Stats

Strange that the kit has not been officially announced yet, seeing as it will be the kit we will be playing in 6 days time. Unless the club are going to turn up in blue...

Yes this was a pre-season game but the lack of understanding in the team is clear. There is no attacking cohesion. I mean that is two games now where I have watched and thought "what is our philosophy". Arsenal had a clear game plan yesterday and dominated us on all angles. It looked yesterday that we just sent out a team with 11 players and told to compete, rather than a gameplan. Pre-season or not, we should not be struggling to beat the likes of Charlotte FC. Arsenal beat Orlando 3-1, who are a better team than Charlotte. This may end up being a blessing in disguise for Tuchel to work on much needed tactics on the training ground, but yesterday was so worrying. Not our best team but many players out there are PL standard players who should be doing a lot better.

Probably because there is no such formation. Thing is we just look clueless in attack and albeit being a friendly, it is concerning because you can see the same problems going into the season. We look vulnerable everytime we concede the ball and no natural holding mid exposes that but either way we should be looking a lot more fluid in attack. Because some of the players who also have do not look comfortable in a 3-4-3 also.

Xavi does not have more of a pull but as good a manager Tuchel is, do I think other players abroad have that 'wanting to play under Tuchel' factor? No and that is not a disrespectful thing. Do I think Pep does? Probably more so because he is known to play an attractive style of football and I would say he has more of a convincing factor. I am not stating Pep is a better manager whatsoever, just saying he would manage to lure more players imo so say if City went for Kounde, he wouldn't join because of City but because of whose in charge.

Even I agree with some of your points I do believe he has a point, he just wrote it in a childish manner but sometimes I think the manager does influence it. Haaland would of chosen City over any other team in the league due to Pep's style of football. Tuchel a top manager but a lot of players want to play under managers that play 'exciting football'. Barca is a bigger pull generally yes, but my hypothetical view is if City had been in for De Ligt he would have gone there possibly over Bayern because of their style of football. Football philosophy is key also.

This will actually piss me off. Not necessarily because I think he will be a great signing but for them to nick another player from our clutches whilst bending the financial rules will just anger me.

Sterling looked sharp. You can see once he gets in his full stride, he is going to be an absolute menace for the opposition this season.

If Tuchel is a big fan, there should be no bloody negotiations. We want the player in our squad. END OFF!

Have you seen how many goals he scored in the Premier League 2/U23 last season? You can’t be serious.

He is 20! He is still a kid with massive potential. He faded second half of season, but honestly anyone who could not see his quality first half of season must of been in hibernation. He single handedly destroyed his likely new suitors twice last season and scored a brilliant goal in one of those games. Completely dominated Maguire and Varane last season and could of got a hattrick. He was brilliant against Spurs last season too. Brighton last season he scored for me one of the goals of the season. Those performances from a 20 year old is someone with clear potential. I don't see how you cannot see those games and think he is "bang average". There is potential there and like I say I think a few years time, that fee will look really cheap. Well for me this is concerning because he is our only out and out CF. Batshuayi will leave you assume. Werner is often played out wide and Havertz is a false no.9. With the 5 subs allowance, he will actually get a lot of game time so even if he is pushing for a move, we should have same stance they do with Rice: "he is not for sale!". Also did Tuchel not say he wants to give him pre-season but instead we selling him for £30m for a player who has several years left on his contract. Bemused, must say.

I look at it two ways. If you know you are good enough and know you can play at this level, why would you not want to move? Look at likes of Lamptey, Livramento, Guehi who left and are now regulars in their first team and most will likely get big moves again. I am sure he would love to play for us again, so he ultimately may be thinking to go to another PL team and prove myself and come back to us in a few years time. If we get two CB especially, then his game time will be limited for sure and sometimes next season, I am expecting (and hoping) we go with back 4 which will further limit his game time. The likes of James and Mount were different because with the ban, both knew they would be getting opportunities which fair play to them they took and are now bonafide starters, but like I say if we are after two CB, I see why he would want to move. He probably hasn't been given assurances regarding his game time and he knows he can go to another PL team and prove himself and has looked to what other players he has played with have achieved (Livramento). But yeah, I would prefer a loan.

Ironically, when both him and James were in our youth teams, James would play RCB often and Sterling RWB and he was very good offensively for the youth teams. Chipped in with a few goals. I remember when both went out on loan, I was surprised James went on loan to a Championship team and Sterling went on loan to a League 1 team because Sterling is physically built also. But he has not really kicked on. Injuries have not helped either.

I do believe that Dujon is not vaccinated like RLC and Kante, hence why he has not travelled. Because from what I have heard, he has impressed in training so far. Will likely join up with the boys when they return.

Broja is very fast and tall and would be an ideal super-sub when Havertz gets a bit jaded. I hope we keep him here. All the other clubs he has been linked with, would he also be a guaranteed starter there? I don't think so.

No, I disagree that he was unable to adapt. It is more a case that you have a player who is not a regular and wants more minutes with the World Cup in mind, he wants to leave. He was Bournemouth's standout player by a mile. Although Cahill had his critics, was it a silly move to buy him because he was playing for a relegation based team? Liverpool bought Robertson from Hull who also got relegated. City just bought Phillips from Leeds who were close to relegation last season. Ake is not a world class defender by any means but not an awful one too. Also right now we just aren't close to City in terms of quality wise. There isn't anything wrong in getting another team's back up if he helps us in a certain system. If we play back 3, he is a good fit for the LCB and if we go four at the back he is decent cover. Conte had Moses playing as RWB who was outcasted before he came in and we won the title that season. In fact Liverpool bought Milner of City right also who was a back up there and that has been a successful move, so I won't buy that notion that because he was behind pecking order at City, we should not be looking at him.

The fee is a lot but I don't see why people are such against it. He is an experienced PL defender. Good on the ball and in a back 3 I think will really surprise people. Like I say, City forked out money for him for a reason and not a case that he has been awful for them. Just been behind in the pecking order. I mean don't get me wrong if we got Ake as our only defender, I would bricking it but alongside Koulibaly, I am fine with that.

He is a avid Arsenal fan. He regularly trains with the Arsenal attire and his social media vids, is seen wearing Arsenal tops. It does surprise me though, if Arsenal are saying they are looking at alternatives though that he will not consider a move. Same time, I think it gives him excuse to run down his contract so he can earn even more money by moving on a free unless Bayern give him an extremely lucrative deal.

Turning 27 is a positive. Not a negative. He is still is a very good age and has resale value if the move doesn't work.

Thing is, if we miss out on Raphinha and decide not to sell Ziyech because of that and Tuchel is considering playing a 4-2-3-1, I think Ziyech may actually be very useful, especially if he is able to do those split through balls, to the other flank with Sterling it can get a lot of goals. Just a question mark on his ability to press but I have always said Ziyech in a 4-2-3-1 is a lot better and Sterling is one of the best players around with his off the ball movement which I think can work a treat.

Guehi was a matching clause. Ake was a buy back clause for £40m.

We did include a buyback clause, however we did not activate it because eat the time he was not deemed a necessity.

Yep Barca. Were 1.33 to get him yesterday. This morning went to 1.44. Now we are the bookies favourites. Hmm.

Spence will go Spurs. He goes straight into the team while here he is a back up. If we played 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 which seems a huge possibility, defo a role for Gallagher playing in the midfield 3 or in the advanced attacking position rotating with Mount.

Honestly, Colwill is a talent but people are overhyping him beyond belief. Colwill has never played a minute in the PL. He did very well but he did not player every game for them. Kimpembe has been playing in Europe and for a top team for several years. Ake has been a prem player for solid years. There is no comparison. Now if we play Colwill and he looks out his depth, then what? Colwill can still get opportunites regardless.

Barcelona want virtually a whole new 11. Well besides a keeper. Azpi, Kounde, Christensen (already signed), Alonso, Kessie (Already signed), Bernardo, Raphinha, Dembele and Lewandowski. Bloody greedy shits and worse thing is they still haven't registered their free players and paid of some their past and existing players and still looking to add more players...