OhForAGreavsie

This lad has over 125,000 subscribers. He seems a nice bloke and I'm pleased for him that hIs channel is a success but I really don't see why. There is no news value in what he says because it is all published elsewhere first. Yes, he has opinions but so does everyone. Still, good luck to him with the channel. I wish him well.

You are talking about two entirely different things here. You and I are in complete agreement that Emerson's value is not going to increase as a result of one or two appearances at the Euros. I expect that everyone here agrees with us about that reality. When we are considering the theoretical possibility that his value TO POTENTIAL BUYERS increases however, that only helps Chelsea. There is no scenario under which this situation would be bad for Chelsea or the player. Remember it is the situation where Emerson's value, VALUE not price, increases that we have been discussing. Chelsea can name any price they want but a deal can only be reached when Chelsea and a potential buyer agree on a fee. Under all circumstances if the buyer is prepared to pay more today than they were prepared to pay yesterday that makes it easier for Chelsea to find such an agreement. THE INCREASED VALUE HELPS Chelsea IT NEVER HURTS THEM.

You need to think harder about this. You have it completely wrong. Focus on the difference between a price and a value. Any seller can place any price on any item. That item's value is not determined by its price however. Rather it is determined by what buyers are prepared to pay for it. When an item's value increases in the eyes of the buyer that is ALWAYS a good thing for the seller(s). Chelsea want to sell Emerson's registration for a transfer fee while the player wants to sell his services for a salary. If at least one club is prepared to pay more today to Chelsea, to Emerson or to both, than they were willing to pay yesterday, then that is only a good thing for the sellers.

Your comment about one or two games not making a difference is 100% correct. Your comment that a player's value being increased can damage the chances of his being transferred is not however. It is to that comment which I replied.

This sounds like a confusion of value with price. The scenario being discussed is of a player performing well on the international stage so that his value increases in the eyes of potential buyers. This may, or may not, lead to an increase in his price. It may simply mean that buyers who were not previously prepared to meet the demands of the player and of the selling club are now willing to do so. An increased value can only help a player seeking to move and his club if they are seeking to sell.

I always start with the understanding that the board has more experience dealing with player contracts than I do. I then recognise that they have more information than I do about each player's contractual situation and options. I appreciate that the decision makers are not stupid and are capable of weighing the pros and cons of a sale vs a renewal and loan. Lastly, I accept that all of these circumstances make it inevitable that the board will make better decisions about these matters than I possibly could.

Since it is clear that TT has no faith in Tammy I think it is safe to say that if Mando survives pre-season and wins a place in the squad he will automatically be ahead of Tammy. The only way you can be behind Tammy in TT's squad is to be OUT of TT's squad. My point being that transfer or no transfer, Tammy is not likely impact Mando's place in the squad. Either Mando is better than Tammy in TT's eyes or he has no chance of being here next season.

The truth hurts.

This would be nice but... I fear this is right.

It has nothing to do with the injury. That's just the latest version of an excuse I've heard many hundreds of times. The reality is that, up to now, Ruben's career has followed the path I feared and predicted it would while he was playing youth football. He simply has never been able to make a consistently effective contribution for his teams. I don't believe that it is a lack of ability but it just has never happened for this talented player. A part of me can't help hoping that TT will have a look at Ruben in preseason and at long last find the right formula to unlock the potential. I have to admit however that I long ago gave up believing RLC would become a Chelsea player.

Was delighted when I read this yesterday. It's good fun at Kingsmeadow but for anyone who can't make it, or who isn't yet convinced about the women's game there will be a lot more live coverage this coming season on the BBC and Sky. Give it a try. Meanwhile I measure the strength of our support by size of the away following. The first time I travelled to see the women at Man City it was aboard a half full supporters coach. The next couple of times the coach was full but last season we took two full coaches plus many more travelling independently. I have reasonable hopes that there will be three coaches this time. During the last full pre covid season we averaged over 3,000 if you take out the 25,000 crowd for the game at Stamford Bridge. The numbers are small compared to the men's game but the interest is growing.

When compared to its new format the current structure of the Club World Championship is akin to the old European Cup when compared to the Champions League. Harder to qualify for, but much easier to win once you do.

A million apologies because I know Tomo and everyone is going to hate this comment. Believe me I get why but I just can't help myself. The sentence above is such horrible English that it hurts my eyes. Far from being necessary the word back detracts from the meaning. Revert here means 'go back' or 'return' so just saying or writing, "revert to a back four", is the better way to transmit the idea. I'm off to do two press ups as penance for posting this. 🙁

Absolutely not for me. Don't believe in that lad at all. Be shocked and disappointed if he becomes a Chelsea player.

As a Washington fan it's not enjoyable but the Cowboys are a phenomenon.

Interesting info. Thank you. I wonder if this also applies to the Cowboys?

So maybe Kai is a false nine then. Or is he a nine plain and simple?

I have an unpopular opinion too. It is that players don't regress. Rather it is easier for commentators to claim this than to recognise that they had initially overestimated the player's development. I don't think I've ever been guilty of blaming regression myself though others may know better and be able to find examples. What people could certainly find in my case are instances of me overrating individual performances or the general level of particular footballers.I have certainly been guilty of overestimating a Billy Gilmour display. Leaving the ground after the League Cup win against Grimsby I bumped into a couple I sit with when we watch Chelsea Women. All three of us were absolutely buzzing about the way Billy had played. When I later watched the all touches video however, I did not feel his contribution had been as spectacular as it felt on the night. I think that the emotion of a big win, and several good performances, clouded my judgement. I wonder if emotion also played a part in the reaction to Billy's display against England? I made the mistake of joining a youtube watch along for last night's game and joining in the live chat. For me at least that turns out not to be a good way to actually watch a football match. I therefore viewed an all touches video of Billy this morning and don't feel it lives up to the hype I'm reading today.

Ethan's loans have not surprised me because I don't believe he is good enough to play for Chelsea. I first posted this opinion while he was still here and feel his loan experiences have reflected that assessment.

I'm not aware of anyone but me saying anything which could be misrepresented as meaning what you write here. If anyone did say Lewis is outright a better footballer than Billy then that is their opinion and they must defend it. What I said, and what I'm convinced is true, is that Lewis is more talented than Billy. His touch is better and he carries the ball better. All things being equal a more technically able player will be a more effective player, but all other things are seldom equal. Many factors come into play and, initially, judgements have to be made. Eventually however achievements will tell. In the case of these two players 'eventually' hasn't happened yet.

Agreed.

The Bellingham part of this is the bit I'm most interested in. https://youtu.be/MYPJOCxSUFc

We're signing agents now? 🙂

Hope so

This is a popular opinion but I don't share it. The weakness in Ruben's game is exactly the same now as it was in 2012/13 when I started posting about it. (Elsewhere.) I find that injuries are often just a convenient excuse.