bellion

Most fans big RLC up because he's a home-grown product but I am unimpressed with what I have seen of him so far. He does not have a single attribute that stands out to me which is why nobody in this forum can decide where his best position is in a definite manner. Contrast hoim with the likes of Musonda and Christenssen have done so much more and have far greater ability and work-rate.

The problems at the club cannot be solved by a few shrewd signings and a couple of youth players. Almost the entire Defence and midfield first team needs to be sold and you expect a "few shrewd signings" to make things up? Has the club done any shrewd signings for the past two seasons?

For Conte's sake, I hope he has a get-out clause which he can invoke if the Board doesn't buy his transfer targets.

You say just play youth players and no need to buy. Welcome to relegation!

You mean do well by having the best balance sheet around?

The Board is happily counting the moolah they are making from the fans and the new TV deal. Results be damned as Long as they keep that net spend down.

Do you think the Board will get busy? I doubt it

It's a prediction. The only people who wants the club to be in turmoil is the Board. To them, making money from the fans and tv deals is all that matters. They want the trophies but they like positive cash flow more. Just lower your expectations for the foreseeable future to what a Norwich fan's level is and you will be fine.

None of them will join Chelsea. A couple of Papys and Hectors will though. And you will see the same defense line up next year. Hence, prepare for Conte to walk off in six months, be involved in a relegation battle but look on the bright side, the club will have the best balance sheet in the EPL.

So you want Oscar to hang around?

Another below average player bought solely due to a cheap price and perhaps with an eye for selling a few more jerseys in the US of A. He should be sold at the first instant.

It's an opinion not a fabrication so get that into that thick skull of yours. Stones was a perfectly realistic target and the Board fucked it up or rather they never wanted to spend the money and made a great pretense of it. Last minute inquiries for Marquinhos and Pogba made the whole summer transfer to be a bigger fiasco than it already was. The fact that two-bit players like Papy and Hector were the alternatives clearly indicates that the Board was NEVER into spending big money. If they were serious about it, there would be equivalent alternatives in terms of player quality.

Price too high for the Stamford Bridge side? This is one tabloid tale that I would actually believe. It's all smoke and mirrors done to show that the club is "serious" in pursuing quality players while the real target is the biggest negative net spend in the EPL. I expect this so-called deal to drag on until the end of August and it will die abruptly then while a Papy-type 2 million pound signing will be announced.

I I don't have the faith that you have in the Board in securing the right transfers. They won't back Conte which is why I believe he will be out of the Bridge in less than 6 months. The accountants have taken over and while CL football is an important goal, the main objective for them would be the biggest profits in transfers this summer. Sell Costa, Courtouis and Hazard while buying championship level players for a couple of million quid and a loanee or two.

So what? That's the price to pay for having two Seasons with a net spend of 14 million pounds. However, I will only believe it when it happens. You never know with the Scrooge like ways of this Board - this could just be a cooked up rumour to placate the fans while they prepare a five year extension for Mikel and Oscar.

If Conte wants him to be in his team, the Board better fucking sign the cheque for 40 million pounds or whatever it costs to get him. It's called backing the coach. There should be NO complaints about not having the funds as the Board spent a pathetic net amount of 14 million pounds over the past two seasons.

Welcome Mr Antonio Conte! Hope the Board and Roman backs him up 100% and let him buy (i.e. BIG transfer kitty) and sell whoever he wants as well as allow him complete freedom in integrating youth players into his squad.

For the sake of the club's future, it better be a rude wake up call to the Board unless they want the accountants to rule the roost at the Bridge. With the rumours gaining momentum with Conte being in London, I hope he has been promised by Roman himself that he will be backed in the transfer market, craft his squad and will not be lumped with the Papys and Hectors of this world. If Conte wants Naingollan and Manolas to be bought, sign the damn cheque and pay the 50-60 million quid needed for them.

Patio surprisingly looked decent against Villa with nice touches and an astute awareness of space and how to make use of it. His fitness is still way below PL standards with him huffing his way through at th end and looks 5 kilos overweight.

Is there any reason why the Board would correct their mistakes especially regarding the recruitment policy? The folks responsible for the mess that the club is in are still in charge and I don't see them changing their ways i.e. puny transfer budget, dictating who is bought and sold, loaning out dozens of players and looking for a quick fix manager who can work miracles without having the necessary back-up and freedom to control his squad. Regardless if it's Conte or any other decent manager, he will be doomed to failure before his debut season even ends. Rebuilding has to start with the Board's mindset or even the replacement of some of them.

Nail on the head. It's the Board who tries and appoints quality managers and not back them by controlling which players to be bought and sold on a transfer budget smaller than Bournemouth and Watford. Which half-decent manager would accept that? I sincerely hope neither Conte nor Sampaoli accepts the job. Go to the Scottish Premiership and hire the Motherwell manager. The transfer budget is similar and he wouldn't mind it. If he's sacked after a few months, repeat from another club from the same league until the Board finally accepts a lowering of standards and expectations. Or the Board is purged and folks with some sense of how a football club should be run are appointed.

Tabloid fodder. It will be a signing of the magnitude of Papy Djilobdoji. Or another loan signing of some washed-out South American player.

I am not entirely convinced that Roman's disgust with results on the pitch is enough to sway him to sign blank cheques. The likes of Vidal, Naingollan, Bonucci and Kante will cost around 150 million pounds combined and judging by recent transfer spending, the Board won't sanction more than 10 million pounds (net spend) which means a total of 140 million pounds worth of players have to cleared from the current squad. We'll be fighting with Burnley, Middlesborough, newly promoted clubs for the lowest spend this summer so that's one "title" we can aim for. What astounds me is that some Chelsea fans actually believe Conte can come in and wave a magic wand to galvanize the current squad to be title and European challengers without buying a few top quality players and selling off some dross on high wages. Minor tweaks - that's what they call it. Mind boggling and utterly delusional!

I question the capabilities of Papy, Hector and Miazga in being even decent squad members let alone first team material. Granted, Hiddink should play the likes of Loftus-Cheek and Traore more often but that's only due to the fact that the current first team is playing dross. Having a quality squad means competition which we don't have. There's no way a club like Chelsea is able to get to the top without spending on top quality players and that means spending BIG money. That's how our success was built for the past 11 years and the one season where we spent less than Bournemouth is when we become closer to them in league position. A repeat of last summer's transfer shenanigans will certainly condemn the club to a downward spiral which will probably turn out to be worse than Liverpool's predicament. Conte will not sign a contract without promises of a big transfer kitty to reshape the squad and neither should any half-decent manager. Which is why I think the Board should temper their expectations to be in line with their transfer budget and get a Championship-level or a Scottish Premiership manager who wouldn't mind spending peanuts and would be content to avoid relegation. The fans will eventually have to adjust their expectations too as I see a repeat of last summer's transfer fiasco to likely occur, more so given the fact that there is no CL football next season.

Precisely. No European football PLUS the fact that the Board is now more obsessed with the club's income statement than success on the pitch and hence there will be no Vidal, Cavani or Naingollan signed this summer. Forget about Kante and Mahrez too. Robinho on loan is a far more likely proposition as well as some no-mark Djilobdoji type signings done on deadline day will greet us. I really hope Conte or any decent manager refuse to sign any contract from the Board. Might as well recruit Sean Dyche or Aitor Karanka - the Board's investment in the squad is in perfect sync with that these coaches are used to.