Chelsea Banter

20 May 2024 16:53:15
Ed002

Over the last week Poch seems to have been pushing questions on his future back to the owners.

Do you know when the talks on his future are likely to take place this week and what are your feeling on whether he will stay or oo.

From my point of view I feel we would be ma's to let him go.

{Ed002's Note - The talk have to some extent already happened and a decision needs to be made in the coming days.}

20 May 2024 13:59:59
Hi everyone, what pep has done since joining city sometimes makes wonder if the epl overrated. Though being a fan of an epl club Chelsea, has tinted my awareness and interest in the league. But looking away some stats don't seem in reality that the epl may not be the best league in the world as often projected by the media around the world. Pep in his few years in the epl has done what no club has ever done. 4 titles in row is a record. In Europe the epl has not particularly dominated the European title wins. Same goes for the ballon dor winner. So how is the epl the best league in world? Just being curious.
Though I'm not sure how many pep did it in Spain with Barcelona even if I wouldn't surprise me because he had messi and xavi iniesta duo, he couldn't 4 consecutively in bayern.
I would like to know what you all think including the eds.

20 May 2024 15:47:08
Tusole, the premier league has so much money it makes it an attractive watch around the world as a lot of top players are on show every week. Is it the most competitive? certainly not. You only have to look at the 3 teams who came up last season! all went straight back down. In the last 20 years Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd have dominated the league. The same though can be said for the Spanish league, 2 teams dominate. The French league is the same and excluding this season the German league is the same. For me, the Italian league is far more competitive and without the huge income the premier league has. Their European co-efficient is the highest as well so maybe Serie A? All very subjective though.

20 May 2024 09:15:32
Another season in the books, very topsy-turvy especially at the start as the squad got to know one another. While results have generally been pretty good since Xmas there have certainly been some horror shows sprinkled in there as well as the odd performance where we have got ourselves a result undeservedly. But, you cannot argue with 5 wins in a row to end the season which is a night and day difference to this time last year.

In what will be no surprise, I think we need to continue with Poch and I would even trigger the extension in his contract for the full three years. Stability is required for this young squad and it isn't as though Poch is suddenly going to become complacent with a contract that runs for an extra year. I'm hoping the board does the right thing that will enable us to carry this good atmosphere into the pre-season. It's clear the players back the manager, now they need to start to produce for 90 mins at a time and show up for him consistently.

Thanks to everyone on the site who contributes to the discussion, to Ed001 with his insights into the game and of course Ed002 for his info regarding transfers and the general workings of the industry. Here's to transfers being completed early, PSR compliance, and most importantly Chelsea winning it all next season (we can dream! )!

20 May 2024 10:14:17
Completely agree RBD and have said as much already. I don't think any other manager could have dome more than Poch has achieved this season given huge number of depoartures and young and EPL inexperienced new arrivals. Poch also enormous number pf injuties to deal with including with many key and more experienced players like James, Chilwell and - bought to help with goal drought problem and already well established in German league at least - Nkunku.

At start of seasion I had hoped for first half to be about getting players to gell and second half we should hope to see some significant improvement. Yet I still didn't know where we would come betweeen 5th and 17th given the tumultous changes and early injury to Nkunku and others. We never had a settled back four. As it was I thought many of our players yesterday looked exhausted and they included - understandably given so many previous heroics - Cole Palmer who was a shadow of player he had been compared to the outstanding star he had been in so many previous games. Only - and typically - Gallagher seemed to be operating at 100% from kick-off to the very, very end of the match.

So finishing 6th, securing some kind of European football for nect year and with a finakl and a semi-final in the two domestic cups Poch fulfilled hopes and far exceeded expectations IMHO.

These young players desperately need some managerial continuity under someone they trust and whoi got them playing with some consifderable confidence and flare. Poch must surely also be given some decisive input into who leaves and what - hpefully few - additions/ improvememnts still needed. Clearly the defence has to get better given number of goals we conceded with BB own goal (shot was going wide) another of that up and down CB's goal contributions to opposition. He did look v promising before his injury. but surely TC a safer bet at CB.

20 May 2024 10:42:15
Two brilliant posts lads and will come as no surprise that I broadly agree with all your sentiments.

Other teams are not going to stand still and wait for us to catch up so we probably still need one or two players but that’s about all as far as I’m concerned. For me it’s more about selling players in this coming window.

20 May 2024 00:23:16
surely any board with a brain keeps poch and galagher and chalobs.

20 May 2024 08:40:33
Poch, how can you keep somebody who does not want to sign a contract, do you want CG to go on a free next season?

20 May 2024 10:53:39
Not worried at all about Gallagher going there’s loads of his type of player about we need better quality on the ball and his awareness is next to zero.

20 May 2024 10:53:55
Rio Ferdinand ( not idea why ) saying his heard whisperings from inside the club that poch is getting sacked.

20 May 2024 12:23:27
One thing is certain, JT hasn’t told him.

19 May 2024 20:38:35
I enjoyed the game today and the atmosphere within the ground was excellent. The very long goodbye for Silva after the game was very heartfelt.

We played some nice stuff in spells.

Jackson was brilliant and his brief partnership cameo with Nkunku looks to be very promising.

Gallagher in the second half was brilliant.

Chalaboa is better than Dunk or Maguire.

Sterling getting a goal saved me a £100 but I've still got to donate £200 to a charity.

Caicedo was my MOM yet again.

We now want City to be Utd.

19 May 2024 21:30:07
Agree about Caicedo being MoM with CG and TC next most impressive. Yes Jsckson and Nkunku pairing v promising.

19 May 2024 21:54:56
I should have added Ugo looks like a player and I can see playing alongside Caicedo next season.

19 May 2024 22:47:48
Thanks for the report from the ground, Tom! A few thoughts:

Casadei looks an excellent prospect. I've seen him irritated a number of times when he's been in good positions for a tap-in only for a teammate to shoot instead of putting him through on an open goal near the end of must-win games. Palmer a couple of games ago and then Gallagher today.

As fantastic as results have been in this part of the season there's been a fair bit of luck involved – we've been let off the hook by other teams' dodgy finishing a number of times in putting together this push for Europe, and our own finishing still needs to improve. Lots of work still to do for next season, as we could easily have given up the points that would've taken this away from us. Cheerful end of the season for us fans though, thank god.

20 May 2024 10:43:38
Good point about Casadei EdW who looked very assured both in winning fair amount ball in time he was on, being accurate with often tight passes and showing good positional sense.

Also agree that we have been luck - not least yesterday - with opposition wasting chances in front of goal. Of coures it has been hard hit by injuries, but our defence now looks more in need of attention than attack, though might just be expetrenced CB replacement for Silva (but NO not Harry McGuire! ) even if we are still wasting plenty chances of our own up front. As all know, we do still need if possible a striker addition but again a proven player and one who will play in fluid Poch way (Harry Kane perfect but unachievable! )

19 May 2024 10:43:02
Anyone think vitor roque might be worth a look in the summer? .

19 May 2024 11:56:47
Would be a big call in my opinion. I did see him play in one game this season and he was just ok.

He looked quite small but sometimes good things come in little packages (Zola)

If I remember correctly he was only about 18/ 19 years of age. Would be an interesting investment.

19 May 2024 14:34:21
yeah he's very young tom b and i guess raw so would be a massive gamble.