19 Mar 2025 10:38:36
To follow on from a recent thread, the expectation is that '7-8' players will leave in order to fund a striker purchase. Who do we think will go?
(Side note: does anyone else think that the fact we need to sell so many players is a worrying sign? )
For me I think the bankers are: Petrovic, Nkunku, Chalobah, Carney, Datro-Fofana, Ugochukwu, Kepa and Chilwell. I question how much dosh will be coming in for them.
I also think the following will be sold: Badiashile, Madueke, Broja, Santos, Viega, Disasi and Felix.
There will obviously also be a loan of younger players moved on for nominal fees.
Personally, I'd prioritise getting rid of Enzo, Tosin, KDH, Sancho, Kepa, Sanchez, Viega and Felix.
19 Mar 2025 11:17:57
I think qualification for any European competition, other than the conference, means we need to drastically cut the squad. Won't be fielding an almost entirely different 11 in either of the other competitions, need a smaller squad.
I'm far, far from convinced by Maresca, but, let's be honest, last summer's transfer window was a complete bust, which didn't do him any favours. Jorgensen, Tosin, Viega, Dewsbury-Hall, Felix and Sancho (I'd take the penalty fee on the chin) could all conceivably be playing elsewhere come the start of next season. Kellyman, who we haven't even seen, due to injury, will probably be off on loan. There's seven players straight away, I can see 10-20 first team players moving on this summer.
Decent signings have clearly been made. Palmer, Caicedo and Jackson can all be considered successful, and Estevao William has the promise of an amazing signing. But, from what they've done overall, are we really going to trust this recruitment team with another window?
19 Mar 2025 11:20:27
Think you may wel be right RBD in terms of most of likely sales. I much hope thought that we keep Santos. Lavia fitness surely ever in doubt and we need some strength in depth if we do get Champions League qualification or want to do better in the EPL next season?
I thought Viega looked pretty useful when playing for us though perhaps wanted more game time.
Petrovic better than any we have at the Bridge right now in his position but then that's not saying too much perhaps and no guarantee that he will kick on from good performances with CFc and this season at Strasbourg I suppose.
Carney C. looked really good in few games he had under Poch before his injury but perhaps cos Poch liked him - and Petrovich (and Gallagher) - they need to go in SD opinion?! .
Madueke a strange one. problem with consistency. brilliant one moment ordinary the next. St least provides somethingh of a goal threat and physicality as a winger but is there an attitude problem? I don't know.
What I think I do know is that the vast number of incomings and ougoings if this happens yet again this summer - if particularly outgoings of relatively recent purchases and in yerms of sheer numbers involved overall - has surely to be an indictment of SDs and our transfer business strategy in general under new owners.
19 Mar 2025 11:52:15
I think its a mixture. The SDs have spent so much on Enzo, Caicedo and Lavia that I think they will do anything to try justify them, which includes selling off players either more suited to the prem and/ or anyone they can make a slither of profit on. All three are good players in their own right, but each have huge gaps in their game and there is still no evidence that the three can form a functioning midfield. I expect them to continue with the sunk-cost fallacy for the foreseeable future.
A big caveat to that is the CL. I have a friend who works extensively with people at Chelsea and, you can choose to believe this or not, he's reliably informed that there are four or five players who have release clauses if we don't get CL football.
There could be one extremely unpopular departure, and one where we take an enormous haircut on what we paid for him.
This is why I am so shocked to hear that Maresca has been told he doesn't need to secure CL football this season.
19 Mar 2025 15:25:16
If the “unpopular” departure is Palmer that wouldn’t surprise me.
I think all of the players have a price that will be excepted by our club and that’s probably the same at most clubs.
I was told that we didn’t have any buy out clauses in our contract only to be told by another person that three players a buy out clauses. Who knows!
I have assumed there will be lots more players leaving rather than joining regardless of Champions League football.
19 Mar 2025 15:54:59
This is where I really miss the input from ED02, may he rest in peace. He would give us facts rather than fiction.
19 Mar 2025 16:14:05
I have read reports that Palmer has a CL clause in his contract. Frankly who could blame him if he wanted to leave, he is the only potential worldie in our squad and has been carrying the team and coaches for a season and a half. That fact that Maresca is boasting that he doesn’t need CL football reveals a lot about him. A new season with Maresca and without Palmer would be dreadful.
19 Mar 2025 16:55:41
Anna, I totally agree. Much missed.
19 Mar 2025 17:25:20
Completely agree with you about Ed002 DubaiAnna he is enormously missed.
In terms of CL football and Maresca comments it may be that this is all about the 2030 Vision/ project. But for even that to be successful surely depends on retaining our bet players as they mature and gain experience plus attracting - or retaining from the academy - among the best of young talent available. Plus what does not being successful in this respect or having high proportion of disappointing league (and cup) results do for the morale of our young players? Leave aside the morale of fans if we count for anything in the calculations.
19 Mar 2025 22:03:42
I enjoyed how ED02 would put down posters who simply made up stories to put the club down! what a legend the man was.
20 Mar 2025 09:03:55
Anna
Nobody likes putting the club down but you cannot keep cheering and being optimistic when clearly things are not right.
LeicesterMaresca's tactics would have been good a few years back however those tactics are now on the wain and football has moved on.
The media are now calling LeocesterMaresca a dinosaur and are talking about Italian football tactics of the eightys.
The fans are bored silly with his boring tactics and I suspect, so are the players.
20 Mar 2025 10:00:03
I think Ed002 was excellent at just putting down silly rumours full stop. Often using the single word 'twitter? '.
Yes, and he didn't like slagging off of the club if based on rumour only about its intentions -- or based on too slim evidence
But he had of course - when asked by some of us - suggested CFC should go for Slot (ie Ed002's pick of best possibly available managers out there) not Maresca as Poch successor. Indeed had even suggested Mourinho (controversially for some of us perhaps) would at least have been good at deciding which players good enough to keep and which not.
Ed002 far too intelligent not to appreciate justifiable criticism but probably not so keen on those on site who seemed never to have much good to say about the club or its players often without knowledge of why actions taken.
As for now, we can also see the club's strategy in terms of recent transfer business, and that Vision 2030 is about building exciting team based on new wage structure and talented younger players on long contracts. But question is whether they - SDs/ owners - have made the right decisions in terms of usual mix of youth and experience needed to bring success any time soon (ie before before 2030). Alsio the apparently larger proportion than usual -- there's always a proportion of this at any club - of not good transfer business taht has resulted in waste of money and not addressing obvious weaknesses in the squad.
20 Mar 2025 12:06:41
JBS, ed002 was a chelsea fan. He had a lot of criticism for things like Barkley (referring to our player as a knuckle dragger) and criticised liverpool immensely (agent fees for van Dijk and Allison) . I always get the sense that he was a bigger chelsea fan than he made off.
20 Mar 2025 12:36:08
Anna and JBS, your an are correct Ed002 is much missed.
We are all guessing what’s going on behind the scenes I am rarely definitive when it comes to things about Chelsea and that includes apportioning blame.
It’s impossible in my opinion to make everyone happy and that was proved by the so called pre match demonstration that in my opinion lacked a singular focus and was bound to just die on vine.
I now go to games as I did pre RA not expecting us to win but hoping for a result. It’s the same if I’m watching on TV. I certainly think for a while I was feeling a sense of entitlement but thankfully that has gone.
I’m hoping for another run of trophies in my lifetime but there are no guarantees.
Bill, as for the media calling EM a “dinosaur” these is the same media that was waxing lyrical 13/ 14 games ago.
20 Mar 2025 12:52:02
Good point Standard.
20 Mar 2025 14:32:34
Tom
13/ 14 games ago, we were playing more attacking football. now we pay most of the game in our own half.
20 Mar 2025 15:58:32
Bill, my point is so called media experts change there mind. As do fans and ex professionals.
If we suddenly win a few games it will be “EM finds winning formula” or “kids come of age” headlines. If we carry on losing they will start saying “EM has two games to save his Chelsea career. ”
It’s all pretty obvious. If he wins and qualifies for CL he probably stays in his job. If he loses and doesn’t qualify for the CL he gets the sack. I guess it depends what scenario you prefer!
20 Mar 2025 17:57:28
I prefer ww win the CL place and he stays however he must change from the boring tactics he is using at the moment. That might change when Jackson and Giui returns.