Yesterday we touched a little bit on Mikel Arteta’s desire to have a core squad of 20 outfield players, plus goal keepers.
A few have raised their eyebrows considering you can register up to 25 players. I am not surprised by Arteta’s position.
Last season, just 16 players played more than 1000 minutes of Premier League football for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. It is clear Pep favours quality over quantity and backs he can keep his players fit.
Likewise, Liverpool competed with City for so long by having a smaller squad of higher quality.
A smaller squad means you can pay players more, and have a better quality of players. You only need to look at the “players used” table from last year to see that usually, the better you do the less players you use.
In a few days, I will publish my annual blog on the state of our squad, highlighting who is home grown, non-home grown and U21. This blog has become a key resource for many to help understand the sort of players we can go for.
For now we will do a shortened down exercise, and answer the question “who makes Mikel Arteta’s 23 man squad. This is my view:
In the squad
David Raya
Aaron Ramsdale / Replacement
Karl Hein / Replacement
Ben White
Takehiro Tomiyasu
William Saliba
New central defender
Gabriel Magalhães
Jakub Kiwior
Juirrien Timber
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Declan Rice
New central midfielder
Jorginho
Martin Odegaard
Fabio Vieira
Bukayo Saka
New striker
Kai Havertz
Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Martinelli
Leandro Trossard
That is your list of 22 out of the 23 players. And if we get the recruitment right it looks like a high quality, strong squad.
The midfield does look a little lightweight, just 5 players for 3 positions. But then Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard can both play in that 8. I also would not be surprised to see Oleksandr Zinchenko utilised there next season.
So who does that mean misses out (beyond Ramsdale) from our first team squad last season?
Cedric Soares
Thomas Partey
Mohamed Elneny
Emile Smith Rowe
Reiss Nelson
Eddie Nketiah
Cedric and Elneny hardly played last season, so do not need replacing. Meanwhile Partey will be replaced for a new recruit.
As for the Halen End boys, they played very little between them, and in my eyes they are replaced by a single player – Benjamin Sesko.
Sesko replaces Nketiah, and that frees up for Jesus to be used on the wings, replacing Smith Rowe and Nelson (the pair played just 604 Premier League minutes combined last season).
I also expect none of those senior players on-loan last season to be with us next term: Marquinho, Runarsson, Tierney, Lokonga, Tavares.
When I lay it out as above, suddenly the 20 outfield players does not look as crazy as some will claim.
And by starting the season with just 23 registered players (if all require registering), it leaves us with space to make a January acquisition or two if needed!
Enjoy your Saturday.
Keenos
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 