ponsaelius

I reckon in this market he's probably good value for £5 million and will be better than expected. The problem is even if he is, and chips in beyond expectations, it's still not really enough. He's a squad signing rather than an upgrade.

Basically exploiting the fact we have a good manager rather than embracing it.

Apparently they're trying for loans for Marcos Llorente and Sergi Samper to replace him. They'd be better options for us if at all possible, especially Llorente.

Within 5 minutes of his first game at centre-back he was done in the air from a cross and we were losing the derby 1-0. http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/800/mcs/media/images/70741000/jpg/_70741956_fletcher_getty.jpg To be fair that was his first PL start for the club full stop.

I'm not even sure he's a proper PL player, nevermind top 4.

It's hard to believe that he didn't abuse that Wolves player btw, when you consider the consistency with which he does stupid things.

We are absolutely fucking desperate for a goalkeeper who can command, and calm that defence. You can see why it has been a priority all summer, and I bet Rafa is more furious about that than failures anywhere else.

Atsu can come away with real credit.

We didn't have time in the second half to give it a go, that dumb fuck Shelvey got sent off first. Pardew style tactic that. Why not try in the first half? It's not tactics though, it's players. No creativity. It's both. Really poor allround.

Not dramatic at all. 3 times now he's pulled this shite. Bloke's a fucking disgrace.

It's been pure embarrassing shite from minute 1.

1 shot on target, never even tried to score.

Up there as one of the most embarrassing footballing experiences of my life. Shite from Rafa, shite from Shelvey, that fat cunt in the stands. Disgraceful from the lot of them.

Like watching a lower league team play in the FA Cup. Depressing tbh, compounded with the injuries. This season is gonna be wank.

Fucking unbelievable.

No clue what you're on pal but you should probably pack it in. Worrying.

Elliot over Caballero Ashley interview good

PepPepPep! Was entertaining at Barca because they had Messi - plus Xavi/Iniesta/Busquets had an almost telepathic understanding of each other to the point it was ridiculous. Trying to implement it with a bunch of expensively assembled mercenaries is just a recipe for boredom.

Absolutely hate this system for Man City's players. All that attacking talent and it's the centre backs and full-backs playmaking. Very negative formation designed to monopolize possession and suffocate the match.

It appears we are relegated, then.

The thing with him is, I've always thought he was shit, but in his first season he somehow managed to score 4 goals. I went back and watched them, as I was so confused by this discovery. One was a hit and hope from distance against Burnley, but the other 3 involved him bursting into the box to score against Everton, Spurs and Stoke. As shit as he was, he actually got himself into the box to score goals. It's physically impossible to imagine him doing that now.

Agreed. I think he has physical attributes, leadership qualities and his reading of the game can develop - but is a poor footballer, and that will probably limit his ceiling. That said I would never have predicted Harry Maguire to become a £17 million player so domestic defenders can surprise you in their development. Maguire's actually good on the ball so he's a bad comparative example in terms of skillset, but the point still stands.

Nah, I do think it got a bit intense and over the top at one stage on social media. Perhaps not at the time, but certainly with the hindsight knowledge that he was playing through the pain barrier.

He got unfair criticism last season, in light of the fact that he played 47 matches while enduring injury problems. Don't think he's a worldbeater, but he has attributes and age on his side.

In all of the compilations I've gone through he's been in and around the midfield positions an awful lot and a canny few Chelsea fans on Reddit said that he'd played there. I dunno, I can't say I know anything about him beyond that. He seems extremely versatile (probably to a point of being an issue, tbf) and a bit of an athlete so it wouldn't surprise me if it was the case. Completely no idea what to expect from him or how he's to be played if we do sign him.