On 01/10/2022 at 19:57, loz said:

Too many similar central midfielders who offer protection to the back line and not enough quality in the other half of the field. Jorginho, Kovacic and RLC just don't offer enough. If you are playing Chelsea you'd be glad to see them playing.  Potter needs a properly fit and more resilient Kante back and I can see Gallagher getting more playing time going forward.

Spot on Loz, The midfield is clearly where our problems lie.

I have posted several times that we lack any real creativity and this is still evident. Firstly, we need a proven ball winner, Kante can and will do the job in the short term if he is ever fit, but the long term is very worrying. Secondly we need that player that can pick out a through ball, an eye of a needle pass or ball over the top that gets the strikers more involved. I am convinced that Auba, Sterling and Broja WILL all score goals if we give them the service and not just from the wing backs.  I have always rated Kovacic, but he is far too injury prone and very slow to return to match sharpness when he has had the many injuries. Jorginho is way past his best at Chelsea. He needs to move to a League with less pressing, slower pace and more time and there he will flourish, ideally in January. But the real concern for me this Season is the poor form of Mount. From our best player, he looks a mile off the pace, he is giving the ball away far too much and his goal threat has become non-existent. So yes, I too have problems with the whole of the midfield and I don't think that RLC is any better than the above players. So this leaves Gallagher, who I am certain is better than RLC, Kovacic and Jorginho.  We also have Zakaria, who I know nothing about and Chukwuemeka who is clearly a great prospect but may not yet be ready for First Team duty.  Time for Todd to get the cheque book out I am afraid.

Was only able to watch highlights so can't offer much in the way of thoughts on the game.

What I will say though is that a Palace fan who was at the match told me afterwards that James might be the best footballer he's ever seen play at Selhurst, so that's something I guess?

Silva will not be starting most games  soon. That’s my prediction. Koulibaly is only just fast enough but with him and cucurella we can play back 4. 

4 hours ago, cfr95 said:

Was only able to watch highlights so can't offer much in the way of thoughts on the game.

What I will say though is that a Palace fan who was at the match told me afterwards that James might be the best footballer he's ever seen play at Selhurst, so that's something I guess?

Hopefully Fofana gets the cobwebs off soon as he and James on that right side sets us up for years.