OneMoSalah

I agree 100% People thought Pep was daft trying to play his style of football with Bravo, Otamendi, Zabaleta and Kolorov. A year later they steamrolled the league because they upgraded their weakenesses. I didnt expect an easy ride this year under Sarri because it was so clear that Conte maximized almost everything he could out of what we had when we won the league. It didnt work the following season because we weren't good enough and sold 2 key players in Costa and Matic, both who were very good and have never been replaced properly. We finished 5th last season, weve hardly massively improved any position on the pitch bar the addition of Jorginho but that also comes at the loss of what Cesc could offer. Glaring issues are still there, left back, right wing and upfront. Throw in the lack of movement or productivity from our front 3 and midfield... even more glaring issues. I think if Sarri gets next season it will be a lot better yes, but that also depends on improving the squad and first 11. Which very much lies with the board more than Sarri due to his reluctance to be involved with the market.

Yeah I think hes world class but when he wants to be. Playing out on the left is his best position, fair enough he can do a lot more in that false 9 role at times but its square pegs in round holes. 100% agree the front of the team wont work without a proper focal point in there, seen how much more effectice we are with Hasselbaink, Drogba, Costa etc in the past, players with a good physical presence to go with their ability. I know Giroud isnt amazing but I am shocked Sarri is persisting with the false 9 instead of using Giroud which would give us another option of playing a bit more direct. Regarding behind the scenes, I have concerns regarding that for transfers as Sarri says hed rather focus on what happens on the pitch than the market. Conte was stubborn in that regard and it ultimately led to fractures throughout which probably led to costing him his job along with a few big player fallings out and results. Now I fear Sarri saying yes to every player the club will target as opposed to himself could end up doing something similar, its obvious we need surgery on this team but if the club are going to do what they do usually and sign poorly then yeah big questions will be asked. Sarri should look to rotate more, a lot of guys are out of form and fatigued, this busy period is killing them.

Good player for us. Real snip at 7m. Deserved to captain us as well I think being our longest serving player. Hopefully does well at Fulham to get him a contract there if they stay up, can imagine Ranieri will appreciate someone of his experience.

False 9 has to go. 100% never again. Hazard is a world class player but you can tell he hates playing that position. Again, all this Sarri out bullshit is daft... and anyway we've kinda rolled the dice for managers. Who next then? Eddie Howe? Sean Dyche? David Wagner? 😂 half of yous couldnt wait to see the back of Conte and now it would seem the same with Sarri. Doesn't really matter whos in charge, the team needs work, regardless of the manager. So suck it up and get behind what we have the now.

Restricted football (which I would hardly agree with, Barca are just a lot more solid and perhaps more patient with the ball than they were under Enrique, who liked to have quick transitions at any chance as well as possession but not as obsessive as Pep was about it) or not he has still struggled to assert any sort of authority for Barca or even for Brazil (despite Tite's insistence on using him there) in that CM position. He was only ever really really good at Liverpool playing off the front as a 10 or from the left hand side.

Coutinho has been terrible for Barca in CM. He was bought to play in that more attacking CM role but his best football at Barca has been on the wings....

Great LB but hes looked defensively susprct almost everytime hes been involved here this season? If Alonso played as badly as Emerson did v Derby I would of hated to see the thread on here. Emerson was awful.

Precisely but folk are under the illusion that hes better than Alonso because they dont like Alonso, who as average as he can be is well ahead of Emerson. Same with every RW in history being better than Willian because they dont like Willian.

Better tactically, defensively, technically, aerielly.... Emerson is faster than Alonso and better at taking people on in 1v1s thats about it. Everything else he is inferior. If Alonso wasnt Alonso people would complain about how poor our back up LB is and thats a fact.

Fair to say hes arguably beem one of the top 5 GKs in PL history. Seen people saying De Gea is now a PL great, think they are hugely overstepping the mark a bit because as good as he currently is hes not been as successful, only won 7 trophies where as Cech has won 18. Schmeichel has 15... Surely being successful and a great player has to make the decision regarding these things. Anyway back onto Cech, fantastic career. Absolutely top pro. Hopefully he goes into coaching, a very smart man who has plenty to offer, maybe here in some capacity?

Hiding Nutellas jesus has the sun got nothing more exciting regarding tbe transfer? Glad im not a pro footballer my eating habits would be fairly exposed 😂

Yeah hes still a bit of an enigma for me. Was always going to be difficult for him, he got like 3 goals and 4 assists or something in a full season at Palace as a wide player. Hes improved a bit but hardly overwhelmingly. Hes not a CM for me, maybe a 10 maybe a winger. Conte tried him as a striker.... Mourinho as a DM... Hodgson as a winger... Southgate as a 8.... and his current manager has used him as a 8 and a RW with mixed results so yeah, difficult to see what way his career will pan out in the long run because at 22 or 23 you need a settled position.

Kepa Azpi Rudiger Luiz Alonso Kante Jorginho Barkley Pedro Hazard CHO Something like that. Be a false 9 again. Kova and Willian maybe play instead of Ross and CHO but think Ross' presence and stature could be useful in there.

Think Pedro has to start at RW rest of the season if hes fit. Unless he plays poorly. His off the ball movement would be sorely missed. Also Luiz always seems to find him tucked in running behind teams or holding his position out wide with long passes. Hes the only willing runner in that front 3, even if he doesnt get it hes not scared to make a run in behind. Everyone else comes short more or less every time.

15m? Would be a bargain.

We have Ross and Kova for those more advanced roles. We need a back up to Jorginho and maybe one for Kante (unless Kova is used there but think Sarri sees him more advanced on the left?)

Yeah its something along that lines. I think CHO seen this coming regarding not playing regularly anyway. In 2018, he only signed a 2 year pro deal which is believed to only have been that long due to Chelseas record with bringing players through. Hes obviously a smart kid, who has been well advised (if it was at another club we'd all agree), how often do you see youngsters sign 5 year deals and not play a lot for 2 or 3 years of it before being sold off? If he will actually play regularly at Bayern is another story but https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6584995/Callum-Hudson-Odoi-wants-allowed-join-Bayern-Munich-35m-deal.html

Is it any surprise anyway he's trying to cross to statues like Hazard, Willian.... half the time who arent in the box (particularly Eden when playing as a 9)...comparing crossing rates in a team who constantly try and play through the middle of the pitch is probably pointless anyway. Hence why he has 3 assists this season and Azpi has 2. No target man most weeks. No desire to play through the wings. Everything comes central. Predictable. Easy to defend. No variation. I mean even Morata scored 2 goals when CHO decided to cross the ball in from wide areas....

No option to buy. Great.....

Wont happen. 100%. Would be a dream but doubt we are dropping at least 100m and like 7-10m a year wages for Icardi.

Dont get this hes overweight thing, hes always been stocky when in Italy with Napoli and Juve. Even the last year at Madrid he was more filled out. I think the one year he was too big was when Sarri got him to change his routine and he had the best season in his career. Hes not at that size now. For me Higuain is a win-win for us, good player and shows the clubs willing to back Sarri.

I think theres no doubt Morata could be second choice if there was a good first choice in. Whoscored has him with 9 goals in 28 games in all comps, like youve said, if he was second choice and we had someone upfront with stats like an Aguero or Kane it would be okay. Id be surprised if he reaches 20 if he doesnt go but stranger things have happened. For instance, this season I think Pedro could be on course to get 10+ PL goals, hes on 7 in tne PL and has another one giving him 8 goals in all comps which for somebody whos started only 17 games is not bad. Anotner marmite player here.

Maybe. Or maybe CHOs advisors should tell him he is finally getting regularly involved, maybe hold off to the summer before deciding, maybe not. For me, its 6 and two 3s. He will more than likely leave anyway. Think Bayerns interest may have swayed him as well as Sancho and Nelsons playing regularly over there.

Yeah maybe a bit over excited, apologies. Wasnt a direct dig at yourself but some people for no other reason have written him off because he isnt the new kid on the block or is having one off season in the last 14 year or so etc. Andre Silva (player I think in the long run could be a wise signing), who is 22, had the same issues last season in a very average side with no clear identity in the attacking third. Now hes on double figures for Sevilla.

Suppose at Barca, Messi is always on the right. Malcom at Bordeaux always played on the right.