Championship Winning Squad v Current Squad

simonhpieman

simonhpieman

Star Player
Purely subjective and purely on paper, do you think our Championship winning squad of Elphick, Surman, Pugh, Boruc, Pitman was better man for man than our current squad?

Should our current squad be capable of the heights of that 2015 team but are currently falling short?

Lots of angles to discuss....
 
RobTrent said:
The 14/15 squad had time to develop up through the division. The current squad is readjusting after a confidence knocking relegation, and losing quite a few players.
Click to expand...

Beat me to it. Notwithstanding a new manager (apologies OP just seen you were talking on a man to man basis)
 
Last edited:
The championship winning squad was slightly lighter on individual talent but much superior in terms of teamwork and application.
There was so much buy in to the “anything is possible” mantra back then, whereas the current bunch are carrying the weight of a relegation and a couple who clearly have an eye on the exit door
 
Most used 11 then
1610983851272.png
VS
Most used 11 now (replace Mepham for Sturridge if you want 442)
1610984212424.png

Begovic = Boruc
Daniels > Rico
Francis > Smith
Mepham > Elphick > Kelly
Lerma > Arter
L Cook > Surman
Ritchie > Pugh > Stanislas > Brooks
Wilson > Pitman > Solanke

Done!
 
Kudos said:
Most used 11 then
View attachment 4884
VS
Most used 11 now
View attachment 4886

Begovic = Boruc
Daniels > Rico
Francis > Smith
Mepham > Elphick > Kelly
Lerma > Arter
L Cook > Surman
Ritchie > Pugh > Stanislas > Brooks
Wilson > Pitman > Solanke

Done!
Click to expand...

A fair summary but just think how important the likes of arter and elphick were when team needed lifting.

Plus think 14/15 had a physical strength that this team lacks.
 
AFCBade said:
A fair summary but just think how important the likes of arter and elphick were when team needed lifting.

Plus think 14/15 had a physical strength that this team lacks.
Click to expand...

I felt really bad with the positioning of Elphick because he lacks a bit technically and even a little athletically compared to the others, but he was unrivalled in spirit, leadership and determination.

Also, it felt bad having Brooks as the weakest winger because he's an immensely talented player but he's being put next to some incredible player.

It was the physical strength that puts Francis ahead of Smith IMO. Just look back at how many full-backs Franno bullied before putting in a neat cross.
 
Another difference is how teams approach playing us.

14/15 we were a team that had been, for a long time, jumping between League 1 and 2. Then 1 season in the Championship. Teams setup against us believing they could win, did any of us really expect to get promoted that year?

This time around, we're a team with 5 years in the Prem, teams are coming to us hoping to get a 1-0 victory, but 0-0 will be a good result.
 
CherryBare said:
How ever rose tinted you are, not sure pitman was better than solanke
Click to expand...

It's a difficult comparison Solanke is a stronger athlete and has great link-up play but Pitman was a natural goal scorer and had a better goal tally. Maybe it's our current poor scoring stats causing the rose tint?

Given the choice between Pitman at 28 and Solanke at 23 for one season only I'd go Pitman but if it was a question of signing one or the other I'd prefer Solanke.

Coobster said:
Another difference is how teams approach playing us.

14/15 we were a team that had been, for a long time, jumping between League 1 and 2. Then 1 season in the Championship. Teams setup against us believing they could win, did any of us really expect to get promoted that year?

This time around, we're a team with 5 years in the Prem, teams are coming to us hoping to get a 1-0 victory, but 0-0 will be a good result.
Click to expand...

That's a great observation. I loved seeing how managers would talk about "the likes of Bournemouth" being the example of teams to get points from and the fan forums would explode with bitterness about it shouldn't be possible for us to beat them.

I wonder if that's one of the reason clubs going down struggle so much. A combination of low morale, player sales and everyone setting up to spoil. It only takes a handful of draws over 48 games to drop you from automatic promotion to touch and go for the playoffs.
 
Just as an observation; although individually one could argue this season’s squad might be slightly stronger, it’s fair to say the working partnerships of Pugh/Daniels and Francis/Ritchie made our old boys somewhat more effective.

I also see that Yann Kermorgant doesn’t seem to get a mention. His strength in the air was integral to our success that season....it’s an aerial presence I’m afraid we don’t seem to have in our current side. Yann’s strength in the air meant we could put in a variety of crosses into the area knowing if needed he could get his head to some of them.

As I say this current squad certainly has the edge in individual talent but lack in terms of certain team strengths. In saying that, I still think they have the potential to get promotion.
 
BoscombeCherry said:
Personally I think we've got a better squad now but had a better team then. As mentioned in the other thread, the partnerships we had all over the pitch back then we're phenomenal. If this squad had that level of cohesion I think we'd be seeing something special again.
Click to expand...
Nail on head. You don’t win a league with individuals, you win it with a team. This team has more individual talent but as a team unit it is nowhere near the class of 14/15. The only area of the pitch that we currently have less gifted individuals than 14/15 is both full back positions, support striker (Yann) and GK imo.
 
Waz afcb said:
Nail on head. You don’t win a league with individuals, you win it with a team. This team has more individual talent but as a team unit it is nowhere near the class of 14/15. The only area of the pitch that we currently have less gifted individuals than 14/15 is both full back positions, support striker (Yann) and GK imo.
Click to expand...

Tbf almost everything good we did back then was through our full backs so having better players in those positions is kind of important.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

;