Poll A squad capable of competing on all fronts?

[ibromurph]

I think we'll all agree that Jurgen has done a good job so far with our progression this year, considering the quality of our squad (outside of the first 11).

How many "playable" players do we currently have and can count on? And how many will we need to add? I see people making lists of 4-5 players, but I think we need more.

Looking at our "first team" squad, there's far too much youth players or players who aren't actually ready to play:

[xtable=skin1|border:0|cellpadding:2|cellspacing:0|660x232]
{tbody}
{tr}
{th=20x@}No.{/th}
{th=49x@}Position{/th}
{th=546x@}Player{/th}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}1{/td}
{td=49x@}GK{/td}
{td=546x@}Loris Karius{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}2{/td}
{td=49x@}DF{/td}
{td=546x@}Nathaniel Clyne{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}3{/td}
{td=49x@}DF{/td}
{td=546x@}Mamadou Sakho{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}5{/td}
{td=49x@}MF{/td}
{td=546x@}Georginio Wijnaldum{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}6{/td}
{td=49x@}DF{/td}
{td=546x@}Dejan Lovren{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}7{/td}
{td=49x@}MF{/td}
{td=546x@}James Milner (vice-captain){/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}10{/td}
{td=49x@}MF{/td}
{td=546x@}Philippe Coutinho{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}11{/td}
{td=49x@}FW{/td}
{td=546x@}Roberto Firmino{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}12{/td}
{td=49x@}DF{/td}
{td=546x@}Joe Gomez{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}13{/td}
{td=49x@}GK{/td}
{td=546x@}Alex Manninger{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}14{/td}
{td=49x@}MF{/td}
{td=546x@}Jordan Henderson (captain){/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}15{/td}
{td=49x@}FW{/td}
{td=546x@}Daniel Sturridge{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}16{/td}
{td=49x@}MF{/td}
{td=546x@}Marko Grujić{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}17{/td}
{td=49x@}DF{/td}
{td=546x@}Ragnar Klavan{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}18{/td}
{td=49x@}DF{/td}
{td=546x@}Alberto Moreno{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}19{/td}
{td=49x@}FW{/td}
{td=546x@}Sadio Mané{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}20{/td}
{td=49x@}MF{/td}
{td=546x@}Adam Lallana{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}21{/td}
{td=49x@}MF{/td}
{td=546x@}Lucas Leiva (3rd captain){/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}22{/td}
{td=49x@}GK{/td}
{td=546x@}Simon Mignolet{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td=20x@}23{/td}
{td=49x@}MF{/td}
{td=546x@}Emre Can{/td}
{/tr}
{/tbody}
[/xtable]
[xtable=skin1|border:0|cellpadding:2|cellspacing:0]
{tbody}
{tr=@x14}
{th=1%x14}No.{/th}
{th=1%x14} {/th}
{th=1%x14}Position{/th}
{th=75%x14}Player{/th}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}25{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}MF{/td}
{td=@x16}Cameron Brannagan{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x17}
{td=@x17}27{/td}
{td=@x17}{/td}
{td=@x17}FW{/td}
{td=@x17}Divock Origi{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}28{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}FW{/td}
{td=@x16}Danny Ings{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x17}
{td=@x17}32{/td}
{td=@x17}{/td}
{td=@x17}DF{/td}
{td=@x17}Joël Matip{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x14}
{td=@x14}34{/td}
{td=@x14}{/td}
{td=@x14}GK{/td}
{td=@x14}Ádám Bogdán{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}35{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}MF{/td}
{td=@x16}Kevin Stewart{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}38{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}DF{/td}
{td=@x16}Jon Flanagan{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}39{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}GK{/td}
{td=@x16}Ryan Fulton{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}40{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}FW{/td}
{td=@x16}Ryan Kent{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}41{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}FW{/td}
{td=@x16}Jack Dunn{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x17}
{td=@x17}50{/td}
{td=@x17}{/td}
{td=@x17}MF{/td}
{td=@x17}Lazar Marković{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}53{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}MF{/td}
{td=@x16}Ovie Ejaria{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}54{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}MF{/td}
{td=@x16}Sheyi Ojo{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}56{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}DF{/td}
{td=@x16}Connor Randall{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}57{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}FW{/td}
{td=@x16}Rhian Brewster{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}58{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}FW{/td}
{td=@x16}Ben Woodburn{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x16}
{td=@x16}66{/td}
{td=@x16}{/td}
{td=@x16}DF{/td}
{td=@x16}Trent Alexander-Arnold{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x17}
{td=@x17}68{/td}
{td=@x17}{/td}
{td=@x17}MF{/td}
{td=@x17}Pedro Chirivella{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x17}
{td=@x17}—{/td}
{td=@x17}{/td}
{td=@x17}MF{/td}
{td=@x17}Allan{/td}
{/tr}
{tr=@x14.4}
{td=@x14.4}—{/td}
{td=@x14.4}{/td}
{td=@x14.4}FW{/td}
{td=@x14.4}Taiwo Awoniyi{/td}
{/tr}
{/tbody}
[/xtable]

I count (16) "playable" players in our first team squad at a push: Karius, Clyne, Wijnaldum, Lovren, Milner, Coutinho, Firmino, Henderson, Mane, Lallana, Lucas, Mignolet, Can, Matip, Origi, Sturridge

The likes of Moreno, Klavan, Ings, Sahko, we can't really count on or haven't had for large parts this year.

I've had a look at our rivals and how many "playable" players they have.

Arsenal (23): Gibbs, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Koscielny, Sanchez, Ramsey, Perez, Ozil, Giroud, Ospina, Walcott, Chamberlain, Holding, Iwobi, Monreal, Cazorla, Mustafi, Wellbeck, Bellerin, Xhaka, Cech, Coquelin, El Neny

United (23): De Gea, Bailly, Jones, Rojo, Pogba, Mata, Ibra, Rooney, Martial, Smalling, Lingard, Carrick, Blind, Young, Rashford, Romero, Herrara, Shaw, Mkhitaryan, Valencia, Fellani, Darmian

City (22): Bravo, Sagna, Kompany, Zabaleta, Fernando, Sterling, Gundogan, Nolito, Aguero, Kolarov, Caballero, Navas, KDB, Delph, Silva, Clichy, Stone, Ferandinho, Otamendi, Jesus, Toure, Iheanacho

Spurs (19): Lloris, Toby, Walker, Rose, Vertongen, Son, Janssen, Kane, Lamela, Wanyama, Vorm, Dier, Trippier, Sissoko, Dembele, Alli, Eriksen, Wimmer, Davies

Chelsea (18 + 5-10 they have "on loan"): Begovic, Alonso, Fabregas, Zouma, Ake, Kante, Hazard, Pedro, Courtouis, Moses, Costa, Matic, Willian, Batshuayi, Cahill, Terry, Azpi, Luiz

How many players do we need to sign and how many can you see us signing? 5? 8? 10!?

If we are selling the likes of Klavan, Sahko, Moreno and Sturridge, and possibly loaning out the likes of Karius/Origi, with the likes of Lucas moving on, the squad is surely in need of BIG investment across multiple positions?

 

[Esoteric]

We really don't need to be shipping too much out, we need to strengthen / improve upon what we have. I've gone for 4-6 but if we do ship out a few, the number we need to bring in will rise.

 

[Mors]

4-6 quality player that mainly improve the first team what's already there when they come in. We don't need 4-6 that will be great one day.
I think we need a GK, CB, LB, DM, WF, CF personally.

 

[Oncy]

Depends.
If you throw in 3 world class players we would compete.
If you go for mid tier players we probably need 6.

Its a difficult question.
Lets say we signed Costa, Koulibaly and Lukaku (for the sake of argument) thats 100m plus straight into the first team. And a strong bench automatically

 

[Frogfish]

We need 4 for the 1st team straight off the bat (LB, CB, CM, AT) with the incumbents moving to the squad. Then we need to cover those leaving who are not starters but still played their part, even if only on the bench for emergencies plus Sahko of course (Lucas & Moreno) so that's 7. Then I guess we will be buying 2-3 younger players who'll also go into the squad but will see games. I've gone for 7-9 because I can't see it being lower considering how many we are short already plus those leaving.