NikkiCFC

Going with back 5 again or changing guys like Willian or putting Chris again is huge, huge risk... You cannot drop players based on last performance. Back 4: Azpi, Zouma, Rudi and Alonso. This back 4 always kept clean sheet this season. Kepa confidence is low so I am ok with Willy starting. Pulisic-Giroud-Willian upfront without saying... And probably unpopular opinion but I would go with Jorginho, Kovacic, Kante in MF. Frank barely used them all together this season. And they were all regular for Sarri. We can rely upfront on Puli and Olie.

They all have release clauses. Oblak and Gimenez 120m euros. And Thomas around 50m but he is close to renewal. So if it is true that AM has to sell I think we can get in situation where we can get Gimenez or Oblak for like 30% cheaper price.

I think we all agree that we cannot fix all weaknesses in our squad in just one transfer window. And this is perfectly fine. Every team has them and if you have 8 or 9 top players in starting 11 they can cover for those 2 or 3 who are not at required level. Basically you can hide your weak links. For example, when City won the league in 17/18 season with 100 points they had Delph or Zinchenko as LB. Otamendi and Stones were also regular at CB. This is not better from what we have now at CB and LB positions. So after Havertz we will have limited transfer budget but in ideal world we need GK, 2 CBs, LB and DM. We will not get them all. Oblak, Gimenez, Chilwell or Alaba and Rice. Not happening. So our board and Frank need to decide what would be smartest move in this situation. I think top CB is essential. Market is not perfect this summer for CBs but I think we should pay for Gimenez even if this means not getting Rice this summer (leave that for next year). I like Rice but not sure he can transform our defense right away and not even sure of him as CB. For DM we still have many great options. I mean Kante-Kovacic in 4-2-3-1 is not that bad, right? They do not offer much offensively but they dont have to when you have Kai, Puli, Timo and Hakim ahead. Looks like LB will be cheaper option like Tagliafico, Gosens or Telles and this is also fine. New GK is must at this point because of the state of Kepa. We do not have money for Oblak so we need to be creative here. Let Cech decide. So with new top GK and Gimenez our weak link would be second CB (at times) but than again Rudi or Zouma may look much more solid along top CB like Gimenez and maybe full backs? But lets see who we buy for LB and how James do next season. Again, spending fortune on Rice will fuck us in terms of getting top CB and GK so leave that for next year. And even if Kepa next season is the one we saw in his first season here it would be fine if he is that weak link if we fix back 4 and DM.

We always like to make things black or white It was general opinion that Kepa was great in his first season here. It is true that he is horrible this season and not 15% of what he was last season. We have example of DDG. How many years he has been labeled as best GK in the world? Now people make fun of him. Probably two, three years now. Both from hero to zero. I think it is mental thing with Kepa. Saying this, he has been shit lately and needs to be replaced urgently. But he is not the worst GK like some making him... He can easily come back next season (In Spain?) and become world class and Spain number one. I think we need new GK next season but not because I think Kepa is the worst GK but because if I have to bet I think it is more likely next season he will be Kepa from this season and not from the last one.

I think Atletico has to sell one top player due to financial reasons. They had to buy Morata this summer plus Covid played part so they are in big minus. I am hearing Thomas will renew despite Arsenal interest. They cannot get big money for Diego if any. He will probably go back to Brazil or something. Majority of other clubs also cannot spend a lot of money. So I would not be surprised if Oblak or Gimenez leave Atl. Gimenez has not been regular this season so they may decide to sacrifice him.

Why are so many old topics closed so we need to make another one like in this case?

Ridiculous.

I think we cannot justify picking Kovacic over Puli because of playing time. Kovacic in PL played 1989 minutes. Pulisic 1649 mins. So not much difference. Kovacic has been great this season but still we usually come here to praise or criticize players after games and you can see this season long periods on Kovacic thread when no one post anything. He is consistent and regular performer but this tells also something. Pulisic is number one this season, Kova second. Willian, Azpi after them. Ok Giroud did not have much playing time but every time he performed he was great.

Our positioning for corners has been pathetic all season.

Depends. If we start him as DM with two number 8s him moving to CB would leave as with no players able to play double pivot in MF.

Just before the game he said the quality of refs in top level

Death threats are unacceptable!

I think with big money moves for Havertz and possibly Rice. Btw Gimenez is not cheap either we can now for sure say that we will get some cheap LB option. Tagliafico, Telles or Gosens...

Wow finally linked with top CB from one of the Vesper lists...

Sassuolo want 35m.

Good thing is that Leicester has to win. They will go hard and open but without 3 best defenders. Utd is great on counters .

Southampton finished this season 3rd if you only look away games. Wow.

Bring back Bakayoko.

I never criticized him before because I always thought there was a lot of potential. And still I am ready to be patient a lot with him and James. CHO makes things happen, he is creative player. He is struggling this season but very solid stats. In PL and CL he played only around 1000 minutes but has 6 assists. Only Willian, Pulisic and Azpi have more in our team.

But tbh our CBs have nothing to do with first 3 goals we conceded.

I was counting how many times he fucked up our attacks in the first half... Probably 6 or 7 times. No excuse playing him as LW over not only Puli but Pedro and CHO. He is not a winger. Anyway, looking forward to see what position will Frank invent for him next season to keep him in the starting 11 with Timo, Kai, Puli and Hakim around.

Utd did not won last three games. I have more hope in them beating shitty Leicester side than us doing job here. But we should be able to take a point.

Most goals conceded since 1996/1997 season. 55 back then, now 54 but we have one more game. PL before had 42 games... So this is our worst defensive season in the last around 30 years!