king_dezeeuw06
Vital Champions League
Sorry to labor the point KDZ, but there you go again ........ you even say yourself that it was 2nd string vs 2nd string, so I'm not sure why you then link last night to "catching up to Sunderland yet".
If we're talking about squads, then I'd agree with you completely. However, it's the transposition of the comparison where I have the issue.
Our 2nd string isn't as good as Sunderland's. However, as our brand new side played them first game up, and we've improved significantly since then, whilst overhauling them in the league, I really don't see why we should consider ourselves inferior to them at this point. Fair enough, if injuries kick in, then the squad comparison may impede us, but at this point, - and yes, I know it's early - we're top of the league. after having played 3 of the other 5 in the top 6.
That'll do for me.
Personally i think the comparison is in the football methodology runs through both first and second string of both teams. I think the quality of players we have in the first 11 make our tactics look better than they are, while with inferior players it really shows up it's inherent flaws. While Sunderland's tactics make both first and second string look good.
I think if we'd have played our first 11 against their second 11 last night their style of play probably would've caused our first team a world of problems and possibly even beaten us. Sunderland's reserves were miles better than everyone else we've played since we played Sunderland's first team. I think we probably have similar quality squads, arguably we are stronger than them- but they have a much more effective style of play. I think we are inferior to them in that department and we are going to have to up our game if we want to stay above them in the league.
When you look at teams like Burton and compare them to Sunderland it's polar opposites, Sunderland have a certain type of player that lends themselves to playing a certain way, while Burton have a different set of players that lends themselves to play a certain way. Both styles are a perfect fit for their sets of players and both styles are effective in their own way - they play to their strengths. But i feel we seem like we have a squad of players closer to Sunderland but are asking them to play closer to Burton's style and it's a bit of a mismatch that we need to adjust.