OhForAGreavsie

How Chelsea's share of the transfer is to be paid would have been included in the transfer agreement between Chelsea and Ipswich. Ipswich, in turn, will have taken that into account when negotiating payment terms with Forest. Ultimately though it doesn't matter. Regardless of how they are actually paid, clubs apply amortisation to transfer fees for accounting purposes.

Every little helps. Thank you Nottingham Forest. Hope you get your man.

A big preference for Italian culture, Italian football, Italian weather, or all three?

Good player. I'm surprised she got so few minutes but we had seven or eight centre backs on the books and a very promising teenager who already starts for the Dutch national team has arrived this summer after being signed and loaned back to PSV last year. I think this is a good signing for Brighton and I hope we have a buyback. Bright has reached the veteran stage, although Buchanan extended last season I can't see her staying beyond her current deal, Nouwen has left, and youngster Akpom isn't showing any signs of earning first team minutes. I can see a situation where we will be shopping for CBs in a couple of seasons so a buy back in Mpome's deal would make sense.

Based on today's display by Gittens, Pedro N starts at left wing vs Palace. Fortunately for Jamie he has a week to show Maresca more than he did today.

In preference to the version of Gittens I watched today? Yes, Noni back. Absolutely. He was a little better on Friday, but still unconvincing. Today he did not look like a player having a bad day, he looked like a bad player. When he gives me something better to build hopes on, I will build them.

If today's display indicates the level we can expect from him then I seriously doubt he will start and sincerely hope he does not. I felt he was utterly hopeless today.

Good work. 🙂 Think it scans better if you take out making and elongate Chelsea instead. Most of all though I think it's far too many words for the Neanderthals that turn up at The Bridge. Most of us can't even count up to the number of words in that chant. 🙂

I didn't feel Trev looked convincing at LCB in any case. Several situations developed which proved Maresca's point about the desirability of a capable left foot for that role.

You're being generous.

Disappointed in what I've seen from him so far. He shows technical limitations and little, if any, football instinct. Based on these two displays I am extremely worried about this deal and the money paid.

I've obviously seen the score but I haven't watched any of the game from Wembley. Even without doing that however I was pretty certain that Palace will be a bigger test than we have faced against either of our opponents this weekend. Not too impressive a display from us today. Shows a real need for feet on the ground about the upcoming season.

Hated his performance today. All flash, no production. Thought he received far more praise than he deserved on Friday and today he showed nothing. If decisions are made on the basis of these two pre-season games, there is no way Gittens starts next weekend. I'm already very, very, doubtful about the wisdom of this transfer.

It is still my suspicion that Marc has told the club he does not want to return.

The interplay between Callum and Tino after Tino subbed on was fun to watch. I thought Saka's best moments in that final were in the first leg at The Bridge after coming on as a sub. In the second leg I felt he was petulant and ineffective. I especially enjoyed his sulking after his second half 'goal' was disallowed. Smith-Rowe was the star of the first half of the game at Chelsea, and Arsenal's best performer overall I felt.

That photo must be from the second leg of the 2018 FA Youth Cup Final. One of my favourite Chelsea performances ever. I sat behind one of the goals, as we totally outclassed them. Tino Anjorin's cameo as a second half substitute briefly had me believing that he could be a star.

Might be more to do with personality than performance. Given that Enso has silenced his critics, including the daily clamour from some here for him to be sacked, the club will require a complete climb down by Veiga before changing their stance. As far as can be judged from what we've seen play out, that doesn't seem likely. It's a fair guess that Veiga's idea about where he wants to play is at the heart of the problem because Maresca wants to impose a 'you'll play where I ask you to play' regime. If sacrificing Veiga is what it takes for the club to demonstrate its backing of the manager then that's what will happen.

Marc also has the advantage of being way more affordable than Murillo who would be my preference if money was no object. I think coughing up for the Brazilian might be unaffordable under uefa regulations.

We'd all agree though that such things play no part when assessing a player.

With circa £100m available to be won the club will; A) lobby fifa very hard for automatic qualification and, B) definitely participate if qualified. I absolutely want Chelsea to take part and attempt to successfully defend our crown.

They keep Isaak and we keep Jackson, or sell him elsewhere, is a good outcome for us. Isaak at Newcastle is dangerous, but not as dangerous as he would be at Liverpool.

Surprised it's taken this long for someone's interest in him to be made public. Brighton recruit so well.

For me there are two exceptions to that formula; centre forward, and goalkeeper. Keeper is non-negotiable, centre forward you could sneak by without a third if you have sufficient versatility within the squad. We tried that last season with people like Nkunku but it didn't work. Not convinced it would with current squad options either.

Trust me V, I wouldn't intentionally give you a wrong steer. The word 'quid' is not used in that way. I understand that you aren't aiming to present as a native English speaker, but if you were that subtle misuse would give you away. A bit like the strange, to German eyes, hand gesture which gives away one of the English characters in the film Inglorious Bastards.

Using quid in this sentence structure doesn't quite work in slang English. Go with, "IF a club dumped enough dosh...", instead. 🙂