- Jul 2, 2012
- 1,040
- 6,953
It's no secret that during the Pochettino era we had thin but wonderful squad, having looked back at minutes played and qualitative value since the 2015/2016 season (the year we got rid of a lot of weird deadwood), it appears to me there were only 19 players that "mattered" during the Pochettino era. They are as follows sorted from top to bottom by league minutes played from 2015-present with current age and year acquired in parenthesis.
In 2015/16, the group of players below played 91% of the available league minutes, 2016/17 was 97%, 2017/18 was 95%, 2018/2019 was 93%.
(Key: Red-Left the Club; Blue- Over 30; Green-Linked to leaving soon; Yellow- Serious Injury Concerns).
This season it is still 85% and the biggest reason it is lower is because of Serge Aurier, excluding Aurier it is 91%. This group of players did incredible things for us, 4 straight UCL qualifications, title chases, the UCL final, and the best football of my life. But you look at that list now and due to aging, departures, decline, and injuries they simply cannot be playing anywhere close to 85% of our available minutes.
Pochettino was right this summer when he said we need a full rebuild, the teams that he took us to those heights were withering and Levy didn't believe it. He brought Mourinho in to get the best of what we had in the side and it has been a rude awakening. Considering Eriksen, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Wanyama, Lamela might not be on the team next season in addition to the previous departures of Dembele, Walker, and Trippier we're looking at replacing 42% of our minutes played over the last 5 years. Plus another 30% (Lloris, Toby, Davies, Kane, Sissoko) falls in the over 30/injury problems category.
That is a rebuild, full stop. The club needs to start behaving as such rather than pining for lost quality. Ndombele, Lo Celso, Sess, and the academy lads are a good start but this is a steep hill to climb and should be treated as such.
In 2015/16, the group of players below played 91% of the available league minutes, 2016/17 was 97%, 2017/18 was 95%, 2018/2019 was 93%.
(Key: Red-Left the Club; Blue- Over 30; Green-Linked to leaving soon; Yellow- Serious Injury Concerns).
- Kane (26) (Academy)
- Eriksen (27) (2013)
- Lloris (33) (2012)
- Alderweireld (30) (2015)
- Vertonghen (32) (2012)
- Dele (23) (2015)
- Dier (25) (2014)
- Son (27) (2015)
- Davies (26) (2014)
- Rose (29) (2009)
- Sissoko (30) (2016)
- Dembele (2012)
- Sanchez (23) (2017)
- Walker (2009)
- Trippier (2015)
- Lamela (27) (2018)
- Wanyama (29) (2016)
- Winks (23) (Academy)
- Moura (27) (2018)
This season it is still 85% and the biggest reason it is lower is because of Serge Aurier, excluding Aurier it is 91%. This group of players did incredible things for us, 4 straight UCL qualifications, title chases, the UCL final, and the best football of my life. But you look at that list now and due to aging, departures, decline, and injuries they simply cannot be playing anywhere close to 85% of our available minutes.
Pochettino was right this summer when he said we need a full rebuild, the teams that he took us to those heights were withering and Levy didn't believe it. He brought Mourinho in to get the best of what we had in the side and it has been a rude awakening. Considering Eriksen, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Wanyama, Lamela might not be on the team next season in addition to the previous departures of Dembele, Walker, and Trippier we're looking at replacing 42% of our minutes played over the last 5 years. Plus another 30% (Lloris, Toby, Davies, Kane, Sissoko) falls in the over 30/injury problems category.
That is a rebuild, full stop. The club needs to start behaving as such rather than pining for lost quality. Ndombele, Lo Celso, Sess, and the academy lads are a good start but this is a steep hill to climb and should be treated as such.