Quick comparison to year ago and we have let the following players go for one reason or annuva. Drogs, Alex, Raul, essie, kalou, boss, nico, benayoun, plus maybe flo too. All seasoned internationals with class pedigrees, so it might be a tad bumpy ride ahead as rdm tries to integrate and establish virtually a new team, apart form the spine. Against Madrid he got selection wrong as well as the tactics and we were outclassed all game - not best weekend trip abroad I've had!

He is building a counter attacking team, a bit like atheltice Madrid, but will need a another option cos it won't always work....

It's gonna be an interesting few months, hope he hasn't changed too much to soon

I would rather have kept Essien and Meireles , 2 defesive minded(ish) players gone that could have been useful. I know we want to play attacking football this season but what's the point if you can't defend ? It seems like right now we have too many attacking players and not enough defensive players , i like a good balance between the two and right now i don't think we have it.

I just hope we have learned from the mistakes on Friday and can now move forward knowing that we can't go attacking at all times.

Meireles should've stayed, personally I think Essien looks done his pace has very much gone

I loved Raul Meireles.

Letting mireles go was moronic.