14 Sep 2017 08:58:25
Morning Eds,

As always appreciate the work you chaps put in.

Could you please shed some light ojn your thoughts around Dejan Lovrens' reputation among the management and coaching staff.
I believe that he is below par and would give anything to see him dropped permanently and even better sold in january!

{Ed001's Note - they spent the summer trying to recruit a replacement, surely that is all that you need to know about the feeling amongst the staff?}

1.) 14 Sep 2017
14 Sep 2017 09:09:53
Thanks for the prompt response he is a one-man major calamity in the back 4 and the sooner he goes the better! I truly believe the moment we replace him and Klavan with a leading CB our defensive problems will be sorted!

{Ed001's Note - I disagree, Matip is still going to be a weak link and having a kid at right back will mean there is still mistakes as he learns. One defender will improve things a lot though. One step at a time is all we can make. Trouble is finding the defender who can bring us that step forward.}

2.) 14 Sep 2017
14 Sep 2017 09:45:53
I am in total agreement about Matip, the best defender last night was Moreno and that says everything. Lovran and Matip like Can are accidents waiting to happen, nothing is going to change in the near future so we better get used to it. In the 2 years Klippety has been here the defense hasn't got any better and previously Rogers wasn't able to address it either. we need a leader who can bully our players around on the pitch.

3.) 14 Sep 2017
14 Sep 2017 09:51:49
Ed what is the story with Robertson is he fit now?

{Ed001's Note - yes, it is Moreno's form that has kept him out last night.}

4.) 14 Sep 2017
14 Sep 2017 10:05:17
Matip also is still quite Young for CB and is developing, but I think he is comfortable on the ball and I like him a lot. I just think when you have a leading CB next to your young developing CB, you get a strong combination like Terry and Cahill (sorry to reference Chelski) for years. Cahill is actually not that good at all. but when Chelsea got him at 24 they stuck him next to Terry and the defence was solid. I still have hopes that we will compete this season, but by failing to sort out the defensive issues we have, we are putting ourselves in a very compromising position.

5.) 14 Sep 2017
14 Sep 2017 10:53:37
Matip was terrible last night. But I'd go as far as saying that he's the best of a really Bad bunch.

6.) 14 Sep 2017
14 Sep 2017 12:03:44
I actually thought Matip had a decent game BUT it's a low bar as he was poor vs City. As Ed01 said, little by little cos we ain't City who have dropped 300m on defenders for the past few years and are still crap at the back with all the cash they've got. On good CB will help BUT won't fix everything.