OhForAGreavsie

Which great young players has he failed to integrate?

Our manager made it clear even before last season ended that he was looking for players to add to what he had and he has confirmed that we began trying to secure those targets six months ago. We know too, or think we know, that the club is financially comfortable so that's the background against which we can each make our guesses about what's happened this summer. My own is that we have either been unable to attract the players we want or we are not willing to pay the stupid prices and or wages we have been asked for. In the case of being unable to attract a target, we are all familiar with that particular version of Catch-22. We are a good side, with good players. To improve us it will take great players but great players are in high demand. There are a number of clubs that such players are more likely to want to join in preference to us. It's entirely possible that players like Turan and Varane, with whom we were linked, would prefer to be rotational options for those clubs rather than start for us. This is not a new situation but it is a real one. In the case of not wanting to be mugged off, I fully support that stance. It's not that we can't afford stupid prices, look at the already ridiculous bids reported to have been made for Stones, it's just that there has to be a line and I, for one, would be delighted if the club is refusing to cross it. If it means we'll struggle to win, I'll live with it. If it means that any wins we do manage will be uglier than I'd like, I'll live with that too. Other guesses are available of course.

I think you are reading the runes wrongly here R-B. It seems to me that Jose wanted/wants to strengthen. Clearly something is getting in the way of us achieving that aim but, whatever it is, it is not the manager's stubbornness. As is the case with any manager, Jose has to say things designed to sound like he is satisfied with the situation. No manager can ever afford to say, my squad isn't good enough and we're in trouble. Consider all of his statements however, and it's hard to conclude anything other than that TSO knows we need reinforcements. If we can't get them then it's frustrating, but there must be good reasons for it.

Who do you have in mind VK? Off the top of my head I can't think of any LB in our development squad who has played the position all his life.

And let's not forget that we won the last FA Cup at the old Wembley.

Neil, There can't be a single Chelsea fan who, looking at your render, does not want to see it happen tomorrow. I can only imagine one problem with it. How on earth will the real thing ever live up to your work?

Not long back. Enjoyed the occasion and the win but saw the most bizarre thing. The Arsenal squad won the girls youth cup and did a lap of honour with it shortly before kick-off. What do you think happened? Chelsea fans applauded them all the way round. Some of us even cheered. Was really proud of the Blues fans and pleased for the young ladies. Some of them looked very young and it must have been a big moment for them. It would have been horrible if they'd been given stick. As for the game I thought we fully deserved it although County had their moments. Didn't agree with the official MOTM though. Eni had a brilliant 20 minutes but Gemma Davidson was outstanding all afternoon going forward and working back. Felt she should have got the nomination. Delighted for Ji with her goal. Truth be told it wasn't Ji's day so the goal was something good to take away from what otherwise would have been a forgettable outing.

It absolutely, 100%, was a reference to issues around the transfer. I watched the press conference and there is no room for doubt whatsoever. We all know by now that Jose expresses himself very awkwardly at times. This may have been one of those but his meaning was nevertheless clear.

Firstly, re your earlier comment that people were aiming Jibes at the player. In my case at least, and in Barbara's too actually, that's completely inaccurate. I hope you'll agree that my post contains many observations and some admiration but not a single jibe. Secondly, no one is assigning traits to the player. If I assert that Arsenal's home shirt is predominantly red that's another observation, not an assignation. Someone else might say that it's more accurate to call it scarlet, or flame, or whatever. If they doubt the quality of my assessment of the colour, that's fine but they'd be stretching it to claim I had not seen what was right in front of me. In any case, the implication of the post to which I am replying is that you agree with what Barbara has said about Kennedy. You don't say the observations are wrong, you just say that the player has time to change them, to develop. Well, that's an opinion that many will share but it does not mean that, right now, Barbara's views are incorrect. Thirdly, you say there is not yet sufficient data on which to base an assessment of Kennedy's traits, and that 19 is too young an age to judge. Well that also is an opinion with which many would agree, but not me. There are some things a player can improve and some things he cannot. If talent could be improved by coaching and hard work then why isn't every professional footballer as good as Lionel Messi? Why don't they all just practice a little harder till they are? Training and effort enable a player to make the most of what he has, but it doesn't alter what he has. His talent level is his talent level, and he's stuck with it. I ask you to reconsider my post on Kennedy. I think you'll agree that there are observations but no jibes. I hope you'll also agree that there is praise for the kid and a even a suggestion about how he might make a contribution here. The young man is not blessed with silky touch or tremendous close dribbling skills however, and he shouldn't be encouraged to believe that he is. If he tries to play like Hazard he'll flop; if he learns to play like Bale he could achieve something.

You know the answer to that question but I don't see the point you're making.

Entirely possible for players to score hatricks without it indicating that their finishing is crisp.

My view is that it is possible to tell very quickly. That said, your observation obviously makes sense so we should follow your lead and give the lad more time to demonstrate his level.

Anyway, leaving contrasting views on Kennedy's contractual situation aside, an encouraging performance from the lad vs Barca. As everyone is pointing out, great hustle, great power, good pace and that fabulous pass too. The question being asked before kick-off last night was why Kennedy had been selected ahead of others but I think we've seen the answer. Jose must absolutely love this bloke's attitude. (RLC please, please, please take note.) Kennedy's technique is not great in my opinion. His third touch may not always be a tackle, but it often is and far too frequently it is made at a stretch. In that sense he reminds me, as I've said before, of Lukaku. Romelu struggled thinking he was better than in fact he is, but Kennedy looks like he might be more ready to understand, and accept, that he isn't Lionel Messi. If Kennedy takes that fully on board, doesn't waste possession trying to dribble like Hazard, and concentrates instead on his strengths, he could make a contribution. If Kennedy is looking for a role model he could do worse than Gareth Bale. Similar attributes I think. Perhaps not at a similar level but of a similar type and with similar ways to make an impact.

Thanks Henrique. Yes I understand all of that very well and have previously written about it at some length. My earlier point was made in response to the assertion that Kennedy is not a Fluminense player. I maintain that, in terms of who he can play for, he is. If his transfer to Chelsea is ever to be completed, the owners of his economic rights will have to transfer that ownership to Chelsea but Fluminense will also have to confirm to FIFA that they have relinquished his registration. The owners of his economic rights do not, and cannot, own his registration. Registrations might be used by third parties to establish the value of a player's economic right's but such parties cannot actually own the registration. Only clubs affiliated with a FIFA recognised national body, such as The FA or CBF, can do that.

Not so. This misinterpretation is caused by the shorthand we all use when talking about player ownership. No one, and no organisation ever owns a player. What is owned is the players economic rights and, more importantly, his registration. The economic rights affect who the player may, or may not, sign a contract with but it's the registration which affects who he can, or cannot, play for. The Brazillian club own his registration so Kennedy is a Fluminense player. For now.

That'll do for me. Get him off, wrap him up.

I'm a lot more excited about seeing this game now. Something to discover.

Good finish too. It was a good chance to be fair but he collected the ball neatly, organised his feet quickly and drove home left footed from the edge of the box.

Not sure Sirigu could have saved it if he'd been standing on his right hand post.

I think I'm KDB's biggest fan around here and suspect that, barring our Belgian members, I've watched him play more often than anyone else who posts here. I watched him play for Genk after he had been signed and loaned back, I watched every game he played for Bremen which didn't clash with our fixtures and I watched every Belgium international for two seasons. Internationals during which he pretty much always outplayed Eden. I became a fan because I was so impressed with what I saw from KDB during those five months for Genk. I believed that the talent he demonstrated gave him a chance to be a formidable contributor for Chelsea. There was a lot to admire in his play; his awareness around the box, his tremendous range of passing, brilliant shooting and his top of the line crosses. Here's the thing however, I've seldom been so impressed with him since. Kevin attracted a lot of praise for his efforts at Bremen but undeservedly so in my opinion. There were good displays of course in the 20 odd performances I saw but, while I acknowledge that most people remember this differently, in my opinion there were also some dreadful ones. There were many times when I felt sure KDB would be dropped by Thomas Schaff after outings that featured sloppy passing, ineffective decisions, and serious tactical indiscipline. He never was benched however. There was a brief moment when my optimism returned after that amazing assist against Hull at The Bridge. It had a beautiful simplicity and absolute perfection that encapsulated what I liked about KDB in the first place. Unfortunately my hopes that we would see Genk Kevin were dashed and I felt that what we saw in a Chelsea shirt was the Werder Bremen version. By the time Jose allowed him to leave, I was forced to admit that it was probably the right decision. Since then I've only seen Kevin in internationals and in four games for Wolfsburg. In just one of those, vs Bayern, did he play well. Admittedly he was spectacular in that match but Bayern were amateurish and played directly into Kevin's strengths. They got exactly what they deserved as he tore them apart. The upshot is that I think KDB flatters to deceive and I would be surprised if he is able to repeat the incredible statistical output he achieved last season. As I say, I'm a big fan and I'd be delighted if he does but in the end I don't think Kevin is as good as those numbers make him appear to be.

In our history maybe but obviously not the best full stop.

I read a post somewhere here that the club were hoping Kenedy would be granted a UK work permit. No idea on what authority that claim was made but, if it's true then presumably they are waiting for the completion of that process before deciding his loan destination.

In the first post I was speculating about whether Diaby could be signed to a pay-as-you-play deal. It then emerged that he had turned down exactly such an offer to stay at Arsenal so it seemed he must be seeking guaranteed wages. It is now being reported however that the mooted deal with West Brom, if it comes off, will be pay-as-you-play after all. On that basis recruiting Diaby is very low risk; amounting pretty much to the opportunity cost of having someone else in the squad instead. Since, in any case, our group looks set to be rounded out by youngsters who can be listed without affecting the number of senior players named, I'd say that risk is really no risk at all. Obviously the odds are stacked against Diaby ever recovering full fitness but, in my opinion, he's such a good player that I would definitely go for this. Has to be acknowledged though that if Chelsea were interested you'd think he'd be headed to Montreal right now, not to the Midlands. Shame.

No idea about about the 6 signings in the pipeline, naturally, but you are quite right about Jose of course. We all know that managers are far more likely to try to conceal the truth than tell it when talking about transfer activity. Jose made it quite clear that we went into the window wanting signings so it's an easy deduction that the club has tried to follow through. Maybe we still have irons in the fire, maybe our targets have all turned us down, maybe we've refused to be taken for a ride over fees or wages, maybe all of these have occurred, maybe none of them have. Whatever the reason for the lack of major signings, the one reason we can rule out is the club not thinking reinforcements are necessary. When the need for strengthening is so clear to virtually all of us, how arrogant would we have to be to imagine that the club cannot see the obvious too?

Well no doubt we'll see what happens.