Philosopher

Luiz is off pace, Buendia is poor, and Ramsey is clearly not sharp in his first start in over 2 months.

Buendia has been really poor.

That was a lovely finish! Bailey is a baller!

Which is the main reason we want another winger. And I expect us to sign one. But I don’t think those do any more than gives us another option.

I'm not sure about Danjuma, or Deulofeu. I can't see how they're better than what we have. They also get injured a lot. Danjuma does seem.like a good finisher (as far as wingers go), and Deulofeu is really skillful, but think about Coutinho, Buendia, and Bailey's reputations before they came here! All 3 were higher rated.

I see it as a improving the balance of the team rather than the quality of the squad. Newcastle is a different case, as form me it's the coaching an man management that has made to difference. Turning Joelinton into an hard working aggressive, tough tackling ball carrier for example. This isn’t about systems but identifying particular talents and coaching him to bring out those talents and then finding the best use for them within the team. I expect Emery to do similar thing with us. On a different note the Bailey bashing is over the top. The guy terrorised Man U in Emery's first game in charge. He has that something special, he just seems to be going through a tough moment. The miss I the final minute v Wolves was the 6th if 7th decent scoring chance he had in 2 matches, so I feel he frustrated with that. He's just snatching at chances and trying to force things a little too much.

Deulofeu was incredibly inconsistent in the Premier league, and was injured a lot. Danjuma has been effective in both Spain, and the Champions league. Both of which are a higher standard than Serie A. Even if Danjuma flops and we try to sell him after 18 months he is still a player that excelled in Spain and the champions league and is still only 27 - 28. Deulofeu on the other hand is a player that is a bit of a journeyman that has had one good 18 month spell in Italy and is 30 - 31! Having said that, they are different players, and I suspect that Deulofeu and Danjuma will play in different ways and different positions, so I'm don't believe it's a case of either or. In the case of Deulofeu I just think Danjuma is a marginally safer signing. Seems to me Emery wants a ball carrier and a goalscorer. I think it's more a case of Guendouzi or Deulofeu as the ball carrier to play behind the front two. And Danjuma as a goalscoring winger to put pressure on Bailey and Watkins. This would mean two ball carrying midfielders / attacking mids in Ramsey and Guendouzi (if we signed him). Two creative midfielders / attacking mids in Coutinho and Buendua. Two goalscoring wingers in Bailey and Danjuma (if we signed him), and two out and out strikers in Ollie and Danny. You also have different permutations like Ramsey and Guendouzi behind the front two if we want more aggression in midfield. Or Bailey and Danjuma up front if we feel opposition fullbacks are a weak point. Or Bailey Danjuma and Ings as a front 3 for example. So he can be tactically flexible or consistent depending on the requirements of a particular game rather that who is available dictating that as is the case now.

But he is younger and will have resale value if things don't work out. Also he played in a very poor Bournemouth

Danjuma has done very well under Emery at Villareal and He is 25 or 26 so a good age. Can play upfront or on the wing. I think he could be a good player for us. Deulofou has a poor injury record, plus we have seen that Italy isn't at the standard of the prem. Lukaku looks like a world beater there, so does Tammy, and while both are good players, neither are world beaters. Kang-In is interesting and so is that Moliero lad. Danjuma would be a solid addition to the squad. Deulofou, would be a waste of money for me. These mooted signing all seem rather strange really, it seems like they're aimed at getting us playing a specific way rather than trying to crank up the quality. Looks like Emery is going for functionality as his priority for this window. He wants to implement his style, and shape the squad to that, is his first priority.

He is only nineteen and highly rated in France, has both pace and power . They're paying for potential!

One played poorly, but never kept trying to create, alway looked to run at the fullback, created a couple of chances and was involved in the goal and generally do what a winger is supposed to do. The other a defensive midfielder, that can't control the ball, gives the ball away in his own third, gives away a peno, gets a red card, plays ponderous and slow all game, nearly did what happened for the peno I the first half. But they were both bad! I'd say one was poor, but gave it a good go. The other threw the game away, because he played carelessly the majority of the game, and paid for his negligence!

Dendonker makes a poor touch, gets robbed then give away a penalty and gets sent off, but everyone seem to be blaming Bailey.

Buendia has been poor for a while. 45 minutes against Tottenham is all that's been good.

Poor goalkeeping

He has at least 2 poor touches in his own third with little pressure, one for the pen and one that nearly got us in trouble. Been slow to move the ball. And generally lackadaisical.

Dendonker has been poor today. Regardless of the pen.

Ings has done nothing. Invisible!

Cash, Bednarek, and Chambers lack of awareness is astonishing!

Jack alongside Ramsey would be a footballing orgasm. Shame!

Ollie will be loved by Emery. His workrate, pressing, speed and versatility make him an ideal squad option. The only way Ollie leaves is if he isn't getting enough games and wants to leave. Emery is not playing 2 conventional strikers. He is playing them as wide strikers. When the play is on the left, the left striker operates as an advanced winger, and the right striker comes into the middle and vice versa. I don’t believe Ings has the mobility to be effective in this role, and at his age his suitabilitywill only get worse. So I see Ings as the most expendable. Watkins on the other hand is made for this role and can play it as either left or right striker. If we can get say Thuram to play the left striker, Bailey as the right striker, and hav Ollie as the rotation option, or if we change to a 3.

I think Ings is one of the prime options to sell. Doesn't really fit into the tactical set up, getting old, another season and will have to let him go for free.

Love him. He's just having a bit of fun. He's a character, and he's also a winner. To produce in penalty shootouts takes guts! I'm sure Mbappe was giving as good as he got until they lost the shootout. The hattrick is irrelevant France lost. End of! Emi gives everything for his team, and will do whatever it takes. Love his confidence

Ollie has a 14 goal season where he scored 1 penalty. And got a few assists. Ollie and Toney are of a similar level in terms of talent and ability. The difference is one plays for a team happy to stay up with no one capable of displacing him, with a settled team and manager. The other plays for a team with aspirations of European football, and quality rival in Ings, and a team the has has more than 3 managers and 5 formations on 1 and a half seasons. Swap the two players round and I'm sure you see similar struggles from Toney.

agree which is why I'd like both. A winger that can play as a striker, and a striker that can play as a 10. I think the winger that can play as a striker would suit our current formation better, as the strikers are are wide strikers, play as a cross between a winger and a striker. Once Jacob is fit I think he can get loads of goal coming from deep as the most offensive of the two supporting players. The striker that can play as a 10 would slot in nicely between the two quick wingers, dropping off and providing extra creativity in the middle to counter the low block we struggle so much with. With 3 or 4 players that can score 10 to 15 goals each. We won't need to rely one player to score 20 plus.

I do like the sound of Thuram. Seems like a perfect fit for us. Him and Bailey as wide strikers would be a real handful. We need a marque signing. The Moffi link and similar are underwhelming and risks that we don't need to take. I wouldn't mind Sarr either, but not convinced he is consistent enough. For me a left winger, that is comfortable as a striker too. Is the minimum we need in attack. Ideally we'd sign a technical, creative striker, a pacy left winger that can also play as a fast striker, and a top class ball playing right centre back. This is what we need to push the team forward. We can sell McGinn and Nakamba, and probably Sanson too. I'd also move on Ings if we get both attacking players.