is this squad good enough to win the title?

Strong enough and more, BUT . . . . .

Anything can happen over a season, just ask The Dippers! Football over ninety minutes can have more twists n' turns than the road upto Alpe d'Huez so spread that over thirty eight matches and we have more variables than MANUre have universal fans! Dodgy refs, diving cheats, injuries, suspensions - far too many factors than just the strength of the squad.
 
It'll depend on how our WC crew knit back into the squad. To be fair to them it's an emotional drain that could hinder their early season form.

I don't think we've strengthened much to be honest. Fernando seems only marginally better than Garcia from his debut games. Obviously too early to tell though. Even if he can just not foul outside the box as much as Garcia it'll be an improvement. (To be honest Zuculini looked more of a fit as DM than Fernando v Hearts)

I'd prefer Richards to Sagna. Think he offers more going forward and is great in the dressing room....if he could just stay fit...

If we get Mangala it'll be for his ability in his 2nd year and beyond I think. Maybe Rekik could challenge.

So all in all not much improvement. Maybe more kids to come through to plug any holes.

That said we will be more familiar with Pellegrini's style so if the WC crew can start well then I'd expect us to be a the same level as last year. Probably means coming second to a stronger Chelsea and winning a domestic cup. Once we play well I'll be happy.
 
It is. what will happen though is anyone's guess. gonna be a long and hard season this.

and I don't think we have one best starting XI, it depends on the opposition imo.
 
richards30 said:
morning chaps, as the thread title says, with our current new additions, is this squad better or weaker than last season and can we win it this year? what would be your best 11? mine:

hart
zabaleta
kompany
mangala
kolarov
Fernando
fernandihno
yaya
silva
jovetic
aguero

subs: nasri, navas, edin,sagna,willy, beast, MDM ,milner
Click to expand...

Yes but as awlays its fine lines and the difference between success and failure make the difference

Think that Negrado will be gone
 
St Helens Blue (Exiled) said:
I think this thread actually means "I'm not happy we haven't spunked another 100 million this transfer window"!!!

Jesus why isn't the squad good enough? Course it is. We will win the league this year of that I have every confidence.
Click to expand...

not really about that mate but big team makes at least one big name signing every summer!! real Madrid have an amazing squad yet have gone out and bought kroos and are getting rodriguez this week. if we didn't have a spending cap we would have certainly gone for alexis sanchez imo but needs must a mangala,fernando, sagna and willy were all the more needed purchases but do you think Bayern and real Madrid will look at our purchases and be fearful of meeting us in the champions league?
 
richards30 said:
St Helens Blue (Exiled) said:
I think this thread actually means "I'm not happy we haven't spunked another 100 million this transfer window"!!!

Jesus why isn't the squad good enough? Course it is. We will win the league this year of that I have every confidence.
Click to expand...

not really about that mate but big team makes at least one big name signing every summer!! real Madrid have an amazing squad yet have gone out and bought kroos and are getting rodriguez this week. if we didn't have a spending cap we would have certainly gone for alexis sanchez imo but needs must a mangala,fernando, sagna and willy were all the more needed purchases but do you think Bayern and real Madrid will look at our purchases and be fearful of meeting us in the champions league?
Click to expand...

Realistically though i dont see who we could buy that is gettable with the current restrictions whom would make a difference. Personally i think the CL league we have under performed over the seasons for various reasons

We are good enough to beat these teams but team selection, pragmatism and cruclally the players performing are critical.
 
dctid said:
richards30 said:
St Helens Blue (Exiled) said:
I think this thread actually means "I'm not happy we haven't spunked another 100 million this transfer window"!!!

Jesus why isn't the squad good enough? Course it is. We will win the league this year of that I have every confidence.
Click to expand...

not really about that mate but big team makes at least one big name signing every summer!! real Madrid have an amazing squad yet have gone out and bought kroos and are getting rodriguez this week. if we didn't have a spending cap we would have certainly gone for alexis sanchez imo but needs must a mangala,fernando, sagna and willy were all the more needed purchases but do you think Bayern and real Madrid will look at our purchases and be fearful of meeting us in the champions league?
Click to expand...

Realistically though i dont see who we could buy that is gettable with the current restrictions whom would make a difference. Personally i think the CL league we have under performed over the seasons for various reasons

We are good enough to beat these teams but team selection, pragmatism and cruclally the players performing are critical.
Click to expand...

yes I totally agree mate and that's the point I was making. the business tixiki has done even so far within the budget is fantastic but our club like ours will want at least one big name/marquee signing every season just like real, Bayern, barca do?
 
We need to compare it to our rivals in order to ascertain if it's good enough to win the league and when you look at the opposition the answer is of course we are!

Liverpool - lost their talisman, several new signings by the end of the window which will change the whole dynamic of the playing squad. Couple this with the fact that they don't just have 38 cup finals this season, they have top tier European football to consider and consequently, their squad will tire like ours and the two representatives from London.

Chelsea - everyone seems to be worried about this one and I’m singing from a different hymn sheet and here's the reason. The signings they've bought in have underwhelmed me. Yes Costa has had a good couple of seasons with Atletico where he’s a strong target man but he'll be up against physically stringer and quicker defenders in this league. I don't think he'll settle immediately.
Fabregas isn't mentally strong enough to be given the accolades he receives from football pundits and it was noticeable that Wenger didn't take up the option to re-sign him. He'll bang in a brace against Palace and everyone will be raving about him. Watch him go missing against us or other top teams though, he can be bullied quite easily and his home town team were well rid.
Other players such as Terry & Czech are a year older and Mourinho publicly questioned the desire and mental strength of players like Matic and Salah for the fight.
Mourinho also came across as ridiculous at times last season and I feel the love affair with the English press is coming to an end. The win at all cost football will cause unease with the owner if they aren't sitting pretty by Easter. He hasn't got the squad when he first arrived in England and he knows we're stronger than them.

Arsenal - here's what I wrote in another thread:
The issues with Arsenal go much deeper than them covering weaknesses with new signings. Yes, you cannot argue against them strengthening significantly with the likes of khedira and Sanchez, two genuine operators at the highest level.
The problem though with them is twofold.
Firstly, they are the poorest of the top sides (the big five say) without the ball. This has been a common theme with Wenger sides throughout his reign really and was highlighted dramatically when the old back four he inherited left the scene. They are a forward thinking side with great movement but there are two sides to the game and they only excel at one.
The other issue with them is their mental strength and for me they are still lacking here big time. We absolutely battered them last season and Chelsea embarrassed them too. Even united beat them at home, they have a habit of capitulating and when you look at the squad, you’re asking yourself who's the leaders here, who'll drag the side through tough times? Wenger's sides have been found wanting at the business end of the season too many times, this won't change.

United - too far off the pace from last season, fourth is their goal and that is seriously in doubt if they don't get a top class central midfielder. RVP is another year older, they're dodgy at centre half and Rooney's heart isn't in it.

City - our only problem is the difficult start and world cup stars with heavy legs early doors. We'll win this title comfortably though, we've a great run after Christmas and are too strong for the rest.
 
blue_paul said:
Liverpool - lost their talisman, several new signings by the end of the window which will change the whole dynamic of the playing squad. Couple this with the fact that they don't just have 38 cup finals this season, they have top tier European football to consider and consequently, their squad will tire like ours and the two representatives from London.
Click to expand...

You forgot to mention they don't have an anniversary (as far as I know) this season to "drive them on". Personally their spending reminds me a bit of Newcastle that crazy January they had - not all their signings will pay off.
 
Of course it is
Is chelseas? Yes
Arsenals? Yes
Stoke? No
Look abroad, have barcalona got a squad capable of winning la liga? Of course
Real madrid? Of course
Apart from scotland and germany most leagues have 2-4 teams with a squad capable of winning the league
 
willy eckerslike said:
blue_paul said:
Liverpool - lost their talisman, several new signings by the end of the window which will change the whole dynamic of the playing squad. Couple this with the fact that they don't just have 38 cup finals this season, they have top tier European football to consider and consequently, their squad will tire like ours and the two representatives from London.
Click to expand...

You forgot to mention they don't have an anniversary (as far as I know) this season to "drive them on". Personally their spending reminds me a bit of Newcastle that crazy January they had - not all their signings will pay off.
Click to expand...

There's always an 'anniversary'. Weekly, monthly, hourly?
 
Top 2 between us and Chelsea nowt doubt arsenal will come flying out the traps but if they add more players they could defo be a big threat to us. City to win the league manuel to do his magic again.
 
richards30 said:
St Helens Blue (Exiled) said:
I think this thread actually means "I'm not happy we haven't spunked another 100 million this transfer window"!!!

Jesus why isn't the squad good enough? Course it is. We will win the league this year of that I have every confidence.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

not really about that mate but big team makes at least one big name signing every summer!! real Madrid have an amazing squad yet have gone out and bought kroos and are getting rodriguez this week. if we didn't have a spending cap we would have certainly gone for alexis sanchez imo but needs must a mangala,fernando, sagna and willy were all the more needed purchases but do you think Bayern and real Madrid will look at our purchases and be fearful of meeting us in the champions league?[/quote]

Excuse my language , but don't be so fucking daft. IF we are to meet either Bayern Or Real again I'm sure they would be
worried about our team. Period. Not whom we've bought or not bought. As Champions 2 out of the last 3 years I think,
deep down most European teams would like to avoid us in the early stages of the CL. Especially as they know we have
2 more years CL experience now.
 
Not too many changes will favour us. Pellegrini turned our squad in a creative scoring machine that will only get better the more the squad gells. We upgraded where we needed to, i.e. defensively. And with a better defence we will be able to attack even more. We scored a massive total in all competitions despite Negredo off the boil for 4 months, Aguero injured on and off for 5 months, Jovetic injured for almost the complete season and an ever improving Dzeko. Pellegrini seems a master in keeping the squad happy and finding ways for all players to make a decent number of starts and make them feel important. If we have a little bit more luck with the injuries, I simply can't see another team gaining more points.
BUT ... this is the EPL and where there used to be 4 teams that could win it, it now is 5, maybe 6 if Spurs live up to expectations and the quality of their squad. As for qualifying for a CL one can add Everton because they simply have a great manager as well.
 
richards30 said:
morning chaps, as the thread title says, with our current new additions, is this squad better or weaker than last season and can we win it this year? what would be your best 11? mine:

hart
zabaleta
kompany
mangala
kolarov
Fernando
fernandihno
yaya
silva
jovetic
aguero

subs: nasri, navas, edin,sagna,willy, beast, MDM ,milner
Click to expand...

Yep, we had a fantastic squad last season with a couple of glaring weaknesses (imo). These have been addressed so I fancy us to win the title and do well in the Champs League. I'd have Nasri in my first choice starting line up instead of Jovetic, but there are plenty of options and there should be plenty of opportunities to rest key players. I don't see anyone else with that strength in depth and it's usually the strongest squad that comes out on top at the end of a long hard season.
 
Yes.

Caballero or Pantilimon? Caballero.
Sagna or Richards? Sagna.
Lescott or Mangala? Mangala.
Fernando or Rodwell/Garcia? Fernando.

That just about sums it up for me. Chelsea will be our biggest challengers, and perhaps even slight favourites, if they can keep everyone fit/level-headed.

Can't see anyone else coming close.
 
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