27 Dec 2025 19:51:40
How long before they call time on Maresca? One more loss? How much time does the CWC win buy him?
Compared to last season we seem to have gone backwards, especially in terms of points.
2 seasons and I still see no identity. Just reliant on individual pieces of brilliance and set pieces.
Let's face it, the board and directors are really the ones that have put us in the latest mess but none will held be accountable.
{Ed001's Note - I wouldn't have thought they will need to, he has changed agent to Jorge Mendes. You don't change to Mendes unless you are intending to move.}
27 Dec 2025 20:06:21
Good point Ed. Perhaps he sees out the season and steps down before pushed?
{Ed001's Note - I think he is intending to take up a new role asap. I think that is part of the problem, he has taken his eyes off the ball a little.}
27 Dec 2025 20:10:24
What's Mendes waiting for, get a move on.
27 Dec 2025 20:18:32
Let's hope they make the correct appointment and loosen their strategy a bit but I can't see it happening.
27 Dec 2025 20:30:53
He is a very good coach but wasn't backed by the sporting directors and as ED01 rightly says will leave, almost certainly for Man City in the summer. We will go for Liam at strassbourg who will be a downgrade on Maresca unless Lamps can come back which will be the majority of fans choice. The term "the grass is not always greener comes to mind".
Maresca made it very clear we needed an experienced centre back who could play out from the back but the sporting directors didn't back him. That first half today was very good and we should of been 2 or 3 up, the VAR should of given the pen for a chance of 2 up but after that we lost confidence and Emery and Watkins changed the game.
27 Dec 2025 20:39:35
RPD, an experienced CH was kept on the bench today, even CP is getting fed up with the coaches decisions.
Looks like RJ is hoing to be busy with his team meetings.
27 Dec 2025 21:11:38
RPD, for one hour ish we didn’t see a thing from Villa and their managers tactics were ridiculous. He made positive changes and we made, in my opinion strange changes.
Managers are rightly judged on results. It makes no difference that an EM managed team was better for one hour. It’s all about the results.
27 Dec 2025 21:26:34
RPD
regardless of what the owners dis or did not give him, he should be professional and give his all for the players.
He doesn't, only sulking and thinking about his ego.
27 Dec 2025 21:27:31
Think we have to remember this is probably a worse side than last with worse wingers than we had last year. Weve also been without our best CB and best player for much of the season.
27 Dec 2025 21:41:56
Oh dear.
27 Dec 2025 21:44:05
Standard wechadcone on the pitch the other for whatever reason, on the bench, he could have played both but didn't.
27 Dec 2025 21:51:13
I’m sorry but Netflix is far superior to Noni and so far Garnacho has offered a lot more than Sancho. Gittens has had a very poor start to his Chelsea career but so have lots of players had poor first seasons and come good. Sadly some for other teams because the then owner/management rushed to judge.
27 Dec 2025 23:06:29
I’m sure any program on “Netflix” is better than Noni nut I obviously meant Neto.
Just watched Unforgiven yet again, better than MOD.
27 Dec 2025 23:55:09
Tom, you are right Netflix is far better than Noni and Amazon Prime. However, Garnacho is no better than Sancho; he is fluff. I don’t hold out much hope for our summer signings apart from Estavou.
What is it with Delap; he’s on for a couple of minutes and he gets booked; he needs to reign himself in; he is becoming a liability; discipline is a problem with this squad and Maresca isn’t setting a good example.
28 Dec 2025 06:07:34
Delap at the moment is like an angry lamppost up front and about as useful.
28 Dec 2025 07:26:21
The Delap anger and general behaviour was well known before we signed him. His stupid bookings and sending offs are very similar to Jackson’s behaviour.
He wasn’t on my list of potential forwards to sign but I want to see him for a bit longer I make my assessment of his playing ability.
I knew very little about Garnacho before he signed but he has generally been ok as far as I’m concerned.
28 Dec 2025 08:11:20
Fair enough Tom to want to see more of Delap and he did look good at Ipswich and in flahes at CWC for us. The trouble with SD policy to recruitment thus far is that we seem to be having to bed in lots of youngsters every season plus still haven't got an up and ready now number 9.
{Ed001's Note - did Delap look good at Ipswich? I know he scored a few goals, but did he actually look good? Every time I watched them, I always come away thinking how bad he was and how astonishing it was he was getting goals.}
28 Dec 2025 08:36:53
I didn’t see enough of Delap at Ipswich to make a judgement, hence I will wait before making my decision.
Following on my previous post about “buying to sell, ” my cynical view is the signing of Delap is an example of the price being right rather than the players ability. I hope that view is completely wrong.
28 Dec 2025 09:57:42
Garnacho is absolutely not better than sancho and has not 'offered more'
28 Dec 2025 10:12:00
I think he is far better and he offers more but still only ok.