6 hours ago, dkw said:

So your evidence is a list of payers that were all played in their actual positions, amazing.

If you could open your mind you'd see my stance is that is not their natural positions.  I have nothing more to say, so go ahead and have your last word.

 

5 hours ago, Droopy said:

Some valid points but generally too harsh and selective. i also have my concern with some of Frank's decisions but:

1) Frank was most likely forced to play Kepa

2) and 3) is actually one point. The complaint was that Mount is taking Kai's position except for Brighton away where RLC and his trash performance stole the show. 

4) On Werner and Abraham I agree 100%. Tammy shouldn't be anywhere near the starting position. I will go further and say that he hasn't won the privilege to start over Giroud especially with the way the Frenchman ended the last season but...

5) Don't act like CHO is giving something special. He has his moments but that's what is all about. Moments. He played his usual game for a lot of time this season to conclude that he'll  spend most of the season on the bench if Ziyech and Pulisic are healthy. 

6) fitness and condition - that doesn't have anything to do with Frank. There is huge medical staff, conditional team, fitness coaches. It is also a player's personal responsibility to stay fit and healthy. How do you  imagine a head coach looking for 25 men and their fitness condition, eating and drinking habits, endurance etc... he only gets the final production.

7) most of the players we bought him were injured what spine are you talking about? 

 

 

Any manager shouldn't be forced.  I know it happens, but I struggle that anyone in Chelsea after watching the train wreck that is Kepa forced Lamps to pick him.  The Mount and Kai item stretched a few more games for me - it was Barnsley, WBA to an extent and Palace where I thought he was in a better position.

Completely agree on Cho - he needs to deliver a lot more.  Just thought the team was lacking pace and width, and if he is not given the chance when can he show.  I know Lamps is big on training so a likely driver, but says a lot to me that our only fit, natural winger couldn't get in the side.

I do believe Frank is responsible for fitness and condition.  Yes he has a team that handles that specifically, but the buck stops with him.  Based on what we have experienced, I hope Lamps is asking the hard questions to those very teams.  

Spine will settle as they return, but again it took a long time to get Silva, Mendy ready etc.  Thiago signed Friday for Liverpool and played Sun.  Happens across the PL with many signings, but Lamps is a slow integrator.  If that's his approach so be it.  But as a result, in my opinion, the number of combinations we have played across the back, midfield and upfront have been detrimental to our football this year.

Can we just get back onto Ziyech now?  Again, can't wait to see him play!

21 hours ago, chiefBlueCFC said:

I heard he has transitioned into a hybrid RW/DM/GK position. Frank's been working on his fitness so he can man all three areas 

Ah - The Kante Role...

Can't wait to see how he works with the rest of the team!

 

Defintely a little off the pace, but what else can you expect given the Dutch football shutdown back in March and his injury.  He's played no more than 120 mins football since then - will take him a month or two to get his sharpness back, get up to pace and adapt to the league and teammates.  Looking forward to watching that progression.

too early to make any informed opinions really, but my main concern with Ziyech is that he tends to occupy quite similar positions on the pitch to Havertz. 

I understand signing Havertz was an opportunity we had to take - but I do wonder if we would have still signed Ziyech if Havertz had already been here. We really only appear to have genuine width from Pulisic and CHO (who Lamps doesn't seem to want to start). With Mount also being forced out wide, it does feel a little unbalanced to me.

Means Reece and Chilwell will be very important.

 

  

46 minutes ago, Adamrb said:

too early to make any informed opinions really, but my main concern with Ziyech is that he tends to occupy quite similar positions on the pitch to Havertz. 

I understand signing Havertz was an opportunity we had to take - but I do wonder if we would have still signed Ziyech if Havertz had already been here. We really only appear to have genuine width from Pulisic and CHO (who Lamps doesn't seem to want to start). With Mount also being forced out wide, it does feel a little unbalanced to me.

Means Reece and Chilwell will be very important.

 

  

I'd like to see Havertz and Ziyech play on opposite sides. Havertz can beat any fullback 1-vs-1 in the air, and Ziyech is arguably the best back-post crosser in the world...

He has been so off the pace and had a very poor end product. 
 

It’s weird because I expected him to take a while longer than the others due to his injury however I thought his corners and free kicks would still be crazy good. 
 

I still reckon he will be our new assist machine once he settles. I just hope he settles soon. 

1 minute ago, MayosNoun! said:

He has been so off the pace and had a very poor end product. 
 

It’s weird because I expected him to take a while longer than the others due to his injury however I thought his corners and free kicks would still be crazy good. 
 

I still reckon he will be our new assist machine once he settles. I just hope he settles soon. 

This is a very poor take. He came on for 10 minutes at the end in driving rain when we barely had the ball and were under pressure away from home. Honestly the rush to judgement on here sometimes is appalling. 

What you missed was his huge effort off the ball, tracked runners on both sides,  pressured the ball in wide areas and was leading the press. He definitely has ability on the ball but tonight we saw graft and effort as well.

Yes the two corners hit the front man. He doesn't float corners, he hits them low and flat which means he is always likely to hit the first man but when he doesn't they are deadly. Perhaps we wait until he actually starts a game before saying he is so off the pace etc etc.?

5 minutes ago, MayosNoun! said:

He has been so off the pace and had a very poor end product. 
 

It’s weird because I expected him to take a while longer than the others due to his injury however I thought his corners and free kicks would still be crazy good. 
 

I still reckon he will be our new assist machine once he settles. I just hope he settles soon. 

He's always been a poor corner taker. Tends to hit the guy at the front post just like Willian used to do. He can take a decent free kick, but their specialist used to be Lasse Schone, not Ziyech.

Would be good to see him start midweek in the Champions League.  Give Havertz a break for one week.  He has a chance to get 60+ mins under his belt and Frank needs to use this time wisely.

Best player on the pitch tonight. His passing was a level above everybody elses.

Showed what he got in his legs, great performance and took well his chance to score.

Still a lot of more to expect from him.

Pinged it around very nicely last night. Finally someone who can deliver the ball into the box from deep!

Showed his class today. Chased every ball, pressed well and in unison with others, scored a goal and laid on a peach of an assist. 

Can't ask for more. The extra left footed option makes such a difference as well. Who was it slagging him off in here last week? 

Now thats how you have a League debut at a club, outstanding.

Such an intelligent player. Some of the things he does don't look  worldly spectacular but most players and certainly none in our roster last year display his simple and effective passing lines in the final third. Even the goal he took. Reminds me of KDB. Just strike the ball without thinking.

3 hours ago, KonaKai Blue said:

Such an intelligent player. Some of the things he does don't look  worldly spectacular but most players and certainly none in our roster last year display his simple and effective passing lines in the final third. Even the goal he took. Reminds me of KDB. Just strike the ball without thinking.

I love this too. Players who shoot regardless of players in front of them, hoping it’ll go through them or take a deflection. Ziyech takes risks in the final third which is great. 

He certainly adds a completely new dimension to the team, gone are the days of our right winger being shown inside to lay a 5 yard pass to our Central midfielder. He is a genuine threat on the inside therefore Full backs are covering the run inside giving Reece a lot more space and freedom to provide width and threat from the outside.

I felt as though for the last few years majority of our play came from the left wing and teams would look to shut that side down (Thanks to Hazard and Pulisic), once a team neutralized us from the left we were left a little clueless on how to break teams down. With the addition of Ziyech I believe for the first time in a long time we have a well balanced attack & long may it continue.

20 hours ago, Imran_CFC said:

He certainly adds a completely new dimension to the team, gone are the days of our right winger being shown inside to lay a 5 yard pass to our Central midfielder. He is a genuine threat on the inside therefore Full backs are covering the run inside giving Reece a lot more space and freedom to provide width and threat from the outside.

I felt as though for the last few years majority of our play came from the left wing and teams would look to shut that side down (Thanks to Hazard and Pulisic), once a team neutralized us from the left we were left a little clueless on how to break teams down. With the addition of Ziyech I believe for the first time in a long time we have a well balanced attack & long may it continue.

Agreed! Now we have so many options. Pace and directness from the left, intricate play from the centre, unpredictability from the right and fullbacks with great deliveries.

Ziyech is the sh*t........what a passer he is.

Literally cannot believe how good this guy is!!

Those that were missing Willian, should start to feel a bit better now. 
 

This guy is top class. 

 

 

6 chances created is the highest amount anyone has done in a single game so far. There is a new sheriff in town, his name is Hakim.