OneMoSalah

Yeah I agree. I think with Hojbjerg (no idea on the spelling) who is a very decent player in midfield and Ndombele seeming to have a renaissance compared to last season, their midfield have stepped up a notch. But its closer to Liverpools than City’s for instance, they are dogged in there. Also the likes of Regulion at LB was a good move and then Bale uptop with Kane and Son means they potentially have 3 players who could get 15 league goals each as a minimum if all goes well. Mourinho looks like he has gone back to being more flexible as a coach as well, playing with a back 3 in bigger games and then a back 4 today. Plus Spurs have more intensity and play with a higher tempo than they did last season. They still have variations in their play and can go longer as they have guys willing to run in behind and stretch teams but I do think they are gonna be right up there for top 4 minimum and if Bale integrates well and contributes, dark horses, even if Kane gets injured, having Bale and Son, plus Bergjwin and Lucas Moura is pretty strong.

Fucking hell. Kane. What a goal. Said before last season finished Spurs would be a big big threat for top 4 and once Bale gets in that team too, if City and Liverpool continue to have these games where they arent winning, Spurs could be dark horses.

Spurs not fucking about. What a pass from Kane and Son does the rest. Interested to see how Bale interacts with them in that team, Kane dropping deeper and finding Son running in behind teams is already a common thing you see most games so Bale in there as well will be the same. Could be very dangerous.

I'd have to agree to a point. I think that's all well and good but developing players on an individual basis has to show results in improving the team as a whole through a good structure or tactical set up, so these players can maximise their ability and affect matches. There is clear signs we are very much a just give the ball to someone who is playing well (Pulisic last season) and let them do the rest still or give it to a fullback and let them pump it into the box. There isn't any coordination or patterns that are worked on like we would see with Conte or Sarri. Under Conte the season we won the league, overall as a team, we did have individuals improve (Moses, Luiz, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Matic, Hazard, Pedro, Cesc, Kante over the course of that season probably played some of the finest football of their careers) but not only that, as a collective we improved tenfold because we managed to find a way to utilize all these players strengths together within a set way of playing. For instance, individuals like Alonso, like Moses who weren't particularly great players but what they brought to the team in that formation helped and it dovetailed with the likes of Eden and Pedro being able to play much more narrower and getting closer to Diego Costa/the box. As well as Luiz being in a more central birth in a back 3 where he probably engages players less as he would do playing on the left or right sided centre back position in a back 4, has a bit more protection to the sides and in front of him with Kante and Matic but also, at the same time allowing him to come out and be proactive, intercepting balls into strikers feet or stepping into MF with the ball, which are strengths of his. The tactical side has got to come good somehow. I mean you can be as good as you want at improving players on an individual basis but if you cant find a way to maximise the actual teams performance you wont last long/wont be as successful.

Gomez is much better dealing against players in 1 on 1 situations in my eyes. Particularly when it comes to being dragged out wide. This sort of strength is essential now a days in teams like ours because we aren't going to concede low amount of chances a game. He isnt as strong in the air as Zouma but not many are. Positionally there is probably not much better them that's one thing that Zouma has improved upon and his use of the ball although Gomez is much more comfortable on it still. Obviously yes Van Dijk is there and he makes a difference but I think Gomez is more than good enough and a better player than Zouma. Ruben Dias will be very very good for City. I know the Portuguese league isn't particularly an amazing standard by all accounts but he was very very assured for Benfica since getting into the first team at a young age and in the European matches he participated in for them over the years that I had seen, he was pretty good. Typical modern CB, strong, not a slouch, reads the game well, can play with the ball. I would of liked to have seen us be interested in him, as City were, similarly with Aymeric Laporte, who is one of the best CBs in Europe without a shadow of a doubt and in the top bracket in the PL alongside VVD, who would of slotted in perfectly here on the lefthand side of our defence. Gabriel as well was a huge stand out for Lille and has made a seamless start to his Arsenal career. I have no doubts if he isn't better than Zouma now by the start of the next season he will be comfortably better. His make up is impressive, he has the height, pace, strength and is rarely caught out of position. Okay I don't know what happened for Man City's goal tonight as I haven't seen it so if he made a mistake, then he made a mistake but I need to watch it. Another one we were linked with alongside Everton as well as Arsenal and Napoli but nothing came off it which I am slightly surprised about. Good left footed CBs are a rarity these days, never mind young ones who are already at a very very decent standard and available for 27 million pounds. Kurt is maybe the most reliable one we have (wouldn't be hard even David Luiz would probably still manage to get a game here if Lampard didn't move him on) but that doesn't necessarily mean he is that reliable when you look at other teams and their CBs and the choice we have. I think because we are weak at defending crosses, it is essential that he plays just now because of his strength in the air and I do hope that he can progress more but he has a ceiling which he has pretty much probably closel to hitting already, although he is better than most of the other guys yes. The mistake was on him, he puts everyone in that situation. Kepa comes out and doesn't get the ball yes but again if he doesn't get the ball and takes the man out we probably go down to ten men and concede a penalty - which would then make people go off even worse than they probably did - which would probably be worse than what actually happened as we had players who got back in and well whatever the attempt was to prevent it, it was embarrassing. It won't be the last comical goal we concede either all season, without a shadow of a doubt. Not purely down to Zouma or Kepa but general organisation and structure and game management is going to affect us severely again which is depressing to think about. Saying that I would like to see Thiago Silva and Tomori tried together, think if one player is likely to learn more from Thiago Silva out of our current CBs it will be him. Christensen being this passing CB is 100% based on youth football, originating from the fact he was extremely comfortable on the ball but when has anyone ever seen him playing these sort of passes that everyone bangs on about for CBs? Here or for Mochengladbach? Most of his distribution is 10m passes sideways or forward to Jorginho/Kante. Thats not a dig either and he is clearly comfortable on the ball but I think people have this expectation that he has been playing these long 30-40m passes every match for his whole career. Even when he played under Conte when he stepped out he wasn't overly progressive with the ball as David Luiz or as some of these other CBs around Europe are.

No way he gets a game at Liverpool. Joe Gomez much better. Okay he starts at Arsenal (actually questionable because the way they play I don’t think he would suit it like Luiz, Holding, Gabriel and Tierney do but in terms of defending he is better than Luiz and Holding out of their natural CBs) but is he better than Gabriel at Arsenal who looks their best natural CB? Would he start at Spurs ahead of Alderweireld or Davinson Sanchez? Questionable again, ok less so with Sanchez as he’s regressed a bit but Mourinho is the man to then around his fortunes as we've seen with Eric Dier somehow ending up a half decent CB for Tottenham after many probably thinking he would the first to get sold/left out. And as you said Zouma is competent, which is right but I would prefer if he was reliable. Which he isn’t necessarily. None of our CBs from last season are. No point in being competent if you cant be reliable most weeks. There were plenty of better options on the market. 2 of them went to clubs who will be competing for the top 4. Gabriel went to Arsenal. Ruben Dias went to City. One left Spurs to go to Benfica (would have taken Vertonghen for 1 year or 2 also). We signed Thiago Silva on a free.

Chilwell for me today looked just as suspect defending as any of the other LBs we have do. He has got quality in the final third and athleticism but yet to be impressed by him going back the other way in the games hes played so far and today was no different. Also think this indicate a bigger problem with the teams shape and organisation which I think we have all been discussing for months and months and months.

But it was... What is Frank supposed to do. Or you proposing us benching havertz? Okay its maybe harsh to blame it all on Lampard but if he watched the same game we did, he would of seen Southampton dominate it for 60 minutes essentially and he did nothing to change it. We had warnings before half time. He didn’t change his formation or make any adjustments to counteract Southamptons grip on the game. He is the manager so he has to he given some of the flack. Okay he made some subs, I, like everyone else, wanted to see Ziyech play but also removing Werner against a team who play such a high line was a huge error. Even more so when you look at how Pulisic looked shattered. Also as you put it in your words it was a ‘fantastic performance’ which if you think so yes he deserves some flack because if being a team that is not controlling the game against Southampton at home for an hour and ending up drawing 3-3, playing like this defensively is a fantastic performance after being 2-0 up and 3-2 up... then I don’t know. Individual errors or not, theres got to be a root cause we have made far too many individual errors since he came in. Indicating something else has to be contributing also.

Good job Walcott never scored that chance at the end after coming inside and shrugging off Chilwell as if he wasnt there. Again, defensively Chilwell needs to do better at times. Good going forward as mentioned before but needs to really wisen up his side was a weak point they seemed to get a lot or joy down, not all down to him but he contributed a fair bit. We’ve just shot ourselves in the foot. Again. Second ball from from a set play and then horrendous mistakes. What was so fantastic about that? Or the complete fade from how we played first 30 mins to the rest of the game? An hour of that game we were never in control.

Shite. If there results and whole tailing off in games keep happening, Lampards out of the job by Christmas. 100%.

Chilwell man wake up. Not even looking whos around him.

Really? What does Ruben bring to this side? I dont think loaning him out was a mistake he is very much a luxury player.

Yeah despite the horrendous part in the goal at least he didn't bring him down I suppose haha. Last we need is to go to 10 men.

Kepa and Zouma. Yikes. Embarrassing. Great goal Havertz.

Concede and Kepa is blamed when theres literally nothing he could of done 🤣 some of you are blind. Havertz holding onto it for too long. Game on for them now after HT. Chilwell is good going forward but defensively needs to be worked on still.

“Only passes sideway” what an assist, shows what actual movement in front of you can allow you to do.

Totally agree regarding Silva. Even Terry at 34 (think he was 34 the season he won the league with Jose in his second spell?) under Mourinho needed to be rotated every now and then and while we played a low block you seen the effects that playing too much had on JT the next season when we were horrendous (although we did play a higher line and the less said about that season the better). He had been overplayed IMO the previous season and while he had a summer break you need to rotate and watch players at this sort of age as injuries, injury recovery and match fitness is harder to maintain over time. Even more difficult when he plays international games every break as well. At 36, realistically Silva only has a specific amount of games at such a high intensity and high level left in him. Maybe another season on top of this one IMO. Even Jose with Maka here in the first spell, his last season here before he left/sacked/whatever he started phasing him out and using him in bigger games due to his age and needing to play less minutes to maintain his fitness. We have to try incorporate that approach with Silva at times, we cant play him 90 minutes in 3 games in the space of 7,8 or 9 days. No matter how fit he claims to be. Or people think he should be. At 36 most top level CBs are usually finished anyway. Also regarding your second point, yes and no, its hard to tell your top players who are say 65-70% fit not to play and recuperate. I mean Diego Costa played through minor injuries with Jose, Hiddink and Conte here also and while he wasn’t brilliant, I think it depends on one if the medical staff think hes able to play through it without seriously aggravating the injury (as well as the usual painkillers/injections prior to a game etc. you always hear about) and two if the player has the desire to make themselves available for selection. Manager obviously has a say also but I mean your not going to say to a player of that quality who’s maybe at 70% no. Its a weird one because you can see these things having longer consequences but players like Hazard and Costa are guys who I think don't work as hard to maintain their fitness/find it as easy to maintain their fitness, probably don’t help either. Doesnt mean their bad trainers but we seen with Hazard at Real last season he was overweight when he arrived and that season we were horrible he wasnt in great shape either (not solely his fault probably playing at 70% didnt help him) but it does have an effect.

Just down to lack of experience and letting his emotions get the better of him. No idea what was said but at the 94th minute why get involved with that? If it had happened at club level though it would be more frustrating.

He has played on the wing most of the games for us hasn't he though? With little space to run in behind to. Position doesnt suit him as much as it did for Leipzig as they played with much more directness and unpredictability in the final third IMO. Their style of play was much more clear. He basically would come in off the side and almost play as a second striker. Same for Germany in previous times he has played on the left but seems to play centrally more often than not now. Don't think Leipzig play against as many packed defences as we do but when Ziyech comes back and Pulisic we will be able to use him centrally and should have more directness and creativity in our attack. Creating space for him in behind teams is going to be key to maximising his goal scoring ability.

What was it about Gotze that made you never rate him out of curiosity? Still think those 2 seasons at Dortmund where they won the Bundesliga he looked like one of the best youngsters to emerge in a long time. Just looked like he oozed quality in everything he did. Wilshere also, was clear to see at Bolton and that game v Barca he was outstanding for Arsenal. But injuries and continuously not having a designated position ruined him - was he going to ever settle and be either a 6, a 8 or a 10? played in all those roles over a period and never settled in one.

All well and good saying he has size and athleticism but he has clearly regressed since his injury. Mount wont be going anywhere and Havertz is going to be number 1 option in that more advanced midfield role. Look at Ross, has all that things too, size, athleticism but is too inconsistent and lacks the spark he had before his injury trouble. Ruben looks the same. More to football than size and athleticism. He has to do something truly amazing to have a chance of coning back next year. Hes 24 now not a kid. 25 in January. Times running out so he doesnt have the luxury of having a mediocre season and coming back to fight for his place in my eyes.

Real interest to see how he deals with these players that wont feature as often as we failed to offload them. Likes of Rudiger, Emerson, Giroud (didnt try offload him) and Alonso for instance. All these guys are established guys who are international players who will want to be playing, regardless of their relationship with Frank, nobody likes sitting on the bench. Even more so this season where there will be a international tournament at the end of it. The whole situation with Alonso after WBA too might have put extra strain on his relationship with him perhaps. Even more so now as well as Callum seems to pipe up every 5 games if he doesn’t play every week wanting to discuss his future.... keeping squad players happy is always difficult but if he manages it, it is a good sign of his capabilities as a man manager. If they dont exactly play and get frustrated, it isnt good for the group.

Will see plenty minutes in a team that may go down yes but the fact that they try to play good stuff will be beneficial. Not as if hes going to a Burnley or a Southampton of a Palace where they play more directly with less of the ball in counter attacking teams although Southampton do play a high press and think he could do with buying into that to improve his off the ball work.

Fair. I think Rodri is a decent player anyway but the comparisons to Busquets when he played in Spain were a bit far fetched for me. Busquet’s positioning and quality on the ball is much better and was much more key to that system Pep used at Barca than what Rodri is to City now. Rodri maybe a bit more of a physical player who will win more duels compared to Busquets and as you’ve said going from Atletico to City was always going to be a change for him. If Fernandinho was younger there wouldn’t be a starting place for him in Pep’s team in my opinion. Plus he played in 442 teams predominantly with Villarreal and Atletico than 433. For 45m I dont think theres many players as good as Thomas that were available in that sort of position though and felt we maybe missed a trick not considering him as opposed to Declan Rice. I suppose come January or next summer we will be back for him again as it seems to be Frank really wants him and nobody else.

I know its a YouTube video of highlights but I do remember watching the game and thought he was very good.