OhForAGreavsie

No he couldn't, shouldn't and wouldn't say that. If he said 'no' when it's a no, then whenever he didn't come out and say 'no' people would put two and two together even if he didn't mean them to. If Antonio and the club are serious about not commenting on transfers then they must stick to the plan of not commenting. There are other reasons for not saying 'no' but that's the best one I think.

I don't agree that Rom has a low IQ. Indeed, I believe it is his relatively high IQ which has helped him make the most of his attributes. When Rom was 19, I posted to say that his general IQ would help him to accept what he can do, and what he cannot. That acceptance has helped Rom construct a game around his strengths and the good goalscoring record is the result. People should not be blinded by that record however. I predicted in that same post that the 19 year old's technical limitations would always prevent any top level club being satisfied to have him as their leading striker and I think that has been bourne out. It's clear Rom expected to receive offers last summer from clubs capable of winning the Champions League, but none came. There were rumours about interest from Chelsea, but Everton confirmed that no bids were made. Some people believe that goals are a striker's function and that if he scores lots of them, that is enough. I've never shared that opinion. Even if Rom gets his move to a top level club I believe it wouldn't be long before that club is back in the market for an upgrade.

I agree with your description of what Marcos brings to the team. This is why I was so pleased when he was linked to us, and was excited about how he could help us. I'm a big fan. Nevertheless, I am one of those calling for an upgrade. We want to be the best team in the country, in Europe, and the entire world. There are players who can do what Marcos can, but do so with more power, and more pace. Some of those players can also defend better. If the club can identify and recruit one of those players then I would support them making a change at LWB.

It's because most people ask themselves a simple question then give a hopelessly wrong answer. That question is, "How hard can it be to deliver an accurate cross into the box from a corner?" The answer most give to that question is, "Not very." Wrong. Badly wrong. The evidence for the correct answer is all over the place if only people would take time to notice. Every set of football fans, everywhere in the world, complain that their players are bad at corner kicks*. If everybody is bad at a particular skill, then the one thing you can say about that skill is that it can't be easy. it is clearly very difficult and therefore even the best players will not get it right most of the time. * A potential exaggeration on my part obviously since I have not read the comments of every set of fans in the world. I've just extrapolated from the fact that I have never come across any fans who do not complain about thier players' low success rate from corners.

I think Jed's case is very different to Gael's and much more worrying for the academy. The first time I saw Gael play, in a youth team game at Stamford Bridge, I posted to say that I felt he had no chance to make it at top level. With Jed, my equivalent post rated his chances at 50/50, though I admitted soon afterward that this was a bit optimistic. Even so his trajectory since then has been disappointing. Disappointing and concerning. Despite the rave reviews Gael received when he first came to our attention, there were, and are, flaws in his game. Flaws which are fixed, and which severely limit his prospects. There are also flaws in Jed's game of course, but these seem to me to be of a different nature. He doesn't lack technique and he doesn't lack physique. He has the tools but he has not learned to use them effectively. Well not effectively enough anyway. I've often made the point that an academy can't promise to turn a youngster into a first teamer. They can only promise to make him the best player he can be. I'm not sure that's been fulfilled in Jed's case. I have similar concerns over RLC's development. I don't think he's as good as he should be. These are the only two players where I have any doubt the coaching input but their example doesn't make me ready to condem Cobham. I would want to ask Neil Bath some questions if I had the chance however.

Love the music. Do you know its origin? Did Chelsea commission it or was it perhaps created by a talented fan, maybe you? Edit: By reading the comment to the video on YouTube I see that @Neilando did create the music himself. Great work mate. Liquidator with Blue is The Colour phrases; how has it taken 45 years for this to happen?

Nah, that's a difference of opinion. Alonso only makes number 4 on my upgrade chart.

Got to acknowledge that the bloke is doing what he can for the side but he remains upgrade priority number one in summer.

He has to have a deputy who Antonio believes in.

Who would we beat if only 2-3 turn up? No one I'd have thought. We have problems but we know that already. Dust yourselves down lads and go again on Wednesday. We'll be with you.

I've always liked Morata but Belotti is my preferred Costa replacement if our CF leaves. Unlike Morata and Rom, or Diego come to that, the Italian is good, or better than good, at every aspect of centre forward play.

Dribbling is undeniably vital but I would stop short of saying that it's more important than other parts of a player's make up when facing a press. What is clear is that players need a full set of tools to be considered truly effective at top level. Dribbling is one of those tools for sure, and most of us seem to agree that it's a skill our squad is short on. It is not the only way to defeat the press however; it isn't even always the best way. Circumstances dictate what will be the most effective way to overcome the press but players choices are always dictated by their own capabilities. The more capable the player, the more chance he will select, and execute, the best option. Essien, is a great example. People remember the surges with the ball but, in my opinion, tend to overlook other weaknesses in his game. I therefore have a lower opinion of the Bison than many Chelsea fans. I do not believe that our team will be at its best if Nemanja continues as first choice partner for Ngolo next season and, if there is to be a change, I hope the replacement is a better player than Ess was at his peak.* *I recognise of course that this is just an opinion, and almost certainly a minority one to boot, but, in truth I don't believe that peak Essien was much better than any other version people might describe. Opponents sussed his limitations and exposed them. That's what happened, not any off-the-cliff-edge decline, as some believe.

^^Lol

This was exactly my opinion when I used to watch him. Back then I would suggest people notice his involvements then ask themselves how many other players they think could do what Pastore just did. For far too much of the time my own answer to that question was, "Loads and loads."

Prefer Weigl anyway but I'm not up on the latest about what his situation might be come summer. Do I remember that there was a story about a move to Bayern? Maybe this deal, if it comes off, can only increase the likelihood that Weigl will move.

Assuming that scouts working for any big clubs are recommending a move to acquire young billy, and assuming the clubs are indeed offering £500,000, then yes they must be.

Yes I noticed that statement in the commentary on the video. Thing is, the top teams scout everybody. Anybody that comes to any kind of prominence will be assessed sooner or later by the army of scouts working for the big teams. In other words, that oft repeated phrase, "a lot of big teams are watching him", doesn't mean as much as those saying it hope we'll think it does. Edit: Notice the number of times Gilmour hangs on to the ball for 5 seconds or more, does a few twists and turns, then passes it backwards. Fair enough, if that's the best pass available, then it's the right pass but, remember, these are the involvements which the person putting the video together felt were the best of young Billy. His game does not seem to me to be ready to have a spotlight shone on it. Whoever put the video up should do the lad a favour and take it down again. Give the kid a chance to make himself the best player he can possibly be. Good luck to the lad.

Nothing special there at all. No special touch, no exceptional balance, no outstanding body control, not even any particular pace. Just a fairly ordinary lad getting away with some awkward looking moves because of the level he is playing at. If people want to see lads exhibiting genuinely exceptional talent at youth level they should check out Phil Foden or Brahim Diaz at Man City. People would also see many better players than Gilmour if they watched our youth team.

In the case of David Luiz, he has played at the same high level since his first game back. If he was playing as well on the day he returned, as he is now then that does not look to me like his current level is due to work done with Antonio. What people are choosing to believe is Victor's improvement dates back to minute one, in game one, of pre season. Again, this does not look like Vic has become a better player because of Antonio's work at Cobham. At least it doesn't look like that unless people really think Antonio has a magic wand and can transform players after just one or two training sessions. I'd be surprised if anyone thought that was actually possible. If anyone does think such magical transformations are possible, then how would they explain why Antonio has not waved his magic wand over Nate, or Michy, or Kennedy, or Charley, or Nat or Ola or Ruben? The truth is that there is no magic so neither David nor Victor is genuinely better than they were before. All that has happened is that Antonio is playing them in roles which suit their abilities and, which allow them to be effective. If this is what you mean when you say that Antonio has improved DL and VM, then I go along with you. If you were suggesting however that the two players are now better footballers than they were before Antonio came along, then I can't agree with you I'm afraid. If the Ox isn't good enough for Chelsea now, then he isn't going to become so just because he trains with Antonio. That didn't work for any of the names I listed above, and it wouldn't work for him either. On the other hand, if the Ox is good enough for Chelsea, and he is just waiting to find the right role in the right team, then maybe Antonio can put that together. Maybe. The Ox has qualities I like. If this transfer happened, I would not be unhappy about it, but I only expect good coaching from the boss, not magic.

I agree. I think the Ox is worthy of consideration in his own right but throw in the HG status and he's an option which makes a load of sense.

In terms of their personal preference, members of the RFU (Rugby Football Union) would not want to see soccer played at Twickenham. That said, it is possible that they might be persuaded by the huge amount of money which would be generated by renting out their relatively underused stadium. Like the FA, they are a not-for-profit organisation, with responsibility for the whole of the 15-a-side code. The ability to distribute additional revenues to all levels of their game would be a huge incentive for them. The real opposition would come from local residents and from "rugby people" everywhere. For reasons which, in my opinion, boil down to little more than snobbery, the idea of soccer at the home of Rugby is anathema to fans of the oval ball game. A not insignificant consideration is the fact that rugby fans, or at any rate people raised with the traditions of rugby, are massively over represented among UK powerbrokers. Many ministers of State, high-level civil servants, and wealthy property owners attended extremely expensive 'public' schools. Such schools prioritise rugby over soccer, identify with the rugby ethos and disparage what they see as soccer's poor approach on many issues. It is largely in rugby playing schools, fee paying or otherwise, where anti-soccer attitudes are passed from generation to generation. Amid much opposition from all directions, the chance of a move to Twickenham is virtually zero.

Is there anywhere we can go which doesn't involve sharing with someone and moving in with a set of fans who think of us as rivals, even if we don't see them in the same light? The only option I can think of is no option at all really. It involves delaying the redevelopment of The Bridge until we've completed a deal with AFC Wimbledon, Kingstonions & the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames. A deal which would see us redevelop that stadium first, then move in there while the new SB takes shape. Leaving aside the difficulty of getting a deal done, that would entail playing in a ground with a tiny capacity and that is totally impractical. Even Craven Cottage has a capacity of less than 26,000 and and I don't know if it would meet uefa standards for Champions League football. If there's an alternative to the usual suspects among London's stadia, I can't think of it.

I feel that if people allow themselves to get agitated they can make the environment ugly, unpleasant and draw the danger of violence closer to the surface. They can do that regardless of the best efforts of clubs, stadium managers and police. Think London stadium. When people watch football on their feet they do get more excited and excitable. I hope you are right that people will control themselves, and that control measures will take care of anyone that can't manage a bit of self-discipline. In the end I don't believe that you are right however. People react; our songs and actions get slightly closer to the mark, the oppo's lunatics then respond pushing it a bit further and up goes the heat. Like I said, think West Ham. I don't want to see that. To my mind it ain't broke so I say let's not fix it. We remember the 70s & 80s. We remember that crowds were way down on the 60s, and way down on where they are now despite the prices being many multiple times higher than they were then. Fans were driven away in their tens of thousands by the violence and by the fact that football grounds were pretty horrible places to be. We only need see the behaviour of a noticeable proportion of England fans at tournaments to see that the trouble makers are still among us. In my opinion, clubs would be foolish to give in to this pressure for standing. I accept however that more football fans agree with you than agree with me.

Be neutral. Support England.

It was announced more than a year ago that there will be a return to the shed. Away fans will stay more or less where they are now but the intention is that they are moved higher. The club were asked to investigate a single 'wall' like Dortmund's for The Shed, but said it was a non starter given the space restrictions. They were also asked to investigate safe standing but say they have no plans to incorporate it at present. Personally I'm strongly against a return to standing. I think it'll raise the temperature and increase confrontational attitudes among those who are that way inclined. he game is so much better without that ugliness and I believe no chances must be taken which might turn the clock back to the bad old days.