Premiership 2017/18

[jimboo]

Gutted.

[Dr Markus]

Is anyone actually interested in the Man Utd Chelsea game this weekend? After the Man Utd/Liverpool game and the Man Utd/Spurs game, it just doesn't seem worth it. There's the common dominator of Mourinho, and I can't see him change his tactics for this match. I know it's up to the other teams to break Utd down, but when you look at the Utd team and the money spent, playing like that doesn't seem justified.

[The Modernist]

Is anyone actually interested in the Man Utd Chelsea game this weekend? After the Man Utd/Liverpool game and the Man Utd/Spurs game, it just doesn't seem worth it. There's the common dominator of Mourinho, and I can't see him change his tactics for this match. I know it's up to the other teams to break Utd down, but when you look at the Utd team and the money spent, playing like that doesn't seem justified.

Agree.
Hopefully Chelsea will win.

[KeithPratt]

Bilic on the way out. Moyes though

[The Modernist]

I'd be surprised if West Ham stay up this year.

[KeithPratt]

Yes, they've been appalling so far. I'd go for Allardyce in all honesty.

[KeithPratt]

Nothing yet but he's the bookie's favourite at least until the end of the season.

What seems inexplicable is that Bilic was an international class defender and yet our side are utterly incapable of defending.

I'd get rid of Hart - his form is cancerous to the rest of the team.

[Lord Rother]

Decent start to the City Arsenal game but in the later game Mourinho is bound to do what he has always done and suck the life out of what normally one should expect to be another mouth watering game.

The anti football manager.

[Lord Rother]

Wrong.

[Penk!]

Wrong.

You spoke too soon.

[Diamond Dog]

He hasn't managed a victory against a top six team in eleven away matches now - he is becoming too predictable. Teams know what to do against his sides.

[Diamond Dog]

Great header from Morata too.... does anyone think Lukaku is a better buy at £75-90 million compared to £60 million for Morata?

[The Modernist]

Great header from Morata too.... does anyone think Lukaku is a better buy at £75-90 million compared to £60 million for Morata?

I think he's a better player, so yes ( with the caveat that both are obscene amounts of money). Morata has had a decent season so far and had a good game yesterday, but I'm still not convinced he's top drawer.

[KeithPratt]

Great header from Morata too.... does anyone think Lukaku is a better buy at £75-90 million compared to £60 million for Morata?

Maybe more of a big-game player? He will have had plenty of experience at both Juve and Real.

[The Modernist]

Great header from Morata too.... does anyone think Lukaku is a better buy at £75-90 million compared to £60 million for Morata?

Maybe more of a big-game player? He will have had plenty of experience at both Juve and Real.

Of what? Sitting on the bench?

[Diamond Dog]

Lukaku not having a single touch in the opposition penalty box yesterday... that's not acceptable, surely?

[The Modernist]

Lukaku not having a single touch in the opposition penalty box yesterday... that's not acceptable, surely?

That is partly a reflection of the service he received of course, but yeah he should be doing better.
You'll have watched him often than me, but it seems to me he has everything, apart from that intangible quality of being a real match winner. He sometimes just doesn't look competitive enough as if his personality is too laid back. He needs to play with more hunger and desire, which are cliches I know, but very applicable in his case. Mourinho may be the best manager for him in that sense as it is something he demands from his players.

[Diamond Dog]

I always felt his protection of the ball, and the way he doesn't appear to challenge for aerial 50/50's when it suits, has always been a concern. And, yes, I question his desire to really dominate defenders, as a player with his talent really should. He is a very streaky goalscorer (a great many of the top forwards are) who is going through a bad run at present. He'll score goals again, but I'm not certain he'll ever achieve his full potential. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to Zlatan returning. It will also be interesting to see how Mourinho uses them too.

[Diamond Dog]

Well I didn't see much inspiration from the touchline today (much less genius) but even less on the pitch, with some of Spurs top names never once looking as though they wanted it nearly enough, let alone having the ability to do anything about it anyhow.

[KeithPratt]

Stat I saw today that Spurs have won 4 of the last 86 away games against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United.