I have never liked the champions league anyway.

[Peter]

If we're not going to go long, I'd rather ESR or Vieira in that role (no idea why MA replaced Saka with Vieira, very odd choice) and then bring Havertz on if chasing the game.

I thought bringing Vieira on for Saka was a rubbish decision. He has never looked convincing in the wide role and he was a virtual pasenger.

Raya is better at coming for high balls than Ramsdale, his handling is slightly better and his first touch is better. His long passing is **** and it cost us yesterday. He has done something similar a number of times but it hadn't proved costly until last night. I can see why Arteta likes him- he is happy to hold the ball and draw players in to help us beat the press. But I think Ramsdale is better against shots and in a one on one. It is difficult o avoid the feeling that Arteta has taken a perfectly good situation and made it worse.

Declan Rice is a great player but on a technical level he isn't Thomas Partey. Our play through the press is worse now and relies more heavily on Zinchenko who, for all his wonderful touches, is extremely accident prone in possession.

Havertz is not currently helping but I think the hope in the long term is that he helps lift the technical level of the midfield, while Rice helps us to contain counter attacks a bit better.

For now, we are a worse side than last season. We struggle to play from the back with any speed or precision, we make stupid mistakes in possession far too often and we are so unbelievably easy to get at on the counter attack.

We will improve as the season goes on but for now we just have to hope we can stay in touch with the top two or three.

City will beat us easily this weekend.

[PSRB]

I thought bringing Vieira on for Saka was a rubbish decision. He has never looked convincing in the wide role and he was a virtual pasenger.

Raya is better at coming for high balls than Ramsdale, his handling is slightly better and his first touch is better. His long passing is **** and it cost us yesterday. He has done something similar a number of times but it hadn't proved costly until last night. I can see why Arteta likes him- he is happy to hold the ball and draw players in to help us beat the press. But I think Ramsdale is better against shots and in a one on one. It is difficult o avoid the feeling that Arteta has taken a perfectly good situation and made it worse.

Declan Rice is a great player but on a technical level he isn't Thomas Partey. Our play through the press is worse now and relies more heavily on Zinchenko who, for all his wonderful touches, is extremely accident prone in possession.

Havertz is not currently helping but I think the hope in the long term is that he helps lift the technical level of the midfield, while Rice helps us to contain counter attacks a bit better.

For now, we are a worse side than last season. We struggle to play from the back with any speed or precision, we make stupid mistakes in possession far too often and we are so unbelievably easy to get at on the counter attack.

We will improve as the season goes on but for now we just have to hope we can stay in touch with the top two or three.

City will beat us easily this weekend.

Agree on all those points but I would say Rice is outstanding defensively and sniffing out danger and nicking the ball.

We also aren't clinical enough, their keeper made 3 or 4 fantastic saves but we should have buried at least 2 of those chances....same as against the scum and it cost us.

[Peter]

Agree on all those points but I would say Rice is outstanding defensively and sniffing out danger and nicking the ball.

We also aren't clinical enough, their keeper made 3 or 4 fantastic saves but we should have buried at least 2 of those chances....same as against the scum and it cost us.

Yeah, Rice is better defensively than Partey. He is also quicker and fitter. But he doesn't have the same technical level.