Tomo

I am actually glad Juve won. Lets get through first then worry about toppling the old lady.

I was worried when we signed him, Simeone letting one of his warriors joining us on loan was a red flag in itself (compare that to how stubborn they were in negotiations with Arsenal for Partey).

This is what I find quite worrying, no manager seems to know what his best position really is and seem to improvise off the cuff.

Missing loads of chances is always a lesser evil compared to barely getting any, atleast with the former there's a hope they will revert to the mean (which Werner has been doing of late all be it more for the national team than us but it's a start), if you barely get any where's the hope? The players behind him were creating chances at will last season, for that reason alone the service excuse doesn't wash. Their finishing can be critisised but creating? Not a chance. You mention pressing but Rom is the big reason we've gone to shit in that regard, only Saint Maximan and Ronaldo rank lower out of PL attackers. He's not a stylistic fit atall for what Tuchel is/was trying to build and it is frustrating the hell out of me that we've ripped apart a promising system to accommodate him. The get a poacher to finish what we create narrative was far too flawed, in reality you take a man out of the build up and it's showing, big time. He has to start pushing a goal a game (especially vs the flat track teams) and his goals pushing us into a title race for what we've sacrificed to accommodate him to become even remotely justified.

Atleast yesterday gives hope that Tuchel will hold him to account if this carries on, up until yesterday I was starting to seriously worry he was going to be playing all game every game unconditionally. On a semi related note my one worry about Tuchel was the transfer market and early signs seem to be confirming my fears, Rom has totally disrupted our rythm (in general play) and Saul looks totally out of his depth. It's why I never got this linear thinking of "this guy has won us X trophy so we must back him with whatever he wants".

It's even more silly when the players behind him were part of a team that created chances at will.

That I don't agree with. If there's one thing that Rom can be firmly relied on with is he will force his way out if/when the time comes he has to fight for his place.

When people start banging on about service the writing is on the wall. I'm already longing for the days I can get pissed at us squandering loads of chances again.

Atleast we can now know he will be held to account. Was worried he'd get unconditional 90 minutes like he did under Mou at United.

That's the MO with us tbf, the more expensive they are, the more excuses they get!

I've been arguing with people who genuinely think Kepa will be winning his place back.

Best keeper in the world.

It's actually more Pulisic's performances that grate me more than his injury's. If he (most of the time) gave us top form when he does play (ala what Ledley King did for Spurs) It would somewhat soften the blow but he was an American Iwobi for the entirety of last season bar two games. Werner for all his finishing frustrations is a much more productive member of the squad. And unless Tuchel sees him as an option for the wingback role I simply can't see how he gets back in the side, even as an impact sub.

Would be sods law if he misses a chunk of his bread and butter fixtures and returns for the United game.

Wasn't Mahrez their only signing in 2018? Members here were kicking off merry hell when it looked like we were only going to be signing Lukaku. His main argument is they've also got caught with their pants down more times than an elite club/team should. Jorginho, Ronaldo, Alexis and Fred the main examples, the latter two may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise but still.

That's shit then, I thought the rules would be changing to they have to quarantine but can leave to train and play (similar to what Tuchel himself had to do when he came here).

Selfishly speaking I'm quite glad as this gives a higher chance of him being picked for Malmo which I'm going too. He stated from day one that his big motivation to keep going was playing in the next World Cup so this is just a trade off we are going to have to suck up.

I always worry when the service excuse starts to be made.

That's strange because I'm close friends with a City fan and he thinks bar 2017 their transfer recruitment team have been an absolute embarrassment.

Is this the first time we've ended a weekend top since the title?

Pep having the balls to haul off the record signing has changed the game back in their favour. I wish TT would do that with Lukaku occasionally.

But on the flip side they could be this good because they have so many players deeply involved in the build-up. Putting a striker into that sort of system doesn't usually work as well as it does on paper, even one's on Haaland's level.

Always made sense to give him a number when we couldn't find him a loan. As infuriating as he can be he does have a purple patch or two a season, if a said patch can come now with Havertz and Mount out of sorts that will be extremely handy.

If we revert to a back 4 my preference would be to try and get the chemistry with him and Reece going again on the right.