OhForAGreavsie

Nice idea. Has Zakaria done enough to warrant us offering to convert his loan to a permanent deal? That would clear space for a loan. Juve would be tempted I'm sure but could too early to make the call on Zak.

According to Chris Sutton, Lavia was 'supurb' for Southampton tonight. That's doubly bad news for those of us who would like us to sign him. First, it can only make Southampton more determined to hold on to him for their relegation fight. Second, it gave City a first hand encouragement to exercise their buy back option. There is no way we can pay Southampton enough money to compensate them for being relegated, so I think only a cash plus player, or players, deal even has a chance of tempting them. It could take two, or even three, players who they think can help them plus cash. Auba/DDF, Connor, anyone else?

I reckon it's just Barca looking to turn a profit. They are probably wanting him back for free with the intention of selling him again next summer for another few million. Hopefully we will calculate carefully if we can do better by holding on and putting him on the market ourselves in summer.

A question: Is anyone here planning to be at the Emirates on Sunday to watch their first live game of women's football?

Big game for the girls this weekend; Arsenal (2nd) vs Chelsea (Top) at The Emirates. We sold out our allocation weeks ago, but tickets are still available through Arsenal. So far more than 40,000 seats have been sold: - https://www.eticketing.co.uk/arsenal/EDP/Event/Index/3032?position=3 BBC preview (UK only): - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0dqgkkd/the-football-news-show-the-wsl-returns TV UK: Sky Outside the UK: The FA Player (https://faplayer.thefa.com/home/all)

Much better now. 🙂

Unless we have any loan/transfer available players who Saints think can help them in their relegation fight.

A player with skills equivalent to those Felix has would be an automatic selection for The Harlem Globetrotters, but would he cut it in the NBA? Felix has the eye catching touches and movements but does he hurt the opposition enough? He has all the trimmings, but is there enough meat there? I have had, and still have, doubts about what he brings to the team.

Yes agreed, they are totally different. That's why I checked. Also he's not first team ready and I have my doubts that he ever will be.

When I watch the 18s and the 21s I often see scouts taking notes with their paper or digital pads. Sometimes there are entire blocks of them. They always make me feel very envious. Early this season there were hordes of them at the 21s game vs Man City. A game in which a lad who played right back for City was the standout performer. A few days later he joined Southampton. I'm guessing at least some of the scouts that night were watching him.

I also like Lavia more than Santos. Much more. Which Italian bloke?

Regardless of how Inter actually feel, saying things like this is the right negotiating tactic ahead of any loan renewal talks.

In short, Felix's skills are attractive looking but they don't do enough damage to the opposition.

DDF has bags of skill. As posted previously, I really like what I've seen from him in that regard. The charge against him is bad decision making or, putting it more bluntly, selfishness when on the ball. It's a serious, potentially fatal, flaw. It did for Daniel Sturridge and it may do for our new boy.

What they've done is deliberate.

David Hay joined for a reported £250,000 in 1974. At he time this was the second highest British transfer fee ever paid. It was though a typical Blues move. Getting carried away and overpaying for a flavour of the month player. Hay was a very ordinary footballer and did nothing for the club.

Which at least leaves opens the possibility that the big fee was justifiably hard to understand. My general view is that if players don't have the talent, they have no chance but that, even with the talent, they need to demonstrate the ability to apply it effectively. In saying this, I'm not saying anything that's news to anybody here. It looks like Felix is coming and we'll get a chance to see how effective he can be.

I'm surprised by the Felix interest. Never understood how he attracted that massive fee in the first place.

You are not alone on Bakayoko I'm ashamed to say. Not my only mistake though.

Robben did choose us, I agree. That's a second example and that's enough for me to take back the point I initially made. 🙂 I don't recall anyone else matching our offer for Essien. Indeed I remember Aulas saying he would sell Essien to other clubs for half the price he demanded from Chelsea. The complexities of the situation surrounding MJO's move to Chelsea lead me to feel there were non football factors weighing heavy on that situation. We got Hazard because he only wanted Real but they were not able to guarantee him game time so he chose what he expected to be a short term temporary home instead. Ballack was driven by the size of contract, not football. Before the moves of both Sheva and Nando I said they should not be signed. In Sheva's case I said he had nothing left, in Nando's I argued he never had it. There was no serious competition for those players at the figures involved.

Sometime soon Harry Kane will break Jimmy Greaves's Spurs all time scoring record. There are some factors to be taken into account when comparing the players however: - Kane performs in an era where the pitches are far more conducive to attacking play. Kane has played his entire career under laws which are much more favourable for attackers than was the case in Jimmy's day. Kane has already played 33 more times for Spurs than Greaves did. Kane has scored more penalties for Spurs. For at least two of his Spurs' seasons Greaves was alcohol addicted. Kane is a quality player, but he's right when he says Greaves was the best. Maybe one day there will be a better English goal scorer than Jimmy Greaves, but it hasn't happened yet. If it ever does, let's hope he's another Chelsea academy graduate.

I've stated my opinion on Liverpool and Timo many times. I said at the time that they would certainly have been able to afford him if they rated him highly enough. Jorginio is a fair shout. We won that tussle partly because of Sarri as you say, and partly, I think, because of the role in the squad that was on offer. Thanks for the memory prompt. Unless someone else remembers another occasion that you and I have both forgotten, Jorgi stands as the exception that proves the rule.

Out of date FA Youth Cup ticket offer.

You say rarely but, as I type this, I can't remember a single case where we were in competition with clubs higher up the pecking order than we are and won.

Should be a lion on crutches. 🙂