Squad

[Charles]

I agree its a great looking squad. Its only really the front three that concern me. I dont think there's a standout player amongst them (though i have hopes for Odobert, Moore and Lankshear)

Agree the front three is exceptionally weak.
You would be hard pressed to find a less creative technically inferior front three than Johnson, Solanke and Richarlison in the PL

None can beat a man. , None can score from further than 10 yards . They don't get assists.
Very average - and relatively easy to defend against because they are one dimensional and predictable.
Son is class but his best days are behind him. Odobert has not come good yet. Same with Tel.

The front three is the main reason we play boring football.

 

[Lilbaz]

When poch and redknapp took over none of the players (modric, bale, kane, walker etc...) were considered stars. That came later.

 

[Muttley]

When poch and redknapp took over none of the players (modric, bale, kane, walker etc...) were considered stars. That came later.

Yep, ditto Poch. He had just one, Lloris who we all thought would jump ship. Then you blink and there's a team full of them.

 

[Raziel]

Agree the front three is exceptionally weak.
You would be hard pressed to find a less creative technically inferior front three than Johnson, Solanke and Richarlison in the PL

None can beat a man. , None can score from further than 10 yards . They don't get assists.
Very average - and relatively easy to defend against because they are one dimensional and predictable.
Son is class but his best days are behind him. Odobert has not come good yet. Same with Tel.

The front three is the main reason we play boring football.

? where to start

- Solanke is used as a pressing workhorse not as a CF, and still managed 16 goals, 9 assists in total in his first season in a dreadful system
- Johnson basically scores/assists at a rate as a winger that is only beaten by Salah, Saka and Son (previous seasons)

Neither player is "very average"

The issue is the system, Son & Johnson are both not suited for how Ange wants to play, neither are traditional wingers, both like to run into open spaces, Ange's system with overloads creates the opposite, congested spaces. Both would be better suited having freedom to come inside, make runs off the striker.

Solanke is a poacher (so I agree with the need to be in the box) who suits a pressing system (guy fudging scored 19 goals in league for Bournemouth), the system should be setup that on the counter he gets to the box for that tap in, instead we give that role to the winger coming in at back post. I'll be controversial, Arsenal would have had a much better chance at winning the league this year if they had Solanke, he would walk on to Chelsea's side as well, and United's.

We play brick football because the system is too predictable, and players are not being played to their strength (your creativity is not supposed to come from your fudging CF) and it's too easy to counter by congesting deep areas (all teams struggle with this) an waiting for us to lose possession, counter with fudging long ball to wide spaces left behind FBs.

Very few players can be evaluated on this season because the way we play suits no one.

 

[SteveAWOL]

He's just spent the last 2 years on loan. At a higher standard than the championship. Just play him

Looking through the list of Belgian Pro League top scorers who’ve been signed by English clubs recently

Paul Onuachu went from 33 goals in 38 games for Genk to 4 in 36 games for Southampton
Deniz Undav went from 26 goals in 39 games for Union SG to 5 goals in 22 games Brighton

Can but hope that Vuskovic can make the step up to deal with EPL’s finest as well as he did with players of that calibre.

 

[braineclipse]

Main problems that need fixing are depth, ball progression, technical quality and creativity. Particularly if it's Ange or another manager wanting to play an ambitious style of football.

 

[Lilbaz]

Main problems that need fixing are depth, ball progression, technical quality and creativity. Particularly if it's Ange or another manager wanting to play an ambitious style of football.

Passing to our own players. Defending. Attacking.

 

[parklane1]

Main problems that need fixing are depth, ball progression, technical quality and creativity. Particularly if it's Ange or another manager wanting to play an ambitious style of football.

Having someone in M/F who can read a game and organise us to be tighter and stronger there would be a very good start.

 

[Roland Beurre]

Main problems that need fixing are depth, ball progression, technical quality and creativity.

Some of the haircuts are shocking, as well.