Chelsea Banter 3

21 May 2026 07:39:17
{Ed's Note - MK Scouser has posted a new article entitled, Why I Think Liverpool’s Issues Start With Slot

20 May 2026 22:04:27
Congratulations Villa. Good to see a member of the Royal family behave like any normal fan.

21 May 2026 06:31:02
Nice to see the Royal Family can still afford to go to watch matches, Tom, especially the way the ticket prices are rising.

21 May 2026 07:16:44
It's good to see some fans, royal or not, happy.
It's a club that's waited for a long time to pick up another European trophy.

21 May 2026 12:41:45
Winning trophies is what it is all about, Tom.

20 May 2026 09:44:12
We simply must keep Enzo Fernandez, he ran the show last night and is getting better and better, a real leader on the pitch as well. Santos had a great game too and where has Josh been? He was a big step up on Gusto and Hato is starting to look a shoe-in at centre back.

Great atmosphere at the Bridge.

20 May 2026 16:35:24
Completely agree with you, Greenaway, that Enzo is a must keep, plus great to see Josh given proper game time again at last. Yas and Hato are looking like quality and will surely get yet better.

20 May 2026 18:29:13
I was worried for Acheampong yesterday. It's always difficult when you get chucked in without many mins under your belt. I thought he did really well. I think we'll love him as a RCB in a three.

Hato has progressed massively over the course of the season.

I'm looking forward to seeing him perform even better next season.

I actually think Fernandez will stay, he's increased in value since we signed him. I don't see Madrid paying the fee we'd demand, and I can't see us selling to City.

20 May 2026 20:40:21
I think you are right, J, his value has increased. And to think some were calling him a waste of money and arguing that we should have kept Connor G, who was awful last night and just runs around kicking people!

21 May 2026 06:32:23
To be honest, EDF, Cucurella and Caicedo are our best players by a country mile.

21 May 2026 12:42:39
I would add Jaoa Pedro to that list, Bill.

21 May 2026 13:29:55
I would also add Jaoa Pedro to that list, Bill.

20 May 2026 07:39:05
Just had a look at the current “projected” teams likely to be in the Conference League next season. There are a lot of familiar clubs who have obviously not performed to their normal standard in their respective leagues.

20 May 2026 11:28:54
Like who, Tom?
I actually don't mind the Conference League as it gives chances to our academy players like Jesse Derry.
Maybe it gives a few fringe players like Essugo a chance to impress as well.

20 May 2026 16:36:59
Yes, Tom, what teams will be in the Conference League this season, who you wouldn't expect to see there. There were hardly any last time we were in this competition.

20 May 2026 16:59:29
I got the teams that are likely to be in each pot from a website. I haven't got a clue how to paste these things.
I'm sure there is a clever poster who can help.

20 May 2026 22:48:07
Tom, maybe just tell us who you saw?

21 May 2026 05:14:24
The name that jumped out at me was Ajax, but there were other names that surprised me.

21 May 2026 06:33:06
Tom

Ajax are not the team they used to be.

21 May 2026 07:14:14
Bill, that's my point. It happens!!

20 May 2026 07:39:19
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Aston Villa v Liverpool - A Not So Quick Liverpool Perspective

19 May 2026 21:49:39
Amazing, really that only 7 teams have ever won the Premier League.

13 Man Utd
8 Man City
5 Chelsea
4 Arsenal (includes VAR assisted)
2 Liverpool
1 Leicester
1 Blackburn

We sit 3rd behind the Manchester clubs.

Can Alonso lead us back to the top? I think he can.

19 May 2026 22:18:44
Rpd, I just don't want the Gooners to win the Champs League.

19 May 2026 22:29:28
Tom, they won't beat PSG, as the European refs are fair compared to VAR and the Howard Webb-sponsored WWE wrestling that Arsenal get away with.

Champions League wins...
6 Liverpool
3 Man Utd
2 Chelsea
2 Notts Forest
1 Aston Villa
1 Man City

We sit 3rd again, Tom.

Time to kick on, Tom.

19 May 2026 22:40:17
RPD, that would be nice.

19 May 2026 21:26:45
Congratulations to the Gooners. Obviously been the most consistent team of this season, but they are so boring to watch.
Maybe winning this title will free them from the perpetual loser tag!

19 May 2026 15:50:24
Apparently there’s a message in tonight's match day programme from the Owners directly to fans. This should be interesting!

19 May 2026 17:07:22
The message is from the leadership group and doesn't say anything of interest.
Appointing Alonso was encouraging, but I hope the end of season review will scrutinise the structure of the hierarchy. A reduction of SDs and a good transfer window ins and outs would be proof that the owners are serious about taking us to a higher level.

19 May 2026 17:32:39
Yes, we need actions - not just words - that prove the club have learnt from their multiple mistakes. Appointing Alonso is, hopefully, one action that suggests that they may have, at last, but much more is needed. Paring down the number of SDs, and a persuasively good upgrade of the squad in the upcoming transfer window, would be two more.

19 May 2026 17:47:14
Jimbo, 100% agree with you that I don't want him to be a success but I think he will be.
J, none of us know exactly how it all unfolded, but I do believe if he was backed as he wanted to be, he would still be our manager today and we would have Champions League football next season, but, hey ho, the way you go.

19 May 2026 18:13:16
JBS, the 5 so-called SDs have always been a source of irritation to me and can't have been helpful for previous coaches. Some people have tried to defend it by saying they have different responsibilities; that indicates that they are not proper SDs.

I would like us to appoint a proper SD who works collaboratively with the manager, and if the 5 Stoges want to stay and the club are willing to pay their wages, they can concentrate on their putative individual responsibilities.

19 May 2026 18:48:03
I wouldn't presume to know all the work a single SD does let alone five.
It appears to me that if any club isn't winning then the SD or SD's become a very easy target.
Ed kindly outlined there job titles and responsibilities but if remember correctly, overall accountability was shared and that is the thing that doesn't sit well with me.

The club statement is just an account of what has happened this season at all levels and an acknowledgment that the men's team performance haven't reached the high standard of CFC. No sh@t Sherlock.

19 May 2026 21:10:25
Tom, that's the problem, 5 over promoted scouts sharing accountability means there is none.

19 May 2026 21:30:17
I have no idea if that is the reason why they have made mistakes. The accountability issue, if it exists, should be easy to resolve.

19 May 2026 12:22:16
While our brother Greenaway may not be over the moon, I for one am very happy that Maresca found his way to Citeh. Pep's shoes are impossible to fill and as with most clubs that move on from a legendary manager, form drops off for quite a while.



I liked Enzo and if he was backed this season may have been different. The players seemed to love him; however, I feel he is walking into an impossible job and I expect he is sacked after two seasons.

19 May 2026 16:00:10
I think Maresca will do very well at Man City Melbourne CFC and I was very annoyed with our bonehead sporting directors and egghead for not backing him back in the summer when he pointed out what was needed to move on to the next level.

But, heyho, we would of almost certainly qualified for Champions League football, and probably picked up a pot or even 2 this season, but no point looking back now.

19 May 2026 17:09:55
I hope Maresca doesn't do well at City like every other PL coach. The only manager I want to do well is Alonso.

19 May 2026 17:35:25
We will never know how Matresca would have fared in the rest of the season, and he wasn't exactly setting the Premier League alight before he left this season. But, the point is that he preferred City to CFC, and we were useful, via the CWC win, in getting EM what he wanted.

19 May 2026 18:02:35
JBS, dead right; I don't want managers or players who want to be somewhere else.

19 May 2026 11:33:57
Looks like Maresca to City if you believe the BBC, probably has known it for ages. Will be interesting to see how he goes there, although it's a bit of a waste of a year swapping Maresca for Alonso looks good in my eyes, but as always time will tell.

19 May 2026 14:32:13
He's known since last October, Seymns2.