Gregor Robertson, Martin Samuel and Tony Cascarino join Tom Clarke for the Thurs edition of The Game. Is Mauricio Pochettino under pressure at Chelsea? After a loss to championship side Middlesborough in the first leg of the league cup semi final and indifferent league form, will the owner demand more after spending a billion pounds? Liverpool won again, with two youngster shining in Curtis jones and Conor Bradley. Could Jones make the England squad. After the break, how much does FFP affect January transfers; where will Mbappe end up an will Werner and Sancho be good signings?

Timeline:

2’ Beckenbauer

Chelsea

4’ Poch under pressure. After a loss to Middlesborough, where next?

5’ Lots of quality, not much spirit. Not clinical, they’re an easy team to play against.

7’ look soft, no edge but they’ll probably still beat Middlesborough.

8’ They’d be mad to get rid of Poch. Who is out there that is guaranteed to do better?

11’ You can’t keep sacking managers every six months.

12’ This is a big month for Poch. Both cups, and key league games. How January goes could affect the mood music, rightly or wrongly.

16’ If not Poch then who. Owners must have one eye on that. Review at the end of the season seems likely.

17’ They had a good manager, and they sacked him – Thomas Tuchel.

20’ Owners are erratic and at times irrational.

22’ Are any of the strikers they have bought good enough?

24’ Top eight team at best, don’t look like they’ll go on a run.

Liverpool

27’ Conor Bradly and Curtis Jones shone. Jones now looks a really good midfielder.

30’ Brady has bundles of energy.

31’ Curtis Jones looks like a very live England chance. Gregor not so sure.

Transfers…Mbappe, FFP and Timo Werner

34’ Why aren’t more teams looking at Mbappe? FFP restricts what teams can do.

36’ Gregor wants Mbappe, but not unfettered spending.

37’ Premier league already getting less competitive, if rich teams are allowed to spend unfettered, it will make it worse.

43’ Rules in place are currently inhibiting teams from getting the best players. But some would prefer the premier league slip a little at the benefit of the wider football pyramid.

46’ Werner will get chances at Spurs, and Postecoglou might get the best out of him.

50’ He’s only 27, it could be a redemption story.

51’ His numbers are not that bad, he is involved, he assists and contributes.

52’ Sancho likely to return to Dortmund. What went wrong?

55’ Sancho still not off the wage bill. Could a new manager pull him back to Old Trafford?

57’ He’s already made some brave decisions in his career. Is this another one?

59’ does he have the potential to be truly world class?

61’ lots of players at United are underperforming, is it related to style of play?

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