Chelsea Banter 2

26 Sep 2026 07:39:18
{Ed's Note - Reddevilfan has posted a new article entitled, United Need a Leader, Not Another Nice Guy

26 Sep 2026 07:35:27
I've seen a few reporting that they can go to CAS for this and the appeal grounds will be weak, so it might not be a long and drawn out appeals process. That's good news for English football, all of which has been scared by this.

As a Chelsea fan, supporting a club who, to a lesser degree, has cooked the books in the past, I'm not sure I'm in the best position to point fingers and demand retribution. But, we owned up to it all immediately and were open and honest from the outset (at least, the new ownership did/were). Man City have denied and dodged this for years, that and the pure number of offences means the punishment has to be severe.

For me, that punishment has to mean expulsion from the Premier League, I'm not sure how the Football League would need to deal with the situation, but I think there's a fair argument that City should have to start from League 2. In reality I think it'll be a points deduction the effectively means relegation to the Championship, it's the least messy in lots of ways.

The removal of titles feels like a fair punishment, maybe it did for us too, but that's a messy operation. One thing that's not in doubt, all those titles, all those years under Pep are tainted and have a huge asterisk next to them.

City fans are up against the ropes on this one, some will come out punching, but they're victims in this too, the club has lied to them too - they've been massively let down.

26 Sep 2026 07:44:13
Sorry, should read can't go to CAS.

26 Sep 2026 09:11:42
J, I am a believer in "do the crime be prepared to do the time."
We have been found guilty and punished. If I'm honest, I think we got off lightly and probably deserved a points deduction. Self reporting and being fully cooperative probably saved our bacon.

Well done the owners.
Obviously City will appeal any penalty imposed but I would like to think that the regulator can also appeal if he thinks the penalty is too light? Or maybe, increase the penalty if they believe any appeal to be frivolous?

26 Sep 2026 12:04:01
Will hope so too Tom and that no bulging brown envelopes full of Emirati cash find their way to. members of the new three person independent tribunal who will hear the appeal!

Do hope that the next phase can be completed far more rapidly than the first two - ie investigation and then the three year hearing just concluded - for EPL sake in general and indeed J even the sake of City fans.

25 Sep 2026 22:28:27
Just back from the pub with a cross section of football fans. A big spread of ages, supporters of different clubs.
The football topic was obviously City, with us all giving our views on a suitable punishment. At the end we seemed to strangely agree that a "one" season punishment didn't reflect the "term" of the transgression.


So, we ended up with a 50pts deduction every season for five seasons.
There was also agreement that any club directly affected "should" take legal action for compensation.
I wasn't drinking but the debate was very loud with more than a touch of anger, especially from a couple of spuds fans.

25 Sep 2026 20:30:39
ED033, could you run a poll on what we think the outcome should be i.e. How do we think Man City should be punished?, like you have running on the Liverpool page please.

{Ed033's Note -


Man City poll

25 Sep 2026 17:22:52
FA finally announced that City is guilty on most of the 115 charges.

But City still saying they are not guilty of anything so appeal likely - and could take a long time too you'd think.

But punishment could be serious.

25 Sep 2026 18:20:21
Invesrigations started in 2018.the tribunal finally challenged with coming to a verdict took 3 years. how long will the appeal. process take or given that City offered no assistance in aiding the investigation can the FA ensure it is swift?

Not sure if you Ed001 have any idea what might happen?

{Ed001's Note - it really could be anything but unfortunately I expect Citeh to appeal first and so it might yet be more years before any punishment. Being as they were found guilty of pretty much everything, it will have to be a big punishment. They can't go with fines, it has to be points deductions or automatic removal from the Prem or face a problem with the whole rest of the league wanting to sue for damages etc. I really can't see them stripping titles, even if that should be also part of the punishment.}

25 Sep 2026 22:07:39
Many thanks Ed001 and think you are very likely to be proved righr.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}

25 Sep 2026 10:23:45
ED01, what do you think is our issue in conceding all these goals?

{Ed001's Note - lack of cohesion as a unit. Fofana is a big part of the problem, he has the brain of a chicken after its head is cut off, just running here, there and everywhere. But the biggest issue is trying to play defence with only half a team. You have Palmer and Morgan just strolling about off the ball. They need to help more. What you can get away with in some other leagues is not possible in England. As Colwill finds his form again, I expect your defence to tighten up, as he is in there as the leader and he will control the line. But the midfield has to help.

It would certainly help if Alonso stopped picking full-backs in there and played midfielders who will think about the centre first. Full-backs are useful for covering in behind when the wing-backs get forward, which is helpful, but they will tend to get dragged out easily, so if you are going to play that way, you have to have the front three dropping in to help out in the centre.

What you end up with is a big gaping hole in the midfield for players to run through, which draws out a centre-back to try and plug it, which then leaves a gap behind. So players end up running round trying to fill that gap and so on. If you look at the most solid defences, they hold their shape, the players all work together one dropping in if another is pulled out of position etc. That can't happen at Chelsea with you already stretched thin because Palmer and Morgan are not helping out.

It then becomes a case of risk/reward. Are the risks of conceding goals greater than the reward of them scoring them? To me it seems the risk is too high, but it can bring great rewards if you can frighten enough opponents of their threat.}

25 Sep 2026 14:40:07
thankyou so much ED01 for your insight.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate. I am sure it will be tweaked gradually to try and get balance. I don't think Alonso is the type to just go gung ho every week.}

25 Sep 2026 17:20:06
Thanks Ed001 persuasively put as usual.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}

27 Sep 2026 12:24:17
Would you go 4 at the back or stick to 3 ED01 and who would ypu pick?

{Ed001's Note - I am not a fan of a back 3, I think it leads to defenders leaving the responsibility to someone else far too often. I like a back four played with aggression (which is why I was so keen on Iraola for Liverpool as that is his way of playing it). It also makes sense as you don't really have proper wing-backs, but you have a number of full-backs. Colwill and Acheampong are the two I would like to see in the middle, young I know, but you have James for the experience (when fit) at right-back and Palestra to come in for him. Hato would be my choice of left-back. Lacroix can always sub in for either centre-back as well.}

27 Sep 2026 14:05:56
Thanks ED01, I would like to see that back 4 and think it would sort us out.

{Ed001's Note - I think it would help at least.

25 Sep 2026 07:39:23
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 5 - Quick Round Up

24 Sep 2026 16:31:59
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 5 - Quick Round Up

23 Sep 2026 11:34:28
I remain reasonably confident that things will click into place under Alonso.

I think we need to patient with defensive issues, don't have much choice at the moment. I think Alonso needs to pick his best three (Acheampong, Lacroix and Colwill for me) and consistently start them, with mostly only one game a week we don't need to rotate. Colwill looks like a player who missed a whole season, but, I'm sure we'll see the same player we saw at the end of the season before and the following CWC.

Getting Caicedo back will help, but I don't see a regular midfield partner in this squad for him, not in the 3-4-3 system currently deployed. I like Barco and I'm bigger on James in midfield than most, but we need teams playing our double pivot to feel like they were playing against four players in there. Caicedo has an element of that but the others, whilst having their own qualities don't have that trait. Prime Kante would be good!

On James, I don't mind him in midfield, but I'd rather he played that RWB role, certainly over Neto or Gusto. But, if his hamstrings can't hold up to that, where does he fit in? RCB? I think Acheampong is the better option. Squad, rotational CM? Is that what he wants for his career? Controversial opinion on a great Chelsea player, but, if it isn't consistent mins at RB or RWB I don't know where his Chelsea career is.

Last point, Emegha needs to be good. I like Welbeck for 15-20mins here and there, but not for regular 70mins in Joao Pedro's absence. Emegha need to be a good deputy for Joao Pedro or, more to the point, we need Joao Pedro to stay fit.

23 Sep 2026 18:33:57
J, I enjoyed your post mate and I agree with your back three.

I think Palestra will be our first choice RWB. I can only see James playing in midfield. I would also like a midfield three. The problem then becomes we play a 532 or 352.

So, I personally prefer a 433. The manager has some big calls to make, it will be interesting.

23 Sep 2026 21:52:38
I too would like to see a back 4 Tom but I think the gaffer will stick with his beloved 3-4-2-1,
it will make or break him.
The midfield 2 has to be Caicedo and Henderson unless Lavia can finally step up.
The front 3 picks itself. Wingbacks have to be Pep and Palestra who were hand picked by the gaffer.

The back 3 will decide our season, Lacroix must start as must Josh for me. Hato wins over Colwill who has been really poor and in fairness Fofana has done ok. James, our skipper, looks like a bench player as it is so obvious that he can't play in midfield and has no legs as a wing back.

22 Sep 2026 07:39:11
{Ed's Note - Davey Sulls has posted a new article entitled, My Thoughts on Liverpool's Start to the Season