theGreenBaron

We were all thinking it... It's a really tought one, the video is clearly a few years old and I don't like the idea of a career being taken from someone for a moment of stupidity but come on, thats pretty dumb. Then again Mike dean admited to out and out not doing his job (which may have cost tuchel his job) as a VAR and he's doing pretty well for him self

I think its inevitable he's being sold, when you think about what we have coming in, the qestion is for how much and who would buy him, we brought hime for about 30is? so we'd want to move him on for about 50 and who would / could pay that for him

Everyone being fit when they come back after the break, Id go with Neto on the right and Mudryik on the left. Think he's done enough to have a bit of a run. Noni's been quiet and the point of the depth is to keep people hungry

Ive watched both play this season, watched a few gerodie game for my sins and regardless of the what the stats say, the eay test does not lie, Isak is an extreamly efficent striker, both from a build up point of view and finishing things off

Isak is consiberably better , He looks top top level excellent movement, great touch and you always believe he will score when through on goal. The reest are questionable - wouldn't say dog sh!t but Watkins, Toney and Tammy are the ones we have prem data on. Toney didn't do so well last season and priced him self out so what does it matter, (there is a reason no top team went near him) Tammy never really kicked on, not all his fault but the injury probably hit him hard and i don't think he's the striker we want. Watkins is decent, not top level thohg

2013/14 What active keeper was better? City won the league that season with soft-wristed Joe Hart in goal, not better than Cech at any point in his career. Liverpool were swapping between Mignolet and Reina. Arsenal had Szczesny, United had just signed De Gea, who was starting to show form, but they finished down in 8th, conceding 43 goals. By the way, we finished 3rd with 27 goals against that season, the best defense by 10 goals. For comparison, the following season we won the league, with almost identical goals for but conceding 32 goals. He was also the chosen keeper for the PFA Team of the Year that year. He was by some way the best keeper in the league in 2013/14. We might have even won the title that year had he been fit to play against Sunderland. I'm not sure on what basis you can make your statement.

If you now turned round and said, lissten you can have a prime Costa for 50 million, Jackson will bascially be a bench wamer, I bite your hand off, Prime drogba same (JFH, no btw) But I don't see alot of those arounds. I didn't fancy the Osimhen signing at 100+. Was more interested when that fee started to come down by half. But outside of him i'm just unaware of a number 9 that would present us with a real upgrade and minimize risk. I remember similar such debates in this neck of the woods 20+ years ago and the call was to go out and get Eto or Ibra when they were both at less fancied clubs. It just seems we have a lack of top strikers globaly. Now I think my qualifiers are valid because I don't think he's as bad as you make out, I understand you don't rate but again, my points are as follow: - He's raw but impvoing rapidly (IMHO) - His stats are comparable to anyone else outside of Halland - He Doesn't hide or go missing which is massive for me - and prehaps most importatnly there isn't anyone else I can think of in world football (that we can get) that would be a real upgrade with limited risk Some times you have to get behind the default

@nonotnowjim I quit this forum the fist time around because it was consuming far more of my time then it should have been and now here I am... Ill try and give my counters to your points I am asking your opinion. My opinion is: - We have seen that is isnt a consistent finisher when inside the box - he misses huge numbers of chances. This has been improving, lets not forget this is his second full season as a striker, When he went out to the wing last season against luton you could see that he'd been playing the left for quite a while. But to say his finisihing has not been improving, this season over last would be disingenuous. The finish agasint liverpool, agasint West ham, both well taken - He isnt regular scorer of goals from outside the box (has he ever scored for us from outside 18yrd?) Dont think many our these days. Drvies me nuts, I wonder if we looked at defelected goals now vs 20 years ago (when we won the league under Jose) would there a huge reduction? have a pop people. - He isnt a productive assist machine. 5 assists last season, 3 so far this season. I think he brings players in to the game really way, opens space up for players around him and when he's on it really streches deffences, all wich help lead to goals. - He doesnt appear to understand the offside rule - regularly thwarting our attacks by getting caught offside. Again somthing that has imprved greatly in recent time and I dont tink we can have a huge go at razzor thin var decisions - His heading is poor to average (being generous) Yet he has a couple of headed goals this season. he couldn't head for toffe when he turned up and now again is looking to imprved this part of his game and will probably continue to - He isnt very good at winning physical duels with defenders. This is undeture, in the air yes but ball in to his feet back to goal he has been excellent and bringing othes in to play and turning his man. Is he drogba, no, very few are. - He doesnt have a reliable temperament, losing his head easily and getting booked regularly for stupid things. Young again will mature. Id rathe that then some one that goes hiding and doesn't care - He doesnt appear to have much of a football brain. Not sure what this means, could be better but could be worse, his runs are decent he picks a good pass. - He isnt a skillful dribbler who can regularly beat his man with a turn of pace or flick of skill. I mean we have seen many examples of him having very good close control, going round players. And he's no slouch. But you know what I like about him the most, sure he misses chances, some times he has a stupid booking but he doesn't hide, Morata looked great untill he missed a few 1-1's and then never surfaced as a footballer again in chelsea blue. Werner looked like a german finishing machine till he wasn't Lukauku... well I won't go there. But in each case when it didn't go right those players looked for the shadow's they hid, they didn't show for the ball. Jackson doesn't do that, he was clearly brought as a workon and I personally think the improvement is clear. And comparing to other players is I would love to hear from others, particularly those who think he is "really good" - which bits of the above they disagree with and why. Comparing to other players is irrelevant. I care about what we have, and how good/bad our players are. And Jackson is rubbish (as he showed again yesterday) I can't agree its pointless, he might not be an all time reat striker right now, but if you can't go out and get one, or more to the point get better then what you have then your not going to just play with a big whole where you'd other wise have him... and he has won us games and score important goals this season

But those attributes are subjective. I could argue that he is in fact better at all those areas of the game, bring you similar, terrible misses on YouTube from other top strikers, and then claim that my understanding of football is greater than yours because once upon a time, I had an outing in Bucks County, and someone said I had talent (I didn’t). The point is that I don’t think Jackson is as bad as you say, and probably not as great as others claim… but even that is subjective. This ultimately is why I’d fall back on the stats. But again, if your argument is that there is room to upgrade there, I’d probably agree. What frustrates me, though, is that there’s only really room to upgrade if a suitable upgrade is identified.

So by ruthless I mean a clear upgrade oportunity was identified and initiated, cudicini was a clear fan favioret but the club brought in cech and on day one Jose put him in, the same could be said by the fact we droped Cech for Thibaut 10 years later, same manager... It could be argued that Chech was still the best keeper in the league but the bet was made to regardless of feelings or nostaligia. Alost, I think Chech was pretty well knowen, on the continent at least, he had broken a number of domestic records and was a fully eshtablished keeper playing for then one of the best countries in europe and althought we'd already had him, he him self had an excellent euro's (the dutch game a stand out) Emenalo joined in 2007 so wasn't invovled in Chech signing.

Feel's like we are missing about 50% of what makes him so speical. Gusto is very good but some of the positions he picked up yesterday, you'd love to have had James there Maybe he just can't do that any more

Go huge on Costa (porto) and just lock down the postion, City, Liverpool and Arsenal all showed the importance of being ruthless in this postion. hell we did when we went out and got Cech 20 years ago and TBO 10 years ago

You say this but he's really not underperofming his XG by all that much, much better then some of the other "big names" In terms of assists he's out on his own and even goals hes very competative with the leagues top strikers. I actully don't mind the argument that he's not good enough, I think he's improving all the time and needs to bring some consitency but has all the makings of a very good player (yesterday was a quite game for him) But what i'd ask (and maybe I missed this on one of the few posts you have made on the subject) who in world football would you be buying to replace him?

You think he's an above average to good shot stopper? I dont consider him to be a better short stopper then any of those you have mentioned (I don't actually think that much of Aereola) he's compitent at doing that component of his job and ill add that i feel resonably secure when he comes to collect a cross. But thats would be the limit of my praise. Decsion making is truly awful, and that is affecting the feet thing as well. How often do you see him try and make a pass of balance, which is normally the reason we end up in trouble.

Not sure it's 100% correct. Changing up the keeper is a bit more complicated then an ourfield player, its not like you can bring them on at half time and they get a chance to win there place back. When you sit as a keeper you sit for a long time, it feels more like he's waiting for the oportunity to make the swtich. I imagine we will see Jorgenson tomorow and that moght give us a better idea if he's any good

He's going to cost us much more then he saves us, including top 4. Last season was the same, he will make the odd great save and he's pretty good collecting crosses but his focus isn't there, he hasn't got it at the top level and the preshure on him to play turns him in to a liability, Give Jorgenson a go between now and Jan and if it doesn't look like the right fit go balls deep for Diogo Costa

I see not much changed in my years away 😁

Cheacked it, Anelka took way longer... settles it, second best number 9 we have had in 20 years in his first 40 games

I'm assuming that is premier leage? because I think he has a few more in all comps Id guess that in the Roman era only costa has better stats in his first 40 games ... maybe Anelka at a push. Prior to that we had Jimmy id have jackson every day over Jimmy. Actually, if we could combine the two... I think when I look around the prem I dont see many better as a number 9 . Halland for sure but then what, maybe Solanke, Isak and Watkins but the latter 2 would now cost you 100 million and I'm not sure they areworth that. Arsnenal crying out for one, Darwin has not exactly been a success. I don't follow football on the continent as much as I used to, I saw that many are raving about the sporting CF, but it's always a gamble and at that cost I'm not sure it would be worthit. If we were to go and spunk the best part of 80 million on a player a keepr should surly be the priority.

One of Drogba's best games in a chelsea shirt invovled him scoring no goals, also not the worlds most clinical finisher, strangly when it really clicked for him we didn't win the league that season. Will Jackson continue to fustrate, probably for a bit longer, he's still learning. Still offers a lot to the team, big fan. Also a big fan of Nkuku and do think we should see a bit of rotation.

You will have to shorten the syllables for me in future as my vocblary is a bit limited but ill elaborate. Morata, I for one was really excited about him, started great then missed a few one on ones against arsenal and went in to a permanent hiding Werner as much as I took to him and I think most did also started to shy away from goal when things didn't go his way. Lukaku.. well you have to get on the pitch to start with. Did Havertz ever get in to double figures for us? He's not polished but he offers the team a hell of a lot and he doesn't go hiding (admittedly some times you wish he would) and, honestly I thought we should have started Nkuku.

Would you rather a striker who has hit 18 prem goals in a season and 5 games but has not always been clinical or a striker that doesn't miss chances because they don't have many

I love this! I was not in favor of appointing Maresca. Stated on hear that we had gone from appointing the hottest prospect in football management 20 years ago to the day to a guy who's credentials include, getting the best team in the championship to fall over the line and worked for pep. (like when people used to love to employ fergi assistances) There is a long way to go, but so far can't really fault him, and I want this arrogance in a manager. Hope to come back here in 8 months very much eating humble pie

23 years old (in June) had less then 1.5 seasons playing as a number 9. Workrate can't be faulted, I personally don't care so much about the off the ball antics, (See Costa and drogba chapters) Brings other in to play, hold up play very good, gets in to good positons. Id be looking for two things to imrpove this season, less touches, just take take the shot and and some gambling on the front post. loved the way Giroud would take up those positions.

Mini Prediction, by the end of the season you will consider Jackson absaloutly invaluable to our team. In 3 seasons time you will be talking about him as you once reveared the great Didier