[quote author=Avvy link=topic=44243.msg1286100#msg1286100 date=1297850110]
[quote author=Tinto link=topic=44243.msg1286088#msg1286088 date=1297849034]
What a minute?! I thought our squad was too rubbish to win a Champions League place!
As some are allowing themselves to contemplate it, maybe our squad isn't sooo bad afterall. I can't believe after the first Merseyside derby that there was a discussion on MOTD2 about whether Everton (Everton!) had a better squad than us. I guess changing evidence changes minds.
I think we're very capable of beating any of the teams above us but we've made our charge too late... we could maybe catch Chelsea, though, as they seem to have the most problems of the sides above us, but I think that's it.
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OUr squad isnt as rubbish as Hodgson thought it was,but it's also not as good as you think it is.
We probably have the 5th or 6th best squad in the Premiership, and that's probably where we'll end up.
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I think we probably do have the 6th best squad in the league - maybe not even that if we take off some of the tints on our specs. However, I genuinely think our first 11 places much higher in the league rankings - and not sure if people take that into consideration. Kenny is doing exactly what many of us predicted would happen with a new manager half way through last season; get them playing football and there's talent in this team.
I admit after Roy's efforts I concluded we were wrong in our assesment that the players had gotten stale under Rafa's overbearing, intensive game plans. I even posted some months ago that the talent really is missing because a fresh start under a new manager had done nothing to freshen them up; they looked jaded and poor.
Kenny, however, has done exactly what we thought a new manager would do; they look fresh, positive and willing to play.
In Reina we've got as good a keeper as anyone in the league.
Kelly, Carragher, Agger, Magic and Skrtel; with the exception of Vidic / Rio that's potentially as strong a backline as any one in the league.
Gerrard, Raul, Kuyt, Cole, Lucas. We need Stevie and Raul to play well but, even so, those players are capable of mixing it with anyone in this country; they certainly did with Chelsea.
Suarez and Carroll. I know they're unproven but there's nobody in England looking forward to trying to contain these two.
When we start getting into the backup then it is, certainly, a different story so for me the key is injury and the King keeping his top 11 fit and focused. I think this lineup is good enough to go on an extended run; March will be the key month.
