faults in the squad.

That midfield roster is atrocious. The majority are one paced midgets. Actually they are all midgets but Delph has a bit of speed. No strength in there, no goal threat, no creative ability, no tactical awareness.

Gabby is finished at the club too. Every effort should be made to find new clubs for Ireland, Nzogbia, Albrighton and Gabby.

Surely MON could be tempted to swap Gardner for one of them. He has bite, presence, decent shot and can get among the goals. He definitely doesnt want to playing right back which he has been pushed back to do again I see.

Worth looking at Fletcher, Buttner, Rosicky, Bernard on loan deals. Lee from Bolton had a bad injury last year but seems to be on the way back unlike his club. Would be cheap and a decent inside forward option of which we have none really.

[CJ]

Have to agree the squad just isn't good enough. The acid test is how many of our players would get in other PL teams? Yesterday's back four of Lowton, Baker, Clark and Stevens and a midfield including Holman, Westwood and Delph wouldn't have other teams exactly battering down our doors with lucrative offers. Neither would substitutes like Bannan and Bowery.

We then have other players who are probably not good enough (Lichaj, Bennett, Herd, KEA, Albrighton), or talented but can't be arsed (Ireland), or not functioning to their ability (N'Zogbia), or have been frozen out because (by our own admission last year) they're pretty shit (Warnock, Hutton)

We have a handful of decent players - Guzan, Vlaar, Weimann, Benteke, Bent and I'd include Dunne and Gabby, and that's it. And three of them are injured.

I can see what Lambert was trying to do and the theory is that a team is greater than the sum of its parts.  But if the majority of the parts are simply not up to scratch, and you throw them all in at the same time (revolution rather than evolution) the team as a whole fails and we end up where we now find ourselves.

[Oscar Arce]

When we are in the championship all of the players will go anyway, and we will be signing more Championship standard players, but hey, all those big earners will be off the wage bill so well done Randy.
This is the plan, trust me, does anyone remember David Hunt ?
Sadly I do, and that is the standard we will be stuck with.