FrankLampard8

I met the other fella once. I know some people aren't cut out for those sort of interactions and that's not their fault... I also appreciate how annoying it must be getting approached by a fan you've never met in your life... but he was exactly how you'd expect him to be. I met David Luiz on the same night and he was an absolute gent.

Oh I completely agree. It's exactly what I was trying to get at with "hopefully from slightly more free flowing football" - it felt more succinct and polite than hopefully these "sh*t" goals might open the floodgates a bit 😂

With Mudryk not coming off the bench last night and Pulisic getting minutes ahead of him, I did wonder whether Potter wished he'd picked Badiashile for his Champion's league squad now. Thankfully Cucurella was superb. I know the optics of not picking Mudryk would have been terrible but i'd love to get Potter's unfiltered thoughts on that one.

Yeah it is a no-brainer to play the same team again for this one especially with a week off to follow. Feels harsh on Badiashile to not be in the team but you can't argue with a MOTM performance from Cucurella and hopefully he can build on this. Now we've managed to score some goals, let's go out there, build on that and score at least a couple more - hopefully a from slightly more free flowing football.

I would argue any 3 at the back makes our new expensive wingers a little bit redundant. Mudryk isn't going to get a look in whilst we play this system because he wants to be wide with chalk on his boots, Madueke much the same and currently the width is coming from Chilwell and James. This system lends itself much better to Felix and Sterling for various reasons. Nkunku would probably relish it as well assuming he comes next season.

But other than that, why didn't GP pick him?

If it's as simple as offering him the same deal but on a 4 or 5 year contract and we don't do it then the new owners really are morons.

Even if we could find someone with the exact same skillset they would a) cost more than we sell Mason for b) Almost certainly not care the same amount as Mason has during his time here

We might have a new manager very soon and maybe they play a high-pressing 4-3-3 and suddenly Mount is a key player again. It's madness we've found ourselves in this situation yet again. Mount should be spending the rest of his career here.

I just don't think clever movement is enough to build a team around him and that's essentially what you're asking to do if we play him at number 10. It's nothing to do with the service he gets because a good number 10 takes what he is given and makes things happen for the team. The issue is, I don't think he is a very creative passer and he never really goes past someone even when he has open grass in front of him (Sule getting back in and making a recovery tackle away in Dortmund when he should have been through 1 on 1 comes to mind). Again, I actually quite like Kai and i've defended him at times but I do think maybe his level is star player for the level below the top. A good Champion's League club but not one that's consistently aiming to win it. Just my opinion.

Also must mean he isn't happy with his role in the squad at the moment and his future prospects rather than it being about money (unless someone has offered him unimaginable amounts). I can't really blame him. He will be an integral part of a team elsewhere and probably be a media darling rather than people having to defend him all the time.

Maybe but I also think it's a bit reductionist to think there is much difference in how they are being asked to play. Kai isn't exactly up against the centre halves and running off the last man all game long is he? They both have licence to drop to get the ball and they both have licence to burst forward when the moment is right.

Havertz isn't having a fallow period though is he? Has he even had a purple patch in his time here? I dno't think anyone is saying he is completely useless but equally he isn't up to the standards we aspire to and is very unlikely to be a key component at any of Europe's top top clubs.

That's impressive considering Thibaut was in much more dominant Chelsea sides - 2 league winning teams?

Yeah I think he has another year in Napoli personally unless us or United (if their takeover happens) put crazy money on the table and then it really does feel risky. You only have to look at our very own Koulibaly for an example of how Napoli keep hold of their players. After that, I think he will have 1 year left on his contract and we may have a chance however we really need to have found a solution before then.

I'm not sure that's the expression 😂😀 I'm so torn on him. On the one hand he would cost a fortune, we've been burned before and I think he has a bit of patchy injury record unless my memory is playing tricks. However, he's the outstanding candidate on paper, surely? If someone has watched him more consistently than me i'd be intrigued to hear their thoughts on how he'd adapt to our team. Compared to Lukaku he does still seem like his primary move is running off the shoulder but he seems to be more about clever movement rather than sheer pace and physicality on the break. He also seems to be quite dominant in the air with a great leap, something that Lukaku never really brought despite his size. He's never going to contribute anything meaningful in the build up but if he bangs goals then i'll take it all day long.

I can see no way in hell that Real would be willing to build a team around this guy. Based on what evidence? The guy is just not at that standard.

Genuine question, how do you feel about the money in movies and music? I always find it odd when people moan about footballer's being paid too much. Football generates that amount of money and it has to go somewhere. I would much rather it end up in the pockets of the players who are the talent and largely working class boys who worked hard to get where they are than to the already rich owners and companies involved at the top.

I was aware of him as a talent as Salzburg but haven't followed him very closely since he went to Leipzig. He was supposed to be a big talent so i'd be intrigued to know how he is developing. I don't see it as likely though - he is another attacking midfielder who wants to play as a 10 or plays out wide and cuts in to create or take long shots (unless he has changed dramatically since arriving in Germany).

This has always been my issue with Kai. I felt he needed to make it work as a striker using his touch, height and relative pace or not at all. I'm not fully sold on Felix but you only have to look at the creativity he provides to see what a second striker/number 10 should add to a side and Kai doesn't have that magic.

OK boomer. Embarrassing take.

Yes and no. I don't think Mount is the cautionary tale for the academy boys - if anything he is aspirational. I'm sure they would all take 3 or 4 years at Chelsea, 2 POTY awards and a Champions League before moving on to another massive Premier league club on huge wages that set them up for life. In fact it's pretty much the dream. Someone like Hudson-Odoi is much more of a cautionary tale if the motive is to play football but even he has played for England and is set for life given the huge wages we have paid him.

Understanding the club, what it stands for, the standards required and the supporters is quality of its own. It's not enough without delivering on the pitch but Mase has been a shining light until recently. I do fear we end up with essentially a whole new squad soon with no identity or connection to the past successes of the club - we will lose a lot by selling Mount and Azpilicueta. Gallagher to a lesser extent too.

Unfortunately for old, Rom. He signed a contract here and if Inter aren't willing to stump up enough readies to buy him or loan him for another season then he won't have much choice in the matter. They are looking increasingly less likely to do that and that is largely of his own making - he hasn't exactly set the world alight since his return and I heard perhaps the Curva Nord have turned on him a little bit again. For what it's worth, I don't think Celery has ever said Kante is "finished" - what he has said is that we don't really know what he is or will be as he hasn't played in so long. Something I agree with. I also agree that Mendy should and will likely be sold. He is currently being kept out of the side by Kepa who not many rate which says a lot. From memory Mendy's most recent run in the side contained more than one significant errors with the ball at his feet costing us goals. Football is evolving and he doesn't have the skillset to play in a ball dominant team - that's fine, he will likely fetch a decent fee and play for an alright Champion's league club abroad.

Thanks. Yeah i'd be lying if I said it didn't almost blow my brain trying to flip all the roles to the opposite side of the pitch at the end of a long day but hopefully I got there. I'm obviously not saying that we need Xavi or that we should even look to emulate the way Barca play but thought it was a fun thought experiment. I think it shows we both need 1 or 2 key signings but also there are options to get the best out of pretty much all of our key players. As everyone has said, Rice is the one for midfield. I really feel like he can be transformative for this team. Him and Enzo would set us up for years to come in the middle of the pitch and look likely to complement each other perfectly. Striker isn't so easy and none of the options fill me with much excitement. If Alvarez is available he is a no brainer and I think we have to pursue him in a big way. Otherwise maybe we would be better off looking at the cheaper end of the market and biding our time for someone we think could be a superstar?