Tomo

I usually prefer us looking at the XA and chances created metrics anyway but even more so in this case. Brighton make us look ice cold in the final 3rd. Anyone got Cucurella's stats on that regard?

Actually I feel a fullback in the CB positions in a back three offers a good balance, especially vs sides that sit deep, at times you're almost playing with 2 fullbacks on the overlap. Look at how effective Azpi was going forward in that role under Conte.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I just can't.....

It's a shame we've had such upheaval this summer. With a bit more of a stable situation we could have potentially taken advantage of the teething problems City will have adapting to Haaland.

As much as I have a higher opinion of Callum than most I could maybe begruingly accept him leaving if a) he was given a run on the right with Reece and still not hitting the next level, b) Pulisic wasn't outlasting him and c) we had two wingers doing it week in week out. 3rd highest key pass per 90 and big chance created per 90 in the league last season despite everything and was our best attacker during the best spell of the season. I usually try and see the positive side of things but if he's keeping up those type of metrics at Newcastle while the American Iwobi is getting significant minutes here.....

The awkward realisation when people realise Alvarez is more suited to this City setup than Haaland will be funny. Sadly I can see Liverpool winning the league this season and Klopp regardless of the price won't play Nunez until if/when he's ready whereas Haaland will play unconditionally.

Let's see what happens when it really matters. For years now we've been getting told Arsenal have sorted themselves out and will gazump us and it never happens, even with us starting to offer some helping hands in the head to heads.

Spurs have had Kane and Son for years while we haven't had a reliable 20 plus scorer yet they haven't gazumped us. How is Jesus a safer bet for goals than Sterling? Especially with Arteta tax. Also they finished right on our coattails because we had 5 tournaments to juggle alongside a massive injury crisis and unprecedented ownership crisis while they both only had the league to focus on.

Let's see how he does when it actually matters. Arteta's system turned Aubameyang and Lacazette from the most feared partnership in this league to memes.

Yep. I get there's some frustrations about this summer and last season but honestly some of the sweeping statements about the team quality is getting ridiculous.

Lampard's peak here performance wise was with a midfield of Gilmour-Mount-Barkley. He may feel reuniting two of them will give him enough results to keep Everton reasonably competitive.

I have, wasn't a big fan of the recent episode though.

We haven't had an "big" scorer while Spurs have had Kane and Son for years and we stayed above them. You may say they didn't have Conte then but that's offset with the fact we had Sarri or Lampard instead of Tuchel. As for Arsenal, they have consistently been low down in the table when it comes to chance creation under Arteta. With that in mind how does that make Jesus a safer bet than Sterling to score goals? Arteta's system has made even Aubameyang struggle to score.

He's got given one of the world's best CBs, one of the world's best inside forwards tailor made for his system and also has the return of one of the leagues best young midfielders who would have cost upwards of £60m had Palace owned him. We were a lot better than Arsenal and Spurs last season (the points tally was close because we had 5 tournaments to juggle, a major injury crisis aswell as unprecedented ownership issues while they both had only the league to focus on by the time we got into spring), and our signings are better than their's. Given the situation of the ownership change I'll give him a pass if we're (as is likely) a way from the title again, but zero excuse if he lets United or Arsenal creep above us (Spurs could maybe be somewhat justified with the Conte factor).

If he fails to get top four he will be sacked and rightly so.

In that case I may feel inclined to take the gamble.

How was he in the games post his return last season do you (or anyone) know?

Have we done great in terms of getting close to the big two? Probably not. But I'm really not getting the hype over the North London duo (Spurs i sort of get because of Conte but that's about it). Most of the signings they've made would have caused a meltdown here, especially if K2 ended up in one of those places.

Most of those profile of defenders play for the West Brom's and Stoke's of this world. Look at City for example, apart from maybe Dias those defenders and keepers are relatively vulnerable 1 vs 1 but barely ever get exploited because they prevent well getting into those situations in the first place.

There's more than one way to skin a cat. Breaking a high press is a big form of defending in this modern game.

I misread it as a swap deal for a split second.

Yep, as frustrating as missing out on the players are surely it's a encouraging thing we're shopping at that level as opposed to settling for the type of players the North London duo are? Could you imagine the outrage if we sold Broja, Gallagher and Colwill to fund Richarlison, Vieira and Lenglet?

One started every game bar three in the same position while the other was thrown around positions and in and out of the team to accommodate Lukaku.

Call me old fashioned but if he is facilitating the team doing well which he has largely done when played as F9 then absolutely, infact I wouldn't even class it as excuses. We've already seen ourselves the disastrous consequences of just looking at the goal figures of a striker and assuming it falls into place. Funny you specifically numbered 8 goals though, because that's one less than Liverpool's main CF got when they won the league in record time, and i bet they will never hit close to those heights with Nunez even though he's a much more reliable scorer.

If you want to shop in the big boy market instead of for the Lenglets, Richarlisons and Vieiras of this world then get use to it happening a bit.