Match Day Thread We're playing arsenal today!

faith

 

Rome wasn't built in a day and it'll take darn sight longer if we persist with some of these part-timers. All is not lost Zouma is on the mend and JT will be back so hopefully things will improve defensively - the sad fact atm is that we can't hack 2 games a week esp with one going into ET ( ET in the League cup are we that desperate?).

Kante definitely needs some assistance by the sounds of it and the usual suspects are showing their hand early on: Cahill,Ivan, Matic, hopefully Conte is not a complete schmuck and will make changes....sooner rather than later otherwise even a top 6 place will look like a pipe dream.

 

you all sound like my SO.. I hope you all are right and I am so ****ing wrong!!

We walk by Faith and not by Sight

GN and Good day!!

 

"After today we are thinking we must work a lot because we are a great team only on paper. It is always a team problem rather than individuals, When nothing works it is very hard for a player to play well.

conte.

there you go, he knows now.

do you remember when we all slated jose at Leicester for saying he made these players look good?

looks like we sacked the wrong man.

 

Iv'e stayed off this site now for a year or so, due to a couple of unpleasant know alls and too many posts turning into hate sessions, especially when someone actually had something insightful to say. But I read most posts and notice the Site is shrinking. This post is one I would like to comment on.
In the last year there have been loads of changes at the Bridge, yet nothing has changed at all. Our team has no midfield leader, no creative player to drive us forward, too many midgets buzzing around the sidelines, plays far too sideways or backwards, is painfully slow in thought and action, with a core of 4 or 5 players who need to go because, even on form ,they are at best ordinary. Yet the same players keep playing poorly, and kids that just might turn into something special get splinters in their bums on the sidelines. Even at this early stage of the season, I would not play Cahill, Ivan, Courtois or Matic unless in extreme circumstances. I would be looking for a proper creative midfielder, even before defenders. We have JT for the short term, and Zouma to return for the long term, we should recall Christiansen ASAP. I would have Hazard in a central role, or not in at all. Moses has looked as good as any winger so far, and is big, strong and positive, he needs a decent run. Above all we need to drop our obsession with sideline play and head straight for the goals, which someone needs to notice, are not on either sideline.
Conte needs to grow a pair, become his own man and impose himself. He needs to stop trying to be nice to everyone and get ruthless like Pep has done. Better to be sacked because your methods don't suit the Club than because you keep choosing players for the wrong reasons. Out with the old now, they have proved conclusively they are not good enough any more at this level.

 

Welcome back CP.. Good to have you back!!

This!!

 

Welcome back from me too CP your opinion and presence has been missed by myself for one. Well done for not giving in to the haters, I would also recall Tammy back from BC he is on fire and form is what the team should be picked on, not reputation. Fabregas is too slow, Ivan is just to crap, Cahill can't defend, Matic is where he was when we sold him last time out, Azpi just doesn't know when to go and when to stay, Courtois is not better than Cech, Kante must be wishing he stayed at Leicester, Hazard, just hoping it was a bad day at the office, Willian played like a lost boy a shadow of his real self, Costa, I wish a few more would show the same desire. Luiz I love so will not comment even if he was crap, which he was not today. Rant over.

 

CP you are a welcome sight and have been sorely missed, more often than not the voice of reason

Agree with you on the team at the moment, Hazard is a No10 not a winger, Moses is a winger in really good form so far this season. I think Fabregas could/should be the midfield creator but is often used wrong. Batshit looks like a very good addition up front, Ivan has to play CD or not at all, Cahill is ok with a leader (Terry) next to him but Zouma is better.

No idea what has happened to Courtois or Matic, both good players but well out of form.

On the youngsters, you have quite a few out on loan who could be useful right now, Abraham and Christiansen to name but two.

Don't know if this is a one off post or if you are going to stay with us but I hope it's the latter

 

Bravo CP! You've made some good points there esp Conte's fortitude- still I sense that he is feeling his way in the EPL so I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt; my hope is that he doesn't place too much emphasis on the old order as some Italian coaches are inclined to do. We have shown that we have sufficient firepower to blow away the average teams but are way short of challenging the top 5 - at this stage of the game it's shaping up to look like a transitional season and at top 6 looks to be our best bet.

 

That is all.

 

Right on

 

Thanks to all, reading what I wrote does seem a tad negative, but Arsenal and Liverpool put things into perspective !!!! However, on the positive side, Conte is no dope, and it can't be easy walking into the PL, though Pep has done it pretty well. I have liked all the players I am suggesting need to be stood down, Ivan is one of my all time favourites, but time waits for no man. By all means play him as CD against the right opponents for the rest of the season, but since we have been talking of rebuilding for at least 3 years now, that means some stalwarts have to go, not just the fringe players like Remy. Cahill just doesn't make the grade, Courtois has no wish to be here, and so on. Ive been banging on for years that the kids need more chances, but I don't mean play 5 or 6 of them together ! Good as Mitchy looks, so does Tammy Abrahams, so why isn't he in our squad banging in a few for us whilst learning and improving? If we really are going to overhaul the squad, Roman has 2 choices. Spend ever more, or learn patience. Problem is, he always chooses Route1.
Pogbas' price tag has set the cat among the pigeons. If we want serious world class midfielders, that's the cost, and without one we always struggle to join the back to the front.

 

Good to have you back

 

C.P. Great to have you back. You were always one of my favourite posters on here. I post very little myself but i read every thread and post with interest. I can remember when you checked out of here. You were accused of moaning and continually criticising the team, which wasn't true in my opinion. Your posts were trying to be constructive and making a case for giving our young players more of a chance. Every poster who goes to the bother of sending in an opinion, regardless of it's merit, should be respected. If we all thought the same way it would be a boring world ! Welcome back mate.

 

I'm sure Conte will change things,can't believe he bought luiz and alonso without having a 3 5 2 set up in mind.
He's given the current set up a chance and fair play to him for that,but enough's enough.

 

Watford brought Kennedy on for the last 15mins tonight, he didn't see much of the ball but looked to have bulked up a fair bit over the summer.
Hope it is muscle and not fat, I was very impressed with his speed and directness last year and was surprised he was loaned out.

 

Spot on Diego. He was ok today nothing to write. Surprised he was let go especially if Conte wants 352 he would be ace.

 

Not sure if being played at RW hindered him a bit, I have only seen him play along the left for you but Success had already been brought on for that side. I think they got it wrong because Success looks better on the right in the few times I have seen him.

 

Nathan Ake still on our books? he's the versatile type of squad player who would be useful. Then young Baker is going great guns as well. Sure ,we can't fit all of them in, but surely there is enough smarts in the Club to ensure we don't lose another "Kevin de Bruyne? Until these kids get a decent run in the team, it's near impossible to judge who can step up and who can't. That means a season of trial and error, with not much chance of winning anything.
Perhaps it's time to take that step backwards before we splash the stupid amount of cash we do, only to find the ones we buy are not really crash hot anyway? Got to be better than stumbling through another 2 years with the same end results as the last 2.

 

Currently on loan at Bournemouth.
Good player is young Abe