qwertyell

Comfortable for Palace. Sitting in because they know we don't have a creative (small)bone in our body, and threatening on the break where their attackers have the legs on our defence. Hasenhuttl must've known that's exactly how Palace would set up, yet we look bereft of ideas so far. Hard to see how we turn this around - Palace will just keep on doing the same.

Two slow centre backs and a number six with the mobility of an asthmatic pensioner is not a combination that lends itself to a high line, you would think. Not a tactical masterclass so far. Palace have seen us coming.

I like Choudhury - he's a raw talent. Reckless at times, but I can see him being the kind of player Hasenhuttl would enjoy: hares around the pitch, physical, neat on the ball. I remember him absolutely dominating our kids back when he was in the u23s. Easily the best player on the pitch. There's something to work with. But I can't imagine Leicester selling him cheap, nor us coughing up the numbers when we could source an overseas player for half the price.

Same as every other match in the fraud of a managerial career he's failed upwards into. Honestly, there's nobody that's ever watched a game of football that didn't know a back five and two holding midfielders would severely hamper any progressive forward play. If he's going to play seven defensive players against Denmark, how are they going to line up against a good side?

He got injured in the second match after the restart. He wasn't really dropped. He was starting until the knock. Romeu came in and did all right so the manager stuck with him.

We will if someone has messed up the work permit application and Salisu can't play for us this season (and beyond). It's worth repeating that the foreign clubs that tried to sign him this summer discounted English teams as potential rivals as they believed he didn't meet the criteria to get a UK work permit. Then, out of the blue, he turns up at Saints. Allegedly. And hasn't been seen since. Maybe it's all above board. Time will tell. Let's hope whoever put together this deal isn't the same guy who signed us up to that sponsorship with the very real and in no way dodgy as fuck LD Sports.

So was John Burridge.

But did with Bertrand, Alderweireld and Ings. Some you win, some you lose.

Ings and Prowse have a chance. A lack of left back options, with Chillwell injured and Danny Rose barely being a footballer anymore, could give Bertrand another nod to make up the numbers.

Is he even in the country? There were reports before we signed Salisu that the foreign clubs also on his trail had discounted England as a potential destination as he wouldn't get a work permit (Ghanaian, uncapped, modest transfer fee). Yet when the transfer to Saints was all set, it was reported that we believed the work permit would be a mere "formality". Perhaps we've misunderstood the qualifying criteria and are in the process of organising an appeal and/or making plans to loan out a player who can't play for us for the foreseeable future.

Looked very slow and unathletic in the few first team minutes he's been given - not qualities Hasenhuttl's tactics tend to indulge. I'd be surprised if he makes the grade here. Shame - he was highly rated once. Nationally. Wasn't he captain of one of the England age groups?

Oliver Skipp going to Norwich on loan. Some tenuous links to him when we were negotiating Hoj/KWP.

Unless it's Salisu leaving/not arriving for some reason. Work Permit cock up? Third party ownership problem?

If we have to lose Obafemi to bring in Balogun, I'm not sure that's a terrible outcome. Don't know if either of them will ultimately make the grade - that's the gamble with unproven kids - but I can't see anything special about Obafemi at all.

Potential bargain, as he's out of contract (though compensation still has to be paid), but isn't he just basically Harrison Reed? Lots of energy, hustle, keeps it simple, ginger. I suppose if we're losing Harry for £8m and we can get in a younger Harry for a bit less, it's good business.

Werder Bremen talking to Mario Lemina's advisors - probably another loan.

It's Ali Dire.

I'd argue left back isn't stocked at all. Williams is a right back filling in on his wrong side and Maitland-Niles a very right footed midfielder who wants to leave Arsenal because they won't play him in his position. England's left back options start and end with the pretty average Ben Chillwell and Luke Shaw (assuming Danny Rose and Bertrand are no longer in contention). Unless they successfully convert Bukayo Saka (and he doesn't switch to Nigeria) or Ryan Sessegnon (who Mourinho doesn't consider as a viable forward player) into full time left backs, the cupboard looks bare for the foreseeable future. Step forward, Jake Vokins...

Mourinho will have gone in 18 months' time, and the new manager won't be building a team around captain wavey hands.

So is he big or little?

5' 10". And defending isn't his strong suit. Weird comparison.

Their defence is poor, but that's more to do with their manager being clueless about how to set them up. Individually, all Chelsea's CBs are better than Bednarek - and they've got Ampadu to return from on loan too. Pretty dubious about that link.

I'd argue he's not disciplined at all - and that's his biggest weakness. Positionally he's poor. If you want someone to track runners and/or hold the fort in front of the defence, he's not the guy for the job. If you want someone to hare around the park and wave his arms at the guys desperately trying to fill in for the huge chasms he's left behind as he loses the ball for the umpteenth time and can't be bothered to sprint back, Hojbjerg's your man.

Ndombele alienated himself by being less fit than Charlie Austin. Bags of talent, but can barely do 30 minutes.

He's chosen Ajax apparently.