Tomo

If anyone is interested he's currently live on sky sports against Plymouth.

Right before they go and pay the same people they're protesting against for a seat inside the stadium. I hope our fans have more self awareness if we ever get a shit owner.

He was never that good in the first place. Don't let the stat padding fool you.

Have you never wished for players in our squad to fuck off because they're not good enough? We can't have our cake and eat it, loyalty is a two way street.

Lukaku gets bashed not just for the interview for itself but the way he carried himself after. Lack of effort, blaming his teammates for his shortcomings and almost inevitably causing locker room tension. Rudiger has still gave his all despite the uncertainty and unless that changes then he's done nothing to warrant any ill feeling.

I felt unless we were going all in on the title next season a mega contract for a 29 year old who heavily relies on pace would be a hell of a gamble. It's more annoying due to the culmination of CBs leaving in the past year than anything else.

Hopefully a marquee signing (that we must get right) and Colwill's return.

I feel the situation is a bit different now from when he left. Back then we looked at playing a back 4 and James was there aswell as Azpi still playing well, and Lampard never played him even when we went 3atb (nor gave him any more chances to build on that Arsenal cameo). James it appears can't really play in that position week in week out and with the CB's departing he may be needed more at RCB (don't think we will sign two established CB's it will be one plus Colwill I feel) a bit more often which opens up the space at wingback and that's before we mention James' injury record and Azpi probably has one year left here at most. There's an opening for him now.

How realistic is the possibility of getting Lamptey back? I had my heart set on activating Livra's clause but his injury could take a while to recover from even when back. I know Tariq doesn't exactly have the cleanest bill of health but none of his injury's seem to have affected his performance so far.

Today shown he could have actually been an asset if he knew his place and played a Giroud role (alternative tactical option when the match situation suited). Had he stayed with us all along he could have probably had a good trophy laden career as a plan B but his big ego got in the way. I guess he got what he wanted for the most part (unconditional starting spot) but apart from the Belgium League as a teenager and Serie A under a manager who's turned all sorts of average dross into a Champion he's got absolutely nothing to show for it.

Three things to note. In these type of games it feels we have a mental block until we open the scoring, as soon as we've done that the floodgates open and we look very good but we always need an early goal. Although this slightly contradicts point 1 I'm liking the fact we seem to be finally having the mentality to strike at the end of games, that's three late winners in two months. Under Sarri and Lampard I genuinely cannot think of many 85 minute plus winners we got (Cardiff away, anymore?). Lukaku could have had a Ole Gunnar Solskjaer esque career here if he knew his place and accepted he's a number 2/super sub but his ego got in the way.

For me, none of them are ambitious/well run enough to take advantage of it and kick on anyway so meh. If pushed I'll say Arsenal because of how secure it will make Arteta.

I'm semi jesting but it wouldn't actually surprise me. I remember that Manchester Derby in 19/20 with City out of the title race but comfortably in the top four Pep played the most insane highline knowing how much thay suits United yet when they played each other in a semi final a month later City toyed with them.

I'm convinced he threw that to keep Arteta in a job. Pep use to do exactly the same with Ole when he didn't (desperately) need the points.

If there's a genuine upgrade that suits the system then sure, but i don't want us to (like we did last summer) just look at the top line and be like "that's an upgrade" without thinking about how they will fit the set up.

Although I don't think he'd have been this bad with us thankfuck Ragnick rejected us and we got Tuchel.

Just like with Lukaku I will never rate Bruno Fernandes no matter what the stats say.

Ofcourse he's going to snatch at his chances when he doesn't get many due to lack service. Way some of you are banging on you'd think we scored 9 goals in the 2 games he was out.

Werner even when he's poor can offer some use stylistically. His pace and movement alone offers an extra dimension to the attack. Lukaku is offering literally nothing, even in the one aspect even I thought he'd offer (finishing).

Ofcourse I'm not and I said as much in my post. Ofcourse he has to improve/gain more consistency to get a spot in the long run, all I'm saying is he has the attributes to do so. And a lot can change in a year with players his age, for example, imagine talking about long term Kante successors this time last year and Gallaghers name being banded about.

Now we're out i really really hope this is a written in the stars triumph for Villarreal. Stops Liverpool winning another, stops City closing the gap on us and I'll have a field day with the Arsenal fans who insist that Arteta is an upgrade on Emery.

That's the thing, finishing aside he doesn't fail the eye test for me. His dribble and spot for Ziyech against Spurs (Ziyechs got the headline but his quality opened up that situation), his assist in the world cup final, his involvement vs Villa (prime reason I find assist stat needs redefining as on record he had one assist but in reality he had three) and his form in the autumn. He was fantastic vs Burnley, Leicester, Juve and set up the first goal against Newcastle (another assist he should have had but got robbed of it on a technicality because it shaved a defenders head on the way to Reece). If we look back further there's his assist to Azpi vs Burnley last season (moments Willian made a career of messing up), his quality of finding Chilwell in the lead up to Mounts goal at Fulham, becoming the first teenager since Michael Owen to assist in 3 PL games (and I'm not contradicting myself as they were three quality assists not token assists of passing one yard to a player who smashes it in from 25 yards), his assist to Pulisic at Anfield where he somehow managed to control it and then find Puli despite being in full flight, also twice he's come on at 3 down and we've gone to recover a draw (with him playing a crucial role both times), he also played well against that all conquering Bayern side admittedly in a game we were nowhere near, IIRC he was the one who made the through ball for the opener vs Everton last year. Now if you were to say he has so far underwhelmed scaled for the potential we saw from the youth cup sides I'll be inclined to agree, and I'd understand if you say he should have more of those moments and I'll defiently agree his finishing needs serious work, but I can't agree with your view there's not a player in there, there's a reason he skipped the loan process (although maybe in hindsight it would have been better if he didn't).

Rival fans thought Wan Bissaka would block James from having an international career.

It was more a statement of how I really don't rate Pulisic but i do feel Callum has been denied chances to gain some momentum in this team. First under Lampard when him and James were starting to look a serious pairing on the right flank. I went to watch the 3-0 Burnley game that year and the understanding between the pair was telepathic. I don't think we have seen them together on that side much if atall since which frustrates me a bit. Then there's this year. Very good in the autumn only to be dropped after one so so game vs United (days after he destroyed Juve). Then at Christmas he is heavily involved in all three goals vs Villa and shortly after that his quality opened up the game for Ziyech to score that goal vs Spurs. If/when he has another run like those examples above I hope this time we stick with him in the side a little bit longer (preferably on the right with Reece) and if he can't keep it up then fair enough but I feel he gets judged by a higher bar than any of our other attackers, Pulisic having a run of form like he did in the Autumn would win him an untouchable spot for months.

Said it before and will say it again. Finishing aside Hudson Odoi is clear of him.