OhForAGreavsie

There is no doubt that Reece is a better right back than Ola. Indeed, I wouldn't bet on Reece remaining behind Azpi for long, even if that is how things are planned at the start of next season. The attraction of Ola is his ability to perform at both LB & RB, as he has shown for Torino throughout the season. That kind of flexibility is really valuable in a squad player but becoming a full time backup may not be acceptable to him.

Have we made the announcement? Or do you mean that you think the rumours are true, and that we've deliberately leaked them? If I'm honest I can't see any benefit Chelsea gain from stoking this rumour before the final, although I suppose a case could be made.

When all you have left are your dreams they might as well be good ones.

^^Assuming this is accurate, offering the contract is good news. Being able to announce that Reece has signed it, would be great news.

A young lad I've been raving about since he was fourteen made his Celtic debut as a half time substitute yesterday. I didn't see the game* but, according to reports, Karamoko Dembele impressed and made the difference after coming on. I've said it before but every top club in Europe is going to have this kid near, or at, the top of their watch list. He's only sixteen but, if we can, and as soon as we can, we have to make an offer to Celtic for this lad. It's heartbreaking that we've blown the advantages of Roman's investment to such an extent that, instead of being a club players are clamouring to join, they seem only to come here when no other good level club wants them. What I'm lamenting is that we won't get Dembele even if we try. Shame. *I didn't see the game because yesterday was my older daughter's birthday. 19th May is always a big day in my house, not just in 2012.

Poor bloke. After starting his career in front of the wall, what's he going to make of the Stamford Bridge atmosphere? I appreciate the positive comments about Christian. They encourage me because they seem to be saying, take another look at this lad; there's more to him than you might think. This reminds me of one of my favourite footballers. James Milner gets a lot of criticism, but he's a lot more effective than many players who look more talented. I'm not saying the positive assessments cause me to think the two have similar skill sets. Clearly they don't, but getting the job done is what counts, not how you look while you do it. If Christian lives up to the statements about: attitude, professionalism, work ethic, etc, and uses those qualities to match Milner's effectiveness, we'll all be super happy.

Good luck to the lad. I hope he finds a good move for himself.

Exactly. We sold tickets on the basis that a full strength side would play so nothing else would have been acceptable.

Wasn't there a story last week that Madrid had done a deal for Jovic?

As people will already know if they've read a sample of my posts, there is a pedantic streak in me so I have to point out that it's not possible to finish second on 112 points. 112 guarantees top spot. The highest total a team can get and still, theoretically, finish second is 111. Even then it would have to be on goal difference. Sorry. Can't help myself.

It's seriously inconvenient, but it's not pointless and I hope it won't be useless. The cause the game is being played for is an important one.

£922 for a flight is steep.

Yep, Liverpool did good business with Dom. I doubt they paid us more than £6.5m for him and then they picked up something in the region of £19m when they sold him to Bournemouth. Very good business indeed.

The best solution I think, is to play as many kids as possible and have them give everything they've got. We would almost certainly lose but we'd see a fighting display for sure. A loss would cost some income in missed prize money but there is no guarantee that we'd finish third even if we play the full strength team. Set against that is the upside of not over playing the first team ahead of the US trip, and of giving some young players a taste of the first team. Worth the money I think.

And that turned out to be a pretty good performance didn't it.

From a newspaper article linked in the BBC Sport website, I understand that neither Reece, nor any other returned loanee, can play in this match. Hopefully they'll all feature heavily in Massachusetts next week. Meanwhile, because I would not want to risk anyone who will travel to Baku, even those who won't feature in the 18 unless there's an injury, I'd dig even further down into our playing resources to come up with the XI for Sunday: - Cumming Lamptey, Guehi, Cahill*, Castillo McCormick, Drinkwater, McEachran, Uwakwe Taylor-Crossdale, Brown I would risk Gaz if he wanted one last game. Even with him, that side will be beaten but the lads would enjoy the experience. Granted, failing to finish third may cost us a few million quid but I hope the club would be happy to put that aside for the good of the squad.

How can your team reach a European final and yet you leave the ground unhappy and worried? On the one hand we have to be thankful for the remarkable resilience of this club. Clearly there are big problems on and off the pitch. Problems which dominate the discussions in this forum, yet here we are sitting in third place in the Premier League and heading for our second major final of the season. It really is remarkable but somehow manages not to feel like it. Instead it feels like we're in a long, dark tunnel with no glimmer of light anywhere. Our best player seems certain to leave, a transfer ban threatens our short term future and, even if it is overturned as I believe it will be, our reputation is such that the best players don't want to come here. This last point is controversial because many of you disagree with me every time I make it, but I'm convinced it's so. I don't care about the game on Sunday, especially now I've learned that the returning loanees can't feature. Win or lose however, we could really, really do with a good performance in Baku. If that happens, and if it comes on the back of some encouraging appearances by a few youngsters in Massachusetts, then I might turn my head to the wonderful summer of cricket we have ahead of us in a better mood than the one I'm experiencing right now.

I agree with your point but Reece would not actually need to be named in the 25 man squad. Instead, he would qualify as an under 21 player. In fact, given that he is on the official U21 list submitted by CFCM, and that Wigan's season has now ended so his loan is over, I've been wondering if he is eligible for Leicester. If we get the right result tomorrow night then, other than Danny and Gaz, I don't want to see any first squad players anywhere near the pitch on Sunday. Room for Reece if rules permit, if Maurizio feels the same way I do about protecting the squad and if he has the imagination to include returning loanees. Lining up in a 3-4-3, I would play:- Cumming James, Kalas, Cahill Sterling, Drinkwater, McEachran, Dasilva Lamptey, Brown, Taylor-Crossdale It'll never happen of course but I'm serious, that's the team I'd play. Stuff the result.

https://twitter.com/LaticsOfficial/status/1125384927824969728?s=20

It was really meant as a tribute for his contribution to their Championship survival battle. It was also announced before the game that he would be subbed off a few minutes from the end so that he could receive an ovation from the DW. According to one post on Latics Speyk it was the loudest ovation ever accorded at Wigan. I can't judge of course but maybe the superatives with which Wigan fans are describing Reece and his accomplishments shouldn't really be taken absolutely literally. Maybe it's fans' way of saying that he's not just a really good footballer, but also a really likeable bloke who managed to get the fans 100% on his side.

His departure was expected but still gutting. It would be less frustrating if we knew why he and the club had fallen out but we will probably never be told. Good luck Marcin.

I agree. I didn't mean to make it appear that Reece is slow, just that he's not a speedster.

Pace is not one of Reece's better attributes. He has pretty much everything else but not that. If you want pace at right back then Tariq Lamptey is your man. Tariq is technically excellent and absolutely lightening. Promlem is he's tiny. So tiny, he makes Jay Dasilva look tall. Whereas Jay is muscular however, Tariq is a feather. Between natural growth, the protein diet he's no doubt following, and the gym work they must be putting him through, Tariq will beef up but his basic frame is what it is. For that reason, I fear Chelsea managers might hesitate to use him at full back. Maybe wing back would suit him better. Whatever happens, the kid can fly and he can dance past people. I feel sure he'll get a gig somewhere on the pitch, at some level of the professional game. In the linked video, watch out for my favourite Chelsea goal of 2017/2018. Tariq intercepts well inside his own half, plays a ball up to the centre forward, puts on the burners to collect a return pass inside their area and bangs it in from just outside the six yard box. As the commentator says, "Wonderful goal."

From Latics Speyk Saturday at 2:05 AM #10 Reece, even at just 19 years old, is fully deserving of the armband. He's a very very special talent, the like of which only gets seen a handful of times in a generation. We'll never see him back at Latics. That's just life, and as much as I'm gutted about it, it's just reality. Hate to say it, but Reece James is better than Wigan Athletic, and I say that advisedly after 20 plus years supporting the club. Frankly, it's been a privilege and an honour to see him play for us this season. He's not just a future England player, but a future England captain, without a shadow of a doubt. His talent is beyond question, but his attitude, his mentality, his temperament... Second to none. Reece James is a football icon in the making, and I honestly feel honoured to have had the privilege of seeing him play this season. Posted by The_Pom

That's interesting.thanks. I would have guessed that it would have been a separate registration which would fall foul of fifa's restriction. If he's a player who can sneak through the cracks of the ban, then that might make him a more desirable target than he might have been. In that situation, I would still like to have Tammy in the squad as an additional option. Tammy doesn't have everything but; pace, power, strength, endeavour and finishing will always be attributes that can make a contribution. I can't pretend that I'd want Tammy as our long term first choice striker, but there have been many times when a striker has come off the bench this term where I'd have preferred if it had been Tammy instead. He'd be the something different that a game sometimes needs.