Mes que un Thread (22-23 Domestic Football, unless domestic is Scotland)

[Duke]

8 minutes ago, Mr_Danger said:

No way Chelsea are giving Potter ‘Klopp time’. They’ve just spent £280m and will probably spend again in January. They’re not spending money that would make Man City blush to develop players and build a team. 

Then they're idiots for going to Potter. Full on "no faith in any decision you make" idiots. That doesn't mean you're wrong, of course, but it's absolutely baffling if they're not doing that, and Potter has reportedly sought clear assurances that he has long-term backing. 

They spent that money because they were backing Tuchel, but even then the big money was spent on the future. The squad needed fairly radical surgery, and after all the talk of the money spent, a lot of it was just replacing who had left. Auba - Lukaku, Sterling - Werner, Cucurella - Alonso/Emerson, Koulibaly - Rudiger, Fofana - Christensen, Zakaria - Saul. Chelsea actually have 1 fewer CB than they did last season, because Sarr left, 1 less forward/RWB cos of CHO, one less midfielder cos of Barkley. IF they hadn't spent that money the clubs rep could have massively dropped.

As has been said, Chelsea are almost a brand new club at the moment, and ALL the noise they've made is about wanting to have a project and invest in the long term. It might not happen because it takes some nerve, but Potter is a statement of that intent. Tuchel, by comparison, never lasts.

Who knows, when Lukaku comes back he may work this time. 

Yeah I know, I went too far there.

[air_raid]

Yeah, the total restructure and acceptance of competing at a slightly lower level but spending a shitload of money on players like Sterling and Aubameyang doesn't tally.

I looked at their 11 the other night and the talent on the bench, and I think the only reason they shouldn't have a crack at the title is lack of a settled defence. Otherwise, get Sterling & Aubameyang to work together and I think its the envy of any 10-9 in the division other than De Bruyne and Haaland - if KDB stays fit.

[Duke]

10 minutes ago, air_raid said:

Yeah, the total restructure and acceptance of competing at a slightly lower level but spending a shitload of money on players like Sterling and Aubameyang doesn't tally.

They're not the players we spent a shitload on.

 

Sterling has undoubtedly been bought to build the team around for 5 years, but no one thinks he's enough to compete by himself, nor the end of the project. Auba has a 2 year deal and has "stopgap" written all over him.

 

[air_raid]

1 minute ago, Duke said:

Auba has a 2 year deal and has "stopgap" written all over him.

I think after 6 months at Barcelona its more likely to be that he needs to prove this season he's worth the extension, than him not wanting to be there longer. He's far too good to become a journeyman.

[CleetusVanDamme]

If Potter doesn't have us in the Champions League next season then he's just plain not that good. If he can't achieve that now with this squad there's no chance I'll have any faith in him winning the big ones in the future.

[seph]

Now the Aaron Ramsey jokes are trending again, TIL that Kaspar Schmeichel and JOEY FUCKING BRYAN (one of our own!) also play for Nice.

Edited September 8, 2022 by seph
Ramsey out

[seph]

Now today can seriously fuck off.

 

[Duke]

4 hours ago, CleetusVanDamme said:

If Potter doesn't have us in the Champions League next season then he's just plain not that good. If he can't achieve that now with this squad there's no chance I'll have any faith in him winning the big ones in the future.

I don't think most people predicted us to be in the champions league next season when Tuchel was in charge tbf. That was admittedly before Liverpool's mojo failed them 

[CleetusVanDamme]

And if Tuchel missed out this season it'd be a massive underperformance with this squad as well. Liverpool should be fine for top four at worst too.

[Duke]

Just now, CleetusVanDamme said:

And if Tuchel missed out this season it'd be a massive underperformance with this squad as well. Liverpool should be fine for top four at worst too.

So are Spurs gonna Spurs or are Arsenal gonna Arsenal?

[CleetusVanDamme]

It's not like we need some glorious meltdowns to finish above them, it's only six games in. Arsenal had no European football last season, Tottenham had none past December (although I don't know if they were even taking it seriously) let's see how they cope with that in the long run, we already know Chelsea can. When they're getting their holidays again in the Winter, Chelsea actually will be too, this time.

Tottenham are actually a good team right now though (with obviously one of the best managers around) and I don't want to sound too dismissive of them. I'm pretty sure they'll round out the same top four as last year. Arsenal have done nothing all that impressive yet, let's see.

Edited September 8, 2022 by CleetusVanDamme

[Duke]

I think we probably do need meltdowns though. Not because I'm looking at the table but because Arsenal should've finished higher last season but bottled at the last minute and then added to their squad, and Tottenham have been pretty class since Conte took over, much better than Chelsea. Plus, both of them seem capable of scoring goals.

3rd, 4th and 5th is going to be loads closer (and 2nd, come to think of it) this season, and that's without the mentality.

 

I'm not saying we can't finish top 4, I'm just saying it's not as simple as "if we don't Potter's just not that good".

That's without evening mentioning the creaky midfield the goalkeeper who's struggling to keep goal.

 

 

[PunkStep]

I'm confident that Liverpool will sort themselves out soon enough to end the season a clear 2nd, but nowhere enough to challenge City at the top. Then a close battle for 3rd/4th between the other four- if United continue to get results as they have recently. 

[CleetusVanDamme]

2 hours ago, Duke said:

I think we probably do need meltdowns though. Not because I'm looking at the table but because Arsenal should've finished higher last season but bottled at the last minute and then added to their squad, and Tottenham have been pretty class since Conte took over, much better than Chelsea. Plus, both of them seem capable of scoring goals.

3rd, 4th and 5th is going to be loads closer (and 2nd, come to think of it) this season, and that's without the mentality.

 

I'm not saying we can't finish top 4, I'm just saying it's not as simple as "if we don't Potter's just not that good".

That's without evening mentioning the creaky midfield the goalkeeper who's struggling to keep goal.

 

 

Our opinions on the squad are so far apart that there's clearly going to be big differences in expectations. You think what they've showed more recently is much closer to their true level than me. You might be right! I'm an optimist, I didn't expect the start of the season to be this bad. I just think we're seeing the typical end of a manager who's lost support's reign.

Hard disagree on Tottenham being much better since Conte took over. Since then, we've been penalties away from winning two trophies against one of the best teams in Europe, became World Heavyweight Champs, went toe to toe with the eventual European Champions. I can't picture last season's Tottenham as capable of putting in that performance in Madrid in that big a game.

I wouldn't swap our midfield or Mendy for Tottenham and Arsenal alternates in a million years.

 

 

[Hannibal Scorch]

9 hours ago, seph said:

Now today can seriously fuck off.

 

I remember seeing him play for Rovers, maybe in 1995, and thinking he was going to be the next big thing. I was delighted when he got in the premier league and it’s a shame he gets forgotten. Having watched someone go through it, MND is a terrible disease and this is awful news for him.