The College Dropout

Maybe it's just body language but Tonali looks like he's lost heart. I thought he lost heart against Barca and faked injury personally. We went to shit after he was subbed too. We didn't see Burn for a long time after Barca. Barnes has dropped off. Hard to say why.

We actually don't know that much about injury prevention. So there's loads of "schools of thought". Liverpool for a long time trained hard and played hard. A lot of the time their fitness record was largely great but then they would have some horror seasons. The idea is that players got used to that intensity so that prevented major injuries. Under Slot - they seem to get less small muscle injuries but more major injuries. The idea is that some parts of the body aren't conditioned to intensity and then suddenly an achilles snaps.

Same difference. As soon as he left, we stopped signing inexperienced youngsters for first team places like Tino and Hall. From what we know of a Howe-led approach - he wouldn't sign the 2023 Hall's or Tino's in 2025. Those were Ashworth led transfers, they don't happen without him. More proven mostly just means more experienced (in the PL). That's why we spent £150m on proven players for a CL push like Elanga, Ramsey and Wissa. 3 Players that could never be cornerstone players of UCL teams.

Think there's something in the retractable pitch theory. Real have had a lot of ACLs in the last few years.

It's going to make a European charge much easier next season.

Even still interesting to me how you've defined each segment and the players. Dan Burn £12m. Almost 200 appearances, key member of teams finishing 4th, 7th, 5th. Leader. Key man in the cup runs and scored in the League Cup final and was a colossus that game. He's behind Lewis Hall and the same level as Botman. Burn has contributed a lot more than both those players. Moreover I just view transfers differently. I think (1) have they justified the fee, (2) what was the minimum expectation (3) what was the upper expectation, (4) overall contribution. By those measures Gordon and Barnes have been successes. Both closer to the upper expectation than the lower. Good value for money. Same bracket as Tino and Hall. In no world can they be compared to Jacob Ramsey - has Ramsey been value for money? Has he hit the minimum expectation? Overall contribution? Not for me, nowhere close. But that's just how I see the game.

Not true in all honesty. A DOF won't identify players but they set the parameters of signings - particularly profile and wages. You think we sign 19-yo Lewis Hall for £40m (inflation) with 12 league appearances in summer 2025? No we probably sign a much more experienced player. I've said this before - we used to go for high-ceiling low-experience players and players big teams considered but weren't convinced about. Usually meaning getting players 1-2 years early. So we target a different profile of player.

This is such interesting and weird framing to me. Interesting how other fans see the game and team.

Weird framing to me. Managers don’t have total control over recruitment anymore. Theres been 4-6 eras while he’s been here which is a core problem. First window Staveley era Ashworth Era No Ashworth/Mitchell Era No DOF era Now And you can’t look at signings without looking at departures.

He’s the biggest character and best player - and the only one that can really progress the ball. Tonali is a great character and plays with authority. But doesn’t have the ability on the ball. Woltemade has ability on the ball. But doesn’t have the character to demand the ball time and time again. Doesn’t play with authority. Manager doesn’t even trust him. What hurts me is that this was predictable. A lot of us thought there wasn’t enough football in this squad and cried out for a playmaker and/or another passer. If we could see it - why couldn’t the club?

23/34 Bruno barely missed a game and Isak was fit for the majority. We started and ended the season well for both.

Chelsea have finished something like 12th, 6th, 4th, 6th-9th. Is this not their first FA Cup final under these owners?

Hall hasn’t been good recently

The one between the lines? Or the Minteh goal? I don’t believe any PL club can look at Elanga and think he’s about to lift the technical ceiling of anything. Elanga is arguably worse technically. Thats the first thing I noticed about him, technically he is bad. That wasn’t a move to a more technical team - that was a move for more of the same + more pace. Ramsey is better technically than Joe but his game isn’t any more progressive or penetrative or creative. Ramsey is similar to Willock. Schar is better on the ball than Thiaw and Botman. I give you Woltemade. But he doesn’t fit and was a panic signing. Wissa looks like latter day Wilson. And I mean this in terms of profile more than ability. We didn’t buy a passer for midfield. We didn’t buy a passer or skilful player on the wings. 1 of our striking options can’t work as a 9 because he can’t do it physically. In fact neither striker we bought can do it physically which is why Osula starts.

Think I offered to fight Rich (irl) in the DMs. I was in a bad place.

You can tell he hasn’t evolved us much because we all know how to beat us. Withstand early flurry. Give them the ball. At some point they will run out of ideas and self destruct. Once you get in front. Sit off, win your duels and kill them on the break.

To my eyes the possession play in the middle and final third against a set defence is the same.

Also our approach was ahead of the curve when he first joined. The first 4th season was largely with Wilson up top. Teams have clocked us a bit and we haven’t evolved. I don’t think we need massive changes (well to me). Like I always thought he wanted a 10 type player this year just to evolve the team a bit. Sometimes go 4231. Play it through the lines offensively a bit more. But nope, none of that. Massively we haven’t added any new tricks to the team for some time. Tonali gave us a new dimension. Murphy to Isak was a goldmine. As good as Thiaw has been - we’ve felt the loss of Schar’s ball progression. Hall is great but he doesn’t progress the ball with passing the way Trippier did. Ramsey offers less overall than a roaring Joelinton etc.

By far our best footballer. Finds a forward pass. Finds players in space.

Agreed. He's dropped 6-7 this season. You can overlook 2-3 over 50 games but it's legit way more than that at like 25 games.

Thought we looked a better team with Burn in it although obviously he was a weakness himself

Honestly thought this was Howe’s plan B this season.

It’s just that he skied it. Get it on target, get it close… skies it.

I’m doubting his footballing mind more and more

Nah Parker tried to be all action and took on responsibility. He just wasn’t good enough. Tonali is the blastoise version of Parker. Ramsey doesn’t get involved like Parker