Chelsea Banter 3

24 Mar 2026 17:32:30
I see Acheampong is being linked with summer transfers, with plenty of clubs showing reported interest. I would be very supportive of a loan (somewhere like Palace would make sense), but a sale would be a crazy decision! That said, I’m tired of seeing other CB’s getting chances over him, as well as Gusto starting over him at RB.

I can only imagine how he’s feeling about it.

24 Mar 2026 17:45:25
J, I totally agree.

24 Mar 2026 18:16:57
J, I also agree. I think Josh is a very talented young player; I really don't understand why he isn't getting more minutes. He probably will be sold, and I wouldn't blame him if he wants to leave. I am so fed up with these owners, I am beginning not to care anymore.

24 Mar 2026 18:44:14
Sadly, Liam appears to have frozen him out.

24 Mar 2026 18:51:22
Greenaway, maybe he is not very good at huddling and doesn't respect the ball.

24 Mar 2026 19:13:45
Love it, Jimbo.

25 Mar 2026 05:47:39
Josh is going to have an amazing career, and I was really disappointed that he didn't get a run of games after a terrific showing against Palace in week 1.

Unfortunately, the season has gone the way it has, and managers typically are afraid to trust youth with their jobs on the line.

We have a horrendous defence, which doesn't help a youngster gain confidence, and Josh has had some rough showings to go with his good games. I can't see him getting many minutes now, as we've managed to get ourselves into a position where CL qualification looks less and less likely.



If he is sold it will be a travesty, but you couldn't blame him for leaving and getting regular minutes. Livermento was in a similar position, as was Aina, and both decided to leave.

Unfortunately for Josh, we can all see we need to buy at least 1 world class cb this window, so he likely goes further down the pecking order, as if Reece is fit, he's impossible to dislodge from rb.

25 Mar 2026 09:47:40
Josh should surely play v Port Vale, and if he puts in a decent performance, must then play v City - either for James at RB, or TC (both only expected back some time in May, it seems) at CB. In fact, given how poor Fofana has been, Josh might well be a better option than him. Badiashile may be fit again, but his confidence looks low, and errors are likely, as with Sanchez. Presumably Hato or Sarr would start ahead of BB at LCB nowadays.. or not?

Anyway, I share the frustration with lack of game time for Josh, even if he has made errors - hard to think of any of our defenders who haven't.



Our defense looks a mess. Oh for a Conte to fix it -- as he did at half time v Arsenal - game 4 in the EPL I think after his arrival with us, and then went on to win the EPL! That was, of course, moving to three at the back though, and using v effective wing backs, with Moses (now still playing in the Kazakhstan league) being a revelation in that position.

24 Mar 2026 12:39:57.
We have had a significant drop in form since the Maresca news came out about him possibly going to replace Pep at Man City.

On reflection the players we have are more than capable of achieving top four. This was proven last season but for some reason what goes on inside the club from the boardroom to management affects the rest of the club including the players.

I understand why Liam took the job on, a great opportunity for him, but he is under qualified and is probably going to get sacked in the next couple months.

The Newcastle game was a massive show of being out of his depth and since then the wheels have totally fallen off.

I would like Frank Lampard back, let him build the team as he wants, he's got all the talent to be a top manager, he knows how to work with young players and the fans will always be behind him. He's shown that he has grown as a manager and would fit with the owners so called project.

24 Mar 2026 13:24:46
Not for me, I'm afraid, Rpd.

Hopefully I'm proved wrong, but I think Championship is his level.

24 Mar 2026 14:39:49
Have always hugely admired FL as a player and he did pretty well in his first stint as a manager with us getting us 4th place despite transfer ban. But reckon I'd also wait and see how he does with Coventry in the EPL before trying to bring him back for a third time after his disastrous second stint.

If we implode in rest of this season under LR then I'd want us to try and get an experienced manager preferably with EPL experience - perhaps the Bournemouth manager? or the tough if slightly bad tempered de Zerbi (but risky)? - or Tom's bloke from Stuttgart who ED001 also really rates who players could look up to and would presumably have good tactical awareness and man management ability - bottom line.

24 Mar 2026 17:25:29
I didn't want Lamps for his first stint for lots of reasons. Not being experienced was certainly one of my negatives, but also I was concerned it would damage his club legend status. I certainly didn't want him back second time around as I couldn't see what he or the club could gain from such a short appointment.



He is now more experienced, and I would like to think he has learned some lessons as he has gone through his managerial journey.

He certainly wouldn't be my first choice, but I can see him being considered in the unlikely event the owners decide to go for yet another management change.

24 Mar 2026 17:30:13
I wouldn't bring Lampard back, wouldn't go for Fabregas or Filipe Luis either. This group needs an experienced manager, not the latest hot young coach. They need a manager who can come in and build a culture. I'm just not 100% sure that profile exists anymore.

24 Mar 2026 18:39:56
I wouldn't bring Frank back at this stage. He did well in his first stint, but wasn't experienced enough. I hope he stays at Coventry and does well. De Zebri is too fiery for our owners (he certainly got it right about Sanchez). We really need a top class manager. No doubt the people's choice would be Carlo, but he will never come back.

He is a giant among coaches. Why would he want to be overseen by a couple of jumped-up scouts who have never achieved anything, and an ownership group who are totally ignorant about football.
As for the Stuttgard coach and Iraola, I am sure they will get better offers from proper football clubs. That is why we end up with bottom feeders like LR.

24 Mar 2026 18:48:23
My choice would be an experienced coach who has a history of working with young players. Luis Enrique would be perfect.

24 Mar 2026 19:38:53
I am in no way saying we should bring him back now, definitely not saying that. But look at the impact Mourinho had on our squad the first time he was at the club. That winning mentality transcended every other coach for the next decade.

It didn't matter who was in charge, it was embedded in the core of the squad. That's what this group needs, someone who can have that impact.

24 Mar 2026 21:34:20
Greenaway, Yes Enrique would be great, but why would he leave PSG; great squad and a club with ambition to win trophies. For the reasons I alluded to previously, no decent coach is going to come anywhere near this circus.

24 Mar 2026 22:08:23
My choices as next Chelsea manager, if it happens, are just two names out of about eight already mentioned by various posters. It just highlights how impossible it is to make all the fans happy!!

I personally don't think the club will look at taking on another manager, but I'm sure there would be few experienced managers who would be happy to work at this so-called "circus".

25 Mar 2026 09:04:15
Jimbo, I think Enrique would consider us. The lure of the Premier League, coupled with managing one of Europe's biggest clubs, is a tough one to turn down. But sadly, I don't think the club want a personality as big as him. In fact, I think that was partly the reason we parted company with Maresca, as he was starting to gain a fair bit of credibility amongst the pundits for his tactical acumen and ability to win silverware, hence wanted more of a say in recruitment and the project, which clearly the SD's don't like.

They will enjoy controlling Liam.

25 Mar 2026 09:16:36
There is a lot of guesswork going on.

I haven't got a clue about the real reason Maresca left, and I have no idea if LR is part of the decision making team when it comes to transfers and sales. I suspect he is.

25 Mar 2026 10:01:25
Personally, I see LR being here next season, although it will be an interesting summer window.

25 Mar 2026 11:42:02
Bill, "Interesting" is one way to describe it.

25 Mar 2026 13:59:11
Sadly, Bill, I think you might be right, as whoever appointed Liam will not want to be seen as being inept. It will make the summer window interesting because it is very evident that he is well out of his depth, and top players will already have noticed that and will not stick around, so expect revolving doors, followed by us languishing towards the Spurs end of the table before the sporting director who appointed him finally admits his mistake and appoints a replacement.

26 Mar 2026 08:03:09
Greenaway,

Somebody needs to grow a pair and get rid of both SD's followed by the GK advisor.

26 Mar 2026 10:17:31
Bill, Chelsea's sporting structure is led by Co-Sporting Directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, who oversee the entire football department, recruitment, and talent strategy. This five-strong sporting leadership team includes Joe Shields (Sporting Director, Scouting & Talent), Sam Jewell (Sporting Director, Global Recruiting), and Dave Fallows (Sporting Director, Football Development). That team is strong, and I think they generally do a decent job with player recruitment, but they clearly like a "yes man" as head coach. TT wanted a bigger say in recruitment and was binned off. Potter was a "yes man", but was also out of his depth, so was rightly binned off. Poch wanted a bigger say in player recruitment and was backed by Todd, but Egghead had the final say and binned him off. Maresca knew the structure, but as his reputation grew following his success in delivering 2 trophies and masterminding a top 4 finish, he asked for an experienced centre back who could play out from the back following Colwill's injury, but was knocked back.

This caused frustration, and sadly he departed, leading to the mess we are now in with Liam at the helm. The SDs have got their "yes man", but it is another Potter moment where they have backed themselves into a corner, and one or both of them will have egg on their face if they bin him off now; hence we are probably going to spiral down until Egghead steps in and calls time on Liam. I would like Todd to come up with the readies and buy Clearlake out, as he has a decent record in sporting projects and appears more aligned with the "here and now" as well as the future, whereas Egghead and Clearlake are all about building investment value over the long term and flying off into the sunset with a healthy return on their initial outlay.

26 Mar 2026 14:23:54
As I understood the situation, Maresca's leaving was more about him rather than the owners.
I have no idea if LR is a so called "yes man?" He will apparently be heavily involved in players leaving and joining in the next window. As far as we know, he may well be a positive influence.

26 Mar 2026 22:36:13
The only way I can see Rosenior having a positive influence on the club is by handing in his resignation.

I think this season has been the most frustrating for me out of the seasons since Blue Co took over. After winning the Club World Cup by demolishing the reigning Champions League holders in the final, that was the perfect foundation for the club to kick on and sign two or three decent players and cement ourselves back at the top. I personally had high hopes before the season started, but that was shattered pretty early on.

Like others have said, I think we need an experienced head guiding this young, talented squad, and we also need someone who will get the fans on side and bring the passion and excitement back to the Bridge.



Maybe I'm thinking out of complete nostalgia, but I'd want Mourinho back with JT as assistant. Sack the dross of sporting directors we currently have and get Big Pete back involved. I think football has gone backwards over the last few years, with set pieces, throw-ins, and defensive set up being key, and I think they would get a tune out our squad.

28 Mar 2026 09:08:36
whitey97, I agree with you. The quicker Liam goes, the better.

22 Mar 2026 20:15:57
Good to see Man City win, at least Pep sets his side up to try to entertain and play football as opposed to Arsenal who just waste time, wrestle at corners, cheat by diving and rely on set pieces, a good day for football.

23 Mar 2026 07:41:35
Two teams coached by managers who, in my opinion, over coach, if that makes sense.

Pep, in this game, let his players play and take players on. Arteta went full hand brake, and I'm not sure if he will ever let his team be themselves.

23 Mar 2026 08:50:35
I think most modern day managers over coach, Tom (Carlo being a notable exception), but at least Pep does try to play football. I watched Declan Rice yesterday, and what does he actually do? All I saw was a player running around, blocking, fouling, and pulling his opponent before getting on set pieces and taking so long I walked the dog before he boxed it.

And Arsenal will likely win the league! It is shameful.

22 Mar 2026 18:09:10
Today we have seen premiership goalkeeping of the lowest order. I'm not sure what one made me laugh more?

The standard of keepers playing for premiership teams is truly shocking.

22 Mar 2026 21:52:09
Agreed, Tom, and standard of defending in general pretty poor for many sides, including and beyond CFC.

22 Mar 2026 18:01:42
If you had a choice for our next manager who would you go for?

Felipe Luis or Fabregas.

22 Mar 2026 19:29:12.
I wouldn't have Cesc for any money, but I have to admit I am prejudiced against him for personal reasons. I know next to nothing about Luis as a manager.

My choices are well known. I would go for the Stuttgart manager or maybe the Bournemouth manager. Fingers crossed King Carlo comes back to us after the World Cup.

22 Mar 2026 19:38:58
Steve, great question. Both have connections to Chelsea. Both are regarded as coaches with high potential, play good football, and have undoubtedly improved the teams they have taken over. Neither has experience at the highest level. Personally, I would prefer an elite coach to steady the ship, but I doubt if anyone of the calibre would join this circus.

That said, I would prefer either of them to the numbskull we have presently in post. I'm not one to sit on the fence, so I choose Fabregas.

22 Mar 2026 19:58:26
SteveCfc, good question. Both, in my humble opinion, would be good choices, but no better than Maresca, who, as most on here know, I rated quite highly. That said, he would be a huge upgrade on Liam, who, as we all know, is possibly up there with the worst appointment in our history.


You asked a question though, so I won't sit on the fence. Cesc for me.

22 Mar 2026 20:15:07
Tom, regrettably, King Carlo will never come back; he is the type of elite coach we need. Iraola would be worth taking a punt on: Bournemouth always play on the front foot and are always worth watching. He has done wonders with limited resources, especially this season, having lost a lot of their best players, and he knows the Premier League.

22 Mar 2026 20:09:24
Out of interest Ed, if the Chelsea manager job becomes vacant who would you see as a good choice?

{Ed001's Note - I agree with you in Hoeness to be honest. Iraola is probably the best of the rest.}

22 Mar 2026 23:47:06
Out of the two I'd take Luis.

Cesc is part owner in Como, who have spent a lot of money over the past two seasons (relative) and has had a major say in everything happening at the club. I'd love him to return to the Bridge, but under the current set up I couldn't see him staying longer than a year.



Luis also came and interviewed for the job when Maresca was sacked, supposedly without the Flamengo owners' permission, so he might not have the personality to be a yes man haha.

22 Mar 2026 20:34:50
Blimey Ed, I thought I was the only person who rated Hoeness.

{Ed001's Note - no mate, he is very highly rated. He plays football similar to Klopp, so a lot of us Liverpool fans look at him wistfully.}

22 Mar 2026 21:11:33
Ed001, as always thanks for your insight.Unfortunately, I doubt that the owners log into this site. If they did they might learn something about football.

{Ed001's Note - I am sure they are learning as they go, but it does seem odd that they did not get to know the sport before beginning on a project of this size and scope.}

23 Mar 2026 07:25:49
I guess the original opportunity presented itself, but the head long rush to make unnecessary statements seemed very bizarre to me.

23 Mar 2026 09:52:01
learning as they go Ed? . taking them a l, ong time to learn anything looking at it from the outside! wouldn't be surprised if they leave liam till december or so and then get gary o'neil in on the cheap from strasbourg

{Ed001's Note - they do seem to be slow learners, with a very bizarre plan for a long term in a sport that really can't be planned that far ahead. Not on the pitch anyway, you can build the infrastructure over time, but you have to get the coaches and players right fairly quickly. 10 years is not going to work.}

23 Mar 2026 18:51:27
I think the days of Chelsea getting the top manager in football are over. We seem to want a younger up and coming coach, so on that basis I would go for Iraola, he's done a good job at Bournemouth, is Premier League proven, and is out of contract at the end of the season.

22 Mar 2026 16:17:17
Spursy could be on the brink of administration if they go down, I wonder if we could pick up that shiny new stadium on the cheap and let our Doris's play there. 🤣

22 Mar 2026 17:13:46
Greenaway, I doubt that would happen. They have some tricky fixtures remaining, the only easy one is against us.

22 Mar 2026 18:11:03
A mate told me, from their last 13 games, the Spuds have managed 5pts. I think the happy Hammers will escape, and we will send the Spuds down at the Bridge.

23 Mar 2026 09:16:48
Greenaway,

Doris is in line to be our next coach after LR.

23 Mar 2026 13:34:26
Bill, Doris would do a better job than Liam, as would Stamford The Lion.

22 Mar 2026 03:57:14
For a couple of seasons Caicedo has literally carried our team. He has deservedly been named POS by virtually every fan group.

He started this season as he had finished last season but for some reason his performance levels have dropped since LR became our manager. This drop in form maybe because he is carrying an injury or just playing tiredness or maybe because he is being asked to play in a slightly different midfield system.

I have no doubt he will return to his magnificent best and I remember saying the similar things about Colwill towards the end of last season and he burst back to form in the last eight games, showing tremendous leadership as well as top performances.

We desperately need MC back to his best but this sort of thing happens at other clubs with a key player losing form or being injured, the difference is most other teams find a solution, our manager also has to find a solution because when MC isn't playing well we struggle big time.

22 Mar 2026 07:56:31
Spend billions on players and get rookie managers is what I never understood. It's like buying a mansion and getting the council to do it up.

22 Mar 2026 08:26:44
I like council workmanship. It always seems more solid than private contractors.

22 Mar 2026 09:20:46
So if our left back plays well, we're alright. What about the creative midfielders we've bought, the strikers we have (if you can call Delap a striker), and all the fabulous wingers that amaze us each game? The team, the squad, is awful, not working together, and the frustration is now starting to show.

22 Mar 2026 09:22:54
Tom, it is not just Moises who has gone backwards under Liam; it is all of them. He is totally out of his depth, and unless he is relieved of his duties before the next game, even more damage will be done, with players and their agents demanding moves. Blueboy1, you are totally correct. We have assembled a very good young squad of players, and an elite coach was/is required to lead them forwards.

Maresca might not have been elite, but he was respected by the players and was tactically sound. He should have been managed better by the sporting directors, at least until the end of the season, when a full review could have taken place, but there lies another problem, the SDs, as others have mentioned. Surely an interim is now needed, just to see the season out and restore some credibility at the club.

22 Mar 2026 10:57:35
Just to add to our worries Caicedo is on 9 yellow cards. One more and he gets a two match ban.

I also think we clearly have some fine young players but clearly we have big problems in terms in central defense and GK plus only Neto has shown much cionsistency among our endless totation of widemen and Pedro cannot be expected to do virtually all the heavy lifting on his own up front. Would have thought Delap might have been given game time hyesterday (he may have been brought on after their third goal - haven't checked and couldn't bear to watch our lowlights on Match of the Day - but I had switched the tv off then!).

We took huge gambles with employing Maresca as coach - so ineexperienced - but he did seem to have some tactical ability in bigger games though as pretty useless as most we've had against 'lower' teams in the EPL. Though the v bad run before he left may have been as Ed001 suggest because his mind was set on City (or Juventus) come the summer. But like Tom and most others I was not calling for him to leave and had hoped/assumed he would be with us until the summer. But seems it was as much his decision as the club's that he left us.

Hadn't also heard anyone on here suggest LR as replacement. Problem is often who is available when 'parting ways' with a manager mid-season who is definitively more likely to succeed and available.

It has been a terrible couple of weeks for CFC and morale must be pretty low right now. Suddenly not just necessity to beat Port Vale but to do so playing ten times better than we did yesterday to have some chance of still rescuing our season from potential collapse.v big challenge for LR and will he be up to it? City then United to come at the Bridge. 4 points absolute minimum required I'd think.

Otherwise European football next season likely only in the form of Uefa Cup or possibly back to the Conference League again or if complete collapse - like in Lampard's caretaker period - no European football at all.

So who would be right now? Well Big Sam perhaps?! or Harry Redknapp?!

Otherwise some among the recently sacked or parted ways eg Postegoclu, de Zerbi, Anorim, Xavi or Maresca (?!). Oh, and then ther's Sir Gareth Soughgate.who else have I missed?! Allegri.? But which of these would be a good permanent manager for us if any?

Or in the summer?

Tom I know you've only wanted the bloke from Stuttgart.Sebastian Hoenes is he.could you put the case for him?

Can anyone else make persuasive case for a potential longer term manager than 18 months for us who might be available and willing to.unfder BlueCo management in current set up with SDs? Can they adapt 'the project' sufficuintly to attract one?

Oh well at least the weather's ok still. goog day for long walk with the dog!

22 Mar 2026 13:44:25
I am not sure what an lb has got to do with anything.

My point was, and is, that us not playing well has coincided with Caicedo not playing. Of course, this is not just a Chelsea issue; when an important player at any club doesn't play, it can affect performances and results.

22 Mar 2026 14:04:35
Jbs, the Stuttgart manager gets his team playing a very high press. He generally goes man to man, but, and this is a big but for me, he occasionally plays with inverted FBs.

His midfielders try and get the ball forward quickly, and, this will sound bizarre, lots of players don't appear to have a set position.

Please note: my choice of him as our manager is based on his team's performances last season.

I had the good fortune of watching a lot of German and Dutch football last season, but virtually zero this season.

A mate also told me we approached him pre-Maresca, and he had no interest at that time. I think the chances of him changing his mind are very slim.

22 Mar 2026 16:27:49
Tom, thanks for taking the time to explain your choice. There seems to be, to some, a question mark over an element of SH's tactics, but perhaps he is one of those managers/coaches who is able to get the best out of his squad, and thus get good results.

Perhaps he can make a team that is better than the sum of its parts. Anyway, if he wasn't interested pre-Maresca in the CFC job, he may be even less interested now or in the summer.

21 Mar 2026 23:26:58
Plan was to have wife open the app away from my eyes and get the replay on before I knew the score. Fortunately I woke up before my wife and checked. 3-0? Sheeesh.

I watched the first 15-20 minutes and it's quite clear the team are operating on 0 confidence. No one wants to play it out from the back and everyone is scared to make a mistake (of which there were like 4-5 in the opening 20 minutes). Also clear that the manager bounce that LR got has disappeared and the team has reverted to slow, uninspired build up play.

Disappointing but not surprising. I really appreciate that Tom doesn’t jump to conclusions, wants to give time before he passes judgement and all in all seems very level headed.

I’d sack Liam tomorrow, myself. Absolutely plonker of a bloke, who is completely out of his depth and it seems has lost the respect of the players who don’t seem to be playing with any intensity, desire, or care.

I think Enzo is highly overrated, however, imagine being a World Cup winner and turning up to training every day to listen to Liam talk about aging men and respecting the ball by huddling around it. Very likely footballers around the world would have no desire to come to Chelsea and our own players are having the mick taken out of them by everyone they know.

Change it before the rot spreads.

22 Mar 2026 08:32:06
Melbourne, I gave my opinion on LR when it was obvious he was going to get the gig. I didn't want him as our manager, but once he was appointed, he gets my support. I will give my assessment on him and other players at the end of the season.



I may well be wrong (usually am), but I can't see the owners/SDs doing anything before the end of the season, and probably not then.

You never know, King Carlo might be available after the WC.

22 Mar 2026 08:39:48
Melbourne, I totally agree with you. Ultimately, the owners are responsible for this mess; they appointed these muppets, and endorse or permit this reckless process. If you have a young, inexperienced squad, the worst thing you can do is appoint a young, inexperienced coach who has no pedigree.
Even if there was to be a change of direction, it would take a huge amount of persuasion to attract an elite coach and top-class players.


If LR remains next season, a number of players will look to go. It is all very well going on about long contracts. We all know, if a player wants to leave and a top club puts the money on the table, it will happen, and the money will be spent on young players and so it goes on.
The ship is sinking, and we are going down with it. SOS.

22 Mar 2026 10:04:24
I know, Tom, and I respect your decision to reserve judgement. I was quite impressed with LR over the first handful of games, but as soon as we were up against it. He has no ability to affect a game in a positive way. You could point to both Napoli and West Ham as signs he made adjustments when needed, but in both games we were down because of his attempt to be too clever with the team set up and tactics.

His interviews are horrendous. He only says what he thinks others want to hear. An AI depiction of what a manager is like. Hopefully he learns his craft and has a successful career. However, I don't want Chelsea to become an on the job learning kind of club.



Agree wholeheartedly, Jimbo. This team is crying out for either a manager who is fully proven, or one whose strongest attribute is getting a team to gel and fight. The fact he was not only hired but signed to a ridiculously long contract is a joke. We've sacked how many managers since this lot bought the club, and they think a long contract for an unproven manager is a smart move? Maybe they thought as he aged we could sell him for profit.

Depressing times and LFC, United and the Spuds are all struggling as well. We should be enjoying this season for the mess it is for almost all of our rivals, and instead we're looking up the table wondering how we've been worse.

22 Mar 2026 11:00:24
Depressingly spot on posts in this thread.

22 Mar 2026 13:13:26
Melbourne, and the fact the team played well for about the first ten games under LR shouldn't be forgotten. Also, the five or six games, with one exception, have been generally awful.

Nothing's going to change, so I can wait.

22 Mar 2026 07:39:16
{Ed's Note - BlueNose1878 has posted a new article entitled, Everton Finally Look Like a Proper Unit

21 Mar 2026 20:12:43
My opinion on this sad Chelsea saga is sometimes you have to change the so called "plan, project or process" or whatever you want to call it. I have no idea what conclusions they will arrive at come the end of the season but to my mind, sometimes you just have to put your hand up say "you know what, we f***ed it up." Unlike some I think we have some very good players most of whom are not performing.

I think they will stick with LR, mainly because they will not want to admit to another mistake.

21 Mar 2026 20:43:07
He's awful. I don't think there's been worse.

21 Mar 2026 21:03:06
I have no idea how his performance as manager compares to managers of the past or some of our most recent managers.

At the moment, he looks shell-shocked, and the players look completely lacking in confidence.

My guess is the next home game will be crucial.

21 Mar 2026 21:24:33
Tom, I agree with you. There is no plan or project. The owners don't really understand football. I hope they reflect on that at the end of the season. In my view, the present hierarchy needs to go. The owners need to find a Director of Football who can change the current strategy to move the club forward. I have absolutely no knowledge about FDs, perhaps, Ed001 might have some suggestions.As for LR, you are right, if the current SDs remain, he will be here next season and get the sack in November when the options for a replacement are limited and more of the same.Unless there is an absolute cull at the end of the season we are doomed to mid table mediocrity.

{Ed001's Note - I am hoping you hop in for Richard Hughes before he heads to the Saudi league.

Really, the key thing is you need just one person making the decisions, first and foremost. For a project like Chelsea, Rangnick would probably be the best.}

21 Mar 2026 22:40:34
Ed001, thanks for the insight. I have always thought having two SDs was ludicrous especially as neither has the pedigree to do the job of that level.Of course, the the biggest joke is Ben Roberts, Head of Global Goalkeeping, who looked no further than Brighton to bring in his mate Sanchez and topped it off with Jorgensen.No wonder this club is sinking.

{Ed001's Note - I did think Sanchez was an odd choice, he was known for being dodgy at Brighton.}