18 Jan 2024 18:04:24
Putting aside some posters doubts that Osimhen will join Chelsea. Although I can't see it happening in this window (I would love it) it might well happen in the summer.
How do you guys rate him as a player and should we be signing him? Now or later?
18 Jan 2024 18:27:13
Tom, Oshimen is my idea of a proper striker, good finisher, strong in the air and causes chaos in the 18 yard box. I think he would adapt easily to the PL. However, strikers are in demand and I am not sure if he would come here. He is my No 1 choice but if it is to happen I think it would be in the summer.
18 Jan 2024 21:18:08
Ladies/ Gents not another signature this season. Not another single penny should be spent. Done, we’ve been spoiled. £600m spent and that is more than enough. This group are the youngest team in the PL, let’s get behind them and grit our teeth. The number of internationals that are training at Cobham there should be the highest quality war on the pitch day in day out. Come the summer when the group have finished 7th or 8th. Then discuss what is needed.
18 Jan 2024 23:05:42
Stephen, I agree we shouldn’t spend any money in this window: we should wait and see how this season goes. All I was saying is that if I had a choice for a No 9 it would be Oshimen but I doubt it will happen.
19 Jan 2024 10:16:33
Osimhen is a very good striker who is further along in his development that Jackson, despite being only a few years older. He isn't, however, the finished article that people would have you believe.
He's adept at holding the ball up centrally or running the channels from long balls and can make the ball stick when its fired in at him. His touch isn't immaculate, but he uses his body well to get between the defender and the ball. He struggles most when a defender comes right up behind him, which let's be honest, is what is going to happen in the prem.
He's a beast in the air, he can outjump almost anyone and seems especially good at winning balls that have been stood up to the far post. He takes shots on early, and shoots regularly. He is not a lethal finisher and he certainly isn't Drogba regenerated. Do not be shocked if he joins and you see the same sorts of misses that have plagued us over the last few years. He is also offside ALL THE TIME, think Timo Werner.
Osimhen is nowhere near as composed as Jackson outside of the box, but he is a big upgrade within. Perhaps most importantly, he wins his goddamn headers. If you are sick of Colwill at LB, then you should rejoice for that reason alone.
Personally, I am on the fence with this one. Jackson is showing signs of being a very, very good player with a fairly unusual skillset for a striker. You look at the teams above us and other than the usual suspects, there aren't many strikers who have scored more than him and those that have are used to premier league football. Yes, he has missed some sitters, but Osimhen also has that tendency. Another 100m outlay that will need to be offset - by who? Colwill is the next obvious player to be put on the 'pure profit' conveyor belt and I would find that difficult to stomach. I would favour bringing in a cheaper, experienced player who can make up for the holes in Jackson's game while seeing what he can turn into. There will always be another player who emerges somewhere down the line if Jackson doesn't figure it out.
There is a player out there who scores goals, wins headers and has scored more goals than Osimhen in Italy this season. The best part - he is already contracted to us so we wouldn't even need to pay for him. I know the ship has sailed, but the irony makes it impossible not to mention.
19 Jan 2024 11:03:17
RBD, I don’t share your views about Jackson, I don’t see a top class striker in there; it’s not just about goals, it is when they are scored and the importance of the game e. g Drogba. As for the ship that has sailed he is very likely to be at Cobham at the start of summer training. The Italian authorities have discontinued tax breaks for Seria A clubs for foreign signings. What happens next- who knows.
19 Jan 2024 11:43:28
Fair enough Jimbo, I can absolutely see why you and others have doubts about him - there are significant parts of his game that need a lot of work.
I would push back a touch on the importance of goals, he scored the winner in a cup tie (Brighton), an equaliser in a big game vs City and also scored the go ahead goal against Spurs, though that game is almost discounted because of the craziness that happened.
We could do a lot, lot worse than going into next season with Lukaku and Jackson as our strikers.
I also agree that we should hold off on further expenditure until the summer.
19 Jan 2024 12:52:53
RBD, the reality is that in the summer Lukaku will still have 2 years on his £325K a week contract but that is an issue for next season.
19 Jan 2024 13:01:48
I never want to see Lukaku back at the bridge.
19 Jan 2024 13:18:07
Me neither Tom, but we might not get our way unless he goes to Saudi.
19 Jan 2024 15:10:22
Imo, Chelsea are not a team that require a CF and BANG back in business. This group needs educated, honed, drilled, and hardened into a proper team with a clear tactical identity. There are too many loose ends, too many stop gap situations. I want them worked till they can play with their eyes shut. They might surprise us all you know, and actually push into the top 6. Surely they can get above West Ham?
19 Jan 2024 15:32:37
In a perfect world I would agree that Lukaku is sold, but in a perfect world he wouldn't have done that stupid interview and we wouldn't be having this conversation.
I believe that Ed002 mentioned in a post a while back that Roma had floated the possibility of some sort of swap deal with Tammy Abraham, but I confess I can't find the post so I may be misremembering. I guess even if that were the case, it could have changed now Jose has been sacked.
I would think that there will be a club out there who fancies Lukaku. He's left a bad taste in the mouth here but he's still a quality operator.
19 Jan 2024 15:46:37
RBD, I never wanted him back at our club but as soon as we signed him again I supported him. I also defended him when TT failed to play to his strengths.
Now he is plying his trade at another club my assessment of him as a player hasn’t changed. For a big lad he is average in the air, his first touch is like a brick wall and he is weak in the challenge.
I’m hoping he finds a club but I never want him back ant Chelsea and that sentiment has little to do with that press conference.