OhForAGreavsie

One thought which is growing on me is that Antonio is doing a Joe Gibbs. Gibbs, legendary coach of Washington's NFL side, was famous for showing absolutely nothing in pre-season. HIs team only ever ran 'vanilla' plays. Not a single one of Washington's key plays or sets was ever called until the regualar season got underway. We're seeing only one of the atacking players who is likely to start the season. As for the scoreline, it's mainly individual quality that is beating us at the moment. They have it and we don't.

OK, fair enough Ola was disposessed, but it's Matic's outrageous one-footedness which is to blame for the second goal. Half the passing angels on the pitch are closed to him. That time there was a simple and effective right foot pass available but he couldn't take it so he went back instead and that forced a pass which then gave Ola no option but to take on his man and that led him to run into trouble. Matic is not the answer.

I don't agree with you about the club not trusting youngsters and not encouraging managers to select them but, first, I'm hoping that Victor is ready for a reality check. Having been basically a squad player at Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham, is Victor now ready to accept that this is the function he is suited for at Premier League level? If he isn't, that's perfectly understandable, but if he is willing to accept the situation then I'd be happy to keep him in that role. I am not as bullish as some people are about Charly Musonda's prospects but he does have a chance of making an impact here so, from a squad planning point of view, it might make more sense to keep someone like Victor as a 'place holder' for him, rather than to invest in an expensive acquision who would only get in Charly's way later on. The energy, the finance and the emotional commitment thrown at the academy make it clear that youth development is much more than just a contractual obligation for the club. Having seen all of that investment in Cobham, it would be crazy for us to think that the club is not interested in the results. Every manager of the Roman era, bar Claudio, has spoken of how the club wants to develop youngsters. If that is not evidence that they are being encouraged then what is? If Cobham has not developed any players who the manager wants to pick, what do we suggest the club can do to push the actual selection of the kids? Perhaps refuse to provide the cash for senior recruits and hope that improves the odds for some kids? Has anyone seen any evidence that such a thing might have been tried? I'd say perhaps we have. If that is so then it suggests that the club puts too much trust in our youngsters, not that it lacks faith in them.Ultimately however the club should not, and does not, directly interfere with the manager's choices. That would be going too far with the encouragement. I've often argued that it takes a long, long time to develop kids through an academy structure and so it does. It is, in my opinion, still too early to pass a definitive judgement on the work being done at Cobham but maybe, for the first time, we can begin to form some opinions. As we do that however, I'd ask people, prticularly those with an anti-Jose outlook, to bear in mind that the players who were not considered ready last season are now a year older and, at their age, a year makes a big difference.

Which is why I don't want Rom.

Despite what Anders has said about dreaming of a Chelsea future, Gladbach would not be pursuing this transfer unless they knew he'd be prepared to join them I'm not caling the lad a liar, I'm sure that his statement is more than just a well advised bit of public relations but, when faced with a choce between a dream and a reality, it's hard to completely turn your back on reality. Gladbach will be reminding Anders about the difficulty he faces getting into the Chelsea team and they'll be asking him this question, "What does it tell you if Chelsea are prepared to enter into negotiations with us about your transfer?"

My attitude is simply that if Costa leaves, he leaves. As long as we get a good fee that is.

I must say I like Higuain but I understand the point you're making. Even so, Juve haven't really overspent. What they've done, or will have done if United go through with it, is swap Pogba for Higuain and a pile of cash. That must be quite easy to justify to themselves.

It is obviously not just the players who are preparing for the season!

Seems you two need to get a coffee and work this out.

disagree about Brana & JT Even with no further signings this squad is superior to the one with which Jose won the league. As for sitting deep, it's to the credit of good manager that he uses a shape which gives his team the best chance to win.

Presumeably after Jose's has been completed?

I hope United walk away. Whether measured in Sterling or Euros, the 100m is already beyond the pale, Throw in the agent's fee and if United pay this clubs, players and their representatives will loose all restraint when doing business with Premier League teams. Only by refusing these silly demands can our clubs hope to curb the outrageous excesses of the transfer market. If, on the other hand, they cave in on these fees then just wait till you see the numbers on next season's price tags!

I have to admit that it's been a very long time since I felt Nate had Chelsea chances. In fact, I have been suggesting it would be best if he was allowed to leave.To be fair to the lad however, his preseason form has not come out of the blue; he was good in Austria, but he was brilliant in Toulon. Fingers crossed that this is an indication of where his game is now and not just a misleading patch of form.

Except that might mean we also had them last year in which case 10th would have been completely out of the question and so Antonio might not even be here.

Just to add that, in those videos he also carries the ball really well. As I commented earlier, he looks to me like he could also be effective as a DM. Indeed, unless I'm misremembering, I think someone said that he has plyed DM at times. At the €60m reported last week, I'd start to loose interest but at the €45m suggested this morning I'd have no hesitation. In comparison, Victor Lindelof looks very ordinary to me.

Last season it was mainly Jay Dasilva and Kevin Wright who has now been released.

No he wasn't. He was, mainly, very good in the first half of the title season but he was, mainly, average or worse, in the second half and has remained so since.

I don't suppose the player would choose Everton over Chelsea. I'm certain however that his agent will keep the possibility of joining Everton open as long as possible in order to encourage Chelsea to maximise their contract offer. Of course the agent may also be keeping the possibility of a move to Chelsea open only to encourage Napoli's new contract offer. Let's hope not. Let's hope that only half of this agent's tongue is forked. ?

See, you are not a stupid person.

I have read many of your posts. You are not a stupid person and I won't change my mind just because you sometimes post stupid things like this.

Which just proves my point that, just because a player declares publicaly that he wants to move, it does not mean that he will.

As Jose said, "Last year (meaning 2013/14) there were some players I wanted to sell." My suspicion is that Napoli will sell but they appear to have a bidding war going and they will milk it for all it is worth. Spurs, on the other hand, did not want to sell. Not to Chelsea anyway. Just beacuse a player wants to move, it does not compel the club that owns his registration to do business. They have options.

Modric wanted to leave Spurs for west London. Didn't happen.

Thank you Leif. Will you help me with something please? Why is this idea so popular no matter how often it is refuted? Napoli will not name a price. Like all negotiators finding themselves in a strong position, they believe that naming a price only puts an upper limit on what they might be offered. Instead they will just sit tight refusing any, and all, offers until they believe they have wrung the highest possible bid out of the market. Then, and only then, will they decide if they want to accept that offer. When will they know for sure that they've got the best offer they'll get? That's up to them but around about tea time on deadline day they might start to believe that interested clubs have gone as far as they will. Meanwhile, any offer made today will automatically be rejected as Napoli just ride this thing and see how far it takes them. Napoli own the registration of a player they like, one they are perfectly happy to keep. They have him contracted for three more years on a wage they can afford and they do not need the cash a transfer might generate. There is no downside for them here so it's their party and their tunes. If we want the prize we just have to dance their dance.

I've read this self-contradictory post and you clearly do not know how things work.You also do not know what offers Chelsea have, or have not, made to Napoli but you feel free to criticise them for not doing it anyway. You are confused.