Nathan Aké

[mccg 1,528]

V.Sad to see him go if he does , another massive backward step for our academy, loan army process imho , good enough for 1st team, with champions league footie and law of averages injuries/suspensions player fatigue, plenty of opportunities for Ake this season.

[xPetrCechx 13,548]

Buyback  

[akgw13 867]

"Will demand a buy-back option" Most important words, with those it is essentially a loan deal in my eyes if the player lives up to his potential. Ake wants to be there and play, we want Ake to play and develop, Bournemouth wants a young good CB. All parties win. Go and play young man and be so good we are killing to buy you back!

[OhForAGreavsie 5,776]

On 25/06/2017 at 7:59 PM, Iggy Doonican said:

Don't think that's true at all who exactly ?. Lukaku might well have felt aggrieved being kept out of the side by Eto and especially Torres. No footballers enjoy sitting on the bench apart from Winston Bogarde.

Hello Iggy,

You made a brilliant point. Players have been unhappy to be left out, naturally, but who has whinged? No one to my recollection. Don't agree with you about Winston Bogarde however. Bates & Hutchinson treated him badly. They shamefully vilified and scapegoated him for something that was entirely their own fault.

Bogarde was lured to the club by the offer of a contract that clearly overpriced his value to the team. That contract employed him be a professional footballer, with all that entails; train right, eat right and play to the best of his ability whenever selected. Winston did all of that. He kept his side of the bargain. He was entitled to expect Chelsea to keep theirs.

The problem, of course, is that Winston's abilities were not good enough. That, quite openly, was the opinion of Luca Vialli, yet our Chairman & CEO proceeded with the deal. I think the plan was to bring him in on a free, then sell him on at a profit. They could see choppy financial waters ahead so, tempted by the lure of a quick and easy profit, they gambled. Unfortunately they shot themselves in the foot by offering too big a pay packet to a player who simply wasn't worth it. Luca knew it, all the clubs to whom our leaders would later try to palm off Bogarde knew it, even you and I knew it.

Ken did some things for which Chelsea fans should respect him, but his treatment of Winston Bogarde was dishonourable and he should apologise. It's by no means the only mea culpa he owes but he has form, so we know he won't be paying up any time soon. 

[Tomo 21,685]

20 hours ago, Iggy Doonican said:

Whether you think Eto was better than Lukaku is one thing but a raw kid instead of Torres leave it out. Mourinho just doesn't trust youngsters any other manager and Lukaku would have started more. Mata? he never asked for a move think you're rewriting history a bit mate.

I don't think many manager's aiming to win the league would have a 20 year old leading the line, especially when the attacking midfielders were also early 20's. We probably wouldn't have got top four with that combination and certainly wouldn't have gone near the title.

[Tomo 21,685]

8 hours ago, Strike said:

I agree with RLC and Zouma getting chances and Courtois and Eden's quality was evident when they were 20 itself. 

But consider KdB, Bertrand, Lukaku, Sturridge, Not all world class but certainly top talents the club didn't handle well. The club should have a plan or a policy to integrate youngsters, like this season, I hope Christensen is given a chance to establish himself and Virgil or whoever is not bought for 60 million. 

KDB and Sturridge ill give, but what could the club have done differently with Bertrand and Lukaku? Bertrand's level is a squad player at a top club or a starter at a mid level one, he wanted the latter. Lukaku wouldn't accept number two behind Costa so he left.

[Strike 6,979]

1 hour ago, Tomo said:

KDB and Sturridge ill give, but what could the club have done differently with Bertrand and Lukaku? Bertrand's level is a squad player at a top club or a starter at a mid level one, he wanted the latter. Lukaku wouldn't accept number two behind Costa so he left.

Bertrand - When Cole's form tailed off, and Jose played Azpilicueta there, it could have been Bertrand getting a run at Left Back. When Lukaku was initially loaned to WBA, there was Torres and Ba at the club but yeah, Lukaku threw his toys out the pram.

I know, players have huge expectations of their role in the team but before sending out on loan, transfer, it would be good to give them the opportunity, especially when they have the potential of a KDB or a Sturridge. Three of the four were rightly frustrated I feel and a lot of it was down to Mourinho so I am hoping Conte changes that.

 

[Tomo 21,685]

46 minutes ago, Strike said:

Bertrand - When Cole's form tailed off, and Jose played Azpilicueta there, it could have been Bertrand getting a run at Left Back. When Lukaku was initially loaned to WBA, there was Torres and Ba at the club but yeah, Lukaku threw his toys out the pram.

I know, players have huge expectations of their role in the team but before sending out on loan, transfer, it would be good to give them the opportunity, especially when they have the potential of a KDB or a Sturridge. Three of the four were rightly frustrated I feel and a lot of it was down to Mourinho so I am hoping Conte changes that.

 

Lukaku wasn't ready for Chelsea in 2012, heck even West Brom he was often used more from bench. Azpi was brilliant as a left back, admittedly it should have been more a short term move but he was head and shoulders above anything I ever seen of Bertrand, who by the time he left was ridiculously overrated, probably more so than anyone on our books bar Torres (that fact not everyone thought he was total and utter shit makes him overrated by default).

[LAM09 6,558]

Looks like he's following Traore out of the club. Not great to see talented youngsters leave the club.

Hope someone is going to get an extended run in the upcoming season.

[The Skipper 20,593]

On 31/05/2017 at 1:04 PM, Leif said:

but but but Michael has no say of who is and isn't in our team 

Makes sense as Emenalo essentially heads up the loan department with Eddie Newton... Ake's looking for minutes  

Of course he has a say - he's the technical director. What people are trying to say is that he doesn't make the final decision. How's that hard to grasp? Also, here's the whole quote:

"I just need to see what is going to happen with Michael [Emenalo, the technical director] or the manager. We have to talk and see what is best."

Not surprised that "or the manager" was omitted tbh. 

[Strike 6,979]

14 hours ago, Tomo said:

Lukaku wasn't ready for Chelsea in 2012, heck even West Brom he was often used more from bench. Azpi was brilliant as a left back, admittedly it should have been more a short term move but he was head and shoulders above anything I ever seen of Bertrand, who by the time he left was ridiculously overrated, probably more so than anyone on our books bar Torres (that fact not everyone thought he was total and utter shit makes him overrated by default).

I don't think so. When Cole's form tailed off, he should have made the jump up. Azpilicueta is brilliant anywhere you play him.

Everyone remembers he played the CL Final but in the run-up to the final, he was putting in good performances at Left Back.Not spectacular but definitely the potential was there  Since leaving, he has been one of the best left backs in the league in the last two seasons. Only Rose has been better

[Tomo 21,685]

2 hours ago, Strike said:

I don't think so. When Cole's form tailed off, he should have made the jump up. Azpilicueta is brilliant anywhere you play him.

Everyone remembers he played the CL Final but in the run-up to the final, he was putting in good performances at Left Back.Not spectacular but definitely the potential was there  Since leaving, he has been one of the best left backs in the league in the last two seasons. Only Rose has been better

Cole form tailed off after the double season, 5 managers after that had the chance to make the change yet not one did. 1 or 2 managers you can make a case for it being an error, but 5?

Munich 99 times out of 100 would have ended 6-1 to Bayern, a mix of Cech and a poltergeist who hates Spurs got us through that night. Also with Ryan when he got a run in the side during Benitez's time due to an Ash injury he didn't really impress and if you look back on his thread from that time almost everyone unanimously agreed he was a squad player at best.

He's a decent enough player but has found his level in my opinion.

[Stats 6,987]

2 hours ago, Tomo said:

Cole form tailed off after the double season, 5 managers after that had the chance to make the change yet not one did. 1 or 2 managers you can make a case for it being an error, but 5?

Munich 99 times out of 100 would have ended 6-1 to Bayern, a mix of Cech and a poltergeist who hates Spurs got us through that night. Also with Ryan when he got a run in the side during Benitez's time due to an Ash injury he didn't really impress and if you look back on his thread from that time almost everyone unanimously agreed he was a squad player at best.

He's a decent enough player but has found his level in my opinion.

Let's not forget he was still very young at us. 22 years of age. When Bertrand came in the team he had his good games too. When we got that 0-0 draw at Emirates he deservedly got MOTM and was brilliant. He was one I was always annoyed about letting go as I believed had he been given regular starts he would of become a very trustworthy LB here. Now yew years he has left he has tremendously improved. The loan at Villa was average but they were shit and ever since going Southampton, he has proven himself to be a top LB. He can attack and defend. Last I heard were City were in talks with him and a deal was close. That seems to have gone a bit quiet but if it does happen, I think he will prove he is able to prove he is a top LB at a big club. Think you are underrating him. He is just behind Rose for me and that is a compliment on its own because Rose has been excellent for Spurs last 2 seasons.

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

On 6/26/2017 at 2:31 PM, OhForAGreavsie said:

Hello Iggy,

You made a brilliant point. Players have been unhappy to be left out, naturally, but who has whinged? No one to my recollection. Don't agree with you about Winston Bogarde however. Bates & Hutchinson treated him badly. They shamefully vilified and scapegoated him for something that was entirely their own fault.

Bogarde was lured to the club by the offer of a contract that clearly overpriced his value to the team. That contract employed him be a professional footballer, with all that entails; train right, eat right and play to the best of his ability whenever selected. Winston did all of that. He kept his side of the bargain. He was entitled to expect Chelsea to keep theirs.

The problem, of course, is that Winston's abilities were not good enough. That, quite openly, was the opinion of Luca Vialli, yet our Chairman & CEO proceeded with the deal. I think the plan was to bring him in on a free, then sell him on at a profit. They could see choppy financial waters ahead so, tempted by the lure of a quick and easy profit, they gambled. Unfortunately they shot themselves in the foot by offering too big a pay packet to a player who simply wasn't worth it. Luca knew it, all the clubs to whom our leaders would later try to palm off Bogarde knew it, even you and I knew it.

Ken did some things for which Chelsea fans should respect him, but his treatment of Winston Bogarde was dishonourable and he should apologise. It's by no means the only mea culpa he owes but he has form, so we know he won't be paying up any time soon. 

A quote from Graeme Le Saux.

Le Saux said: ‘As a player he seemed to have little desire to achieve anything. It was all about what he had done at Barcelona and Ajax, not about what he could achieve with Chelsea.

‘In different ways we all tried to motivate him, but he appeared to have other things going on in his life and he lacked focus.

‘He put a lot of weight on at Chelsea. I’d have been embarrassed to be in that shape as a professional, but he didn’t seem to care.

Here's a quote from the great man himself.

 'This world is about money, so when you are offered those millions you take them. Few people will ever earn so many. I am one of the few fortunates who do. I may be one of the worst buys in the history of the Premiership but I don't care.'^[14]

I can't honestly believe anyone can stick up for Bogarde apparently he turned up for training looking like Neil Shipperley after he retired. By the way he's bankrupt now so all the millions he got for doing fuck all have gone.
 

[Tomo 21,685]

1 hour ago, Stats said:

Let's not forget he was still very young at us. 22 years of age. When Bertrand came in the team he had his good games too. When we got that 0-0 draw at Emirates he deservedly got MOTM and was brilliant. He was one I was always annoyed about letting go as I believed had he been given regular starts he would of become a very trustworthy LB here. Now yew years he has left he has tremendously improved. The loan at Villa was average but they were shit and ever since going Southampton, he has proven himself to be a top LB. He can attack and defend. Last I heard were City were in talks with him and a deal was close. That seems to have gone a bit quiet but if it does happen, I think he will prove he is able to prove he is a top LB at a big club. Think you are underrating him. He is just behind Rose for me and that is a compliment on its own because Rose has been excellent for Spurs last 2 seasons.

If anything that game at The Emirates enhances my point, we went there that day with a midtable standard team and held out like one of them would.

I would be delighted if City get him, serious attacking fullbacks is what is stopping them becoming scary under Pep, Bertrand isnt good enough going forward, certainly not for a Pep side.

Honestly i have never gpt the uproar towards his sale, i can understand it with Lukaku and Mata despite not agreeing but I've just never got it with Bertrand, compared to the left backs we have had and the one about to arrive i don't think hes anything to shout home about.

[mccg 1,528]

Gonna be interesting too see our premiership homegrown player list*...and squad this season! Ake*-Begovic*-Costa-Matic-Terry*>possibly out, the Ake sale looks even more stupido imho

[xPetrCechx 13,548]

Bournemouth believe they are close to sealing a £20million deal for #Chelsea defender Nathan Ake. [Mirror]

However, it is unlikely Nathan Ake will be allowed to leave until #Chelsea have lined up their own reinforcements. [Mirror]

[xPetrCechx 13,548]

Stuart James‏ @StuartJamesGNM  1h1 hour ago

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Nathan Ake's £20m move from Chelsea to Bournemouth set to go through in next 48hrs - only small details to sort. Ake to sign 5-yr contract