Mhsc

The good form run started against Brighton I can feel it in my balls, we are going to win

I honestly totally get and approve of Colwill LB strat Not the problem with our season IMO, unless you want to argue that he is so much better than our CBs we need him there, which would be debatable but an argument I can understand...

Ah Broja... probably offside, but come on.

Mind you I do hate VAR and honestly wish it was all binned. Never got on with it. Just can't enjoy football in the same way when you can't know if something is real until a few minutes go by. When a goal is in I want to be able to celebrate but right now I'm watching, dead inside, waiting to see what happens after the deep-review as VAR desperately try to take it away from us. Bin it all off IMO. Only thing I am in favour of is a challenge based system where clubs get 1 challenge per game to ask for a review, if something looked blatantly wrong.

Jamie managed to make the build up more about Liverpool than about the game LOL

Seems likely. I imagine Cucu will come into midfield to make a box midfield.

I don't think he "wants" to leave, he wants a much bigger contract than we've been willing to give him, and he wants to play somewhere that will give him it. Which honestly is fair enough TBH, if that is his priority I don't judge - anyway, this thread is not for that, obviously.

Could be two years if it is true we can extend him by 1. If it is just one year I can see his point - walking on a free will make him a TONNE of money, but not playing for 2 years is a LOT to give up for money when you're going to get minted one way or another anyway Cynical view: it is just to maximise his future transfer value Most crosses IMO is a huge red flag, implies lack of ability to create 'real' chances and resorting to plan B constantly.

Got to be about his contract. Sign or go innit.

Surprising to see Broja start but maybe he plays 45 mins?

Maybe we'll see Enzo as a false 9 lol I reckon we're gonna win this and kick start our season onto a good run that marches us towards top 6 over time. Call me naive... I reserve the right to be an optimistic idiot about my club

Might be our best option tbh. Would obviously rather have a real 9 that is PL ready but I don't think we do with NJ out.

Wonder if Cole Palmer will start up top as a false 9? He did that for City a bit.

Sanchez is a known hot head so it is not that surprising that he let the boos / playing against his old club work him into a bit of a state. His distribution was terrible but hopefully he learns from this from a mentality PoV as in other games he's not been anything like that so imo it was just they were in his head. Honestly think he was a really good signing and feel so much more comfortable with him in goal than I have in years. He's played really well recently and wont let this one game in hard circumstances bother me.

We're still bad, basically.

Is that four left backs in an XI? Wonder what the world record is? Poch is a meme artist.

Bit of an agenda you've got eh

Wouldn't have even had a review if it had been the other way around.

Referee defos had a bet on about something in the first half

Commentator is so brain dead, saying that Nkunku is mostly a wide player and we don't have anyone to play behind Jackson even when the team is fit. Lol.

Reminds me of Azpi when he first joined, a little. Came with a rep as an attacking RB but actually looks v good defending in 1v1s and not crazy threatening going forward but consistently runs and helps out, plays a good supporting role for those around them, churns out 7/10s games.

Of course it is a handball when it touches NJ's hand but would never be if it was a Villa defender.

I suspect the high-level strategy is a Boehly / Eghbali strategy, probably one they already had in mind before acquisition as part of their mission / vision for the new Chelsea that they sold to their fellow investors. Then the team they have hired (PW/LS etc) is the group of people they think can execute their strategy to deliver short/medium/long term success within the scope of the company values and mission they have defined. Of course, you can argue that Poch, PW, LS etc should have found a way to make a winning squad with the amount of money available in summer and money was spent excessively in the wrong areas (e.g. Caicedo+Lavia for huge fees vs finding a cheap supporting option for Enzo - like just buy Ugo, keep Andrey Santos, and then spend the rest of that money on buying goals)

At least Poch has a decent time with the squad this week to work. Leaves him with little excuse on the weekend. We absolutely have enough fit players to beat Villa.