Yeah yeah yeah, we didn't have the perfect TW, but were we ever gonna? Secundo, it could've been far worse...both with Ins and Outs. Last but not least, our direct competitors had a worse TW than we did, and on paper that sort of boosts our hopes of beating them to Top 4.
State of play:
- We still have a terrific manager
- We still have a great GK...but his deputies are meh
- Dier has been solid under Conte, as has Big Ben. If Romero can stay fit and rediscover his Atalanta form, that's a pretty decent back three...but yeah, gotta hope we don't have to call on our subs too often
- Emerson has only been with us for 6 months and he's still learning how to play RWB, let's give him a break. Matt knows he's playing for his future, so my guess is his perf level will improve. But even if they both remain average, the rest of the team can carry them til end of the season
- Reggy gonna Reggy...he's no Robertson, but is fine enough to help us get Top 4. Let's hope he doesn't get injured, but at the same time Sess needs to play more and he can still do well enough to not murder our Top 4 challenge, the guy isn't awful, let's be real
- You can always count on Skippy and Hoj to give everything, even Winksy to be fair. Bentancur certainly has pedigree and could prove a steal under Conte's stewardship. I'm fine with young Harvey as our 5th CM option
- A fully fit and firing Sonny is unplayable on his day, as is Kane. Lucas always works hard, would be nice if he could chip in with a few more goals and assists...but I reckon we'll get just that from Dejan. If Bergy stays focused like he's been of late, that's a pretty good front line...starters and bench. Let's just pray we don't lose Sonny and/or Kane to more injuries
Conclusion:
There's definitely more reasons to feel optimistic than down about our chances of securing Top 4...and maybe even FA Cup glory.
Yes, the squad is a bit light and we need to hope/pray our big players can stay away from the treatment table, but if all the stars align, there's no doubt we can qualify for the CL.
COYS