Chelsea Banter 3

28 Jul 2026 10:59:47
As squad additions, I think Henderson and Welbeck are excellent additions.

Henderson has won it all, he knows what it takes, the discipline that’s required and he will hold standards high. He will be a leadership figure for the whole squad. There’s interviews out there with players talking about his leadership off the pitch. He’ll be a really important cog in this machine.

Welbeck becomes the leader of our attacking group, it’s clear that he won’t be starting over Joao Pedro but still useful off the bench, probably more useful than Delap?

We’ve been crying out for experience in this squad, for the sporting directors to change up the project.

This is what that looks like. They’re not going to massively impact the first 11 week in, week out, but they are going to massively impact the squad.

28 Jul 2026 18:30:19
I agree. Very happy with them coming in - as long as Jordan stays away from any advertising boards.

28 Jul 2026 09:55:04
Personally would be quite happy with Jordan and Danny signing. Shows very clearly that Xabi is making the decisions as 0% chance our unchanged scouting department would look at either. 0 or very low transfer fees make sense for what they would bring to the squad off the field.

I can't see them improving our 11, or getting much game time, but they can help set a new culture of hard work, which is something Xabi seems keen to do.

Not the type of signings that get supporters excited, but could well be the catalyst for this group achieving great things for many years.

28 Jul 2026 10:11:05
I actually agree with you, Melbourne CFC. It is very obvious that Alonso is behind these signings, and the club are fully backing him. I hope all our supporters get behind our manager. After all, we have all been asking for the manager to have full control, which he so clearly does, so let's not knock him for these decisions and support him.

28 Jul 2026 15:26:12
EbW

Re our earlier posts on this subject.

I would be more than happy if Im proven wrong, if both have a good influence on our club, should they both sign for us.

29 Jul 2026 17:39:38
Both are signings I didn't expect, but if Alonso sees a use for them, I will bow to his superior knowledge. They won't cost much, all round. Don't forget, someone thought it was a good idea to sign Mudryk for £80 million!

27 Jul 2026 20:07:48
I have noticed a few regular posters have now stopped posting so I have decided to join them and have a sabatical. Have a great pre-season posters and ED's.

27 Jul 2026 21:22:35
RPD, have a good break mate. Your informative posts are always most welcome.

27 Jul 2026 21:31:52
RPD, I'm sorry to hear that. I always enjoy your posts. Have a good break and come back when you are ready. Hopefully, you won't be able to resist next season when we are playing great football. Take care.

27 Jul 2026 21:52:19
Yes, have an enjoyable break, RPD, and thanks for all your enjoyably interesting posts.

28 Jul 2026 08:41:03
Hope you are back soon, RPD. You are a very good poster, always trying to keep us informed as to what's going on.

27 Jul 2026 19:34:36
Welbeck Henderson what’s happening?

27 Jul 2026 21:57:12
Hulk?

30 Jul 2026 17:11:02
JBS, he's still playing currently at Fluminense, so you never know.

27 Jul 2026 16:29:47
I was one of those who wanted experience, but my goodness, Danny Welbeck, has he not picked up his pension yet?

27 Jul 2026 16:45:37
Always plays well against. Would be nice if he could play well for us!!

Just me thinking, but maybe Delap or Guiu go the other way with no loan fee.

27 Jul 2026 17:16:51
Bit of a strange one, if true. I thought we wanted to sell Delap and Guiui. Perhaps, he is a short term replacement for Jackson.

27 Jul 2026 17:56:32
Or are we selling Rogers?

27 Jul 2026 18:00:22
Has anybody told our SD's there are other clubs, not just Brighton? It would have been bloody cheaper to buy them like we did, Strasbourg.

27 Jul 2026 19:03:32
Bill, it is possible that Guiui, Jackson and Delap will all move on. I think our front four are set. If the price is right, Wellbeck wouldn't be a bad option on the bench; he has experience and scored 13 PL goals last season.

27 Jul 2026 19:39:04
The dressing room is short on experience if the rumours are correct, and Welbeck and Henderson arrive as bit part players for a year. I don't have a problem with it. Although a decent experienced keeper would be good.

Obviously, going to be a clearout. Guiu, Jackson and Delap, although hope Delap is loan only.

27 Jul 2026 19:54:03
Maybe we should try for Peter Shilton to solve our gk issue.

27 Jul 2026 22:02:37
Bill, I hear what you are saying. I get it. The moment people hear "Danny Welbeck," they look at his passport, see he's 35, and immediately throw their hands up in the air. You are saying, "Why are Chelsea going for a veteran? We need fresh blood!" I understand the concern about his age, I really do.

But hold on a minute. Let's actually look at the numbers before you start complaining. Look at last season in the Premier League: Danny Welbeck played for Brighton and scored 13 goals. Meanwhile, we have Liam Delap in our squad right now who managed 1 goal all season. So how can you sit there and question Welbeck's productivity when you compare that? You're talking about a proven striker who outscored our young option by twelve goals in the same league!

Bringing in a player like Welbeck on a short-term deal is actually a very smart play.

You're getting a guy who knows this league inside out, someone who holds the ball up, works hard for the team, and brings elite professional standards to that dressing room. At his age, he understands his body, he knows his role, and he gives you maximum efficiency every time he steps onto the pitch. It's experience plus immediate production and that's exactly what a young squad like ours needs to lean on.
We all know you like to moan about everything, but give Alonso a break, mate.

28 Jul 2026 08:54:30
EbW

It's fine if you want to bring veterans in but why not bring them in on a coaching role.


I agree Welbeck scored more than Delap, but then again who didn't. I believe we bought him because he was cheap. It would be interesting to see how much we try to buy Welbeck for, and even more interesting to see how he performs against low block teams.

Now let's get onto Henderson, who is a further year older than Welbeck.



He was taken to the WC, and his highlight was breaking his hand during a goal celebration.

You say I like to moan. As I have said many times before, that's your view. Mine differs from yours on this issue. Moans happen when I believe things are not right within our club, similar to other posters, and if you are happy just to sit back, that's fine.

I also said in a previous post that I was happy so far with who we were bringing in.

26 Jul 2026 21:49:16
Vinicius Jnr wants €500, 000 per week after tax a week., he's okay but not a team player. No club can or would pay that. Compared to players even in the recent past he's kidding himself. Apparently, has had chin reconstruction surgery: probably should have gone higher up in his he cranium:he is delusional.
Ed001, am I being unfair?

{Ed001's Note - seems fair enough, if that is true and not just what he wants from Madrid to stay, rather than what he wants full stop. After the way he has been treated there, it would be understandable if he requested a premium from them, especially as they employed a man whose players racially abused him and who then ripped into him for being offended by the racial abuse, trying to blame Vini for it. If I was him I would not want to stay there to work under Jose no matter how much they paid me personally.}

27 Jul 2026 08:10:27
Ed001, fair point but he holds the cards with one year left on his contract. He can go but he needs to realistic about wages and his ego.

{Ed001's Note - he will if he goes elsewhere, which I am sure his agents will know, they will be finding out the amount he can get elsewhere. I personally feel sorry for him, he gets racially abused and everyone acts like it is his fault. Madrid have done little to protect him or defend him. He should have left them ages ago but he has never wanted to leave there as he thinks he is at the peak there.}

27 Jul 2026 09:30:29
Real Madrid a club built on success and history but from a far history will not look kindly on how certain players and particularly players of colour have been treated by the club and it seems fans.

As I said I am judging from a distance and maybe I am being unfair.

27 Jul 2026 10:59:15
Tom, can't argue with you. Real Madrid have historically been propped up by the Spanish government and banks. They get away with murder.

25 Jul 2026 13:39:13
I have been studying this 45-day UEFA rule, as to me it is just another way for the governing body to make things up as they go along, a bit like FIFA at the WC.
I like the fact that clubs are finding ways around these rules and it appears that The Loophole Economy was used when Garnacho moved to Aston Villa and I assume the same thing will happen if Disasi moves to Palace.

Rather than suing UEFA over the legality of the rule, elite clubs have simply adjusted their transfer strategies to work around it legally using conditional loan structures with future buying clauses that span beyond the 45-day window.
I wonder how UEFA will now respond.

25 Jul 2026 15:44:41
RPD

I would imagine they have their hankies out now, wondering why they did not think of the loophole.

25 Jul 2026 10:54:14
Anyone else agree that since appointing Xabi Alonso, Chelsea have been sending a clear message?

Marco Palestra, Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, and now Austin MacPhee from Aston Villa as new set piece coach. Every move shows the club means business.



Behdad Eghbali has proved a lot of Chelsea fans wrong this summer. The ambition and decisiveness from the club are starting to feel like the Roman Abramovich era again.

Only time will tell, but I'm very optimistic going forward.

25 Jul 2026 15:13:32
I am hopeful, thanks to Alonso appointment, but we still have not necessarily solved some of our recurrent problems.

These include the question of striker backup or assistance for Pedro. Emegha has apparently already picked up yet another injury - hamstring - in friendlies.. presumably v Bromley. Delap scored but one goal last season in EPL. Guiu not trusted? Satpaev is only 17. So we have to keep Jackson, imho, unless bringing in another striker or Delap has got hold of some magic potion.

Then there is the ongoing GK question. If Sanchez is not good enough, is Penders ready yet? Or...

I also wonder about the left wing back position ... cover for Hato if Hato can play there, or will he play LB or LCB? But perhaps Pep C signing will be the answer if/when it happens?

Then there is the matter of whether Lacroix will fix our partner to LC question. He looked very poor when on at the World Cup, and I did not watch him enough when he was playing for Palace.



There are also question marks about whether likes of Fernandez and Neto will stay, and if they go whether they will be replaced by as good or better players. If EF is going, hijacking Arsenal bit for Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle would be a fantastic statement of intent from CFC. Scott or Wharton not quite of the same calibre? Neto replacement being rumoured to be the 18 yr old Bosnian winger from Bayer L. Kerim Alajbergovic, very young of course, and would not myself know how to compare him with Neto.

Finally, there is the seemingly never ending saga of having quite a few in the squad who are very injury prone, i.e. Lavia, Reece, Fofana and now Emegha from Strasbourg. Heaven forbid that LC gets injured again... or Pedro gets injured.

So I am hopeful for the coming season, but think that we still have quite a lot to sort out before we know where we stand in comparison to our main rivals for top 4.

25 Jul 2026 15:16:17
Ps, yes, the set.piece coach signing seems a good one, plus also apparently a new and good fitness coach. So, quite a few good signs.

24 Jul 2026 20:47:25
When I read that Chelsea have appointed a new set piece coach, I was hoping it was Big Daddy to counter Arsenal’s tactics. However, we have appointed Aston Villa’s set piece coach. Villa scored 29 goals from set pieces last season. Every little helps!

25 Jul 2026 09:13:03
Hopefully, that will help with our set pieces, plus he is used to working with Rogers.

I have to say, I'm happy so far with our incomings.

There is still so much uncertainty. Will Jackson stay or go? Same for Delap and Neto.

Who will be our new No.1 GK.

25 Jul 2026 09:53:52
Bill, if Enzo leaves, I think we sign a plug and play midfielder. I'm not sure we will now sign an lb. I want Jackson to stay, but think he will be sold if the right price. I now think we will keep Delap.
I would love us to sign Costa, but I can't see that happening. I think Sanchez will "start" as our No.1 keeper.

25 Jul 2026 10:37:32
Cheers, Tom.

Not sure where Jackson would go. I have heard Villa can't sign him due to the 45 day issue.

Edoo1, can you assist please.

{Ed001's Note - that could be an issue for Villa yes. }

25 Jul 2026 11:11:16
I was also told that Newcastle have had a long standing interest in Jackson. I just think Alonso will keep him.

25 Jul 2026 14:24:10
Thank you ED001, Tom i hope we keep him as well.

25 Jul 2026 15:18:31
If we are not bringing in another striker, I think we have to, Tom. Emegha already has a hamstring injury and was sidelined for ages last season.

25 Jul 2026 15:47:24
JBS, I'm probably wrong, but I just think Jackson will stay and the injury to Emegha may well make it more likely. It's only me guessing.

25 Jul 2026 17:25:20
Personally, I would keep Delap as backup and sell Jackson; neither would be starters, and we can make a decent profit on Jackson.

25 Jul 2026 21:46:57
Apparently, Emegha will be fit to start the PL season.

26 Jul 2026 10:11:14
Let's hope Emegha will be fit to start the season. But his injury record last season at Strasbourg is very worrying. He was out for almost all of it. 2 separate hamstring injuries, plus a muscle tear, plus something just listed as a 'dead leg' that alone kept him out for 60 days.



Lavia had a similarly dire injury record just before he came to us.

At the very least, we cannot rely on him to be fit sufficiently as sole backup striker. Plus, Delap scored only one goal last season.

26 Jul 2026 20:09:22
JBS, Quenda also spent a lot of last season out injured, worrying that a minor knee knock takes him out of a pre-season tour. We're going to need a bigger treatment room.

26 Jul 2026 22:58:42
Looks as though we might, Jimbo!

24 Jul 2026 17:14:57
Looks like the Lacroix deal is done. We wanted a CB, we wanted experience; we wanted PL proven. All boxes ticked: well done to the hierarchy. Also with our 3 signings we have added height to the first team. Lacroix 6'4"; Palestra 6'1" and MR 6'2".

24 Jul 2026 21:53:35
Still need a keeper.

24 Jul 2026 22:08:13
I agree with you, Jimbo. It looks to me like Alonso has identified our weaknesses and is calling the shots. He is turning us into a very strong and physical team.

25 Jul 2026 04:33:28
I like Lacroix, and I think he'll do well, but I think there might be an adjustment from a very defensive team to one where he'll be largely left high up the pitch defending balls over the top. He does have good pace, so it should be fine. Barring the meaningless 3rd place playoff game against England, he was very reassured for a similar-style France team.

25 Jul 2026 08:20:28
Lrdit, Sanchez certainly doesn't suit Alonso's style of play. Perhaps, Penders will impress on tour: otherwise, still plenty of time.

25 Jul 2026 08:51:11
I may well be wrong, but I can't see us signing a keeper, and I might also be wrong on two further fronts. Sanchez will start as our No1 keeper. If Alonso didn't think Sanchez could do a job for him, he would be sold or be out on loan.

25 Jul 2026 10:49:57
Tom, Alonso hasn't really had a chance to have a look at players. We now have a number of more competitive games. Unlike you, I don't think Sanchez will start, as I hope Penders will show what he's got.

25 Jul 2026 11:15:24
Perfectly reasonable for you to have a different view about who will start as the Chelsea No1.

I have been racking my brains trying to remember who the keeper was when Alonso won the German league. I will have to do some research and see what sort of keeper he had. I assume it was Courtois in Madrid.