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Just had a text saying the Fulham game has been changed so I thought I'd take a look on the OS. To my surprise we are in for a very busy period where we could have 7 games in the space of 23 days.

February 2011
12 February 2011 12:45 A Manchester United Barclays Premier League
15 February 2011 17:00 A Aris FC Europa League
20 February 2011 14:00 H Notts County FA Cup sponsored by E ON
24 February 2011 20:05 H Aris FC Europa League
27 February 2011 15:00 H Fulham Barclays Premier League
March 11
02 March 2011 Time TBC H Aston Villa FA Cup sponsored by E ON (If we smash Notts County)
05 March 2011 17:30 H Wigan Athletic Barclays Premier League

So, simply, have we got the squad to challenge on all fronts?

I'd personally be very happy if we won a cup, either Waffa or FA, and finished in a Champions League place. I think we've got a good chance of doing it in Europe. With regards to winning the Premiership; I don't think we'll do it just yet.

Five home games in a row! Even with some major rotation we should be in for a nice couple of weeks.

So yes, at least during this run of games our squad should be strong enough to continue our challenge on all fronts.

When the going gets tougher we will see

Bin the cups??? are you mad. 90mins work every 3 days ... poor lambs

I think we've already signaled our intent in the FA cup through recent squad selection ... and since when is competing in 3 competitions considered extraordinary? That is normal. Winter season is packed, it always is ... we just have to rotate and deal with it. If nothing else, we can really find out if these youngsters are good enough and if we have the squad depth we need.

It is a busy period but the 2 Europa games and Notts County should be victories without having to play a full strength side so I think we'll be fine through these games, whilst maintaining a challenge on 3 fronts.

We may do but IF we do, it's a fucking disgrace. We've had several years to prepare for this & there's absolutely no excuse for it after already binning our easiest & best chance of a trophy for years, on the excuse that it enables us to compete in these remaining competitions. If Mancini & Marwood can't assemble a competitive squad for 100''s of millions, when they already had a brilliant squad to start with, they should fuck off & give someone else a chance.

kinkylola wrote:I think we've already signaled our intent in the FA cup through recent squad selection ... and since when is competing in 3 competitions considered extraordinary? That is normal. Winter season is packed, it always is ... we just have to rotate and deal with it. If nothing else, we can really find out if these youngsters are good enough and if we have the squad depth we need.

Mancini?

It's possible looking at it to say we HAD the squad but we DON'T have it any more.

But of course we don't bin the cups.We plod on and win one of them at the same time as getting top 4, easy peasy.

I don't think we should consciously bin the cups; of course getting a top four place is the priority, so we may see a second string line up in the cup games we will face in these 23 days, but that second string should be strong enough to go through on both competitions; if they fuck up and we end out of one, or even both, the cups, then it's not like we have fielded the u18s as we chose to go out to save energies; it's something that can happen when you apply turnover.

Of course we shouldn't. We do have a big squad.

Let's look at the players that started last weekend -

Hart, Boateng, Zabaleta, K Toure, Kompany, Barry, Milner, Y Toure, Silva , Kolarov, Tevez


Now let's look at the players that didn't start last weekend.

Given. Lescott. Richards. Boyata. Vieira (fine in slow games in europe). NDJ. SWP. Johnson. Dzeko. Johnson. Balotelli. Jo (sigh - but he'd do alright against Aris surely)....even MJ at a stretch? not to mention some of the youngsters in Razak, Nimely, Guidetti etc...

There are a lot of players there. Teh fair majority of that second list makes a very strong team so there's no reason why we can't challenge on all fronts.

It's a reasonable question with some reasonable answers but for me we've just not got the squad to put a cohesive team out for all these games. Like a couple said, we should have a second string that should beat our cup opponents, but didn't we say that against the likes of Leicester and County; what about the extra-time aspect?

We have now shipped out 2 more senior strikers (for whatever reason) and are left with Carlos as the only recognised Premier fit player - Mario's a sicknote and Edin needs time to adjust. We're short on the wing with Johnno out, Shaun will be lucky to get a sniff of a white line and we can't really rely on the likes of Micah to get up and down the wing for a full game (or until he drops like a swatted fly with some form of haematoma (yes, a bruise)).

I'm not saying we should bin the cups but instead asking can we keep up with that top 4 spot? I'm not so sure.

twosips wrote:Now let's look at the players that didn't start last weekend.

Given. Lescott. [strike]Richards[/strike]. Boyata. Vieira (fine in slow games in europe). NDJ. SWP. [strike]Johnson[/strike]. Dzeko. [strike]Johnson. Balotelli[/strike]. Jo (sigh - but he'd do alright against Aris surely)....even MJ at a stretch? not to mention some of the youngsters in Razak, Nimely, Guidetti etc...

Injured

Leaves a whopping 16 outfield players (incl. Jo!) + MJ & kids

Not a big squad by any stretch.

Ted Hughes wrote:We may do but IF we do, it's a fucking disgrace. We've had several years to prepare for this & there's absolutely no excuse for it after already binning our easiest & best chance of a trophy for years, on the excuse that it enables us to compete in these remaining competitions. If Mancini & Marwood can't assemble a competitive squad for 100''s of millions, when they already had a brilliant squad to start with, they should fuck off & give someone else a chance.

Post of the week. I think the performances in the cups so far are less than satisfactory and indicate a lack of priority. It would be great for the club to win something and after the money that has been lavished, totally unacceptable that we cannot make a run at the 3 remaining targets.

Chinners wrote:Bin the cups??? are you mad. 90mins work every 3 days ... poor lambs

THIS !

We most certainly do not bin the cups. What a silly idea.

twosips wrote:Of course we shouldn't. We do have a big squad.

Let's look at the players that started last weekend -

Hart, Boateng, Zabaleta, K Toure, Kompany, Barry, Milner, Y Toure, Silva , Kolarov, Tevez


Now let's look at the players that didn't start last weekend.

Given. Lescott. Richards. Boyata. Vieira (fine in slow games in europe). NDJ. SWP. Johnson. Dzeko. Johnson. Balotelli. Jo (sigh - but he'd do alright against Aris surely)....even MJ at a stretch? not to mention some of the youngsters in Razak, Nimely, Guidetti etc...

There are a lot of players there. Teh fair majority of that second list makes a very strong team so there's no reason why we can't challenge on all fronts.

Wow we have 3 Johnson's!! Anyway from that list AJ/Nimley/MJ/Richards/Mario either injured or recovering from injury.
Vieira/Jo/Razak and probably Guidetti not good enough or probably not good enough.Which leaves NDJ,Lescott,Dzeko,SWP and that's not a lot!!

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:

twosips wrote:Of course we shouldn't. We do have a big squad.

Let's look at the players that started last weekend -

Hart, Boateng, Zabaleta, K Toure, Kompany, Barry, Milner, Y Toure, Silva , Kolarov, Tevez


Now let's look at the players that didn't start last weekend.

Given. Lescott. Richards. Boyata. Vieira (fine in slow games in europe). NDJ. SWP. Johnson. Dzeko. Johnson. Balotelli. Jo (sigh - but he'd do alright against Aris surely)....even MJ at a stretch? not to mention some of the youngsters in Razak, Nimely, Guidetti etc...

There are a lot of players there. Teh fair majority of that second list makes a very strong team so there's no reason why we can't challenge on all fronts.

Wow we have 3 Johnson's!! Anyway from that list AJ/Nimley/MJ/Richards/Mario either injured or recovering from injury.
Vieira/Jo/Razak and probably Guidetti not good enough or probably not good enough.Which leaves NDJ,Lescott,Dzeko,SWP and that's not a lot!!

And this shows how realistically low we are on quality players. It's not only the depth, it's also about the playing time of those on the sidelines. There seems to have been no strategic plan to keep our players match fit and embedded within the core of the side leaving them looking like strangers when the get the odd chance.

As said earlier, can 16 (ish) players cover a game on average every 3 days? And yes, we all know they're payed shitloads, but that isn't the point is it?

Have we finally admitted that these outlandish claims about having a better squad then United, Chelsea and Arsenal were a tad unrealistic?

Pretty Boy Lee wrote:Have we finally admitted that these outlandish claims about having a better squad then United, Chelsea and Arsenal were a tad unrealistic?

If we had all our loanee's, then you could possibly say yes. However, blah blah........................ ;-)