Top 5 clubs with incredible squad depth
Squad depth is one of the most important things any manager is concerned about when tasked with building a team. Most elite clubs nowadays will participate in up to 4 competitions; while the first half of the season is relatively calm in that respect, the run-in can get severely cramped.
Teams that challenge for every trophy will end up playing 45-60 matches in a season, and whether you have the best starting XI on the planet or not, these players are human beings. Squad rotation is a necessity at the elite level, but many coaches refuse to tamper with winning formulas for fear of disrupting their team’s momentum.
To avoid that, the winter’s short transfer window is often spent acquiring players who can have an immediate impact on the season. Some clubs prefer to get their business finished early on so that the players come in cheaper and have more time to train together.
If they can buy into their manager’s philosophy, they will fit right into their respective sides even if someone is sidelined. That kind of intelligence and quality takes time to build, however, and not every club can achieve it. Other clubs do it the other way – they sign a host of top players so that their coaches can only pick from the kind of players they want in their colours. Here goes a list of the best clubs with the best squad depth.
5 . Liverpool FC
Jurgen Klopp presided over an 8th place finish last season, but his – more like Brendan Rodgers’ – squad made it to two cup finals (the Europa League & League Cup). However, they were soundly beaten in both, making the need for replacements quite obvious.
With the sale of Luis Suarez last season, the club added 8 new players to the squad worth a combined €94 million. However, they started the season poorly and several of their top signings either underperformed or suffered long-term injuries.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund manager revitalized the team, immediately imbibing them with his trademark fast-paced counter-attacking philosophy.
This summer, he’s already bought in six more players, including another raid on Southampton for one of the league’s standout attacking talents – Saido Mane. The versatile & pacey Senegalese trickster has tormented many of England’s finest defences, and he’s definitely improved the side.
Despite the loss of long-time defending superstar Martin Skrtel and the experienced Kolo Toure, the team look decidedly more tailored to play Klopp’s fast-paced style. With a quick, skillful strike-force and a fast, direct midfield, the Kop will soon be treated to some of the best that German football has to offer.
In defence, they’ve got plenty of youth which could see them face some teething problems but Klopp’s teams defend as a unit, and the midfield will be expected to play their part as well.