OhForAGreavsie

My take is that Connor deserves something better than normal treatment. His parents trusted his footballing future to Chelsea when he was eight years old. Since then his attachment to the club has only deepened. It is not a crime to have your heart set on playing for Chelsea. He knows it's a business, and that with the size of contract available to him it has to be. The club can make it plain to him that he has only a limited role to play here in future, without displaying public signs of disrespect.

https://www.teamtalk.com/news/Chelsea-transfers-statement-98-million-double-man-city-raid-maresca-rival-job-offer

If this is true do people think we should and will Marc want to come back here?

If Palace want £60m their negotiating position is likely to be that this is the amount they want to net from the transfer. This would push the total transfer fee up to £75. Fine by me if Palace can pull it off.

Reports that we've accepted a bid from Villa for Lukaku. Don't believe for one minute that he will want to go there, so I wonder if Villa are just helping us out with our Napoli negotiations?

That's a reasonable argument, though I prefer a good fee and alternative ways to sure up the right of our attack until reinforcements arrive in summer 2025. Sterling, Nkunku, or Gusto for example.

Love to read this and looking forward to watching the game later.

I'm expecting/hoping that Lavia will be first choice. I see Enzo competing with KDH for minutes. If the latter can bring his Championship form to the Premier League then Enzo is going to have to show more than I feel I've seen from him so far or he is going to struggle.

I commented early last season that I didn't think Noni was right for us. Now, I'm hoping that the Newcastle rumours are correct and come to fruition.

I'm not watching the game but I'm enjoying reading positive comments about him. Think he's a good one.

No, PLEASE no! 🙂

My first smart phone was an iPhone. Never bought another one. That said, when ever I clicked into one of those streams my antivirus software screamed at me so I NEVER view these streams now

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.