Tomo

SD is being done wherever possible, it's not possible when playing so they counter that with mass testing and isolation of positives. There's "normal" places of work where SD is also impossible and they can't mass test staff as they don't have the resources to source.

DP

The title season Pedro was preferred, he started pretty much all the big games over Willian including the FA Cup final. The second season Pedro dipping plus Willian hitting form led to him being selected more. Willian was selected a lot under Sarri due to false 9 and Pedro picking up niggling injures but when it was one or the other it was Pedro given the nod more often than not, including in the Europa final.

When you consider the measures being taken, the general improved all round hygiene and the fact this virus has seriously hurt obscenely few under 40's with no health issues footballers are probably statistically safer than ever on a football pitch, and certainly infinity times more than the few weeks leading upto the leagues suspension. If you're looking for 100% safe we may aswell end football for good, ask Fabrice Muamba or the family of Antonio Puerta if football pre covid was bulletproof.

While I'm not atall defending our CBs (I'm not convinced even Rudi is good enough and the only one who potentially is long term is Fik) our current issues are running a lot deeper. Two years ago City pissed the league with worse CB options for half a season. I think the fact we are still not properly coordinated with our pressing (something Werner and Ziyech will help with considerably) and Kepa doing his Claudio Bravo impressions for a lot of the season are even bigger problems at this minute.

I feel the opposite, I find it hilarious (and a huge compliment) that players (and in Jose's case manager) who's peak's were spent here go to rivals once they're a shadow of their best selves. It's a huge nod of approval to our standing in the modern day.

And the cost of the economy not getting moving again will lead to mass poverty which will cause a lot more problems than this virus can dream too. Also I find it strange how footballs the only business you're giving shit about trying to resume it's business and get up and running again, for example the drama industry has had their actors return to filming this month yet I haven't seen you critisize them.

Business try's to sustain itself and the economy shocker!

I thought he did generally okay (although I think us taking the lead and Villa having to open up naturally meant we played to his strengths more) but that movement leading up to the last free kick is exactly why I have my reservations about him playing there, he tried to proactively hunt the ball got turned and Grealish had a run on our defense. I think going forward we should use him a similar way Conte used Cesc in the title winning season, even forgetting the tactical stuff he's at an age now where he and his engine need to be carefully managed, even more so given he's starting to become quite injury phrone.

Not just Pulisic, all our young player's bar Mount pick up injures at ridiculously inconvenient times.

Conte and Sarri both preferred Pedro. That said i'm not as harsh on him as most, he has had a very successful career here all told.

Id spin it to my Liverpool freinds as "you needed our help to save you from bottling it". Would wind them right up

I think he played a lot better after we took the lead, which kind off backs up the point I've been making for some time that he's good for when the games end to end but not so much when the games Infront of us.

We could hand Liverpool the title by winning here (if City beat Burnley and Liverpool fail to win either now or Vs Palace).

Not all the time but in a game like this when Jorginho is banned absolutely he should be playing. The lack of a regista to speed up our play between the defensive and middle third restricted us in the first half. Not to mention Kante is more suited to the game on Thursday so made no sense to play him for the full 90.

I actually thought the performance was pretty good considering, that what makes the initial selection even more frustrating.

I've changed my mind, void the season, my heart can't take this!!

It's not been too bad in the context of it being out first game back but we're (surprise surprise) struggling to attack quickly enough without a regista here.

So that's the work against Everton and Liverpool down the drain. Kante walsing back in, no regista, fuck sake.

Its a squad game these days even more so now with what is going to be an absolute crazy schedule while football plays catch up on lost time due to lockdown (we're looking at summer 2023 until the calendar breaks even and even that's on the assumption there's not another suspension). With the way Lampard likes to play a regista is crucial, even more so currently given we don't exactly have the best ball playing CB's, asking Gilmour to play every game at his age and with the scheduling in the coming years is unrealistic, we need two capable players in that position minimum, none of our other midfielders are capable of giving high efficiency in that role not even Kova. I could just about get my head around Rice if he's exclusively played as a CB and signed for a reasonable price (around £35m, 40 tops) but I don't want him anywhere near the midfield. That said I'm not totally against selling Jorginho if an irresistible offer comes in given his age and the fact he's probably not an undisputed starter anymore due to Billy's emergence but he absolutely must be replaced by another player capable of playing the regista role and lightening the load on Billy.

The thought of replacing Jorginho with Declan Rice crushes my soul in every way possible.

Speaking of which were are those guys now? I know where PVA is obviously but honestly have no clue where the others are.

Out of the one's being promoted by United and Arsenal i think Greenwood and Martenelli are up there with our boys, Saka next level down but all the rest are planets below. Tariq Lamptey would be one of the star prospects at Arsenal but with us he had to leave as an even better prospect is ahead of him.