Jase

The crosses are one thing but I don't even know why we're putting high crosses in for the likes of Pulisic and Werner to win in the air!

Doesn't change the fact that he has been bad again. At times, it feels like we're operating with 10 men. In fact, it's hard to think of a game or even a period during a game where Havertz has excelled (and no, that League Cup game against Barnsley doesn't count).

Another game. Another wasted 45 minutes. Another half of doing absolutely nothing.

Almost as if he's trying to persuade someone to stay in January...

A slow and uninspiring start again...

January is coming...that's why. Lampard has gone from barely using Giroud at all to suddenly using him frequently now...

Pulisic starts apparently.

Especially after not playing for 18 months. Also, people seem to have forgotten Cech was already way past his best in his years at Arsenal.

A midweek fixture at Wolves is not good if recent history is anything to go by. We have lost our last 2 league visits to Molineux when played in midweek.

Got sent off for the U23s...

West Brom and Southampton were before we switched to 4-3-3. Same goes with the Liverpool game and that came in the 2nd game and we went down to 10 men. Sevilla and Man United came immediately after Lampard started to switch things for the better; we were found wanting offensively but we were defensively sound. And which Krasnodar game? If you are gonna point out the games where we had imperfections, then you should probably point the games where we did well as well. Only fair, no? Inconsistency is still to be expected from us when we are still a work in progress but compared to last season, our consistency is less bad this time around, if that makes sense. Had we faced Atletico last season, I wouldn't have fancied our chances at all. But this time? I do. We aren't perfect yet but we are also in a better place right now (maybe things will change come February but that is another debate). Sure, we haven't won any of the big domestic games yet this season but at the same time, we have also lost only once and that was after we went down to 10 men. Similarly, Atletico have failed to beat Villarreal (4th), Real Madrid (3rd) in La Liga this season. They also got smashed 4-0 by Bayern and then failed to beat a Bayern B side. The only big side they have beaten this season is Barcelona but that is a hopeless Barcelona side that have lost to the likes of Getafe and Cadiz. And who is writing Atletico off already? If anything, people already wrote us off immediately after the draw was made if you have seen the posts. If anything, there are people who are just feeling bullish about our chances. Atletico won't be easy to get past, that is true but the way people have been talking about them, you would think they are the European champions and/or have been dominating Europe for years. If you go look at their results and performances in recent seasons in Europe, they aren't actually all that impressive. There have been some good ones but there have also been bad ones. Again, they won't be easy to beat but they aren't unbeatable either. If we are in good form and have no major injury issues especially come then, we have a good chance of beating them over two legs. (On a side note, can't believe I'm the one who is trying or the one who is being optimistic on here!)

Just noticed that the FA Cup quarter finals are scheduled on that March 20 weekend. So, that game at Liverpool will be postponed if one or both of us reach the last 8. Also if United reach the League Cup final, then that game on Feb 28 will be postponed.

Cool...his injury record wasn't great with that heavy beard...

Nope. Liverpool play on Feb 16 and Mar 10.

Bayern may give opposing teams more chances than Atletico - don't know what the exact stats are - but at the same time, Bayern also have more attacking firepower than Atletico. They have goals from their attacking players and midfielders. Different case with Atletico. Not sure how will Atletico approach the two legs because Simeone has been trying to make them more of a possession based side, an attacking side since last season but like facing Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce's teams or Burnley etc, we at least absolutely know what to expect from Atletico. Moreover, if you look at Atletico results and performances in Europe in recent seasons, they have not been all that impressive. Not saying they will be easy but you would think they are some sort of dominant European champions with the way some people are talking about them. Compared to last season, this hasn't really been an issue for us. We have been involved in next to zero basketball games this season and if the games against Sevilla, United, Spurs etc are anything to go by, they showed we can be defensively solid in these big games and try to eek out the wins. And you talked about Atletico and their counter attacks, ironically, they haven't scored a single goal from counter attacks in La Liga since the start of last season. Think they have scored 2-3 in Europe during that time but nothing too wow to suggest they are super dangerous on counters. They aren't exactly a team blessed with pacey players.

The dates for the tie has been confirmed: Feb 23 - Atletico (a) Mar 17 - Atletico (h) When seen with our league schedule, it looks like this... Feb 20 - Southampton (a) Feb 23 - Atletico (a) Feb 28 - Man United (h) Mar 6 - Everton (h) Mar 13 - Leeds (a) Mar 17 - Atletico (h) Mar 20 - Liverpool (a)

No guarantee we would have gotten Dortmund anyway because say Sevilla had finished 1st and they were drawn in our place, they couldn't have gotten Atletico due to the draw rules and subsequent draws would have turned out differently. And besides, Dortmund are also tough opponents in their way - e.g. way more firepower than Atletico - and god knows how will they fare under their interim manager. Could be even better than they were under Favre.

London has officially been put into Tier 3. So, no fans against West Ham etc...