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Standard's rumours posts with other poster's replies to Standard's rumours posts
11 Sep 2024 11:55:55
Datro fofana on loan for Athens. 20m buy option.
He had a good spell at Burnley, but I'm not surprised we struggled to find a better loan for him.
1.) 12 Sep 2024 10:32:51
Nope, another deal that's off. Christ, we really are a mess.
2.) 12 Sep 2024 11:54:02
Why is the deal not going through a reflection of CFC and require the comment “we are a mess? ”
I have no idea why an agreement couldn’t be reached so therefore I can’t say if any side is to blame but it’s hardly unusual that clubs can’t agree on a transfer or loan deal.
Every club must have loads of transfers deals that fell through because an agreement couldn’t be reached, they must all be “a mess. ” All very sad.
{Ed002's Note - AEK are responsible for it falling through.}
3.) 12 Sep 2024 11:59:35
Ed, brilliant mate thanks.
4.) 12 Sep 2024 12:31:00
He is trolling again Tom.
5.) 12 Sep 2024 12:48:12
It’s just non stop criticism of the owners without knowing any facts.
Be critical when it’s deserved.
6.) 12 Sep 2024 22:23:27
Thanks for that info Ed.
And we're a mess because we have copious players we're unable to find clubs for. We still have chilwell, Washington, fofana, kellyman
and chukwuemeka and casadaei at the club, none who will see the pitch.
I personally think that's a fair criticism, as I've said before we simply have too many players.
7.) 12 Sep 2024 22:56:16
Your criticism was about a player not getting a loan with an option to buy. You jumped to a conclusion because you believed it worked for your continuous narrative against the owners.
Your very pointed criticism on this particular issue was wide of the mark and now you bring up a different topic to try and justify it.
As I posted “be critical when it’s deserved. ”.
8.) 13 Sep 2024 11:49:17
I see he has secured a loan now. I think the bigger question regarding DDF is whether he is a better player and therefore more useful to Chelsea than Guiu?
Personally I would have said yes.
9.) 13 Sep 2024 12:15:03
I can’t say I’ve seen a lot of Fofana or Guiu but if had to choose, I would go for Guiu.
How amazing our owners must be to find a club for Fofana on agreeable terms. ?.
10.) 13 Sep 2024 12:32:46
Tom lad it had nothing to do about an option. It was the fact that another deal fell through.
Looks like we were swift to get him another loan, but I think even the club will be dissapointed to not sell him on for a profit this year after a decent loan spell at Burnley. Though, as I said, I believe it's complete naivety to believe we can flip these players after a year for a profit. A belief that maybe true depending on your outlook. We have copious players we have been unable to find a move for.
11.) 13 Sep 2024 15:44:25
You said in reference to the failed loan of Fofana “Christ, WE really are a mess. ” Your comment had zero to do with any other player but you couldn’t wait to have a dig at the owners. That is just a plain fact.
As I understand it we have sold, loaned or released 41 players so far in this window. Of course it would have been good to sell or loan a few more but 41 seems an above average number to me but then again I’m not a transfer expert.
Anyone can “hunt” out a reason to be critical. I guess the reverse must be true.
12.) 13 Sep 2024 22:15:29
Mate, getting really tired of you telling other posters what they're thinking and the reason behind there posts. You have no idea what my reasoning was and if you want to make up a reason, go for it. It's getting very tiresome though.
It is literally very obvious by reading the reasoning behind we are a mess and that is because the players we've been unable to offload or have paid to offload.
And further, part of my post was actually edited out. So again, please stop assuming you know other people's reasonings and get off your high horse.
13.) 14 Sep 2024 02:54:21
Maybe stop coming on here and talking rubbish then. The eds have said numerous times that it wasn't chelsea that was the issue.
Re Gallagher "he didn't want to sign a contract"
Fofana "it was Athens issue"
You come on here like a petulant child as soon as you here some bad news. Then change your mind in what you actually said.
Re calling caicedo a "donkey" so in my eyes your the one getting tiresome.
14.) 14 Sep 2024 06:28:41
No problem jsfinchy. If you don't want to have a discussion with people that disagree with you, interesting choice to go onto a forum discussing a football club. In the real world people disagree, you should maybe get better at talking to those who disagree.
And to reiterate my point as you clearly misunderstood, I'm criticising chelsea buying 100's of players and struggling to offload them. It's completely irrelevant whether it's an issue with us or the other party. We wouldn't be having issues offloading players if we had a clear and concise plan in place.
15.) 14 Sep 2024 06:58:27
I wouldn’t have a clue what you are thinking and response was clearly about and only what was writing your post.
I repeat. Supposedly Chelsea have sold, loaned or released 41 players in the last window. Yes it would have nice to find playing homes for just a few more but there is another window in a few months and I’m sure some more transfer business will be completed.
16.) 15 Sep 2024 07:28:29
Which is a big feat tom so well done to them for them sales/ loans.
However, if we didn't buy so many players in the first place, we could have spent more energy building cohesion and chasing targets who improve the team.
17.) 15 Sep 2024 08:36:58
I’ve lost count of the times I have said to many signings done to quickly but generally I think our old squad looked tired or maybe to comfortable.
18.) 15 Sep 2024 10:49:07
You are correct Tom. The old squad needed a refresh and with the sanctions it was also a very difficult time. Yes, too many signings in too few windows but that will now slow down. Players will come and go and these owners are not shy to spend their money and I fully expect 2 more windows of activity. They are winners and highly motivated by success and won't stop until we return to the top table.
19.) 16 Sep 2024 09:23:56
WSOTS, I think the signings might well slow down but I still think we will be selling a few with the likes of Noni, Disasi, Chilly, Sterling and maybe Mudryk all likely to be sold or loaned over the next two windows in my opinion.
20.) 18 Sep 2024 07:48:34
FFS Standard, " buying 100's of players " as per your quote on here, get real mate, the club and the people they have employed are much more aware than you or i could ever wish to be!
27 Aug 2024 14:28:37
Chelsea making a move for Toney! If osimhen is demanding wages too excessive toney will be an excellent option! Him and Jackson can compete and after Jackson's performance against wolves, toney will have to be at his best.
Hope this one happens!
1.) 27 Aug 2024 16:02:49
Perhaps Saudi Arabia is a more probable destination.
Is there any truth to Calwert Lewin rumours? Wouldn't be a bad back up striker although I like Guiu for that role too.
2.) 27 Aug 2024 18:51:29
Toney would be way down my list of CF options. Mind you there is a gap between Osimhen and the rest in my opinion.
3.) 27 Aug 2024 22:50:49
I’d be happy enough with Toney within the wage structure - if we have to buy someone! I’m still a fan of Jackson, but I think Toney has a good all round game.
4.) 28 Aug 2024 02:01:51
Not sure Toneys wage demands are any less than Osimhens.
5.) 28 Aug 2024 16:57:39
Tom, Toney wouldn’t even be on my list. His numbers aren’t that good particularly if you strip away penalties. His first touch is poor; he is not an 18 yard box striker he goes deep and would clutter up our midfield. He has averaged 1.3 headed goals a season over the last 4 years. If Oshimen is out of reach stick with what we have and look again next summer.
6.) 28 Aug 2024 17:43:28
Jimbo, I agree. Plus It’s early stages but Guiu loooks ok to me.
7.) 28 Aug 2024 20:55:55
400k a week is on offer for Toney in Saudi. He can have a lot of fun gambling with that kind of money.
26 Aug 2024 23:39:27
Hey Ed around last week you said there would be plenty of departures and about one a day. Since then, it looks like a couple have been agreed but nothing concrete. Now, it looks Iike broja has fell through.
Are we still confident in selling over 10 players before the window shuts?
{Ed002's Note - Players will continue to depart.}
1.) 27 Aug 2024 13:13:37
Three players out the door already today . Kepa, Anjorin and Lukaku.
2.) 28 Aug 2024 09:28:30
And Gallagher gone too of course.
22 May 2024 09:31:09
Again, seeing many links to tuchel. Surely not true.
I've calmed down a bit, but still massively dissapointed. They have to get this appointment bang on.
1.) 22 May 2024 13:00:25
Young manager they said.
Ruben Amorim --- the club must have met with him?
Hansi Flick --- nope
Vincent Kompany --- nope
Kieran McKenna – yes, but I hope he stays with the tractor boys
Jose Mourinho – Turkey
Julian Nagelsmann ---- His contract with the German team expires after the Euros
Michel Sanchez – meh
Thomas Tuchel – yes, but I cannot see it
Roberto de Zerbi -- nope
Massimiliano Allegri --- has been lurning English for years, but nope
Carlo Ancelotti -- extended his contract with Real Madrid to June 2026.
2.) 22 May 2024 13:21:25
Pretty sure nagelsmann extended his contract with Germany celery.
3.) 22 May 2024 14:07:46
I wonder if the Amorim flight to the UK was linked to Chelsea - the club were very quick to deny it at the time.
Another name in the frame could be Porto boss Sergio Conceicao.
I would like Flick, but that's because I think he has the experience.
I'm also disappointed that they chose not to continue with Poch, I was looking forward to a summer of stability while other big clubs chopped and changed, now I feel we're a bit back to square one.
4.) 22 May 2024 14:15:41
How does TT fit into the remit of a young progressive coach? Plus he plays the most boring football ever.
Mind you hecdid great things at Bayern, never finished so low in their league, marvelous achievement from TT.
5.) 22 May 2024 14:45:02
Same Standard i've just about managed to calm myself down, lol.
11 May 2024 04:19:22
As good as we have been the last two weeks and as good as it feels, let's not forget it's been a touch over two weeks since getting decimated 5-0 by arsenal. Still lots of work to do in the lead up to next season.
Any update on any potential signings ed?
{Ed002's Note - I am not aware of anything changing.}
1.) 11 May 2024 10:40:05
If I remember correctly we have lost once in the last 10/ 12 games. That defeat hurt but so did some of the draws but generally we are showing signs of improvement/ progress.
I think today’s game will be difficult and so I remain just hopeful.
I did see that we are top of one league and that’s the games missed through injury. We are top of that league by some distance. Along with the addition of just a few players, I’m hopeful our continued injury issues improve dramatically next season.
2.) 11 May 2024 11:07:57
Totally agree Tom, we cannot have that injury record again, even Pep and Klopp would have struggled.
3.) 11 May 2024 13:10:02
Not even just top by days missed we’ve had double the number of actual injuries too, so sounds like we’re picking up both long term injuries plus multiple short term injuries.
4.) 11 May 2024 22:42:30
it was a cruel defeat standard but let's give this group an manager credit when its deserved, theyv bounced back and are really looking like a team now.
5.) 13 May 2024 20:48:03
Sorry Ed if I'm wrong but please you have helped with a list as you have to other pages to our jealousy. I know you have occasionally mentioned a few but not long one as in the other pages.
We're patiently waiting for when you have the time to provide us with any clear that will stop us from asking often and random questions in the future. I remember you were kind enough to help. Please I think it will help improve your cordial interaction on our page. Thanks.
{Ed002's Note - It is impossible to do on the Chelsea page as it always leads to abuse.}
6.) 15 May 2024 16:29:14
Ed I respect your views and I plead that you don't misunderstand it like I'm insisting. I visit other pages regularly and it's difficult for me to see much difference in the way they respond to transfers and how Chelsea page do.
Please I still think ours is treated differently. Please appeal that you tolerate us as well. The site is boring without your inputs, especially I transfer windows. We crave your inputs especially now that most of us are yet to understand the direction of the club with boely and Co.
Please help us. thanks.
{Ed002's Note - I am happy to give input but I am not providing lists because it always leads to people abusing players.}
Standard's banter posts with other poster's replies to Standard's banter posts
15 Feb 2025 20:14:58
"Chelsea have gone and given brighton £250m for players and staff, and then Brighton go and do that to you" - Joe Cole
An accurate statement and one that should motivate the club and its players to take a long hard look at themselves. Hopefully we can improve, finish top 5 and add the last European trophy to our collection.
1.) 15 Feb 2025 21:28:45
The result against Brighton on Friday wasn’t exceptable but I don’t remember to many people saying to much when we pulled there pants down in September. Mind you I guess lots of people were on holiday then.
Ii will keep the faith, hope that EM learns some lessons, looks at a more tactically flexible approach to games and we finish the season between 3rd-5th. ?.
2.) 15 Feb 2025 22:12:12
Tom: “Hope springs eternal “.
3.) 15 Feb 2025 22:40:08
Jimbo, it does indeed.
Confidence is a very strange thing it can come and go very quickly.
4.) 15 Feb 2025 23:58:35
Really are you for real he will not learn anything the only thing that will be different is Sancho for noni through injury people are delusional.
5.) 16 Feb 2025 08:13:16
Nib, I assume you a posting about EM. I think he will remain as our manager for the remainder of this season and depending on our premier league position the club will make a decision. I’m not sure that is delusional.
6.) 16 Feb 2025 10:31:36
It would be foolhardy to change EM at this point of the season, we will just keep sliding in the league and get knocked out of the ECL by the Dog and Duck pub team.
Maresca MUSt go in the summer but si must the SD's and if I had my wat, the owners.
Going forward with potential new owners we must also take out the involvement of the CST and the CPO.
7.) 16 Feb 2025 12:33:57
Bill, I am not a member of the CST so I can’t speak for them or about them.
I do have CPO share and I have always seen them as a force for good. The original idea of Ken Bates and the CPO was sound and I think it’s a good idea that’s fans via the CPO get assurances from any CFC owner.
Of course it nearly all went wrong when RA appeared to be buying memberships via a third party to help win the redevelopment vote. That created a lot of mistrust that unfortunately still exists with some CPO members to this day.
As an aside I believe the CPO and CST held a meeting in January with the CFC management invited to give an update on the ST redevelopment. Reports suggest that the update was vague and reference was continually made to “all options being considered” and “it’s a complicated situation. ” So, no real news!
08 Feb 2025 21:29:20
Hey ed001, have you got any time for a bit of an update to your thoughts on this chelsea side? I think, 3 years under the new regime, is an acceptable time to judge.
Am I being unfair to repeat my thoughts from last year that it's an utter disaster? I think the only big positive is cole palmer. While caicedo has definitely improved in form, I can't say he's been a huge success for the 115m we spent on him, especially when your own endo has performed to a similar regard and some would argue better. Enzo has also been, very poor.
Am.
{Ed001's Note - to be honest not a lot has changed - the style of play is still highly reliant on individual players to produce, rather than team play to create. The defence is still a disorganised mess. Enzo still looks like he is out of his depth unless he has two players alongside him to do all the hard work, so he can stroll around. Caicedo is decent, but he struggles without Lavia alongside him. Then you still have the same issue of injury prone players - Lavia has replaced Chilwell in that regard - in key positions in the team. And you are still selling off your better players and replacing them with worse players who might develop into better ones in the future, but you are talking years in the future, without any settled, experienced players around to guide them.
I am actually surprised you are as high up the table as you are. Maresca was a stupid choice, because he wasn't surrounded with experienced coaches to help guide him. He has shown nothing with Chelsea that wasn't plainly evident at Leicester, but now he has more talented players to work with. However, he has never shown any kind of tactical clue at all. He is just another Postecoglou - one way of working and so it is s**t or bust in every game. It either works or it doesn't, but he has shown no capacity to make the required alterations to grind out results when it isn't working.
That is fine when you have a team light years ahead of the rest of the division, like he did last season, though even then they just scraped through after a near total collapse. But you simply can't get away with it when you are in a competitive league with lots of teams of a similar level as you. If the plan is to stick with him, he needs help with the tactics, someone who will challenge him and make him look at alternative options and ways of getting at opponents. Otherwise, it might be too late by the time he figures it out for himself.
The big problem though is the recruitment. You seem to be trying to out-Brighton Brighton by buying the same kind of players they would target, but the much more expensive variants than they would buy. That is fine if the plan is to be a competitive Premier League team and aim to regularly compete in Europe, but if you are spending as much as they have, surely you have to aim to at least challenge for the title? You are not going to do that by selling off the silverware from the academy every summer.}
1.) 09 Feb 2025 09:05:38
Thanks Ed001 for all in this.
{Ed001's Note - very welcome.}
2.) 09 Feb 2025 09:25:33
Thank you ED, could not have put it better myself.
What are your thoughts on our si called SD's.
{Ed001's Note - it is hard to judge them without knowing the remit they are working under. They might be doing exactly what they are meant to be doing. But the recruitment policy has been very poor.}
3.) 09 Feb 2025 10:34:03
Ed001, if the SDs remit is to appoint poor coaches and to sign players in positions we don’t need who are not very good anyway they are doing a great job. Throw in Ben Roberts “ Head of Global Goalkeeping “ and you can see why we are going nowhere. Usually, you get two jokers in a deck; we’ve got three.
{Ed001's Note - the goalkeeping situation is bizarre. The signing of Sanchez and then refusal to dump him is insane.}
4.) 09 Feb 2025 11:08:44
Get rid.
5.) 09 Feb 2025 11:45:19
I might the only one but I feel all this negatively around the manager, sd, owners is only because results have been poor, I don't remember any of this before Xmas, everyone was being praised. We've spent a lot and on a lot of players over a short period of time, things will go wrong, we will go through bad spells, not all signings will work out, we are buying players for the future and have some coming in the summer.
If it takes another 5 transfer windows then so be it.
I'm sure the club has players already in mind to bring in and it might well be a gk and cf.
Let's keep being positive x.
6.) 09 Feb 2025 11:06:10
Ed, I couldn’t agree more. We as fans have zero idea what the SD’s have been asked to do but I have to assume they are, as far as the owners are concerned, fulfilling there function.
I also 100% agree about about the strange decision to continually play Sanchez.
7.) 09 Feb 2025 11:10:49
Thanks Ed001. Great response. Pressed send before I was finished, was going to say am maybe being harsh on caicedo but for whatever reason he doesn't impress me massively. Off ball he's good but 115m for a player should net you a superstar. Most of the freinds I've spoken too haven't been too impressed with him either. But I know Tom is a massive fan so questioning whether I'm being too harsh.
Thanks again for the response. Always nice to get an opinion.
{Ed001's Note - it is a difficult one with Caicedo, I think he is being asked to do too much without Lavia alongside him. He is not great on the ball and he is not Kante able to cover every blade of grass on his own. He needs a partner alongside him who can work with him. That worked brilliantly with Gallagher, once they developed an understanding, but it does not work at all with Enzo, who just doesn't have the mobility or intelligence to play a deeper role in the Prem.}
8.) 09 Feb 2025 11:57:26
ED
Sorry another question.
Di you think that the fallout between the ownership has caused an issue with them wanting different things for the club including the important issue about what to do about the stadium.
Are they actually holding us back.
{Ed001's Note - the stadium is a very difficult issue. The owners may well not have come to an understanding on it, but they don't need to until the options are narrowed down to ones that can actually be achieved. Right now there is no option in hand to move forward with. I am not sure there is an option right now, which is the problem Abramovich faced. If there was an achievable option, he would have set it in motion during his time.}
9.) 09 Feb 2025 12:13:54
SteveCfc
It will never work with Maresca. He is far to stubborn, lacks tactical nouse and picks fights with players through the media.
10.) 09 Feb 2025 12:26:17
Steve, what you say is very accurate but it’s also understandable. Most of us have set views and when events support those views we feel we validated.
I didn’t see the need to sign KDH or Felix, I would have given game time (subject to injury) to Chuka and Ugo.!
We did sign a goalkeeper who had a very reputation but for some reason he hasn’t been given the chances we all wanted. As far as strikers are concerned there aren’t many I would want just for sake of signing a striker.
11.) 09 Feb 2025 12:31:01
But will they have experience Cfc?
12.) 09 Feb 2025 14:11:11
Bill, it might not work with maresca, but half way through the season in his first season is hard to judge, especially how good it was looking before Xmas, most people wanted poch gone and he finally started to get it right at the end of the season, if maresca is still stubborn after a few seasons then I totally understand.
The clubs philosophy is to buy young players then I'm fully supportive of that, of course I would like experience ti help these players out but if not im not going to moan about it, I'd rather a colwil than a maguire, the mistake against West ham he will learn from.
13.) 09 Feb 2025 14:13:36
Thank you ED for your brilliant input, much appreciated as always.
In my opinion, you should have a kind of ruthlessness to be able to win in any pro sport, which we are lacking at the moment.
Every decision has been poor up to now from our recruitment staff, although we have the benefit of the hindsight, but, a team without any sort of experience is not going to make it far in a very competitive league.
We should cut our loss right now with Maresca and bring in an experienced manager as a care taker.
Someone like Sean Dyche can do a better job and make it to the end with a European trophy and a top 4 finish!
This season has been a total disaster in my opinion. With a better manager and a slightly better squad with a proper ST and GK, we could have competed for the top spot, especially with the mess City are in and the injury issues of Arsenal, although winning it is another thing altogether.
{Ed001's Note - thank you, but I am not sure Dyche is the answer.}
14.) 09 Feb 2025 14:22:23
Standard, I’m not the only massive fan of Caicedo. There isn’t a single season ticket holder that I know that doesn’t rate him highly and as I’ve said before there are a few who at this stage of the season will voting for him rather than Palmer as there POS.
Just for the record I also think Lavia will (subject to injury) prove himself to be a more valuable player than Caicedo.
15.) 09 Feb 2025 14:41:46
Ashk, with due is respect your comment that “every” decision has been poor from our recruitment team, is totally wrong.
16.) 09 Feb 2025 15:26:21
ED, the Dyche part was meant to be a jest.
Tom, well ok, maybe not all of them but more than 90% of them have been really bad.
{Ed001's Note - what? Jests on here? Whatever next? Banter?}
17.) 09 Feb 2025 16:28:05
Potentially being bias though tom? Hard not to defend a player when 115m has been spent on him.
18.) 09 Feb 2025 16:29:16
I still can't believe we forced out gallagher. An absolutely awful decision.
19.) 09 Feb 2025 16:30:08
Regarding gallagher, do you think the owners is partly why poch walked? I think it's very clear maresca is being told (at least somewhat) what to do about players. Can't imagine the bomb squad was his idea, he was playing sterling in every game up until the bomb sqaud.
20.) 09 Feb 2025 16:33:52
Ashk, I have issues with a few signings the worst being Disasi but I’m generally ok with the majority and as has been said by Steve, I don’t remember to much criticism when we were winning but i do understand the valid criticism when we lose or play badly.
21.) 09 Feb 2025 16:37:10
Ashk, I respect your opinion but I don't think this season has been a total disaster at all, yes the last few months results have been poor and we've not been creating or taking our chances, but to go out so early in the FA Cup is very disappointing, and for someone who loves the fa Cup, even though its unfortunately lost its Cup magic due to PL money is frustrating, its always been my favourite Cup to win.
22.) 09 Feb 2025 16:54:19
Standard, I have zero idea who chooses the players we sign. My assumption is it’s the SD’s but I would like to think that the manager is involved in some capacity.
I think the so called “bomb squad” was a name given by the press and pundits but I just saw it as players who were not named in the competition squads, I assume it was the managers choice who was in those squads. It was probably a tough decision but whoever was our manager the same decisions would have had to have been made.
I have no idea what the reasons behind Poch no longer being our manager. I’m also not sure him leaving had anything to do with CG leaving.
23.) 09 Feb 2025 17:48:23
The continued Gallagher debate/ question does my head in. In my opinion he would have been a squad player and not a certain starter other than covering for injuries.
24.) 09 Feb 2025 19:03:12
Tom, you are right some posters went overboard with early results but ST holders I spoke to weren’t convinced and neither was I. Presumably, I missed all this exciting football people were on about.
25.) 09 Feb 2025 19:28:51
I enjoyed the football and it was a surprise given the poor pre season results. The strange thing is there have been occasions over the last few months when we have played ok and dropped points but when we had a good run going there were occasions (Bournemouth) when we didn’t play well and got a result.
I sticking with my 3rd -5th prediction and 68pts being good enough for 4th.
26.) 09 Feb 2025 21:20:36
Tom, I certainly haven’t enjoyed the football. As you said on some occasions we have been okay but generally slow and predictable: no aggression, no leadership: not the sort of team neutrals could be arsed watching on the box if there was ironing to catch up on.
27.) 09 Feb 2025 21:39:32
You thinking gallagher would be a squad player is quite strange in my opinion. He was our captain last year and started near every game. He also outperformed the two 100m men.
28.) 10 Feb 2025 04:31:09
Standard, he certainly out performed Enzo but in my opinion not Caicedo. I didn’t want CG sold and I could see why he was a fan’s favourite but for me he. had glaring limitations. Him being made captain was more to do with injuries and anyway wearing an armband will not stop me giving criticism if I think it’s justified.
29.) 10 Feb 2025 12:12:38
Steve mate, look at our run from boxing day to Christmas. We have lost against Ipswich and Fulham and a bunch of draws against teams like Palace and Bournemouth. The FA cup exit was only the cherry on top for me.
It's evident that Enzo Fernandez is not a PL player and that we need upgrades everywhere, but especially GK and ST. I understand that we can't solve all of our issues in one transfer window, but the whole process of buying kids and hoping one of them will turn out to be like Cole Palmer, is just wrong.
Our play style right now also makes us very predictable and we aren't doing anything for the most part of every game.
In my opinion, we need leadership and character, like the old days of Muorinho, and I think it should start with a charismatic coach.
Also, stop trying to play like Pep's teams for crying out loud! He has ruined football enough as it is.
03 Feb 2025 20:19:11
Just learnt of the great ed002's passing. RIP and hope everyone involved with him is okay. Good opportunity to appreciate the editors now for all they do on here (thanklessly) .
I'll raise my (hot chocolate) to him.
{Ed001's Note - thank you mate.}
02 Feb 2025 10:08:31
Positively, what do people think is the best thing the owners have done since coming in?
I would have to say the commitment to growing the club and the investment. Despite our disagreements with the way they've done things, I think they very clearly care about building a winning club.
1.) 02 Feb 2025 10:56:09
To close to call between selling KK, getting a percentage of Sterlings salary paid for! at least one season, keeping concessions for another season and signing Caicedo.
2.) 02 Feb 2025 11:26:08
I think, and I believe Tom thinks the same, the playing squad needed a, complete overall and with the exception of a top quality GK, CB and ST, this has been done.
We nowxhave some outstanding youngsters who are the envy of many top clubs.
3.) 02 Feb 2025 12:19:57
Bill you are correct. The only thing is, I think the club are happy with its batch of GK’s and comfortable with its choice (when fit) of CH’s.
The desire to sign a striker is there but it would appear to be a limited market.
In the meantime I just think we will buy and sell lots of players that will leave us fans occasionally mystified.
I am very pleased that it would appear they are only loaning out Chuka. I think he has a lot to offer.
4.) 02 Feb 2025 13:11:59
Total rebuild was hard but think the owners have done very well have some tremendous young players, and I think there heart is in the right place obviously the odd mistake, the Womens team is really going places
in hindsight probably would of kept one of Kovacic or Gallaher Jorgino for their experience but they may have needed to of been sold for financial fair play, If that was the case would of kept Thiago Silva as a coach.
5.) 02 Feb 2025 13:43:59
Seymns, I was happy enough to see Jorginho leave and Kovacic wasn’t playing very well at the time so I had no problems with him going either. Although I didn’t want CG to leave I could only see him as a squad player but of course I had no idea Lavia was going to have all of his injury issues. Also if it was an either or situation, I rate Chuka far higher than CG.
6.) 02 Feb 2025 16:58:09
I take it back. The best thing we did is sell havertz. I remember even after a couple years of poor performances here a couple posters here clamoured over him. He is genuinely awful imo.
7.) 02 Feb 2025 17:03:08
Sorry Tom but chukwuemeka cannot even get on the bench. Gallagher would be starting every game. ( I like chuk but I think you may be overrating him a bit)
8.) 02 Feb 2025 17:33:24
Only time will tell but I just see CG as one dimensional and generally overrated because he works hard. He would in my opinion only start cup games or when players are injured.
Chuka will in my opinion prove he has far more to offer as a midfielder than CG.
9.) 02 Feb 2025 22:43:44
Tom, I agree about Gallagher
Standard Havertz is doing okay at Arsenal same amount of goals as Jackson and he’s not a striker, mind you, neither is Jackson.
The best thing the new owners have done so far is getting rid of Mount for £55 million, let’s hope they don’t ruin it by signing Garnacho.
01 Feb 2025 18:39:06
I'm going to start a positive one tomorrow but what does everyone think has been the worst decision under the new owners so far?
Mine has to be loaning sterling to arsenal, with us covering more than half of his wages to play for them, and not bringing in any obligation or loan fee. A complete waste of time where we got our pants pulled down. I also feel like the bomb squad was owner-ordered. An all around travesty.
1.) 01 Feb 2025 19:53:38
The owners said before taking over that the best way to run a successful business is hire the best person out there
Biggest mistake was too inexperienced sporting directors having so much money / power / control
Owners said they’d invest and be ambitious and they were, just gave the reigns to wrong people.
2.) 01 Feb 2025 20:38:58
You were playing the same record when you left the other side of the world to come back to the best country in the world. I was rather hoping the record had a flip side.
The worst thing the owners did was to buy the club when it was on the verge of going tits up.
3.) 01 Feb 2025 21:58:55
Sacking Tuchel.
4.) 01 Feb 2025 22:32:52
Worst decision was sacking Poch.
5.) 02 Feb 2025 00:07:56
The first worst decision by the owners was buying Sterling in the first place. He will be back in July after a disastrous loan and no club will touch him for a loan: we would have to pay them to take him.
6.) 02 Feb 2025 00:22:35
Tom, some other consortium would have bought the club if they hadn’t bid: maybe they they will end up proving they were the best choice but let’s not put them up as our saviours: if it wasn’t for RA who knows what would have happened to us.
7.) 02 Feb 2025 02:40:33
Jimbo, I have never mentioned or described our new owners as saviours. I consider them as a group if businessmen who made a grown up decision to invest in a football club.
If it hadn’t been these guys it would have been some other group or individual and it could have been better or worse.
I think this group of owners will make a very handsome profit if they decide to sell. I also think investing in any football club is just not worth the grief. hence my comment.
I think buying the club, sacking TT and Poch, buying and selling loads of different players and lots of other
things were all crap decisions. I also think RA made loads of crap decisions, I think Ken Bates made loads of crap decisions and the Mears family as well, made loads of crap decisions.
Along the way owners will also make some good decisions.
Good or bad nothing will change my mind. Owning or investing in a football club just isn’t worth the grief.
8.) 02 Feb 2025 03:05:17
The second worst thing was employing Lamps a second time.
9.) 02 Feb 2025 09:45:16
Probably mine is continuing Romans leasing company, it might have been cheaper leasing cars like Hertz rather than players.
16 Feb 2025 10:15:22
Come on Tom really. There has been zero benefit to not having a sponsor this year no matter how it's spun. If we get a multi year sponsor next year, it won't be 'we'll done' it'll be why didny we get a short term sponsor?
15 Feb 2025 18:44:07
Regardless of there goal, whether it's building a winning side or a successful money making business, they're doing appallingly. We lost out on £40m this season with no fos sponsor and I can't think of a single player other than palmer who would definitely sell for more than we paid for them. Enzo, caicedo, neto, mudryk, fofana and more would almost certainly net us a loss. Doesn't mean they're bad players but there value is much lower than what it was.
04 Feb 2025 17:55:58
Absolutely tom. And I do think you told me that when I was criticising his performances. Very glad he was able to find some performances, and he's exceeding my expectations.
04 Feb 2025 08:41:08
I agree tom. I think he put in some of the worst chelsea performances ever, worse than bakayoko. He's fantastic now.
03 Feb 2025 20:17:54
Unfortunately I don't think there's a way back for felix. There wasn't a spot for him 6 months ago and there won't be one 6 months from now. Great player on his day and I hope he reaches atleast half what his potential was.
15 Feb 2025 18:45:45
Nice one J. Agree. They've done a very very poor job and they're coming towards the end of the string.
13 Feb 2025 19:21:49
We've known Nkunku wasn't a 9 for years. He's a CAM.
09 Feb 2025 21:39:32
You thinking gallagher would be a squad player is quite strange in my opinion. He was our captain last year and started near every game. He also outperformed the two 100m men.
09 Feb 2025 16:30:08
Regarding gallagher, do you think the owners is partly why poch walked? I think it's very clear maresca is being told (at least somewhat) what to do about players. Can't imagine the bomb squad was his idea, he was playing sterling in every game up until the bomb sqaud.
09 Feb 2025 16:29:16
I still can't believe we forced out gallagher. An absolutely awful decision.