Is our squad stronger or weaker than last year?

What do you think?

  • Total voters
    736
We’ll sign Cucarella and then this squad wilL be tight and adaptable.

Ederson/Oretga
Walker, Cucarella, Cancelo as alternating full backs with Wilson-Esbrand able to step in
Phillip, Rodri DMs
Gundo, Bernardo, KDB, McATee as midfield ball movers
Mahrez, Palmer, Foden, Grealish, Alvarez as attacking midfielders
Haaland as the nine or false nine!
what’s not to like
 
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Mikejl said:
We’ll sign Cucarella and then this squad wilL be tight and adaptable.

Ederson/Oretga
Walker, Cucarella, Cancelo as alternating full backs with Wilson-Esbrand able to step in
Phillip, Rodri DMs
Gundo, Bernardo, KDB, McATee as midfield ball movers
Mahrez, Palmer, Foden, Grealish, Alvarez as attacking midfielders
Haaland as the nine or false nine!
what’s not to like
Click to expand...
 
Ortega > Stefan (by the looks of things)
Phillips > Fernandinho (at 37)
Alvarez < Jesus (purely on the grounds that he's untested in the PL, but this one might change)
Haaland > no-one
no-one < Sterling
no-one < Zinchenko (but hopefully Cucarella will change this)

Overall, I think we have a more balanced squad if we can bring in Cucarella. Let's be honest, we've been overstocked in attacking midfielders and wide forwards for a while now, and understocked in proper strikers. Playing the false nine means everyone got game time, but bringing in two strikers and continuing to have 6 wide attacking players (Foden, Mahrez, Grealish, Sterling, Jesus, Palmer) doesn't make sense, especially when the likes of Bernardo, De Bruyne and Alvarez can all play there if needed. Hell, even Cancelo at a push.

Similar things were said when Pep first decided that we didn't need to sign anyone because Foden was ready. Hopefully we'll see the same thing with Palmer now. You'd hope he's capable of contributing at least 20 appearances this season.

But I definitely wouldn't want to go into the season with Cancelo and Walker as our only senior full backs. Wilson Esbrand looks like a talent, but there's no chance they're going to throw him into the senior squad and have him one bad injury away from having to be our main left back for the season, when he's never played a competitive game for us (to my knowledge). He'll be there for the cup games at this stage in his career.
 
All the usual caveats that we won't know until Christmas, that all players will have good and bad patches, that we don't know about injuries, that we aren't signing players for a single season, and we don't know who is coming at left back yet.

But on paper

Ortega = Stefan (could go either way, who knows)
Phillips > (One year too many) Fernandinho
Haaland > Jesus
Alvarez < Sterling (but let's find out? Sterling wasn't exactly at his most productive best last year)
Cucurella > Zinchenko
Palmer = Torres
+ Foden and Grealish all with an extra season of experience. Kev looks much, much fitter and happier than he did this time last year.
+ We will still have some money in the bank to go back in for someone in January/next summer.

I think we have a much more diverse squad, and more tactical and formational options for different games.
 
Hart of the Matter said:
If Grealish steps up, Alvarez settles, LB signs, and Haaland delivers we are stronger. 4 big 'ifs' though.
Click to expand...
The addition of Erling will help Grealish and whilst there maybe a bedding in period with Haaland, he will score 25 + goals this season as long as he stays fit.

I am confident a lb will be signed especially after letting Zin leave. As for Alvarez time will tell, but early signs are very encouraging.
 
Stronger and all those voting otherwise are depressingly negative and frankly draining on the rest of us
 
Sad as I was to see those who've left go, if we get an LB it's got the potential to be a perfect window.

Ortega looks good (and Steffen's only on loan so if he has a great season we could always keep him).
I'm quietly excited for Phillips. He's a injection of bustling energy into the midfield.
Alvarez is a promising young player.
Haaland is class.

All the players who've left have gone because they wanted to go. The club's treated them respectfully, been honest with them, and taken in some decent fees.

We've brought in actual striker options, which allows us to play in a slightly different style, gives our creators a target man and frees up all the players who've been taking one for the team and playing at false 9 to actually go and play in their best positions.

Every change is a risk but I'm feeling really positive.
 
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