[Albion] How close is this squad to being top 4?

[aolstudios]

Aren't these two posts at odds with each other? If we have a clear best starting 11, then it's our squad depth that's the issue, but if we have 2 or 3 best 11s, then surely we've got some good depth?

Anyway, who would your starting 11 be, and if you've got 2 or 3 options, what would they be (this isn't a test or a challenge, I'm just interested in the discussion)

I don't think they're at odds, no. It's only in a couple of positions that we have depth. Chelsea & City especially have much deeper quality.
As for starting 11, I'll have a think!..

 

[trueblue]

I think the usual suspects all have 3 or 4 players better than anyone we’ve got and more experience of handling important games. However, there’s a bigger drop off in standard to many of their back-up players. We have an entire squad of interchangeable players of a very high standard when they play at their best, so the average quality is not too far off being a top 4 side. With no European football and a bit of luck that keeps the players with a little bit extra fully fit (Pedro, Welbeck, Baleba, Mitoma in particular) who knows what might happen in 2025.

 

[Bakero]

I don't think they're at odds, no. It's only in a couple of positions that we have depth. Chelsea & City especially have much deeper quality.
As for starting 11, I'll have a think!..

In which positions do we lack depth?

RB: Veltman, Ferdi, Lamptey, Hinsh
CB: Dunk, Van Hecke, Igor, Webster, Veltman
LB: Estupiñán, Ferdi, Igor, Hinsh
CM: Baleba, O'Riley, Wieffer, Hinsh, Ayari, Ferdi
Wing/Wide forwards: Mitoma, Minteh, Adingra, Gruda, Solly, Ferdi, Georginio
CAM: Georginio, Enciso, João, O'Riley
Forwards: Welbz, João, Ferguson

 

[Machiavelli]

No doubt I'm biased but yes, I think our best *team* is better. It's the squad depth that'll do for us

Think you're way out on this one. For me, our first team is way behind City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. Our squad now is getting close to top six quality. The following would be playing regularly for the top six:

GK: Bart
FB: Pervis, and probably Veltman and Kadioglu
CB: JPvH, Dunk
CM: Baleba, Hinshelwood, O'Riley
WF: Mitoma, March
ACM: Joao Pedro, Rutter
CF: Welbeck

That's 15 players. There are several others that have shown sufficient quality that they might not be too far off that too. They include Igor (of late), Ferguson, Enciso, Minteh, Ayari, Yalcouye and Buonanotte. There may be others too.

 

[BevBHA]

Not until we beat teams like Ipswich , Wolves , Forest

I keep looking at the table and thinking ‘what if’ about exactly those 3 games

 

[Poyningsgull]

Currently 7-1 for a top 4 finish

 

[British Bulldog]

5th after 11 games we can't complain at that.

 

[jcdenton08]

Currently 7-1 for a top 4 finish

Seems very short to me, I’d want 12’s minimum personally.

 

[Anger]

About 2 places currently

 

[Justice]

Troy Deeney has us down for top four finish. I really like him on TS he actually surprised me. Very knowledgeable about our players.
He gives good insights from being a pro footballer and how they tick.

 

[severnside gull]

Your post is all very fair - but the discussion was about how far we are from being a top 4 side now, I was merely pointing out that Verbruggen is some distance away from being a top 4 standard keeper, using top 4 keepers as examples.

I highly rate him, I think he'll continue his development to become a top keeper within the game, but I do think goalkeepers are one position where experience is particularly important, and that takes time.

Disagree. He’s up there, or thereabouts at least. If he left at the end of this season it would be for an absolute top European side.

 

[Napper]

Disagree. He’s up there, or thereabouts at least. If he left at the end of this season it would be for an absolute top European side.

Agree . Nonsense this chat about Bart

Based on the recent games , if he kept that up he would be a player of season contender

He is all that and some

 

[Crawley Dingo]

Staying clear of injuries I think we can only get better and top 4 is now a realistic target.

 

[oldboyroy]

Troy Deeney has us down for top four finish. I really like him on TS he actually surprised me. Very knowledgeable about our players.
He gives good insights from being a pro footballer and how they tick.

Troy did the co commentary at Liverpool I think and he was very complimentary about us

 

[Driver8]

I think fourth is there for the taking this year. If we could stay injury free (unlikely I know) then we have as good a chance as anyone.

Next season could be explosive!

 

[oldboyroy]

Staying clear of injuries I think we can only get better and top 4 is now a realistic target.

It's hugely congested a moment with 4 teams on 19 points but we've played all the 5 above us so far as well as Newcastle, United and Spurs. We 'just' need to beat the lower down teams which we have drawn against. Turn those into wins and we will be challenging top 4.

 

[Napper]

Teams so similar in quality ,

Could be 4th to 14th this year

 

[severnside gull]

Looking at our squad depth and listening to Guardiola and Arteta in particular moan about how hard done by our hey are with injuries and how unfair it is (on them) got me to wondering
This chart of days lost to injury this season is interesting and rather puts our performance so far into perspective

 

[dazzer6666]

It's hugely congested a moment with 4 teams on 19 points but we've played all the 5 above us so far as well as Newcastle, United and Spurs. We 'just' need to beat the lower down teams which we have drawn against. Turn those into wins and we will be challenging top 4.

Depending on which particular calculator you look at, we’ve had around the 3rd most difficult schedule of fixtures so far.

 

[Shuggie]

Depending on which particular calculator you look at, we’ve had around the 3rd most difficult schedule of fixtures so far.

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Just wait until the stagger unwinds … we’ll be breathing down the necks of those two frauds currently heading the table.