Let's Be Brutally Honest - Our Matchday Squad is No Longer Top 6 Quality

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Are We Still Top 6 Quality?


  • Total voters
    84

ArcspacE

ENIC OUT NOW !!! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Having failed to improve the squad at the end of our best season in 2017 - it has been a steady decline into Top 8 mediocrity ever since.

Poch foresaw this, even went public begging Levy to invest but instead we went from the youngest PL team to one of the oldest.

Out of the Top 6 at the time - we are the only club that failed to win even even a shitty League Cup with what was the second/third best team for a solid 3 seasons running. Even a clapped Wenger on his last legs, clown LVG and the shittest Utd team in a generation won major trophies during that same period. Inexcusable really

This is the sad reality following years of mismanagement by ENIC and criminally poor decisions in the transfer market without any sort of accountability from those involved. Combined with ruined deals for the naming rights and sleeve sponsor, along with extra 200m extra loan - we now seem primed for a period of soul-crushing austerity.

So what gives?

From our best team:

Dembele - not replaced
Toby and Verts - best CB duo have now aged - not replaced with true quality
Eriksen - sold and potentially replaced - time will tell
Walker - sold and replaced with a clown
Rose- aged and not replaced
Wanyama - sold and not replaced

From the current squad:

Aurier- not good enough
Sissoko - not good enough
Moura - inconsistent
Lamela - inconsistent
Davies - not good enough
Dier - finished
Sanchez - not sure
Winks- squad player
Gedson - lol
Bergwijn - some promise
Ndombele - some promise
Lo Celso - some promise

As per above it seems a major core of our squad is simply not good enough for Top 4 better yet Top 6

Unless we perform a MAJOR overhaul this summer next season won't be much different even if we sack Jose. Question is - with what money and who will buy half these cloggers?

You can't polish a turd, Mr Levy

Thoughts?
 
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My thoughts are I didn’t read this and why did you need to make a new thread to say what most people in here are clucking about in every other thread
 
Having failed to improve the squad at the end of our best season in 2017 - it has been a steady decline into Top 8 mediocrity ever since.

Poch foresaw this, even went public begging Levy to invest but instead we went from the youngest PL team to one of the oldest.

Out of the Top 6 at the time - we are the only club that failed to win even even a shitty League Cup with what was the second/third best team for a solid 3 seasons running. Even a clapped Wenger on his last legs, clown LVG and the shittest Utd team in a generation won major trophies during that same period. Inexcusable really

This is the sad reality following years of mismanagement by ENIC and criminally poor decisions in the transfer market without any sort of accountability from those involved. Combined with ruined deals for the naming rights and sleeve sponsor, along with extra 200m extra loan - we now seem primed for a period of soul-crushing austerity.

So what gives?

From our best team:

Dembele - not replaced
Toby and Verts - best CB duo have now aged - not replaced with true quality
Eriksen - sold and potentially replaced - time will tell
Walker - sold and replaced with a clown
Rose- aged and not replaced
Wanyama - sold and not replaced

From the current squad:

Aurier- not good enough
Sissoko - not good enough
Moura - inconsistent
Lamela - inconsistent
Davies - not good enough
Dier - finished
Sanchez - not sure
Winks- squad player
Gedson - lol
Bergwijn - some promise
Ndombele - some promise
Lo Celso - some promise

As per above it seems a major core of our squad is simply not good enough for Top 4 better yet Top 6

Unless we perform a MAJOR overhaul this summer next season won't be much different even if we sack Jose. Question is -with what money and who will but half these cloggers?

You can't polish a turd, Mr Levy

Thoughts?
I disagree.

For me, our starting XI is 4th / 5th best in the league (clearly behind Liverpool and City, behind Man U, and close to Chelsea) and our squad is the 5th best.

We have a better starting XI than Woolwich, Leicester, Wolves and Everton for sure.

Our attacking options are fantastic, there’s really no denying that. There are obvious deficiencies defensively but when I look at the Chelsea defence (past it Azpi, Rudiger, Christensen and Alonso) it really isn’t much better.
 
So you would keep Harry, Sonny, Hugo, Tanganga, Gio, Bergwijn, Tanguay, Winks and maybe Sanchez?

Cant disagree with much of that and I’m even cooling on Sissoko!!!

But you’re right in that if we replace Mourinho nothing will change because if ENIC

So what do we do?
Can’t see ENIC going anywhere unless Joe dies and even then may be not

Our only hope atm is if Jose and a Levy have struck some sort of deal for investment and a clear out this Summer

So ENIC mostly to blame imv but a sizeable portion of blame has to go to Poch as he squandered the best opportunity to win something with our best side since our double team because he couldn’t get us over the line in big competitions like PL and CL and didn’t take other competitions seriously

Shame or tragedy
 
Having failed to improve the squad at the end of our best season in 2017 - it has been a steady decline into Top 8 mediocrity ever since.

Poch foresaw this, even went public begging Levy to invest but instead we went from the youngest PL team to one of the oldest.

Out of the Top 6 at the time - we are the only club that failed to win even even a shitty League Cup with what was the second/third best team for a solid 3 seasons running. Even a clapped Wenger on his last legs, clown LVG and the shittest Utd team in a generation won major trophies during that same period. Inexcusable really

This is the sad reality following years of mismanagement by ENIC and criminally poor decisions in the transfer market without any sort of accountability from those involved. Combined with ruined deals for the naming rights and sleeve sponsor, along with extra 200m extra loan - we now seem primed for a period of soul-crushing austerity.

So what gives?

From our best team:

Dembele - not replaced
Toby and Verts - best CB duo have now aged - not replaced with true quality
Eriksen - sold and potentially replaced - time will tell
Walker - sold and replaced with a clown
Rose- aged and not replaced
Wanyama - sold and not replaced

From the current squad:

Aurier- not good enough
Sissoko - not good enough
Moura - inconsistent
Lamela - inconsistent
Davies - not good enough
Dier - finished
Sanchez - not sure
Winks- squad player
Gedson - lol
Bergwijn - some promise
Ndombele - some promise
Lo Celso - some promise

As per above it seems a major core of our squad is simply not good enough for Top 4 better yet Top 6

Unless we perform a MAJOR overhaul this summer next season won't be much different even if we sack Jose. Question is -with what money and who will but half these cloggers?

You can't polish a turd, Mr Levy

Thoughts?

Of course..... Right now is a disconcerting place to be.

Thoughts...?

You're conflating a number of issues that don't sit conveniently under the simplistic banner of "Levy is a tight cunt"... Particularly where it comes to claims of "no attempt" to replace X or Y player when in fact attempts HAVE been made (often costly); just not successfully for varying reasons.

From your list:

Dembele - Ndombele £55m +
Toby and Verts - Sanchez & Foyth = total £50m; brought in young to be developed for the juncture we find ourselves at now.
Eriksen - GLC 45m +
Walker - Aurier 25m
Rose- Sessengon 30m
Wanyama - 100% valid... We should have a new DM by now!

Point being that's £200m spent on those positions!!! ...And of course there has been even more spent elsewhere in these last 4 summers since our much fabled 16/17 season.

Could/should we spend more....? That argument will rage and rage to no eventual resolution(*).... United fans till bitch and moan about their spending FFS! (*Personally, I only lose patience with it when hysterical falsified claims of theft and cash siphoning are made.)

If C19 brings about a period of "austerity" as you choose to call it, then I'm not sure it warrants us stomping our feet over it.... It will affect all but the richest of clubs! It's a shitty kick in the teeth given the purpose of our stadium rebuild; we can only hope that things don't get as bad as we fear.

What will the aforementioned £200m loan be used for? I suspect it is to provide a buffer for our loan repayments and operational costs whilst also being used to ensure that we have SOME form of transfer budget this summer.... If I'm wrong, then let's cross that bridge when we come to it. Vitriolic pre-emptive criticism serves no practical purpose in the interim.

In terms of ENIC '"accountability": They are OWNERS; they aren't getting 'sacked'. If some are as embittered about them as they repeatedly portray here then we really ought to have seen some form of pro-active action from them by now.... To be an internet blow-hard on this front ultimately is not gonna cut it and makes a mockery of the aggression with which their disenfranchisement is constantly expressed. We all laughed at the "Wenger Out" movement for being melts, but at least they were more than just mouth.

In the interests of moving forward;

Money has been spent (in some instances large, record-breaking fees), but very little of it has impacted as we needed. Player integration has been questionable with certain players clung to for too long at management level, but most importantly we need to invest time and money into our recruitment department. A coherent strategy & scouting-to-purchasing process (ideally headed up by a DOF) is required.... A failure to do so will lead to me losing my rag with the ownership because it IS their responsibility to see that this is in place.

If we can recruit well and smartly where it matters most in the next 2 windows; i don't think we're doomed to the shit fate that the most fearful amongst us do, but that's an IF.


(Hopefully my reply can be seen as a practical, un-emotional view of our predicament; rather than be framed by a childish few as rallying behind Levy; but I don't hold a great deal of hope on that front....)

COYS.
 
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I disagree. Player for player we are significantly inferior to Liverpool and City, on par with Chelsea and Man United, and above all other teams. The squad may suffer from imbalance, but mostly our problems is down to poor form, injuries, and, most importantly, a lack of a clear and established style of play, energy and confidence.
 
Of course..... Right now is a disconcerting place to be.

Thoughts...?

You're conflating a number of issues that don't sit conveniently under the simplistic banner of "Levy is a tight cunt"... Particularly where it comes to claims of "no attemp" to replace X or Y player when in fact attempts HAVE been made (often costly); just not successfully for varying reason.

From your list:

Dembele - Ndombele £55m +
Toby and Verts - Sanchez & Foyth = total £50m; brought in young to be developed for the juncture we find ourselves at now.
Eriksen - GLC 45m +
Walker - Aurier 25m
Rose- Sessengon 33m
Wanyama - 100% valid... We should have a new DM by now!

Point being that's £200m spent on those positions!!! ...And of course there has been even more spent elsewhere in these last 4 summers since our much fabled 16/17 season.

Could/should we spend more....? That argument will rage and rage to no eventual resolution(*).... Fucking United fans till bitch and moan about their spending FFS! (*Personally, I only lose patience with it when hysterical falsified claims of the theft and cash siphoning are made.)

If C19 brings about a period of "austerity" as you choose to call it, then I'm not sure it warrants us stomping our feet over it.... It will affect all but the richest of clubs! It's a shitty kick in the teeth given the purpose of our stadium rebuild; we can only hope that things don't get as bad as we fear.

What will the aforementioned £200m loan be used for? I suspect it is to provide a buffer for our loan repayments and operational cost whilst also being used to ensure that we have SOME form of transfer budget this summer.... If I'm wrong, then let's cross that bridge when we come to it. Vitriolic pre-emptive criticism serves no practical purpose in the interim.

In terms of ENIC '"accountability": They are OWNERS; they aren't getting 'sacked'. If some are as embittered about them as they repeatedly portray here then we really ought to have seen some form of pro-active action from them by now.... To be a internet blow-hard on this front ultimately is not gonna cut it and makes a mockery of the aggression with which their disenfranchisement is constantly expressed. We all laughed at the "Wenger Out" movement for being melts, but at least they were more than just mouth.

In the interests of moving forward;

Money has been spent (in some instances large, record-breaking fees), but very little of it has impacted as we needed. Player integration has been questionable with certain players were clung to for too long at management level, but most importantly we need to invest time and money into our recruitment department. A coherent strategy, scouting-to-purchasing process (ideally headed up by a DOF is required.... A failure to do so will lead to me losing my rag with the ownership because it IS their responsibility to see that this is in place.

If we can recruit well and smartly where it matters most in the next 2 windows; i don't think we're doomed to the shit fate that the most fearful amongst us do, but that's an IF.


(Hopefully my reply can be seen as a practical, un-emotional view of our predicament; rather than be framed by a childish few as rallying behind Levy; but I don't hold a great deal of hope on that front....)

COYS.
Top post

My thoughts exactly.

The only Caveat I will put in is that Poch did not want a DOF and Levy went along with it. We got this bullshit transfer committee instead.
 
I disagree. Player for player we are significantly inferior to Liverpool and City, on par with Chelsea and Man United, and above all other teams. The squad may suffer from imbalance, but mostly our problems is down to poor form, injuries, and, most importantly, a lack of a clear and established style of play, energy and confidence.
we are nowhere near man utd and Chelsea. except for son and kane they are better man for man
 
I disagree. Player for player we are significantly inferior to Liverpool and City, on par with Chelsea and Man United, and above all other teams. The squad may suffer from imbalance, but mostly our problems is down to poor form, injuries, and, most importantly, a lack of a clear and established style of play, energy and confidence.
Utd and especially Chelsea re miles ahead of us - especially at the back 4

We are on par with Wolves and Everton now if you take out Kane

In fact Wolves' midfield shits all over ours
 
I disagree. Player for player we are significantly inferior to Liverpool and City, on par with Chelsea and Man United, and above all other teams. The squad may suffer from imbalance, but mostly our problems is down to poor form, injuries, and, most importantly, a lack of a clear and established style of play, energy and confidence.

Chelsea and United are hands down better than us right now.

Forwards are comparable, and they're significantly better than us in midfield and on defence.

We're comparable to Woolwich. Both are good in attack, but have major issues in midfield and at the back.
 
Regardless of our defensive woes, the Chav lot are pretty much demanding an entirely new back four too.
They are a better team than us this season - no two ways about it

Also gave youth a chance - something we haven't done in years now possibly since Winks
 
We used to be about 3 players off a title winning team, we were SO close.

It's about 6 players now IMO, this is not progress.

Meanwhile every other club around us has spent more net and spent better. Not good enough sadly and following recent decisions made about squad ins and outs, I have little faith in the right decisions being made to turn us around...especially if money is going to be tighter than the comparatively laughable amount it already has been when considering who we're supposed to be competing with.
 
They are a better team than us this season - sad but true

Also gave youth a chance -something we haven't done in years now possibly since Winks

I've not argued to the contrary.... Just that your point about their defense is off the mark.

Youth:

That we've seen fuck all of Skipp & Parrot is shit.... Tanganga provides some balance on that front though.

They were forced to... It wasn't by design.

They have been better over the course of the season of course, but they too have been shit at times and when I consider GLC / Ndomble / Bergwin / Kane / Son in terms of a starting front 5, I don't think we have much to be jealous of...
 
We have definitely fallen behind a number of clubs and you must be deluded if you think our team is as good as United's or Chelsea's.

Both of those teams will be even better next season (United will spend big, Chavs have Werner on the way) not to mention Liverpool and City.

We need to start building a new younger team under a progressive coach that wants to play good attacking football.

We will do so at some point but it won't be under Mourinho. Next 2-3 years are going to be tough, going from being complacent about CL qualification to hoping to scrape into the EL.

Wonderful!

:pochunimpressed:
 
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