Squad dynamics

 

Are we ready for some football? Are this lot ready?


Goalkeepers

    Lloris
    Friedel
    Vorm

Defenders

    Walker
    Rose
    Kaboul
    Vertonghen
    Chiriches
    Naughton
    Dawson
    Dier
    Assou-Ekotto
    Davies
    Fryers
    Fredericks
    Veljkovic
    Khumalo

Midfielders

    Lennon
    Paulinho
    Lamela
    Holtby
    Capoue
    Townsend
    Dembélé
    Chadli
    Eriksen
    Carroll
    Sandro
    Mason
    Bentaleb
    Ceballos

Forwards

    Soldado
    Adebayor
    Kane
    Obika

 

Let's play a game.

 

World class - Lloris

First team certainties - Lloris, Vertonghen, Eriksen, Sandro, Adebayor

Need to raise their game to be dead cert first team - Kaboul, Dembélé, Sandro

Consistency question marks - Lennon, Adebayor

Not yet performed consistently (be it their own problem or the problem of coaching/selection) - Paulinho, Holtby, Capoue, Chadli, Chiriches, Soldado

Youngsters still finding their way - Townsend, Bentaleb, Kane

Youngsters that might excel to first team certainties - Bentaleb

Players that have a lot to prove based on initial expectancy - Soldado, Lamela, Holtby, Paulinho

Key players that can sometimes go missing - Adebayor, Vertonghen, Sandro, Eriksen (I'd add Lennon but you'd probably laugh)

Extra depth/cover required for following positions during summer transfer window - Defence (central and fullback positions), left-wing, striker

Extra depth/cover acquired for above positions for first team improvement above and beyond what we already have - 0

Young players signed that will need developing - Dier, Davies, Yedlin

Actual tangible improvements to squad that don't involve light strengthening with young players - 0

Players that might go out on loan - Carroll, Mason, Obika, Fredericks

Fringe players - Veljkovic, Fryers

Players being touted as potential 'surplus to requirements' - Dawson, Rose, Naughton, Assou-Ekotto, Chadli

What's the actual point? - Khumalo

 

Pochettino says we have an unbelievable squad. I'd agree. It's unbelievable that there are still so many question marks. Seriously though, this article is just nonsensical musings yet somewhere in all of the above are genuine scratches of the head. The answers will be forthcoming shortly. Starting at Upton Park.

Are we ready? Or just perpetually fragmented?