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Yeah, exactly this. I mean, yeah he's been decent enough recently, and yeah he's still a pretty good mid overall. With one major flaw (ignoring his complete lack of pace and ponderous technique); he's a coward. I don't mean in physical terms, I mean a coward in possession. Under even the...

He was never going to be the next Messi. What his actual potential is remains to be seen. Patience. He's literally just 17. Personally I thought he looked best those initial first few mins on the RW. His movement was great, he wasn't forcing it, looked really natural/smooth. On the left he...

I don't know. Is not being committed sufficient to make him seem a genuinely terrible footballer, as indeed he has struck me these past few games? Maybe, but it would be a big risk, seeing how even at his peak he's a step below what we should be aiming for in my opinion.

Well as much as I love Busquets he's clearly declined, so yeah I can sure as hell blame Valverde for always playing him. Personally I'd give De Jong and Arthur an extended run as double pivot with licence to interchange, and experiment with front 4/different combos until we find the best.

Okay this is getting ridiculous. When he's in the centre and able to dictate, he's prob the best mid in the world already. So what does Valverde do? Sticks him either into a hybrid LW spot where he's half the player, or rm to cover for Messi like he's some limited workhorse. It's insane.

Er, which of these attributes does TAA match him in exactly? That people are seriously comparing the two is insane. (not talking about you specifically btw.) TAA isn't even England's undisputed right back ffs. And last season I swear I can remember him being dropped for big games because...

He really wasn't THAT good. Valverde used him poorly, true, but he was never a top, top talent and we should never have signed him.

He's got a hell of a delivery, it's true. His all round game however? Nothing special at all imo. Plus he's suspect defensively. Right now I'd categorise him as someone playing in a system which suits him perfectly and which makes him look better than he actually is. I mean, only the game before...

Joke. He HAS to be subbed in today. No excuses.

Passing was off today. Overall decent though I guess.

He really, really isn't. He's at best a decent prem mid. Tidy enough to look okay in a poor Villa team, but his absolute max level is one step up; a Burnley, say, at a pinch Everton/West Ham. A world beater he is not.

There was one occasion yesterday where a Dortmund player just walked past one of ours like he wasn't even there. At first I thought it was De Jong who'd been beaten so easily and I was puzzled. Then I realised it was Rakitic and things suddenly made sense.

Tbh it seems like the initial point, or at least as I interpreted it, is getting twisted. Originally the question was simply who had the better squad in the abstract, and now it seems to be which of our players would suit Liverpool's very specific set up, which broadly speaking is to bypass...

Yes, but because they have a much better manager, not better players.

No chance is liverpool's better. Van Dijk is better than any of our defenders, sure, but none of the rest get in our starting line up. TAA can cross sure, but is bad defensively, like really quite bad. Gk is a matter of preference, personally though I take Ter Stegen everytime. Their mid is...

I agree to an extent. However the issue with Alena, at least for me, is that he's not good enough as it is to warrant extended game time, and with only limited minutes it's almost a certainty that he never will be. He needs games, hence a loan or buy back.

I don't see it all with him if I'm honest. Even accounting for his youth he's done nothing that makes me think he's got the potential to make it here. Should be loaned out or sold with a buy back. There's too many players for too few minutes as it is. I mean, what kind of midfielder even is he...

They need the Neymar money if they want to buy and still meet FFP. Hence why they haven't spent big since. A club with unlimited funds wouldn't be buying the likes of Gueye, Herrerra on a free, etc, unless they had no real alternative. I mean hell, Chupo from freaking Stoke, was it? They have no...

Meh, was never impressed with Malcom. Obviously he had very little opportunity to impress, but for me he was way too plodding to be a winger. He's more like a left footed coutinho, in that all he has in his locker is the slow mo cut in and shoot. Douglas Costa on the other hand, well he's not...

Maybe I'm being naive, but even accounting for Barto's obsession with Neymar and his lack of judgement more generally, I simply can't believe that if there's any real doubt about his foot they'll still go through with it. The medical, assuming it ever happens, would be, with that much money...