OhForAGreavsie

Big game at The Bridge 12:30 on Sunday afternoon (26/01/2025) A win for the women would pretty much end Arsenal's title hopes. Tickets remain on sale if anyone fancies going. https://bit.ly/CFCWvsArsenalTickets

This is the point. All top level goalkeepers are good shot stoppers. It's an entry level skill. It's not that being good at it gets you the gig, it's that not being good at it rules you out of contention.

Thanks. Unlike the Champions Cup and the Cup Winners Cup, the UEFA Cup even inherited the two legged final from its predecessor.

Memory is a strange thing. Well my memory is strange anyway, but I don't think I'm alone. 🙂 Because I'm old enough, I do remember the Fairs Cup, though I don't remember Leeds winning it in 1971. Meanwhile, all I remember about the much more recent Intertoto Cup, is its name. I could not tell you a single other fact about the competition. My belief, and I think the belief of everyone who lived through the transition, was that UEFA regarded the UEFA Cup as the polished up continuation of the Fairs Cup. This means that, up to reading your post, I always considered a UEFA Cup win as a tick in the box for the Fairs Cup with no need to consider the competition as a separate entity. With qualification for the older trophy being linked to whether or not your city hosted business fairs, and teams able to be formed of players from more than one club, the competition never really caught the public imagination. The only things (I think) l remember about CFC in the competition is that we once progressed through a tie on the toss of a coin, and were also once eliminated on a coin toss.

I was all in on the potential signing of Olise. Are you saying you felt it would have been overkill at that time, or that the later signings of Neto and Sancho would have made it overkill? I don't think anyone can doubt Musiala's technical level, or that our squad will need further upgrades whether or not we qualify for next season's Champions League. The issue is that it is claimed neither Estavao nor Paez will be loaned out, and we clearly are not finishing lower than 14th so will be obligated to make Sancho's move permanent. Even if we can persuade Musiala to rejoin, what would be the plan for him and all the rest? Is it realistic to go with; Musiala and Sancho covering the left, Palmer and Estavao through the middle, Neto and Paez doing duty on the right, while Mudryck and Mads are sold? I'm not convinced that this keeps everyone happy, and nor am I convinced that Musiala would return anyway.

Don't forget the European Cup Winners Cup, which we won twice. That would make it 'all four', or five if you count the Super Cup.

Three max, excluding players who are exempt such as qualified academy youngsters.

Do we have a role for Musiala in our squad?

With fingers crossed for Champions League qualification, our squad builders' aim should be to improve the 'B team' in such a way that it is strong enough to allow the 'A team' to be rested against a different profile of opponents. Meaning; in selected domestic cup games, CL league stage fixtures against 4th seeded sides, and even certain Premier League matches if and when the fixtures line up in a helpful way. We already have arrivals set up who, if they live up to billing, will allow some current A teamers to be available for B team matches. That should, in theory, improve the B team. We also should expect further recruitment, either of projected A teamers, or even of players being brought in to directly bolster the B team.

Am I missing something, or some context, here?

And 7 points.

Can't see why the club would want to give clues about the line-up. If there is any signalling going on then surely this is more likely to be a bluff. Even then we'd have to ask what's the point? Saints are very unlikely to believe that we've leaked that Christo will start so if anyone is fooled by a bluff, it won't be them.

A side playing a mid to low block allowed him 25 meters to carry the ball into. This he proceeded to do, mostly without challenge. After taking the metres on offer he then mostly played a straightforward pass at the end of his run. I've seen things from this lad which impressed me, but not in this video. It could well be an extrapolation too far, but the way the opposition set up against him suggests they didn't fear what he could do with the ball if given time and space.

Problem is this is also exactly what the club should say if the player is, in fact, available for sale or loan. 🙂

🙂

Caicedo

Important win for the women last night against title rivals Man City. The victory takes us two points clear at the top, with a game in hand, and a big goal difference advantage too.

Assuming our guesses are right it's the pressure of the player wanting, Indeed needing to, play which makes sense of Chelsea's stance. If the player is so fixed on the hypothetical move we're talking about that he'd be willing to twiddle his thumbs for two seasons then Chelsea's position would be pointless.

Reading between the lines, it seems likely that the question of a transfer is at the root of the club's frustration. My guess is that Acheampong is not only refusing to sign a new deal, but is also refusing the option to leave on a permanent transfer. Faced with losing him for a compensation fee, at best, CFC are hoping their stance will encourage he and his advisers to accept a move. Reading further between the lines, the lad has probably been tapped up and knows there is a fat contract waiting for him at a club he would be happy to join when his Chelsea contract ends.

Imagine how good this team would be with those two, in their prime, at the heart of our defense.

Fair guess that more of their starters today will be in from kickoff on Wednesday.

As always this is a lot of guesswork on my part, but I have a feeling that Maresca has earned more influence with the decision makers than he had initially. I feel sure that the manager and the recruitment team recruitment must know that some major defensive upgrades are required. Specifically: - At goalkeeper, Jorgensen must be considered immediately, and a recruit needs to be high priority in the January window. Decisions about recruiting at centre-back will be influenced I suppose by the club's assessment of Anselmino but, even so, we need to add mature players of character. If we can add one such player, there is no reason this team cannot qualify for the Champions League. Add two and it's a certainty. A full time left back, who Maresca will trust to start Premier League games when required, must also be on the list. I suppose though that this requires Ben Chilwell's wages to be shifted first.

Baseball is such a great game. Sadly, for me, The Reds are mired in a decades long streak of mediocrity. Still, living in hope is what we sports fans do. Speaking of our ownership and living in hope; Maresca is earning them a lot of credibility. He's clearly a great character. If he can turn his green shoots of progress into something real, he may well turn out to be Chelsea's best signing since Roman left.

She somehow managed to get US Soccer to pay for her trip. She's officially at the match to watch Emily Fox and Cat Macario. Both of whom are getting called up for Emma's next squad whether she sees them play live or not. 🙂