OhForAGreavsie

Hope Sarri is not writing off Bulka as a possibility for 2019/20 onward.

This is why I found it interesting when the pre-game graphic had him lining up on the right vs. Inter. Interesting because, as I said on Sunday, it suggested that Sarri was looking at a way to get both Eden and Calum into the line up. Turned out the TV company had it wrong. Perhaps the boss will look at it in the Lyon game.

For whom would you say?

I love the bloke as much as we all do but, while he is a great defensive RB, he is not out of the very top drawer as an all round full back. That RCB role in a three suited him to a tee.

Smith-Rowe is also going to be a terrific player. Hasn't shown it so far tonight but he's a top talent.

Amid all the talk of Fekir, Malcolm was the bloke I wanted. More than two-and-a-half times the cost for Zaha would be hard to take.

First match at The Bridge in Jan '74; first season ticket in 1976. By the way, that season ticket cost me £22. Twenty-two quid!!

I’m in full favour of bringing Calum into the squad. Having watched him quite a number of times last season, including half a dozen times live, as well as many times the season before that, I know he did ok on Sunday. I also know he can do better though.

I saw a headline attached to that video which said that Calum had dazzled against Inter. The headline surprised me because, as big a fan as I am of CHO, I would not have said his display on Sunday was dazzling. When I watched the vid however I began to second guess myself because the performance it portrayed looked better than I remembered. While watching however it dawned on me that this was not an all touches presentation. The times he was caught in possession had been edited out, as had some of the times he gave the ball away. Callum is a great player. I'm a huge fan but his display at the weekend was not as good as this video makes it look and not as good as he's capable of. It wasn't bad mind.

Exactly what I've always favoured and argued for. If this possibility becomes a genuine option then I'd back it one hundred percent. Even though I've attended more than a thousand football matches at Stamford Bridge, I believe the benefits of relocating far outweigh the emotional attachment to our traditional home. In addition to the advantages listed, and those alone already make an unanswerable case in my opinion, a new stadium would also permit improved amenities around the ground and better transport links to it. Compared to a new build at Earls Court, there is nothing to be said for redeveloping The Bridge other than nostalgia. Is nostalgia enough to justify spending an extra billion pounds, playing four years of 'away' fixtures and finishing up with a stadium which is less good than the one we could build at Earls Court? I don't believe that it is. Nostalgia is great but it's the future that counts. Look what happened to Fulham. They used to be the best team in London but in 1905 they decided against moving to the new stadium down the road when they were offered the chance. Their decision forced the owners of Stamford Bridge to start a new club instead. Now Fulham are not even the best team in Fulham. Let's not make the same mistake The Cottagers did. It's wise to use the present to make plans for the future, and it would be catastrophic not to choose the future over the past.

Exactly so.

He definitely has it. When he feels more comfortable in the side he’ll give a better representation of what he can do.

His pass selection and weight of pass are two of his strengths. Be patient you’ll see.

He’s been at the club for a couple of seasons. Definitely the best academy level keeper we have in my opinion. He didn’t feature in either of the last two youth cup winning sides but did appear a lot for the higher age group side.

The pre game graphic suggested that. I just made an observation about what it might mean IF he was playing there. As soon as it kicked off it was clear the graphic was wrong.

If Calum is being used on the right, as the graphic suggests, that would be interesting. Is Sari checking if he can play Eden and Calum rather than Eden or Calum?

Must be talking about Gary's sending off that forced Antonio to sub Jed in what looks like it'll prove to have been his last game for Chelsea.

He'd have been competing for a place in the midfield three I think.

Disappointed that Mason didn't get to go on the road trip before making a temporary move. Would have liked the new coach to get the chance to assess him before we committed to a season long loan.

This is quite probably true but I like him, and like him much more than Ruben for example. I don't see a natural role for RLC in a three man midfield. Mason fits it like a glove however. Mason has been likened to SFL but for me KDB is a much better comparison. I'm not saying Mason is another De Bryune, I'm just saying his game is closer to KDB's than super Frank's. I'm hoping Antonio or Sarri will take a look before sending him out. I've argued for years that it was too early to judge the academy because it takes a long time for 8 year olds to go right the way through the new Cobham regime, and that only players who spent the whole of their education in Neil Bath's system could be used to judge the quality of the work Cobham is doing. It's still a couple of years or so until those first Cobham recruits reach the age when you might expect them to be making a mark in the first team. If that analysis is correct then you'd expect to see a steady rise in the general standard of our in house players. In my opinion that's exactly what we are seeing. Mason, Callum and Reece played in the same Youth Cup winning side and are the best prospects to emerge from Chelsea youth development for a generation. Reece has gone to Wigan, not derby as I thought he would. For me, Calum is easily the best back up we have for Eden in the current squad though keeping him here might backfire. If Mason does not make the squad, I think he'll only miss out by a very narrow margin..

Encouraging description.

OK, I accept that and apologise for this comment.

The statements I made are there if you wish to re-read them. If you then want to post again to acknowledge that you misunderstood that's up to you. Edit: That's a bit sharp. Let me help you out. I pointed out that I had made my assertion, that's a claim not a fact, but that all the statements I made relating to players were facts which I had given to support my assertion. I said this in response to you saying none of what I had said was factual. You were obviously wrong to say that so I clearly identified for you those parts of what I said which were facts. What more do you want from me?

Yes, that's what I just said. No need to repeat it. Interesting speculation. Unlike the facts I've been able to give in support of my claim, I don't think you'll find one example of a player choosing Chelsea over City recently, never mind one who then made any statement along the lines of the player statements I reported.

Gotcha. Thanks fellas.