Class of 2011 vs 2012

[Syn_13]

So with the window shut let us take a look at the team that finished last year compared to the one we will have available to us this Sunday.

2011
GK - Friedel, Gomes, Cudicini
Defenders - King, Dawson, Kaboul, Gallas, Nelsen, Ekotto, Walker, Rose
Mids - Modric, Parker, Sandro, Livermore, Lennon, Bale, Kranjcar, GDS
Forwards - Ade, Defoe, VDV, Saha

Not including Hudd and Jenas as injured by the end of the season and Pienaar was out on loan. Also VDV was more of a forward in my eyes than a midfielder because of his attacking threat.

2012
GK - LLoris, Friedel, Gomes, Cudicini
Defenders - Vertonghen, Dawson, Kaboul, Gallas, Caulker, Ekotto, Walker, Naughton
Mids - Parker, Sandro, Livermore, Jenas, Huddlestone, Lennon, Bale, Bentley, Dembele, Sigurdsson
Forwards - Ade, Defoe, Dempsey

Feel free to make your own minds up, but for me:

GK
Stronger. Great signing in LLoris, one for the future hopefully.

Defenders
Stronger. King was poor last season tbh and Caulker is much better than Nelsen. Naughton is more of a natural FB than Rose and can play both sides.

Mids
I genuinely can't make up my mind whether it's worse or just about evened itself out. Severely lacking creativity and the link-up man in central midfield. Still lacking cover on the wings which is worrying but not a change (Bentley just doesn't cut the mustard). However, the new players in Dembele and Sigurdsson have a lot to offer and are much better than Krancjar and GDS. If Dembele can be a successful Modric replacement then I would actually say it's a better midfield due to the addition of Siggy, but it's a big if!

Forwards
Again, a little light here (Kane isn't ready yet and may go out on loan still). Dempsey will take VDV's role as the attacking mid come forward player and as much as I like him and am happy to have him I'd still have preferred VDV all day long.

Overall I'd say defensively we're stronger but look a little weaker in terms of our options going forward (since Modric and VDV have gone). Now in all honesty it's not as black and white as just comparing one to the other. In my opinion, the new team is much better suited to a 4-3-3 formation than the old team which is exactly what AVB wants. Whether it'll work is another question. Squad depth for me is a worry still, as it was last season as if a striker or a winger get injured we really will be light.

Oh, and we made a profit if that counts for anything...

 

[kaz Hirai]

it's a weaker 1st team and squad, even the biggest optimist would struggle to put up a convincing argument that we are stronger now

but it's done now, just got to have faith in AVB and his system of play to make us a stronger outfit

 

[yiddo_4eva]

Good comparisons but for info, Rose went to Sunderland.

 

[Syn_13]

Good comparisons but for info, Rose went to Sunderland.

Yeah I know, for some reason I wrote Rose instead of Naughton! Bed time I think!

 

[eddiebailey]

King was far from poor most of the season, and Dempsey is more likely to displace Lennon than replace VdV.

It is a different team, with less emphasis on fitting our style of play around outstanding individuals and more on bringing in players to fit the system. I do not think AVB can complain he has not been supported in the transfer market, so it is a case of waiting to see if the system works.

 

[lillywhites61]

King was far from poor most of the season, and Dempsey is more likely to displace Lennon than replace VdV.

It is a different team, with less emphasis on fitting our style of play around outstanding individuals and more on bringing in players to fit the system. I do not think AVB can complain he has not been supported in the transfer market, so it is a case of waiting to see if the system works.

Have to agree I can see Dempsey on the right side of the attacking three. He will attack the goal, score and has a good delivery on him as well, I think this is a very shrewd signing and one that will prove to be very good. He doesn't have a sparkly name etc but he will do well for us I'm almost certain of that.

Defender once settled will grow together and is good, midfield for me is stronger, we lost Modric and that is a major blow but he wa always going to do hard to replace. You get those sort of players on your books once in a while and unless you have money to burn when you lose them you can't always replace them straight way. But I feel with dembele and sigi and Dempsey we have massively strengthened here.

The striker situation is not as bad as it looks as we have Ade who will score 15-20 and Defoe who has been scoring of late, and then Dempsey as cover if need be. Very virsitile player.

Obviously a lot stronger in goal now as well.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Can't understand selling VDV

Baffling

 

[Syn_13]

King was far from poor most of the season, and Dempsey is more likely to displace Lennon than replace VdV.

It is a different team, with less emphasis on fitting our style of play around outstanding individuals and more on bringing in players to fit the system. I do not think AVB can complain he has not been supported in the transfer market, so it is a case of waiting to see if the system works.

I understand what you're saying about King but there were quite a few performances, especially near the end of the season where he was looking a shadow of his former self. No doubt Vertonghen has a long way to go to match the King of old.

Also, I only had Dempsey replacing VDV in terms of the goals from midfield. I don't follow a lot of Fulham but I'm guessing he can do a job as a right wing forward instead of Lennon from what people have said.

 

[ItsBoris]

Well it's quite simple -

GK- stronger
Defense - Stronger
Forwards inc. Wingers - stronger

Midfield - Uncertain. I say uncertain because we simply don't know which midfield is better yet - Sandro, Dembele, and Sigurdsson, OR Parker, Modric, and VDV. Because we haven't seen the former in action yet.

What we do know is the former is much younger, higher work rate, better tacklers, greater physical presence, but we make an unfounded assumption that ball retention won't be as good. Also no doubt about it, we all would have loved Moutinho and he would have been great in our side but it didn't happen and I'm trying to analyze this objectively without the negativity that has arisen as a result.

Personally I think our new midfield will be more physically dominant, by a long shot. Not only because AVB will turn them into a stronger pressing machine but that each "new" player is physically more imposing and dominating than their "old" counterpart. Time will tell but I'm still hopeful about our new side and I see a lot to be encouraged by.

 

[m00]

Can't understand selling VDV

Baffling

Family reasons, every man on the planet would do the same.

 

[Third Kit '87]

Reassuring to read some rational and well thought-out posts so far in this thread, unlike in much of the post window reaction! I agree with the OP and although I am really frustrated we didnt get Mountinho I feel our team has good balance apart from the absence of a deep-lying play-maker. A good scoring presence on the right side of the attack is a massive bonus and some of the negativity towards the Dempsey signing is frankly baffling and I can only presume that it's reactionary anger to not getting Moutinho signed up in time (which we are all frustrated by tbh)

 

[beats1]

Family reasons, every man on the planet would do the same.

But it seemed he was happy to stay and ITK suggested this, IMO once we agreed the moutinho fee and personal terms I think we thought its alright we will let him

 

[beats1]

Reassuring to read some rational and well thought-out posts so far in this thread, unlike in much of the post window reaction! I agree with the OP and although I am really frustrated we didnt get Mountinho I feel our team has good balance apart from the absence of a deep-lying play-maker. A good scoring presence on the right side of the attack is a massive bonus and some of the negativity towards the Dempsey signing is frankly baffling and I can only presume that it's reactionary anger to not getting Moutinho signed up in time (which we are all frustrated by tbh)

Dembele has been a deep lying playmaker for Fulham, people will be surprised how similar to modric he is imo

 

[StockSpur]

i certainly wont miss seeing modric casually jogging back after he has been ball raped in the middle of the park and the other team are in the process of scoring a goal.

 

[Pauleta01]

What we do know is the former is much younger, higher work rate, better tacklers, greater physical presence, but we make an unfounded assumption that ball retention won't be as good. Also no doubt about it, we all would have loved Moutinho and he would have been great in our side but it didn't happen and I'm trying to analyze this objectively without the negativity that has arisen as a result.

Personally I think our new midfield will be more physically dominant, by a long shot. Not only because AVB will turn them into a stronger pressing machine but that each "new" player is physically more imposing and dominating than their "old" counterpart. Time will tell but I'm still hopeful about our new side and I see a lot to be encouraged by.[/quote]

I agree 100%, I felt when we went on our bad run last year, Parker always looked shattered and Modric would go missing (when we needed him to dominate play) - There is no way the 'new' midfield will be as easy on the eye but could prove to be effective and may last the course longer.

I am gutted no VDV but everything about the deal makes sense, he is nearly 30, he wanted to go and we made a profit, and for those out there saying they do not care about profit I suggest you go and check your rucksack is ready for going back to school next week, because the alternative is splashing the cash in the short term resulting in no frequent signings in the long term (Look at Liverpool now).

 

[Rout-Ledge]

But it seemed he was happy to stay and ITK suggested this, IMO once we agreed the moutinho fee and personal terms I think we thought its alright we will let him

I imagine Levy wanted to cash in on an older player while a team was still willing to play a high price.