Their front three are a bit tricky, tbf. For anyone but especially players as slow as Maguire, Jones and Lindelof
The decision to award Fernandes a new 4 year contract grows all the more baffling with each passing week and tbh smacks of a panicked desperation to save face with a stream of similarly experienced players clawing at the exit door. He has been truly abysmal all season and it just isn't spoken about enough because reasons.
Liverpool and City are so far ahead of everyone else it’s scary. Depending on their takeover and the new owners plan, then Chelsea might drop off and be closer to the likes of Spurs, Arsenal and Utd but for the foreseeable, 3rd is the best the rest can hope for
I mean he scored a few penalties when he joined, seems to have carried him thus far. He’s a good player but needs to play in a certain position with a team set up around him. The rest of their squad is such a ****show that I think it rubs off on him, and I don’t think Ronaldo being there has helped him either, though of course he didn’t play tonight.
He is one of their most experienced players (certainly once you've crossed out the ones who want to leave and/or are out of contract in the summer). He is supposedly in his peak years yet his overall contribution is abysmal. It wouldn't be so bad if he gave 100% and at least tried to raise the game around him but his attitude absolutely stinks. Petulant and looks like he cannot be bothered. Those aren't the sort of characteristics you should be rewarding with a new long term contract.
How could this team have done us for 6 points this season but on the other hand we have done the same to Citeh , it's a funny old game
Because Spurs are very similar to Man Utd. A few years ago that was the aim. Now it’s almost insulting to be just like them.
it never bothers me too much when a team or few are ‘far ahead’ of others. It can actually just change within a season or two from what I’ve gathered. 5 years ago we were supposed to be the next big club to have a stint at the top…obviously we ****ed our chance up but being smart could have got us there…a bit like Liverpool. Lesta do a lot right with their scouting it seems and it reflects in their recent successes and their recent positions in the league. If someone can do it right because from what im seeing…everyone has money to spend…then they can elevate many fold in a short space of time. Spending loads helps but it’s apparent that it’s how you spend that makes the difference. We should be right up there next season if we have a smart summer window…everything else is in place. Then it comes to the head to heads? about time we improved ours against Pool...it’s embarrassing. The rest we should be going toe to toe with on an equal. Chelsea slightly better than us maybe but for me I just see weak mentality against them..they are hardly off the planet compared to us.
City Liverpool Chelsea Tottenham (under Conte) Arsenal West Ham Man Utd Everybody else That's pretty much the state of the league now
Lingard is decent. Rashford is ok but nothing special IMO. There are a lot of overrated players at that club and it needs revolution rather than the evolution needed at Chelsea and Tottenham to get them competing with the top two.
I don’t feel as though we are too far off them teams…our club structures are quite different though. I talk more of Pool than Sports wash City because anyone can what they are doing as Newcastle will prove soon enough. Liverpool though…we were on a par about 10 years ago and we were arguably better about 6 years ago but then they hit their **** in order. I don’t think they have spent anymore than most of the big clubs but they have spent smart. So it’s about smart for me. As for your club…probably the same is true…that 90 million spent on Stormzy was better spent elsewhere instead of a player who has always been what he has and we all knew it…just an expensive Darren bent…that’s not enough in a league like ours…I can tell you that sat on my couch…**** knows who’s running your club.
I think there is real potential for THFC under Conte but there is still some way to go to reach the 3 clubs above you. City, LFC and even CFC are consistently reaching finals in cup competition - Conte needs time to make the squad his own and needs investment. The two recruits from Juve look impressive so far but the midfield and defence needs work. Chelsea and Tottenham won't find better managers to challenge Pep/Klopp so they may as well back them as much as they feasibly can. Conte's performances against Klopp and Pep this season are as good as any we've seen, ripped them to shreds.
I’ve said similar, and they’ve also bought overrated players too. If you paid £30m each for Maguire and Sancho you’d be relatively satisfied. £80m though? Get ****ed. I wanted Wan-Bissaka at Spurs but no way was he worth £50m after about 18 months at Palace. They’ve been a more expensive version of Everton; paid massively inflated prices for average/ ok footballers and expected those footballers to suddenly become worthy of their fees.
If I’m honest I think we’re a fair way off of City and Pool. Whilst City have their backing they’re going to be almost impossible to catch unless a team nails it at recruitment over many windows like Pool have done under Edwards and Klopp, you then also need the manager like Klopp to make it work. Pool are now in a position though where they’re leagues above most of Europe thanks to that recruitment and so if they maintain it with more good signings (like Diaz) then it’ll be hard to overtake them. Chelsea could be caught, depending on how their eventual new owners go about things. They could lose Rudiger on a free who’s been one of the top CBs in the Prem since he came, Silva isn’t getting younger, Christensen is also leaving on a free supposedly to Barca, whilst Azpi could go too with just a year left on his deal. That’s the whole heart of their defence either leaving or ageing and it won’t be easy to replace all that quality so quickly which could open up a chance to catch them, albeit it’s still slim I’d say. Getting top four will be huge for us this season as it likely helps keep Kane and gives Conte/ Paratici a wider pool of players to target. I think fourth place could be a real battle over the next few years though between us, Arsenal, Utd and possibly West Ham/ Leicester. Sooner or later one team needs to get it right to secure it long term, I hope that’s us, certainly more optimistic with Paratici and Conte than I was in the last couple years.
