Tomo

It's more than just who the defenders are but the whole positioning of the team. There seems to be a lot of options and avenues for our players to exploit playing out to the point not even Zouma is being totally exposed in that area.

I do like how natural we look playing out from the back and it was (alongside RLC development) the best thing Sarri did for us. Yes with such a high risk strategy we will occasionally cock up like Kepa did late on (and made amends) but in general we look very natural at it, compared to Arsenal for example who look lost at sea when playing out.

Spotted last season that Willian and Callum have good chemistry together.

We have a very big break in the fact Ajax don't have Frankie anymore.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GEnRu3AYQhY

I see the "we will be patient if youth play" is well and truly out of the window now the times come to actually put that into practice.

This is why this forum is in the pits these days. If you don't follow the ludicrously negative party lines you're instantly dismissed as an apologist and worse. Such a shame because this genuinely use to be the best site on the whole internet.

It's weird watching him play for England and then, return to us. Slower paced football, suits Ross's tendencys to take an age to decide what to do. If he's brave enough to move abroad I think he could be a big hit in Serie A.

Pulisic has been average but despite his price tag he was brought for more a long term view so he does get some leeway because of that. Pepe on the other hand was the crown jewel purchase by a club that's spent a massive amount on delieving immediately which means pressures on.

Because he has Greizmann and Mbappe either side it's all about who gets the best out of them two.

We should be finishing above both of these, especially United.

Not really getting the serial complaining when he's been getting picked lately. If he kept playing like he did against Leicester fair enough but he's started the last three league games and we've played well on all of them. He seems to bring to the table what the youngsters (right now) lack and complements Mount and Tammy fairly well. I don't want him and Pedro on the same pitch together again, but given the youthfull age of all our other attackers I think one or the other being on doesn't do any harm, infact I think it helps.

Tbf if a Lukaku level player is his ceiling that won't be too bad. The reason Lukaku himself is deemed problematic is because he thinks to highly of himself and becomes toxic for the locker room when he doesn't get his own way (ala an unconditional starting spot).

If you access on face value then probably Cuadrado however accessing everything (cost, performances, negative impact on team) Torres is by far the outright winner.

I think we should keep Pedro as a 4th choice purely because he's been in the position these lads are in (breaking through at a massive club with such big expectations on your shoulder). I think we should go all out for Sancho next summer (surely we'll be able to convince him to pick us over United given the comparative directions both clubs look to be going in alongside the fact he's a Chelsea fan and best mates with Callum) which will give us a strong group of wingers.

Jorginho isn't Cesc with his through balls but that isn't his role in the side, we may aswell critisize Kepa for failing in that regard while we're at it. His role is to have us dominating the middle of the park which since his arrival we've done more often than not, ironically the one thing Cesc couldn't do for shit.

I know people like to bash Willian for the slightest thing, but for the way he scored a goal (that settled tension with the fans) really does take the cake.

It was you that opened up the can of worms with this comment. "That chance goes in at 1-0 and it's Sheffield Utd all again"

Maybe Ross decided to give up duties after it? Hazard use to delegate duties for a while after missing one.

And if we took all our chances in the first half we do a Germany:Brazil on them. Point is the on another day stuff works both ways. We didn't just like they didn't score when they had the chance, so it's all irrelevant, 2-0 it is.

Dean Henderson doesn't make a world class save from Tammy and we beat Sheffield. If, buts and maybes work both ways.

The philosophy Lampard has is the type that is more effective the more quality is in the team. He's not one for underdog football so in that sense it's probably a good thing he's got the job so early. Its a very complex system he likes to play, it could also be another reason he's going towards the youth movement as they will follow the instructions to the letter (and have the physical and technical capabilities to do so) whereas the older lot not so much.

In layman's terms what we saw against Liverpool in Istanbul and Salzburg in pre season consistently. I thought he was a joy to watch in those games. Problem is it looks like we're only getting that version one game in ten.

I think Greenwood will be an unreal striker and I love the way he can shift from one foot to the other so seemlessy and for Arsenal Willock looks very good but the rest of them at both clubs won't amount to much, Southampton esque level at best.

It his big weakness and the second biggest reason (after his attitude decline) as to why I was happy to see him leave despite the incredible memories of 16/17.