Cheers for reading the piece Marcel. As I mentioned, I think it’s the same problem Chelsea have had where you have players signed for different managers who then don’t necessarily fit with what he needs.

Pochettino wants a high energy pressing game and you look around the team and guys like Lamela, Eriksen (both WONDERFUL players I would add) just don’t fit that category. Adebayor has a lot of talent but he’s hardly a workhorse and I’m not sure those defenders suit a high line either.

A bit more patience wouldn’t go amiss……….

Cheers Tim and cheers for reading the piece. On a separate note and as a Scot, just interested to hear your take on Paul Lambert? Good manager in the making or a dud?

I think CL qualification is paramount for them this year if they’re not to go backwards.

I wrote a piece on Liverpool a season or two ago where I commented that it could be some years before they could mount a title challenge (humble pie last year obviously!) but my reasoning was this………

Chelsea have a far smaller fan base but have established themselves through CL participation, the money it brings and now commercial revenues in these times of FFP. Granted they short cut their way there.

City have also short cut to the top but now also benefit from growing commercial revenues and also CL participation and that money.

United with or without the Glazers simply have money coming out of their ears, enormous global brand.

Arsenal likewise are very wealthy and I think I’m probably right in saying they have the largest match day revenue anywhere in Europe such is the size of their corporate entertainment. They also have many many years of CL money that has come in.

Liverpool have an antiquated stadium (which they are addressing I know) which is (from a money point of view) in the wrong region geographically and until this season no CL revenues. That makes what they achieved last season even greater but is also I think realistic about what their chances are going forwards if they drop out of the CL again.

It’s an absolute must for them.

Vas, bearing in mind the comments about a lack of ambition, how do you reckon Jermain Defoe would go down with the supporters!?

Guess it depends whether he was getting goals or not, that’s usually good enough for most fans…………..

Thanks Nick. I agree with you in respect to their footballing abilities at centre back entirely. Yet apparently it was so type of limitations that was his reasoning for dropping and jettisoning Agger, that one I really don’t understand……..

Andrew as with everyone else, cheers for reading the piece.

New players (and several of them at once) always take time to bed in. What I did find interesting was comments that Rodgers made along the lines of ‘they haven’t figured out what is to play for Liverpool yet’ etc etc.

Now I know it’s a step up from Southampton for instance but surely he’d have talked to the players at length prior to signing them, judged their characters etc, can they make the step up in terms of dealing with that level of expectation etc?

It’s interesting hearing Roy Keane’s comments in the past few weeks, where he said he fell down completely was in recruitment. If you don’t buy good players in the first place you have no chance was his basic theory.

Paul cheers for the read and interesting comments.

As Vas was mentioning above, what do you think the reasons are for Liverpool not attracting the top players right now? I know they’ve been out of the CL for a while, they’re not London based etc etc but they remain a phenomenal brand and institution across Europe and the World.

Is that maybe just my age (41) remembering the halcyon days and it doesn’t mean so much to players in their 20s?

Vas I agree with Fadida (happening far too much today!) again, you’ve made several excellent observations there.

Trying to figure out where United are going to finish is like pinning the tail on the donkey right now……… Maybe we’ll know more after the City game.

Cheers for reading the piece.

Fadida again, you’re making very valid points. I think for instance Alexis Sanchez would have been a wonderful buy and the type of player that gives you something different but he simply didn’t want to go there.

London’s always a big draw for players granted but I think that Rodgers needs to work on being able to attract the big players, maybe it will come in time.

Will, I wasn’t trying to judge anyone per se even if it came across like that. I was trying to really establish where they stand in the grand scheme of things.

I think Rodgers did an admirable job last year first harnessing and then fully reaping the rewards from Luis Suarez. I do think however that he has used the Suarez money fairly poorly on some less than stellar players and defensively I think they are there for the taking.

You could probably level that at a few managers though! Cheers for reading the piece mate.

Cheers Fadida, I read the piece back and was conscious it might sound like a bit of an anti Rodgers rant which it wasn’t meant to be. I actually have quite a lot of time for the guy and think he can have quite a refreshing approach at times.

As you say, the question is now whether he can adapt now that sides have adapted to him.

Lambert looked an ok buy to me as a back up/plan B but the fact that even with the injury to Sturridge that he’s barely been played means it was money just wasted as you rightly say.

United are the interesting one for me, if they can get draws against the likes of Chelsea and City this weekend (if!) then they’re more than capable of beating pretty much everyone else. Probably too erratic but I’d argue they have a better squad then Liverpool last season and will enjoy the same benefits of less football.

I’ll have to keep a look out for Rudy Garcia. Was aware of Gervinho’s renaissance but not the man at the helm.

It would also be interesting to see Ronaldo’s stats under Mourinho versus Ancelotti. Certainly he was scoring plenty of goals (as were Real as a whole under Mourinho it should be pointed out for those who always say he is negative). I’d have to check but I get the impression he’s scoring at an even greater rate nowadays.

I do think Ronaldo has been continuing to develop as a player under all his coaches but that’s probably due to simply an unbridled talent and an exemplary attitude to training and looking after himself.

Nick, not sure I entirely agree with you about Ancelotti. And you must remember that had Real not equalised late in the CL final, he’d have been gone. Most Chelsea fans would agree with you that it was a harsh firing but I don’t think he’s the best coach in the world.

What I do think he is extremely good at is managing egos in a dressing room. He’s also typically good at managing difficult owners (Berlusconi for instance) so he’s extremely good politically.

Given the players that Real have, I’m not entirely sure what tactically he’s really adding to the mix. They simply have so much talent, power and pace that they are going to blow 99% of teams away.

What I do think he’s done well is make sure the play is direct and effective which suits Ronaldo and Bale in particular. He has certainly coped well with the loss of Alonso in particular. I don’t think many managers would have said no to Kroos however.

I think also he has been slightly fortunate in that he’s come into Real when Barca are finally coming off their amazing peak. Barca are still a stellar team but they’re a notch down from where they were a few seasons back.

He also has Ronaldo at the absolute peak of his powers at the same time that Messi has possibly come off a notch.

They’re a wonderful side but I find it hard to believe that Ancelotti is the best coach in the world right now, wonderful guy that he is.

Cheers Nick. It’s worth a debate for sure.

I occasionally have a slot on a local radio show (sorry if that makes me sound dreadfully important and up myself!) and they asked me last night about the lack of rotation. It’s a point I would very much concede.

I think that Ferguson for instance was a master of rotating a couple of players here and there without getting a drop off in performance from the team.

Where I maybe agree a little less is in him not having a Plan B. Their results without Costa have actually been ok and Drogba popped up with a goal at Old Trafford. What was also interesting was that Fellaini did a good job on snuffing out Fabregas and he had been a huge source of assists up until then.

I do think however that Chelsea can counter attack wonderfully and do the ugly cross in to the box for Drogba to head in so I think he has a couple of strings to his bow in terms of adapting Chelsea’s play.

What I DO think however is that other managers may get more out of Hazard. I understand Mourinho wanting to make him a more complete player, tracking back, working etc but I think possibly other managers might do more to unlock the goals which I’m sure that guy definitely has in his locker in far greater quantities.

When Mourinho shuts up shop like that it really stymies guys like Hazard in particular and blunts a great weapon for Chelsea.

Nick, it’s worth remembering that City lost 4 times in the first 11 games last season. They and Yaya will rumble in to life.

Yes, a point at both grounds would have been something you would have possibly taken prior to the matches but what is pertinent is that in both instances they through away winning positions after they got into them.

My point is that negative tactics after going ahead is the issue and what has led to dropped points, not the overall approach.

And it’s also worth pointing out that Drogba scored the goal at Old Trafford.

And nice piece by the way Dwight!

Melbourne, you are spot on there regarding the tactics no longer suiting the players.

Xavi was the conductor supreme and he is gone. The tiki taka didn’t suit Fabregas particularly well at Barca and it certainly doesn’t suit Costa either nor the other Atletico players as you rightly say.

I also think that teams have fathomed out how to play against this super high possession form of play rendering much of that possession entirely pointless.

Chelsea got through a couple of seasons back against Barca and Bayern were hammered by Real trying to play that way in the CL last season also and we all know what happened to Spain at the World Cup.

I think Spain will still get through their group, they have too many good players but Del Bosque needs to at least evolve the system of play if he is not prepared to change his tactics entirely.

Ramires is a weird one and he is really dividing the Chelsea fans.

For me, he’s a good player but an out and out box to box midfielder. Chelsea are effectively playing a 4-2-3-1 nowadays rather than a 4-3-3. It didn’t suit Lampard and it doesn’t suit Ramires either.

I agree with both you and Evan that he is a fine player but neither the holding role or a more forward role suits him, he would be far more effective in either a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2, the current system just doesn’t suit him and like you say, he’s too good to be sat on the bench.

Steve, I just picking up the second point, I think Spain as a unit are struggling as everyone can see.

They are still trying to play the tiki-taka system which doesn’t suit the players that have come in from Atletico and the likes of Costa who prefer a far more direct game. I think that’s an issue for Del Bosque and not really at the feet of those two.

I’m a Chelsea fan myself and have watched them all season and both Costa and Cesc have been immense. I actually think it is they who are helping Hazard as he and Oscar had far too much responsibility on their shoulders last season. Oscar’s form dipped horribly last year and Hazard looks far fresher to me this season with renewed vigour, he had a miserable World Cup also.

I also don’t think how much you can underestimate the influence those assists and goals have in taking the pressure off attacking lights such as Hazard in freeing him of his shackles. No one more than I wants to see him fulfil his talent, he could really go all the way.

Not sure I agree with the analysis here sorry Evan.

Oscar has indeed played predominantly for Chelsea in the ’10’ role but he’s a far more complete midfielder than say a second striker and I don’t think that Cesc’s arrival diminishes his role at all. If you were assessing Juan Mata then I would possibly agree with you.

One of the reasons that Mata was sold was that he simply isn’t able to contribute effectively when Chelsea lose the ball. Oscar’s work rate is as good as anything I’ve seen in a Chelsea shirt in a long time.

The idea that players have set positions in these modern formations is becoming more and more redundant. You look at Germany during the World Cup and players are filling in for each other all over the pitch which is why you see the likes of Sami Khedira popping up in forward positions and scoring goals.

Now I’m not suggesting Chelsea are at Germany’s level but we’ve also seen the likes of Matic get on the score sheet this season in the same regard.

Oscar got through a power of work against Arsenal as an example with a huge amount of closing down and tackling as well as his play with the ball.

Fabregas’ defensive work is probably his Achilles heel in that he leaves space behind him if the team lose the ball. Oscar is well equipped to drop back in those instances alongside Matic.

I see his position as far more interchangeable with Fabregas and I actually see the opposite to what you are suggesting. I think Fabregas in the deep role makes a player with Oscar’s work rate and defensive covering paramount in balancing Chelsea when either play breaks down or they are defending.

Hazard takes a huge amount of the playmaking duties also and his defensive work is less than stellar, Willian works hard but is not a natural defender and the same goes for Saleh. Schurrle for me is more of a striker than a midfielder.

With Fabregas being a hugely positive player coming from deep, Oscar for me is more important than ever.

OK TM, I’d agree with you on every single part of that. Was put through that coaching myself.

What you initially wrote was ‘There’s plenty of young people that play football in England. They just aren’t very good at it. Nothing else to it.’ so presumed you were just writing off the Brits as lousy at football and lost causes.

I think what you and everyone else pretty much agrees on is it’s the coaching.

I just don’t understand if everyone can see that’s the problem, why not do something about it!?

Brian Laudrup was a bit similar as I recall. He didn’t exactly flourish at Chelsea in his short stint but he was still highly rated around Europe yet he headed back to FC Copenhagen when he was 29. He did have a stint later at Ajax but again, word was he just wanted to go home, also talk his wife had quite a strong hand in it…….. Maybe it’s a Danish thing!

It’s a strange one for sure. Some players’ careers do just indeed peter out for no apparent reason. I too have always thought him a tidy player.

There was some talk I think I recall when Rodgers took over that he basically didn’t fancy him because he couldn’t hold a high line etc but I’m not sure – and everyone else seems to think the same – that the likes of Sakho are an upgrade.

It does seem a bit odd that Brondby is the level for him to play at as you rightly say in the absolute peak years of his career but I guess if he’s made enough money and it’s what he wants then fair enough. The odd thing is that a bigger club didn’t come in for him.

Interesting thoughtful article Evan.

TM, yes there are plenty of people who play football but there are also a huge amount of other competing sports and also a youth that is spending less and less time outdoors.

I think it’s unlikely that people from the ‘UK’ are simply ‘born’ less good than those from other European countries and so I think most are in agreement here that coaching is the problem.

Both Ashley Cole and Micah Richards have recently moved to Italy, Gareth Bale (Welsh) and Ryan Gauld (Scotland) have moved to Real and Sporting Lisbon respectively.

The point that myself and others are making is that the Premiership is trapping these players both mentally and financially and there is a marked issue there.

As much as England have been underperforming, I think to suggest that the likes of Lampard, Gerrard, Ferdinand, Terry, Rooney, Cole etc would not have got games for the top 5 clubs in the nations you are mentioning is highly unlikely.

Also, no one here is talking about England ‘exporting’ players. We are talking about individuals having the desire to try something new. If that means going in at mid table club abroad then so be it.

Cheers for reading Griffo, much appreciated as always.