takanohana

And Jermaine poining towards pre-assists. Hopefully OptaJoe starts measuring pre-assists, and then expected pre-assists. Then we'll know the reality of the situation.

And people said the same thing about Rodney Marsh, Garry Birtles and El Hadji Diouf.

Difficult to see it turning round for him. Only mitigation I can see is that he came from a less physical league, and was not required to significantly up his work-rate and fitness under Slot (if reports are accurate). This then is the first season he will be forced, by Iraola, to raise his intensity to the levels now needed in the PL. Straws, grasping etc.

Jurgen's comments read v much like Wirtz is the personality type that needs an arm around the shoulder instead of a kick up the a*se. Which is fine, up to a point.

Hopefully Kerkez on the left.

How have Chelsea bought 4000 players in the last few years and don't have a midfield.

With no one new in midfield, this season is heavily dependent on MacAlister regaining form and fitness. He is our only midfielder who can bring some control and steel in front of the back four. Leaving aside Nyoni for now, who is unproven if promising. It's a big and unnecessary gamble. If Mac doesn't step up, really think we could be in trouble.

Can he play as a 6?

Did Hughes actually do a good job at Bournemouth? Genuine question. Clearly not the same level of club and expectations. But if so, how on earth does he go from assembling good, developing players and a well-perfoming squad, to this utter sh*tshow.

Top priority. Not holding breath.

Barcola as Gakpo replacement, Sarr as an Isak back-up sorta thing, plus a right winger is ok. Gakpo out and only Barcola and Sarr in, is f*cking nuts.

It's almost hard to care about swapping one limited winger for another when our midfield is fluff.

Is Dom our latest version of a player with no obvious position? Following Trent and Elliott.

That we sold Jones with, apparently, no intention to then add another midfielder is utterly incomprehensible.

Yep, Mac and Dom as double pivot doesn't fill me with confidence, but let's see if Iraola can bring some more solidity into how we defend as a team.

Don't mind selling Gakpo if we get a decent back-up striker. No suggestion we're going to do that though.

And then include the full game, along with other season highlights, on the end of year VHS.

Why didn't we start playing selling clubs off against each other earlier? We'd probably have already have sorted a right winger if we did. Fine not to massively overpay, but only now, as the window is about to close we're telling the market we have options, to try to force someone's hand.

Is it just us that seems to make a play of: agreeing personal terms with the player, smirking at the selling club that they'll now have to drop their price, and then being told they'll do nothing of the sort? In any event we seem pretty expert at it now.

He'll be at right back...

I hear we're at deadlock again on Barcola after an irregular percentage reduction was applied to the original price. We are demanding .666 euro cents recurring is rounded down and are prepared to walk away if PSG continue to insist on 67 cents.

Let's do a job-lot rate for their squad, see what we get.

Hard to believe 12 months after Bournemouth ran unchallenged through our midfield to score, Newcastle did exactly the same last weekend. A new CM has to be the top priority. Barcola, Minteh etc, great, but the roof is leaking and new wingers aren't going to stop that. Truly bonkers if we don't sign a midfielder.

Don't get this. Whatever his limitations he's one of our few fairly regular goalscorers.

I'm guessing Bournemouth faced fewer low blocks than us, so he had more opportunities to just bomb forward into space. Here he'll need to work it through defences in tight spaces, and not sure he's got the craft to do that.