Use our rumours form to send us chelsea transfer rumours.
In order to view all of today's banter, you may have to visit our Chelsea banter 2 and Chelsea banter 3 pages linked at the bottom of this page.
More posts are being added to the Chelsea Discussion Posts page
24 Apr 2024 21:58:38
Football truly is a funny old game.
While I could see Palace beating Newcastle there is no way I could see Liverpool being turned over by the toffees!
I don't watch Liverpool that often but does Nunez miss a lot of chances on a regular basis?
DCL looked a handful tonight.
24 Apr 2024 22:19:09
He does Tom.
24 Apr 2024 21:51:23
If osimhen does go to PSG who would be everyone's striker target? That is the main position we need I think rest will depend on sales. Hopefully a new keeper if we can offload Kepa and Sanchez.
But who would everyone sign upfront and why. I've stated I like Isak but he's injury prone and unlikely so probs best to stay away as good as he is. Toney is a risk seems to have a big ego and baggage. It's down to Sesko or Gyokeres for me. Gyokeres is the better goal scorer but older and in a poorer league. Sesko has massive potential but still very raw. He's been slowly introduced to the first team and has 10 goals in 27 but a lot of them games have been 20 minutes off the bench so I'm not sure. But down to Gyokeres and Sesko for me.
24 Apr 2024 22:02:29
I suppose I will have to admit defeat and except Osimhen moving to PSG.
So Barnet, I have a mate who says a forward at Lille is good but I would go for Kane. I also like the Lad from Juve but apparently that deal looks unlikely.
24 Apr 2024 20:37:47
Slot now looks like he's on his way to Liverpool, so there's Ed002's number-one choice for manager to replace Poch (if indeed he goes) gone.
24 Apr 2024 21:01:33
It’s probably Poch’s best chance of staying that there will be no credible candidates left given the number of big clubs looking for a new coach.
24 Apr 2024 22:10:16
Don’t forget the TT return rumours!
24 Apr 2024 22:20:53
Tom
I have forgot it already.
24 Apr 2024 22:35:39
Bill, love it mate. I think it was a secret TT fan pulling my leg!
Mind you strange things can happen!
24 Apr 2024 16:23:42
There is a lot of heat and animosity on here which is very understandable given how we're being run. Can I ask one of the Ed's for their professional verdict on all this?
Basically what type of players we need to sign and what they would do? From what I've read Osimhen is now heading for PSG but not 100%. Gyökeres, Sesko and Toney are the names that spring to mind but every signing you make is always a risky one. Toney IMO isn't as good as people make out and has baggage. Gyökeres is putting up number in a poor league and would he replicate it here. Sesko has been bedding in with limited minutes but has a very good goals to games ratio but he would also be raw.
I honestly have no idea where we go from here in truth. I would like Maignan and Isak but have read they both have injury troubles and are expensive.
We've wasted a lot of money on bang average players like Mudryk, Madueke, Badiashile and Disasi. There is still something there for me watching Jackson play especially off the wing but he can't keep missing easy chances as it's not good enough.
Just like one of the Ed's opinion as to what they think is best. Thanks.
{Ed001's Note - you just need some experience and offload some of the players that haven't worked out, rather than this nonsense idea of selling players from the academy for 'pure profit'. It is simply not true as it is not cheap to run an academy and so each player coming through costs money. There is not really a lot needed, you are not far off really, just a few of the overpriced junk and injury prone players that need offloading. I know you lot somehow have gained the impression that James is the best right-back in the world, despite him being utterly unable to defend even when he can stay fit. It also takes him a long time to get up to speed after an injury, then he will play well for 3 games and go missing again. He should be first out the door, followed quickly by Chilwell and Sterling and particularly Fofana that you even signed injured. He is not even a good defender anyway.
Settle the team down with a solid keeper. Then it is just about trimming the fat before it is worth considering buying anyone else. You need to stop buying players to loan out, it might seem good business but good business is winning trophies and having so much money tied up in players that never play for you is just a waste.}
24 Apr 2024 19:21:49
Ed, I agree good business is winning trophies.
24 Apr 2024 19:33:46
Quite surprised you’d sell Fofana and James Ed but I do understand. As fans when we’ve seen players do well in the past we hold onto that memory and expect it to come back but we can’t wait forever for players to get fit and up to speed.
Is there any change on Osimhen Ed? Few months ago you posted he was almost certainly heading to Chelsea but recently I’ve read he is now swaying towards a PSG move maybe due to champions league. I am not a big fan of him I’ve seen him miss a lot of chance which Jackson gets crucified for. In truth I have no confidence in any striker we sign.
{Ed001's Note - I do mean Fofana the defender, so I am surprised you are surprised as I don't rate him and have been very open about that even when he was at Leicester. He was awful there.
I have never said he almost certainly headed to Chelsea, I assume it must have been Ed02 maybe? I have no idea where Osimhen is going.}
24 Apr 2024 20:24:57
Yeah Fofana the defender I did like him at Leicester but his injuries are depressing it may be time to cut ties but not many teams will want an injury prone defender.
Think it was Ed02 but not 100% it was definitely on one page it may have been the arsenal one. I wouldn’t pay the money mentioned for him regardless as he suffers with niggles and that’s the last thing we need. I like the look of Gyokeres but a lot of Chelsea accounts I follow who are quite good at rating players don’t like him in not sure why.
Thanks for your time and insight anyway Ed. Much appreciated.
{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}
24 Apr 2024 17:59:26
Unfortunately, even with a great performance in certain games and looking like we just need fine tuning, which I still thinks the case, the fine tuning is still a ST GK W LB, which will be a huge amount of money still to be chucked at problem, which after the money we've invested already is unacceptable, 2 years into to a project, midtable with a some fortune and quick turnaround v some tough teams possibly 7th.
This leads to the conclusion of what happened with potter, what Lampards said and how it's been with poch, this project has been a disaster and genuinely feel it couldn't have been done worse by winstanly and Stewart, the data lead approach has been embarrassing on the whole, £220m midfield who get dominated, wingers who look as if they skipped academy football and there talent is there but the IQ and football understanding is lost, a squad build with one striker who's a winger for majority of his career and has Only been prolific for the 8 games prior to his move,
I'd go as far as saying that before poch is moved on those 2 should be first, as a squad build there's been glaring mistakes and I don't think they can be trusted in getting it right, injuries have been horrific granted, but we looked to future and forgot about now, this u23 route we gone is boring us badly, poch, Gallagher, palmer Sterling, every pundit alive, all highlighted are serious lack of experience and leadership,
We've overpaid for every single player, even for how much he played prior at city, palmer was expensive, one success story to really come through, if all our players were made available which ones would we break even or make profit on except palmer?
Then on top of everything, there's the constant rumours of points deductions, ffp breaches, PSR issues looming, hotels sold at inflated prices
Been a tough few years, with a few carrots dangled to give us hope.
24 Apr 2024 18:26:43
Matt, at least three of our most expensive signings almost had the transfer decided because other clubs were interested.
Not that I really care but we have not “overpaid” in my opinion for Petrovich, Gusto, Palmer, Noni, Nkunku, Chuka and this will be a tad controversial Jackson. Of this is just my opinion and some of my assessments are based on pre Chelsea form.
Let me make it clear again i haven’t got a clue how many of our new signings will prove themselves to be quality players but I am prepared give them a little more time.
{Ed001's Note - that is nonsense Tom. Chelsea did not have to pay the money for them. They could have bought someone else instead or just saved the money or negotiated better.}
24 Apr 2024 18:39:04
Ed, that’s a fair point and one I have made before. Yea they could have walked away from all of those signings.
I doubt that the underbidding teams would have got them for significantly less.
{Ed001's Note - then they would either overpay or not have bought them either.}
24 Apr 2024 19:19:01
Yep and as I said in my post of some time ago. If we hadn’t signed them so many fans might well of said the club lacked ambition.
{Ed001's Note - I don't see how that is of any relevance. Fans whine whether a team buys players or not. They moan they are too expensive or too cheap or not the right players or any of a million other reasons. If Chelsea are buying players to placate fans, then it is no wonder the club is in such a mess.}
24 Apr 2024 19:28:00
I think we are agreeing with one another. If we sign the player some fans moan and if we don’t sign the player they moan. ’.
24 Apr 2024 13:30:58
Does any of the Ed's know what's going off with the Americans and Poch do they still have faith.
{Ed002's Note - A decision will be made at the end of the season and perhaps July 1 will prove to be an important day.}
24 Apr 2024 16:39:01
Apologies if this is a stupid question, but why July 1st.
{Ed002's Note - It is the start of the new year.}
24 Apr 2024 16:43:57
Thank you Ed,
Much appreciated.
24 Apr 2024 17:25:25
Thanks for the info ed002.
24 Apr 2024 13:28:52
Imo Chelsea should not sign young talents for the first team anymore. Any new player must be proven experienced players or we will be remembered as a one time European giants. History had it that forest once won ucl. It's silly to change what made great. The core of great Chelsea team has been quality proven experienced players but boely and Co ownership came in and forced out all who had mastered the art and brought in clueless staff to change things that will never work in this generation. Chelsea whose best player is a player who left a rival team for lack of opportunity, can never be at the top level.
I also think boely and Co are working to rip off the gains made by the roman era by buying young players so that they sell them when they improve for profits. The will make us like old arsenal where they sold their best players Henry vp, fab, etc and have their fans gnashing for lack of success.
I have always believed that politics should never interfere with sports. It has killed our beloved club in forcefully taking roman out of Chelsea. Match day fans must make things difficult for the club to follow the roman polices or we may never recover the roman forcefully removal for non football reasons. Chelsea have been hijacked.
24 Apr 2024 15:23:59
If Bellingham if Fodan we wouldn’t be able to sign them because they are to young?
I would like us to sign the CH from Sporting Lisbon and he is young.
I would like us to sign leaders (whatever that really means) but I’m certainly not going to define that by age. I think JT was only about 22 when he became our captain/ leader.
24 Apr 2024 15:35:23
It’s ok to sign youngster but Bellingham and Foden are world class. We have Washington, Jackson, Madueke, Mudryk, Chukuuemeka and co who are all just potential.
As Tom stated Terry was 22 and also Lampard was young. You have to blend them in with experience and youth together not just signing loads of kids. The whole project is a joke.
I do think a good manager comes in and changes things though like Conte did after Mourinho and Tuchel after Lamps. Poch just ain’t it but it stems from the owners and Winstanley and Stewart first.
24 Apr 2024 17:25:55
There's a difference between age and experience in terms of minutes/ seasons played in top-flight competitions. Lampard had already made 148 PL appearances for West Ham when Chelsea signed him. Experience and age are different things.
On the other hand, our player of the season had only played a handful of top-flight games for City when we signed him, so perhaps there should be exceptions.
24 Apr 2024 13:15:42
Some posters on here did nothing but moan about Pulisic and Havertz, look how well they are now doing. They moaned about RLC and Jorginho, look how well they are both doing. They now moan about this player and that player on here. And when those players move on and the next ones come in the whole cycle will start again. Not everyone on here but certainly 2 or 3.
24 Apr 2024 15:14:09
Normally I agree with you in lockstep G8, but have to push back on this.
Pulisic for AC Milan: 45 games, 13 goals, 8 assists in 3168 mins.
Pulisic for Chelsea (21/ 22): 38 games, 8 goals, 5 assists in 2208 mins. No marked improvement, he's just stayed fit compared to last season.
Havertz for Arsenal: 47 games, 12 goals, 5 assists in 3467 mins.
Havertz for Chelsea: 47 games, 9 goals, 1 assist in 3256 mins. No marked improvement, but he's playing in a much better team.
No one was begging for RLC to be sold as far as I recall. Can you point to Jorginho playing better this season than he did for Chelsea? Is he playing any better for Arsenal than Enzo is for Chelsea?
24 Apr 2024 15:16:52
G8, they had a right to moan…. those players never lived up to the hype for us, they had plenty of chances but failed.
Time for people to start accepting the reality that half of this squad will not live up to the hype for us and some will, some already have.
24 Apr 2024 15:28:14
Some players will be successful at Chelsea and some will not. It will always be that way.
I think it was Ed001 who said that sites get busier after a defeat than a win.
I wouldn’t have a clue statistically but maybe more people just like to moan. I certainly “enjoy” the occasional moan!
24 Apr 2024 17:37:07
I had no issues with the sale of Havertz or Jorginho. and btw I didn’t think Havertz was all that great last night, (he didn’t need to be) . Havertz was and is what he was with Chelsea, functional. The very basics of the team is not right, that being the spine. GK, CB, CB, CM, CF. These guys need to be the very top, you can buy and slot in players at the £30-£40m range roundabout that, but that is where your big expenditure should be concentrated . I’m neutral on Poch, but he doesn’t do himself any favours. Unless injuries had a hand last night, Silva and Chalobah were the obvious CBs, that would have helped Gilchrist. Didn’t get the criticism around CG? Arsenal couldn’t get the ball off him, Caicedo and Enzo were alright on the ball but were too easily bypassed without it, Jackson, Murdyke, Madueke, Sterling, I think Jackson might cut it, but no issues if they can find buyers for all of them. Big summer coming up. Go on Chels.
24 Apr 2024 17:51:38
Havertz with 1 goal more than flop Jackson and cost twice as much, lol.
24 Apr 2024 17:55:36
Havertz 33 games 11 goals 4 assists
Jackson 29 games 10 goals 4 assists
But yeah Havertz is the second coming, ballon d’or incoming,
24 Apr 2024 18:29:31
I think I mentioned that a wag at the Everton game said that Palmer has now scored more goals than Havertz did in his entire Chelsea career.
24 Apr 2024 12:51:19
Poch is being reported as saying to the owners "that painful decisions need to be made. " While I guess this could mean a lot of different things, I'm hoping that any end of season review looks at more than just what I fear may happen.
24 Apr 2024 15:35:18
Tom
Everything needs to be looked at from the very top down to Gladys the tea lady.
24 Apr 2024 15:42:15
Hope Stamford the Lion will pass the examination.
24 Apr 2024 15:51:56
I hope the away fans get moved to the East Stand.
24 Apr 2024 15:59:46
Stamford the Lion has one year left on his contract and his agent is at loggerheads with the club. He came through the academy as a cub; sell him : 100% profit for PSR.
I read it that Poch said the club need to make ruthless/ clinical decisions, I agree and I know what would be the first one I would make.
24 Apr 2024 16:22:34
I think Poch will be rather upset if they keep him in charge.
24 Apr 2024 22:09:49
Nice one Jimbo!
24 Apr 2024 12:24:23
Reading the united page on interested players and about Madrid may be willing to swap Tchouameni with Chelsea for a player. Whether it's James or Enzo I'd get it done our midfield has always needed a big enforcer a la Matic Or Mikel and we currently are getting walked over.
Tchouameni and Caicedo would be like Kante and Matic again. Two ball winners in a midfield. Can't rely on injury prone players forever that goes for James and Fofana. Lavia, Nkunku and Carney will be the same if it's similar again next season.
24 Apr 2024 12:40:32
Barnet, a long time ago he was my first choice ahead of the player playing for the gooners.
Quality player who I think would have been a perfect partner for Kante and now Caicedo.
24 Apr 2024 13:37:26
That and many more of that will be steps in the right direction. Not buying young and unproven players for resale will kill the club. Board members with such skills should be brought in to bring the club back to the part we have been and going. American owners always try to exploit clubs and kill or slow clubs development to their advantage. United glaziers, Liverpool pre klop, Milan etc.
24 Apr 2024 13:47:34
The club really messed up thinking he was not ready when Tuchel wanted him which made us end up with Saul.
James is the best right back in the world for me but he’s exactly like Jack Wilshere we can’t wait forever.
24 Apr 2024 15:17:17
Surely you have to give James a chance to show he can return to fitness following his surgery? It would be insanity to sell him now - like you say, he's the best RB in the world when firing. He even played well this year while managing the injury.
24 Apr 2024 15:36:51
I agree now he’s had surgery RBD but it’s got to be his last chance. Fofana and others the same. I’d give Nkunku, Lavia, Carney another season as it’s basically their first season but James and Fofana have been troubled for years.
24 Apr 2024 15:41:02
I wouldn’t want James to leave under any circumstances and that includes us signing my previous No1 choice as a DM.
I’m also not happy about sweeping nationalistic statements such as “Americans owner always try to exploit clubs. ” Maybe Everton would have preferred an American owner? Or maybe Reading. My guess is there is an argument that Newcastle and City owners have there reasons for investing in Premiership football clubs. In my humble opinion the majority of premiership clubs are run as a business.
This may come as a shock but even we have had some owners that took us to the brink.
24 Apr 2024 16:18:05
I’m not sure how people can say James is the best right back in the world. Surely to get that accolade you need to be performing consistently at the highest level. James has hardly played for two seasons. I agree that he has the potential to be a top class RB but only if he can stay fit.
24 Apr 2024 16:59:42
Sometimes I think endo is elite passer and it’s lack of options in front of him,
Other times I think his jorginho 2.0 with little more pace and better long ball,
James, if he can’t stay fit when maybe swap, on other hand he could be like RLC and pulisic and leave and stay pretty much injury free,
24 Apr 2024 18:33:12
Matt, Enzo has ally carried an injury all season. I hope he now has the surgery to correct the problem and the we can all judge him fairly.
When fit James is class. I can’t see how the club would or should take a chance on selling him. He may never have another injury in his playing career and then the Chelsea fans would really moan.
24 Apr 2024 10:13:44
I'm with Dan in one of tthe threads below terms of including Gallagher and Chalaboa as among the very few players I would definitely wish to keep along with Palmer, Gusto and Colwill.
The five you listed dan are not only players who give their all every game but have also performed the best this season. To sell two out of the five would seem to be madness if this is planned. I would add Enzo to the list if he can get and remain fit and still think Caicedo if he can not be too reckless and focus for all 90 mins can psove to be a good acquisition too.
In terms of those to sell, and we cleraly need to sell many beyond quite a few out on loan who will definitely go, the jury is still out for me on some of them. BB on recent form has to be one of them having been so promising in early performances. But he has been absolitely shocking since his injury, I'd reckon at least one error per game that led to a goal. Perhaps Mudryk under right manager and in right team would be quite a player as I have feared Havertz might become at Arsenal. I am not sure on him. Madueke has the skills but does he have the head on him to use them every game and for 90 mins, I'm also not sure on him though as he has looked in games before last night's to be one of our biggest threats. Cucurella has had some decent and more solid games including the semi v City. With BC he is certainly good enough when fit but it's the endless injury problems, so who would buy him? Disasi has usually played with spirit at least, and chipped in with a couple of goals, but has also been error prone but he is yet another on my 'not sure' list. Sterling has had a few good games, a couple of v good ones, yet more often than not is too easily budled off the ball, or runs into players or makes wrong decisions like shooting when someone in better position. He is on v high wages, had been benched at City and would sell if one could. But given those high wages I am not sure who would buy him though it could be one of the sides coming up from the Chamionship perhaps.
I would end by saying that we - and so I include myself in this - have often been too depressed after a bad result and too optimistic after a good one this season. I have said a few times that at its beginning I didn't know where we would finish between 5th and 17th and more recently adjusted this to between 7th and 14th. I still don't know. What most of us do kn ow is that main weaknesses remain a consistent no 9 taking most chances, Which doesn't mean that Jackson won't get etter and could be really useful as left side attacker in moble front free. Plus at least one world-class centre back to replace ageing Silva. And possibly a world-class goalie too though would keep Petrovic as he been excellent in some games is young and could also improve. Might be hard though getting what we want in all of these positions in one transfer window and if we are not in Europe, or only in the Conference League.
24 Apr 2024 10:39:58
JBS, I enjoyed your very well balanced post.
I would just add and emphasis just one more point about our ongoing injury issues. We have not been able to rotate or just rest certain players regardless of form because of those injuries. So on that score alone I will give Poch more time.
24 Apr 2024 10:43:11
JBS, your post makes a lot of sense. Leaving aside the problems up front, our defence has been awful all season True some of the problems relate to tactics and coaching but whatever combination we use is generally ineffective. I exclude AG and Silva from these criticisms. Petrovic has been okay but he is not top class. James and Chilwell cannot be relied on due to their absences because of injury. How can you work up tactics and build a cohesive defensive unit if you are relying on James and Chilwell- I wonder how many times they have played 90 minutes together in the last two seasons. Unfortunately, I have no suggestions on how to sort this mess out.
24 Apr 2024 12:12:45
Yes Tom our injury problems have made it diffuclt for the manager and for us fans to even be able to have an opinion on how much a properly fit - and for good length of time - a Nkunku or Lavia could add to our side though we got a glimpse of this in term of Nkunku in his v promising pre-season debuts. Then there is Fofana forever it seems in the treatment room with James and Chilwell, and all of those if fully fit for a season would make a huge difference. I wonder too whether their total time on piytch together is more than 200 minutes or so this season, and then it's possible that one or the pther still wasn't fully fit. Will RJ's op have solved his consistent problems? I don't know.
So as you say Jimbo, will they ever both be reliably fit enough for a whole season? And it's the Defence that has probably been even more consistent in its leakiness than the attack has been in its wastefulness. Ans a strong defense is so crucial for any title winning side and we can but recall with immense nostalgia that we only conceded (still a record surely? ) 15 goals in the 2004-5 season in the EPL. Yes, and this means we also need a goalie who is at least somewhere near to being at a Peter Cech level. It has been worrying that Petrovich has now been beaten at is near post a few times and his ditribution though better than Sanchez (let alone Mendy after first season) is not top class or at least not yet.