29 Jan 2025 10:57:54
Panic over, the guys at the top have seen our lack of experience, of goalscorer, that no9 we crave, the lack of options in DM and being only an knock away to Caceido that we are in trouble, I get there busy trying to flog the mistakes from 6 months ago or selling the chalobah replacement after sending chalobah away and recalling him but there is hope,
Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign 16 year old defender Denner for £10.5m, a left back! Think god this window didn't pass us by, he will join us in 2 years when his old enough,
Good luck to Washington whos been sent back to Brazil on loan to club we bought him for, more top clsss business, maybe anselino will return to Argentine in loan after buying loaning recalling him,
Pretty sure PT Barnum is running things at Clearlake Chelsea,
29 Jan 2025 12:17:16
I haven’t got a clue how good this 16 year old is and I very much doubt that you know anything about the lad or his current abilities or potential.
Rather than looking at this an “potential” good investment for the future you choose to use it as a reason to criticise the owners. That of course is your choice.
29 Jan 2025 13:01:25
Dont forget Matt that we have already signed the 16 year old striker from Kazakhstan for the summer.
Yes these could prove to be very good 'investments' but in a way that does sum up some of tehe doubts over the transfer strategy of our still relatively new owners plus the SDs. EG Where has been the careful building of a mix of youth and experience with perghaps a particular clear focus on building a strong spine: GK, CB, DM, AM, Striker that we had with the old regime when at its best in eraly half of its tenure? IE a Cech, Terry, Makelele, Lampard and Drogba?
We certainly have a new business focused on good investments in youth and let's hope they get more right than wrong in this respect. Yet the old regime's idea was to focus on winning things and though they certainly made some big errors in some incomings plus managerial appointments they did win one heck of a lot for us.
That is why many of us our puxxled and concerned by what appears to be a new business model that seems to focus as much if not more on 'investmen for the future; - which may be 2030, I don't know, but certainly hope we can be back at the topy by then - rather than putting together right ingredients in terms of players and manager/ s right now. Though again I hope EM will come right and that we are on our way to getting it right with players. But at what extraordinary financial outlay and with the spine still very fragile and with a managerial gamble. Under old regime a lot of money was also spent early on and a gamble made with a young manager. But that manager had just won the ECL with an unfancied side not the championship with the favourite, and said manager askef for and got the likes of Cech and Drogba (Drogba particularly a JM pick) .
So this is the reason why I am worried right now but can only keep hoping that my worries will be dispelled by a magical run over our necxt EPL fixtures. Just one loss from here on in, as Poch achieved last season, shouod be good enough for ECL. Then make good decision in terms of GK and clinical striker assistance for Jackson and others and we will be on our way again surely.
29 Jan 2025 14:13:39
JBS, I’m sure some might read this post and believe I’m suggesting a change of manager. I am definitely NOT suggesting any such thing.
Maybe a solution to having the youngest team in the premiership by some distance would have been to have a more experienced manager. I am also not suggesting that should have been a Jose type manager but more a Carlo type.
This only me thinking out loud and maybe it is a reasonable argument that an EM type manager is better suited to a young team.
29 Jan 2025 15:08:48
Well history tells me for every Oscar’s there’s a Kennedy and Nathan Washington and Wallace,
Our youth and academies struggling we have to try get a player who’s peak is in maybe 8-10 years?
I’ve always been critical of these owners and the most positive accounts are now seeing it. Season under tuchel when lukaku was banished it was “ Chelsea need a striker to compete “
Toast season “ Chelsea need a striker and goalkeeper “ silva let, Chelsea need striker GK and experience “
This season, Chelsea need a striker, GK, experience
Is the plan to spend spend spend but have more questions than answers, all this was the case December / Jan, windows almost closed and it’s “ interest, watching, lining up, keen
How much money did sachi spend when he went into Villa to get them looking like a team. City saw problems and addressed in Jan, when people going to wake up to fact this data lead young players potential risk with these sporting directors is going horribly, how much do they have to spend? Werner it meant to be like Brighton and sign a baleba for a fee and that fee doubles . except palmer, who’s value has increased? Demote them to the development squad and get in someone who can address what a team needs to compete.
29 Jan 2025 15:56:17
Matt, Lukaku was a crap signing from min one but some on this site were singing his praises. He was signed by Roman and the new owners were then left to deal with him, his Contract and his expectations.
I’m sure the owners and SD’s would like to spend less on signing the players they want.
Some of us believed it was unlikely that the club would find a player of sufficient quality to help with needs in this widow. It can be argued that it should have happened in previous windows but I would like to believe that they tried there best.
29 Jan 2025 16:17:54
I am very uncomfortable with children this young being signed for this much money, having expectations put on their shoulders when they should be enjoying their first forays into their careers as footballers.
My feeling is that the normalization of this exposure will be damaging in the long run, to young people who are not equipped to deal with it. Ed001 - any thoughts? You seem pretty clued into the goings on in the industry. It doesn't sit well with me, but maybe I'm just being soft.
In terms of what this signing represents, I assume that the feeling inside the club is that if they make 10 of these signings and 1 becomes a world class player then it makes it all worth it? But then one would assume that you need to sell said player for 4-10x to pay for all the ones that don't? So I am not sure how to square that off with the fact we will surely want these players that do develop into Chelsea-quality footballers to stay at the club?
I think that there is enough talent inside the m25 to render this sort of speculative spending redundant.
{Ed001's Note - I hate kids being signed full stop. I would make it illegal to trade in children as it is very distasteful, at best. It is also rare that it works out. When kids move for money at a young age, they tend to lose their focus. It defo should be stopped though. I know they can't actually move until 18, but why even allow a transfer to be set up in advance? It is children, they should be allowed to be children.}
29 Jan 2025 16:42:32
I personally would have no problems with a global ban on any transfer fee for players of certain ages.
{Ed001's Note - I would ban them moving country as well to join another team. Though then we would just have the usual farce of the father or mother being given a job in the area, so they can get the son.}
29 Jan 2025 16:59:52
The only rule/ regulation that seems to apply is that people/ organisations will find a way around the system. If that makes sense.
{Ed001's Note - very much so, Chelsea have been one of the leaders in finding ways around rules in recent years, but they are just leading the pack, rather than being an outlier.}
29 Jan 2025 17:17:07
Ed001, as I said in a post on another thread it seems that lots of clubs are going down the i”invest” in young players route.
I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination!
The pressure on a family to agree to this must be huge. Just in terms of the families future being secured.
{Ed001's Note - exactly, it is so wrong. Sadly, it has always gone on.}
29 Jan 2025 17:29:41
On a lighter note, imagine being 28-31, you would have no chance in the premiership but Italy have a history of liking the older man! haha.
29 Jan 2025 17:50:10
Subject to health considerations and if I really want to come out of retirement, I may well be working in the UAE on a project for a few months. I will buy you a coffee if I get to Dubai and maybe we can raise a glass of some sort for Ed002.
{Ed001's Note - that would be great Tom. It is a great place to visit mate. I don't drink alcohol, so it would be a coffee, or better still, if you are coming to Dubai, we will have to have a chai. If health is a problem, sun and sea air is one of the best things you can have - that was why I moved here initially.}
29 Jan 2025 18:28:46
I have worked in Saudi Arabia and the UAE before but I have only ever visited Dubai.
It might not happen as I have a few things to consider before making a decision.
I gave up the booze a little while ago but the recent performances of the mighty blues is driving me back to a few JD’s.
Stay safe and well.
{Ed001's Note - no worries mate, nothing to stop you having a bevvy here mate. Just let me know if you are in town and we will sort something.}
29 Jan 2025 18:55:03
Will do.
{Ed001's Note - ok mate, take care of yourself.}
29 Jan 2025 21:07:04
well i can tell you how good enough the 16 year old is tomB. Not good enough to start right now. sick to death of signing teenagers for 5 years time. we have clear issues now and after over a billion spent its an absolute joke- whoever is in charge of seletcing which players to go after needs to be fired asap.
01 Feb 2025 11:45:45
Kaz, as has been mentioned before it seems seems to be a trend that lots of clubs are adopting. That of course that doesn’t make it right.
I’m sure if the people who scout these young prospects gets more wrong than they get right they will lose there job but I doubt the appointment of a new person in that position will stop the trend.