verlaine1979

So having players close helps you win more headers? Not sure what use support is when Che is so in the defender's pocket doesn't even get to touch the ball. Moral support, I guess.

How does the presence of other players higher up the pitch increase the number of headers and balls played in at feet/chest height that he controls? It's not like he was jumping against two players at once against Villa and Wolves. He just lost all of his aerial duels in those games while he seemed to win several against Chelsea. Maybe the quality of our long passing was much better against Chelsea, but it seems unlikely to have made such a difference that he'd be bullying Koulibaly one week and getting bossed by Mings the next.

But it's not like we didn't punt plenty up to Che against Chelsea that he actually won lots either with his head or chest. I'm not so much talking about whether he laid the ball off effectively against Wolves or Villa - he simply never won the ball in the first place. Which is odd, as you'd think Silva and Koulibaly would come out top in that physical and technical battle every time.

Looked like he could play as a lone striker against Chelsea. Won lots of headers, backed into their CBs and held up the ball well. Spent both Wolves and Villa games in the pocket of ostensibly far inferior centre backs. Coming just before Tuchel getting the boot, were Chelsea defenders on a go-slow?

Where is all the priceless off the ball work Ely is meant to do? I've seen him trailing around after villa players five yards off the ball, but not actually seen him make many tackles or intercept many passes.

Elyounoussi is an anti-footballer. He just sucks the life out of the game. Such a miserable player to watch.

We look like we're a man down there are so few options for whoever's on the ball.

Yup. Made a mug of Gomez and TAA tonight, though should've buried the chances that VVD blocked.

Have we had any others in our squad that do this so consistently over the past five years? Plenty of players are unforgiving of mistakes made by their teammates, but they're usually also hard on themselves.

Doubt he was that negative off the pitch. Always came across as pretty cheerful. Except on the pitch, where he was always far too quick to look accusingly at the rest of the team while shrugging off his own (copious) f*ck ups.

Didn't actually think Che's hold up play was that good yesterday either. After winning plenty of headers against Tiago Silva and Koulibaly, he barely got a sniff out of the Wolves CBs.

Not many better places to live in Europe though. Earning a few million a year on the cote d'azur is a pretty decent fall from grace.

I hope we have clauses to prevent City just buying them back from us and selling on in the same window. It's fine for them to have an insurance policy in case they want someone back in their squad, but not to play market arbitrage at our expense.

You can see why it took Che until he was 25 to score a professional goal with his head.

That's spectacularly dire.

I remember reading something a few years ago where Dortmund's sports science team had decided that players started their physical decline at 26. Specific to their recruitment model and playing style, but doesn't seem unreasonable. Sure you can win things with players older than that (much older in the case of Real Madrid) but if you don't have the big budget and are hoping to compete on energy and tactics, early 20s is probably the sweet spot.

Best window in a long time, even if it is a shame to leave 30m burning a hole in our pocket. A January window post-World Cup is unlikely to be a high value shopping opportunity, so this is probably it until the summer. I don't think JWP will reach double figures for goals again, and we've lost Broja's six goals. So I'd say conservatively we've got to find somewhere in the order of 10-15 additional goals beyond what JWP/Che will get and the handful we can expect from the usual suspects in defence. Hopefully between them, Mara, Edozie, Aribo, AMN and Adam Armstrong can get that many - only need to get three each over the season to get us there.

AMN looks like he could compete for a spot on the right in a 4231/4222

I still can't figure out why Leeds want to spend big on two left wingers from Holland. Sinisterra plays exactly the same position as Gakpo and put up similar numbers last year. And neither have much prior experience playing other positions.

Gakpo played all over the front line for PSV tonight. He's tall and good in the air and seems comfortable enough playing down the middle (on admittedly little evidence and against a very poor team).

On the basis of their game tonight, PSV need Sangare more than they need Gakpo. Simons and Bakayoko give them plenty up top already.

Yup - if he doesn't break the lines and go past his man, the space doesn't open up for the rest of the move. That kind of ball-carrying in centre mid is unfortunately what we lack when we've got JWP and Romeu in the middle (luckily Lavia seems to be able to do it too).

Our front three/four just don't have the technique or physicality (in JWPs case) to make the ball stick up front. We saunter forward and lose it, occasionally getting a long throw or corner for our troubles.

Diallo and Lavia look like a two with JWP further forward?

Oof, Paqueta's weight of passing is something else. West Ham have spent serious money this summer, and unfortunately look to have spent it very well indeed.