just

Plus points: athletic, strong in the tackle, decent passer, young, box to box stamina, reads the game well, shows leadership qualities, should improve hugely with better players along side him. Minus points: doesn't have much pace, isn't Italian.

Oh, it was always going to turn out like this. As wiser people have always said, "form is temporary, class is permanent" . And Kante has always been class. I think we should also ditch the Kante / Jorginho comparisons now. Different players, different skillsets. Kante is acknowledged world class and Jorginho isn't at that standard. Kante brings much more to the party. But Jorginho is a good squad player and always does his best.

A defensive change would have been to take Jorginho off. He hasn't tracked Pogba's runs at all since he came on. He is not watching his movement and seems happy to let him get goal side.

Doh ...... then two attacking players are brought on!

With Pogba on I would now take Jorginho off put James alongside Kante move Dave to right back and bring Rudiger on to keep the central 3.

Hopefully he can you have the same educational influence on our young centre-halves as Marcel Desailly did with John Terry.

But not the top teams. or Tottenham.

I like centre-backs that stay at centre-back. I like centre-backs that have the concentration to actually mark an opponent when the move 10 yards away from them. I like centre-backs that are brave and quite prepared to throw themselves in front of a bus for the "cause". I like centre-backs who are good in the air and don't put their hands behind their backs when closing down an attacker in our own box. I like centre-backs who don't mind tackling the snot out of an opponent and after they have left them in a crumbled heap, don't offer to help them up off the floor. I like Kurt Zouma.

Absolutely with you on Havertz and the lack of a CP pressing game today OAL. Early days yes but Havertz looks like he has a swagger and thirst for the ball similar to a young Gazza. Like Gazza he has a fantastic touch and wants to be involved in EVERYTHING all over the pitch. When he becomes 100% match fit and up to speed with The EPL!!! The 3 players that really excite me are Havertz, Mount and Pulisic.

A good game from Jorginho today but as Gol pointed out in the match thread, Palace sat deep and did not press our midfield early and with numbers. This meant he had more time and space to operate in, the complete opposite to the 2nd half against Tottenham mid-week.

Oh, OK then. Anyways I'm gonna stop waiting for your in-depth tactical analysis of what constituted a midfield press from Palace in that first half and watch the game.

Where were the pressing us then Gol? In our final third? In midfield? I may be clueless but unlike you I don't simply make stuff up!

Palace might have to start pressing us now Gol.

Oh no they're not!

The two parts of your post that I have highlighted are of course inter-related. You are correct. Palace sit deep, hold their shape and defend in numbers in front of their own box. They do not press the midfield. Therefore Jorginho is not being closed early, harried and bullied. Hence, he has time and space and is having a good game.