02 Jul 2019 11:16:34
Starting to get very excited for the new season. Lampard will properly integrate the youth and will actually care. Sarri didn’t attend a single youth game because he didn’t care which is fair enough but, it’s important for us to have a manager that does in my opinion.
We have wasted over 100 million pounds in the last couple of years on Players like Drinkwater, Bakayoko, Morata. Unfortunate maybe that the players didn’t turn out how it was planned but that’s the clubs fault. We need to be better with our money.
Hopefully by the end of next season, Lampard will have 5 academy players in the starting lineup. If they’re good enough they’re old enough I always say.
Hoping for a top 5 finish next year. Onwards and upwards.
02 Jul 2019 14:01:39
We were all excited about Bakayoko (after his last season with Monaco) and Morata. Granted, Bakayoko didn't set the world alight and Morata only should glimpses of what he could do, especially in the first half of his first season.
To say we wasted money on them is extremely harsh. We bought 2 players, in the hopes we'd get two good players. That's the exact same with any club who buys any player. They buy in the hopes it works. Unfortunately, it didn't work out, for us in their cases (so far) .
Drinkwater was just a weird purchase though.
Here's my thinking too though. Should Lampard pick both players in our squad next season, both will get 100% of my support, regardless of anything else. They're in a Chelsea shirt, they deserve respect and support at the very least.
02 Jul 2019 14:12:35
Looking forward to a positive atmosphere at The Bridge next season. I think it'll be a positive season even if we finish sixth, for me next season is all about building the foundations for the next four or five years. Hopefully people take losses on the chin and look at the bigger picture.
02 Jul 2019 18:15:58
I disagree a waste of money and blaming the club is rediculous. Every purchase is a risk, ask utd about lukaku, pogba and Sanchez.
Baka was not given the time he needed, when he went to Milan they said he was there worst signing ever. He was given time and had a very good season. With morata you have to play to his strengths.
My worry is all those that were shouting for frank to be the next manager and give him time, will be the same ones shouting for his head 3 months in.
I hope it works out but I worry his fantastic history at the club will be tainted if it doesn’t work out.
02 Jul 2019 18:22:43
dihanio, I love your comment esp the last paragraph. A part of me still tells me that there's still something in those two players (ie Bakayoko and Morata) and they can still offer us something (that is if they both stay) .
03 Jul 2019 00:23:50
My reasoning for saying they were wasted transfers was because Bakayoko, after having a good season, was not going to be an improvement on Matic. We had players we could have intergrated and instead bought Bakayoko for 40 million when Fabinho left a year later for 40 million. Fabinho was always the better player.
In relation to morata, conte wanted lukaku. Lukaku wanted chelsea, and we didn’t want to bid high for him and in came united and when we matched there bid it was too late. Then we scrambled for morata who was never a 70 million £ player. He was a backup for Madrid. Never was good enough and lukaku was the smarter option.
That’s why I say it’s 100 million wasted, imagine what Lukaku, Fabinho, and saving 40 million would have done. Conte would still be with us I reckon and we would have won the champions league over Liverpool. 100%.
03 Jul 2019 09:52:43
I get the sentiments of the initial post; however would argue that it pertains more so to the likes of the purchase of players to fill roles in the squad that don’t have the possibility for accruing much time. Players that fit this criteria recently would include drinkwater and zappacosta; however the club hasn’t done this nearly as much in the past 2 years as it had in the 5 years preceding. Morata and Bakayoko were never brought in to be squad players and also bakayoko was supposed to be given a year to develop behind matic; however was forced to replace him despite being injured when matic pushed for a move.
03 Jul 2019 09:34:05
Just shows how football is all about opinions. I wouldn’t have Lukaku in any team of mine.
03 Jul 2019 11:15:25
I'm with you on that Tom, he hasn't exactly set the world alight at United and they're looking to sell this window. Don't think he'd have worked well in a Chelsea team that gets not space up front.
Standard, you mention that Fabinho was a better option than Bakayoko. There's one massive thing you're missing in that comparison. Fabinho was give time! His run in the Liverpool team didn't really start until late November. Klopp introduces players into the PL very slowly. Bakayoko started on day 1 and is supposed to be up to speed from day dot. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way, especially with players coming from the continent, where it's far less hectic and the are maybe 2 or 3 top teams in each league.
We have to patient with players, it's not an instant thing for these lads to hit the ground running. Kovacic and Jorginho being examples of players who got stronger later on in the season. I suspect Pulisic will need some time in the beginning too.
03 Jul 2019 16:00:52
Fabinho is better because his fitter faster, more agile and a better passer.
03 Jul 2019 23:40:55
If Fabinho came in, he would have started at the same time as Bakayoko and would have performed much much better. Fabinho was always the better player, as someone who watched monaco games, I don’t think you’ll find someone who thought Bakayoko was a good Matic replacement.