I agree on Fellaini and Ive always said he gets too much unwarranted abuse - but Im not sure what other 'grafters' you are talking about?
Also although LvG clearly wanted to promote a few youth players this season, there is no way he planned to blood so many - the injury situation at fullback is unprecented, down to something like our 6th choice at RB and clearly you just cant plan for that.
I actually think the squad is in decent shape, of course it needs a couple of additions and I am surprised we didnt bring anyone in the last window - we have clearly been short up front all year.
None, that is my point. All of the "graft" has been replaced with raw green youngsters. I know you can't plan for your 6th choice right back but surely you have to build a squad properly by actually having established senior players already holding down the roles and having the utility players play utility roles. Blind for example can play all four roles at the back and practically all four midfield positions (LW/DM/CM/RW if he wanted to). Yet somehow found his way into first choice CB which rendered the utility aspect of his game completely pointless.
If you look at the
senior players that made up our defensive structure going into the season; (I included Blind at CB because the way he became first choice literally meant he has rarely played at fullback..)
Central Defenders: Smalling, Jones, Rojo, Blind.
Fullbacks: Shaw (19/20 so still learning, but accomplished), Darmian.
The rest are Young and Valencia (converted wingers who should be "there is literally no other fullbacks to play fullback and your CB's are crap so you have to play to make up the numbers" tier fullbacks) and then the young guys like Tyler Blackett and McNair (Keane, Wooton, Thorpe who have been moved along) coming through who - lets face it - are not ready at all to step up. Don't get me wrong I wanted to see more of Varela and CBJ has been incredibly effective when stepping in to cover. But are we really 100% sure that there was adequate and proper planning when you literally only have six senior defenders for four first team positions while we are 6 players short of the senior registration cap?
I don't meant to be really negative but I am pretty skeptical that at least two or three defensive players could have been brought in or retained to cover the burden before the young players got dropped in it like they have been. This is what I mean about LVG being balls swingingly mad or possibly being such an appalling man manager that he couldn't retain some players or keep some squaddies happy to sit 3rd or 4th choice. Everywhere I look in the squad there is literally no 3rd choice senior player, it is a young player. That is alarm bells ringing on his man management skills imo.
A couple of additions, in my opinion should really be at minimum the amount short of the senior rego cap, really. It is all well and good to see a few young guys poke through but when you can't even get 18 senior players (with an academy player for the record to continue) on the team sheet because you have a few injuries.... (well a lot of injuries)... I remain unconvinced if I am honest. It is just way to big a hole to fill with young guys in my opinion.
In my opinion, being short up front is fine when you've got young guys to step up, up front has funnily enough where we have had barely any injuries at all. Where we've been short in my opinion is in defense. A couple of the 6 squad places could have gone to FB/CB/DM type cover players, maybe three or four with the other two spots bolstering up front. If the young guys aren't ready, why are we forcing them into the lineup anyway?
I dunno, I see it as a giant mess. But we can agree to disagree.
