My opinion which I've bored everyone with since the summer is our biggest problem is a lack of ability in the final third.
I think that quite simply, we can't rely on the fitness of Calvert-Lewin and the wingers/creativity we have in the team aren't good enough.
Gray, Gordon, Iwobi, McNeil etc - none have ever produced the number of goals/assists to produce a capable, competitive side. I've shared my view that easy 15+ teams will outscore us this season, and that dictates relegation scrap.
The above is 95% of the problem, and I honestly don't think it matters who the manager is - we're so bad in the final third that I'd take 17th now.
The other 5% for me is our midfield. Given his profile in the game, Lampard clearly understands football much more than I, particularly midfield.
But I just don't think we're setting up well in midfield. Gana isn't good enough. It's too fluid.
Gana is a ball winner, and you tell him to pass it to the first man in the first direction he sees. He was always a ball winner in his prime, and since then he's added years to the legs, and had a holiday with PSG for time on the ball.
I find it totally bonkers that we're given him so much responsibility - he's the man we've got linking defence with attack. Little wonder he's cost us a few goals this season and how opposition teams come alive when he has the ball.
Onana is raw, put him in a structured midfield. I get we have limited attacking threat and we're hoping he can give us something in the middle but box to box is exposing him, and Gana. Put him next to Gana and tell him to sit most of the game.
We already have Gray, Gordon, Iwobi playing their own game. Give us some platform in midfield.
I think that quite simply, we can't rely on the fitness of Calvert-Lewin and the wingers/creativity we have in the team aren't good enough.
Gray, Gordon, Iwobi, McNeil etc - none have ever produced the number of goals/assists to produce a capable, competitive side. I've shared my view that easy 15+ teams will outscore us this season, and that dictates relegation scrap.
The above is 95% of the problem, and I honestly don't think it matters who the manager is - we're so bad in the final third that I'd take 17th now.
The other 5% for me is our midfield. Given his profile in the game, Lampard clearly understands football much more than I, particularly midfield.
But I just don't think we're setting up well in midfield. Gana isn't good enough. It's too fluid.
Gana is a ball winner, and you tell him to pass it to the first man in the first direction he sees. He was always a ball winner in his prime, and since then he's added years to the legs, and had a holiday with PSG for time on the ball.
I find it totally bonkers that we're given him so much responsibility - he's the man we've got linking defence with attack. Little wonder he's cost us a few goals this season and how opposition teams come alive when he has the ball.
Onana is raw, put him in a structured midfield. I get we have limited attacking threat and we're hoping he can give us something in the middle but box to box is exposing him, and Gana. Put him next to Gana and tell him to sit most of the game.
We already have Gray, Gordon, Iwobi playing their own game. Give us some platform in midfield.
