Pizy

Lavia is fucking brilliant and Caicedo has been great today too.

Look at Enzo playing as the highest player still… 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

I would try Enzo as the deepest midfielder instead of Lavia. Use the super athleticism and energy of Lavia and Caicedo slightly higher up aggressively pressing to protect Enzo a bit. Basically what I’m saying is to treat Enzo EXACTLY like we did Jorginho to great effect. Super deep pinging the ball around and controlling the whole game with two super athletes beside him (Kante & Kova back then).

Disagree completely. When he’s deeper and acting as the fulcrum linking the attack and defense he plays those brilliant passes. That’s his specialty. We need him deeper where he can have time in the ball and have all the play in front of him. This continued experiment where he’s often the highest player in the attack is silly and making people think he’s shit. He’s not. He’s being used terribly. Him playing as the #10 where he’s got two CB right behind him and the midfield right in front of him contesting the space he clearly struggles.

Enzo, as I said before kickoff, is simply NOT an advanced attacking midfielder. He’s a Fabregas like deep sitter. A Busquets. A Xavi. Why we continue to think he’s some sort of #10 when he never looks good there is puzzling.

Nkunku keeps repeatedly getting Rico Lewis isolated in an acre of space and won’t take him on. I wonder if it’s because he knows he can’t cross it with just Nico Jackson in the box? If we had say….Osimhen the crosses would be flying in.

Thought we did well up until the goal. Then City switched their wingers and started getting much more joy. City basically just effortlessly winning the ball back and toying with us in midfield.

As I said, I figured he’d be introduced more slowly over time so he can knock the rust loose.

Also, the thing I’ve always liked best and was most excited about when we signed Enzo was his deep lying playmaking ability and sweeping passes. I really don’t like him playing as a more advanced player. With Lavia in there as a 6 I think we could have Enzo play deeper next to him and not worry as much about his defensive weakness. He seems a bit wasted up higher to me.

Btw, I’m genuinely surprised that Maresca has started Fofana on day 1 and especially against the best side in the league. Thought for sure Tosin would be favored due to his experience. If you had told me a month or two ago that Wes Fofana would even be fit to start the season I wouldn’t have believed you. I thought he’d be eased in over the course of a couple of months playing Conference League or League Cup matches only to build fitness. Throwing him straight into the fire is a massive call.

Of course the English press are going wild about Sterling being dropped. 🙄🙄🙄 And they also seem more offended at Enzo being named captain today than his actual teammates who voted for him to be so.

Unless the Saudi’s come in I can’t see where he can go unless he dramatically cuts his wages. And as I’ve said here before, Sterling doesn’t seem the type to uproot his huge family and move to Saudi. He still harbors England National team ambitions as well.

Yes lol, I meant Caicedo.

Oh yeah, I’m definitely not blaming Maresca at all. He’s perfectly within his right. I’m just saying it’s kind of messed up that Sterling apparently had no idea ahead of time that he wasn’t fancied. Judging by that statement he\is reps just released he was under the impression that he had a decent preseason and was all ready to be a key player this season.

If the midfield is vulnerable defensively with both Enzo and Lavia in there then we’re in trouble all season. Those two were bought specifically to give us defensive solidity, surely?

Sterling situation feels kinda fucked up, tbh. Sounds like we’re doing with him what we did to Trev in that they had no intention to move away and have no destination lined up but are just being frozen out because the manager either doesn’t fancy them or the club need the money.

Guess we have our answer on which one of Sterling or Mudryk we’d be trying to move. As frustrating as Sterling is he at least has had a couple of stretches during the seasons with us where he’s awesome. They’re too few and far between but they happen. Mudryk has been hopeless. I’d have sold him before Sterling but I guess Sterling’s wages mean it had to be him. How we’re going to convince someone to buy him is a different story.

Think our best chance today is to hope for another chaotic, high scoring affair like the 4-4 last season. Gotta hope their defense looks shaky because I can’t see ours conceding fewer than 2 today. Just want to see us play an impressive, solid match where we look at least near their level.

Outstanding business if true.

One of the teams is called CUM….Lmao

It’s looking very likely to me now that no new striker will be bought. Osimhen to PSG, Omorodion is a no-go thankfully, Duran did the “I stay” gesture during his goal celebration today and there’s surely no way they sell him this late in the window. Toney is Brentford’s best player and they wouldn’t sell him this late or they’d be a relegation candidate. I probably wouldn’t have him anyways. Does’t really leave much out there in an already sparse center forward market. I say play the patient game. Trust that Nico will take a step up, that Guiu will develop well, and that the combo of Nkunku, Palmer, Felix, and Neto can contribute plenty of goals. I actually think these are pretty realistic bets. Then have a look in January at how the strike market shales up if we need to. Do NOT panic buy some random dude near the deadline in 2 weeks, please!

Which would be worst case scenario.

WH’s midfield is completely wide open. Zero resistance whatsoever that’s allowing Villa to rush through there like a tidal wave.

Eh. If anything I’d say Napoli are the ones in sort of a desperate situation, not us. They’re the ones who have the striker who has already told them he wants to leave and they’re the ones who desperately want a striker we have. We don’t need Osimhen, whereas if they don’t get Lukaku their fiery manager will explode. Up until PSG lost Ramos we actually had quite a bit of leverage since no other big clubs were apparently in for Osimhen. Now PSG can take Osimhen off their hands and we’re either forced to sell Napoli Lukaku or be forced to keep his ass and his monster wages rotting in the reserves for a year.

That’s game over. Wolves are shockingly poor and could go down this season I feel. As much as it pains me to say, the way Arse press like maniacs as a unit whilst also playing beautiful passing moves is amazing. Like City, their players just seem to have a telepathic sense of EXACTLY where their teammates are at all times. This is the sort of thing that we’ll be hoping for from Maresca who comes from the same coaching tree.