Chelsea banter 37224

 

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03 Feb 2025 08:17:13
I know January is a tough window but the young players we're linked with is worrying. We're crying out for experience in midfield yet it seems the mostly likely signing is an 18yr old.

I also thought we might address the striker situation but that seems unlikely. I don't want to moan, I just want us to be the best we can be but I feel top 4 might slip away without some reinforcements.

Agree0 Disagree0

03 Feb 2025 09:08:10
Dan, one of the problems about signing a recognised top striker is, who is available?

03 Feb 2025 10:01:03
Wecshould have signed one last summer Tom.

03 Feb 2025 10:03:53
Apparently we are now close to signing a striker. Eli Junior Kroupie from a French second division side - likened to Karim Benzema - for c 30 million quid. Yet what we really need to ensure ECL this season is probably the likes of peak Karim Benzema himself.

AS it is our buying of players this wondow seems to be more piling up of promising, possibly very promising, youngsters who could become part of Vision 2030 - the magic year - or may be just being bought to be sold on as a profit. EJK quite likely to be loaned to Strasbourg you'd think. This might be ok if we bring Santos back now and/ or Petreovic?

The question in what remains of this wiondow is whether we will/ can bring in anyone to replace the relatiovely experienced outgoings who can make a difference in strengthening the squad now.

Nkunku probably not too happy not to go to Bayern - if he doesn't = Felix likely unsetted by all the rumours, Sanchez needing to be changed, Jackson low on confidence too. and not much expetrienced cover in defence or midfield.

A real test of EM management which has to start with a win against the Hammmers tonight but they played well and adventurously under Potter in that away draw v Villa so though we are big favourites with the bookies - as we should be on paper given the spend of last windows and on our current EPL table position - I think many of us will be worried we may not get the three points we desperately need. Seeing Arsenal so easily brush aside City after our 3-1 defeat was galling but I suppose City the real challengers for 4th or 5th positions with us, AFC surely nailed on ECL in a top 3 position.

03 Feb 2025 10:20:54
Bill, it’s not as if we didn’t try and sign a CF in the summer window. I would rather we went for quality and if that means waiting a while then so be it.

jBS, I can’t see the attitude of Nkunku or Felix changing that much. Both must have been angry at not getting the game they think they deserved.

I generally find it hard to believe that this window will bring about a transfer policy change. I can only see us signing players that are under 23 years of age.

I would have liked us to recall Santos but we do have some academy products in midfield who have looked ok when called upon and this could be an opportunity for them to impress.

03 Feb 2025 11:33:37
A major problem in signing a top anyone who isn't a kid - though signing kids could be fine for Vision 2030 - is being in the Conference League right now not the ECL. A product of new ownership struggling to get things right from the off and the enforced restarts after parting of ways with first Tuchel then Poch and restarts needed after those events and not trusting Potter after run of poor form after early wins and doing well in ECL group stages so replacing him before the end of the season.

Fact that GP hadn't had a pre-season with us not mitigating enough reason to save him in owner's eyes. Fact that Poch had longest injury list in EPL history not mitigating enough for him in getting us 6th after great come back in last 15 matches bar the dreadful AFC away result.

Being in the ECL has to be a priority. The safer route seemed to be to trust Poch for at least his second and last contracted season and take his advice about who should stay and go. But the decision was to gamble and go for yet another managerial change in the younger and presumably cheaper option who had worked under guru Pep i.e. (despite being top level inexperienced) EM (with Arteta at AFC as a precedent) and have hugely more outgoings and incomings costing club vast sums nett mainly of young talent on long contracts to lock them in (until Vision 2030 coud be realised?) and amortise their cost.

Jury still out on whether this will work. Particularly whether the SDs and owners have done enough to ensure ECL qualification this season because it will surely be important in keeping the top talent we do have at the club happy plus attracting 'worldy' talent we may still need - eg striker - we haven't yet got. The last fifteen matches of this season huge for us starting with the one at the Bridge tonight.

03 Feb 2025 12:24:35
JBS, I didn’t want Poch to get the sack and in some ways him staying would have been the easy/ safe option for the club but nothing would convince me he was the right manager to win trophies.

03 Feb 2025 12:48:55
Not the most exciting but Mateta a palace would be worth a punt. Knows the league, has been fairly prolific, might not cost a bomb and offers different attributes to Jackson.

03 Feb 2025 13:37:28
Dan, I agree he is a good player but I would be hoping for a Osimhen, Sesko, Isak type player.

03 Feb 2025 13:42:02
Mateta has usually impressed when i've seen him dan but of course always question of whether he is a vailable and with our SDs is he deemed too old at 27ish?

03 Feb 2025 14:12:51
I see Tel is on his way to Spurs.

03 Feb 2025 14:17:48
JBS, I just think they have gone all in on a style of play. I think that is a dangerous decision but if I am right they would be looking more for a Sesko type CF.

03 Feb 2025 14:34:42
I'd like a winning style of play where obviously you hope we can be attractive most of the time but where defence taken more seriously as also sanity of crossing into boxes with no aerial threat at the end of them . bar Cucurella!

03 Feb 2025 15:22:44
In my opinion IF Chelsea had a WC GK they would still be in the top 4. (If you add a WC CB and CF Chelsea would be challenging for the title) . Add the GK shenanigans to the failure of converting “good chances” to go 2 or 3 goals up in games and I think you have 90% of the reasons why Chelsea are currently out of the top 4.

In fairness, this Chelsea team are young and by instinct they play to attack. (Nothing wrong with that might I add) As a result, not only do they give away too many chances, they compound it by giving away too many painful to watch cheap goals. There also appears to be a continuance to the recruitment imbalance at the club, whereby focus on signing “potential” rather than battle hardened winners is accepted as the way forward. That needs addressed if not stopped. Easier said than done? Possibly.

But money talks in sport. and Chelsea under Clearlake have been talking way too much. In football it is a rule that is as old as the game itself. Always put your big money into the spine of the team, the rest can come and go without too much disruption. That has not happened at Chelsea of late.

03 Feb 2025 15:39:28
JBS, we play wide players who generally cut inside and that can become very predictable. If the the same shape is maintained then we don’t need a certain type of CF. That’s why I keep saying we have gone all in and it makes me worried.

03 Feb 2025 16:43:42
Good point Tom and London I completely agree - and posted to this effect not long ago - about the need to fous as likes of Jose did (and Klopp eventually got at LFC) on having very strong spine to the team.





 

 

 
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