OhForAGreavsie

This is why I've said that if KDH earns a place in the side Enzo is getting benched.

I've loved that stadium since I first set eyes on it, but I love it even more now that you've told me about the 'bricks and mortar' prices. Add in the overall attitude of the owner and the total package is just magnificent. If only The Blues had one like it. 🙁

Although neither of them were happy here, and one barely played for us, we signed a couple of world class players from Genk. It can't happen again can it?

Caicedo is with the squad in the US. Training but not playing.

Technically he had already officially left when his contract was cancelled.

I have a positive expectation of Lavia but this is reasonable enough.

I share your optimism about him. IF KDH earns minutes then I think Lavia might actually force a big name out of the side for spells.

Fitness demonstration and a bit of hopeful shop-windowing?

Was Alvarez a part of the choir?

I think we're simply short of numbers in the midfield so he's an extra body until reinforcements arrive.

More than this, many of the situations you need to see handled several times to get a sense of his actual level might not happen at all during the game you watch.

If you're right about Maresca's opinion then I must say I agree with him. I see Cesare's level as being barely good enough to serve as an option of last resort for the side we've been recently. That leaves him a long way short of being a seriously contributing squad member for the side we used to be, and wish to be again.

Well we did try to do that. It was JT who turned the move down and saved Ken Bates from making the biggest transfer gaffe in the club's history.

I have to say that I'm not excited about this deal. If she had joined after leaving Lyon that would have been a different story, but now I find that I'm hoping this will work out, rather than expecting it to. On the world Cup final; it was one of those slow motion car crashes wasn't it. You could see, as Lucy carried the ball further and further, that she was running into greater and greater danger. You could also see the gaping gap in the right back area that would be exploited instantly if there was a turnover. Where we differ a little, and I may have to watch the replay to confirm that I still see it the same way I did at the time, is that I do not entirely, or even primarily, blame Bronze. I was screaming at the telly for someone to give her an angle for a pass and, if I am remembering it correctly, you could tell from our right back's body language that she was asking for the same. Anyway, that's history, and Lucy is now a Blue. I bought my Kingsmeadow season ticket and Stamford Bridge package yesterday, so now I'm crossing my fingers about this move.

That's stark and a big surprise to me. I really liked the look of Adeyemi before he moved to Dortmund.

Why?

The club's website already lists 38 members of the women's first team squad. Jean-Francois would be number 39, and Lucy Bronze makes 40. The size of our squad is what got us out of trouble last season when the injury crisis hit, but 40 is beyond unwieldy. We have to expect some departures and some loans before the season proper begins.

Looking for a left footed 4 who can also play at 55? 🙂 LB & CB maybe?

I'm repeating myself I know but beat Aston Villa at home in October and we would now be preparing for a Champions League season. Because we endured last season we know that the team felt a very long way short of Champions League quality but, in the end, we were actually closer that it feels we were. I'm not looking for the team to go from near zero to hero in the upcoming season. I want clear progress and reason to believe in the direction of travel.

Took the words out of my mouth. Nine hours before I even said it. 🙂

Based on information, hoping, or just asking?

I hadn't thought about that. Excellent point.

Ah, that's a bit better. It doesn't rule out the possibility that he is leaving because he does not like the direction of travel, but at least he wasn't pushed. To go from talking him up, and effectively promoting him, to kicking him out would not bode well for our management. It's still significant however that Frasier is also leaving. The chances of this being coincidence is obviously slim.

All of these are arguable cases I grant you but; Abraham, Ake, Guehi, Livramento, Mount, Musiala, Rice, and Tomori are a few who could be discussed. All of these qualify as solid squad players at the least. That's not a bad record when you consider the level at which we were competing, and competing against sides which are basically drawn from the entire globe. Remember there are geographic restrictions concerning which players can be recruited by club academies. No club, not even the supergiants, will produce a world class first XI featuring a majority of homegrown players except in very rare circumstances.

I'm stunned by this. I posted a comment sometime in the last 24 hours in which I said that I wondered what Neil Bath thought of how Cobham youngsters were being managed by the club. I suppose this gives us a clue. The one thing I can say for the owners on this is that it shows a great deal of self confidence and a splash of ruthlessness. Not so long ago they were talking about Bath in a way which lead me to believe they agreed with my assessment that he was the club's most valuable employee. BlueCo keep rolling the dice. If they come up good all will be forgiven. If they don't all the owners have to lose are a few billions. We, on the other hand, have our hearts on the line. From a practical point of view I imagine they will have paid up Neil Bath's contract and placed him on gardening leave.