We're not the smallest team in the league

[Nordic Saint]

We're the 2nd smallest. I guess they included van Dijk in their calculation. I wonder if our main attacking tactic will be high crosses again this year:

 

https://talksport.com/football/premier-league-teams-ranked-average-height-smallest-tallest-170803248991

[Le Timmier]

Interesting that the smallest team in the league is many people's favourites for the title

[eurosaint]

Interesting that the difference in average heights between 1st and 20th is only a fraction over an inch !!

Kinda nullifies the whole article IMO !

[mrfahaji]

Does it include goalkeeper? Also, doesn't say how many or which players it includes. If you were to split players up into categories (may differ slightly depending on attacking & defending), I'd say our first XI (including players on fringes, feasibly starters) looks like:

 

Colossus: van Dijk

Strong: Yoshida

Capable: Austin, Romeu, Stephens, Long.

Ok: Bertrand, Davis, Hojbjerg, Gabbiadini.

Weak: Soares, Boufal, Tadic, Redmond, JWP, Clasie.

 

Perhaps defensively, Soares and Bertrand would be slightly better. Happy to be challenged on these ratings but don't think they're far off. I expect if you categorised most other teams they would either have a cluster of 'capable' players or more at the top end, bearing in mind that of top 6, only 4 are likely to be on the pitch together. How many other teams would have 7/11 (likely that 7 out of the 10 in the bottom two categories) players not particularly good in the air?

 

I know this is an arbitrary and subjective 'rating' but reckon it highlights a potential issue. Should we even be bothering with long corners when VVD isn't playing?

[Pamplemousse]

Interesting that the difference in average heights between 1st and 20th is only a fraction over an inch !!

Kinda nullifies the whole article IMO !

 

To some people, that extra inch is very important.

[ALWAYS_SFC]

We're the 2nd smallest. I guess they included van Dijk in their calculation. I wonder if our main attacking tactic will be high crosses again this year:

 

https://talksport.com/football/premier-league-teams-ranked-average-height-smallest-tallest-170803248991

 

WGAF

[happy clapper]

I always like to see a few players with a bit of height but it's not essential. two good away performances last season at Watford and WBA (two off the most physically imposing sides in the league) showed that keeping the ball on the deck and playing football can also work. both wins without VVD as well! but yeah, I will be happy with an imposing central defender signing.

[tajjuk]

Its an irrelevant article, there are 11 clubs that are split by 0.8 of an inch.