Team sports in the 21st century has become more competitive than ever. The fine line between having a successful season and a mediocre one depend on various factors. There is a continuous and comprehensive evaluation of the players abilities both physical and mental by specialized experts going on behind the scenes and it all comes down to one or two parameters. These are used by scouts to recruit players to fill that gap in their squad.
Yes, recruitment has become so important that it is often considered directly proportional to the success of any team. Recruitment of a team, covering for injuries and other unforeseen situation is integral, and thus the buzzword “squad depth”. When your star players are struck down by injury or suffer a loss of form, teams often do not have the luxury of like-for-like replacements, which often take their season on a downward spiral.
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Today we look at 5 football teams who really lack squad depth.
#1 Arsenal
The pride of north London and probably the most consistent team in the English Premier League since its inception, their inclusion in this list might come as a shock to most people. There’s a common saying in sports, “flatter to deceive” and Arsenal football club fans, would be the perfect description of your team.
Their push for the title seems to fall apart come the final third of their campaign. While many might say it’s pressure or mental grit, the writing on the wall is in plain sight. Too many injuries in a paper thin squad cost them dearly time and again.
Yet again for the 2016-2017 season, the squad looks bleak. While Mr.Wenger has an abundance of quality at the centre of the park, the lack of strikers, wingers and centre-halves are worrying signs. With Danny Welbeck ruled out for a first few months, It leaves Arsenal with Olivier Giroud as the lone striker which is definitely not enough for a club challenging for the title.
The most worrying part though is at central defence where Arsene should look to strengthen with experienced (and aging) Per Mertesacker likely out for up to five months and Laurent Koscielny the only reliable options. The Brazilian, Gabriel Paulista is skillful but erratic and unreliable (remember Diego Costa).
If Arsenal really want to be win silverware this season be it domestically or in Europe Arsene Wenger would definitely have to splash the cash and strengthen in these positions.
#2 Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille are one the most successful clubs in France. Nine league titles and a Champions league in the trophy cabinet speaks for itself. Over the years this club has produced gems like Didier Drogba, Franck Ribery and Samir Nasri who have gone on to impress at the top level of international football.
But in the last few years, things have started going downhill for this club from south of France. Since the eccentric Marcelo Bielsa left the club their ability to hold on to star players diminished making them what is commonly known as a “selling club”
With captain and goalkeeper, Steve Mandanda, star striker Michy Batshuayi, and the mainstay in defense Georges-Kevin Nkoudou all departing this summer for greener pastures the spine of the team has been ripped apart. Manager Frank Passi has a task on hand to put Marseille back on the European map but the chances of that happening look slim.
The club will be looking to avoid another incident like the infamous “project Dortmund” and sign quality players. Turbulent times lie ahead for the fallen giants of French football and the first step towards solving this crisis would be retaining the rest of their stars and assembling a squad worthy of competing for the Ligue 1 title.
#3 Chelsea
Coming on the back of one of their worst league campaigns, the Blues would like nothing but to re-establish themselves as the top dog in English football. Owner and billionaire Roman Abramovich has already started the rebuilding process much before the new season kick starts by appointing charismatic Italian boss Antonio Conte as the new manager.
Though things seem to be going the right way for the club off the field, the on-field problem still remains at large. One of the primary reasons for their failure was their inability to replace injured defender Kurt Zouma who suffered a horrible leg break midway through the season. Also with the former player of the year, Eden Hazard failing to perform for the most part of the 2015-2016 campaign the Blues failed to find another talisman.
Conte would like to rectify these situations as soon as possible. With an out form Diego Costa, who looks surplus to requirements at the club and an erratic Loic Remy as the backup options to new signing Michy Batshuayi a proven and experienced goal scorer is a must.
The much famed back 4 at the Bridge has also deteriorated at an alarming rate in the last two years. Captain John Terry, Gary Cahill, and Serbian Branislav Ivanovic have seen a considerable dip in form which leaves out Zouma and Azpilicueta as the only walls without a crack at the back looking into the future.
If Conte wants to pull one over top class managers like Klopp, Mourinho, Guardiola and Wenger in the ever competitive Premier league, depth in the squad should be his priority.
4. Valencia CF
Valencia go into the new season with changes galore throughout their entire setup. With a new owner in billionaire Peter Lim and a new coach in Pako Ayestran, they’ll be looking to put the ghosts of last season behind them. Following a dismal season which saw 3 managerial changes and the club finishing in the bottom half, this summer will be crucial for the club.
One would expect the rebuilding process to have already started following the fresh influx of cash but quite the opposite has happened. High profile departures in the form of Andre Gomes to Barcelona, Sofiane Feghouli on a Bosman transfer to the Hammers, Denis Cheryshev to Villarreal, Alvaro Negredo to Middlesborough among others, has left the squad short on options in most departments. This inability of the club to hold on to its stars comes at a bad time with German international Shkodran Mustafi also expected to move.
While the signing of Portuguese international Nani is a start, Mr.Ayestran will need many such quality players to even contemplate a push for the coveted Champions League spots. Paco Alcacer being the only recognized striker at the club is a worrying sign and in modern day football its nearly impossible for one single player to do the bulk of the scoring unless he’s Messi or a Ronaldo.
With the likes of Barcelona, both the Madrid clubs and Sevilla strengthening, Valencia will have to splash the cash in order to attract quality players.
5. Borussia Mönchengladbach
The story of Borussia Monchengladbach is nothing short of inspiring. Playing attractive and quality football they made a name for themselves, qualifying for the Champions league in the process. But things started to go downhill for manager Lucien Favre and after 22 game days, the manager resigned with the lingering near the relegation zone in the Bundesliga.
New manager Andre Schubert took over and what he has achieved since is a definite miracle. The German took the club up the table to finish at a very respectable 4th and in the process earning a spot in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League.
This summer transfer window though hasn’t gone according to plan for the German outfit. While star player and orchestrator Granit Xhaka left for Premier League outfit Arsenal FC his midfield partner Havard Nordtveit left for Slaven Bilic’s Hammers in England. With veteran defender Stanzl retiring and Hinteregger returning to Austria, the squad suddenly looks paper thin considering their European and Domestic commitments for the upcoming season.
Schubert would definitely want to strengthen with signings at the centre of the park to partner the talented Dahoud, who himself has been linked to make a move this summer. While the defense still looks stable the forward line for Gladbach look toothless and is a definite area of concern.
The onus will be on talented Thorgan Hazard and Dahoud along with Oscar Wendt to keep the performance levels up there. If Monchengladbach wants to establish themselves in Europe and the Bundesliga they’d need more than just a couple of signings. And considering the quality of football they have been playing we can only hope they don’t fade away due to lack of squad depth like many other top clubs have done in the past.
