Diaz was contracted for 2 years so irrespective of him wanting out he didn’t have to be sold.
Plenty of players may want out but end up having to stop Guehi is the prime example.
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I am not at all sure that the impact of the summer tragedy is even close to being behind the team.
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We are missing Luis Diaz every match, it was a big mistake from Hughes to let him go instead of giving him a new and improved contract. Left wing is our weak spot IMHO.
As I said in match thread - its reminds me of when Sterling left and everyone said its OK we have Ibe. Bradley just isnt good enough for this level.
Its scary that our best 2 Full Backs are an ageing Robbo and Sozbo.
The new lads either don’t have the talent or mentality to play for us.
Kerkez and Frimmers scare the shit out of me defensively.
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Yep said it in the match thread - what I wouldnt give to have him out there on Sat.
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Agree.
The new players aren’t as good as what we have sold. Maybe that will come in time.
Wirtz is a real issue - we brought him in to break teams down like Palace and Burnley and he’s not done a thing and been subbed in those games. He seems a £116m luxury and doesnt look like he is enjoying himself.
The 2 new FBs look way off it but its not helping that so many off the players who have been here a while are off it - Konate, Bradley, Mac, Salah and Gakpo for example.
There were to many changes in the summer. Id have rather kept Diaz and not brought in Isak - that’s not hindsight either. Another CB was needed.
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Diaz’s loss would be less impactful if Gakpo didn’t start the season so poorly and his replacement wasn’t a 17-year-old kid.
Also, it’s arguably Chiesa’s best position, but for whatever reason Slot still won’t start him.
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Isn’t that the point a certain poster was making 
Szoboszlai is our best option at right back especially against the better teams.
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He was also pushing for a move to City the year before, where we appear to have done as you ask.
Realistically you can’t keep hold of players who don’t want to be here for very long.
He was under contract we could do what we wanted too. He may have wanted the move but he wasn’t agitating for it.
As for last year the rumour was City was interested not Diaz pushing for it Ornstein confirmed this early this summer.
Albeit I only got to see the highlights of this game, but feels like some massive overreaction to this. We’ve had some tough fixtures and hadn’t dropped any points previously. People writing off Wirtz when he’s only been here for 5mins. Not to mention how quickly we forget the personal tragedy they’ve recently been through
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I think anyone would struggle as our RB as Gravenberch rarely gets over and Salah doesn’t get back in any meaningful way.
I noticed when playing as centre forward Diaz started coming back to help at the end of last season.
I don’t know how Dom does so well back there, it’s like he’s made for this unforgiving isolated role.
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There’s always an overreaction, but we were bad. Both can be true.
The disappointment is that the players are all good, we know that, but they massively underperformed (apart from Ali).
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i dont think its an overreaction…weve been getting away with it all season.
How many times we gone 2 up and found it 2-2 - OK we got last min winners but we cannot play like that every game. Eventually you dont score and either draw or in Saturdays case - conceed.
The only positive from Sat is Alissons form and the loss might wake us up.
Im really concerned by Mo - is it tatics that arent helping or has his super powers finally ran out? Hes lost his pace and not started the season on fire like his previosu seasons.
I only saw the highlights so won’t argue about this game. But there have been times when we’ve looked brilliant, e.g. parts of the Everton and Atletico games. I’m not sure anything could have been done about having so much change in the squad, but it will inevitably take time to settle
Wouldn’t Mo be better coming inside more and letting the right back (Bradley or Frimpong) overlap on the outside? It would get Salah nearer to the goal, where he’s more effective, and optimise the strengths of the FBs. He seems to be stuck out on the right where he’s easy to control and where he has less effect on the match.
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He just needs time - as much for his teammates to understand him as for him to get to grips with them and the PL. He is clearly technically excellent and only aged 22. I’m confident that (provided he’s not injured) you’ll start to get excited by him in the second half of the season.
Similarly Kerkez is good enough to be our LB. He will have relegated Robbo to a clear reserve by seasons end.
The real worries are cover at CB - especially as we can’t really drop Ibou - and the right side looking sub par. This is down to both Mo looking like a facsimile of the player of the last 5 years (unfortunately I think he’s lost the pace that made him so fearsome and refs continue to penalise his skill and I don’t think we’ll ever again see the old Mo) and our RB not yet working. I’m uncertain about Frimpong but I think Bradley can definitely do well enough to make the grade longer term.
The trick really is how Arne gets through the next few months while still winning games and giving these guys (perhaps except Mo who isn’t going to undo his aging unfortunately) a chance to gel.
Unless you are Yasir al-Rumayyan and you have your manager playing 5D chess
probably Diaz.
if you assume Isak/Ekitike double deal was only sanctioned becuase of the unfortunate Jota situation, then maybe Diaz could have been kept against his will…(edit, meaning only one gets done if Jota was still with us)
i know its great to see Rio getting minutes, and the left side is stacked, but if your looking at slowing the departure rate down, then Diaz is the obvious one, id imagine Hope is refering to Elliot as well who youve left off, and finally Quansah over Leoni maybe
if Leoni is the generational talent, buy him anyway and loan him back
so theres three players already from last seasons squad who could have still been in the building (albeit temporarily)
i strongly believe Elliot especially would have towed the company line until the winter window and he could be exactly what the doctor ordered with the heat on Wirtz at the moment
anyways, its all a bunch of ‘what ifs’… a new squad is a hungry squad, hold the hand on the flame etc etc etc
i dont think the turnover is that significant here, i think theres other factors at play
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