Season 35 Division 1 Squad Analysis and Preview (A WORK IN PROGRESS)
Season 35 is mere days away and we’re still in the midst of an unprecedented early top 5 leagues mini review. That means transfers, risers, fallers and desperation as managers look to gain every advantage ahead of the new season.
So once again we bring back a brief pre-season preview of the big boys and newly promoted sides that find themselves in the top flight.
Manchester United (Division 1 Champions)
Oblak 93
Trent 94 Kounde 92 VVD 95 Alaba 91
Rice 94 Pedri 94
Frimpong 92 Bellingham 95 N.Williams 92
Mbappe 96
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13 points clear last season and a +1 to Rice means you’ll struggle to match this quality anytime soon.
If I had to pick a flaw it would absolutely be the wingers and centre back as Williams has committed to Bilbao, Frimpong hasn’t had the best starts at Liverpool and Van Dijk probably needs to drop to 94 now.
The midfield trio is arguably the best in the world (maybe only Vitinha arguably here?) and Mbappe is of course the best forward in the game so it’ll take a Herculean effort for anyone to beat them anytime soon.
Predicted finish: Champions
Middlesbrough (Runners Up)
Neuer 93
Molina 91 Rüdiger 94 Pacho 92 Dimarco 92
Barella 94 Ruiz 92
Palmer 93 De Brunye 94 Gakpo 92
Salah 96
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Immense depth, incredible youth coming through at all ages, this is the only side in the league capable of challenging United now and in the future. They took my advice and invested in quality and it shows in the spine so much more.
The flaw for me is CF still. They had the chance to get Isak, but didn’t quite meet the expectations, and while Salah is a huge signing it’s obviously a short term gain and I don’t see anyone in the squad capable of hitting 95+ at CF when he inevitably drops.
I think they probably have the best youth mix (19-23 year olds) of the game world across positions so I can’t see a significant issue in the squad longer term (even despite the transfer ban) so for me it’s a case of when, not if, Middlesbrough win the league.
Predicted Finish: 2nd (title challengers)
Southend United (3rd)
Donnaruma 92
Timber 91 Upamecano 92 Bastoni 94 Robinson 90
Valverde 94 Bentacur 91
Dembele 95
️ Havertz 92 Davies 92*
Nuñez 91
A terrific season finish but I’m officially worried about Southend’s attack. Dembele is world class but Nuñez is a dropper and it’ll be some time before their wingers mature into 90+ unless Quenda can displace the Chelsea options (unlikely in my view).
They of course have excellent talents (Greenie is a superb spotter) but it feels like Middlesbrough have been the more aggressive recruiter and I think have taken the mantle of best youth.
Defensively though they are the masters. Top talent at good ages will help them stay high up.
Predicted Finish: 3rd
Aston Villa (4th)
Ter Stegen 93
Livramento 89 Maguire 90 Torres 91 Hernandez 91
Gavi 91 Parejo 91
Yamal 94 Foden 93 Wirtz 94
Kane 96
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A really solid season from Aston Villa which I put down to them acquiring Ter Stegen.
The attacking talent is comfortably the best in the GW for me and so it’s only still defence and midfield where they are lacking. Yamal is capable of very high ratings (97) as is Kane (97) and Wirtz (96?). Id also back Foden to be able to get 94 again in the future. So here there aren’t issues. If anything too much depth might cause concerns with Rashford, Greenwood (scum) and others probably not getting a look in.
I definitely think they could sacrifice one of these for a midfielder or CB of better quality and then they’d have a serious chance at competing.
But until that midfield and defence is improved it’ll be top 4 challengers and nothing more.
Predicted Finish: Top 4 contenders
Leyton Orient (5th)
Martinez 93
White 92 Tapsoba 91 Gvardiol 93 Robertson 92
Vitinha 94
️ Llorente 91
Coman 91 Nkunku 91 Doku 90
Messi 94
A super season from the Orient and the addition of Lionel Messi proved to be a stroke of genius.
Defensively they have some of the best prospects around in Gvardiol, Yoro, Huijsen and Balde so already that’s a potentially world class back line that perhaps I’ve slept a little on.
Midfield has a very promising future with Vitinha and Pavlovic likely to be the main two for the future so the only area I’m not as confident in is the AM spot. Probably needs looking at so could some defensive players be used to secure a better talent here?
The attack is a worry in the long term. I think Doku should take over a wing position with ease as he’s looked superb recently but Bakayoko is being rotated with Nusa at Leipzig due to the explosion of Yan Diomande, so I think the hopes rest more on Kroupi and Fofana now.
Predicted Finish: Top 4 challengers
Nottingham Forest (6th)
Sommer 92
Porro 91 Marquinhos 94 Militão 93 Estupiñán 90
Caicedo 93 Camavinga 92
Sane 92 Álvarez 93 Adeyemi 90
Lewandowski 95
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A much better finish and season for Forest but drops to their attack might see them suffer soon. Sane and Chiesa dropped by 1 a piece meaning the wide attack is lacking potency and with Sane at Galatasary there is no hope of holding 92 long term.
Lewandowski has all but confirmed this to be his last season at Barcelona so they are going to have a headache in attack soon most likely it would be shift Uzun to CAM and Alvarez to ST long term.
Predicted Finish: Europa places
Everton (7th)
Alisson 95
Bellanova 90 Dias 94 Milenkovic 90 Olivera 90
Rodri 96
️ Kimmich 94
Gordon 91 Silva 93 Diaz 92
Oyarzabal 92
Everton’s final position is no surprise after losing Messi. He’s irreplaceable.
That said the squad is in a better shape overall since we last reviewed so I don’t expect them to struggle this season in any way.
Long term my concern would still be the age of their midfielders and of course the future of Alisson who can’t keep his 95 any more and when he drops I expect a bigger fall down the table. It feels like their title challenger days are over.
Predicted finish: In Europe
Fulham (8th)
Costa 91
Wieffer 89 90 Pavlović 88 Hernández 92 Dalot 90
Ugarte 90 Koke 91
Neto 91 Musiala 94
️ Akliouche 90
Pedro 90
Wow! What a season Fulham have had. I was (fairly I might add) critical of the starting XI last season but boy did they pull it out of the bag with a top 8 finish and it’s something they should be immensely proud of.
I still think defence is in an awful state so it does need fixing but Vinny has confidence in some of his options coming good so fingers crossed for him there. My main issue would be that it’s usually unsustainable to secure good finishes with a sub 90 defensive line and 3 players have to be played out of position currently (Wieffer and Dalot) for it to function so I’ll be pleasantly surprised if they do this a second year running.
Midfield is a weird one as there are a few players who maybe could hit 90 at some point but they’ve just not quite shown it in real life or they’ve made moves that harm their chances. Rovella and Kokcu should get there at some point.
Their strength however lies further up the field, Musiala, Neto and Pedro are excellent to good options for most sides and Akliouche hitting 90 has given them a solid front 4.
Predicted Finish: Bottom half but safe.
Hereford FC (9th)
Raya 92
Gomez 90 Kim 92 Cubarsi 90 Darmian 90
Thuram 90 Gallagher 90
Olise 93 Kulusevski 92 Sabitzer 90*
Haaland 96
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I think Hereford could do a bit more in the next year and have potential to develop into title challengers along with Middlesbrough and a handful of others.
Olise is world class and performing statistically above Yamal at the moment so 94 for me is a guarantee this season maybe more as I think he’s absolutely stunning. With this in mind I think the future is very bright for them. Olise 94/5, Haaland 96/7 and Cubarsi bound to rise 91/2 so the starting XI should get better. I also expect Madueke to hit 90 soon (I really rate him).
Gomez and Darmian are weak spots but Kerkez is in the building and there are some decent younger prospects about too. Should be ok long term.
Where I think they are more desperate is central midfield but they have got some lovely prospects in Junyent and Froholdt who are capable of 90+ ratings so a bit of patience and in a year or two this could be a scarily good side.
Predicted Finish: Top 6
Newcastle United (10th)
Courtois 95
Carvajal 92 Konate 93 Christensen 90 Cucurella 91
Kovacic 92 Merino 92
Gnabry 91 Odegaard 93 Vini Jr 96
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Morata 91
A very disappointing season for Newcastle but it feels like a blip more than a downward trend.
Defensively Carvajal can’t go on much longer and Konate is having a stinker of a season at Liverpool (so much so Real Madrid are no longer interested in him on a free?!) but Cucurella has been superb for Chelsea. I really like Nathan Collins and think he’s underrated for his value on the ball to Brentford (statistically one of the best CBs in the PL last season). Kambwala and Tape are good option in their youth here.
Midfield Stiller is the stand out but lacks the physicality of the PL so I’d expect him to stay in Germany for a while longer. I think they’ll be ok for another year or two but it’s the area I’d want to improve most.
Right wing and CF are big issues, Cunha is a talented player but is really more of a 10, so maybe longer term Odegaard drops deeper to CM and Cunha takes the 10? But I don’t see a prospect in the team that can take over from Gnabry (who I think is going to decline sharply in the next 2 years) so wingers need to arrive.
Predicted Finish: Top 8
Barnsley (11th)
Atubolu 88
Szoboszlai 92 Guehi 91 Gimenez 91 Martinez 91
Goretzka 91 Grealish 91
Griezmann 94
️ Simons 91 Martinelli 91
Benzema 91
Barnsley are talking full advantage of the versatility of their players but it means every position (except GK) is fielding a 91 rated player with plenty of 90 and 89 rated deputies available.
Not dissuaded by older players they always finish well, the game doesn’t care about any numbers other than rating so it’s a solid strategy that should see them safe again but I am worried about the GK. If they get into trouble it will be due to the lack of 90+ there.
A little peep into their youth and others shows there are also some quality options coming through so it’ll be interesting to see how many stop gaps come through in the mean time.
West Ham United (12th)
Marmardashvili 91
Cambiaso 90 Tah 92 Laporte 91 Cardona 90
Tchouameni 93
️ Anguissa 91
Mbeumo 91 Eze 91 Torres 90
Watkins 92
Let’s get to it. It’s a solid side but it lacks star quality (as do many might I add) and that’s my worry. I really highly rate Mbeumo but his move to United makes it so difficult to rise much beyond 91 (name any player not called Fernandes who has risen to 93+ at United in the last 5/6 years?). Eze and Torres have rises in them so 92 for both is possible and I do like Igor Thiago but only up to 91 at some point.
Tchouameni is excellent but I can’t see him going to 94 soon and I wonder if the sides PL bias is going to go against them. It’s really hard to buy the best PL players before they breakout to 93+ ratings and it seems like that’s where West Ham focus their attention. They need to take more gambles in other leagues.
Predicted Finish: Safe but bottom half
Cardiff City (13th)
Chevalier 91
Pavard 91 Tomori 90 Zabarnyi 90 Mittelstadt 90
Modric 92
️ Reijnders 92
Kubo 91 Paqueta 90 Baena 91
Dovbyk 91
Awkward to review my own side but here we go. I think we’re going to be close to relegation this season.
We lost Isak (94), Barella (94) and Son (92) which means the attacking potential has taken a nose dive. The Isak deal was only ever going to happen if I felt I was getting either two players of 94 potential or one of 96+. I think I’ve gotten that with change here so long term I’m very happy but short term I’m shitting it. I signed Dovbyk as a stop gap knowing I was going to push the Isak deal more.
It’s a side that is solid but unremarkable compared to the absolute best. Modric is the best midfielder in Serie A so 93 is very possible again (I maintain he shouldn’t have dropped in the first place as he was the best player other than Pedri in midfield in La Liga last season), Reijnders is capable of 93/4 at City which I do expect to happen at some point. Baena is the best passer in La Liga (I have the data to prove it) so a rise to 92 is possible. Paqueta shouldn’t be 90 he’s shown he’s a top player.
I think tactically I’ll have to be clever and try and reach 40 points being a bit cagey. But this could be the season we get relegated.
Predicted Finish: Relegation candidates
Sunderland (14th)
Meret 90
James 91 Skriniar 90 Costa 89 Grimaldo 92
Neves 91 Locatelli 91
Amad 89 Palacios 91 Olmo 92
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Lukaku 91
Sunderland could surprise a few and I don’t expect them to be relegated, I don’t think top half is possible but they’ve got some players flirting with 90 along with some outstanding youth in Guler, Moore, Rabbaj and Ordonez which could be the makings of a very scary side in the future.
Guler is probably the one who can hit 91+ for them in future the quickest so I’d hold onto him for dear life.
They are lacking at CB mainly so will have to be mindful of that going forward.
Predicted Finish: Lower mid table
Rochdale (15th)
Maignan 92
Hakimi 94
️ Konsa 91 Calafiori 90 Mendes 93
Hjulmand 91 Cardoso 90
Pino 90 Burkardt 90 Tsygankov 90
Guirassy 92
The best fullbacks in the world. By a mile. Defence could be their best threat if they allow Mendes and Hakimi to get forward and Rochdale are the new kids on the block I most admire.
A terrific eye for talent (we often go for the same players) and a solid structure to build on, I don’t think they’ve got enough attacking talent to go much higher than midtable but I’ve utmost faith that long term they’ll have a top side. They’re crying out for another 92+ attacker and if it was me, I’d be selling Mendes for that player and moving Calafiori to LB (as I think he’ll rise soon).
Predicted Finish: Lower mid table
Southampton (16th)
Samba 89
Laimer 91 Rrahmani 91 Ito 90 Gutiérrez 89
Onana 91 Rabiot 92
Terrier 90 Maddison 91 Kolo Muani 91
Gyökeres 92
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Another solid side a little hard done by on summer edits to Maddison to 91 (when he had better stats than most risers!).
The side has talent capable of a bit more, Onana, Gyokeres and many of the younger talents (like Højlund nice +1!) which could grow into 90 rated players.
They do have an outstanding prospect in Mora but I worry will his size impact his ability to play elsewhere. Maybe Spain? If anyone is going to break 93+ in this side it’s probably got to be him so here’s hoping!
Predicted Finish: Flirting with relegation
AFC Bournemouth (17th)
Remiro 90
Stanisic 90 Aguerd 90 Hincapié 91 Mendy 90
Mac Allister 94
️ Guimarães 93 Isco 91
Raphinha 94
————————Trossard 91
Neymar 92
Wow wow wow what a starting XI we have here!
How on earth have they only just escaped relegation? A terrific starting XI in midfield and a sparkling of quality in attack should put them ahead of the likes of Cardiff et al.
Rises for Bruno G. has meant you’ll be hard pressed to find a better mix of mids and I can see they’ve opted for the 4-3-3 B to make the most of this.
My worry is what happens to the front line when Neymar retires? When Trossard is replaced at Arsenal? They probably need to invest in another wide forward or CF here. Can they get them in?
Predicted finish: Lower mid table
Norwich City (Div 2 Champions)
Sels 89
Zappacosta 89 Martinez 91 Botman 91 Gaya 90
Gundogan 92 Mkhitaryan 91
Dybala 91 Joelinton 90 Leao 93
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Wissa 90
Another solid side with sprinkling of top attacking quality thanks to securing Leao in the drafts. I think Norwich have been outstanding all of last season and have maximised the strengths and masked the weaknesses of their side superbly.
RB is of course an issue here but throughout the squad there are some exciting players like Nusa, Nwaneri and Jauregizar that I’m sure are capable of 90+ with relative ease to mask any longer term defensive woes.
If Leao can hit the ground running in Div 1 it could be a special season.
Predicted Finish. Lower mid table
Manchester City (Div 2 Runners Up)
Vicario 90
Di Lorenzo 91 De Vrij 91 Gabriel 93
️ Van De Ven 91
Enzo 93 Koopmeiners 92
Rodrygo 93 Cherki 90 Mitoma 90
Osimhen 93
Drafts have transformed City into a real contender and they could even be in the running for a European spot based on quality.
The back line is as solid as any and Gabriel is the best CB in the world IMO.
The midfield is solid, and the attacking talent should improve as Cherki rises at City.
Add to this some outstanding youth (Mastantuono and Mainoo) and it looks a really promising side too.
Predicted finish: Europa competitor
Torquay United (Play Off Winners)
Henderson 88
Stones 92 Van Hecke 89 Badé 89 Yilmaz 89
Poke 90 Ederson 91
Yildiz 90 Diaz 90 Thuram 93
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Ronaldo 92
Torquay another side benefiting from drafting has meant they’ve now got a solid side to build with and some outstanding attacking talent to hurt sides.
Yildiz, Thuram, Paz and Diaz all came from draft clubs and have absolutely transformed the prospects of the side which now boasts some seriously impressive talents. Another one that I wouldn’t be surprised to hit the 40 points often needed to survive but I’d be desperately signing a 90+ GK now to make sure it happens. Theres 4 at external and they are better short term options than Henderson.
Predicted Finish: Flirting with relegation (unless they sign a GK)
-- Bellingham (95)
