Chelsea Banter

08 May 2024 21:52:42
And that's why I don't want Tuchel again so negative and defending at Real Madrid with half hour to play. Are you mad.

07 May 2024 22:21:55
Congratulations to all the Chelsea award winners tonight.

Probably the biggest certainty ever that Palmer would win POS from his peers and the fans! Well deserved.

08 May 2024 09:42:28
Yes well done Palmer, v wdell deserved and did seem an absolute certainty.

Yet I nominated CG in the little poll we had on this site as PoS - with CP as obvious best signing - mainly because I feel amid rumnours he will be sold in the summer (if no contract agreement with club) CG's outstanding efforts in every game and stats that bear them out must be recognised by club. I think most fans already do, though there could still be some doubters.

I don't know how well known it is on this site, for instance, that CG has the highest number of final third turnover tackles not just in the EPL but of ANY player in the top SEVEN European leagues this season. Managers rate that ability very bighly indeed, TT on record as doind so for instance, as it so often leads to goals if not direct assists as opposition struggles to reform defensively. Declan Rice has had an outstanding season for Arsenal and is rightly recognised as being a great signing and player and one many of us wanted to come back to the Bridge, but CG's stats this season are far, far better than DR's in almost every category: eg tackles won, shots on target, assists, goals scored, duels won etc. as well as his defensive stats being better than either MC or EF. Stats may not be everything but.

I think even his detractors will admit CG has improved immensely this season under v tricky circumstances. But it does need to be repeated just how good he has become. This is why some of us see him as absolutely vital to retain and the club really must realise this too, though am sure Poch has done for yonks. A player like CG is a stand out in high pressing turnover game that most clubs and fans want their sides to play, and hs energy allows others more space and ball through which to flourish.

But, yes, CP's goals in quality and number, and many brilliant assists, and incisive forward passes have been utterly fantastic. He was utterly predictable and deserved winner of CFC PoS and many MoM awards. Without his goals we would not be having anywhere near a sniff at a European place. What a signing.

Yet sometimes it is missed that a player of such skill and creativity can flourish that mnuch more easily when there are less galamorous but ball winning work horses who cover the whole pitch, and CG just beginning to show he might be able to emulate Kante-esque stamina and ability i this area. and does have more assists and goals than the magical legend that was NK. Early days, but he seems to have formed a superb uncerstanding and partnership with the ever improving and more impressive MC at the same time as beginning to contribute more goals and assists.

08 May 2024 10:32:11
I’ve never known a big club to sell polished jewels like Chelsea. It really is a blemish. CG was a diamond in the rough. Steaming about the park without any thot for positional sense, making rash challenges and misplacing simple passes. Yet Chelsea saw something, they loaned him, brought him in and out of the first XI, flushed out all those mistakes until they had made an accomplished top end combative PL midfielder and an international footballer. Now they won’t pay the lad the going rate, whereas Spurs will? Not Real Madrid, or Barca, but Spurs? Jeez. Not having it. Get him paid, and let the fans enjoy 10 years + of a Chelsea product brilliantly captaining the team. Or has everyone forgot the name John Terry.

{Ed002's Note - He won't sign a new contract. It is hardly the fault of Chelsea.}

08 May 2024 10:43:25
Agree with all the above JBS.

08 May 2024 10:45:08
JBS, CG does have good stats and he is certainly playing well this season.

It sounds from Ed as if the club have offered him a new contract. So we can only hope that a solution that satisfies the player and the club can be found.

08 May 2024 12:18:49
Sorry Ed, I have to disagree. If CG moves to Real Madrid (for instance) I see that as a move for prestige, money, glory. But to move from Chelsea to Spurs it is for one reason only, money. Imo, Chelsea are deliberately coming up short on his offered contract to sell him and find the reported £104m to stay within FFP and ultimately the league. They are in that position because of wretched purchases and huge salaries given away to below par players. Why not flog Sterling, Chillwell, and James? Btw they may very well be trying to do that, but that is not an easy sell. Particularly Sterling who is reported to be on £300k a week.

08 May 2024 12:33:27
It's just a disagreement on salaries but if we won't pay what he thinks he's worth another team will. Now, I don't want to blow out our wage budget just to keep him but I find it hard to believe he wants North of 200k. Anything below that I think he is worth.

If he played for another team, is he a player we'd chase? Absolutely.

08 May 2024 12:38:40
London, James is from our academy so under the relentless “pure profit” commentary he would qualify.

Chilly was signed by the previous regime and his contract was something that the present owners inherited. The Sterling, KK and maybe one or two others who were signed in a rush have been seen by many as a mistake and an act of haste and supposed bad advice.

The supposed amount required pre June 30th is apparently £105m. There is supposedly enough sales revenue due pre that date for there to be no need to se Gallagher to meet that deadline.

I have no idea what demands CG is making and I have no idea what the club have offered but it doesn’t follow that the club are “deliberately coming up short” on any offer they may have made.

I would guess that the club have a salary a contract term in mind that they think is reasonable. If CG thinks he is worth more then he will leave in the same way Mount left last summer.

If the two parties cannot agree terms then I guess he will be sold. I would rather that than loose yet another player on a free transfer.

08 May 2024 14:05:21
Well this campaign and gaslighting for cg is beginning to make me sick. He's has done well this season no doubt but has he even came close to what kante did for Chelsea but was sold when he got blighted by injury and wasn't given time to fully recover before selling him. He's not been getting injured since he left and I feel his impact would have helped this season. Imagine having him in addition to mc and then cg. Hemade us look like we had an extra player when fit. Often clubs do what they had to do, they valued a player and decided what contract it worth for the player but the player wants more. But instead of allowing the player leave for free when his contract expires.
Constant nagging won't change much. I won't ordinarily want to sell him but the club choose what is the best option for them.

08 May 2024 14:24:20
I don’t believe that club are using Gallagher’s contract negotiations as a guise to sell him. Our newer signings are not earning the kind of wages Sterling, Chilwell and James are on. As for selling the aforementioned, why would they want to leave, they are on long lucrative contracts?
Tom, I believe the new owners extended Chilwell’s contract last year presumably it was during one of the weeks he was fit.

08 May 2024 14:44:20
I haven’t got a clue what “gaslighting” is but it sounds dangerous.

Jimbo, I wouldn’t have a clue about any Chilly contract renewal but I’m sure you are correct.

08 May 2024 15:20:39
I personally wouldn’t have minded up til Jan with selling Gallagher as I’d felt he was all effort no substance. But the second half of the season he’s contributed more goals and assists and he looks a proper player now. I think he’s worth the £150k he apparently wants. But if a contract can’t be agreed upon then we have to sell him.

08 May 2024 15:50:20
Tusole I don't understand your post. I don't think anyone gaslights on this site - how could they, or I camt think how they could - but we do offer gfrequently strong opinions but realise others naturally can disagree, and often do, and sometimes they might cause us to think again about our former posts.

I don't know what CG or his repetresentatives are demanding or what the club are offering, so I don't know what the gap is between the two. All I was doing was expressing my strong hope that CG will stay or at least that the club did not make up its mind about him before his vast improvement in the course of this season.

I also made it clear that Kante was a legend for me as am sure for all, and so admirably modest with it. I only hope/ speculated that CG was at least heading in the prime NK direction even if he can never actually equal the quality of the French midfield maestro. NK is certainly up there with the v best midgfielders CFC has ever had.

But perhaps bear in mind the different circumstances in which NK and CG have been playing for CFC especially in terms of squad experience. Obviously the sides he played in changed much over time, but from memory (perhaps faulty) NK at times had the likes of Courtois, Dave Azpi, Matic, Hazard, Cahill, Costa, Fabregas and later prime Kovacic around him in terms of experience and skill. CG is learning and improving with a lot of relative youngsters around him and many who are EPL inexperienced.

07 May 2024 21:00:46
Two questions on the Champions League.

1) am I the only fan who thinks the away goal rule was ok?

2) the team at home in the semi final 2nd leg, is that all down to the luck of the draw?

07 May 2024 22:03:53
Tom, I agree with you I favoured the away goal rule. I don’t know the answer to your second question.

07 May 2024 23:04:00
TomB yeah I’m pretty sure the 2nd leg is just whoever’s picked 2nd out of the hat.

08 May 2024 09:04:05
I also liked the away goal rule as gace an incentive to away side to try and get something in first leg plus often additional excitement in second (not least when we played Barcelona away in 2012!) .

But your question Tom makes me wonder if you or anyone knows if its abolition has reduced number of away goals scored in knock-out stages? Or have more in fact been scored as home sides worry less about conceding them?

08 May 2024 11:05:32
JBS, good question and I wouldn’t know how to look that stat up but my guess is someone will be able to help.

08 May 2024 13:40:55
Not a fan of the away goal

As in extra time if level it gave the team playing the 2nd leg away an extra 30 mins to score an away goal

Also think it should be ninety minutes at each ground then penalties.

08 May 2024 14:46:07
Seymns, I agree that the home team for the second leg can get an advantage. Maybe straight to pens would be fair.

07 May 2024 16:29:49
Just a group of season ticket holders chatting and having a few beers 🍺.

I was somewhat surprised to be the only STH who think Gallagher could still be playing next season for Chelsea.

We even got the, "Ive been categorically told" comment "he is definitely being sold. "

Makes me nervous when fans are so sure about the situation.

07 May 2024 17:35:18
I am sure they would love to get a fat paycheque as he's an academy player.
He might decide to see his contract out of course which would be interesting!

07 May 2024 19:36:42
Gallagher has not agreed a new contract, if he doesn’t he should be sold. If he decides to see his contract out as a coach I would be looking to to integrate one of our other midfielders in to replace him and use him as a sub. There is no point trying to set up a team playing as a cohesive unit and including someone who will be off in the next season.

07 May 2024 20:31:57
I personally haven’t got a clue if Gallagher has been offered a contract or will be offered a contract.

I have no idea what CG’s terms are or what the club sees as reasonable.

The point I was making was one of genuine surprise that I was the only STH who thinks he will be playing for us next season.

06 May 2024 12:59:44
A defence to my opinion on players needed to improve or maybe not being good enough

32 games - not good enough

3 games - really good, really seemed to have improved on what's expected

I wouldn't make 3 games out of 35 your ammo to come at people.

But yes. Been brilliant last few games, shading brilliant opposition, West Ham 15 goals conceded in 5 and Spurs 5 losses on the bounce,

06 May 2024 14:33:31
Matt, I’m told the last 10 home games have achieved 8 wins 1 draw and one loss.

Virtually every player and the team in general has improved throughout the season.

We have had a ridiculously high injury count and unfortunately we still can’t be sure how much talent we have got within the club.

It’s been an up and down season and my guess is that is common with a young squad. We are just about where I expected but I do expect us to improve next season.

06 May 2024 14:48:16
Since the start of the year we’ve played 24 games across all competitions. Won 14 of them, drawn 6 lost 4. Some terrible games such as the Arsenal one, the playing for penalties against Liverpool in the final and the Liverpool game in the league. A very respectable draw against City 1-1. Some poor draws against Brentford, Burnley and Sheffield. But great wins on the bounce now against Spurs and West Ham and were unlucky to draw against Aston Villa (which is still a respectable result)

Saw a stat that said if the league started in January we’d be 4th in the table. I think that shows clear improvement over the season. Yes in the past we’ve had managers come in and make an instant impact, but that was with a squad of players at their peak. Poch has come into a young, inexperienced and disjointed team which had relatively no experience of playing with each other. That alongside our massive injury list the entire season (which was mostly our experienced players) has delayed the progress. Maybe it’s too little too late but I’d be inclined to give him another year.

06 May 2024 20:06:52
If we play like this in the final 3 games, get 6th. Should poch stay? We are really looking a lot better.

06 May 2024 21:15:20
The worst problem was that we drew with Sheffield and Burnley. If ww won those two games we would be fighting for n.5 with Spurs.

06 May 2024 09:09:21
Hutchinson has been nothing short of fantastic second half of the season. With Madueke getting better I really don't see any point in us signing any more players for the attacking midfielder/ winger positions.

Hopefully we leave Hutchinson another season at Ipswich in the premier league and see how he does. We also have Paez coming in a couple of years and he looks fantastic.

If Mudryk or Madueke don't progress one year down the line maybe one could be moved on for Hutchinson or Paez. But I really do think if we spend it needs to be on a quality ST, CB and goalkeeper not a winger or attacking midfielder.

06 May 2024 09:27:17
Barnet, if I remember correctly Hutchinson will only have one year left on his contract. So there is probably a choice to be made by all parties.

06 May 2024 22:21:17
I still think we need an attacking player or a midfielder who has different skilset. Left back may also benefit. These in addition to the obvious need for the s, cb.

I feel we should stick with petrovic as he's shown hecan improve and secure the position. He's not ready the problem, imo.