OhForAGreavsie

I don't know if this was caught by the cameras but that outburst was in part a reaction to the fact that Zouma was criticising Brana throughout the game. Kurt's annoyance pleased me immensely. Not so much because he was right, that much is obvious, but because it seems to me to be a sign of growing self confidence. I have a long standing suspicion about Brana which dates back to the Swansea semi-final three years back. If correct it would offer an explanation for his often bizarre performances. I've no evidence to support my guess however and it's the sort of thing one shouldn't say without evidence. Bringing it back to Baba; how bad would he have to be to slip below Brana in the pecking order? Probably about as bad as he's looked in most of his first team appearances. I simply don't agree that a footballer gets selected just because he's young. First he has somehow to convince the coach to give him a try. Two managers have now made it clear that baba has not yet done that to their satisfaction.

Well we'll know in a fortnight.

Having read the media tonight...I'm inclined to think the 'youngsters filling the gaps' was more to do with other positions apart from striker as he name dropped Christian atsu and traore. Who are both wingers. His Bamford comments make no sense otherwise and neither do his comments about us needing more options upfront to avoid being in danger should Costa or re my be injured . Weird one Weird indeed. He didn't mention Christian or Bertrand in the broadcast portion of the conference so that statement must have come in the print section. Might he have been extending the list to also include players who represent an alternative to signing Pato to play as a wide attacker? He repeat the stuff about needing more options up top? Again he did not say that during today's broadcast. In fact what he did say on camera, was pretty much the exact opposite of that. My translation of the Bamford comment is that Guss has not seen anything from Patrick which makes him feel inclined to select the young striker and, as I say, I agree with that.

From a about 9:54

Ah, interesting to read an alternative take. I still feel he was being genuine however and that the new line could reflect that we have been turned down by our striking targets. Certainly that would add some perspective to what Guss said about the there being a new reality in the transfer market for Chelsea. Not so new I'd guess. Meanwhile, I agree with you about Tammy and I agree with Guss about Patrick.

Guus appeared to shut this down during today's media conference. When the subject of Pato was raised the coach talked about his existing striking options, mentioned the availability of some kids who can fill in the gaps and then said, "We don't need to do anything there. [recruiting strikers]" I know that some don't regard Pato as a striker but Guus seemed to. Leaving aside the possibility that Guss does not know what the club is planning, or is deliberately creating some misdirection, this comment seems to be a blow for the hopes of those who would like to see Pato join. Given his previous straight bat approach to questions about transfer speculation, the mere fact that the coach chose to engage with the question this time suggests the club are keen to distance themselves form Pato.

!

I doubt either one of us would like to live in a world where opinions about which manager picks which players is an issue over which the moral high ground could be fought. As for whether managers err less because they manage clubs you don't support, you've missed the point.

I think it's only fair to acknowledge, again, that it's not for me, or you, to dictate which club other people choose to follow and how they choose to give their support. Indeed, until I started using this place, I thought I was one of the more negative Chelsea fans around but there are people here who outclass me. The vitriol they pour over over our club and its staff is hard to distinguish from the behaviour of Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool fans. Disappointment, frustration, anger are all things people would notice in fans of all clubs from time to time. Underneath it all however the love they have for their football team burns unmistakably brightly. Some of the Chelsea fans who post here are hiding the light of that love under a very, very big bushel.

This is just the equivalent of the Oscar is tired nonsense. It's the sort of thing people say when they either do not want to be frank about a player because they are trying to sell him or else they are not prepared to accept the truth. The truth is that, Pato is useless. Stupid signing if it happens. P.S. Just to answer the rather reasonable question some may want to ask, I have not seen Pato kick a ball in Brazil. I did see him play for Milan however. His reputation is all smoke and mirrors.

I'd rather have Oscar.

Pato would be a flop and it would have nothing to do with luck.

No they don't. Just because the road travelled ain't good don't mean the road not travelled is better. Perhaps the managers who err less do so because they don't have the privilege of calling you a fan.

Is it worth considering that they have seen more than you have of the younger players and that both managers simply think you are wrong?

Hello Styles, I think you are continuing to put the cart before the horse on this. Dropping back is not elective. When the other side is behind and need to chase the game they press and this collection of players are not good enough to cope. That's what happened after the first few weeks of exuberance last season. Fortunately they had Jose to drag them to the title win by setting up in the only way this lot could win. Unfortunately that trophy seems only to have convinced some of our squad that they are as good as you perhaps think they are. They appear to have gotten it into their heads that they are too good to play Jose's way and downed tools. The league table is the result. Jose is partly to blame because he selected some of these players personally, but had they stayed on board with him the results would have been less bad than they have. You are right however to say that we need a raft of new players if we are to become competitive playing on the front foot. I said in the summer of 2013 that we needed eight new players to even begin to solve our problems. I think things might be even worse now.

Well, let's see how Guus's opinion on Baba develops but why do you think he has, up to now, made the same decision Jose did?

That's exactly why they can. Baba has not convinced either of the Chelsea managers he's played for that he merits a place in the side. Baba can hope that Guus's mind is not already set against him but it's a mistake to see this a Mourinho issue. When, and only when, he convinces the manager to pick him. Barring your appointment to the hot seat that's his only route into the team. You are clearly unhappy about it but does it tell you nothing that both Guus & Jose have preferred Branna, even at his at his present level, over Baba?

Judge it at the end DF. I know you know this stuff already but just to be explicit:- Where there is no binding buy-out clause, selling clubs have little or no incentive to sell early. They know that the looming deadline is their friend. The only circumstance in which a club might sell early is when they need the money and no other club is competing for the player we want. If the player is of the quality both you and I would like to see recruited then there are bound to be other suitors and that always puts paid to a quick outcome. Even if there is no other potential buyer however, few selling clubs need the money so desperately that they can't wait a few weeks for the deal to be done. Lack of result is not a sign of lack of activity.

Thanks Tomo. I don't agree but, unless we get reliable confirmation either that there were offers from top English clubs, or that there were not, we won't be able to settle it.

Another Chelsea fan site held a poll in April last year asking which youth prospect was most likely to make it to Chelsea first team level. Jay got my vote. His talent is immense but there is no escaping the fact that his diminutive stature increases the challenge he faces in breaking through. My selection didn't change the fact that, between them, Jay and Charlie Colkett collected less than 1.5% of the nominations in that poll. This suggests to me that most of the votes were cast by people who don't actually watch our development squads play.

There's no such thing as consistent.

There was never going to be a second leg under any circumstance but I know what you mean. You'd be the first to point out, I know, that there is a lot more to playing full back than good crosses but we've seen little evidence of them from Baba in a Chelsea shirt anyway. He has made eight appearances; one was decent, one just about tolerable, and the rest ranged from poor to appallingly bad. So bad as to prompt speculation that if Baba trained as poorly as he played on those occasions, we might never see him in the first team again. Well we haven't seen much of him and there is clearly a reason for that. Hiddink's line up against Scunthorpe pleased me because it suggests that his priorities are where I want them to be. I want to win the FA Cup. I'd be delighted to win with kids, but defeat with kids is of no use to me. I've read the argument that the presence academy graduates would be some sort of consolation in the event of defeat but I don't agree with that line of thought. If we lose with what Guus sees as his best XI then that is a consolation. At least then there would be no doubt that he had tried to win. If, however, the coach put out a side he felt was not our best, then defeat would attract my fury. I don't want consolation, I want Chelsea to compete for the magnificent trophy which was on the line at the weekend. To those who ask how Hiddink can know if this player, or that player, is good enough unless they are played, I say that this is exactly what Hiddink is paid to decide. The only way for young players to get their names on the team sheet is to convince managers that they have the required abilities and attributes, and that all they lack is experience. They have to sell that idea to the coach with what they do in training, in development squad matches or out on loan. If they are unable to do that then they will not get minutes, and nor would they deserve to.

Whether Bertrand can carry our ambitions up top is far from certain but I definitely agree that he's the better talent of the two.

Huddersfield was not the only example either. How many times did rested starters have to come off the bench to rescue us in cup ties? Quite a few.

Let's not give up hope that it won't happen but, if it does, it would not be their first of the Roman era.