Strike

James has done enough to be first choice over Azpi for a stretch of games imo. Azpi should be rotated to keep both fresh but I think James is the better option now that we have a more secure keeper to claim crosses as well.

Yep. Even yesterday's supposedly good defensive display needed some crucial saves from Mendy to keep a clean sheet With this approach, the defenders need to have perfect games to win any points. Hope this is a temporary direction change

Corners and cameos are nothing to go by. Ziyech is ready to start and we should take the punt

Mendy MOTM Lampard got it wrong. Too much respect to an average United.

I agree. Too much respect for this United side which has Mata and James. Lampard should be adding a midfielder and going to a back four surely

Lampard has played it really safe and still we are conceding the odd chance. Hopefully the second half is better

Reece in midfield?

A winger's main work should be in the attacking end and not in stopping the opposition.

I am hoping Lampard surprises everyone and gives CHO a start here over Mount. I would love it if Pulisic plays in his preferred left wing position and CHO is on the right - proper width - with Havertz and Werner down the middle. None of the defensive overthinking we saw against Liverpool please

Happy for Bamford. No one gave him a chance of scoring these many over the season. He clearly works as the forward for that Leeds side and is keeping Rodrigo out of the main forward role. Fair play!

Feel that the league will settle by November-December with same top 2 and a biggish chasing pack

Yep. Any other manager and the fans would be all over the team's issues which are mostly down to coaching, training.

So almost a whole new XI hmmm

I am leaning on pragmatism again. Mainly because I have zero faith in the defense holding it together in an attacking approach. It will make for another painful viewing but if it avoids a confidence-sapping loss, I'll take it at this point !

I hope this is the last of Mount as a starter

Chilwell was superb. Handled Sevilla's biggest threat too - Ocampos and Navas

At least we can defend

Deeper of the pivot as well. He hasn't played there much. He was always the seek and destroy midfielder with someone always playing in the deeper role when he went hunting for the ball - Matic for a while before it was Jorgi later. I've always felt leaving Kante as the deeper midfielder (even in a pivot) leaves you with the in-game risk of him being caught out of position because his natural instinct is to go for the ball and cut it out

I think you're wrong. Kante has hardly, if ever played in the lone DM role. One of the occasions he did for an extended run was at the back end of last season after lockdown when Jorginho was benched.

They should but they were so bad in their most recent game against West Brom. Inexplicably out of position when the ball turned over

Pragmatic to admit that we can't play out of their press and shows how bad the team is in playing ball! A long ball would also give possession straight back anyway

Just laugh at Spurs 😂

Yes. Not in on the whole Klopp, Pep were given time, Lampard needs to be given time nonsense. But we knew we signed a young coach and the hope was he would learn on the job. I still think the time to consider this question is later this season.

Yes true but the potential is there for massive improvement with Werner, Havertz, Pulisic, Ziyech linking up in attack.

I still think the performances will settle down and our games will stop being basketball matches. Still fancy Chelsea hovering close to the top