27 Apr 2025 12:39:45
Good day all, don't really know if it's a good idea but I will like us to get kdb for free from city to add experience and quality to the young bunch we have. So for me I will sign these players to get us competing again osihmen, kdb, similar player with experience for cb and a class keeper and we are ready to go.
With the return of some good players too. I doubt any will be done with these owners in place but that's my take. We'll be selling many players too that can fund the transfer imo.
27 Apr 2025 13:27:37
Tussle, the buying of young players seems as if it is being replicated by a lot of other clubs.
It will be an interesting window if only to see if some clubs go in a different direction than this latest fad.
27 Apr 2025 15:02:10
Tom
It's a good idea going with youth but you must have an experienced spine.
27 Apr 2025 15:29:00
Bill, JT was very young and if I remember Big Pete was about 24/ 25. Lamps was young when he started his Chelsea career and I think Drog was 24 ish.
I think the age thing is a bit of a crutch. You are either a leader or you’re not. Also leadership can in many forms, including taking responsibility.
27 Apr 2025 15:41:27
Just sort of half checked. Big Pete was 22 ish. jT was made club captain at 23, Lamps was 23 and Drog was 25.
Hardly ancient and two of them had no premiership experience.
27 Apr 2025 18:21:13
Tom, you’re forgetting about : Carvalho, Duff, Makelele, Crespo and Gallas. I think Lamps and the Drog are 46 in 2005 they would have been 26/ 27 and JT around 25.
27 Apr 2025 18:51:14
Jimbo, I only looked at Drog, Big Pete and Lamps when they started playing for Chelsea and I think JT had played about a season and half in the first team before being named club captain when he was about 23.
You can never have enough leaders and as Bill mentioned “spine” that’s what I briefly looked at. I have no idea how old Ricky was when he joined the club but he was very important and in my opinion overlooked by some fans as a Chelsea great.
27 Apr 2025 19:29:19
Tom, absolutely, JT was great but Ricky is often overlooked in that season we only conceded 15 goals. He was very skilful, a perfect foil for JT and a Master of the Dark Arts.
27 Apr 2025 19:32:30
Tom, Ricky is 46 so same sort of age as Lamps and JT.
27 Apr 2025 20:20:44
Jimbo I think JT is a couple of years younger than Lamps and Ricky. If I remember correctly Lamps joined the club when he was about 21/ 22 and as I say I think JT was about 23 when he was named club captain but was also a first team regular for about 18 months prior to Jose (I think) named him club skipper.
My point remains that the spine was relatively young but they were natural leaders and I do not see age as always being a barrier to being a team leader. We can buy relatively young players who are leaders but they are not easy to find.
27 Apr 2025 20:21:54
It’s as old as the game. The spine of any great team has to be top notch WC players. Absolutely no passengers. That’s where you spend the biggest bucks, unless you have a JT from the ranks.
27 Apr 2025 20:44:18
London, I agree the spine is usually the basis of any great team.
I think the owners should have gone for a top notch keeper early days. I assume they believed they had purchased a top class CH (I’m not convinced) in Fofana. I think in Caicedo we have a top class midfielder and we should remember that EF is a World Cup winner. I rate Jackson but I wouldn’t say he is the answer to actually achieving a strong spine. To be fair to the owners it would appear that they have tried hard to recruit various strikers. Fingers crossed it will happen this window.
I also think it’s understandable that fans get miffed when we sign players who probably weren’t needed like Felix and KDH when we are so obviously short of a goalkeeper and CF.
27 Apr 2025 21:35:00
Tom, Caicedo and Enzo should be top class players we paid £100 million + for each of them. We have missed the boat for the best keeper (Costa) and will no doubt do the same for the limited list of strikers available. We also really need a top class ( experienced) CB. To be honest on the basis we can’t get Oshimen and Costa I don’t really know who we should go for. Unfortunately, we will probably not be the most attractive option for players in the positions we need because of competition from other clubs. Unlike in years gone by, I am dreading the summer transfer window.
28 Apr 2025 06:22:08
Jimbo, I aways say and think the same for every window. “I enjoy the rumour and hate the fact. ”
I can’t see me being completely happy about who we sign and that’s mainly because I only have a few players for the positions I think we need. Also, I’m sure a few of my favourites will be leaving.