- Nov 15, 2010
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I agree, but I see those weaknesses as equally applicable to our league campaign. And addressing them correctly equally beneficial. Where you and I disagree, I think, is in where the benefit would be seen first. I think it would reflect first in league form. A better balanced, more stable squad is more likely to be consistent and therefore less likely to drop points unexpectedly. But not necessarily so much more likely to play the sort of higher quality football that would be required in the latter stages of the EL. I still think that's a harder competition to win than perhaps you do. Anyway, good discussion!Likewise, I don't buy the notion that we can only prioritize one or the other because it's what our merry-go-round of managers fail to do while limping forward with squads they didn't build. That isn't sufficient proof to me that we can't do it, but is rather indication to me just how important stability, an idea for a squad, and depth in that idea is. With more depth and more balance, we should have no excuse beating a side such as Dnipro (who we knocked out last season ourselves) and possibly even Sevilla. Hell, there's no excuse for losing out to the sides who have knocked us out in recent years. We've simply played weakened squads bred from turnover and largely consisting of squads with players having played on weekends and players not at all suited to the manager's wishes.
As a result, we've assembled a squad with very little balance indeed. We are fully capable of building a squad of depth and balance, even if it isn't the quality of those in the top four, capable of competing on multiple fronts. We just simply have to afford Poch the time to get rid of the players he doesn't want and bring in players willing to come in and compete, as well as promote youth who are capable. Getting rid of players who aren't suited and are clogging up places such as Paulinho, Dembele, Soldado, Chiriches, etc would be extremely beneficial for our cup runs as we get rid of the dross and bring in a) better players and b) players more capable of establishing a balance such that inferior teams aren't outplaying us.