[quote author=Buddha link=topic=36492.msg964917#msg964917 date=1255849823]
[quote author=rage link=topic=36492.msg964915#msg964915 date=1255848495]
you build a squad, it peaks to become the best it can, it goes through a transition and you build another one and so on, each time building around your best players at the time. during this time it helps if you win trophies so that the fans don't lose patience during the transition stage. wenger and fergie are the best examples of this.
rafa has done this twice so far. first he managed istanbul by adding to houllier's squad and more recently managed to build a squad that peaked last summer but failed to win trophies. he is now in the 3rd rebuilding phase in his time with us.
he can build a team around our existing crop of best players - reina, johnson, maybe one of skertel or agger, gerrard, yossi and torres.
i know he loves dirk but he is average, masch will be gone in the summer and the rest aren't good enough to be part of the core of a team to build around or are approaching an age where they will decline like carra.
i've not included aquaman as we really don't know what he's going to produce.
so we have 6 players to build around, the questions in my mind are is rafa good enough and will he be given a chance to even try?
as for winning the title this season, well how about we first start by beating someone that is likely to finish in the top 10.
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You don't really need more than 8 core players though do you? Just look at Man utd's success over recent years, it's always included some squad fillers who do a good enough job of supporting the key core players. If we've got 6 already (arguably more), we're not that far away as evidenced by last years 2nd place.
The question is, are our squad fillers good enough to do the Fletcher/Evans/Park roles?
As for winning the title, there's no comeback (yet) from your last remark.
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Kuyt, Insua and dare I say it, Lucas are good enough to be squad fillers.
Good post by Rage as it does feel like we're a transitional phase at the moment and our average squad age is getting younger. If Mascher does go as predicted this coming summer, then the top priority will be someone to replace him that compliments Aqualiani. The engine room is key to dominating matches and we haven't done enough of that against the better teams this season.
As for this season, the amazing thing is that we've lost 4 times already and yet still can't be ruled out of the race. Beat United next week and we're truly back in it. It's looking as if it is going to be most open title race in years and perhaps a points total in the low 80s may be enough.
