Mhsc

Hm, to me it is by far our weakest position - only a couple of teams have scored more goals than us, even AFTER the goal drought from the last few games, but all season we've been conceding more than the other teams at the top of the table. Being a team that is a nightmare to score against would take us to a different level almost immediately imo.

We are still cooked if he is out for 6 weeks Need a CB asap

Wouldn't he? He would surely start at Arsenal over Havertz, probably even a decent chance he'd start for Liverpool? As it happens both teams have been doing very well with pretty poor options for a number 9, because they have goals from the rest of the team. Why do we need to look at xG? Just look at real numbers. 9 goals and 3 assists from 18 starts - not great but basically on par with most of the good strikers in the league, only Isak and Haaland really notably ahead and Isak's form will probably drop off at some point and NJ's will probably pick up, as goal scoring form seems to be pretty cyclical.

He's scoring at the same pace as Didier did in his first two seasons. Actually dread to think how internet forums would have responded to Didier. He only really had 2 excellent seasons for us in PL and had a lot of years where his output was pretty poor, if you consider just goal scoring numbers. Didier could be super frustrating in front of goal, but he used to step up big time for the big games which is imo where NJ is totally lacking so far - no leadership qualities.

You're not wrong... We have been terrible at CB recruitment for a long time. Our last good signings at CB were I guess Thiago Silva on a free, before that Rudiger, and before that Gary Cahill... Not a great record for a LONG time at Chelsea. At our peak, we had insane CB combos like Arsenal currently have. We need to get that back if we want to win PL imo

To me he is the only serious manager we've had since Tuchel. We burnt our bridges with pretty much all of the elite managers so we have to take a punt on someone and he's as good as a punt gets. I am overall very happy with him and unlike with Poch I have the feeling that year after year we're just going to get better and better. Yes it is a long term project (it always was) but at least now the development story has actually started.

We would be probably in 10th or so, with about 5x more injuries, and absolutely crucifying the owners for keeping him. Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell would probably have played about 90% of games when fit. And Disasi would be a near guaranteed starter.

My main concern, in terms of coaching, is that the players seem quite unfit over the last month, where PL games have come quickly. That surely has to be a coaching mistake as Maresca had all preseason and the season til now to get it right. It doesn't seem like many of them can handle a busy schedule - and barely fit enough to handle a calm schedule, with a few exceptions.

Isak was basically completely and totally useless for like the first 10 PL games and then great form over the last 10. NJ was in great form during Isak's terrible run. Strikers go in and out of goal scoring form, with very few exceptions. The nice thing about NJ is that he contributes very positively with link up play, pressing and making runs to open space for people. I would like another number 9 for competition but of course what will happen in reality is: Maresca has another striker, plays other striker. Other striker does not score. Everyone complains should have played NJ! Plays NJ. NJ doesn't score. What's this fool doing?! Should have played other striker! Both our strikers are bad! We need another striker! Sometimes following football is quite tedious.

Um, Cole Palmer straight up cost us the points. NJ definitely should have done better, but ignoring what Cole did is nonsensical. He threw the game, plain and simple. Given what a great player he is, we should obviously forgive him and move on but to then instead fully blame another person I just cannot understand.

We have a clear fitness problem.

Whatever happened to the strat where we ran them into the ground and brought on fast, fresh forwards to punish them for the last half an hour? It was working so well.

There has been a discrepancy between the way we are treated by referees vs other teams ever since the Mikel/Ramires incident imo

Gusto with some brilliant defending btw

Would have been a foul outside of the box 100%

Personally I think Gusto is suffering from extreme confusion and just needs to get some consistency in how he's used. He is 21 and has been asked to play as a LB/RB, inverted LB/RB, LB/RB who tucks in to CB, as well as a RB who fills the space of like a right 10... Feel like I might be forgetting something, didn't he briefly get asked to play as a left midfielder as well?

Give the guy time. He will come good.

I think he agreed to a large pay cut to join us, which I imagine we are paying all of. But still, no doubt that this is one of the worst football deals in history by Man Utd.

Hard to believe the refs aren't biased when you see this stuff game after game

He must be! Just straight up taking on Wes Fofana's role I reckon.

Acheampong?! Did not see that coming. Bold move!

Is he still? Tbh, I think if we look back on this forum there will be plenty of criticism of Reece when he plays - it has been years since he was genuinely the best RB in the world. He is out of practice at...everything, for obvious reasons. He makes a lot of bad decisions defensively these days, lacks concentration, and of course is a bit yellow/red card prone. Reece is mostly living off of his old reputation and a ball striking ability that is every bit as good as it ever was imo. Absolutely should sell both if we can but anyone that takes on these guys wages and pays a fee to buy them would be considered extremely negligent. Maybe the Saudi league would do it but I doubt either would agree to go - why should they? Great wages already here and staying living with the fam in London. If we send them to the bomb squad it makes literally no difference to them as they hardly ever train or play anyway.

If VVD is available on a free then offering him a couple of years on stupid money would surely be a bit tempting, even at his age, after the positive experience we had with Thiago.

Oh dear - if he is out for the season that is pretty terrible for us. I haven't really spoken about it but I actually really rate Wes, he has come back and clearly been rusty and to my eyes, plays a bit like he doesn't fully trust his body. I was starting to get quietly excited that maybe he was finally going to turn a corner with this one game a week approach. Gutted if he is out for the season and think we are pretty terrible without Wes, and have no obvious alternative to him - the way he does the M2M press, plays proactively and aggressively, he was just perfect for Maresca's system and we are immediately a drastically worse team without him, TBH not sure we even can effectively play Maresca's strat without him (against reasonable opposition). Btw, I don't really understand the hate Wes is getting - "sell this fucker" ... What's he done wrong? It is not his fault, and it is not Reece's either. I agree in general we should try to get them both off the books if we can but I really don't see any reason to dislike either player and personally only wish the best for them. I hope they can both make a real career still. I just don't think it should be on our books if we can manage it. It is only the owners fault for giving these guys with known injury problems long expensive contracts so if there is gonna be any heat it should go to Boehly imo.

Personally I think it is extremely likely... Scouts have a big hard on for him. They'll at least want to feel out if there is a deal to be done, given they went to the last second trying to get it done on deadline day. If he is still not willing to get sensible about salary then we should just leave him to rot tbh. I am feeling more positive about the striker market now than I have in a while, more and more interesting number 9 opportunities have been emerging and we don't really have to let either Napoli or Osimhen bend us over - his stock and their position has never been weaker. Also he rejected a straight loan deal with us and then... took a straight loan deal elsewhere. Fuck around and find out etc.