Ossie the King

Yup. Spend just £23 million on Ramires and Benayoun (!) and then panic in January by buying Torres. No vision then, spend a few years buying youngsters, then bring in Jose and do something else, win the league and then underinvest again. Ridiculous chain of events.

But Roman and the board hired Jose. Then gave him a contract extension. The fans might want that but I wouldn't say the majority do.

Who wants us to play all out attacking football with a high line? Not having a pop but who does this ideology of football belong to because I genuinely genuinely don't know?

When the owner changes his ways or goes. He makes the same mistakes over and over again. Some may say that's rehiring Mourinho, others may say it's going from Grant to Emenalo. Either way, he's ultimately the one holding us back or leading us forward.

Not sure it works like that. He'd expect a fair crack whilst being realistic, but his personality is invaluable.

We aren't getting pep and Simeone wants more control than is currently possible. Plus we need at least 6 additional players. My opinion is that the club is in huge trouble. Survival this season is the highest of expectations. Beyond that we need to make massive changes but no one seems prepared to make them.

Shaqiri has just scored an absolute beauty. Half volley chip on the run. Pure class.

Bullied Dier there. Ake looking good too.

I do admire your optimism but it's way too early to be talking title challenges next season. I think realistically we're looking at survival this year and rebuilding for a couple of seasons. If City and United get the managers we expect, then we aren't likely to be contenders.

So they'll win the league though?Maybe in 5 years time you'll be nostalgic for that type of thing.

They want to win trophies.

Best post I've read. Makes total sense and if it happened, no one should be surprised. Put it like this, it's more likely than us getting Pep.

That's a good point but Fabregas is hardly a creative maestro right now, and we need a bit more fight in the position we're in. Maybe I'm wrong but I just don't think he's a luxury we can afford right now.

He's the only leader in the squad. We've lost Drogba, Lamps and Cech over the last few years and now you want us to get rid of JT? The man is the ONLY real bit of Chelsea left. He's the only one who knows what this club is. He needs to b retained for as long as possible then join the coaching staff, maybe as head coach. We lose him, we're losing part of our identity. Again.

13 years of Roman's ownership and the favourite for the job is Brendan Rodgers. He won't get Pep because Pep isn't stupid. He might get Simeone but I can't see him giving him the power he wants. Continuing a thought in another thread, maybe a year in the Championship gives us a period to build properly. Pure fantasy but maybe we just give Frank Lampard the Director of Football role,and let him build a future for this club. He is one of the sharpest men we've had play for us ever, he knows every facet of a football club....it would never happen though. Instead we'll appoint someone we won't back and fudge though the next few years.

This whole period of trouble has made me realise just how distant Roman actually is. He's insulated from any scrutiny or questioning by his cadre of confidantes, a group who have increasingly looked inept and out of their depth. As fans, we have no lines of dialogue with the man,no way of holding him to account or even expressing our displeasure beyond what we chant at matches. We're absolutely beholden to a dictatorial owner. Don't know if this is a question or a topic starter, just an expression of my fear and sense of utter ineffectiveness as a supporter of this club. I think there's a good chance we get relegated and I'm starting to think that might be the only thing that forces him to change his ways. We're a joke of a club right now.

It would be hilarious though wouldn't it? Hire the guy that the coach we just sacked exposed as an utter fraud. As an aside, not known so many tickets to be available through people I know. Had THREE texts yesterday wanting to know if I wanted one for the match today. What a joke we've become and whether you wanted Jose out or not, the problems at this club go way beyond whatever coach we hire.

Moving him on is the right idea but who do we bring in to replace him? January is a terrible time to do business and we've got a bunch of numpties in charge so I don't hold out much hope. Might just be worth recalling Lewis Baker. Can't be any worse.

Hopefully good things but not holding out too much hope. Expecting a bore draw between two teams who were contesting the CL Final in 2008 and are now on the decline.

What? No I don't although he might be useful to have around now. Had a lot of potential that lad, still does. But the Euros no lol.

The team José left the first time around had a core of players, a steeliness, that I think contributed massively to all the success that followed for the next 5 years or so. Some might also credit José with helping to create that championship winning team in the first place. Then last summer happened and the squad was arguably weakened.

For the umpteenth time, I'm not not have I ever been another poster. Not sure what more I can do to prove it and not sure how the rumour even started. Getting boring now though.

Just a small point and has nothing to do with the fact that I quite like Guus, but I've seen people suggest that Jose failed to adapt and that football simply passed him by. My question is, could the same have happened to Guus. He came in and did well with us in 2009, although we were a great side then. We were almost CL winners just 12 months before under Avram Grant. We aren't that now. Since then he was sacked by Turkey, sacked by Holland (both for failing to qualify for tournaments) and had a half-decent spell with Anzhi. In that same time Jose has won 4 leagues, 4 cups, 1 Champions League and been named FIFA Coach of the Year. Is there a possibility that Hiddink is simply past it? It seems as though the only thing he's done of note in the last decade is take over the beaten Champions League finalists featuring players like Terry, Drogba, Cech, Lampard, Cole and Ballack and get them playing well. Two years later the same core would win a CL with Di Matteo at the helm. This situation seems a lot different to me.

4 years was probably 1-2 too long but it's his last big contract and he wouldn't have been advised to accept less. From our perspective, the plan was Zouma and Stones as first choice, so with JT retiring sooner rather than later an English-qualified, experienced player on moderate wages as backup isn't the worst thing in the world.

Setting aside the fact we didn't need a squad filler, you're ignoring the issue I've raised a number of times which is the board's lack of ambition/complete fucking ineptitude in signing Stones in the first place. The fact that we actually resorted to buying Papy is the issue. But that's me speculating of course.