Strength in Depth

[kippaxvilla2]

The squad might be bigger but is the strength in depth there.

Are we seeing this teams abilities just being normalised in its first testing set of games.  For all there are some good players Mr Emery had had to perform miracles to get them to this level. 

If you are honest though, some players now need to move on as not good enough. 

Carlos, Bailey, Cash, Buendia and even McGinn could do with being moved on.

I’m suddenly feeling this squad is nowhere near good enough.

[Legion]

It was more than good enough last season.

[Demitri_C]

The squad might be bigger but is the strength in depth there.

Are we seeing this teams abilities just being normalised in its first testing set of games.  For all there are some good players Mr Emery had had to perform miracles to get them to this level. 

If you are honest though, some players now need to move on as not good enough. 

Carlos, Bailey, Cash, Buendia and even McGinn could do with being moved on.

I’m suddenly feeling this squad is nowhere near good enough.

We have more depth than last season. No question about that. But for me the starting 11 is not bettee than last year. We were stringee with diaby and luiz starting.

We gambled hoping mings kamara and buendia couls fill the gap.  Buendia just seems we have moved on from him and doesnt possess the levels of last season. Mings after tonight he does worry me. Only kamara looks good out of the three.

I just do not undertsand how we let two players who contributed to over 15 goals go and didn't replace them.

Then there is the right back problem that yet again we did nothing about. Just countless mistakes in the summer.
 

[Footy-Vill]

The squad might be bigger but is the strength in depth there.

Are we seeing this teams abilities just being normalised in its first testing set of games.  For all there are some good players Mr Emery had had to perform miracles to get them to this level. 

If you are honest though, some players now need to move on as not good enough. 

Carlos, Bailey, Cash, Buendia and even McGinn could do with being moved on.

I’m suddenly feeling this squad is nowhere near good enough.

Great insightful post!

If look at the squad now. 
Who would upgrade and move out of the first team squad summer. Still Cash  , Bailey and McGinn?

Martinez
Cash /Garcia
Konsa/ Disasi
Mings /Pau
Digne / Maatsen
Kamara/Onana
Tielemans/ Barkley
McGinn/Asensio
Bailey/Malen
Rogers/Ramsey
Watkins/Rashford


I think Cash and Bailey be upgraded or moved on in summer I don't think either have that much longer as we progress.

[Footy-Vill]

I would also add Barkley, Onana and even McGinn and  Mings ultimately improved upon in the next 12 to 18 months

Certainly if another midfielder is signed in summer one of McGinn, Barkley or Onana would have to make way.
I not averse to selling Onana in the summer to a Saudi Pro club in order to get £50m back  then I sure can find a better player for the squad.

[Footy-Vill]

Arne Slot Said
“We are here in a country where we play the most games, especially the likes of Aston Villa, Chelsea, Arsenal, us – all the ones playing in Europe and we have the League Cup and the FA Cup,”

“I don’t understand why we don’t go to 23 in this country because in this country, we play the most games everywhere around the world and we only have 20 players we can take to the game. It’s not for that game because nine substitutes is more than enough but to keep the dressing room going because you need more than 20 players in this country.”

[paul_e]

I have no idea what he's banging on about there but on the topic of squad sizes I don't like the convoluted system UEFA have. Personally I'd change it so you have 1 squad of 25 that applies for all competitions and all U21 players are exempt. If they really want you then keep the home grown bit but get tried of club trained which does little beyond encouraging bigger clubs to horde youth players.

[Footy-Vill]

I have no idea what he's backing on about there but on the topic of squad sizes I don't like the convoluted system UEFA have. Personally I'd change it so you have 1 squad of 25 that applies for all competitions and all U21 players are exempt. If they really want you then keep the home grown bit but get tried of club trained which does little beyond encouraging bigger clubs to horde youth players.

Would go along with that squad rule. Great shout Paul e!

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Our CL squad is definitely shallower.

We've lost Duran, Carlos, Buendia, Philogene, Nedeljkovic, Gauci and a couple of youth players - Swinkels and Young.

And we can only replace them with 3 of our new signings, with one of Rashford, Asensio or Malen likely missing out - unless we want to exclude Disasi, which would be daft.

If we have more than 2 injuries/suspensions/ineligibles in defence at the same time we are in trouble.  And the same if anything happens to Watkins or Martinez

We have a lot of options in the attacking wide positions, and our midfield is strong when everyone is available; but we look very unbalanced overall.

[Footy-Vill]

Not that needed it but struggled to name a full squad for the FA cup match yesterday .
I think for the bench -only 7 was it ? And that’s with 2 GKs

[Drummond]

We could easily have named more but Emery chose not to use the kids unnecessarily.

[Footy-Vill]

Now with the amount of games coming and the magnitude of them - everyone like a cup final we need the whole squad .

Likes of Onana and Barkley need to reappear and come for the Preston match a few days before away to Brighton, which is a must-win for the Premier League. Likes of these two need to be counted upon. They need to get up to speed.

Southampton away sandwiched in between the PSG quarters must be seen as the use of likes of Malen, Garcia, Bogarde, Maasten, among others, even Olsen if need be.

[kippaxvilla2]

I think the squad looks great all of a sudden!

[Dick Edwards]

This is easily the biggest and strongest squad of first term quality footballers we’ve ever had. Of course, there’s always a weakest link that can be improved upon, that will always be the case if you want to improve and evolve. When all fit and available we have two starting elevens that could hold their own in the Premier League. Not many of our competitors can boast that.