The number of basic errors Bakayoko makes is ridiculous. 

We need to just cut our loses with him, take whatever anyone is willing to pay for him and move on. He’s shocking. 

Pulisic has looked tidy what I’ve seen of him so far.

Awful first half to be honest, I really hope Lampard will make at least 8-9 changes.

barkley running the show

Kenedy scores. Poor goalkeeping though.

kenedy scores

I've said before, we need to stop playing Bakayoko ... at any level ... or we'll be putting any potential buyers right off him ...

Kenedy and Barkley have been our two best players. Both deserve their goals.

if we're going to score goals like these this season there'll be lots of happy people on the Shedend   

Kenedy pulls a finish from range out of his arse but the Reading defence just stood off of him and the ‘keeper was flat footed. 

Still he’s done quite well in this half and wonder if Frank is thinking of keeping him around to boost our attacking options, if even only until January when CHO and RLC should both be back. 

5 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

The number of basic errors Bakayoko makes is ridiculous. 

He rarely makes any clean passes. He forces an extra touch or two out of the player he is passing to, and that is if he can find the player at all. Seriously one of the worst players I have ever seen play for us, I have no idea how he is playing at a top level, he looks worse than youth players.

a half of two halves - so hard to tell how close any of this line-up are to being in Frank's mind as regular starters. Still, some nice football here and there.

3 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Kenedy pulls a finish from range out of his arse but the Reading defence just stood off of him and the ‘keeper was flat footed. 

Still he’s done quite well in this half and wonder if Frank is thinking of keeping him around to boost our attacking options, if even only until January when CHO and RLC should both be back. 

He's done OK today, puts a shift in, plus he can play full back so he's definitely worth a punt as a squad player. 

2 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Kenedy pulls a finish from range out of his arse but the Reading defence just stood off of him and the ‘keeper was flat footed. 

Still he’s done quite well in this half and wonder if Frank is thinking of keeping him around to boost our attacking options, if even only until January when CHO and RLC should both be back. 

 

I've always said Kenedy has got potential. He has pace, aggression, flair, he can shoot. He's also versatile. He needs to feel settled and he probably needs to sort his head out. I get the feeling he's staying.

So first half positives; Barkley ran things in the final third. Kenedy look surprisingly effect down the right. Christensen looks confident at the back. Drinkwater helping dictate the tempo from midfield and showed a good range of passing. 

First half negatives; Neither fullback making the most of any space they were finding down the flanks. Bakayoko continues to look completely inept. Giroud offering little to no presence. 

1 minute ago, Scott Harris said:

He rarely makes any clean passes. He forces an extra touch or two out of the player he is passing to, and that is if he can find the player at all. Seriously one of the worst players I have ever seen play for us, I have no idea how he is playing at a top level, he looks worse than youth players.

Summed him up that terrible simple pass to zapacosta, it was nowhere near him. He's been abysmal. 

First Half:

Good: Drinkwater, Barkley
Decent: Christensen, Pulisic
Poor: Zappacosta, Tomori
Bakayoko: Bakayoko

Barkley looking a different player these days... 

Bakayoko is poor. Never looks comfortable. Same feeling of hoping he doesn't mess up every time he gets the ball. 

Kenedy looks up for it. Pulisic trying.

Alonso is one player I was hoping would be sold. Really dislike watching him play on that left flank. 

 

There's a nice tempo to the passing when in the final third with quite a bit of movement from players. 

Edited July 28, 20196 yr by GhostOfDembaBa

1 minute ago, Davey Baby said:

I've always said Kenedy has got potential. He has pace, aggression, flair, he can shoot. He's also versatile. He needs to feel settled and he probably needs to sort his head out. I get the feeling he's staying.

 

1 minute ago, dkw said:

He's done OK today, puts a shift in, plus he can play full back so he's definitely worth a punt as a squad player. 

Some days Kenedy looks decent, others he stinks out the joint. 

I think my issue with him is he doesn’t look to do the simple things well often enough. 

He’s almost always looking to run past his man regardless of what else is on, take a shot on even if there’s better options on or even if the angle is against him. 

It’s almost like he’s overconfident in his ability which I suppose is a weird criticism. 

Could be useful to keep around as an extra option but can’t imagine he’d get much if any play time when every one is fit and available. 

Listening to Frank Sinclair attempt to pronounce surnames of our players is painful. 

2 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

 

Some days Kenedy looks decent, others he stinks out the joint. 

I think my issue with him is he doesn’t look to do the simple things well often enough. 

He’s almost always looking to run past his man regardless of what else is on, take a shot on even if there’s better options on or even if the angle is against him. 

It’s almost like he’s overconfident in his ability which I suppose is a weird criticism. 

Could be useful to keep around as an extra option but can’t imagine he’d get much if any play time when every one is fit and available. 

He's explosive and used to play high up the the pitch. Very attack minded... Bizarre that he was used as a left back. 

Dribbling past players, driving at goal and shooting is pretty much all he thinks about. 

15 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

The number of basic errors Bakayoko makes is ridiculous. 

We need to just cut our loses with him, take whatever anyone is willing to pay for him and move on. He’s shocking. 

Pulisic has looked tidy what I’ve seen of him so far.

I think Pulisic is going to be the type of player that takes a bit to adjust to the speed and physicality of playing in England, but once he does, he should be very good.

He’s has some good moments today, tidy as you said, but he’s a step slow with his dribbles and passes.  Should get sharper with each shift he puts in.

1 minute ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Listening to Frank Sinclair attempt to pronounce surnames of our players is painful. 

Probably as entertaining as watching Sinclair and Bakayoko attempting to pass to each other on a mythical training pitch somewhere ... I'd back Stefan Ivanovic to win the ball every time against that pair ....

Frank again playing with two up top. 

Definitely appears to be in his thinking, even if it’s as a plan B. Diamond midfield gives opportunity to use a number of our midfield options. 

Poor defending there.

sloppy defending, don't want to see that when the real games start