Sibierski

JUSTICE

Oh get in the bin.

Who the fuck is this PSG goalkeeper? Like some PES5 name.

Pope groin to go running to the other goal as we swap ends.

We all saw how easy PSG was got at last season by going direct into space. Let’s see if we do that.

Come on pal. Time to show us something proper. Not expecting goals or assists, just doing the right thing and controlling the ball.

Issue I always have with a back 5, more bodies doesn’t mean more solid. It’s the space in the middle, and if it’s effectively a 5-4-1, it’s 2 cms that PSG will easily pass around. 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 and keep the gaps small between the lines is more effective.

Does feel a bit, let’s see if it’s level with 20 to go, and if it is, go for it with Wissa / Barnes / Gordon / Bruno off the bench.

5 at the back it is. Assume Willock will be central with Tonali and Ramsey LW. Or even both central and Elanga is through middle with Wolte. Or an absolute wild card and it’s 4-3-3, with Hall CM.

Probably won’t happen, but Liverpool could do with Sterling for short term. Good development for Ryo too.

Would say so if we were depleted on the wings, but we’ve got 4 fit bodies with Murphy to come back. He’ll work out well for someone elsewhere IMO, but not a move we need to make.

Villas is dire for % wage to revenue turnover, but ours is at the higher end for what will be the limit soon. So unless our revenues increase mega fold, we are restricted to what we can do wages wise for the short to medium term, which means careful squad building.

I don’t like using it because our issues are more elsewhere, but PSR is a reason for me why the level of player is down who we are going after. Early on we could go for those and pay them £100k-£130k because we had the wage head room. Problem now, we didn’t have that because we need to reward the better players to keep them and the ones who arrived on less and deserve(d) more (Gordon / Tino / Hall etc). So going into transfers we can’t pay the wages. We could for one player, but it then means compromising wages elsewhere. Like Elanga / Ramsey / Wolte will all be low wage end (say 300k collective), but we could have got the RW and have them 200k but then ST / CM needs to be 50k. Means a different approach to transfers which I feel we was getting right early on , but now getting it wrong. Because we’re spending a lot and tying wages up in average squad positions, rather then spend on a top player and spread others on development. Like Trippier / Krafth / Lascelles / Willock / Schar / Targett would be what, 400k wages. Do we then as replacements sign a CB / LB / RB / CM at £100k each. Or reward players on wages, spend £150k on a CM, then £50k on other positions because they’re young / raw players, knowing they are clear back ups.

Agree. But the way we play, he’s key and Howe knows it. Unless we evolve our style, he’s still someone Howe will always pivot back too.

Maatsen only started more games in the last few months, after being there for 18 months. Not really an indication that Emery is keen on him long term. Then Onana was an overpayment, whose body probably can’t hack it long term. Their squad is so heavily weighted to the 29+ age and that’s not sustainable long term. If they didn’t get UCL this season, they’d be so fucked. But long rangers are really carrying them to it. It’s easy to be envious, but their squad isn’t well built long term. Monchi is gone after he’s typical sign loads sell loads, their PSR deals are a mess as much as ours. I’d rather take our approach of 21-25 age bracket, it’s just the main one in that of Elanga is a dud so far. Moved on Malen to sign Tammy ffs.

Sterling is still more than physically, it’s the mental side. He’s earned the money, won the trophies, has he got it in him to go again at 30 for a 3 year run is the question. Reason he was so crap at Arsenal was because he was barely playing and out of rhythm. For all the crosses we put in, I’d back him getting double figures in our side from LW. What he’s so good at. He’s final third game is what I had hope Gordon would develop into past 18 months. Not an amazing striker of the ball, but the desire / fitness and intelligence to always get in that far post, but alas, he hasn’t developed that. See glimpses at times, but it’s not becoming the norm which it should be by now at this stage in his career.

Surely be Saudia? With World Cup to come and Saudia Arabia wanting to push the tourism ahead of it, only a matter of time till Saudia is making big sponsors in football?

If it’s like 1-0 down with 10 to go, I’d like to Burn up front if we’re spamming crosses. Amorim and throwing Maguire up front type of thing. One thing we so often fail to do when chasing a game, throw chaos up front.

Only thing to be ‘jealous’ of Villa is Emery able to hold together a poor transfer strategy. Never have and never will get on board with their approach. It’s waiting to blow up but Emery is somehow holding it together. Probably can make an argument it’s not even him, it’s scoring bangers from distance that’s papering over the issues there. Them getting UCL will be annoying because it’s the opportunity to reset and take a different approach with funds, because route they’re on is very short term and ready to end in tears.

He’s the stereotypical West Ham signing.

Speaking of him, still don’t know why Arsenal didn’t go back in for him instead of spaff a load on a wardrobe.

Hadn’t realised how many of them were scrambled in / taps in for a couple of yards Few in there of balls going into box and he’s attack them and finishing with feet, which we need, but the amount of goals just won’t be replicated based on what a good portion of them are. Key thing in many, load the box and someone close to him. Mbuemo or Schade are closer to him than what our wingers are. So lends itself to playing Wolte with him or get our wingers to play more inside.

He’s got a run of games coming up where he will be afforded more space to counter in. Question though, does he start many of them? Probably PSG, that’s it and Murphy will be back.

But with two of them, it was clear they were better than what was ahead of them. Hall was a better LB than Burn, but needed that development so experience got the nod till hand was forced later in season. Tonali was better than Longstaff, but then ban come in. Barnes we have got our value from the squad aspect and contribution. Ramsey / Elanga may well go down similar path to Barnes over next 3 years. But they certainly are not Hall / Tonali because it will be unanimous agreement that we have better options ahead of them.

Not doing dishonesty to Howe on Miley, but he got his break because we literally had ZERO CMs. So it was either change formation or play someone who’s never a CM in there. Couldn’t even use Hall in there because he was in same boat and had only made his first start against Bournemouth in same game before coming back out. Think if Gordon, Barnes, Osula, Wissa, Elanga, Murphy and even Ramsey got injured, we’d see Neave get his chance.