28 Jun 2025 07:23:27
I thought we'd learnt our lesson and this market we'd try to invest in some experience.

Got all excited by the Maignan saga and it now looks like we're back to Sanchez as No.1.

I'm also gobsmacked we're willing to pay £50 odd million for a kid from Dortmund. Yet, Eze who has a £60m release clause isn't of interest. He is one of the best wingers in the league and has tons of experience.

I hope we get this market right. Including a massive clearout of the deadwood.

1.) 28 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025 08:09:37
Dan

So far it looks like we have not learnt anything as we are still going after, bringing in youngsters.

Apart from the Milan GK, we are not linked with experience and we even walked away from those negotiations.

2.) 28 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025 08:10:28
ED01, what is your opinion of Eze?

{Ed001's Note - plenty of skill but a bit on the lazy side for my liking. I would not be looking at making a bid for him if I was Chelsea. You need players with the right attitude, not more problems like Madueke and Sancho brought.}

3.) 28 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025 08:24:02
dan, all about opinions but I’m not a fan of Eze. I’m personally happy for another club to pay his release clause plus add ons,

I think Gittens is a good addition. He is a bit head down but is direct and has pace. Also not afraid to have a shot.

Two seasons ago Maignan would have been my No1 pick as our keeper but he wasn’t at his best last year for some reason. My number one choice goalkeeper now is Costa by some distance but sadly I think he will be going to City at some stage. It would appear that the club are showing increasing faith in our current keepers particularly Pinders.

{Ed001's Note - Maignan has injury problems. I personally think they need to look at how these new-style keepers stay warm during matches. They are being asked to do a lot more movement and kicking the ball more than the old school keepers ever did. Those sudden rushes out to close down or clear a ball, they must put strain on muscles that are not going to be as warm as an outfield player. I think they need to look at the warm ups they do and what they do when they are not being called into action, to ensure they are not cooling down. It is quite telling, imo, that the 3 main proponents of the new-style of goalkeeping, Ederson, Alisson and Maignan, all have regular soft-tissue injuries.}

4.) 28 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025 08:47:48
Surely we can't go into another season with Sanchez as our No.1. I know he improved slightly, towards the end of last season but.

I take your points about Eze and agree good attitude is essential in modern football.

{Ed001's Note - especially when you have a group of young professionals, they can be easily led astray. Someone like Cantona is a case in point, United's youngsters very much learnt off him. They had moments of wild indiscipline, they were all off banging random women at every opportunity like him, but they also copied his hard graft on the training pitch. He set the tone by staying behind every day to practice on his own, usually free kicks, with a group of youth players who were told to act as ball boys and be the keeper for him to practice against.}

5.) 28 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025 08:57:19
Thanks ED01 for your opinion on Eze and your comments on the modern day goalkeepers. It appears that we were never in for Maignan anyway and just his agent hawking him about for a pay day. Bill, I thought you were really pleased that we have beaten Bayern Munich to the signing of the highly rated Jamie Gittens?

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}

6.) 28 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025 09:49:44
LOved your description of Cantona at United Ed001!. Clearly when CFC challenging regularly for titles eg under Mourinho first term there was not only an excellent team assembled - if especiallsy down its spine from GK to Striker - but it had the likes of Lamps who would also train above and beyond what was necessary because in his own view he absolutely had to get himself to level he wanted to be. But this - and attitude of eg a JT - set v good example to younger players and whole attitude of squad.

So I guess I wonder about who are the equivalent of such players in the CFC squad today and do you think we should be adding some big name experienced players this window not just youngsters - depending of course on getting experenced players with right attitude?

And if I can bother you with one more question, can you think of players we could reazonably aspire to get who would fit that description and improve us now?

Otherwise I'm fearing that we may need to wait for Vision 2030 and our youngseters to mature together to eg challenge again for EPL or Champions League.

{Ed001's Note - again Lampard is a great example of a young player responding to being influenced by good solid pros around him. As a youngster, he was a shithouse, getting into a fair few bad situations, the sex tapes and numerous other problems he was causing Chelsea. The older pros basically brought him onto the right path and he owes the longevity of his career to being around the right characters, when he was close to throwing it all away.

So 100% I think you need those good, experienced heads at Chelsea. For me, that is the most important thing you can do is replace Thiago Silva's influence. The issue is that they also need to be good enough to play as first choice in the team. Like a Muller, for example, but a couple of years ago preferably. Actually, the more I think about it, the better he seems for you. He has had an incredible career and has a great personality too, as well as being a hard worker in training. Even now at the CWC he is managing to cope with 90min in the heat! I can't think of a better player for Palmer to learn from. Palmer has struggled to impact big games, Muller is one of the best at making a difference when it matters.}

7.) 28 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025 11:07:50
Great reply Ed001 and many thanks for it. I hadn't known, or had forgotten if I ever did know, the bad situations FL had got himself into as a youngester but was aware he had been dubbed 'fatty' by some Hammers fans at one stage p;us seens as benefiting from nepotism before he came to Chelsea.

I've always admired Muller and your point of need to replace the experienced been there and done that head, as well as heart ans skill of a Silva is well taken. Likes of a Muller could e enormously helpful in dressing room as well as on the field.

{Ed001's Note - people do forget about Lampard's behaviour, because he settled down and grew into a key player and that is what is remembered.}

8.) 28 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025 15:03:58
RPD

I'm happy with the Gittens signing if it goes ahead however I feel you have missed my point when I say we also need experienced players signed.

9.) 28 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025 15:20:55
You are so right about Lampard ED01, he really needed reeling in. I would love to see Thiago Silva back at the club working with our young and ever developing and improving squad, his sons play for our academy sides so I live in hope.

{Ed001's Note - Thiago Silva was a special player, he could help so much just by being there to give advice.}

10.) 28 Jun 2025
28 Jun 2025 18:56:44
I’ve said it before I would love Silva to come back in a coaching role- still a lot of issues with our defence not just Sanchez.