Again, don't see it at all.
I mean let's forget about the names for a second.
MATS & Cillessen are as good as it gets in GK, have no problem at all with it.
CB? Our best one is Umtiti, he can be elite, but in last 2 seasons he started as one relying more on his physical tools who gradually developed, by second year he was immense then lost his concentration by second half. Could make an argument that it is the manager but there is a lack of consistency in him, a bit like Varane.
Pique? clearly past it. Almost since March 2016 it was a consistent decline, last year defensive approach protected him as he was still elite in aerial challenges and play with his heart on the pitch, now even those are gone.
Lenglet? good addition but way too early to consider him difference maker, legit question about his fit with fit with another left footed Umtiti.
Vermaelen? lol
LB? Alba is good, but he has history of both inconstincy and injuries, he is playing his best under EV anyway and doubt any other manager will make him better.
We lack back up LB thanks to Abidal not EV, Miranda isn't ready at all, historically it has been decades since a defender under age of 21 made it to 1st team and there is a good chance EV is doing the right thing to protect him from early destruction in 1st team.
RB? Semedo is average, Roberto is average, both lacks potential to be world class RB. I think it is a bad joke now that people thinks Semedo can be one, at age of 25 he is almost at his peak as a player for someone playing that position and he shows serious flows, Roberto played his best season last year under same coach btw.
Overall this is a bad defensive line up, which need to be badly protected. It is almost impossible to win CL without a good defense.
DM? Busquets is way past it, he is a slow CM playing DM atm. he isn't a protector, he is slow, and he exposed our defense. His on the ball game is still elite, but as Sir Charles Barkley says, father time is undefeated. A manager won't reverse the clock.
CM? past it Vidal? Raki who almost everyone here hates? Arthur ? the coach showed trust in him so far, but he is too green atm to carry the midfield despite showing signs of being a good contributor in the team, but right now he is a shorter version of Busquets (but he can run) and that won't cut as difference maker in CL. Don't think I need to talk about Samper here
AM/wingers?
Denis and Rafinha are decent bench player, don't think anyone rates them and most want them out
Malcom? promising youngster but he is still a question mark, if you watched him enough and says he is a top 10 wingers in the world and can be great starters in the team I will take your words for it. But right now I will rate him as a rotation player that the coach should use more.
Dembele and Coutinho? Those are 2 players you can seriously question the coach about them. Coutinho is a bit in no man's land whether he is a midfielder or attacker and considering he is signed after EV had half season here he should have an idea of how to use him to his best abilities, nevertheless he is still one of our best players.
Dembele is another player people think EV is destroying him, but honestly I am losing faith in him, and in fact I am thinking EV has been more patient and actually trying to fix his flaws (goal scoring improved a bit) but I just don't think he will cut it at elite level of football, he will be great in a team like Bayern where he can help them dominate Bundesliga. I really hope he proves me wrong.
Strikers? Munir is average or below average, Suarez is a guy who is playing because Messi needs a striker in front of him to play to his full potential but again he has already showed signs of aging long before EV
Messi? he is the greatest footballer we have ever seen, but 2 things, Messi is undoubtedly a tactical purden right now, this is something I've been saying for over 2 years and people are starting to realize it now, he doesn't run, he doesn't defend and he is now a second striker which is huge tactical challenge. He need a striker in front of him to be effective, he needs the ball where he want it to show his play making ability etc.
And his CL track record in over a decade when it comes to QF or after has been one of the most underwhelming for a player of his caliber, as the star of the team he shares part of the blame especially for those who discredit managers because the team has Messi.
Simple as it is, in CL where you are playing elite team, through fatigue in late stages of the season, this squad won't cut, we lack defense, we lack midfield creating ability and we lack another threat goal scoring beside Messi who teams have been able to shut him down when it mattered in CL (there will be probably 5 different quotes who are mocking me criticizing Messi).
In league this squad can cut it, in CL it won't.
As for other questions you are asking, well I didn't say we can't do better, of coarse with better manager you always do better. but it won't be winning CL better, for me no chance (without super luck)
Could we have eliminated Roma? sure, EV fucked up that game (and btw, they were 3rd best team in the tournament throughout the year, better than a team like City for example)
Liverpool didn't win the CL for the record, and they had a young team who had so many players playing their best year at same time, Klopp done great job for sure, but I doubt they will have same success this year even with a superior team this season on paper. And in general the Klopp and pep's of the coaching are rare, we have been lucky with the Rijkaard/Pep/Lucho trio who coached us for 12 during 14 years span.
While EV has been poor this year so far, I think we are lucky to be able to call what he did last year "bad" as some people are doing. In few years time those bad will be considered good most likely.
And again before the shitstorm that some people will bring, this isn't really defending EV, for me he is a coach that should go at the end of the year. but this squad needs a huge renovation. To consider it one of the best squads is -for me- living in the past.
This forum took the piss out of their defence, and their midfield is made out of players like Milner and Henderson. Their attack is a budget version of our attack. Their RB and LB are Arnold and Robertson. Arnold is a kid still and Robertson never drew anyone's attention.
