We were THIS close

[BannedUserIAT]

I got to thinking about how close we could have been to a Top 4 spot (probably even higher) had it not been for simple bad luck and those thieving pricks at Man City.

Have a look at this formation and tell me who's better?

------------------ Friedel -----------------

Young -- Laursen -- Dunne -- Bouma

---------- Milner ---------- Barry ---------

Albrighton ------ Young ------ Downing

------------------ Gabby -------------------



We'd even have a decent bit of depth to the squad too.

So so close.

[Matt Collins]

Hmm, not sure Bouma, Downing or Albrighton are top 4 standard tbh

[BannedUserIAT]

As individuals, maybe not but in that set-up, I'd say so.
It's very excellent defensively, building from the back, with some bite in the middle. Downings a bit of a ponce but he'd have had the protection of Barry and Bouma behind him.

The other side is very strong, too. And creative.

[Shrek]

Just inamgine Laursen next too Dunne!  

I think we will do far better playing the formation we have been with gabby up top!

[ktvillan]

Would we have signed Dunne if Laursen wasn't crocked?
I also don't rate Friedel as top 4 quality, too many games where he seems to stand watching the ball sail past him.
And Young would not have got picked at RB if O'Neill were in charge.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Its all ifs and buts. If you dont get other richer clubs ever coming after players you wish to keep,  if you dont get any serious injuries, and if all your players perform to their potential. Any fans could probably move their own club up a level if you take away all `bad luck`.
Its the same as  looking back and saying we could have had 3 points there or we were unlucky to lose that, while forgetting the results where we won and the oppostion perhaps felt hard done by. We achieved 64 points and finshed 6th because thats pretty much how good we were last season. The league position says so and its a really good method of finding out, some guy called Mcgregor started it and I have always thought it works really well.
Also it looks great with those 11 lining up I agree, but its very much a squad system these days and each league game is effect 14 v 14 on the day with substitutions.
The days of winning the title using just 14 players for the entire campaign as we did in 1981 are long gone.

[N'ZMAV]

If my aunt had a....

[darren woolley]

It look's a good team on paper i would go with that team.

[jonzy85]

To be honest, there are a lot of club in the league who could put forward those hypotheticals.

The one with the best case would probably be Everton....imagine they had kept all their players fit and held on to Lescott.

When I saw the title of the thread I thought it might be in reference to the home draws we had last year, which with a bit more luck and maybe a slightly more prolific goalscorer we would have got 4th.

[olaftab]

Just inamgine Laursen next too Dunne!  

I think we will do far better playing the formation we have been with gabby up top!

Do you mean Dunne the pub player as witnessed at St James park last Sunday?

[not3bad]

That back 4 looks ace.  Laursen and Dunne would be rock solid, Bouma would bring in the combative style and Young could get forward to support the attack.  I don't know why there's comments about Friedel not being good enough, with that back 4 in front of him he'd be fine. 

I'd guess Barry would protect the back 4 allowing Milner to be the box to box man.  That would give Downing the confidence he needs and bring out the best in him  Yeah, it looks like a winner to me.  I suppose the only weakness would be that Gabby hasn't been the clinical finisher lately.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I thought this was a thread about the day we nearly signed Keane from Wolves

[dave.woodhall]

And West Ham would be top four contenders.

[Concrete John]

We were close in so far as I think the addition of one class striker would have made a huge difference to us and probably seen us get 4th.  Imagine a better player uptop with the movement and ability to break down the stubborn sides and turn just a couple of the home draws into wins.   

[Dave Clark Five]

Just inamgine Laursen next too Dunne!  

I think we will do far better playing the formation we have been with gabby up top!

Do you mean Dunne the pub player as witnessed at St James park last Sunday?

Dunne has put in some great performances for us and I doubt that we would have been run ragged if James Collins or Carlos Cuellar had been in there with him. Dunne is a top rate centre half.

No disrespect to Clarkey but it was a difficult job for such a youngster.
In five years time Clarke will be well established at international level and this will be forgotten.