King Kante

He had the option of a sale with a buy to Bruges but thought he was above it so went to Palace instead. Nonsense as the Belgian league is about his right level.

Personally I think he is gone. His buy out is €30m and he is playing well. The comments from AC about him being 'expensive' are due to; a) them testing the waters to see if we will go lower, b) providing themselves with some insurance if they end up outside the top 4. In my opinion, they will probably buy him regardless if he keeps going at his current rate as at €30m they could probably even activate and then sell for €35-€40m anyway. Especially with his passport tax. Personally, I would sell Zouma before him, however I am of the thinking even if Zouma is sold before, he will still be sold regardless. I say this as; A) We have too many right footed CB's. Rudi, Zouma, AC, Silva, Dave (RCB), Amapdu. We do not need all those players and Tomori and Zouma are going to still attract reasonable fees (€30m Tomori), (£25-£35m Zouma.) B ) We need a LCB. This could maybe be solved with Guehi or Sarr, but my feeling is they are better off on loan getting minutes for another 1-3 years (depending on how they develop.) Therefore, we are probably looking for a left footed player and especially so if we continue with 3atb. C) We have far too many dregs (tier 4) that are draining the wage bill that are almost impossible to shift owing to their high wages; Batsh*t, Baba, Drinky, Kepa, Zappa, Emerson, RLC, Barkley (tbf he may get a buyer). So, we will have to sell some of our tier 2/3 players to make up some funds. This includes Tammy, Jorgi, Kante and Ziyech as we still need some expensive pieces and cannot accommodate everyone.

Funny reading some of these past comments on ol' Batsh*t. Numerous posters saying he is a good player and you should look at his stats, even though he always failed the eye test. Well here is a stat: 3rd choice at Palace behind Ayew and Benteke, arguably 4th if you count Zaha. 1 goal in 872 minutes of football.

Depends on what formation we go with. However, I would say the following: 1 x CF - Probably the biggest need owing to our lack of goals. 1 x No.6 (if we keep 3atb) that isn't funsized. Still could do a bigger CM. If we kept 3atb, I would look at SMS. 1 x DMF (if we move back to a back 4). Not sure who we would go for but this would be needed as our midfield do not put up enough resistance in a 4. 1 LCB - This one is less of a need than it looked a couple of months ago. Has potential to be solved by either Guehi or Sarr. Those however are some tough positions to get. At CF it is very unlikely we woulf get Håland and after that even someone like DCL would be nigh on impossible. A CM/DMF should be achievable but the issue is the amount of players we have here already. At the moment, we have: Kova, Jorgi, Kante, Billy, Baka, Drinky, RLC, Barkley, Gallagher. Going to have to sell at least two or three and loan couple before we can think about buying. LCB - This is just generally a tough position to recruit for as everyone wants one and there are only a few of them about of the right level. Lets see what happens.

Indeed. Problem is everyone still thinks Barca and Real have money, when they do not. Further, players like Mane and Salah have a peak of 23-29, maybe 30-31 if they're lucky. Only AM's that have ever gone for top dollar at 29+ were the technical ones who didn't rely on pace. No way do those feckers get brought for serious $$$ unless someone is hitting the crack pipe.

Yes, it is 8 players but I would say for 3.5 positions as CHO has been playing well at RWB so when we play the lesser teams you have the option of him going there. As for the others, at least one of Tammy and Giroud are going to leave - Tammy only has two years and with all rumours suggesting he doesn't sign unless he gets the CF1 role consistently and Giroud is at most going to rolling contracts and is now a high end CF2/3. As for the others, Mount has enough about him to suggest he can be tried in the No.6 role (I suspect to see this before the season ends.) Then you have Ziyech who is starting to look like Cuadrado and not up to the physicality of the league. I am not sure, that is a massive problem. Allow one of Giroud/Tammy leave then possibly sell Ziyech. That would then leave 6 players of 3.5 positions. I don't disagree, but if you buy a top end DM then all you're doing is replacing the 3rd CB with a new DM, which isn't resolving the issue of not having enough positions for the AMs/CFs. I think TT is pragmatic, if the formation keeps reaping the benefits that it currently is, then I doubt he will change it. If it starts getting picked apart, then for sure back to 4231/433.

Yes, that is understandable. Although, whilst I agree that in the attacking areas we are overloaded with options in a 3atb, the flip side is that we are also over staffed in defence in a back 4. Further, if we switch to a back 4 again then it becomes difficult to see how either Guehi or Amapdu come back into the squad, whilst a lot of people are moaning that Tomori has been lost. No chance he comes back whatsoever if we go back to a back 4. Furthermore, even if you switch to a back 4, you then need to get a DMF, so I am not sure the switch actually allows for another attacking player but rather creating a need for a DMF that we do not have. For me, in the short and long term, 3atb makes more sense when you look at the squad overall and also the top young players we have. I mean, Gallagher also looks like he is a No.6 so playing a formation with two of them also allows him more opportunity to come back. It'll be interesting to see how things play out, but when we are conceeding 2 goals (that were easily preventable) in 11 games that have also included some top teams, I am not entertaining the idea of a switch of formation. Even if it means losing one of the attacking players. +what mo said.

I have to ask, why? In the system we are playing at the moment, we are barely conceeding a shot on goal let alone conceeding one. Only goals we have conceded have come down to individual mistakes with Rudi/Mendy and Zouma. Teams are hardly laying a glove on us. I get people want a back 4 because it is more "attacking", but I question how much more attacking it is. First, with 3atb, we do not have to worry too much about a DMF (although I do want another big CM/No.6 - SMS would be great.) Then we also get the option to play WB's, which allows the FB's/CHO to push much higher. At the moment, I admit we aren't scoring enough goals, but what if you get a Håland and put him in the team? I think there would be a good chance that those 0-0's we've had turn to 1-0 and the 1-0's to 2-0's etc. For me, any notion of switching away from 3atb is insanity. We are currently dominating teams since TT came in a manner last seen in Jose Mk.1's time. All we need is a real goal scorer. Move to a back 4 and we are again talking about a minimum of a DMF, CF and possibly 2 CB's.

If we put Håland in this team, with the way it is playing/defending I think there would be very few teams who could give us a game, let alone beat us. The amount of control we are exerting on games atm, is slightly crazy. Bar Zouma's inability to read the game (and TT erring and thinking he could get away with playing him as a CCB.) We haven't conceded a goal owing to the other team opening us up for 11 games. Mental.

That was some performance. I don't think I have seen us control a game like that against a good/decent side seen Jose Mk.1 days. That was pure domination, they could've played until Sunday and still wouldn't have scored. My take aways: AC - Is absolutely balling, people have given Harvetz the MotM, but I gave it to him again for the 4-5th straight match. He was imperious today, never had to make a tackle because he was already two steps ahead of the opposition. If he was Italian people would be w*nking all over themselves the way he is playing at the moment. Alonso - First goal summed up why he plays ahead of Chilwell in a 3atb unless the opposition have seriously quick players. Great drifting in to dangerous areas. Not a glamour player but he is very effective in the final third if you know what you're looking at. James - Plays the game as if he is 26 already. Needs to take more of his opportunities to be effective in the final third but he defends so well as a young boy. Give it another year or two and if he continues to develop he will be a top 5 FB in the world. Jorgi - Games like today were him at his best. I have always said with him, he is kind of a 'final piece of the jigsaw' type player, in that he can glue everything together. Still have concerns about his physical attributes but when you have such control his metronome ability to move the ball about kills the opponents running after 60 minutes or so. CHO - Great first half but faded in the second. Starting to become more consistent which is good to see as that is perhaps the most important quality you want to see in players 22 and under. Needs to start taking games by the scruff of the neck more if he wants to be elite and still needs to become more clinical but he is making good progress. Harvetz - This was more of what all of us that actually watched him last season knew he could do. Fantastic running off the ball and should've got a goal or two if people did the right thing and played him in. Drifted out of the game to the end but that is to be expected. Zouma - Didn't have a bad game, but today also highlighted his limitations. Lost Richardlison early in the second at 1-0 by again getting too close to his nearest CB, also his distribution is far to agricultural. Very handy player to have against physical sides, but he is currently CB4 at the club. Werner - Still doing a lot of things right but he really needs to start scoring some of his chances. Should've had at least one today. Starting to get to the stage where you have to start thinking if he has been cursed with our No.9 jinx. I am not pro selling him or even to take him out of the starting XI but he needs to sort things out as he will really cost us down the line if he keeps missing all his chances. Rest of the players not named were all good to very good also, but they all are our most dependable players, so no need to state the obvious. As for TT - 9/10.

Not happy about the line up. Very lightweight in midfield and upfront and then we also risking Zouma again doing something stupid again (although I suspect he has been picked because of his heading ability.) Most surprising thing for me is Mount, I feel we are going to miss his pressing ability and Everton will go from back to front very easily against us. Won't be surprised if TT changes things at HT.

Hmm, not a good weekend for us apart from the Dipper result. Leicester, Utd, Spuds all won. Going to need to win this one as West Ham, Spuds and Everton have games in hand on us. Not certain a draw will do.

I don't know, I reckon we can sign AC and Rudi to new contracts if they continue to play well. If they do, then a CB I would be looking at is Torres as we could do with a left footed CB.

He has been injured as is struggling to pick the pace of the game up again?

I understand where you are coming from but I personally am not sold on selling a 22 year old who has had his injuries who also showed as much potential as he did in the second half of last season. Ziyech, for me is the one most in trouble. Although he is new to the league he is peak age and he looks completely out of his depth in regards to the pace of the league like Cuadrado did. Further, he has been equally as bad as Puli and whilst he may get better I go back to what I have seen both do at their best and Puli seems the better fit. Ziyech needs too much space and time to be effective imo, even at his best.

Same could be said of Ziyech and Harvetz (although he hasn't really been seen, to be fair.) Personally, I am not giving up on Puli yet, he has a very good second half of last season and this one has been a strange one. That said, next Summer is going to be interesting. If we continue with the current formation it is hard to see all of: CHO, Puli, Ziyech, Harvetz and Werner staying. For me the one most in danger would be Ziyech, he wasn't that expensive, is the oldest and I could see him appealing to a number of teams on the continent.

Zouma is surely a goner. He isn't getting away with his passing and lack of reading the game under TT. Fortunately, he has quite a big market and we should be able to get £30m+ for him. I can imagine a number of PL teams would take him. Depending on what happens and what TT wants to do next season, we have a few options in a 3atb. CCB: Silva, AC RCB: Rudi, Dave, Amapdu, Zouma, Tomori LCB: Guehi, Sarr For me, if AC continues as he has for the rest of the season and Rudi/Silva also continue to play well, we are going to have some tough decisions to make. The only real gap I see is a left footed LCB, but that is depends on how you're rating Guehi and Sarr. In my opinion, we may do something like: Sell Zouma Tomori - I think he gets sacrificed owing to our need for some funds in. Further, AC may be trying to drive the cost down but I think if push comes to shove they activate his clause. Loan Guehi - Could do with a PL loan. Swansea would be ideal if they come up. Amapdu - Loan, he still needs minutes as he lost two seasons. Sarr - I think he may end up one of those forever loaned players unless we get a quick flip. Buy LCB - God knows who.

Good. Now for Uefa to do the same.

With the way he has been playing, they could always just pay the £26m then flip him for £30m+ to someone else. Those Italian teams are so tight.

Yeah, breath of fresh air after Kepa. However, with the ball at his feet he gives me a panic attack virtually every time.

Sorry to burst your bubble but Alonso will be back as soon as we do not play against a team with no quick forward players or a team that we should dominate possession. In my opinion, that probably means he'll be back Monday.

CF is as well. We don't have one that can do it consistently in the big games. Giroud is ok when we do not need pace but isn't when we do. Plus he is 35 next season.

Another big game. Going to need another big performance. Mendy Rudi AC Silva James Kova Kante Alonso Mount Harvetz/CHO Giroud

Chilwell will play against teams with pace and Alonso will when teams do not or we are going to dominate possession. Chilwell is going to have to improve quite a lot in the opposition half to take Alonso's place back.

Those kits are pretty tragic.