OhForAGreavsie

I like Callum Wilson. He's in more than one of my fantasy teams but this idea is an absolute non-starter. There is no doubt we need at least one new striker but Wilson won't fit the bill. I know a significant percentage of our net transfer outlay in the Roman era was crammed into his first two seasons but, even so, we have been a big budget team throughout this period. (Particularly when you add wages and agent's fees.) Unfortunately we've consistently failed to get maximum return for our expenditure and you don't need to spend much time reading these pages to understand that we fans are as fed up with this as Roman himself must be. We want, and need, to be better at this. What do we do to end these rinse and repeat failures? We ensure that our transfer targets have not just one or two, but all of the required attributes. Chief among these is technical excellence. It's a non-negotiable requirement for any player aspiring to be a top rank footballer. Wilson fails that test and must not be a Chelsea transfer target.

If it can be then let it be please. Although there were a lot of nay sayers when this bloke was first linked it looks like he's changed some minds and quite right too. The huge probable fee, combined with his age could be a problem, but I don't think anyone would have any other objection to this move.

Watched Sunday's Wigan vs Leeds game last night. Like quite a few, I pretty much expected Reece to go to Derby for the season, so was a little surprised when he rocked up at the DW. Having seen them play now, I'm disappointed too. Wigan are woeful. Still, here are some post game comments from Latics Speyk forum's match thread: - "Other than Reece James the rest ranged from mediocre to shite." "I feel so sorry for Reece James. He should have been playing in white today. Just a class above everyone else in a Blue and White shirt. He must be fuming that he picked us to join in the summer … Deserves better and will get what he deserves in the years to come no doubt. Might as well give him the player of the season award now and save us all the bother in May." Wigan's next game is against Boro. One lad thinks he's got the solution to his team's problems: - "My starting 11 for Middlesborough ----------James--------------- James James James Robinson -------James James------------ ----James James James------- ------------Burn---------------" I think it's fair to say they're impressed.

Divorced? No way she gets to keep that picture surely. The house? Pah, The bank account? Piff. The kids? Tough but if that's what's best for them then it has to be. The Blues of 1972? Over your solicitors dead body!

Ossie was my boyhood hero so for me he is, and always wil be, The King. A magnificent player at his best, he nevertheless was a long way behind Greavesie as a footballer. At his peak, Jimmy would have been in most people’s world XI, Ossie never approached that level. In truth, a comparison between the two is a no contest. I don’t keep up to date with these things so this may no longer be true but for decades Jimmy’s career goals per minute ratio was the best ever in Europe’s top five leagues. As a teenager his goals kept a relegation calibre Chelsea squad in the top devision. As soon as he left we were relegated. There are videos which show glimpses of Greavsie’s greatness but bear in mind that the vast majority of his games were not recorded. Most of Jimmy’s genius is lost forever and now can only be devined from his remarkable stats. Stats which were achieved in an era when conditions were much less favourable to attacking players. The offside rule, the back pass rule, tackling from behind, lenient refereeing and dodgy pitches all made life much harder for strikers than it is now.

A really good way to look at it.

Didn’t even think he looked good going forward. Just looks a rather ordinary player to me. People tell me Emerson was special before his injury. Well I can’t categorically deny that because I did not watch him enough pre injury to form a valid opinion. I have been watching football a very, very long time however and I’ve heard that excuse hundreds of times. Almost always I’ve felt it just means people overestimated a player during his honeymoon period and blaming an injury is more comfortable than admitting they were wrong.

Greaves on the bench? Chrlsea’s greatest ever player a substitute? The manager making that decision is headed for the sack. 😊

Reasonable but I don't know if Jody's managerial achievements at academy level are enough yet to win him a good job as a number 1. Frank's status as a big name player will get him a pass into his first couple of gigs but Jody's more modest playing career means he may have to settle for smaller steps. In any case, I'm hoping to see these two as manager and assistant at The Bridge one day. I've always felt that Frank has the attributes for the Chelsea job but I don't believe that JT does, for example.

Not going to this one and gutted about it. By the time I realised I might be sufficiently recovered to give it a try it was sold out. Let’s not overlook Jody’s influence on the Derby side. I was never a fan of Jody’s as a player, but from the moment he moved into the CTV studio as a pundit his knowledge, views and manner impressed me hugely. When he progressed into the dugout that good opinion just grew. Frank has the superstar status but he’s also got the brain. Choosing Jody shows excellent judgement and bodes well for SFL’s career.

That’s the trio which could be the right solution, and which certainly needs to be looked at. As I said when I commented on our midfield inbalance about six weeks ago, it involves thinking the unthinkable however. That’s hard to do, especially when it concerns the loveable wee man. To be fair to Maurizio, his public statements make it clear that he has this problem in mind. I think we can infer from his comments that he’s working on solutions at Cobham. This is another reason why Mason Mount should have spent pre-season with us. He is not as silky as Matt but he’s better than decent in possession, a much greater goal threat, and actually enjoys his defensive work. He’ll need to be considered before next summer’s decisions are made.

I just don’t get what you’re bothered about. He didn’t want to be here. He left. Suits him, suits us. We have a fine alternative, or may I say two because I really rate Marcin. Now Thibaut goes public about not wanting to work with a pair of managers that a majority of posters here hate judging by their comments. So what? What on Earth is the problem? Whenever Thibaut returns to The Bridge, I will applaud him. Whenever Antonio returns to The Bridge, I will applaud him even louder. I did not applaud Jose last weekend but only because I was not there. (Recovering from a major op.) I’ll be up on my feet for The Special One next time, applauding loudest of all.

Dream on Brighton. Years ago, Newcastle tried to sign a young John Terry for £10m. The fact that the bid was so big, for the time, and that it came from so respected a manager as Sir Bobby Robson, served only to confirm to Chelsea that they had a high calibre prospect on their hands. I’ve often speculated that if Newcastle had offered a smaller amount, they’d have had a better chance to get JT. At least Brighton haven’t made that tactical error. They’ve put in a modest offer by today’s standards but they still won’t be fooling anybody.

I’ve been following a WAFC fan forum since preseason. There was skepticism about him at first. One poster even commented that, “He needs to improve his crossing.”, which was a crazy rush to judgement of course. Reece has a better, and more consistent, delivery than any other current Chelsea player of any age. As you’ve said, Wigan fans have since realised what they’ve got. Not only has Reece overtaken Duge in the RB stakes, he is in my opinion, our best current academy prospect bar none. Better Chelsea chances than Mason, better than Callum, better than the lot of ‘em. When I posted to say that last season, I also said I felt that Reece could be starting for us as soon as 2019/2020. I continue to believe that. He’s a terrific player.

Deleted. Posted in reply to wrong comment. Fixed below.

No. People who are wrong, who are thinking in the wrong way need to told the truth. If I were to blame double D because he's not as good as KDB I hope one of my friends on here would patiently explain to me that I'm an idiot. Pretending that all ideas are equally valid leads to crazy situations such as Donald Trump in The White House. Thinking, if you wish, that Danny D is a better player than KDB is a valid opinion. It's wrong, but you can get there if you want to. Recognising that DD is not as good as the City player, and then deciding that it's Danny's fault would be a nonsense point of view. Anyone holding it should expect to be corrected. Anyway, sadly, we are not getting any closer to seeing this the same way. I'll watch out for your other posts and see if we can find common ground on a different topic.

No they can't. If people can make up silly things to feel aggrieved about that's the way to a nonsense world. For example am I allowed to feel aggrieved that Danny D isn't as good as KDB? Is how we, you & I, got to talking about Willian's play. My point being that no, it isn't all on him.

If I was selected to play for Chelsea and turned out to be waaayy below the required standard that would be my fault would it? Should I just sit in the dressing room and turn myself into Pele? I am old, and I have arthritis. As a footballer I am now worse than useless. If I find myself in the Chelsea team it's not my fault; it's the fault of whoever it is that picked the team. Any manager who picks Willian has to accept that there is a downside and decide if they want him in the team, warts and all. Every footballer is inconsistent, every human is for that matter. Better players have a narrower output level toward the high end of their performance spectrum. Willian is different. His range of output is wide and stretches down into the poor zone. Anyone picking him knows, or should know this. If they still pick him then they have to accept responsibility for what he produces. Five years later he isn't going to change. He is what he is. I don't require that Chelsea players treat me like a toddler. I don't care if they prefer not to train in the afternoon as long as they do turn up for training when required.

People do have a right to express their displeasure. That doesn’t mean they are always right to do it, or in the way that they do. If Willian is playing when there is ‘a better option available’ how is that his fault? How is he to blame when he doesn’t pick the side? People want a better player than Willian and, since I’ve been saying we need an upgrade for virtually as long as he’s been here, I can’t say they are wrong. I do though insist that it’s not his fault he’s in the squad, and nor is it he fault when he’s selected to play. Willian’s output varies wildly from outstanding to poor. Unfortunately he doesn’t spend enough time in the ‘outstanding’ zone. He is what he is and we should know what we’re getting from him. Expecting anything different after all this time would be a silly to be honest. I see nothing wrong with what he said. If anybody takes objection to it then they’re the ones with some explaining to do as far as I’m concerned. Dad would prefer to spend time with daughter before she goes to bed but work commitments mean he can’t. Shock.

That’s a succinct and easy to read statement but it isn’t right. It was the amazing run of form Williian showed last season, including the Barcelona game, that prompted the Catalans to take an interest in him. What Willian did during that spell was a match for anything Eden produces. Maintaining that level is Willian’s problem. That’s why I have been saying for several years that if we ever become the team we’d like to be, Willian won’t be in it. He does not deserve the vitriol being poured out in some posts here however. If he’s not as good as we’d like him to be that’s not his fault. People’s real issue is that our squad is not strong enough. If it was, Willian would play less and the problem would go away. If we have to be angry then let’s at least pick the right target for that anger. As for his comment, it’s perfectly natural. Any father who does not wish he could always to be home before his kids’ bedtime is an idiot. On the other hand, any father who is not willing to put his personal preferences aside in order to put bread on the table for his kids does not deserve them. Anyone heard any rumours about Willian actually NOT turning up for afternoon training? Don’t be so trigger happy people.

Poke not an option, keeper was right on top of it. On that stretch a lob wasn't on. A dink was all he had and even then, given the stretch, over cooking the dink was virtually impossible. Actually impossible I'd say.

True.

Alvaro got a lucky break in that the pass from Eden wasn't quite perfect. This meant he had to stretch to reach it and, literally, could do nothing other than what he did. No chance to think, no options to consider. It was dink or bust.

Six years later, here we are saying the same things we said six years ago. I’ve lost belief that we’ll ever see the change we’ve been hoping for.

Just to be clear, I never skip a post because of who wrote it. I only skip posts because their content doesn’t interest me. I hardly ever notice who wrote s post until I’ve read it. In any case, I don’t remember who I had the row with so I couldn’t ignore him even if I wanted to. Keep reading, and writing, people. It’s why we come here.