Ok international break is among us (Thank god) so a little review of the team so far i'll start with the new signings first.
Mangala - Promising debut against Chelsea but has looked shaky since, needs time too early to judge.
Fernando - Keeps giving the ball away and overrall play is average...Underwhelming signing.
Cabbalero - Too early to judge but not been impressed with the couple of games hes played.
Sagna - Does not look like the same guy who has was solid for Arsenal for years.
Hart - His best form since 2012 been very impressed with him bar the odd mistake.
Zab - Solid and realiable but not at his 100% best.
Kompany - Our best defender but the poor form of players around him is affecting his game.
Demichelis - Solid start to the season has gone off the boil in the last few games but i put that down to playing with Mangala.
Clichy - Terrible needs a new challenge.
Kolorov - I'm not a fan but he's a decent option going foward and by far our best LB.
Fernandinho - Shadow of the player of last season maybe the Germany game smashed his confidence?
Yaya - Showed flashes of last season form recently but overall an awful start.
Milner - Should start every game gives 100% and always positive get him signed to a new contract asap.
Lampard - Biggest surprise of the season we have missed him, reads the game so well.
Silva - World class as usual.
Navas - Very disappointed in him to be honest, out of form.
Aguero - The lads a genius only reason we are 3rd.
Jovetic - Big season for him and he hasn't delivered, Liverpool game aside.
Dzeko - Terrible, great run of from towards the end of last year and he hasn't carried that into the new season...A real shame because i like the guy.
Poor start but nothing is won yet, hopefully we spend in January to out things right a new striker and LB should be priority.
Analysing the squad
posted on 10/11/14
can't see how you come to the conclusion Demichellis drop in form is down to playing with Mangala as they have only started 1 game together. Fernandinho really has not had a run of games to get up to speed like last season. The continuous rotation of the back 4 is causing a lot of instability in our defending which this season so far is nothing short of scandalous. Chelsea game aside.
posted on 10/11/14
---------------------Hart---------------
Zabaleta-----Kompany-----Demi-----Kolarov
-------------Toure---------Fernandihno-------
Milner--------------Silva-------------Nasri
---------------------Aguero----------------
This line up is one that i am looking forward to seeing again.
posted on 10/11/14
Sagna - Does not look like the same guy who has was solid for Arsenal for years.
Shocker that is... You don't think that he just joined you to shore up his pension fund by any chance?
posted on 10/11/14
Fair assesssment Vic though I think you've been a bit harsh on Navas.
posted on 10/11/14
Feel dirty saying it but....Zabaleta isn't just not at his 100% best, he's been poor so far this season.
I don't think Milner should start every game either, you can't question his attitude absolutely but there is a definite step change in quality when he plays compared to Nasri, particularly with our attacks. I've said it a few times, but Nasri and silva are both pivotal to the way we play.
The rest I pretty much agree with though.
posted on 10/11/14
Maybe a bit harsh on Navas i like the guy but i'm just struggling to see what he brings to the team at the moment.
posted on 10/11/14
He's doing plenty of running but there's never anyone there to pick up the end product (which has bee poor at times).
One of either Dzeko or Jovetic has to be shipped out at the end of the year with both an established and a younger striker with potential brought in.
posted on 10/11/14
Cant see Dzeko going anywhere since he signed a contract in the summer but Jovetic is highly rated in Italy and we turned down bids for him from Inter twice in the summer so him going is very possible.
posted on 10/11/14
Nothing's working for him ATM, he keeps either laying the ball off or passing to players who aren't there. If everyone else was on his wavelength then we'd be scoring 6 goals a game.
posted on 10/11/14
Jovetic is busy enough but am conistantly disappointed with his lack of an end product - be that finishing or a killer pass.
Fernando and Fernandinho certantly haven't been aided by Yaya's poor start in their own quests to find form.
Mangala has showed in the Chelsea game that he is capable, but cb is a pretty unforgiving position so time is the key here really.
Navas is a useful player to have in the squad, albeit not at his best right now.