Sibierski

Realised with Sunderland against Arsenal, we could’ve gone in international break ahead of them if we didn’t mess up West Ham and won this weekend More annoyed about West Ham result.

There’s like 8 games before then, we need him back ASAP. Can’t see how he doesn’t go to AFCON unless he suffers a set back.

Don’t think clamping down on Roman would have any impact. The football is distorted because we have a mega TV deal, that’s only kept increasing over years as European leagues have gone down. Just this season, Bundesliga has effectively giving away packages. Ligue 1 deal gone bust because they went with DAZN etc. Domestically Prem may have peaked (just adding more games to be shown to keep value the same, but price per game it’s going down), but abroad package still rising and likely will rise still. Nothing UEFA can do about that. Why it was dumb for English sides to join the super league nonsense.

Be a dumb move, as it then compromises elsewhere, i.e. Ramsey not getting a run of games.

Think DRC will still call him up and there'll be a little battle internally around it.

I expect us to win as they're shit, but then I expected same against West Ham. So god knows what attitude we turn up with and what ability with the ball.

I mean that's being really harsh Elanga can be good in behind, like I don't expect him to be clinical, but he alone can make a CB need to drop off a couple of yards, which then disjoints their attempt to play offside. There's so much value for having someone with speed who can get a defence worrying about in-behind, doesn't have to be 40 yards of space all the time. When they're deep 25 yards out from goal, there's plenty of space to be scared of the run behind.

Nah, you can face your own country. Just luck of the draw between which 2 sides you face, as PSG met Brest.

We will be giving loads of the ball, so I want to see something new. Pope: Trippier, Thaiw, Botman, Hall: Murphy, Tonali, Bruno G, Ramsey: Wolte, Elanga 4-4-2. Wolte dropping off, Elanga pace behind. Even if they sit deep, his constant short sprints will pull their defence about. Then Ramsey LM, where he can come inside to help build up / possession, Hall the overlap width. Or Ramsey pushes up into LW positions as Wolte drops and it’s more a 4-2-3-1. We have the personnel to try so many new things, let’s not go 4-3-3, plug in and hope for a different outcome.

Just looked, that spell after Brentford game where we won 6 on trot, Hall LB played every min bar 4. Gordon LW started every game. Between them, 8 G/A. Then Bournemouth turned up and slapped our midfield silly, and it was disjointed after that as a collective. Do feel they work very well together once they get going as a pair. We will see the same again IMO, but won’t be straight away as both are needed on the pitch for a few games to hook it back up.

Was he? He was great first half of season when he was playing LW and Hall was LB. Dipped as it went into cup final, but easy to forget he was playing RW / CF for what felt like first 3 months of the seasons.

I doubted him, but he’s looking good. Bit of a rash defender IMO, but it feels that’s needed as part of his game. Like a Romero type when they get super tight, 9/10 they will win the ball so you just have to accept that one time they don’t will look cumbersome.

Because the one thing that’s hurting us is an inability to stretch the opposition, so they can push up more and close off space, even more so when Wolte drops. Push up if you want, but then we’ve got option of clipping it over for Elanga through the middle. Wouldn’t expect him to turn into some lethal finisher, but by number of chances generated, he’d score more, and importantly, it just gives space to our other players to make an impact with the ball.

Put it in the tactics thread, but I’d like to see him as CF with Wolte off him. What he’s great at is runs behind, what Wolte is great at is linking up play. If we want to play Wissa / Wolte together, we should be trying it now with Wolte / Elanga whilst we have all wingers fit. I think that could see something different from him and a stumble into position that excels over time.

Like many of these sides, technically they are good and that’s what could make them good prem sides. But what all lack, and is shown so often when named European sides like these meet Premier league sides, is the physicality. They can’t match it, and even the low end prem sides can overpower top 6 European sides (outside the true elite) in that regard. The gulf is honestly crazy. Why you see players like Wirtz come to the league and be taken back by the psychical demands. Technically superb, but you just won’t have the space and time majority of game to stand on ball. When we play Leverkusen, people will realise more the gap in quality as many will see that as a very hard game.

The only thing I don’t like about 5th (even 6 sides in it) is the wealth you can get from UCL. It was expanded so it provided even more safety netting for the big sides if they had an off season, but ourselves and Villa have gatecrashed last two seasons. Which is great for us, but if that was Man Utd / Chelsea getting in previous seasons, it’s big money (as it’s weighted to coefficient) that keeps them able to compete at top end even when doing poor by their metrics.

Job done really. Marseille can be tricky, but they’re another side we’re going to face who are bottom 8, so should be looking at a positive result. Really favourable draw this. At this moment, have to be eyeing top 8 considering Marseille, Leverkusen, PSV you have got to be looking at 7 points if you mean well in this competition. 16 points should do it with a strong goal difference.

And Barnes then may well do nowt, which doesn’t help us then having £100m worth of back up wingers that we don’t value starting. Not really improving the squad that much then.

He had one start, against Wolves at home. The first two starts of the season was with Gordon ST. Think it’s fair he deserves some starts LW with Wolte striker. Especially if he’s being made to start RW. Shows Eddie sees something in there.

The header was obscene. Really wish we scored more from him at set pieces, as he has shown he can plant a header, and it should be a route that gets numbers that Gabriel gets at Arsenal. But our deliveries are so regularly shit, it doesn’t maximise the ability of heading we have in the side. Set pieces so huge right now in the game, but we’ve not signed someone who’s a natural at taking them since Trippier really?

One benefit I will give Gordon, he needs both a better LCM and an overlapping LB to give him more space. Teams know they can surround him more and allow Joelinton / Burn as outlets as threat is minimal from them with ball at feet. But until those pieces are regularly there, we shouldn’t persist with him when it’s detrimental to the side and results in short term.

Come on now, two of them were penalties. I love the man, but he is literally the definition of a player who shouldn’t be starting currently. We spent £40m+ on Barnes, proven Prem player. If we can’t give him a run of 3 starts LW when Gordon is this out of form, it goes back to loads of my previous points, why the fuck are we bothering signing these players at those price points.

Even if he comes good next season, it’s still a stinky signing for what’s offered this season that potentially holds us back. For £55m, you need output straight away.

Hard thing though is there’s 8 teams ahead of us for 5th. So if we win 3 in a row, 4 of those 8 may do the same and gap remains similar. It will mean we have to beat Man City for once.

Gulf been shown tonight that we can play essentially 5 out of 10, and have a routine win. This any competent Prem side, we’re drawing at best.