Tomo

It's quite funny because how many times in the summer and the build up to Frank's appointment did people swear patience if we were playing academy players and looking to the future? Even if we were midtable some promised yet the fact they're losing their shit while 4th shows that that was utter bullshit. The minute it's time to put the vow in practice it's back to type. I wonder if the same people who think seeing context in defeat is an excuse or the signs we're acting like a small club also bashed us for being too shortsighted for appointing Jose to go for that quick title no matter what the long term expense.

He's been moved out of a position he was playing well in with a partner he was playing well with to a position he's not good in playing with a partner who needs a stable partner. Don't get me wrong I don't want him in the team even medium term but playing him at LCB was setting him up to fail. Positions make a hell of a difference, case in point Kova was so hit and miss last season the majority didn't want to make his move permanent, now playing in a more appropriate position for his skillset he's bonafide world class (not saying Zouma is at RCB just saying it makes a hell of a difference).

Could it be worth taking advantage of the Napoli shambles and trying to nab Koulibaly? Initially I thought doing that was a bit to short term for the process we're undertaking but after yesterday I'm wondering if we should. We can still get minimum two and a half years out of him which is a long time in football.

I was one of the least overwhelmed when Kurt returned but I can't really blame him or Christensen individually. They both do okay next to Tomori but as a partnership do not work. Lampard should never select them as a pair again.

Is should always be a horses for courses thing in my eyes. In 2008 we couldn't turn around and say "we lost but" purely because the squad was maxing out in terms of peak. Scolari was sacked despite only four loses upto February and non against non top four teams, however results in line with Scolari's with this squad would be very good work. Now it's a completely different ball game. It's not turning into Arsenal (the Arsenal "excuses" were valid early on, it's only when Cesc, RVP, Nasri etc started hitting prime age and they still wouldn't adjust expectations they became a laughing stock) or making excuses, it's just a reality of where we are right now. I mentioned a few weeks ago I was worried that we were getting talked about as title dark horses because it wasn't realistically a possibility. I wonder if some are subconsciously or otherwise seeing this period as a "title challenging team" losing 3 out of 4 instead of the reality of a young team nowhere near its peak experiencing the inevitable downs that's par for the course.

Its not about not critisising him, he deserves it when it's due, it's more down to the fact one of the reasons that was being used to justify slating Sarri was he was playing the same old faces and not thinking of the long term future of the club, before swearing patience if the young players are given chances. Now not only is the patience vow being spectacularly reneged on, the young players themselves are being targeted, some of the comments about Mason and Odoi in recent weeks wouldn't look out of place in the Kalou thread at its most toxic.

"we'll be patient if we're seeing the young players"

Three seasons we've gone here played then off the park and look likely to come away with one point

The finishing has probably been the worst I've seen for sometime, even by our standards. Three tap ins, a one on one turning into a failed three on four, Mount and Willians chances, it's completely ruining what has actually been a good performance, since the goal Everton have done nothing.

Pay me the wages our scouts get and I'll go and bring loads of suggestions.

It's upto our well paid scouts to find and identify. They'll almost certainly be someone of decent profile out there, for example, if we were searching for a striker in 2015 would you have thought of Firmino?

I think we need to get one in this January, even if it's just a short term loan, unless by some miracle our long term choice is available. 2013 Eto'o for example would have been ideal. It's not really about them fully adapting it's at the point now where someone who just does the basics right will come in handy, the West Ham game shows just how much trouble we're in if Tammy goes down for any real length of time.

We couldn't, if a player signed for us during the ban they'd have been stuck solely training for five months ala Turan. To loan a player out they have to be registered to play.

I'm no lawyer but had CAS decided to rid the ban altogether after we served one window, then I imagine we could have hit FIFA with a major law suit especially if there was evidence we missed out on a player solely because of it.

So after all this we could have got to stay and just served the ban on January similar to what Madrid it. Oh well hard to regret it too much given how the summer and season's gone for us and the fact two of our signings would have likely been Pepe and N'Dombele who don't look good or fit enough respectively. The January window could be a good time to get someone in from abroad like Grimaldo, give him six months to bed in and be ready to go for it in this league come August time.

I was very critical of Roy for his work in the national team and use to laugh hysterically at the way he was dragging Liverpool down, however giving him his dues, there's probably no one better for a club that don't really have any ambition/expectations and are just happy getting by. At a minimum he will have them safely floating in mid table and at a maximum he will do what he did at Fulham (Europa final) and this season at Palace.

I do feel the new manager bounce thing is being a bit over egged even before looking at those stats, yes you get Solskjaer/Hiddink mark one type of bounces but you also get Ljungberg/Flores/Shearer/Siewaart ones where things just get even worse. We could lose tomorrow but if we do I feel a new manager bounce will be low on my list of reasons, if we bring our performance from Wednesday to Goodison those set of players won't be able to live with us even if they appointed Jesus Christ himself.

Of course we're going to drop the occasional points to lesser teams, however apart from 15/16 and a couple of months coming to the end of Conte's tenure our record in should win games has been excellent ever since 14/15. Take last season for example, through all the issues and crowd discontent under Sarri, our record against the bottom half sides was up there with City and Liverpool.

What these people don't seem to realize is we let experienced players go to make way for the young boys. Luiz - Tomori Zappa - James Drinkwater - Gilmour Higuain - Abraham It's amazing how idiotic some people can be especially on social media.

I agree but the point I'm making is people are making out he's outrightly shit which is unfair in my opinion. It's based on nothing more than gut instinct at this minute but I feel Zaha would adapt well to playing in a big team, especially one like ours that have coordinated attacking patterns. You do get a few that can't make the step up but if you can identity the ones that can from the lower table teams it's actually a very effective way to build a top team, case in point Liverpool and before that Fergie. He should be very far from plan A but I honestly don't think he'd be as bad a choice as people think, especially if the long term goal is for Pulisic and CHO wings.

Why is everyone acting like Zaha is some winger version of Ben Haim? I mean don't get me wrong he's far from my first choice especially at the price he will likely command but I don't think he will be a bad signing either, far from infact.

We've been very consistent against the lower teams for years now.

For all the stick Marina cops (often rightfully) she'd look like someone who would revisionize the game stood next to Ed Woodward and whoever the hell runs Arsenal. United will probably get back up there at some point as they will throw mud till something sticks by hook or by crook but Arsenal look like they're going the same route as Milan.

Is there even time to get a new man in for Saturday now? Think an assistant or two will have to sit in for the game like Wilkins then Holland/Newton did when we appointed Hiddink on both occasions.