As good as your worst player

[ryantegan]

We are well and truely in this title race and I have been looking at our Team and squad compared to those around us. We stack up pretty well.

However there is an old cliche that says you are only as good as your worst player.

Who is he...and how does he compare to the likes froms our rivals?

I think it might be Gomes for us

 

[kcmei]

pav

 

[Azrael]

Jenas....but he has improved beyond PL average IMO.

 

[robbiesavagehasbreasts]

Your worst player in your best eleven?

Then it's the striker position, and it doesn't matter if Crouch/Defoe/Pav plays.

Gomes is an excellent goalkeeper, just a little error prone, but it's not like Cech and Reina don't make mistakes as well.

 

[stemark44]

Aaron Lennon.

 

[fortworthspur]

Your worst player in your best eleven?

Then it's the striker position, and it doesn't matter if Crouch/Defoe/Pav plays.

Gomes is an excellent goalkeeper, just a little error prone, but it's not like Cech and Reina don't make mistakes as well.

this.

 

[WhiteHart4Ever]

We are well and truely in this title race and I have been looking at our Team and squad compared to those around us. We stack up pretty well.

However there is an old cliche that says you are only as good as your worst player.

Who is he...and how does he compare to the likes froms our rivals?

I think it might be Gomes for us

You what?

Interesting. I cannot for one second agree that Gomes is our weakest link. However, in our first eleven (which I now consider to be: Gomes - Hutton, Daws, Kaboul, BAE - Lennon, Hudd, Modders, Bale - VDV - Defoe) I'd say I'd rank the players from strongest to weakest like this:

1) Modric
2) Bale
3) VDV
4) Dawson
5) Gomes
6) Huddlestone
7) Lennon
8) BAE
9) Kaboul
10) Defoe
11) Hutton

It feels horrible to have Defoe as the second weakest link but so it goes.

 

[StartingPrice]

If Hutton is gonna continue being in the starting 11 (upon which there is now some doubt - Charlie came in, played well, Dad Basher could be out for a few games:shrug, I would say he is.

Then there is the striker situation...but I think everyone needs to remember that VDV has induced a total change in system, on that score.

 

[Mr-T]

If we're saying that Hutton, Gomes or Lennon is our weakest player I think it shows we're pretty strong. Most teams could only dream of such players in their first 11.

 

[StartingPrice]

If we're saying that Hutton, Gomes or Lennon is our weakest player I think it shows we're pretty strong. Most teams could only dream of such players in their first 11.

We are pretty strong:grin:

As said before, only last year there was a lot of pooing of pants that United might snatch Lennon off us, and creaming over how good our striking options were (all the way to MOTD) - now there are several players we see as better (and therefore in more danger of poaching), and yet the fact that Lennon is getting back to his best match by match isn't likely to change that. And our striking options haven't even changed and our now seen as our weakest area.

 

[Chimbo!]

Our weakest position is clearly upfront if you look at the amount of goals they have contributed. For all the press saying otherwise, our defensive record has not been that bad.

We have scored only 30 goals and conceded 23. Only 5 teams have a better defensive record this season and that is despite all our injuries in that department. Again only 5 teams have a better goal scoring record then us but only 6 of those 30 have been provided by our 4 strikers.

It is quite clear from these statistics where we are struggling. It makes me wonder how many more points we would have if we had a striker who contributed a few more goals. Defoe is returning to match sharpness so we may see a better return from him but at the moment it is our good fortune that our midfield has been excellent and our defence is consistent and rarely concedes more than one goal in a game.

 

[tommo84]

Aaron Lennon.

No f*cking way is Lennon our weakest player.

In our current starting XI (i.e the players who have been starting games recently and thus not including King/Woodgate/Hudd) then I'd say its between Palacios and whoever starts up front.

On a side-note Paul Walsh yesterday claimed we need to sign another centre-back, which indicates where he thinks we're weakest.

Dawson (awesome), Gallas (still a match-winner), Kaboul (developing into a fine all-round defensive player), Bassong (has done remarkably well as a sub lately), and King and Woodgate (when fit arguably the most naturally gifted centre-halves of their generation).

To top off his stupidity he said we needed to sign a centre-back of proven top quality - and then suggested Gary Cahill of Bolton.

Idiot.

 

[Tottenham_OZpur]

Certainly ain't Lennon agree with those who say this, was no better winger before he got that injury against West Ham last season I think it was and he has got better as this season has gone on.

For me ( in the league ) it would be Crouch and then Pav, followed by Palacios, Hutton and BAE, Gomes, prob in that order.

Up front is our biggest problem, so it has to be our weakest link, the midfield has chipped in the goals etc and we have had many defensive injuries, that has not helped the defence and has to be taken into account.

In the CL I wouldn't have Crouch that high, he has done well in that comp, but a single goal in the league is not good enough, the odd assist is not enough.

I will not include Bassong etc, as he is quite a few places down in the pecking order, only those that start a lot of games should be considered.

 

[Winchy85]

Wilson Palacios.

Now lets look at our rivals.

Arsenal - Wouldn't get in their squad.
Chelsea - Wouldn't get in their squad.
Manchester City - Wouldn't get in their squad.
Manchester United - Wouldn't get in their squad.
West Ham - He might get on their bench.

 

[Yorkshireyiddo]

Aaron Lennon.

That's a joke right?

 

[NEVILLEB]

Excellent post

You really are only as good as your worst player. That's why Phil Neville kept getting England knocked out of tournaments!

1st XI - Weakest Player/Most likely to make us lose (descending order)

GOMES = 2
HUTTON = 1 (defensively)
GALLAS
DAWSON
BAE = 3 (defensively)
LENNON
MODRIC
HUDDLESTONE
BALE
VDV
DEFOE

 

[ryantegan]

I think united are weak at full back position. I certainly wouldn't put Rafael or Gary neville anywhere near corluka or Hutton.

Citeh, I actually think their weakest player is gareth barry. But would he get in. Our team?

Chelsea, ramires or obi mikel.

The goons, it has to be flapianski

 

[Winchy85]

The goons, it has to be flapianski

Clichy has been their worst player this season by a long way.

The new center backs have come close too.

 

[Pringle]

I dont think you can do it based on your starting XI because you will be lucky to have them fit at the same time 5 times in 1 season!! That said our weakest player is our RB - whoever it may be! However our most important weakness is our CF imo.

Chelsea's is also their RB, Arsenal's their GK/CB, Man Utd their RB and Man City's their LB/Manager

 

[Pringle]

I think united are weak at full back position. I certainly wouldn't put Rafael or Gary neville anywhere near corluka or Hutton.

Citeh, I actually think their weakest player is gareth barry. But would he get in. Our team?

Chelsea, ramires or obi mikel.

The goons, it has to be flapianski

No more regularly than he gets in ours. Definately a player on the decline