Newmarket wrote: ↑Wed Feb 02, 2022 11:07 pm
hd1 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 02, 2022 10:52 pm
I keep hearing we have one of the smallest squads in the Prem, yet out of our allowed 25 we have 23 registered (Reid was but has now left) plus the U21 players of which Johnson is one.
Man City have 19, Spurs have 22, Watford 23, Norwich 18, Liverpool 24, Arsenal 23, Brighton 22......
We are no worse off than anyone else in terms of numbers. In terms of quality well that's a different matter
Yes mate it’s all about squad depth rather than numbers .
What Moyes means when he says he likes to work with a small squad is that he MAKES it a small squad by choosing to pick from only 12 players , the other 12 , or 11 or whatever are not trusted . By him or the fan base .
He’ll run these 12 players into the ground so hard they’ll be trying to get injured
A bit dramatic
17 games left in the league plus any cup games we get through. Could be 3 games or could be more. Its a myth that we are killing these players
Players want to play in the main. I dont think anyone is being run into the ground plus they have had a nice 2 week break which is more than I have managed in the last year or so. The PL Schedule was brutal previously but the run in is nowhere near as bad since we have played more than most by not complaining we have no players available like the other thing cunts !
Ogbonna, Antonio, Soucek, Fornals, Cresswell, Kral, Coufal, Fabianski, Johnson, Zouma have all missed games because of Covid or because they have been injured so have not played all the games. Benrahma and Lanzini have shared duties in midfield. In fact the three major injuries happened to Zouma, Ogbonna and Johnson all of whom had played less than most.
Of course it is true we need to give Antonio help plus I know you particular want another LB (I have no issue with Johnson there as backup myself until the summer when we can get a LWB)
The other myth I keep hearing is that the clubs around us are strengthening. Arsenal have significantly weakened to an extent they could not even field a midfield because of one Covid case and a dumb red card, Spurs have shipped 4 out and gained 2, Man Utd have shipped two out and forced another one to play no football.
The only one of those teams with more than one PL ready striker is Arsenal with two but they were ready to let Nketiah go to Palace and had to bail out when Aubameyang fucked off. So Lacazette is still there (a player they were hawking around last summer that I actually think is decent), Man Utd have Cavani who is about 95 (as Ronaldo is hardly a prolific striker these days) and Spurs have the chin.
All of us are going to be competing for the same types of strikers though Man Utd need so much more around their squad and will only buy marquee players that will sell T Shirts. Arsenal and Spurs were both trying to get Vlahovic I believe but he wanted Turin rather than Seven Sisters Road
Will be interesting come the summer though I think the chin is stuck at Spurs now as Man City will likely buy Haaland.