Sideshow Luiz

Are we sure? Piazon's been here for a while now. Kante and Hazard have a ways to go before reaching Next Kaka - Piazon status. jokes.

I suspect that the starting line-up will be as it was against City. Those players have had the most time in the system. ? Possibly Kepa Azpi - Luiz - Rudiger - Alonso Fabs - Jorginho - Barkley Pedro - Morata - CHO Possibly see Kante or Hazard for Fabs or CHO in the starting XI Willian, Kante, Hazard on the bench to change the game or lock it down.

i think he's excellent. But, he was never coming. Might as well make De Gea, Ederson, and Ter Stegen your top targets.

First real test.

That's too nice. String them along, keep upping the price, then "no deal" on deadline day.

This match is showing us how important it is to have a keeper who can pass the ball. We got in to trouble trying to build up from the back because of a couple of poor decisions.

Pretty sure he was kidding.

Edit: wrong thread:. Different post: Reina with the assist, it seems: Pepe Reina > Scott McLachlan

Get your look at Rob Green everyone. Last sighting. Can he throw the ball in to the net for old times sake?

Areola is also a Raiola client, so there's that. Might have ended up paying another 10M in "agent fees". Oblak was going to be 100M. Sure, he definitely 20M better. But he doesn't want to come. He's not even in the discussion.

That was quite some applause for Piazon.

So....Barkley, Kante, and Jorginho are better than RLC, Drinkwater, and Bakayoko?

I think so too. TBo is counting on it. Kepa, TBo, Kovacic. All part of the same merry-go round.

Sucks. Get rid.

Morata is going to play. He will play until he is dislodged. If he's terrible we may get a stop gap in January and be in for a striker next summer. Keeper situation is sorted and we got someone the manager actually wanted (who wasn't over the hill). Yes, we overpaid. I wish we got Courtois level keeping with Ederson distribution for 20M. But, we didn't. And if that's the only thing that would make me happy, then I wouldn't bother anymore. We got the player we wanted, end of.

He loves Tibo. He did this shit at Genk when he came to us as well, so to be expected, in hindsight. He'll say the right things at first at Madrid, but you can't stop being who you are and he'll eventually piss of the Madrid fans (who have 0 patience). He'll say something along the lines of the club being lucky to have him or some crap.

It's double deuce out there. Moses is also back to being a shit winger. At least he's homegrown and 5th choice. I guess from that perspective, Drinkwater can stay this season (assuming Kovacic is done).

I don't think that was an option. Once Morata decided to stay, he was ours.

Yeah, it's almost worth the extra 30M just to not deal with that.

I don't get it either. Board pinches pennies, slagged, not happy. Board overpays, slagged, not happy. It was our number one priority. Okay, it could have been handled in a more timely manner, and targets should have been lined up. Not getting Alisson was a blow. TBo deciding that he didn't want to say what he had to say to Sarri's face made this happen now. Anyone deemed to be good enough, either this summer or next, was going to cost us at least 50M anyway. And that's for 3rd, 4th, 5th.... choice.

Work horses in midfield. That's what Conte wanted. He wanted better quality, but you can see what Drinkwater and Bakayoko have to offer in a technical side.

Sure, it's crazy money. As soon as we allowed ourselves to get in to this position we were always going to over pay (whether this summer or next). It's got a touch of panic about it, but it's better than panic buying some dross like Drinkwater. At least it's panic buying the guy you want. The club's transfers have been criticized for not just spending the money on the player they want, always the cheaper shit option. Well, here we go, we overpaid for the guy we want. Personally, I'm fine with it. Rather overpay for the thing you want than "save money" for something you don't. To me, it's a waste of money to spend it on something you don't want.

Don't know if anyone's seen this: But, that man stepping out from defence was not happening against City. Rudiger kept backing off Aguero for the first goal.

No one is making runs. The intricate passing is nice, but the 3rd man runs are what opens everything up.