Having slipped out of top 4 when we could be equal top , here comes another banana skin. Time to stand up again. Mendy James, Zouma, Silva, Emerson Kante Gilmour, Mount Pulisic, Havertz Werner. Subs The usual suspects.
No Jiminez and off form a bit...possibly good time to play them. Not too confident but hopefully we can squeak a win.
What can you say? Chilwell played the way I said he doesn't, almost no back passing and he got involved, though he had a tough 2nd half. Werner was utterly hopeless, he couldn't pass, couldn't beat anyone one on one ,he looks an unhappy player. Havertz was equally poor, no energy, drive, enthusiasm, flair or vision. Neither look like top players at the moment. Pulisic half fit was better than both which is encouraging. Giroud had little to work with but still showed Werner and Abraham what a striker is supposed to do. Mount had a quiet game for him, but OK. Kante was everywhere ,again showed he's our most valuable player.Silva and Zouma were pretty good, James a bit below recent form. Mendy was beaten by 2 goals, neither easy to save. The subs were too late coming on and did little, Abraham can't turn a game anyway. Like the Everton game, we again played an overcomplicated slow style, with too much emphasis on passing and too little running. By comparison Wolves played the smarter game . They ran straight at goal all game, mostly through the middle, and tried to put the ball in the net. Sticky period for us now, we haven't handled losing 3 wingers to injury at all well.
Tbf Werner and Havertz played out of position, some fans starting to moan about them. They've both been thrown under a bus imo.
Don't agree with this. They should at least be able to do the basics whatever position they play and at the moment Werner is just slightly less crap than Havertz.
I certainly agree about Werner, he looks as if he'd rather be somewhere else. I know he played wide at times in Bundesleiga, but he's being asked to play more like a winger, maybe because NOTHING goes more central for him to run onto, which is his game. He runs into scoring positions, but with us he can't because no one is setting him up or anticipating such runs. Havertz is just plain out of sorts. Didn't he start beside Mount today in Mid? That's his best position according to most. A few players today looked leggy and sluggish, him especially. If he really was under the weather with Covid, he might certainly still be feeling dodgy. More reason for Frank to use his subs earlier, I feel he's often too slow to change. Expect more from both in the future, but Werner will still be a crappy passer of the ball !!
Well, if Havertz was playing in his preferred position he spent a hell of a lot of time out wide. Werner may be a crap passer, but he's one hell of a goal scorer. Both totally misused imo. Werner the central striker and Havertz the number 10. If that doesn't suit Frank's style of play, then maybe he should have signed someone else.
It’s Christmas. Our seasonal slump begins and if we can navigate it without too many poor results it will be fine. Let’s not jump on certain players’ backs too soon. They’ve spent less than six mo this in a new club, in a new league in a new country. Wait a season then pass judgement.
Actually trying to be on the side of the players, especially Werner and Havertz !!! In this crazy season, with so many players injured, Frank has had real problems getting a stable line up having to swap people too often. Hope we soon see Werner being given more passes to run onto, and play to his strengths.Havertz is taking time , no problem, but he does look to be struggling for energy post Covid.
