We are in a great place, averaging 1.6 points per game so far, and we look like we belong. Although it’s true that we haven’t played any of last season’s top-four teams yet.
If we were to play the eleven (and bench) that started the season, then I would be happy to predict we will finish somewhere between 10th and 14th. Unfortunately, with Habib Diarra already injured, Reinildo suspended, and Trai Hume avoiding a sending-off by just a few centimetres, it’s clear we need more. So do we have sufficient
cover for the inevitable injuries and suspensions?
I assume by the time Dennis Cirkin is fit, he will be off to pastures new, but even so, we are well covered in defence. As we tend to play with one forward, and we have three available, we should have enough there. On the wings, with Mundle due back, we should be fine. The potential problem we have, I suggest, is with the midfield, or more to the point, one specific midfielder.
Given the nature of the injury and the African Cup of Nations (with Senegal tipped to do well), I doubt Habib Diarra will return until the third week of January. So we have Chris Rigg and Enzo Le Fée to potentially fill his slot for 17 games. However, if one or both stay fit, we should be covered.
Further back, we have Noah Sadiki and Granit Xhaka. Taking the Xhaka role first, if he were out, his leadership and experience would be irreplaceable, but his position could potentially be filled by Dan Neil or Lutsharel Geertruida.
I don’t feel Chris Rigg suits a deep role, and although Enzo can play there, his size is a worry. Given his role last season and the demands of the Premier League, I am not convinced Dan Neil can now play anywhere other than deep. Although he should fit into the holding-midfielder role, he is (currently) unproven and has nowhere near the experience or standing of Xhaka.
Which brings us to Geertruida. Although he is primarily a right-back or centre-back, he can play, as he has already shown, in midfield. He could play the Xhaka holding role, but as it is not his favoured position, I have my doubts about him in the role long-term. He has the experience and, defensively, he will be fine, but on the creative side, I am not so sure.
So if we lose Xhaka, we probably (at a push) have enough cover, but what about a certain Noah Sadiki? We don’t have anybody else with his energy or ability. Without Sadiki denying midfielders the time to play the killer through ball, we have a problem. To me, Noah Sadiki, I am afraid, is irreplaceable. Fortunately for us, on paper at least, DR Congo is likely to exit the African Cup of Nations early.
Some might argue that Enzo Le Fée could play the all-action closing-down role, but I have my doubts. He is too much of a flair player to consistently do the grunt work. To be clear, I love watching Enzo, just like the days of Amad (and I also argue Roberts); it is worth the ticket price to watch him alone, but I don’t see him in the Sadiki role.
Given the above, some might suggest the recruitment team has left us a little short in midfield, but I think that would be unfair. It’s not possible to have eleven first-choice players with eleven like-for-like drop-in replacements. In every team, regardless of where they sit in the football pecking order, there is always at least one player who is irreplaceable.
For evidence of that, look at Liverpool’s second-eleven performance against Southampton in the week. They have spent massively over the last five years or so and have one of the best academies in the country, but their second eleven struggled to beat a mid-table Championship side.
We all just need to hope Xhaka and Sadiki stay fit because if either is out for long periods, it will be a struggle. Given Xhaka’s age and Sadiki’s all-action style, it’s asking a lot of them to play 38 games, so when they start, we need to accumulate as many points as possible.
