Tomo

He learned his lesson from Wilder outcoaching him twice last season. Had us penetrating the wings (especially on the right) to stretch SHU's back 5 and they simply had no answer.

So this is how it feels to play against Kepa!

Delighted with the response to going behind but silly mistakes were starting to creep in those last few minutes of the half, hopefully that's rectified at half time.

I'm hoping we go for the Jorgi-Kova-Mount trio for this. It's proven to work in these type of games and Kante needs to be managed more carefully.

LB will hopefully get sorted from within (Maatsen). As for backup GK, i imagine Cech and Christophe will be able to identify an appropriate one pretty easily.

If we start playing what if's we may aswell just shut football down again just to be on the "safe" side. Safe as in terms of the measures being taken mean that they're almost certainly clear of Covid when they're on the pitch and they're also a lot less likely to pick up the standard illnesses aswell as pre Covid most players would have soldiered on if they feel like shit whereas now they won't be allowed to chance it. Yes players have caught it but if anything that strengthens my point about how strong the safety measures are and that it can be caught at club level just as much as International.

Football has adapted, they're playing without a crowd (or in some country's reduced numbers), putting tight safety measures in to protect players which has worked excellently (football wouldn't have got the green light to resume let alone carry on during lockdown 2.0 had they not) and players have to follow strict rules when away for a match (for example no one would have raised an eyebrow at Greenwood and Foden getting a bit horny in normal times). Also every player will be tested before they switch from club to International bubbles. Furthermore is players playing for international's (most of whom in country's significantly better off than England right now) any more "outrageous" than letting Everton or Liverpool (in the country's hot spot) host for example Southampton (where there's no real problems with the virus at this point). Footballers are safer than they've ever been right now.

And what If this pandemic goes on for years? Do we keep international football off the menu until then? A move that would rob players of a huge number of caps, some of which will end up getting denied the chance to play for their country during the entirety of their peak years. International football may be boring to most of us fans but to players it's the total opposite, take that away from them and you will suddenly find a high number of demotivated footballers (for example, Thiago S had practically admitted playing in the next world cup is the main thing keeping him motivated and fit in what should be his twilight years).

Not really sure why OGS's recruitment gets raved about so highly. They're all decent players (Dan James aside) but apart from VDB and possibly Telles (huge doubts defensively but his stats going forward are mental) all have high flaws that will prevent them ever being in future title winning sides. AWB can't attack, Maguire's can't play up high, Bruno can't retain possession very well and Cavani is long done.

One thing that cannot be taken away from Lampard is he has sorted our squad right out. Remember our feelings in 18/19? We longed for one reliable forward who can consistently put good numbers (15-20 plus) in and now we have 2. We longed to have multiple matchwinners instead of just the one and we've now got that. We looked green with envy at the productivity from Liverpool's fullbacks now we have a pair who can compete with them going forward. We wanted the academy boys in and mixed with top signings and that's exactly what we've got. The recruitment has been sorted right out. Nearly all the deadwood complained about under Conte, Sarri and last season are either gone or have been given severely reduced roles. The jury is still out on whether Lampard can tactically mastermind our route back to the top himself but even if he can't and we need to get someone else for that bit, he will still have played a huge role in the next era of success.

Maybe pictures from the previous time we played the fixture in question? So for example for this coming one, a picture of Tammy (who scored two at home to SHU last season) celebrating.

Unacceptable to concede two shots on target tonight, Lampard really cannot coach a defense can he?

Reece gets robbed of so many assists!

Yeah they wouldn't say he had Covid as get out technique, above all else imagine the consequences if he then gets it for real? It would be used as 'evidence' that immunity isn't long lasting.

I'd play James (he was rested in Russia) with Azpi LB, maybe give Silva a rest (his game time needs to be more managed as we'll need him weekend then he's off to Brazil) and possibly Tammy over Oli but other than that agree.

Ancelotti summed up in a nutshell this season so far. When it's good it's incredible but when it's bad it's bad. It's why he has a bad league record (relative to the teams he's managed), he just can't seem to find the consistentcy a Fergie, Pep, Klopp, prime Mou, Conte etc al can.

I've said it a few times now but he will perfectly compliment the new attacking signings (and Pulisic) the same way Pedro did all the superstars at Barcelona and to an extent Hazard and Costa here.

The protocols to protect players and staff have been pretty sound, football has returned and got back in track without a hitch really.

I've took a break from all that.

Footballs fine don't worry.

I know he had no interest in the PL back then but imagine if we got him in 2012 instead of PSG

Only criticism of that is we haven't scored more than one. I'm a little less nervous with Mendy and Silva in but we really need to get a second to stop this going from a stroll to a tense second half.

That's an excellent lineup all things considered.

Maybe but we always had to work for wins vs them, apart from the 7-0 playing his Stoke were painful grinds and that was with our old guard, imagine if last seasons lot faced them? Kepa and AC vs Delap throw ins Burnley we tend to outplay whether we get the result or not (cue an outlier tomorrow) and three of our easiest wins of the last two and a half years came vs them.