Three Weaker Teams

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Despite not being as strong as we were last season i've had a good look and i actually think there's three worse teams than us. So, although we've stepped backwards it could also be argued we've stepped forwards.

I won't name the three in case it jinx's us but i'm quite optimistic that the Ellis Short Hollywood Blockbuster can plod on for another year.
There were six worse teams than us last season though.

I don't know where we'll end up but being subjective can you see eight worse teams than us?
Are the bookies not subjective? They can.

When you're a 'fan' of the team you're not objective, normally it's in favour of your team though, just not on here!
 
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I'm just comparing the playing staff available and i think last season's best 11 would beat this seasons best 11.
Only as you're comparing the best 11 from last season against what we've turned out in 1 game. Its a completely unfair comparission and one used entirely to suit your arguement.

We're stronger than we were 1 year ago, but weaker than we were 3 months ago - hopefully we'll rectify the latter in the next 2 weeks.
 
What about over the first 30?

I'm not looking at individual games or bunches of games. If i had to pick eleven players from last season's squad or eleven players from this squad i'd pick last years. I can't make it any more simple to understand than that.
Last season's dross and whatever turns out to be this seasons dross don't concern me. I'm only talking about the eleven players i'd prefer to have.
 
I'm not looking at individual games or bunches of games. If i had to pick eleven players from last season's squad or eleven players from this squad i'd pick last years. I can't make it any more simple to understand than that.
Last season's dross and whatever turns out to be this seasons dross don't concern me. I'm only talking about the eleven players i'd prefer to have.

Yes you are. You are looking at them over the last seasons 38 games. You said so yourself. I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't tbh.

Ok then, I would pick the players who were heavily involved in the move against ManU where we looked mint and nearly scored a wonder goal and would leave out the attacking players who got absolutely battered 3 nowt off West Brom. (some of the same players by the way).
 
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I think part of our problem is that the sum of all our parts is LESS than the individual abilities of the players we have on paper.

By that I mean thing like O'Shea, Brown, Cattermole, Larsson, Fletcher, Gomez & Wickam, the majority of the spine, are all good players but run through cement. Thus, the defence and midfield play so deep to negate their lack of speed. Attacks are therefore slow and we don't have the Silvas and Fabregases to play the killer balls in tight situations. As we are deep that means our attacking flair players like Johnson and Giaccherini (sp?) are deep and in places where they are little danger. Again though, both good players. Johnson always looks better with an attacking right back bombing on - Jones, a good player, is injured for half of the season usually.

The central midfield lacks the different characteristics required. Good players that harry and harass, put their bodies on the line but having Cattermole and someone like Larsson stifles things as 2 of the 3 do their best work outside of the final 3rd. Ideally we would have Cattermole sitting, an athletic one getting up and down (hopefully Rodwell) and then a talented playmaker type.

I could go on but I can't be arsed.
 
Yes you are. You are looking at them over the last seasons 38 games. You said so yourself. I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't tbh.

Ok then, I would pick the players who were heavily involved in the move against ManU where we looked mint and nearly scored a wonder goal and would leave out the attacking players who got absolutely battered 3 nowt off West Brom. (some of the same players by the way).

Ok then. let's make it even f**king simpler. Assume that i haven't seen any of them play for sunderland before. Not this season, not last season, not ever. If i was given the two squad lists as they stand i would pick eleven from last seasons piece of paper. My team would include Borini. My team would include Ki. My team would probably include Alonso.
I'd personally prefer Bardsley but i'll give it the benefit of the doubt to say he's been replaced, same with Colback.

Injuries aside, Rodwell is arguably the only player who would oust someone out of last years best selection.
 
Ok then. let's make it even f**king simpler. Assume that i haven't seen any of them play for sunderland before. Not this season, not last season, not ever. If i was given the two squad lists as they stand i would pick eleven from last seasons piece of paper. My team would include Borini. My team would include Ki. My team would probably include Alonso.
I'd personally prefer Bardsley but i'll give it the benefit of the doubt to say he's been replaced, same with Colback.

Injuries aside, Rodwell is arguably the only player who would oust someone out of last years best selection.

Fair enough Mr Swearypants. Bit of a futile thing to do mind and completely pointless when you only count the good games of the lads you want to pick.
 
We're short of Borini, Ki, Colback, Alonso and Bardsley. All of those had an impact on our season and not all have been replaced to the required standard. So in terms of the first team we're slightly behind. There is a bit of the transfer window left but as things stand we aren't even level with last year, never mind ahead.

And they were loan/loan/average Prem midfielder (we have plenty of those)/loan and average Prem right back.

We haven't got our 2 Prem loans in yet (replacing Borini and Ki with similar quality) and I'd expect we'll pick up one or two foreign loans and all.

Jack was OK but midfield is where we have loads of players as good as him, so he's no loss really.

Bardo would have been used on Saturday but only because we have injuries to two RBs who are both demonstrably better than him.

I'd be the first to admit that I'm disappointed we haven't sorted out the Prem loans and the Borini position yet and do think we need at least 1 striker and 2-3 in at the back (loans or otherwise) - but I've no reason to think we won't have them by the end of the window.

If we don't get anyone else in then yes, we might struggle, but we will and we'll be fine, so chill...

Aren't you an open Mag yet anyway now your boy has joined them?
 
Ok then. let's make it even f**king simpler. Assume that i haven't seen any of them play for sunderland before. Not this season, not last season, not ever. If i was given the two squad lists as they stand i would pick eleven from last seasons piece of paper. My team would include Borini. My team would include Ki. My team would probably include Alonso.
I'd personally prefer Bardsley but i'll give it the benefit of the doubt to say he's been replaced, same with Colback.

Injuries aside, Rodwell is arguably the only player who would oust someone out of last years best selection.

That team took us to a cup final, a quarter final and was virtually top 10 over a "30 game season." We're currently talking about survival.

Anyway..

Vergini has stayed on. Borini "may" return.

Jones or Bardsley?
PVA or Alonso?
Rodwell or Ki?
Gomez or Colback?
Pantimilon or Ustari?

We also have Fletcher, Mavrias & Bridcutt who didn't feature much last season, alongside a resurgent Wickham for the season and not a handful of games.

It's not as clear cut as you make it, and more importantly the window hasn't even shut yet.
 
Ok then. let's make it even f**king simpler. Assume that i haven't seen any of them play for sunderland before. Not this season, not last season, not ever. If i was given the two squad lists as they stand i would pick eleven from last seasons piece of paper. My team would include Borini. My team would include Ki. My team would probably include Alonso.
I'd personally prefer Bardsley but i'll give it the benefit of the doubt to say he's been replaced, same with Colback.

Injuries aside, Rodwell is arguably the only player who would oust someone out of last years best selection.
Interesting to know how you'd prefer players like Bardsley & Colback in this imaginary world where you'd never seen any of them play for SAFC before. What are you judging them on?
 
A fair few are weaker:

Leicester
Burnley
West Brom
Villa- will have benteke back
QPR

Hull-stronger than last season, hope europe tires them out
Palace
Mags
would expect the 2 in bold to be stronger come end of tranfer window
 
Fair enough Mr Swearypants. Bit of a futile thing to do mind and completely pointless when you only count the good games of the lads you want to pick.

:). My swearing is happiness, not anger.
I'm just picking the ones if i was given the choice, no more no less. You might see it differently.

Interesting to know how you'd prefer players like Bardsley & Colback in this imaginary world where you'd never seen any of them play for SAFC before. What are you judging them on?

I've assumed that Bardsley and Colback have been adequately replaced. In terms of appearances over the season that still remains to be seen. Both have lots of PL experience under their belts. I'm hopeful that Jones and Rodwell will be their match, give or take.
 
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I've assumed that Bardsley and Colback have been adequately replaced. In terms of appearances over the season that still remains to be seen. Both have lots of PL experience under their belts. I'm hopeful that Jones and Rodwell will be their match, give or take.
And this Alonso that you've never seen play for Sunderland, on what basis are you judging him as being better than PVA?

Like I said earlier, you're twisting things to suit your arguement.
 
And this Alonso that you've never seen play for Sunderland, on what basis are you judging him as being better than PVA?

Like I said earlier, you're twisting things to suit your arguement.

Alonso was another borderline player so i assumed he'd just about been adequately replaced. We'll have to see whether or not PVA lives up to expectations but as of now i haven't assumed him to be any weaker than last season.

Next.
 
Ok then. let's make it even f**king simpler. Assume that i haven't seen any of them play for sunderland before. Not this season, not last season, not ever. If i was given the two squad lists as they stand i would pick eleven from last seasons piece of paper. My team would include Borini. My team would include Ki. My team would probably include Alonso.
I'd personally prefer Bardsley but i'll give it the benefit of the doubt to say he's been replaced, same with Colback.

Injuries aside, Rodwell is arguably the only player who would oust someone out of last years best selection.

So on this assumption, you would prefer Borini over say, Fletcher on the basis of a handful of Liverpool substitute appearances and not a single PL goal ? Fuck off man, you're twisting yourself in knots.
 
Alonso was another borderline player so i assumed he'd just about been adequately replaced. We'll have to see whether or not PVA lives up to expectations but as of now i haven't assumed him to be any weaker than last season.

Next.
Errrr, thats not what you said.
 
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