Chelsea Banter

05 Dec 2025 06:32:48
I don't recall anyone on this site posting "we are title contenders" and I do attend a lot of ST get togethers and I don't remember anyone at those events in the last X amount of years seeing us as premiership winners.

I think some pundits need to give their head a wobble!

Just for good order, I do think we will win the Premiership next season. 🤞🤣😇.

05 Dec 2025 07:23:10
At no stage have I thought we were serious contenders for the title nor has anybody at SB suggested it.
As things stand, I don’t see a time in the near future where we will be serious contenders.

05 Dec 2025 09:19:18
Tom, you are correct, I don't think I have seen one poster say we will win the league this season and although a couple in my group did think we might go close that all changed after wednesday.

That said, we are very very close to mounting a title challenge, our best 11 is a match for anyone and would of blown Leeds apart, we have a young coach who is learning all the time and has the tactical nous to put a title challenge together, we have a young squad who are only going better and better for the experience they are gaining game by game and we have owners who have deep pockets and know the only way to hugely increase their investment is by winning championships and cups so they will be very motivated to plug the gaps in our squad. I expect quite a bit of movement in the summer transfer window, we have a winger coming in from Portugal who was wanted by a lot of the biggest clubs in europe, we are linked with the notts forest centre back and also linked with a number of strikers. The owners won't let up until we win the premier league and like you, I see us going toe to toe with those around us next season.

05 Dec 2025 11:23:39
We also have a striker and a CH supposedly coming back to us from loans next season.

If we are looking outdid for a CH I would like us to sign the lad from Forest. I asked Ed01 about him a few weeks ago and he rates him. When he agrees with me he is a good judge. 😂🤞😇.

05 Dec 2025 11:33:39
Quote from Gary Neville. “Let’s stop talking about Chelsea as title contenders. ” The only people talking about it are you and your fecking.

05 Dec 2025 11:36:34
Sorry, sent to soon.

A quote from Gary Neville. “Let’s stop talking about Chelsea as title contenders. ”
The only persons talking this Shyt is you and your fecking pundit mates.

04 Dec 2025 18:55:11
Still fecked off after last night. Roll on the cherries and hammer them.

04 Dec 2025 18:37:46
Greenaway, Caicedo is still out, won't happen, Bournemouth are far better than Leeds and they destroyed us.

04 Dec 2025 19:35:58
We will destroy Bournemouth. James will play and so will Fofana.

04 Dec 2025 20:10:46
Bill, why are you always so unhappy with all things Chelsea?

04 Dec 2025 20:25:35
They should have played last night Tom, poor, poor decision making by Maresca.

04 Dec 2025 20:32:23
Bill, I disagree, both players past injury issues have to be managed.

However I would be critical of the manager for not picking Josh.

04 Dec 2025 08:02:41
We all know how long in can take for a player to settle into a team and a league. We have seen it many times, some players just hit the ground running, same take a few games and some can take a season. Of course some never make it at that particular club.

So far this season and with “maybe” one exception non of our summer signings have hit the ground running. It’s a concern but no more than that at the moment. It happens at a lot of clubs, they sign what look to be better players but the team performance drops off or shows a lack of consistency.

I’m personally a fan of doing things gradually. So, I’m always looking to keep changes to a minimum. Of course sometimes events and emotions make my preferred slow build process redundant. If that makes sense?

04 Dec 2025 08:19:49
Hopefully a transfer ban will help with that Tom and we have a settled squad fir a few seasons.

04 Dec 2025 09:43:16
Tom I'm with you on ot liking what has seemed to be a big churning turnover of players each summer window in recent times. I do think though that we have been creeping towards Vision 2030 aims of competitive - in EPL and Champions League which are the real tests - side among which some players have by now gained considerable EPL experience and benefited from confidence winning CWC win.

I think Garnacho has done pretty well for us from the off this season and Estevao has shone on quite a few occasions though possibly better off the bench in second half in EPL as I'd have liked him to be last night - with Garnacho starting on one side up front and Neto on the other as said before the game. Had thought Maresca had handled Estevao well up to and including Barcelona game but EPL different and reckon for now he may be better second half player - when physically tough CBs etc beginning to get tired and game opening up and allowing Estevao more space to work his magic in - than first half one. Also a matter of him having played whole game v Barcelona as well as half v Arsenal and he looked wired but pretty tired and frustrated last night.

Might have given Guiu a start ahead of Delap cos Guiu more mobile and perhaps with more guile in style of play. But Delap does need game time and I certainly haven't given up on him yet and he must surely get better if only again to standard he achieved at Ipswich and flashes he showed in some CWC games.

Yes after his first ten games for us I thought Morata was the real bees knees deal. But then he seemed to fall away and indeed fall down too often under tackles. I thought Drogba did ok in his first season for us and looked physically perfect for striker role and showed a fair bit of skill plus power in the air. But it did take time of course to be sure just how good and important he was for us.

04 Dec 2025 10:48:48
The last thing we need is a transfer ban Bill, that would really stop our progress. We are in desperate need of a proper 15 to 20 goal a season striker and a rock solid centre back who can play out from the back.

04 Dec 2025 11:19:49
Agreed with you RPD about CB and striker and though Sanchez much improved we could do with a quality keeper as competition. I still have the feeling at times that Sanchez not the complete article in terms of calm distribution when under pressure though his shot stopping impressive. He is also up there with best and command of area in terms of the high ball though seems to get in a flap in crowded corner or long thorw in situations which Maresca has found some solutions to by putting players out near half way line for possible break and dragging opposition CBs back out there too.

04 Dec 2025 13:01:11
RPD

I agree totally with you on the experienced CB and ST but let's be honest, no matter how many windows we have, the SD's will only raid nurseries and foreign ones at that.

04 Dec 2025 13:28:12
JBS, the Sanchez debate will just rumble on until he makes a mistake and then it will be the same old, same old. Let’s be grateful that he has improved.

I have only seen our young lad at Strasbourg a few times and he looks good, particularly with the ball at his feet. I have a feeling with him that he might stay out on loan for another season.

04 Dec 2025 14:47:08
It's about time we all got behind Sanchez, he has been very good this season.

04 Dec 2025 15:25:59
Greenaway, I couldn’t agree more but you and I both know it’s not going to happen.

At an annual Christmas ST bash there were a lot of the attendees saying he was our most improved player.

04 Dec 2025 15:43:22
I agree with both you and Greenaway Tom, i think Sanchez has improved this season.

The worry for me is that we lose Caicedo and we fall apart. I did think we would struggle without him which is why I was amazed when Hames did not play.

04 Dec 2025 16:10:54
I’m a massive fan of Caicedo and been singing his praises from day one. James is different gravy in any position he plays.

We have a squad that should be capable of coving these player losses. For that poor performance last night was about what’s between the ears! Win the individual battles and the right to play, expect aggression and a team that is prepare press hard. To me it looked as if some of our players were caught in the headlights.

04 Dec 2025 17:41:15
And that Tom is a worry that the coaches could not alter what was happening.

04 Dec 2025 18:52:05
Bill, I’m no more worried this season than last season about our coaches.

Some wanted the manager and the coaches sacked during last seasons campaign. Others wanted the SD’s sacked and one or two blamed the owners.

Very few ever admitted they were wrong but they have carried that dislike into this season. I sometimes believe that there are group of fans who just lurk, waiting for a bad team result or bad player performance just to say “I told you so. ”

If you look at other teams sites this is nothing unusual but it does my head in. We win a few games and everything is brilliant, we lose a few games and we are crap. The tw@t TV pundits are just as bad.

My opinion hasn’t changed, we have top four players and a reasonable coach. If we don’t qualify for the champions league, he may well be sacked, deemed a failure by the fans and owners. If we finish in the top four and maybe wins a pot, he will be our manager for the start of next season.

04 Dec 2025 20:29:44
He is certainly not helping himself with his tinkering, perhaps he wants to go, who knows, I still have nightmares with the way Conti engineered his way out of Chelsea with a huge payday.

04 Dec 2025 20:54:10
I would suggest we wait until the end of the season before we judge how the policy of rotation has or hasn’t worked.
Of course we have to remember the players exertions in the CWC.

04 Dec 2025 20:56:00
Tom, you are right about the lurkers who come out and post the minute we lose a game but we don't actually know if they are genuine fans or trolls who enjoy winding up other clubs fans. Likewise we have posters across all the sites who never have a good word to say about "their club".

I take the view there are all sorts of reasons people are nothing but negative and it is quite often that they have no friends or family with whom to let off steam so come on these sort of platforms as a release.

05 Dec 2025 07:42:14
I will never be convinced by Sanchez: he is nowhere near the level of keeper we need to step up a level, He has clearly been instructed to hoof the ball forward because of his weaknesses which invariably leads to us losing possession. Although Leed’s third goal was down to Tosin a decent keeper would have smothered the ball.

05 Dec 2025 11:26:54
I think Sanchez has been instructed to move the ball quicker. His long ball passing has improved and so has willingness to throw the ball as well.

I’m not convinced but I applaud his improvement.

03 Dec 2025 22:44:43
Difficult not to be too reactionary after that performance, from which there are very few positives to take.

You know how for a long time, whoever played alongside Van Dijk, at CB for Liverpool, looked top class too, but, play them without Van Dijk and they showed their true qualities. Well, I’m not saying he’s at the same level as prime Van Dijk, but Fofana is having that impact on our CB’s, particularly Chalobah.

The difference to our defensive structure and intensity with and without Fofana is night and day. Going back to Chalobah, he’s decent enough, what a squad player he is, but, if he starts 15+ games in a season, you don’t win the title that season. Tosin isn’t up to this level, he’s too passive in possession and too passive out of possession - he waits for the game to come to him and the doesn’t positively impact it when it arrives. Acheampong is a better player.

Up front, Delap is ok, but again, if he’s starting 10-15+ games in a season, you’re not winning a title that season. The fact I question if Marc Guiu is better or not, speaks volumes for Delap’s level, and it’s not main strike in an EPL winning team.

04 Dec 2025 05:49:19
J, generally I think Chalaboa has been very good this season particularly in a defence that’s continually changing, mainly through injury.

I’m not going to judge Delap until he has had a run of games. I rushed to judge both Morata and Drogba and got of those wrong.

For me last night was more about mindset. The manager has to take some responsibility along with certain players just being sloppy. Maybe some believed the hype. At the moment, to me we are an “on there day” sort of tea if that makes sense?

04 Dec 2025 06:54:52
I pretty much agree with everything you have said there J.

As soon as Tosin steps into defence we look a mess, I don't get this whole rotation policy Maresca seems to employ. The team that wins the league usually has a consistent starting 11.

Realistically are either Delap or Jao Pedro an upgrade on Nicholas Jackson?

04 Dec 2025 07:05:11
Whitey, I personally would never had let Jackson go and as things stand today neither Delap or Pedro are an upgrade but it’s early in there Chelsea careers.

04 Dec 2025 07:56:33
J, I agree with your post. One of our main problems is our defence particularly CBs but I won’t repeat myself. As for Delap and Pedro; no real surprises, I never thought they looked like players who would score 15 goals.

TBF, the main striker needs to play regularly to get his eye in and the constant rotation doesn’t help. As for Jackson, no thanks, he had his chance, he is not the answer.

04 Dec 2025 08:26:38
But not early in their football careers Tom, they both have a lot of games under their belt.

I also agree with Whitey97, I don't get the rotation system, it's like Maresca is looking to throw 3 points away every few games. Without Caicedo, he should have played James.

If players can't play 3 games a week then we should let them go and bring in players that can. There is no point in them being good if they are not available.

04 Dec 2025 09:09:00
That was a poor showing last night and maybe highlighted what Maresca said pre-season when he almost begged the sporting directors to buy him a ball carrying centre back to play out from the back when Levi got injured. Did you see how bad Badishille was trying to attempt it? he slowed everything down and all the movement going on ahead of him was lost.

Tosin was the same. It improved in the second half but the confidence was gone. ED01, are we looking at buying a CB in the January window because without Fofana we look lost back there.

{Ed001's Note - I have not heard of any in the pipeline, sorry.}

04 Dec 2025 09:51:06
Pretty spot on J though I do think TC very decent old style CB when playing alongside either LC last season or Fofana this season.

As have posted above Tom I got Morata wrong but was at least v hopeful for Drogba in is first season when I think he scored onlly ten or eleven EPL gaols - as did Jackson! Like many others I could not see why on eartn we loaned out Jackson for this season if not bringing in another striker though I suppose the Delap injury came quyite late in the transfer window and fater we'd done the deal with Bayern. Jaoa Pedro looks to have skill and may do well for us in certain games but perhaps not mid-winter away games up north. Delap must surely get better and Guiu imho deserved mor game time last night and especially after that brilliant assist for our second goal v Burnley. Would have had him on for JP much earlier.

04 Dec 2025 11:48:35
Bill, Cucarella had lots of games under his belt but it took him a season to settle. Although some of us had belief in Neto he is far more of an all round performer than he was last season.
It’s not a one size fits all situation.

03 Dec 2025 15:05:42
Very sad news that the brilliant Marvin Hinton has passed away.

He was a very good “football” playing centre half, quick and good with both feet. If I remember correctly he was in the initial 1966 World Cup winning squad and was seen by many as the natural back up to the legendary Bobby Moore.

RIP Marvin.