It's interesting reading the ratings... the post-Anfield performances really knocked a bit of the shine off. And I tend to agree with the ratings that have our best few players at around on 8 or 9, and most of the rest (who matter) being around 7. I do think Gabriel Jesus is being underrated generally, though. I have him as very close to Saka, Martinelli and Ødegaard.
I'm thinking about the sort of internal improvement we might see, and I think we can expect to see a step up from pretty much everyone just through physical growth and match experience across the board, but there are a few players where the weak parts of their game have really gotten my goat this season, and improvement will take them to a new level:
Ramsdale - conditioning. I love so much about him as a goalkeeper, but his physical conditioning is a disgrace. You look at the guy who was between the sticks before him and is now keeping goal for Fulham, and you see how quick and agile he was - almost like a gymnast, and with the physique to match (btw, he is inferior in every other way to Ramsdale). By contrast, Ramsdale in unacceptably slow when getting down to low shots and not as agile as a top class goalkeeper should be. Maybe that will never be a strength of his game, but it can be much better. Some added muscle would help him compete with opponents at set-pieces, too - he's not anywhere near as strong as he should be. And he needs to do MUCH better at penalties. If a thick little garden gnome like Pickford can save crucial penalties because he puts in the hard work and does his homework then Ramsdale has no excuses.
Zinchenko - conditioning again. He is a skinny, scrawny guy that can't play more than 60-70 minutes at his best level. He will never be built like Kyle Walker, but his lack of muscle and elite conditioning is completely unacceptable. It only annoys me because he is so damn good. If he was a mid-tier talent it wouldn't matter - it's the same with Ramsdale - they're too good not get the extra 10% out of their game that will make them elite.
Gabriel Jesus - ball striking. I think he's a phenomenal footballer in every respect bar his finishing. It's not because he lacks composure - he has oodles of it - that he doesn't score 25 goals. It's because he doesn't hit the ball powerfully, cleanly and accurately without the need for a big backlift. In the same way Ramsdale and Zinchenko will never be elite athletes, Jesus will not turn into a world-class ball-striker, but he can and must get better. His overall contribution would be viewed in a different light if he could add another 10 goals to his game across a season. I think he can do it.
When I look at Saliba, Gabriel, White, Ødegaard (he needs to add more muscle, but he can run hard for 90 minutes - he's fit for purpose - so he doesn't fall into the same category as Ramsdale and Zinchenko), Martinelli, and Saka - I don't see any standout weaknesses in their games. There are areas they can improve on, but it's mostly linked with experience, and not something specifically technical or physical (beyond naturally filling out and growing into their bodies).
