Compare the team that went down and the current team....

[Graham Paddons Beard 1,731]

Team that lost Charlton on last game of season.

Marshall, Otsemobor, Shackell, Clingan, Doherty (c), Mooney, Lappin, Russell, Leijer (McDonald 40), Lee, Smith. Subs not used: Cureton, Carney, Gow, Nelson (GK).

Team that beat Leeds on Saturday

Forster; Russell Martin, Doherty, Nelson, Drury; Russell; Smith, Lappin; Hoolahan; Holt, Elliott.

Subs: Rudd, Rose, Whitbread, Stephen Hughes (for Smith, 85), McNamee (for Hoolahan, 72), Oli Johnson, Chris Martin (for Elliott, 62).

I think we have a good chance next year. Looking at the squads alone (and ignoring for the moment the manager, the team spirit and the tactical nous) I think you can see strength in most areas. The main issue , as Eadie said on TV last night, is the defence and in particular Shack versus Nelson.

But interesting to see the two teams? Views?

[grantroederdisaster 0]

We''re a much better squad than last seasons shower, although I still maintain that with a good manager and better boardroom decisions we could of comfortably avoided relegation last season!

Its humours me so much when the latest pessimists mumblings are that we''ll have to change half the team next season if we go up!

Like the Championships that great!

Yes its a step up from where we are now but the top 6 in League 1 would hold their own in the Championship.

All we need to do is replace 3-4 of the fringe players with guys capable of doing a job in the Championship and we''ll have a squad with the potential of making a serious push for the Championship play offs!

[ZLF 147]

Keepers - not much in it;  Forster has the better potential.

Centre backs - shackell is better than Nelson

Right back - much prefer martin

Left back - Drury miles ahead

Midfield - only difference is Hoolahan for CLingan;   no brainer for me - hoolahan every time

Strikers Difficult as comparing different levels of football;  Martin and mooney are similar as are Holt and lee - last years were successful at the champs - we dont know about ours - draw again for me

So - as far as players are concerned I would say the teams are pretty evenly matched;   I have no doubt Lambert would have kept us in the champs last year with that squad.

Looking at the charlton team again a criticism of that performance was the loanees did not turn up - yet there were 7 owned players, one of the loanees was a city youth player and the strikers always looked pretty committed to me.

What is striking is that two of this years stars - Drury and hoolahan; were missing;  security down the left flank (where relegated charlton destroyed us) was lost without drury and without hoolahan that midfield had absolutely no creativity - how were we ever going to score???

So curcially  we were tactically set up wrong and a couple of key injuries scuppered us.

NOt sure what that means for next season though if the teams are closely matched in talent,  are we reliant on getting lambert making us that much better?  Yup we are

[Yellow Rages 0]

I think last seasons squad was much stronger, the differences are that:

1. We were playing in a harder league. This league is Pony.

2. We didn''t have a manager capable of getting the best out of them.

Now you can''t argue the first point because, we all know that. You may try to argue for the second point that the players should not need to be motivated and therefore were not as good. Well to this I would say that all players need the right manager behind them in order to get the best out of them. That goes from the very top down. Just imagine if Lambert had been in charge last season? Some obvious things would not have happened. Russell would not have been a Centre Forward for starters and I think as he has proven this season, he would have got the most out of every player.

[Trent Canary 0]

Individually the squad we had last year was better. Team-wise this season is far better. We have had consistency, and with the managers greater tactical awareness I would say this team is the greater one.

[Hannibal 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]Midfield - only difference is Hoolahan for CLingan;   no brainer for me - hoolahan every time[/quote]Clingan was the stand out player in our team last year. He would get in near enough every team in the Championship. He plays a differant role to Hoolahan. The question you need to ask is Clingan for  Lappin, Smith or Russel and for me thats the real no brainer. Clingan everyday of the week. Ha a mean freekick too didnt he much better than Lappin our so called dead ball specialist!

[Yellow Rages 0]

[quote user="Trent Canary"]Individually the squad we had last year was better. Team-wise this season is far better. We have had consistency, and with the managers greater tactical awareness I would say this team is the greater one.
[/quote]

I think you need to add perspective though Trent. Would this team be any good in the Championship? I think it would finish around 15th in all honesty. Whilst that is higher than last years team finished, I''m curious to know if you are counting Lambert as part of the team when you say Team Wise? If you are then yes this Team is better. I also think the term ''consistancy'' is used in football as an attempt to try and say something different, when all players/managers/pundits really mean is ''winning more often than the others'' who are less ''consistant.''

[Tetteys Jig 780]

Marshall = ForsterSemmi < MartinLeijer < DruryDoc = DocShackell > NelsonRussell = RussellLappin = LappinSmith = SmithLee < HoltMooney < MartinHoolahan = Clingan4-1 to this years lot.Much more organised this year however, so Doc for example will play better in a settled defence.

[Beauseant 0]

[quote user="The Duke"][quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]Midfield - only difference is Hoolahan for CLingan;   no brainer for me - hoolahan every time[/quote]

Clingan was the stand out player in our team last year. He would get in near enough every team in the Championship. He plays a differant role to Hoolahan. The question you need to ask is Clingan for  Lappin, Smith or Russel and for me thats the real no brainer. Clingan everyday of the week. Ha a mean freekick too didnt he much better than Lappin our so called dead ball specialist!
[/quote]

I would love to  have seen how the diamond could have worked with Clingan in the holding role and Wes at the head. I really rated the guy, although rusty has been superb this year.

[Mr.Carrow 305]

This years team would absolutely cream last years.  And the squad is definately much stronger- We have Askou and the highly rated Whitbread in the wings at CB, Spillane who i thought looked really good earlier in the season RB, probably Rose and Wiggins to battle Drury at LB, quality Hughes in reserve CM, McNamee who`s unlucky not to be playing LM and McDonald and Johnson who`ve done the business from the bench and show exciting raw talent in abundance as back-up CF.

The first season since relegation that we have been net spenders in the transfer market instead of flogging off the family silver and we actually have a squad again.....Who`d have thunk it huh?

[Bill 1,788]

It is more a case on motivation than quality. Anyone who watched the abject surrender at Fulham will know that it is not always ''how good'' the players are. Likewise at Charlton last year.

[Canary Man of Kent 0]

[quote user="Jimmy Smith"]Marshall = Forster
Semmi < Martin
Leijer < Drury
Doc = Doc
Shackell > Nelson
Russell = Russell
Lappin = Lappin
Smith = Smith
Lee < Holt
Mooney < Martin
Hoolahan = Clingan

4-1 to this years lot.

Much more organised this year however, so Doc for example will play better in a settled defence.
[/quote]

I agree with that, although I''d say Smith < Smith, as today''s Smith is a much better player than the kid with potential we saw at the end of last season.