05 Mar 2024 14:17:47
Some stream of conscious/ verbal diarrhoea thoughts on Chelsea at the moment:

1) As I said on a thread the other day, I think if you bring in a top striker and winger (e. g. Osimhen, Olise, Williams) and with better injury luck it's not unreasonable to think we would be better next season than this, regardless of who is the coach.

2) Following this, to my mind all the teams from 4th - 11th are much of a muchness. The main difference is that Spurs, Villa and Newcastle have a player in their team who is a top finisher. Sure, those three probably are a touch better than the rest, but not by as big a margin as Villa is to Arsenal, City and Liverpool above them. We might be floundering in 11th but we aren't significantly worse than anyone up to Villa. If Chelsea had a player akin to Son, Watkins or Isak I don't think its outrageous to say Europe would be on the cards. If someone wants to tell me this is total rubbish then I'm not going to argue too hard, it isn't as though I think we have been brilliant.

3) I'm not sure who the club is looking at to replace Poch but I think its a bit concerning that the two names reported yesterday, RDZ and Amorim, seem diametrically opposed to one another. I'm also finding it harder and harder as a fan to buy into 'the project' if the manager is changing 5 times in two years and the people in charge of this are routinely making what they themselves then decide to be the wrong choice.

4) On the subject of the sporting directors, I understand the idea behind the young players etc but I am still yet to see a coherent plan to develop them all at the same time, with many playing in the same position as one another. How do bring along Madueke, even just to the point where you can sell for profit, if you are giving all his minutes to Cole Palmer? Palmer obviously deserves them, but you can't develop one without holding back the other.

5) I think I qualify as someone who enjoys seeing academy players in the first team squad more than most, but they have to be there on merit. If we are going to bring in a player that is better than what the academy offers then I am all for it, but I just don't think this has been the case frequently enough.

6) It may seem like I am overly negative based on the above, but I genuinely don't think we are far off from getting right back amongst it. While I wouldn't have made all the same signings we have, there is clearly an improvement in who we are bringing in since the summer where Boehly was buying players. I think it would only take a couple of things to go our way (injuries, signings working out etc) and we would be in a far healthier spot. After all, some perspective is needed - my friend is a Sheffield season ticket holder and has suffered through 5-0, 5-0 and 6-0 in the last 3 home games he's been to!

1.) 05 Mar 2024
05 Mar 2024 16:10:33
RBD great post and i said something similar in regard to having a number 9 in a previous post and not been far off a champos league spot if we did have a clinical finisher up top,
Problem is now the merrygoround due to mbappe to madrid will probably mean oshimen will head to psg etc and wel up over paying for another flop in the shape of ferguson off brighton etc,

This squad needs a leader and a charatcher on the sideline like a conte, mourinho or tuchel,
My number 1 pick would be simeone because i think hed go head to head against the big teams without fear, yeah its not going to happen wel end up making another mistake like de zerbi and wel probably be in the exact same position this time next season
Id be confident the board are going to sell galagher, chalobah, maatsen and hall in the summer and wel probably lose thiago aswell and maybe 1 of sterling, madueke or mudryk.

2.) 05 Mar 2024
05 Mar 2024 16:37:26
I’ve enjoyed the above thread.

RBD, I do not think you are “being overly negative” at all. In fact I see your post as being constructive.

Poch, my assumption is that all managers have to take on board the role of a leader. I don’t want my manager gesticulating to everyone for a yellow card, running up and down the touchline or continually spitting. I personally do not see these as signs of leadership or passion. To me they just look like out of control spoilt idiots. Let me also make it clear these touchline antics also doesn’t make them bad coaches.

I do have criticism of the so called “project” and that centres on two things. a) a failure to communicate in a coherent way to the supporters. b) not sticking with it.

As far as who we should sign as a CF my choice would be Osimhen. If we do sack Poch and I hope we don’t I would like the same German who I wanted and thought we were getting when we appointed Poch.

3.) 05 Mar 2024
05 Mar 2024 16:51:29
Poch

I agree there will be a managerial mery go round in the summer although I would not want TT (look at (bayern), zconte or Mourhino, all old school coaches who are far too demanding and fall out with owners far to easy. I would also not go for Simeone either, although I would have had him about 3-4 years ago. Dr Zerbi, definitely no as (a) he has been shown as an average coach and (b) definitely no more money to Brighton (we have almost bought the club with the money we have given them.

I agree with the players leaving especially if CG does not sign a new contract prior to the summer transfer window. Sterling is the one foe me to go and I would also I clude Lukaku, MC with a wikd card in James due to his injury record.

4.) 05 Mar 2024
05 Mar 2024 16:51:40
Totally agree with the failure to sell the project to supporters which they failed to do especially with the sacking of Potter . I do think that instead of having two co -owners making the calls it would be better if there was just one.

Personally think a forward who can score goals is way more important than a new manager.

Who that forward is I don't know Toney Watkins maybe but pricey, if we are selling Broja would keep the lad on loan at Ipswich around the first team looks as if he has something about him.

5.) 05 Mar 2024
05 Mar 2024 19:26:54
Also totally agree with your point about a failure to sell the project. They need to get better at calming fears in the fan base during the tougher times with clearer communication that isn’t just from whichever hapless manager we’ve got at the time.