OhForAGreavsie

There's the theory and there's the reality. In reality the power in English football resides entirely in The Premier League because they have almost all the money. The Premier League, and therefore by extension English football, is run by EPL clubs. EFL clubs get far, far, far more money from The Premier League than they raise from the EFL Cup. They know who the paymasters are and will always do their bidding. If we don't like two legged semi-finals we have to blame Premier league clubs. The same clubs who are happy to watch their managers, coaches, and other representatives complain about fixture congestion but who never use their power to do anything about it. Indeed, not so long ago we were all horrified when a group of them planned to make the situation much worse. Meanwhile, I don't care if the Tottenham game is our 5th or 65th fixture of the season. Any match against Spurs is a priority level 1 occasion. If fit NG plays.

I know people get upset when current, or even former, players say that XYZ are a bigger club than us but it never bothers me. I've loved this club for all but the first six years of my life. I bring the passion, I want players to bring the talent and the effort. I don't need them to lie to me and it certainly doesn't bother me if they tell the truth. Unless I get a negative covid result tomorrow I won't be there but I hope fans either get behind Rom or stay quiet. We don't need to keep putting on an off the pitch show for the world. We've entertained the football public enough this past week. Let the circus move on.

Is Trevoh definitely out? I'm still hoping he can play. Also if NG is fit, and his risk factors allow, I'd like him in the side. This is Spurs and, for me, that means a no holds barred, must win game with full first XI on duty if at all possible.

😂

Thought and said so all along. Posted to say that I didn't buy the, "Rom has unfinished business at Chelsea.", line and that instead it was likely that someone in the Chelsea decision making ranks had unfinished business with Rom. Went on to log my suspicion that this person was looking to prove they were right to have signed Rom in the first place all those years ago.

Club instructions maybe?

I hadn't thought of this. Good point. Jose certainly thought Billy Gallas was guilty of this at one stage and I have never believed in Willian's so called injury that kept him out of the 2020 FA Cup Final Instead I've always felt that a win securing European football for his new club was so much to Willian's benefit that it made him hopelessly compromised and unplayable in that game.

A welcome bit of good news.

As I said in the comment to which you originally replied, I don't think Ian s ready but if it's a choice between recalling him or Emerson, I vote Ian. I get there by asking the same question you have in respect of each player; is he good enough. In Ian's case my answer is, "Maybe not. Certainly not now.", whereas in Emerson's case my answer is a flat, "No". Since maybe is better than no, I choose Ian of the two but I would prefer a different solution.

Max, I don't know it as a fact but I suspect that I've watched Ian Maatsen play, live and on telly, more often than anyone else on this forum.

Only just read this. Fifty years ago Kenny Dalglish was just establishing himself in the Celtic first team and it would be another five years before he moved to Liverpool. At Anfield he became a key part of one of the greatest English club teams ever along with his international teammates Alan Hansen and and Grahame Souness. That's just one era of one team and we've already found three Scottish footballers whose talent dwarfs Billy's. I know Klopp was just trying to be nice but for a compliment to really mean anything it has to be believable. As it is, Klopp's comment must be the stupidest thing he's ever said about football. Meanwhile... Billy seems to be getting stick from some Norwich fans. I'm on record as a non believer when it comes to Billy but he's getting minutes so I'd like to see him stay at Norwich, tough it out and play his way through this. What do other people think?

Given that it seems to have been established that Emerson isn't any kind of an answer, I'd say go bold and go for Ian. Not that I'm saying Ian is ready to be a long term answer but if it's a choice between those two I'd prefer the Dutchman.

Would you suggest loan or attempt to sign him permanently?

I agree in that the angles, particularly to Lukaku, looked better after they had developed a step or two beyond when Mas took the strike. Even so Mason didn't hit the target either. Were this an isolated example it would be irrelevant. It isn't isolated however. Time and again in the key moments he gets it wrong. By their nature these situations are not 100% expected conversions but Mason's conversion rate is way too low in my opinion. It would be nice to say that he nearly always gets it right but the truth is that he nearly always nearly gets it right. The crowd might oh and ah but there are no prizes for nearly getting it right.

Mason just doesn't get it right often enough.

It's obvious that the club should be consistent in the way it treats its players. So obvious that a five year old will spot it. Given that the people in the Chelsea decision making chain are over 5, educated, experienced and successful it's clear that whatever is obvious to us here, is also blindingly obvious to them. This being so it is obvious that there is some other reason behind the fact that Chris is being treated differently to Toni. We don't know, and may never know, what that reason is but there is a reason for it.

As usual Mason nearly, but only NEARLY, gets it right. He is not the answer for us. We need a player who offers Mason's energy combined with more precision in key moments.

Interesting. I'll look at some vids but would he leave Barca? Probably have to wait till I'm sober though. Been at the port. Merry Christmas to you all.

I've made the same observation about Ben's right foot. I cannot for the life of me understand why any professional footballer should be one footed. Many, many times in every game the ball will be moved across the back and end up with the FBs/WBs. Too often, and not just in Ben's case, they are forced to ignore the good passing angle available with their weaker foot and have to play a conservative pass with their good foot instead. This annoys me more than anything in football most especially in Ben's case since in his debut he did actually make good use of his right foot quite a few times.

You've got me there. I know @Vesper likes Theo Hernandez but these days I'm not watching enough non Chelsea football to really have a valid opinion. I will observe that in highlight reels he sometimes looks more about the power than the finesse to me. I'm sure someone will probably put me straight on that. This is the point of disagreement between us I think. Generally I have not been impressed and I believe a reading of forum comments about him would show that across his CFC career to date people here have raised questions about him. Indeed I think it is 'lucky' for Ben that this injury came at the back of a purple patch and so the short-term memories of him are positive.

Isn't it amazing how much better a player gets when he's out injured and can't play? Anyway I agree with you; if we sign a left back it needs to be an upgrade on both of our current options.

I agree this is accurate but what you said before was not. As ever with negotiations it depends on where the power lies.

Here lies the problem. There were voices warning against signing Shevchenko, Marrin, Torres, Lukaku and others but our decision makers did not agree. There has been, in my opinion, an immaturity about our transfer business, preferring the shiniest over the the thing of true value. If our decision makers are unable to learn they will keep repeating the same expensive errors.

This is exactly what I argued against previously and I simply do not believe it. You are buying the Liverpool propaganda. I am not. You fundamentally misunderstand this. Buyers and sellers can always negotiate on any aspect of a transfer, IF THEY WANT TO. Of course a seller will start by insisting on the clause but if there are no takers, and circumstances are such that they want to sell for whatever reason, they will do a deal. Same fundamental misunderstanding as above. Clauses are only words on paper. Clubs can always set them aside IF THEY WANT TO.

I warned people not to buy that nonsense about Liverpool being unable to afford Timo. I warned that it was simply that they didn't want to afford him, and that if they felt he was worth the money they would have found it. I further warned that we are not a preferred destination for players who are in high demand. That if a supposed top player wants to come here it's because he is in fact not wanted by any club he would prefer to join. The implication of these facts is we should not spend big money on supposed stars. We just get fleeced for players who, in reality, are at least one rank down. Instead we need to identify the great players before they establish themselves. Very hard. Even harder now than it was when we found KDB and Moh Salah but it's still our best plan.