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Which team is better?


Saint Garrett
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Amazing how much change has happened in the last 12 months.

 

This was our "best" team last season.

 

----------------Boruc--------------

Clyne---Lovren----Fonte---Shaw

-----Schneiderlin-Wanyama-----

Davis--------Lallana-----Rodriguez

--------------Lambert-------------

 

 

This year:

 

----------------Forster--------------

Clyne---Alderweireld----Fonte---Bertrand

----------Schneiderlin-Wanyama-----

Mane------------Davis----------------Tadic

-------------------Pelle-------------

 

Arguably Shaw, Lallana, Rodriguez, Lambert were all better than what we've currently got. (Yes I know JRod is still ours but not counting him this year cos he hasn't played!)

 

Although they are similar, and we have got more points this year, I have to say that I think we were better last year. Stronger defensively this year, but we were far better to watch last, far more exciting going forward.

 

If they played each other, who would win? I think last years....

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The teams I'd pick of the two, on paper at least, is:

 

Forster

 

Clyne

Alderweirld

Fonte

Bertrand

 

Morgan

Wanyama

 

Mane

Lallana

Rodriguez

 

Lambert.

 

So this year's back 5, and last year's front 3 but with Mané thrown in.

 

If we lose Clyne, Alderweireld, Wanyama and Morgan in the summer, I fear for our league position next year.

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Amazing how much change has happened in the last 12 months.

 

This was our "best" team last season.

 

----------------Boruc--------------

Clyne---Lovren----Fonte---Shaw

-----Schneiderlin-Wanyama-----

Davis--------Lallana-----Rodriguez

--------------Lambert-------------

 

 

This year:

 

----------------Forster--------------

Clyne---Alderweireld----Fonte---Bertrand

----------Schneiderlin-Wanyama-----

Mane------------Davis----------------Tadic

-------------------Pelle-------------

 

Arguably Shaw, Lallana, Rodriguez, Lambert were all better than what we've currently got. (Yes I know JRod is still ours but not counting him this year cos he hasn't played!)

 

Although they are similar, and we have got more points this year, I have to say that I think we were better last year. Stronger defensively this year, but we were far better to watch last, far more exciting going forward.

 

If they played each other, who would win? I think last years....

 

Would any saints fan argue that Shaw last year was better than Bertrand this year?

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Lallana was our biggest loss last year and his creativity is exactly what we're missing this season, the others have all been replaced like for like. As SNSUN says if we lose those players (plus JR) then I think next season will be horrible. The academy don't have any players ready for a consistent top 6 challenge level of football.

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this years defence, last years attack

 

Hard to disagree with this. If we had a fit Rodriguez this year we would have a few more points.

 

The summer we need to focus primarily on spicing up our attacking options. Preferably with some domesticated players.

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I think our attack last year is being a little overhyped with the benefit of hindsight. I remember countless occasions watching games thinking how we lacked a cutting edge - lots of possession in the middle third and even around the penalty box, but when it came to creating chances we were found wanting. The first half of this season we were more incisive, but second half it has dried up.

 

I do recall games last year being bemused at how good we were, for example, Fulham at home (but perhaps that was also how bad they were). Where every time we lost the ball we won it back within about 10 seconds. And there weren't many games that we were outplayed by the other team (West Brom home springs to mind). However, this doesn't mean we were necessarily great in the final third.

 

Also, Lambert may have been better than Pelle, but everyone could see he was on the decline (last year in Champ probably his best season), so not convinced that we'd have been better off keeping Lambert this year. Lallana is the only player we have missed, such a shame Tadic wasn't able to keep up his early season form.

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I think our attack last year is being a little overhyped with the benefit of hindsight. I remember countless occasions watching games thinking how we lacked a cutting edge - lots of possession in the middle third and even around the penalty box, but when it came to creating chances we were found wanting. The first half of this season we were more incisive, but second half it has dried up.

 

I do recall games last year being bemused at how good we were, for example, Fulham at home (but perhaps that was also how bad they were). Where every time we lost the ball we won it back within about 10 seconds. And there weren't many games that we were outplayed by the other team (West Brom home springs to mind). However, this doesn't mean we were necessarily great in the final third.

 

Also, Lambert may have been better than Pelle, but everyone could see he was on the decline (last year in Champ probably his best season), so not convinced that we'd have been better off keeping Lambert this year. Lallana is the only player we have missed, such a shame Tadic wasn't able to keep up his early season form.

 

I agree with every word of this. Under pochettino, we played with such an emphasis on defence and possession that I always found it hard to see how we were ever going to score ourselves. I know that's the main issue he was brought in to address, but our forwards definitely lost something under his system.

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I agree with every word of this. Under pochettino, we played with such an emphasis on defence and possession that I always found it hard to see how we were ever going to score ourselves. I know that's the main issue he was brought in to address, but our forwards definitely lost something under his system.

 

what the feck?

we scored more last season than we will this season. we had a more fluid attack, that is for sure

this year, the defence is a great deal better

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I agree with every word of this. Under pochettino, we played with such an emphasis on defence and possession that I always found it hard to see how we were ever going to score ourselves. I know that's the main issue he was brought in to address, but our forwards definitely lost something under his system.

 

Remember Delldays, Batman, Jamie citing some stat that last season we were near the top of the league in terms of chances created. Would be good to see similar stats for RK's team. To the naked eye, it seems that we were much more wasteful in front of goal last year than this year. Creating chances has been the biggest issue this time round.

 

The open question is whether our lack of creativity and goal threat is the direct consequence of having a strong defense -players holding runs etc in order to stay compact etc. If it is, it suggests we can have one but not the other.

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Were a better side this season but we also seem to be a fair bit more inconsistent.

 

This years team with a fit Jay Rod would have been incredible. If we had 15 goals from him this season we'd probably still be in the hunt for 4th.

 

Boruc - Forster - 100% Forster IMO

 

Shaw - Bertrand - Shaw edges it, Bertrand has been far better than I expected though.

Fonte - Fonte

Lovren - Alderwiereld - Toby is the far better player.

Clyne - Clyne

 

Wanyama - Wanyama

Schneiderlin - Schneilderin

 

Lallana - Tadic - Lallana for me.

Davis - Davis

Jay Rod - Mane - Close but Jay Rod was more of a goal threat

 

Lambert - Pelle - Pelle for me is the better player and more of a goal threat, although neither of them are quite at the level we need to make the step up

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I think our starting 11 last season was stronger, but we have better strength in depth this season - Targett > Fox, Yoshi/Gardos > Hooiveld, and Reed's proven useful too.

 

I'd choose Bertrand over Shaw too, but only because of how injury prone Shaw is.

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Forster

Clyne Toby Fonte Bertrand

Wanyama Schneiderlin

Mane Lallana Rodriguez

Lambert

 

Probably CL football. But then to be fair, no injury to Schneiderlin or Forster and we'd probably be 5th as it is.

I totally agree with that. I think with Forster in goal and Alderweireld never venturing into the midfield, we would be 5th right now. No question.

 

as far as best starting 11 of the last 2 years...

 

Forster

Clyne Toby Fonte Bertrand

Wanyama Schneiderlin

Mane Lallana Rodriguez

Pelle

 

I think really of that group, only Lallana and Pell are debatable.

 

Pelle - I just feel he offers more than Lambert. He has had a 11 goals, 2 assists. last year Rickie had 13 goals (3 PK), 10 assists. Would have we had the same stats this year from Lambert, a year later? Hard to say. A lot of mileage on those 33 year old legs.

 

Tadic - if you had asked me at Christmas, Tadic would have been my choice, no reservations. Based on each of their performance's this year, the gulf is not all that great really, a coin flip. As far business, Tadic is a bargain.

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Clyne had 24 league appearances, 3 FA cup and 1 league cup = 29

Chambers had 22 league and 3 league cup appearances = 25

I could have sworn Clyne was first choice most of the time, except when injured.

Not all those appearances are starts ;-)

 

Thanks Plum. I owe you a hat off to you sir when I find out how to do it. It did feel like a position we had nailed. Football eh.

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