The Next Step

For me, this is part of the perennial problem we have of falling away come March/April. However willing our squad might be in spirit, there's just no way that you can expect the same 14 say to play week in week out and to maintain the same level of performance for the full 9 months or whatever. We're knackered and tired bodies are much more prone to injury. I'm not advocating that we adopt a rotation policy like the RS but, while we were playing out of our skin to get where we were, they were crusing along and, when they moved up a gear with their fresh players, they left us in their wake. Look at Chelsea too. According to the commentary yesterday, only about 3 players have played more than 20 league games and they're tearing up trees now because of it!

While there are certainly some benefits to having a smaller squad, we should have atleast 18 players seriously competing for a starting berth, as well as younger players vying for their opportunity. This is something that we need to address. I'm in agreement with some recent posts which ask why we have Van der Meyde, Gravesen and Gardner on our books if Moyes would prefer to have three left backs on the bench rather than any of those players!

Looking at the side, we're very secure with Howard and a central defensive combination of any two from Yobo, Lescott and Jagielka. I'm looking forward to seeing Baines settle in at left back, I'm sure he'll become a great asset. My biggest concern with him is that he tends to get sucked in when we're being attacked down the opposite flank...so we'll have three defenders queuing up to clear the ball without a challenge and an opposition striker can easily pull away or sneak in round the back to find some space. Maybe Gosling can be the answer at right back? Hibbert tends to dive in rashly, giving away needless freekicks and penalties and he's next to useless going forward. Whilst Pip gives us much better delivery from fullback, all too often he'll get skinned and you'll see him meandering back whilst a winger flies down the channel.

In midfield it would be interesting to see whether we can secure Fernandes and whether he can live up to the mantle of Manelele, replacing Carsley as the anchor or 'water-carrier'. For me, Carsley has looked well off the pace for a good while, hence the ill-timed shin-scrapers. It also drives me crazy how he consistently plays the ball too tight- giving it to a team mate just yards from him in a congested midfield.

Whilst we have some undoubted talent in our midfield ranks: Arteta, Cahill, Osman, Pienaar (bargain!), my concerns are our stature (we could possibly do with some African muscle in their ala Arsenal or Portsmouth) and our lack of width. Playing as such a narrow unit does have the benefit of making us compact, but I do feel that we could afford to be a touch more cavalier, even if it's just sending the fullbacks bombing on to the byeline. Ideally, I'd like to see us introduce some lighting pace in the mould of Walcott or Young to mix things up a little. It puzzles me that AJ can statistically be the quickest player in the Premiership and make nowhere near the impact of the aforementioned jet-heeled players.

Bearing in mind reports of of DM's recent scouting mission to Russia, I've got everything crossed that Arshavin is the target. A midfield quintet of Fernandes holding with Pienaar and Arteta on the flanks and Osman doing the donkeywork behind Arshavin is a mouth-watering propsect.

Upfront, I do wish that Moyes would be a little more adventurous sometimes. Following the example of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle, we could play Anichebe and Johnson as support strikers to Yakubu.

Generally though, our biggest problem is the size of our squad. We do have very few options other than the 11 that we put out and, if we're hit by injuries, we'll really be struggling. Moyes obviously has faith in Gosling and Rodwell and it seems that they will be promoted to the senior squad next term. But, will the likes of Jutkiewicz, Boyle, Vidarsson and Kissock really make the grade? Surely it's now or never for them? If our policy remains to buy the best players from the Championship, then Giles Barnes and Micheal Kightly would be sound signings.

Moyes has made some outstanding signings during his tenure and I have every confidence that he'll unearth some gems again this time. It makes sense too to invest in quality over quantity and to work with a smaller squad but, if we're serious about becoming a force in Europe, them we're going to need to bring bodies in. In particular we need 8 players competing in midfield rather than the 5 virtual ever-presents that we have currently.

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