Trent helping out a bit at one end

[Nineteenx]

Gakpo looking like a very astute signing.

So you agree he's a great Bobby replacement and not a poor man's David Ngog?

[Nineteenx]

Only just noticed, why's 'the idiot' going on about me and Jones? My long term critique of Jones has been him needing to be braver and take responsibility, and now he's doing that, look what's happening, i am of course delighted Jones is finally doing what i've long said he needed to and we are reaping the benefits

Oh, it's probably to try and move away from 'the idiots' Gakpo and Trent comments, very much his M.O that after embarrassing himself

Probably trying to move away from Jones and Trent both being miles better at doing what we bought Thiago to but he never has also

[Steveo]

Corporal Jones... ^

[Nineteenx]

Corporal Jones... ^

It's a reference to Dad's army and Jurgen doing his "Don't panic, don't panic i'm in charge" routine he's done way too much of this season, nothing to do with Jones the player

[Steveo]

Thats fine - I was calling YOU Corporal Jones BTW... but come on man.. HOW can you ignore this and call it excuses..? What other team could just continue as is with this little lot?

1 Jota out
2 Diaz out
3 Firmino out
4 Núñez time disrupted with suspension and an injury
5 Van Dijk out
6 Adjusting to life without Mane
7 Salah's indifferent form
8 Trent's form up and down
9 Matip's indifferent form
10 Fabinho's dreadful form
11 Henderson's reducing athletic capacity
12 Gakpo getting integrated

This is plenty to contend with after selling one of your 2 most potent weapons. You chose to blame it all on Jurgen - Or Thiago - Or Elliott. look at what we have had to contend with. look at the missing players!!! FFS

Trents form and the ENTIRE teams form is improved as the front line has become match fit and available. Choosing to ignore it is childish.

Look at that image I posted on our Top scorer since the World Cup.. That was February 5th..!! If you can't score goals you are in the shyte. You pile more and more men forward and expose your self over and over again. The midfield gets questioned - the defence gets questioned - SOME were even having a pop at saviour Alisson!!! What part of this needs explaining?

[Nineteenx]

Most of those form issues were caused by the failed and ill conceived Thiago as designated playmaker debacle while also playing Elliott at RCM and Gomez at RCB

I called it very early as a severe issue, every EPL broadcaster then later did detailed analysis of how Elliott at RCM was negatively affecting the form of both Mo and Trent, i put together a comprehensive breakdown of their's and other players number of passes per game that unequivocally showed they weren't getting enough of the ball with Thiago employed as designated playmaker

It was a mixture of the 3 things that caused it

Fab was just brutally exposed by Jurgen dropping the LCM controller role and his athleticism at it's peak was still well below Hendo's even now

Anyway keep on topic TRENT has really been showing Thiago how it SHOULD be done, despite being allegedly so 'ill equipped' to do so

[Steveo]

LOL... OK So Trent is now playing Thiago's role.. Sweet Jeesus.. What are you on?

[Nineteenx]

LOL... OK So Trent is now playing Thiago's role.. Sweet Jeesus.. What are you on?

You're missing the point which is 'the TEAM' as a collective are making the play, Trent has long been one of our main contributors to that, from RB and inside right at times, now he is contributing differently, a little more as work on the tweak continues so we're getting back some of his passing from the right as well, we need his long diagonals and switches from the right back, for LFWD and Robbo and Jones now too, they'll be a massive benefit

The point was simply that Trent's involvement in making the play as part of 'the TEAM' is far better and of far greater benefit to 'the TEAM' than Thiago's has ever been

[Steveo]

Ok.. That’s settled then

[faridtoxteth]

I see Southgate was at the game last night. i wonder what he thought about Trent. Thing is, his teams are always super cautious, defensive minded, two holding midfielders even against opposition that should be hammered. I don't know how keen Trent is to play for England. Not much point in going to a tournament , siting on the bench while Calvin Phillips lines up with Rice. I hope he is overlooked personally, although it would be difficult for Southgate not to take him, now all the media are creaming themselves over Trent, the same ones who were saying he was a liability six months ago.