.......and I didn't think that I had a proper laugh in me tonight. I'd put some water in it, mate.......or a sock.
Funnily enough I was about to say the same thing. We need something drastically different. Some Kane's passing was sublime this evening - a rare beam of light in an otherwise dreary evening. I really wouldn't mind seeing us try: Hugo Trippier Dave Jan Davies Dier Winks Alli Kane Son Llorente
Wanyama's absence has been massive, especially as Dier hasn't been able to play DM due to Toby's injury. Dembele is just ****ed, unfortunately. It seems as if he can't fully recover and it's now becoming too much of a problem. We're wasting a sub on 60 mins in the games he starts because he's too fatigued. His form has also been nowhere like it was back in 15/16 or 16/17. I think he's done, at least as a starter anyway.
I don't think they are that daft that they are thinking they are world beaters because they beat Madrid and that means they don't have to try in any other games. It's a bit more complex than that...if they thought they were world beaters they would probably be show boating but it's more a case of they can't find another gear physically or mentally.
I've been slating him but you are right Bri...he's good enough to be backed by us...he just gets on my tits sometimes
If I recall correctly, Barkley had a poor season after his breakthrough season with Everton. Grass, greener. No messiah. As we know Dele is 21 year old international, worth >£75m and wanted by the likes of Real Madrid. Basically, a player we would dream of having if he wasn't already ours. Cream always rises to the top.
It's riskier, and particularly given how good Watford have been in attack but we still have a lot of quality. I'd go with that, Eriksen probably needs a rest and as you say, Kane was very good moving the ball from deeper positions tonight, although he always is.
I didn't think he was awful. He's been lively whenever he's come on and has more pace than I'd expect. He's missed 2 sitters, Dortmund and tonight, but I'd like to see him given a start as I fancy him to cause more trouble than the other options.
His first touch has been absolutely appalling, he's far too static and he never looks like scoring. Don't get me wrong, he's actually a good player. He's massively off-form and lacking fitness, though. We should've addressed that by giving him time in the reserves, in my opinion. He's not the only one, either.
People didn't think much of Wanyama when we signed him, and I hold my hands up cos I wasn't impressed with us signing Toby. Ultimately, if he fits the team, that's far more important than his form at another club. He's great at taking on players and strikes the ball well. Currently we only have Kane doing that and it certainly would have helped us in our last few games.
I think Barkley would be a good option. It's the notion that we should sell Alli and we have an automatic upgrade in Barkley that I find bemusing.
We're short of senior players and we've allowed 2 senior academy products to go out on loan. Compared with the teams currently above us we're down to Harry's bare bones. Given that Foyth is really an Academy player, Llorente, Rose, Lamela and Aurier don't appear anywhere near first team fit, we've picked up long-term injuries to Toby, Mousa and Victor Wanyama and short-term ones to HK, Dele, Ben Davies and Hugo, that puts things in context. We're picking unfit players and have had some huge CL games as well as our usual league commitments. In the last 2 seasons, we've done poorly in Europe. This season we'e struggling domestically. On the run up to Christmas, this is bad news. MP and his staff need to use players so as to avoid further injury. More game time for Sonny, who needs to come in for Eiksen to make us more direct. In January we could do with help in all departments as we remain one short in defence, midfield and attack when compared to our competitors.
I try to avoid the tendency to slate players on a few poor results. We could easily have won tonight if the ball had fallen for us It's football it happens. People slating Dele have no support from me I wonder if people confuse real football with a computer game. Nobody plays a blinder every game and players like Dele and Eriksen depend on the limits of touch to produce their best games. To suggest the team weren't trying is just nonsense. We miss Wanjama and Toby badly and our defence is as a result under par for us, that's not to say it's not still very good . I agree with Dier Hard that Rose has been poor since his return on the other hand Lamela cam back with such a bounce it was exciting to see. As for Dembele people have written him off twice before when he came back from injury, I don't think he's finished just yet but he is not as impervious to lack of confidence as his big presence might suggest. There are always ups and downs during a season and I can't remember the amount of times I have made posts like this on here following one or two losses, it seems to happen every season.
