Squad Size

[washsaint]

Everyone talks about how we will fall away as our squad size is not big enough to cope with the demands of the season as we head into winter.

 

An alternative viewpoint could be that our squad size will work in our favor. If you look at the likes of Spurs and Man City who have very large squads and "stars" they are struggling to find continuity and a style that accommodates their squads.

 

We, on the other hand, have a very settled squad and adequate backups for when injuries/suspensions occur. A lot of talk about our 2nd XI not being good enough but surely no-one thinks the whole 2nd XI will have to play in a League game? 1 or 2 at some stage of the season but not all at once.

 

If you go back some time to George Graham's Arsenal side that won the title, I believe they had a nucleus of about 15 players that were used during the season.

 

Not saying we will win the League but do feel that despite talk to the contrary, our squad size could very well work in our favor as the season progresses.

[Baldbarbarian]

We, on the other hand, have a very settled squad and adequate backups for when injuries/suspensions occur. A lot of talk about our 2nd XI not being good enough but surely no-one thinks the whole 2nd XI will have to play in a League game? 1 or 2 at some stage of the season but not all at once.

 

Agree with this, although the thought of Luke Shaw being injured for any length of time & Danny Fox playing fills me with dread, I guess there is always the Chambers/Clyne option if that were to happen.

[sidthesquid]

I think we need a goalkeeper, a left back and another striker in our second eleven, otherwise it is quite strong.

[Saint Charlie]

I think we need a goalkeeper, a left back and another striker in our second eleven, otherwise it is quite strong.

 

Our reserve centre backs are not top 8 quality and one of them is Championship class.

[trousers]

Everyone talks about how we will fall away as our squad size is not big enough to cope with the demands of the season as we head into winter.

 

An alternative viewpoint could be that our squad size will work in our favor. If you look at the likes of Spurs and Man City who have very large squads and "stars" they are struggling to find continuity and a style that accommodates their squads.

 

We, on the other hand, have a very settled squad and adequate backups for when injuries/suspensions occur. A lot of talk about our 2nd XI not being good enough but surely no-one thinks the whole 2nd XI will have to play in a League game? 1 or 2 at some stage of the season but not all at once.

 

If you go back some time to George Graham's Arsenal side that won the title, I believe they had a nucleus of about 15 players that were used during the season.

 

Not saying we will win the League but do feel that despite talk to the contrary, our squad size could very well work in our favor as the season progresses.

 

Great minds thinking alike sir... http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?47620-quot-you-can-t-deny-that-after-11-games-of-the-season-we-are-firmly-in-the-title-race-quot&p=1813769#post1813769

 

Anyone else think that our supposed "lack of depth" is actually working to our advantage at the moment? In other words, we have a more settled starting 11 than other teams 'in the mix' who feel they have to rotate their squad more than we do to keep their 'superstar' players happy. Take Spurs today for example. Many Spurs fans phoning up radio stations after the game saying that AVB needs to stop tinkering and decide what his best starting 11 is.

 

Yes, I know the 'advantage' of a strong/fixed starting 11 coupled with a weaker 'reserve' 11, could/will catch up with us eventually as injuries, suspensions, etc, start to kick in but, for now, I'm thinking our perceived "lack of depth" is working in our favour.

[SNSUN]

With our academy, and the class of player they've been producing lately (Shaw, Chambers, JWP) and the youngsters who've had game time in the cups (Reed, Isgrove, Gallagher) and with the other youngsters waiting for a chance (Targett, Turnbull, Stephens, Rowe etc), you could argue that we're covered short term with injuries.

[igsey]

We also have the advantage of not being in Europe (this season..!), unlike most of the teams around us in the table; this combined with the players' very high fitness levels means that we don't need to rotate the squad at all... and if we do pick up an injury or two, presumably all the reserves are just as fit, if less skilled, so the pressing game shouldn't be affected.

[Barry Sanchez]

To remain or push on we need a goalkeeper, a left back, possibly a utility centre back/right back (Yoshida may fill that role) a creative midfielder to replace Ramirez and a winger as an outlet for trying to keep a lead, expensive for all of that but that would show a true statement of intent.

[norwaysaint]

We're doing well, but I think we need to be a bit realistic about the sort of player who'll be willing to join us when they know they'll probably be back up. We might get a better keeper, although they probably won't really be significantly better than the two or three we have. I don't think we'll sign a much better defender than Fox and Yoshida/Hooiveld when they know they'll probably be second fiddle. We are almost better sticking to the cover we have, players who already feel like part of the squad and youngsters keen to come through and be the next Shaw or JWP.

 

it's easy to look at last week' spoor cup game and say that our second string aren't good enough, but there's a world of difference playing lots of second and bringing in one player who will slot into a sharp and functioning team. You wouldn't have picked cork out of that team, but we know that with the right players around him, he is good enough.

[NickG]

People saying we 'need' certain additions probably include people who said we needed to add to the squad in the summer to achieve mid-table!

 

One thing the club have shown is that they ignore limitations set from outside, while Turkish was saying they would be deluded to target 6-8th - the club target the very top.

 

It makes it really hard to say what we 'need'. You can worry about how we will do if Lovren or Boruc are injured - but not uncommon for CB and keeper to last the season.

 

The front five are pretty interchangeable and I think we have good depth - Lambert, Lallana, Ward-Prowse, Osvaldo, Ramirez, Davis, Ramirez, Rodriguez - reckon a couple of injuries could be unnoticeable.

 

Morgan and Wanyama are covered by Ward-Prowse, Davis and Cork.

 

I was surprised to see Fox against Swansea as MP had said previously that Clyne is back up LB with Chambers right. DZ

[NickG]

People saying we 'need' certain additions probably include people who said we needed to add to the squad in the summer to achieve mid-table!

 

One thing the club have shown is that they ignore limitations set from outside, while Turkish was saying they would be deluded to target 6-8th - the club target the very top.

 

It makes it really hard to say what we 'need'. You can worry about how we will do if Lovren or Boruc are injured - but not uncommon for CB and keeper to last the season.

 

The front five are pretty interchangeable and I think we have good depth - Lambert, Lallana, Ward-Prowse, Osvaldo, Ramirez, Davis, Ramirez, Rodriguez - reckon a couple of injuries could be unnoticeable.

 

Morgan and Wanyama are covered by Ward-Prowse, Davis and Cork.

 

I was surprised to see Fox against Swansea as MP had said previously that Clyne is back up LB with Chambers right.

 

(Sorry accidentally sent!)

 

Ramirez - no-one who has seen him can deny he is a good player and offers us attacking running / passing we sometimes lack.

 

No-one can say that he has lived up to expectations yet ( some IMHO ignorantly high due to lack of understanding transfer fees and nationality stereotyping).

 

Figures showed (see my post with goals / assists per minute) that he did ok last season and is still a young player.

 

Its ridiculous to hear Alpine criticise him for not playing & collecting wages - when playing more than Cork for example).

 

His biggest problem is the amazing form of Ward-Prowse, Lallana and JayRod.

 

You have to wonder how he will fit in to current style but its so short sighted that it's humorous to read people moaning about lack of depth then moaning that its wasteful having quality players not playing.

 

We may drop down now, but Shearer was on the radio saying we are playing best football, most consistent with youngest squad and could win the league - although most likely usual top 4 will rise in time.

 

So, god knows what we need but think we are at stage when all realise NC isn't amateur and knows what he is doing !

 

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[trousers]

We're doing well, but I think we need to be a bit realistic about the sort of player who'll be willing to join us when they know they'll probably be back up. We might get a better keeper, although they probably won't really be significantly better than the two or three we have. I don't think we'll sign a much better defender than Fox and Yoshida/Hooiveld when they know they'll probably be second fiddle. We are almost better sticking to the cover we have, players who already feel like part of the squad and youngsters keen to come through and be the next Shaw or JWP.

 

it's easy to look at last week' spoor cup game and say that our second string aren't good enough, but there's a world of difference playing lots of second and bringing in one player who will slot into a sharp and functioning team. You wouldn't have picked cork out of that team, but we know that with the right players around him, he is good enough.

 

This. I'd be surprised if we bring in more than one player in the January window.

[eelpie]

We don't now need a larger squad (unless a bargain player comes our way in January). During our best historical seasons we always had small, united squads. Our squad will naturally grow in any case as young Academy players come through, all playing the Southampton Way.

 

When we plummeted through the divisions we had added quite a few disparate players, and with little common purpose.

 

If on the other hand we find ourselves in European football next or another, season MoPo will have to address the need for rotating a larger squad containing selected QUALITY additions, otherwise we might be overstretched with two demanding matches in some weeks. Rotating players will be a new challenge that hasn't been done since the days of Adkins's teams (with good but mixed results).

[positivepete]

I think we need a goalkeeper, a left back and another striker in our second eleven, otherwise it is quite strong.

 

We will not buy squad players. If we sign any players they will be first eleven players.

[John Boy Saint]

Having been to Sunderland last week, I hadn't gone to pick holes in players who are not in the starting line up every week as there was no way they would be a fluid unit like one we get to see on matchday. The one thing I did spot early on was that there were players who would easily slot into the first team when called on, as someone said above it's not as if the whole XI would need a mass rotation.

 

i would be happy to be shown why Yoshida gets so much grief on here, being called carp etc. Last season he played the Lovren part to Jose in defence, he was the intelligence of the pairing, playing out of position to accommodate Jose too. This season due to Confederations cup and a niggle the Lovren Fonte partnership has gelled surprisingly superbly. MP ain't going to break what ain't broke especially as it's doing so well.

 

Still there are plenty of players in reserve who would allow our squad to be as big as we like: ignore the goals watch the pressing

[Faz]

We won't buy a left back for the foreseeable future.

 

We won't buy a keeper until the summer.

 

We might buy a top class CB.

[Turkish]

People saying we 'need' certain additions probably include people who said we needed to add to the squad in the summer to achieve mid-table!

 

One thing the club have shown is that they ignore limitations set from outside, while Turkish was saying they would be deluded to target 6-8th - the club target the very top.

 

It makes it really hard to say what we 'need'. You can worry about how we will do if Lovren or Boruc are injured - but not uncommon for CB and keeper to last the season.

 

The front five are pretty interchangeable and I think we have good depth - Lambert, Lallana, Ward-Prowse, Osvaldo, Ramirez, Davis, Ramirez, Rodriguez - reckon a couple of injuries could be unnoticeable.

 

Morgan and Wanyama are covered by Ward-Prowse, Davis and Cork.

 

I was surprised to see Fox against Swansea as MP had said previously that Clyne is back up LB with Chambers right. DZ

 

You're obsessed with me, yet another name check and yet another wrong claim.

 

 

What I said it was deluded to think the team which was 4 points above the relegation zone, like ours was in April, was good enough for 6th with no addition, which was what you claimed. As usual I've been proven right.

[CB Fry]

You're obsessed with me, yet another name check and yet another wrong claim.

 

 

What I said it was deluded to think the team which was 4 points above the relegation zone, like ours was in April, was good enough for 6th with no addition, which was what you claimed. As usual I've been proven right.

 

The phrase was "current squad [April 2013] realistic aim 6th - 8th" was it not?

 

Why on earth is he so determined to keep digging up his own idiocy?

[Turkish]

The phrase was "current squad [April 2013] realistic aim 6th - 8th" was it not?

 

Why on earth is he so determined to keep digging up his own idiocy?

 

But settling for 11th, yes ?

[CB Fry]

But settling for 11th, yes ?

 

Ah, yes. The old spread bet of having no real opinion while at the same time desperate to say "I told you so". Exceptional stuff, Nick.