Please make some decent signings in January to give us a boost
How far off is this squad from a title challenge?
- Thread starter jamesjimmybyrondean
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Dele Alli is a must-buy if we want to win the league.
A coach, a couple of wingers, a midfielder and 2 center backs. Quite a way away. Pool have their house in order. Toppling them is going to take a lot of work. Being the best of a bad bunch takes you nowhere. We've been there before with Jose.
Goalie and CB
Even at his best ddg isnt dominant enough off his line, he invites pressure at set plays for me and whilst much improved with his feet isn't title winning level
Maguire is fine as a starter whilst Victor, Axel and even bailly are fine for rotation. What we need is a full on defensive bastard, someone who actively gets hard from clearing danger and keeping clean sheets. Can chip in with goals from offensive set plays too
A right sided midfielder would be nice but it's a third choice behind these 2 for me
Even at his best ddg isnt dominant enough off his line, he invites pressure at set plays for me and whilst much improved with his feet isn't title winning level
Maguire is fine as a starter whilst Victor, Axel and even bailly are fine for rotation. What we need is a full on defensive bastard, someone who actively gets hard from clearing danger and keeping clean sheets. Can chip in with goals from offensive set plays too
A right sided midfielder would be nice but it's a third choice behind these 2 for me
The reserves league?
3 wins on the bounce
Will people now stop bashing this squad and admit it's good enough for a title challenge at least, even if we don't win it at the end ?
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I don't think we are ready this year. Still a bit short and too inconsistent.
If we have a good summer, I think we can put up a serious challenge next season. It just depends on how badly the owners want it.
If we have a good summer, I think we can put up a serious challenge next season. It just depends on how badly the owners want it.
This. We probably won't appoint new manager during boxing day as it's crowded with fixtures anyway.
Stick to Ole and make final judgement in the summer.
Top four challenge is well within reach. But we cannot in all seriousness yet speak as though we’re the favorite to knock Liverpool off their perch.
If we beat Liverpool in January and the top two are clear of the rest of the field, then we may speak of such things.
If we beat Liverpool in January and the top two are clear of the rest of the field, then we may speak of such things.
I'm still on the fence. I don't think we have the mental discipline to last until the end, but we should definitely be looking for 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. Ole needs to instill a sense of desire in this squad including Pogba. If Pogba gets his head in this team and pushes, we could be there. We get 3 points from our game in hand and we're right on Liverpool's heals which is nice to see. The problem is, when will we play that game in hand?
I don’t think our defence is good enough. Like at all, even Liverpool without Van dijk, Matip and Fabinho as CB’s are better than Maguire and Lindelof.
That’s the weakest area of our team for me. All across back four we could upgrade.
Biggest issue with this squad is central defence. We don't have someone to challenge Maguire and lindelof. Lindelof admitted he s playing through pain.
Maguire last season played more than 50 games for us. It s highly improbable that he manages so many games again.
So imo a cb is a must in January, even if there are other positions in the squad which we need to strengthen like right wing, central defensive midfielder and another right back.
Maguire last season played more than 50 games for us. It s highly improbable that he manages so many games again.
So imo a cb is a must in January, even if there are other positions in the squad which we need to strengthen like right wing, central defensive midfielder and another right back.
Good defence far. We need at least one good CB, at least. And need to defend better as a team also. We will not win with this defence. Attack is good enough, maybe even midfield.
For Ole to bring us where we are without a right winger signing last summer is pretty remarkable.
Where would he play? CF?
Remember we need luck as well, other results to go out way, teams to falter when they need a win. Anything can happen.
It is. Imagine he was backed properly like he should have been after finishing 3rd.
This is easily forgotten by some.
We simply had to get a RW and a CB in the last window, imo we need a DM as much as anything as well.
That said, we aren’t a million miles away from finishing a very good starting 11. Imo.
Luck with injuries will play a massive role in where the title goes this season I feel.
You’d hope so, but I doubt it.
I’ve maintained all season that this is a superb squad, it really is.
We tried to get a RW and looking him at now, thank feck we said no at that price. As Ole himself has said, we won’t just buy players for the sake of it, and we’ll wait for the right player if we have to.
CB... I’m not convinced we’re interested, I think Ole loves his scandy pal at CB.
Massively. Liverpool lose Fabinho or Mane and they're in trouble.
If we continue this form, we should be no worse than Liverpool against bottom 14 teams. It's the top 5 we need to improve. Let's start with more offensive approach.
I doubt we will maintain this level though. Liverpool is not at full strength and still GD +17 so I don't see us beating them to the title.
I doubt we will maintain this level though. Liverpool is not at full strength and still GD +17 so I don't see us beating them to the title.
Shut up Dele, we are not taking you, go pimp yourself elsewhere.
P.s I like your cut G
We are an Amad Diallo away.
Well Woody got it 100% correct not to spend £100m+ on Sancho. I was one of the leading muppets in that thread in the summer, and looking back, am frankly embarrassed with myself for losing the plot 
We should be OK at RW now for rest of season as we have Greenwood, Diallo and James and even Rashford who can play that position. Wait til summer to revisit where we stand.
Feels like if Woody could land a fast and ball playing centre back who can elevate our entire defence and rotate with Lindelof and Maguire, we will have all bases covered to mount a serious challenge to Liverpool.
We should be OK at RW now for rest of season as we have Greenwood, Diallo and James and even Rashford who can play that position. Wait til summer to revisit where we stand.
Feels like if Woody could land a fast and ball playing centre back who can elevate our entire defence and rotate with Lindelof and Maguire, we will have all bases covered to mount a serious challenge to Liverpool.
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Yeah I agree we will wait for the right one, it was the right player but the wrong price.
We still should have strengthened far more effectively than we did. It could prove vital as this gruelling season rolls on.
This, Lindelof will cost us and we need to upgrade on him at the first opportunity. Technically we are in a title challenge but we don't have the solidity needed to power the consistency needed to chase down the scouse machine.
Even though we are third now there is a real possibility that we could end up with nothing as in miss out on top 4 so its imperative that we get that CB in January because if we lose Maguire we will be left cobbling together a defense from clowns and crocks.
I agree that probably the personnel in defence could individually be improved upon, but I feel that a pure out and out defensive coach could get much more out of what we have at the moment. As far as I'm aware, all our coaches are midfielders or strikers.
AWB, for example, is great as 1to 1 challenges, but positionally is sometimes found wanting. It seems to be the awareness that's lacking.
Same here, I was right up there with you on the Sancho train, I still think it was the right player but the wrong price, I’ll give that to Ed.Well Woody got out 100% correct not to spend £100m on Sancho. I was one of the leading muppets in that thread in the summer, and looking back, am frankly embarrassed with myself for losing the plot
We should be OK at RW now for rest of season as we have Greenwood, Diallo and James and even Rashford who can play that position. Wait til summer to revisit where we stand.
Feels like of Woody could land a fast and ball playing centre back who can elevate our entire defence and rotate with Lindelof and Maguire, we will have all bases covered to mount a serious challenge to Liverpool.
Agree we need a fast CB, I also think DM position is paramount in order for flexibility in midfield options and formations if we are to avoid having to play both Scott and Fred in midfield every game (they were great today in fairness.)
I think defense could be improved a lot with what we have. I rate Tuanzebe more than most and I would like to see Menghi perhaps in some cup games.
I still think a top manager away. Ole is highly inconsistent and it reflects on our result. Long may this run continue. I think Ole should focus on EPL now. Forget FA, EFL and Europa. Concentrate on EPL. We might as well win it.
Yes exactly my thoughts as well.
Should have been addressed in the last window, the least Ed should do is to see if we can pull a masterstroke in January, to help Ole secure the consistency we vitally need.
I can't stand him.
I think a really good DM and CB would put us in the conversation. We need our own van Dijk and Fabinho, which is easier said than done. We're basically competing with the same team as last season currently, our summer signings haven't really left their mark on the team yet. It's worth mentioning, Liverpool are still way ahead of anyone in terms of player quality, they have world class players in nearly every position so no matter who we sign it'd be an underdog story.
If we sign a good centre back at the start of January we have a outside chance
Is that you, Jose?
Yeah without question there’s needs to be better input from the coaches to get these guys at the very least more organised. Awb I’ve been disappointed with, he’s not improved at all from like you said just being a good one on one defender.
what worries me though is all of our defenders seem afraid to do certain things.
Lindelof doesn’t like heading it, Maguire doesn’t like moving across the back line to deal with ground balls. And our full backs don’t like attacking space. This is going to hold us back.
True but I fear Woodward is likely to get carried away and gamble on ending the season with what we have. It would be good if we could offload Bailly and Jones in the process.
What I am hoping for, though its just blind hope, is that Diallo is a sensation and adds a dimension to our attack. Our attack has carried us thus far but if we get that X factor in addition to Bruno, Rashford and Martial we could be too hot to handle for anyone and might just score our way to a top two finish.