This is the root of the issue.
I've gone to really liking the side under 1st season wonder Martinez (Lukaku, Barkley, Deulofeu, Stones, Coleman etc) to really...I don't know what this is. The concerning thing for me is, I've usually had a favourite player in whatever side we put out (or even a good handful at certain times...Cahill, Arteta, Pienaar, etc, etc), but I couldn't tell you who that is right now...and that feels weird.
I don't really exude excitement for any of these players lining up. I mean, I still like them generally speaking, and I still have respect for certain players like Jagielka...but it feels different at the moment. Overall that feels like a pretty sad statement to make as a fan.
Anyone else struggling to with a favourite player these days or just me?
There are very few players in our squad with a discernible character. Even if it's characteristic flaws, like Pienaar's mighty tackles, Cahill's silky one-touch passing, Yobo's concentration or Osman's legendary shooting power.
Instead we seem to have bought a bunch of bland, identikit meh-merchants. Maybe it feels that way because all the aforementioned players were also really good at something. There is a reason that players like Straq or Manny Fernandes are still idolised, and it isn't just that fans are stupid.