OhForAGreavsie

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.

I have no opinion about whether we should sign Stones but if we still want him then not making a further bid at this stage is exactly the right tactic. Everton will turn down whatever bid we make now, and they'll keep turning bids down. We're well advised to hold fire until late in the window if we're serious about Stones. Anything we offer now will only serve to raise Everton's expectations about the final fee.

It's done and he's off to Arnhem. Welcome Danny and good luck in Holland. Hope to see you in blue one day.

Quality finish from Remy.

Didn't see the game but when he was linked with us in the winter I watched some you tube vids and, as I said at the time, he looked much better than Cuadrado in terms of technical ability. That Bayern side will always provide a platform gor technical players to show what they can do. Looking forward to seeing him over the course of the season. The other Bundesliga newcomer I hope to see a few times is Muto at Mainz. Our approach for him was widely dismissed as a PR stunt in the wake of the deal with Yokohama but I quite liked what I saw of him. Hope he makes an impact and does not just end up warming the bench.

As I read your post I was rehearsing a reply to talk about one of the crazier ideas I've ever posted - a draft but I see you're on to that too. I think it would be a brilliant thing that would heighten interest and make money for all concerned. Don't have time now but when I do I'll say more about this in one of the dedicated youth threads.

Actually I think the whole academy system is going to experience changes and that more and more top level clubs will follow our way of doing things. Most such clubs already recognise loans, or work placements as they would be called in other areas of education, as an important part of the process. That can only grow. Development football has too little to offer young players beyond the U18s. (U19s for Champions' League clubs.) I used the word education deliberately because academies are just schools and, like all schools, they cannot promise students a job. They cannot even promise that individual students will reach a level to be considered for a job. All they can hope to do is help each student make the most of their talent, help them become the best footballer they can. Like top employers in any walk of life, elite clubs should be in the business of recruiting the best students out of the education process, not running the schools themselves. I believe that over the next 20 years, the way clubs operate will change to reflect this reality. The club trained requirements will have to go first of course but I believe that authorities will come to accept them for the phenomenal waste of money that they are at elite level and give them the heave ho. Home grown requirements are enough.

Yes, as Jose put it the '04-'06 sides were points machines but, in my opinion, that was due largely to Jose's structure and the unbelievable magnificence of Terry, Gallas, Carvalho & Cech at the base of the team. As an attacking force were frequently disjointed or worse. I never felt as confident in the ability of those sides to deliver trophies as I did about any of the other sides I've listed above. Not for one day.

Kellz, Of course I believe you but, as I see it, this statement registers you as less ambitious for our team than I am. I do not think the '04 - '07 era team was dominant. Not dominant enough anyway. I remember listening to a phone in where an Everton fan reacted to us winning at Goodison by describing us as, the worst Champions he had ever seen. I think I remember the call because I pretty much agreed with him. We were clunky a lot of the time, frequently had poor passing days and the most common media wrap up on our games was, Chelsea weren't at their best today. A euphemism for crap a lot of the time. Of course, Jose being Jose, those teams collected points as fast as we could count 'em but that doesn't satisfy all my hopes for this club. I've been alive a long time and have supported sides that really were the best; Lancashire's one day teams of 69-75, the Big Red Machine of '75 & '76, the Washington squad that won Superbowl XXVI, and even the Chelsea U19 sides that should have won the inaugural UEFA Youth League and which corrected that foul up last season. I know what it's like when your team is the best, I know the confidence it brings and I know the attitude which comes with that confidence. I have never once experienced that feeling as a supporter of Chelsea's first team. My point here is that I bow to no man, or woman, in my ambition for this club or the demands I make of its teams. Forgive me, I try very hard to communicate respectfully at all times yet I'm going to drop my guard for a moment because the point being made here seems to me to be nonsense. The only difference between last summer and this one is that we succeeded in signing two of our main targets in 2014 whereas this time around we are clearly finding it more difficult. That does not mean that we do not see the need to improve or that we are not trying to do it. Of course, given the lack of movement so far, Jose has to play it cool with his comments but more fool anyone who believes them. Managers always lie, they have to. They never want to sell players, until they do. Their squads only ever need slight adjustments then they go and sign half a dozen players. It's a game and we all know how it works. Let's examine last summer; there are at least two sides closer to Cesc's heart than Chelsea but neither wanted him. We got him because he was available. Diego has a fantastic scoring record but he does not have the technical finesse which clubs higher up the food chain like to acquire. He is not a Barca or Madrid type and none of; Van Gaal, Guardiola, Pelligrini or Wenger would go for him either. We got him because he was available. Of course we had/have targets this summer, Jose has made that clear both explicitly and implicitly. Last year's targets just turned out to be easier gets than this summer's. That is all. It's plain ridiculous to assume that because we haven't yet succeeded in this market that it must mean we are relaxed about it. Why? Have we become a finishing school? I watch all development games broadcast by CTV and am a big fan of some of our young footballers. I'd love to see as many of them as deserve to, make a breakthrough here but this is not a goal in itself. This is not the aim of the football club. Our aim is competing at the level demanded by our resources. Who is in the team while we do that matters a whole lot less than how good the team is. Now if some youngsters step up and prove to be good enough to strengthen our side, then that's one thing, but a youngster for a youngster's sake is just vanity and gets us nowhere.

Taking the totality of what Jose has said about new recruits since before the end of last season, how can you possibly reach that conclusion? Can people not see that Jose is reacting to events and saying things which are dictated by the situation? Should he say we've been trying to sign good players but weren't able to so now we'll go for some second rate players instead? All managers find themselves in these difficulties when it comes to public statements and I know everyone here is as aware of this as I am so why are people so hell bent on taking manager speak so literally all of a sudden? We all know the squad needs improvements, Jose knows it, and has said it. If circumstances dictate that he makes other statements now, well that's just one of the requirements of his job.

You are taking Jose's words too literally and not giving sufficient weight to the fact a manager has many audiences when he speaks. Do you want him to say this squad isn't good enough, that it desperately needs help only to then find himself facing the same faces on August 8th because the recruitment hasn't worked out? Or perhaps you want him to say we'll pay any price just to get players in so that clubs inflate their already ridiculous asking prices, and agents their wage demands, still further? I thought Jose's statements on transfer activity, since before the end of last season, were transparent and easy to read. How long for? As far as you're concerned will the same apply next year? And the year after, and the year after that and so on? Do we hold a celebration parade if we get 2 young players playing fifteen senior games a season each or does it have to be 3 lads playing 20 games each before we all get the flags out trapes down to Eel Brooke Common?

Just liking this post, as I did, isn't enough so I'm quoting it because I hope people will read it again and again.

I know you watch development games so you will have seen Ake play LB as often as I have. For me however it's not his position. To me he looks out of place there. That said Jose, and Steve Clare I'm told, played him there so if the loan to Leicester comes off it'll be interesting to see if he gets minutes and where he gets them.

Might it be that Jose is taking advantage of the fact that there is no loan arranged yet to have a look at him, to spend time with him, and to try to learn something about his personality?

The figures relate to tickets sold, not bums on seats. Arsenal do pretty much sell out all of their games but actual attendances are often down from capacity due to no shows.

Completely agree. I've often said that we were lucky to win The Double. We were ordinary in the first half of that term but we got out of trouble because, by an amazing coincidence, Drogba, Lampard, Malouda and even Kalou, all happened to hit the form of their lives at exactly the same time. It was never going to happen again. It couldn't.

Right again. I love Rami. Before Eden's emergence he was my favourite Chelsea player but, notwithstanding that, I've been saying for four years that we need an upgrade. Although no one can replicate the little man's stamina, Vidal matches his attitude and his work rate while offering an all round game that is way in advance of Rami's. It's easy to see why so many, myself included, would like us to get Vidal but I share your frustration with the way some have represented their thoughts in this thread. To guess, without a scrap of evidence, that the club has no interest in Vidal, and then to condemn it based on that guess, is a strange way to see things. To then claim that if we do not try to get Vidal it means that Jose thinks we are already good enough, is stranger still. I'd like Vidal, you'd like Vidal, lots of people would like Vidal but if Jose prefers someone else, would that mean he does not see the need to better ourselves? That doesn't follow at all and, in any case, Jose has made it clear that he believes we do need to improve and he even explained why. There is therefore absolutely no need to be guessing what he thinks on the subject. What I've said here isn't remarkable. It is in fact nothing less than a statement of the obvious yet it seems some people are apt to forget the obvious, for a moment at least, when they post.

Understood, and I agree with your take on this. My post was just relaying the info that Vidal remains up for grabs potentially.

From The Mirror: - Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has admitted that his side are in for Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, but says a deal is not yet done. "I've read about it and I'm not going to hide the fact that we are interested in him, but I read that it was all wrapped up and I cannot confirm that," he has told reporters. "As I've said, we're interested, but we're not yet so far that we've discussed details and signed contracts, so we need a bit of patience. I hope at the end of the day he will come."

As I understand it, Bertrand has been at Chelsea, unofficially, since he was 14. Unofficially because of the restrictions imposed by FIFA rules and UK work permit regulations. If that understanding is correct then I'd say Chelsea have had a role in his development and could therefore see him, at least partially, as their youth product. I agree though that he is not 100% a Chelsea production, like RLC.