Slojo

You're acting like Kovacic is 30 years old. I know you weren't a fan of him in his first season, but he's improved and was one of our best players last season. I'll even admit he's been pretty meh this one though. Still, he's a good player, even at squad level. Gallagher isn't there yet for me but he does look promising. But to say Gallagher can replace Kova now? No chance. I've seen a few games where Gallagher looks way out of his depth, which is understandable for such a young player. Kova is 26, why does he need to leave exactly? He's a good squad player, I don't get why he's so hated by people who didn't rate him in his first season. He's versatile, works hard, and offers a good balance. Jorginho I can understand, he's become a liability. I think we do need better attackers in, but I don't think we need to ship off handy squad players because of that.

How did we put up with him and Rudiger last season? I genuinely can't stand the pair of them, I don't know which one I dislike more out of the two, but Christensen play acting like that might have just settled that little debate.

If he's a DM then how is he taking the Kovacic role? Or are you suggesting that Gallagher is on Kovacic's level or higher? Because that's even more delusional.

Yeah they made a big segment about it on Match of the Day and discussed it for about 20 minutes. Due to that we only got 3 penalties throughout the whole season and still managed to win the league. This is why Jose was screaming about the Campaign. Because British Media was completely unfair to us, they would never attack any United or Liverpool the way they did us.

We got outplayed and bullied by an Arsenal team full of kids, a mid table finish is definitely a possibility. It's evident that the players can drop their heads and just stop playing. We've been absolutely rubbish for about 6 weeks now, two very hard games coming up. I don't see how it's a given that a resurgence is on the cards, I don't think that's me being hysterical, from the football we are playing at the minute, I'm being realistic.

So if we finish bottom half of the table, in his 2nd year with over 200 million spent. You won't judge Lampard? You won't think there's anyone else better who can make use of this squad? I completely understand it's a transition season, but there has to be limits here, we need to see improvement and a key identity/strategy, it's all gone to pot again. I won't accept it if we can't make top 4 this season, absolutely no reason why we shouldn't, or at the very least challenge for it. If we are finishing midtable that's absolutely piss poor.

Does anyone not find it weird that when Giroud is playing we cross less? But when other strikers are playing all we ever do is cross?

Yep, but where we differ in opinion here is responsibility. I think Frank has to take most of it (I'm sure he is), it's not good enough. You can't just drop off like that. I don't even think at this point Ziyech coming back will drastically change things, the team as a whole are just playing really badly. The football is so slow and uncreative, and it doesn't help when you've got players like Werner who can't finish for sh*te.

A lack of physicality doesn't make you a one trick pony.

The more I look at it, I think there's definitely an issue with the midfield. Kante in the CDM role I actually like, I think that should be his role from now on, looks like those dinosaur pundits had a point. But other than that, there's nothing else really, no attacking threat. Mason Mount isn't doing enough for me, I like him, he's very underrated but I don't think we're getting enough. Kovacic who I'm a fan of has been average this season, very meh, he doesn't do enough going forward. Jorginho, don't need to say anymore. Havertz again, I don't need to say anymore. So really, we've only got 2 good performers if that, and even Kante is having a mare now and then, and Mount is like a passenger at times.

I mean look... He's at least better than Werner on the wings so there's that.

I wouldn't say he's a one trick pony, but yeah he's not capable of starting for this team on a regular basis. He makes too many mistakes and he's vulnerable defensively. I think the only reason why you and several others react the way you do with Jorginho is because of that one poster on here who winds everyone up with his hysteria and hyperbole that it just causes division and semi-reactionary comments.

Yeah he's one of my favourite players here but he's been pretty meh this season and I can see why he's not playing. You on the other hand, are like a f**king 10 year old child, nothing but a constant wind up merchant on this forum who changes his mind like a 200 year old with alzheimers. One minute you're a Kante fan, the next it's Jorginho, earlier in the season you were a Kovacic fan, now it's all gone back to Jorginho. Make your f**king mind up you melt. Jorginho has been w**k all season, just accept it, I have.

What's Kovacic got to do with it you clown? You're like a child.

"Here's how Jorginho played well" [Insert 50 pie charts]

How's that an excuse? When we were missing 3 wingers fair enough. But we've got 2 back now, if we can't win games without Ziyech then we truly are hopeless and the cracks were being papered over to begin with. Every team in this league has players missing.

That's more points dropped. Going to be awful seeing how far we drop down the table by then.

Not sure how that's an imporvement? We looked w**k again. Nobody is reliably scoring goals besides Giroud,.

So have we beat 1 team in the top 10 this season? Pretty sure we haven't.

So, have we beat one top 10 team this season?

The issue is here, he's playing as a winger instead of an inside forward. With the system we play, we don't really give Werner the space to run onto the ball and run past defenses. He usually has to come deep and it's not playing to his strength. Whereas if he's playing as a striker, he has less responsibility to come back and can make more forward runs. At the moment, I don't think Werner fits into the side, he's completely out of form, he needs to sit out for at least two games and reevaluate.

The fact that we lost to that Arsenal team is what's eating away at me.

This is a case were both are right. Werner isn't playing in the same role (position yes, but people use them interchangeably, so it confuses things). 1. Werner has to be doing better, there's no excuse to be missing those chances, doesn't matter if he's playing at LB or CB, he has to put them away. 2. Yes he played LW, but not the same role he's playing in now, now he's constantly behind the back 4. We are a team with high amounts of possession, we camp in the oppositions half, there's not a whole lot of space for Werner to move onto and make those inside runs. So no, he's not playing in the exact same role/position as he was at RB. There that's it really.

Reasonable take there. But again, it can't all just be blamed on the players, Arsenal beat us 3-1 with a C team, our best 11 bar Ziyech, there's no excuse. He has to get the best out of the players, if he can't do that then he isn't top manager material. You'll notice that I'm not actually criticising his recent comments, I think he's doing the right thing, the players need to take responsibility, but so is Frank. If the players keep playing this way, it's the manager who will have to go.

West Brom 18% possession, 1 shot on goal. Best league in the world right there.