Are we in danger of having too many players?

[LeeB]

I sometimes wonder, do we have a sort of 'fear of success'?

This thing of having a quality squad is the one leap we didn't make when we had good teams in 1997, the 00s and again under MON.

Yes, I think we do.

[Risso]

I sometimes wonder, do we have a sort of 'fear of success'?

This thing of having a quality squad is the one leap we didn't make when we had good teams in 1997, the 00s and again under MON.

Yes, I think we do.

Yep. I find threads like this amazing to be honest. For the first time in god knows how long we’re showing some real ambition,  and rather than just enjoy it, people are worrying about the size of the squad?

Two things:

1) Big, successful clubs have large squads
2) If a player isn’t happy because of not playing, then he generally hasn’t done enough to get past the player in his position who is playing. In which case tough shit.

[Ad@m]

I sometimes wonder, do we have a sort of 'fear of success'?

This thing of having a quality squad is the one leap we didn't make when we had good teams in 1997, the 00s and again under MON.

Yes, I think we do.

Yep. I find threads like this amazing to be honest. For the first time in god knows how long we’re showing some real ambition,  and rather than just enjoy it, people are worrying about the size of the squad?

Two things:

1) Big, successful clubs have large squads
2) If a player isn’t happy because of not playing, then he generally hasn’t done enough to get past the player in his position who is playing. In which case tough shit.

I'd generally agree with you, with the only exception being the youth players coming through.  Saying "tough shit" to an 18 year old who can't get past the established international ahead of him in the pecking order is the road to financial ruin.  But that's where we need to do better with loaning the kids out, something that thankfully seems to have come on leaps and bounds since our current owners took over.

[dcdavecollett]

Agreed.

But only when the clubs play the loanees!

[Bad English]

I think we are in danger of having a squad that is big enough and good enough to make watching Villa more of a joy than a chore. How many times have we said, look at that bench, we're down to the bare bones? How many times have our plans been fucked because of injuries to players for whom we don't have an adequate understudy, how many times have we seen players look fatigued or learnt that they are playing through the pain barrier, to the detriment of their physical condition?

We need a big squad and we need a big-club mentality. FTF!

[Risso]

I think we are in danger of having a squad that is big enough and good enough to make watching Villa more of a joy than a chore. How many times have we said, look at that bench, we're down to the bare bones? How many times have our plans been fucked because of injuries to players for whom we don't have an adequate understudy, how many times have we seen players look fatigued or learnt that they are playing through the pain barrier, to the detriment of their physical condition?

We need a big squad and we need a big-club mentality. FTF!

What Daz said! UTFV!

[Hookeysmith]

The point was more about our youth players coming through but i do concede like with Greedy and Ramsay if they are good enough they will force themselves into contention.

Maybe the likes of Bailey (The big player that worries me the most about coming good) will be motivated to really pull up some trees - i certainly hope so. But the evidence is already that the people behind him like to be heard and i wonder they will start to unsettle him if he is not getting game time.

[Drummond]

He'll get game time. If he performs.

[Didier Five]

He'll get game time. If he performs.

And can stay fit.

[Toronto Villa]

I’d like us to be in danger of having too many top players one day. But until then no, we don’t have too many players. The ones who are not up to it simply won’t make the 25 we register at the end of this window

[DrGonzo]

What a question.  The top 4 clubs can field 2 quality first 11's.  We sometimes struggle to field one. 

[paul_e]

What a question.  The top 4 clubs can field 2 quality first 11's.  We sometimes struggle to field one. 

I'm not sure that's enitely true (for example Liverpool are pretty weak outside a core 15-16 players, I'd say it's closer for Chelsea and Man City though) but yes, it should be the goal.

[Dante Lavelli]

What a question.  The top 4 clubs can field 2 quality first 11's.  We sometimes struggle to field one. 

I think two decent XIs, so 22 quality players, should be the objective.  The remainder of the squad should be youth players.
As/If the youth develop then players from the ‘second’ XI should be sold to the squad regenerates from the bottom up.

[paul_e]

We register a 25 squad, if that becomes a great first 11, 5-6 players behind who are good enough to be regular starters and another 5-6 who are a level below that but are either young and improving or are experienced backup whilst kids come through then I think we've got the balance about right. The first 16-17 in that list are the players you'd expect to see with at least 25 league appearances in a season then the other would be more towards 10-15.

[Ad@m]

We register a 25 squad, if that becomes a great first 11, 5-6 players behind who are good enough to be regular starters and another 5-6 who are a level below that but are either young and improving or are experienced backup whilst kids come through then I think we've got the balance about right. The first 16-17 in that list are the players you'd expect to see with at least 25 league appearances in a season then the other would be more towards 10-15.

I'd say that's about right.  In any given first 11 you'd generally want the goalie and back four to be pretty stable so it's the other 6 you'd expect to be chopped and changed to keep things fresh and ensure that whilst they should be of similar quality, they all get enough game time to not get pissed off.

So you've then effectively got 17 first team players with 8 youngsters or experienced players that are happy to play a bit part in proceedings.  The youngsters are the challenge as you need them to be able to step in if required but you've got to acknowledge that they're also missing out on the development opportunity that comes with going out on loan.  All while giving them the belief that they're on the pathway to the first team if they develop.