10 Aug 2025 18:15:21
Desperately short up front with no Darwin, Diaz and Jota. Might need Isak and another wide player as he still doesn’t seem keen on Chiesa. One of Grav/ Endo should be starting every game.
10 Aug 2025 18:37:20
Completely agree mate. It all fell apart when Hugo went off.
We need 2 forwards, massive gap in the squad now.
10 Aug 2025 18:39:43
Endo didn’t offer much coming on today.
Jones was also quite poor in there. He really slowed the game down. Szob gave the ball away quite a bit but was full of energy.
Macca has had 3 months off football and needs to get up to speed asap as Grav is suspended Friday night.
10 Aug 2025 18:56:01
Isak
Fofana
Guehi and/ or Leoni
Would love Baleba/ Wharton too
Obviously going to take time to bring a couple more through the door. I think we should be fine for the first few games with what we’ve got.
10 Aug 2025 19:19:15
Aside from the football, JK, hope your son enjoyed his day.
10 Aug 2025 19:56:30
In an ideal world I’d sell Jones and sign Wharton. Not MOTD fever and I know that any transfer fee for him would not be met by selling Jones, but I’ve always really liked how Wharton plays.
10 Aug 2025 20:05:23
If Jones was from anywhere else he'd be sold. Absolute muck.
10 Aug 2025 20:07:29
Defence was the problem today.
10 Aug 2025 21:19:32
But apparently we’re not short up top according to some. What is more worrying is that this is our first choice defensive line up even if we got reinforcements in the Cb position and we look massively suspect. I think the only way we’d balance out the poor performing defence a bit is a true top DM, I have in faith grav if he continues his form from last season but if not, we are in deep trouble, because it’s starts from the midfield for me. We looked good going forward first half but dropped our levels in the second half much like the end of last season, salah and vvd looked exactly the same as how they ended last season as well which is concerning long term as they looked so sharp start of last season.
On a positive note, I think all our new players had decent games, frimpong was a standout for me pretty much all game. Wirtz and ekitike had great first halves, but then dropped off second half. Kerkez was solid enough but got caught out a lot as expected, this is why the left winger needs to be someone that’s willing to cover much like Diaz would and this is why I would be concerned with Isak or ekitike out there long term.
It will be interesting to see how we respond to this game, both in terms of transfers and on the pitch, it’s clear improvements need to be made if we’re going to challenge for big honours this season, I don’t quite see us as favourites but I personally never did with all the big changes, a fully fit Isak goes a long way in changing that I do admit.
10 Aug 2025 21:30:05
We need Jones for registration reasons. I reckon we move on Endo and Bajcetic and get Wharton but probably in 12 months time. I’d offer cash plus Elliott or Doak to Villa for Rogers before the window shuts if we can’t get Isak another 9 is needed badly.
10 Aug 2025 21:31:59
We 100% need two attacking options, Isak and a wide player. Wheels completely came off when Ekitike went off. Interesting to hear Virg reference the need for a striker post match and for Slot to also reference having to take off Ekitike to protect him due to lack of cover. Hopefully we get Isak over the line but I’m hoping we get another versatile wide player to cover Mo and Gakpo.
10 Aug 2025 21:44:56
This reminds me of last season when everyone was losing their minds because we hadn’t signed anyone. We were apparently short all over the pitch.
Just relax, it was a friendly that we should’ve won but we lost on penalties. It’s all ok.
10 Aug 2025 21:53:32
Well with all this hysteria going on over here, we'd better make sure the Isak deal happens cos if it doesn't, people are about to lose their minds.
As for thengame, I ain't sweating it. We played some brilliant stuff and CPcouldn't live with us. They parked the bus yet we kept finding holes in their back line due to some brilling movement and intricate passing. That's what I was impressed about the most.
We played very well for the first 60 mins before we staterted to tire and even then, we had enuff chances to win it BUT couldn't take it. Still preseason and the players will need more time to gel together. On to B'mouth on Friday.
{Ed025's Note - you keep telling yourself that Oli.. :)
10 Aug 2025 22:09:01
Jones confuses me so much. He’s comfortable on the ball, technically good, and has the confidence, but just can’t seem to turn it into consistent performances. He too often invites pressure and rather than a simple pass to beat the man, holds it and slows it. Even if he doesn’t lose it, it kills the tempo. Not sure why these traits are so common with him.
{Ed025's Note - oh i can tell you Firmane.. :)
10 Aug 2025 22:10:57
So we must sign another £250 mill worth players on the top of the £350 mill that we spend ????.
10 Aug 2025 22:22:16
Why would we want Rogers? We've enough attacking midfielders.
10 Aug 2025 22:33:41
Wonder how long it will take Slot to have the balls to sub Salah.
10 Aug 2025 22:34:32
Not sure how Nobody has mentioned how weak gakpo is in the ball, the second goal for example got easily muscled off the ball by the 'massive' Will Hughes. muniz outmuscled him time and again.
10 Aug 2025 23:56:24
John, probably because he's not weak on the ball. Went down looking a free once. he's incredible strong with the ball and hard to get off it. Virg stepped up when he shouldn't have. But also who cares, it was a pre season game.
11 Aug 2025 13:10:14
Ed25, keep telling myself what? That we played well in the in the first and first 15 in the second half till the changes came cos we started to tire? That our new players didn't didn't play well and showed flashes thu out their time on the pitch? That we had chances to kill the game before CP recovered but didn't take 'em? Or that we were not still in preseason form with work still to do? Yeah, I thought so.
{Ed025's Note - that palace couldn’t live with you and that they parked the bus Oli…get a grip mate they were the better side and deserved to win ffs..