OhForAGreavsie

Being found guilty of motoring offences usually results in a fine and, more than ever now, these fines are related to the offenders earnings. Somewhere down the line we may get some more clues about the income level of Chelsea's development squad players.

Still laughing.

Me too, since half their squad began to be linked with us. There is more than one way to play the 'six' position but to be a genuinely good team you need a player capable of playing it as you describe here. It simultaneously makes your side more threatening going forward and more solid defensively. Before the start of next season we need to acquire a player who can do this. Bakayoko is such a player. It's worth mentioning that he put in a number of really good tackles in those games too. 90% of the time a non-defender touches the ball, the next thing he needs to do with it is make a simple pass. Opportunities to do more impressive things don't happen all the time but the key is having the quality to exploit them when they do. Even players of the highest calibre experience games like Bakayoko endured vs PSG. Games where chances to do special things don't present themselves, or where the player is just not on it. The secret during times like those is to do the simple stuff, avoid hurting your team, and live to fight another day. My feeling is Bakayoko fits the template. Is he the final answer? I don't know, but he would certainly be a major upgrade over what we have now. I've been looking forward to this game for weeks. Can't wait.

This would make Atleti the only 'top' club in the world which makes that definition hard to work with.

Depends how he means 'major' I suppose. He may mean it in the sense of numbers, not of budget. One signing, at huge cost, may therefore fit within his definition of no major overhaul.

Thank you for the correction on Bernardo's nationality. Bernardo attempts more dribbles at pace than David Silva because he has more pace. Their similarity comes in the attributes I described earlier and is clear to see when they carry the ball, which David Silva does do a lot of. He just can't run away from people. Both Silvas beat opponents with sharp stops and momentum deifying changes of direction, demonstrating the tremendous body control I talked about. In those attributes they are indeed remarkably similar but, to me, the City man displays even more control and greater balance than the Monaco player. Something which makes him more difficult to dispossess in tight areas. Where space permits Bernardo has the option to run away from people. Both are, unquestionably, outstanding talents. I don't see why it would be an injustice if Bernardo was not to join us but if that's just your way of saying you really hope we get him then so do I, and a lot of others judging by this thread.

There is a difference between "playing" better, and "being" better. Pedro is a good player whose form, on average, is better than it was last season. None of us need to be reminded that he is not alone in that. Pedro has not suddenly turned into Lionel Messi however. In terms of his individual qualities and attributes, he is the same player he always was. By the way, I don't agree with you about Matic. I talked earlier about my list of players I would replace. Nemanja is at the top of it. As for Mahrez, perhaps Antonio might get his best form out of him but there are a number of players I would prefer the club to target instead.

Again, Antonio's contribution, brilliant contribution, has been to play David in a role which suits him better.

Hello Jay, Everything you say about the qualities required to play the wingback role, and Moses's possession of those qualities, is true. My contention is that Victor always had those attributes in sufficient quantity to play his current role, but that he does not have them to the degree required to replace Pedro, for example. Victor never has had that level of talent and never will. He is not a better player now. He's just playing a role which suits his already existing talents better. I suppose we all have a list of players we would replace in an effort to improve our team, and squad. On my version of that list Victor comes in at number two. Along with Marcos Alonso he has played an important role in our improvement since September. Neither of them is the final answer at wingback however.

Great technique, superb balance, outstanding body control. Bernado's style reminds me more of his Manchester City namesake, than of Eden Hazard. I'd say the Frenchman is slightly less extravagantly talented than the Spaniard, but that he compensates with more pace. This lad is one of the reasons Monaco are right in the hunt for the title. If, and when, he leaves the principality there will be a long queue for his services.

OK, we have a straightforward disagreement. Victor is more effective, because he is put in situations he can cope with but, in terms of his capabilities, he is not any better. That being my opinion, you'll understand why I absolutely and totally disagree with your assessment.

It's a magnificent myth that Antonio has improved Moses. Victor is exactly the same player he ever was. All that has happened, is that Antonio has utilised him better. Victor is now performing a role which is within his limitations. Ask him to function as a wide attacker once more and he would not win a place in the side. The idea that Antonio has some kind of magic wand to transform journeymen into superstars is just wishful thinking.

Don't forget Bakayoko, who I really like, and Mbappe, who everybody seems to like.

Hence the need for a visit and, no doubt, a charm offensive to change JC's mind. My only experience of JC was at Chelsea. I therefore can't be as positive about him as you. Just because I guessed that Antonio's Turin trip might be linked with him does not mean that I want it to be.

Well yes, I did say Juve had bought JC in all but name. I'm reading you to mean that the calculated fee would be good for Chelsea and, in fact, that is what informed guess #1. It may be that Juve have also concluded that the agreed deal is rather good for Chelsea and might be willing to negotiate their way out of it and return the player instead. This prompts the thought that Antonio was over there checking out the pros and cons of bringing the Columbian back.

Guesswork theory number 1: Juve are now willing to renegotiate the deal under which the bought* Cuadrado. Antonio was running a final rule over the player before deciding if he wants to try to persuade Juan to return next summer. Guesswork theory number 2: Attending The Juventus Stadium was just camouflage. The real purpose of Antonio's Turin trip was to meet with Belotti and try to sell him the idea of joining Chelsea at the end of the season. *In all but name.

You're right in your assessment of the player but why can't you wait till this is done before you decide on who's to blame? For now, someone has made up a question, you've made up the answer and yet it's all the board's fault. Also what's with this attitude where any good signing is because Antonio knows football, and any bad one is because the board don't?

Someone made the point recently that Belotti is not yet proven.That's true but it's a question timing. If you wait until a player establishes himself there's a risk that the number of interested clubs will grow and that he might be taken by a team higher up the food chain. There comes a point therefore where you have to back your judgement. My own opinion is that this is a player worth investing a lot of money in. If our club tries to get ahead of the game and beat the rush for Belotti's signature, then I would be 100% behind that decision. I think his technical level is high, far higher than Diego's for example. It is very unlikely that the club would want to part with Diego but if our centre forward chooses to force the issue, then Belotti tops the list of potential replacements as far as I am concerned. Only in the areas of leadership and will to win would I rate Diego more highly than the young Italian. Those qualities are important and should not be dismissed, but I would not let them deter me from pursuing this player. In any case, Belotti may well have those. He certainly has a fire in his belly, and that is usually where those things begin.

Am I the only one who is fed up of these late winners and equalisers our title rivals keep grabbing. Sickeners every one. Don't answer that. I know I'm not.

I hesitate to say this after you told me that I didn't know what I was talking about when I predicted, before he signed, that Pato wasn't going to make it at Stamford Bridge, but... Jesus has not yet impressed me much. Some people in UK media are talking about him as if he is the new Pele but, based on what I've seen so far, his touch is not superstar tight and his footwork is not superstar sharp. We'll see if he blossoms, but up to now he has looked rather ordinary.

Like Morata, always have, but there are others I'd prefer. Belotti for example.

Those who like counting the money derived from prime time coverage in India.

I've no idea how many scouts we have, or how they are deployed. We do know however that the club has a team of people responsible for monitoring the loanees, and for giving them feedback of all of their displays. Those players get detailed feedback from Chelsea on each and every performance. Since such reports are being compiled the club must have them. At a guess I'd say that at least some of these are written 'off video' but we read many articles on TOCWS, and see many features on CTV, making it clear that Chelsea representatives are often in the crowd watching our loanees play. As for ME being top dog, Antonio has spoken a number of times about how he himself, has decided whether a player goes on loan or not. If you mean ME is top dog in terms of creating and maintaining the strategy itself then perhaps so. It would certainly make sense for that decision to fall within the functions of a Technical Director. Whether or not it actually does at Chelsea I don't think any of us know however. I believe that the whole academy idea is wrong headed and will evolve into something quite different over time. Meanwhile, in practical terms, players graduating from academies have too great a sell on value to be discarded in the huge numbers that would be required if the loan army were capped at no more than 5 lads at a time. This is true even of those destined for careers in the lower leagues so more brutal culls than the ones which already take place at ages 16, 18 & 21 would make little sense in footballing, or financial. terms. All of this is before we even consider the buy-to-loan policy. A policy which I think is necessary. I do agree with you that we need to do that part of the loan system differently. We need to be better at identifying the players with real potential. Our hit rate is far too low in that regard.

I'm a big Alonso fan but have to admit he was very bad in possession on Tuesday.

Hope it doesn't damage Southampton's ability to take points off our rivals.