Lotus

Tbf, he was very good on Saturday. If we'd signed a new CB and he'd played like Taylor did we'd all be delighted. I really hope he can keep this going and have, for the first time in his career, a very good season.

Thought Lemina looked alright, actually. Covers the pitch well and was always looking to get into space to receive the ball.

Darlow Janmaat Mbemba Lascelles Dummet Tiote Thauvin De Jong Vuckic Aarons Cisse

Was very impressed with him on Saturday. He hustled really well. He put himself in good positions that made the Manu players play the ball elsewhere quite often. I'm not into Colback bashing for the sake of it but he wasn't really as effective as Anita. He's not not got that sudden burst of speed or the positional awareness. I've been thinking that a midfield 3 with Anita deeper than Wijnadum and Sissoko/De Jong ahead of him could be a very nice blend of talents.

We're not doing too badly. I expect more from Wijnadulm. Anita doing pretty well, Colback doing ok too apart couple of dodgy moments but that's to be expected. Haidara and Perez look decent Taylor's been good. Mitro needs some support. Think Mbemba looks a bit out of place at RB.

One decent interception. He really has done nothing with the ball though. He just doesn't have the guts. I'd have him off and put Thauvin on.

Anybody can run well around a cone even with a football at their feet with a bit of basic training so I don't see that as a technical talent at this level unless they're doing it to an opposition player. As it is, the only thing he is capable of doing is kicking a ball past a player (very occasionally when he wants to attack them) and run past them. No skill involved, just raw pace which is a physical benefit, not a technical skill. Mole - from the statement 'technically he is talented' I thought you meant he had technical ability. The way I see it he has no technical ability whatsoever, no heart whatsoever and has nothing to offer but pace. We may as well just sign an olympic sprinter. I'd rather have Bolt than Oberwang any day of the week. You're just arguing with me for the sake of it. Pace and strength are positive attributes. Being able to dribble at pace is a skill and a technical ability. When he's having a rare good game he looks accomplished in everything he does. I don't think he dribbles well at all tbh.

Of course he wants to stay, no one will pay him as much as we do. :lol: Eggsactly!

I agree with that. If anything I'm more impressed by us having been able to appoint Cathro, a young up and coming, highly thought off football coach with high level international experience and with the ambition to one day soon manage at the highest level, as an assistant, than by appointing McClaren himself. I agree with the Cathro thing. I just think it's to McClaren's credit he's gone for it. You have to admire a man who knows he weaknesses and tries to build a coaching team around him to compensate for it. Desperately hope it works out!

Tbf, the heat maps (i know, i know) seemed to show Ayew didn't spend much time on the wing against Chelsea. Played a lot closer to Gomis. Of course, they'll have looked at us and realised Obertan offered no protection whatsoever and so they might be able to double up there and just force Haidara to play tight to Colo and have the space on the left to themselves. You'd hope someone put a rocket up Obertans arse over that during the week.

I'm a lot more impressed by us replacing the likes of Carver and Stone with Cathro. At least McClaren is not afraid to bring in good coaches. I'd had the feeling Pardew wouldn't have because he wouldn't have wanted someone showing him up.

Having a CF the ball would stick to would make a massive difference as well.

Gini & Moussa are gonna give these guys some problems. Montero isn't going to give Neil Taylor much support and Moussa will run over him. Ki was their only midfielder to offer something to their defence consistently. Also, Ayew played pretty narrow. We could have some joy wide. We will need an excellent performance from the CMs though as they may get outnumbered. Still think Colo will get bummed though.

Cech!

Does Sissoko wear wrist bands?

Did you nick that from The Imitation Game?

His presence in training should be a huge help to our defenders tbh. He'll be a huge asset eventually, at both ends of the pitch. Won't help Colo at all. Will just weaken him further. Might toughen up Lascelles though.

Disclaimer - DID NOT WATCH FULL GAME! Didn't think Haidara was particularly at fault for either cross that resulted in the goals. The 1st, Colo has gone forward so Haidara has to cover the player that Colo left behind who has moved into a central position. The ball goes wide, Obertan is not paying attention and not covering so Haidara then goes out to him when Colo comes back into position, too late though as the cross goes in. 2nd goal, Haidara is tucked in, 2 players on his side, Obertan not covering again, Haidara goes to the player with the ball when he can but again too late to stop the cross. In both instances Obertan should have helped. As i said, didn't watch the rest so Obertan may have had a good game going forward and Haidara a poor game overall but both crosses for the goals were down to Obertan and not Haidara.

I'll use the word doofi, thanks for that. Pleasure's mine.

Our record for reinvestment is soooooooooooooo bad i'm astonished people want rid of anyone other than the usual Doofi, i.e. Obertan, Gouf, etc.

Yeah, he's very good to watch.

If the rest of the team score plenty then, aye.

He's 6 foot i think. Let's not shorten him further

He 'Delphed' on the deal. I could see that making it's way into common parlance

Hang on a minute, you've went from saying Matuidi and Di Maria 'are similar types of player' to saying 'in game X they started in the same position and ran in this direction'. And you talk to others about "moving the goalposts". In PSG's current system Matuidi and Motta are the players who are sitting back in their system with Veratti slightly ahead of them, and while Matuidi is prone to a powering run forward, he certainly isn't the kind of skillful player who can beat a man and put a fantastic ball into the area or score a screamer, so - again - what you're saying about them being similar types of player is utter bollocks and purely based on a f***ing circle with an arrow on it. Yet another instance of TCD spouting his worthless opinion whilst never watching the team in question play and basing your entire knowledge on these so-called stats. 1. Matuidi & ADM are both left sided shuttlers in a 3 man midfield. Going from central midfield to left midfield. "His role is known in France as the ‘milieu relayeur’ - the shuttle-runner". Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/why-blaise-matuidi-key-player-frances-world-cup-hopes#pGHVHAQHAg4kpIti.99 While with a different style, ADM is best in that exact position! "Di María started out as a centre­-left shuttler on the outside of United’s diamond midfield; a similar role to those he had at Benfica, his club prior to Real Madrid, and in his final season at the Bernabéu." Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/my/features/how-angel-di-marias-wasteful-play-key-manchester-uniteds-season#dpBmayrLYlFLzWOK.99 2. I just posted 2 bloody links of PSG midfields with Matuidi higher up the pitch than Verrati. You are spouting absolute crap with nothing to back it up. Everything i've said i've backed up with secondary sources backing up my opinion. Even Mole & Felip agree with me that you are wrong and acting stupid/ignorant. Do you seriously think that if PSG buy ADM the player they'r gonna drop to accommodate him is Matuidi?