Vesper

Bullshit yellow on Hato It was a dive

even Gary Neville said it was a pen

justice as that was a clear pen on Rice the corner before

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

same old shite

ffs fuck fuck

agreed, unfortunately

Chelsea prepared to agree on new deals with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. (TEAMtalk) Chelsea are looking to sign the PSG midfielder Senny Mayulu, and he could cost around €60 million. (CaughtOffside)

Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 2-0 at Wembley to win the FA Cup in 1997

Own a Match-Worn and Signed Chelsea Shirt from our Game Against Arsenal https://mws.com/category/Chelsea?tab=live

Forget Pio Esposito Inter Milan just officially said they would not sell him, even for €100m:

Newcastle have made initial contact over a potential transfer deal for Chelsea’s young Belgian goalkeeper Mike Penders. (Jeunes Footeux) The likes of Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, and Sandro Tonali could all have asking prices of around £100m this summer. (Telegraph)

Peter Osgood remembered: The King’s Chelsea story To mark the 20th anniversary of Peter Osgood’s death on 1 March, we will be celebrating the King of Stamford Bridge’s Chelsea story in the coming days. https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/peter-osgood-remembered-the-kings-Chelsea-story?lid=f0sfq4ipoppc Tragically, we lost Osgood, Chelsea’s fifth-highest goalscorer in our history, far too soon. He was just 59. It is now almost two decades since we bid farewell to a bona fide Blues legend, and his legacy continues to this day. To start a series of articles looking back on Osgood’s time at Stamford Bridge, we profile one of our greatest ever strikers… From out of the Shed there rose a young star, Scoring goals past Pat Jennings from near and from far, And Chelsea won like we all knew they would, And the star of that great team was Peter Osgood, Osgood, Osgood, Osgood, Osgood, Born is the King of Stamford Bridge Bentley. Greaves. Tambling. Dixon. Zola. Drogba. All great players, among the very finest to represent Chelsea Football Club, each one an era-defining player in west London. But only one man has ever been crowned the King of Stamford Bridge. What was it about Peter Osgood which elevated him above his peers to such an illustrious standing within the football club? It’s clear he was blessed with immense talent on a football field. As his old manager Tommy Docherty put it, in typically jocular fashion, ‘He was great in the air and had two great feet. He was quick, skilful and brave. But he didn't have a lot after that.’ What Doc didn’t add was that, compared to the other names in the above list, Osgood didn’t score the most goals; others could certainly claim to be more skilful; some led the team to the highest honours in the club game. None, however, connected with the supporters quite like Ossie. A Chelsea career which produced 150 goals across 380 appearances was accompanied by many more tales away from the football field. Here we focus on stories from the beginning and end of a Chelsea legend's career, and how those early experiences shaped a career and a life which touched so many Blues supporters along the way. Osgood always seemed destined for a career at the top level of sport. He was an all-rounder as a kid, representing Dedworth Secondary Modern at football, cricket, basketball and tennis. But when he left school at 15 to work in an office in Slough, soon to become a bricklayer under the wing of his father, his football dream seemed to be slipping away. Though he was excelling for local sides Spital Old Boys and Windsor Corinthians – turning out for one on the Saturday and the other the following morning – and trial opportunities arose with Reading and Arsenal, the side he had followed as a boy, it wasn't until his uncle Bob wrote to Chelsea that he gave himself a chance. With the words of Bob ringing in his ears – "Come on now, you can’t let me down" - he grasped it with both hands. Ossie himself, in words taken from his final interviews with the club, will tell you all about that experience. Dickie Foss, former Blues half-back and the man running what was already being talked about in football circles as one of the finest youth set-ups in the land, took all of 30 minutes to make his mind up. ‘You had natural ability,’ he told Osgood. ‘You moved well, hit the ball with both feet instinctively. It was the way you played the ball rather than what you did it with it that impressed me.’ Funnily enough, his early performances in the youth and reserve sides were also met with approval by a man whose Chelsea goal tally he would later equal: Roy Bentley. ‘His father was working at Buckingham Palace,’ recalls the man who captained Chelsea to our first championship in 1955. ‘And I was talking to him about this up-and-coming footballer, not knowing he was Peter's father. I used to go and watch the youngsters and you didn’t need to know much to see he had something, and I knew he was going to be great.’ Only 10 months later, The Man From Uncle – as his new team-mates wryly dubbed him – had stepped up into the first team; the latest diamond to shine under Docherty's infectiously enthusiastic management. ‘I’ve always been a great believer that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough,’ said the Doc. ‘People said to me, 'He’s a good player but he’s got no experience.' You can’t just say to a player here’s five years’ experience, though. He’s got to go and play, good and bad, have setbacks and so on. ‘We had a wealth of talent and I thought, "What are they playing in the youth team for? They’re too good for the youth team." So I started bringing them into the first team.’ Doc was repaid by Ossie netting twice on his debut in a League Cup tie against Workington. The next morning, the 17-year-old bought a copy of each newspaper to begin his first scrapbook. Although he had to wait for another chance, with the Blues going for glory in all three domestic competitions right up until the final weeks of the 1964/65 season, England came calling and handed him a call-up for a youth tournament dubbed ‘the little World Cup’. Ossie was named the best player in the competition, despite England losing the final to East Germany. Without his young charge having so much as graced the turf in a First Division match, his manager was already tipping him for the top. ‘I’d like to bet you fellows a year’s wages that my centre forward Peter Osgood could, if he tried a little harder, be England’s centre forward for the 1966 World Cup,’ he told the assembled hacks ahead of the new season. His big chance to impress Alf Ramsey came in a practice match for the Three Lions – against his Chelsea team-mates! Looking for a tune-up ahead of their match against Wales, but without the services of centre forward Alan Peacock, Ossie was 'loaned' to England. He duly found the back of the net not once, but twice, and clearly enjoyed getting one over on his mate Peter Bonetti between the sticks for the Blues. 'Pick that one out, Catty.' It wasn't long before he was given an extended run in the Blues starting line-up at the expense of crowd favourite Barry Bridges, who had been involved in the infamous Blackpool incident the previous season and was soon to be heading for the exit door. After a slow start, he scored a wonder goal in the snow at Villa Park, beating four men and hammering home from a tight angle. Others were beginning to stand up and take notice. With the Blues enjoying an extended run in Europe for the first time, seeing off Italian giants Roma and AC Milan, envious glances were being cast from Serie A. Milan manager Nils Liedholm, one of the all-time greats, predicted that Osgood would be 'the star of England’s national side.’ Soon, the club received, as Ossie put it, a ‘gigantic offer’ from an Italian club. He had grown up idolising Jimmy Greaves and, perhaps wary of following his hero's ill-fated decision to leave Chelsea to chase the lira, the idea wasn't even entertained. Besides, the club had just helped him celebrate his 19th birthday by giving him a house near Twickenham. Before his teenage years were out, however, fate was to deal Osgood a cruel hand. In the space of 18 months, he had gone from being paid £10 as a bricklayer to being rated as one of English football’s brightest talents, but his career soon lay in tatters. A broken leg, suffered in a challenge with Blackpool's Emlyn Hughes, was to rule him out of the game for a year. As well as the physical scars left by such an injury, the manner of the break affected him mentally. ‘I broke my leg because I was stupid enough to retaliate,’ he said. ‘All I wanted was revenge. I tried to kick a player and came off worse.’ Watching footage of Osgood pre- and post-injury is akin to comparing two different players. In one clip from a game at Anfield, the speed and grace with which this gangly centre forward bursts through banks of midfielders and defenders is startling. After his comeback, he had lost not one, but maybe even two yards of pace, noticeably filling himself out to deal with the bruising centre-halves he faced. As any great player should, he adapted. After a spell in midfield during the 1968/69 season, his now legendary strike partnership with Ian Hutchinson was struck up in the following campaign. FA Cup glory, of course, was to follow and Osgood was a scorer in every round – a feat which hasn't been achieved since. For every yard of pace he had lost on the ground, he regained it in his head, aided by a velcro-like first touch and preying on the apprehension of defenders who perhaps began to think twice about giving a clump to a bloke who was now well versed in the dark arts of the game. 'There are men who would chop you down viciously without any trouble, almost as a matter of policy,' he said. 'Intimidate with tackles so late they started last week, go through from behind, hitting ankles and calves, and finally go over the top.' The above quote was taken from his first autobiography, Ossie The Wizard, which was released in 1969 when he was 22 years old. Osgood painted the picture of an enigmatic character. Beneath the exterior of his trademark swagger seen on and off the pitch were the outpourings of a young man seemingly racked with self-doubt. ‘When I first came into the game, I’m told I’m exciting to watch,’ he wrote. ‘I’m not any more. Languid is more like it.’ Yet he was so single-minded that he was sure he could never change. Tear about the pitch in the manner of John Hollins and his great friend Johnny Boyle? No, his body would not allow that, he insisted. Which, obviously, explains why he once deemed it necessary to enlist the services of a horse to keep up with the pace-setters in one of the countless cross-country runs the players of his era faced. Although he would never have claimed to lead by example, that didn't prevent this larger-than-life character from taking ownership of the dressing room. ‘He could actually be a bit intimidating when you first came to the club,’ recalls David Webb, the scorer of the winning goal in the 1970 FA Cup final. ‘But it was his way of showing, to be part of the Chelsea team, and any good team has to have it, you had to have that strength within. 'So to get into that little fortress, you had to break through that intimidation. That's why I think he was a great part of the success. People had to be strong characters to get in amongst it. ‘Ronnie [Harris] was the captain who flipped the coin, and Ossie was a strong character and leader – much more so than Ronnie and lots of other people.’ In spite of his standing within the set-up at Chelsea, he believed his lack of on-field endeavour and languid style would prevent him from playing for England so long as Sir Alf Ramsey was in charge. Ever the purist, he wrote, ‘Maybe I lack dedication and my attitude to football is all wrong. All I know is that I feel football is a game primarily of skill.’ There was no shying away from his outlook: he hated training, dressing room japes aside, and despaired of managers who depended on 'players of average ability they know they can rely on' and how it was easier to base tactics on such players rather than ‘a skilled star who may play according only to what mood he’s in.’ But those who watched the beautiful game didn’t subscribe to that theory – Ossie was still the main attraction at Stamford Bridge, along with those other mercurial talents, Charlie Cooke and Alan Hudson. Celebrity visitors flocked to our west London home to see the King in action. Steve McQueen was there to greet him after he had netted his 100th goal for the Blues and, most famously, Racquel Welch distracted all and sundry at the Bridge when she accompanied the late Jimmy Hill to a game. ‘She walked out with Jimmy Hill and she was waving and shouting to Ossie and he’s going, "Do me a favour, leave it out, I’m playing here",’ recalls John Hollins of the Hollywood star’s visit. It wasn’t only celebs who were smitten by Ossie; he was a Shed End idol and man of the people, always generous in his time for those who paid their hard earned to cheer him on. ‘The 1960s and ‘70s were the best time in the world to live and Ossie enjoyed football and life,’ said Ken Shellito, whose boots were cleaned by Osgood during his traineeship. 'He would always give time to people, signing autographs for kids and spending time with fans in the bar. He knew they paid his wages.’ Bobby Tambling, too, remembers the generosity extending further than simply giving up his time. ‘When we were way in Europe, Ossie would make sure if there were any players’ tickets left over that they got to those supporters travelling,’ said the club’s second-highest scorer of all time. ‘He had a feeling for the fans.’ When the Blues faced Real Madrid in the 1971 European Cup Winners’ Cup final, which went to a replay, the one-day gap between the matches saw Osgood and several team-mates pass the time drinking by the pool at the Hilton in Athens, with fans joining them throughout the day. Of course, he scored the winner the next day – big games brought the best out of him, and his cup final record of four goals in five games is bettered only by Didier Drogba. Unfortunately, that was the last glorious moment of his Chelsea career. Although he was named Player of the Year in 1973, his time in west London was coming to an end. Tensions had risen in the dressing room, particularly between Osgood and manager Dave Sexton. In March 1974, he waved goodbye to Stamford Bridge. The latter part of his career took in spells with Southampton – where he enjoyed another memorable FA Cup triumph, this time over Manchester United and his old mate The Doc – Norwich City and the Philadelphia Fury, before he returned for another fling with his first love. His second stint in west London was short and, on the outside, seemingly not so sweet. Those who were privy to the inner sanctuary of the dressing room, however, speak of Osgood’s influence at a time when Chelsea’s star had fallen dramatically. ‘He was a very strong character – he wouldn't suffer fools,’ said Tommy Langley, who grew up idolising the striker before going on to call him a team-mate. ‘If he didn't think you were up for certain things, he would let you know. "You've got to practice this, work on that..." He was a nice guy, but he certainly let you know if he felt you could improve on something. But that's what older players should do with the younger guys.’ His last game as a Chelsea player took place on 8 September 1979, when 17,182 supporters turned up at the Bridge to see us lose to Birmingham City. Osgood was replaced by defender Gary Chivers in the second half and turned on manager Danny Blanchflower after the match, telling the press the club needed a gaffer closer in age to the players. The board duly appointed Blanchflower’s assistant, Geoff Hurst, as the new caretaker. Nine years earlier, he had shared a room with Osgood for the World Cup in Mexico. Now, his first decision was to drop his old pal, who responded a few days later by refusing to play in Peter Bonetti’s testimonial. The subsequent £100 fine imposed by the club proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. ‘He phoned and asked for his cards to be sent to his home,’ declared England’s 1966 World Cup hero. At the age of 32, Osgood hung up his boots and bought a pub in Windsor, The Union Inn, which he ran with Hutchinson. ‘I look after the catering and Os runs the bar,’ said his old partner in crime. In light of that evidence, perhaps it should come as no surprise that the pair were later made bankrupt! He briefly returned to football, coaching kids at Butlins and then receiving an offer from Alan Ball to work with Portsmouth’s youngsters. Fortunately for Ossie, his old pal vetoed his decision not to offer a contract to one player: Darren Anderton, who went on to play a key role in England’s run to the semi-finals of Euro ’96. However, his second calling in life was as an after-dinner speaker and host, primarily with Chelsea, although he was absent for a period before being welcomed back into the fold. In 2010, four years after his sudden passing at the age of 55, the club unveiled the most fitting of tributes to one of its favourite sons: a statue, the first of any Chelsea player, erected at Stamford Bridge in front of the West Stand. There is also a time capsule buried underneath the statue which contains, among many items, a copy of the 1970 FA Cup final replay programme, a replica 1970 team shirt and a poem, selected by Peter's widow, Lynn, from the many entries to a competition on the official Chelsea website. Hundreds of Blues supporters, current and former players, and friends attended the ceremony. The memories shared that night left everyone in attendance in little doubt – the legacy of Peter Osgood will remain one of the fondest chapters written in the history of this great football club. For Ossie – by Daniel Clarke A young boy stands among the crowd, Fifty thousand sing aloud. Sun sets and rises and thirty years on, He takes his seat next to his son. He tells him of a man he did not know, Compares him to today's hero, Blessed with talent he strived for success, Before a time of greed and excess. The papers print a name and a face, But his people saw an idol of passion and grace. For many a year he served the crest, With the pride of the lion upon his chest. His dreams, chased often, but realised by few, Chasing silver, draped in blue. For all the honours his successors have known, His legacy has been etched in stone. He lit the path and led the way, Set the bar for the stars of today. Gone he may be, but forgotten never, For the story of The King will live forever. A version of this article was first published in 2016. We will continue to tell stories of the legendary Peter Osgood in the lead up to the 20th anniversary of his passing on Sunday. You can read and watch more on 'The King of Stamford Bridge' Peter Osgood here.

Liam Rosenior pre-match press conference | Arsenal v Chelsea | Premier League

Micky van de Ven Tottenham Hotspur Murillo Nottingham Forest Malick Thiaw Newcastle United Jan Paul van Hecke Brighton & Hove Albion Marcos Senesi AFC Bournemouth +

'Chelsea have already breached UEFA's financial rules and must sell players' Report from finance expert Adam Williams - Also response from Chelsea club sources in this 👀 https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/Chelsea-have-already-breached-uefas As I always say, this side of the game is absolutely not my remit. I try not to speak too much on football finances. Mostly because I know little about it and I’m not great with numbers. But also, this whole side of football just infuriates me and takes the magic away from the game. Football is a game, not politics. But these days, there is far too much politics, and far too much money, in our beautiful game. So anyway, I’ll report something from an ‘expert’ today instead. Said expert claims Chelsea have already breached UEFA’s financial rules, even if they have passed another round of Profit and Sustainability Rules. Chelsea have successfully navigated the Premier League’s financial hurdle with the help of doing things such as selling the Women's football team and selling hotels etc, finding various loopholes. But apparently those little tricks are not allowed on UEFA's side of things. Speaking exclusively to The Chelsea Chronicle, finance expert Adam Williams has given an insight into Chelsea’s standings with UEFA, despite positive PSR news. “The real problem is UEFA’s rules, which don’t recognise the artificial profit from the women’s team sale. Chelsea have already breached those rules and are under the terms of settlement, which, broadly speaking, means they have to break even financially over the next three years. “Given that they have posted annual operating losses – that’s the loss before profit on player sales – of £200m since the takeover, that’s going to require a major recalibration to their strategy. “If they breach the terms of that settlement, they can get hit with a further cash fine and be kicked out of the Champions League. “The solution is players’ sales – we’re going to see a lot more sales. And I’d predict that it’s not just going to be peripheral squad players; there will be some superstars leaving too.“ Williams continued, sharing how Chelsea successfully navigated the Profit and Sustainability Rules for the 2024-25 Premier League season. “PSR works in a rolling three-year cycle, over which you’re allowed to lose up to £105m, with allowances for spending on the academy, community, infrastructure and so on. “Chelsea sold their women’s team to themselves in 2023-24, so it was slap bang in the middle of the PSR assessment window that the Premier League has now confirmed that they have complied with. They generated an artificial profit of £198m, leading to an overall profit for the business of £138m, so we always knew that there was zero chance of them failing here. Effectively, they broke PSR with that deal. “Without that accounting trick, they’d have posted a loss of £60m in 2023-24, added on to their £79m loss in 2022-23. They’d have been at negative £139m for the three-year period going into 2024-25. “We don’t have the figures for 2024-25 yet, but they’ll have made a loss there too. So the women’s team sale has saved them from not one but two PSR breaches. In my view, that’s against the spirit of the rules, but you can’t blame Chelsea for taking advantage of the Premier League’s naivety when they were writing them.“ Just to add to this by the way, with something I’ve been told by the club this week, as Williams mentions Chelsea selling their top players. Club sources ensure me that their model is to buy potential and grow experience. They therefore sell only those players who eventually don’t turn out to be top top players. Through iterations of this they aim to end with a top top team. They claim that they don’t sell just to extract value.

“I’m struggling to believe what I’m told” – Matt Law makes concerning Chelsea statement https://Chelsea.news/2026/02/im-struggling-to-believe-what-im-told-matt-law-makes-concerning-Chelsea-statement/ The Telegraph journalist Matt Law has this week made a concerning statement on Chelsea’s front of shirt sponsorship issues. Last week, we finally saw Chelsea play a game with a sponsors on the front of their shirt. But IFS.ai will not be the permanent front of shirt sponsor for The Blues going forward and it looks like they are only here to see them through until the end of the season, even if the partnership will continue beyond that. So Chelsea will once again be in the same situation that they have been in for the last few seasons – on the hunt for yet another front of shirt sponsors. It’s all rather embarrassing for the club, who have continued to play without a sponsor. Obviously in terms of looks on the shirt, it’s great. But in terms of revenue and reputation, it really isn’t a good look at all. Law is not impressed Chelsea announce IFS as their front of shirt sponsor. Law, who speaks and reports on Chelsea a lot, was speaking on the issue earlier this week. “I’ve got very, very cynical (about) all this now,” Law told the London is Blue podcast when speaking about Chelsea’s front-of-shirt sponsorship situation. “I was told at the start of the season that they would be signing a long-term sponsor. “Well, that’s not been the case. “Now, I’m struggling to believe what I’m told on the sponsorship issue, if I’m honest. “It feels like they’re in a sort of revolving cycle of not getting a sponsor, holding out for too much money, and then getting a sticking plaster for the end of the season or offering a little incentive to a company to just pay a bit more for a ‘normal’ sponsorship and put the name on the shirt.” More competition incoming Law also highlighted how Chelsea will now have even more competition for front-of-shirt sponsorship for the upcoming season. “It’s going to get ever harder now,” he explained. “It’s going to become more crowded because I think I’m right that this is the last year of betting sponsors. “So you have an influx of clubs, including (Aston) Villa, Newcastle (United), Everton, who’ve all got betting sponsors, and now they come into the market to find non-betting sponsors for the front of shirts. “And the market shrinks because there are only so many non-betting companies that can afford to or are interested.” Law was referring to the agreement between Premier League clubs to end all front-of-shirt sponsorship from gambling companies from the end of this season. In other news… It’s vital for Chelsea that Moises Caicedo stays under control in the games in the next few weeks, for a very good reason connected to what you see above. A year ago today there was major trouble brewing at Stamford Bridge as fans rejected Enzo Maresca’s playing out from the back philosophy.

FAN VIEW: 'Ultimately, Clearlake is the problem. To spend well over 1 billion to regress is shocking' 'You can learn a lot from experienced teammates' https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/fan-view-ultimately-clearlake-is An important ‘fan view’ to draw in on today, with a bunch of quotes from fans, as well as myself, and a former Chelsea player to have a look at further below. As I’ve said earlier this week, strangely enough, I still think we will get Champions League football this season and I am perhaps not as fearful as most have been after the Burnley game. However, we have a SUPER tough run of fixtures coming up and you cannot deny that it looks like a real uphill task now to get UCL football. Which is really quite absurd right? When you consider the amount of money that has been spent on building this squad and the amount we spent in the summer yet again? Community member Matt Kirk, posted the below after the Burnley game, and this comment deserves this elevation. “Bitterly disappointing result again. It’s worrying to see the drop-off in standards, especially after a break. The lack of discipline is pathetic too. This points to the lack of leaders and experience in the squad. Which we’ve all known for a while. “It’s all well and good signing all these talented young players. But they need someone to guide them in these moments. It helps to develop them as players and know the levels you need to be at. You can learn a lot from experienced teammates. I’m sure Terry did from Desailly. Thiago Silva was crucial too. “Ultimately, Clearlake is the problem. They can brief what they want, but to spend well over 1 billion to regress is shocking. We’ve had an exodus of highly valued staff from the men’s and women’s teams, who I’m sure will point to the same problem. The FOS situation is embarrassing. The turnover in staff too. “We qualified for the CL and won the CWC and still failed to capitalise. What changes if we even manage to get CL football again? Will we take advantage of that or continue to make the same mistakes?” I fully agree with absolutely everything he has said here, especially the comments I’ve highlighted in the title and subtitle of this article. Honestly, SAY IT LOUDER Matt! I really do not know how anyone could argue with this - of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Another top guy, community member Jay Shayshutt also commented. “I'm tired of the "experience" argument, yes we definitely need some more leaders, but there is actually plenty of experience in that side. Fofana is hardly an inexperienced player, same goes for Trev, Sanchez, Caicedo, Cucurella. Signing leaders is definitely more of a priority than just experience - unless it's consistent CL level experience.” Jay has made some decent points here, sure. But this was my response to him… “I think the word 'experienced' can mean many different things. What this squad needs is more leaders as you say, but elite level players who will come in and instantly improve us whilst also having big experience such as regular European and international appearances for club and country, as well as perhaps plenty of Premier League experience. We need more big game players with strong mentalities and influence on the rest of those on the pitch with them. That's what we truly lack and have done the whole time.” But he’s right, some of our players are now veering towards the more ‘experienced’ mark. But as I say, I think there are different versions of ‘experienced’ and we certainly still lack that in this squad and have lacked it for the last three years. It’s simply all about balance for me. The Chelsea players have even said it! Former Chelsea player Carlton Cole said earlier this week, after speaking with Axel Disasi: “When I spoke to Axel Disasi, he was talking about who he enjoyed it cause he was obviously at Chelsea. He’s at West Ham now on loan. Doing great by the way. “And I got talking to him. He basically said that Thiago Silva, when he was there, was the voice of reason, like the big brother, the uncle. And then when he left that, all kind of went cause there was no experience to lean on. So they’re all leaning on each other, and they’re not experienced enough to lean on each other. “So they have to look at each other as we’re all in this together.” Disasi was one of the ‘older players’ in that team, but he certainly wasn’t what I’d call an elite big game player who had been there and done it, and seen it all. That’s what we lack. But for Disasi to notice that when you lose a senior leader like Silva, it can have a real effect. Also, we would need at least three of these types of players if you ask me. I think this is also pretty accurate from another community member, Michael M: “Man United squad was always decent, they’re now performing at their level imo. Two real difference makers in Mbuemo and Fernandes, Casemiro and Maguire both very solid older heads who have the personality and authority to organise others. Their depth isn’t great but without midweek football they’re right in the mix for CL, no doubt. “We have experience but for a lot of players, it’s been accumulated in the worst period in our recent history, or at teams where winning is not a necessity. Their squad doesn’t have as much of that “negative” experience any more.” There’s various ways of looking at these things, but for me, this is our biggest issues right now.

Fake news post by a non-native, low quality English speaker.

https://store.chelseafc.com/en/c-11694

another often-stated target......... veteran (27yo and up) CBs here is a list of the top remotely available (so no Marquinhos) ones, ordered by by valuation (some of these are much harder than others to pull) Cristian Romero do not ever want him here Edmond Tapsoba Bremer so often injured though Nikola Milenković EPL-proven Dávid Hancko Min-jae Kim Isak Hien Joachim Andersen Marcos Senesi best option IMHO Leonardo Balerdi Federico Gatti Benjamin Pavard Roger Ibañez Merih Demiral José María Giménez Omar Alderete EPL-proven Amir Rrahmani Antonio Rüdiger EPL-proven Milan Škriniar Aymeric Laporte EPL-proven Diego Carlos EPL-proven Mario Hermoso Alessio Romagnoli Fabian Schär EPL-proven Willi Orbán

yes, I agree, it is a bad, bad look

Good news for Chelsea player Kendry Paez who seems to have avoided any serious injury https://Chelsea.news/2026/02/good-news-for-Chelsea-player-who-seems-to-have-avoided-any-serious-injury/ It looks like it’s good news for on loan Chelsea player Kendry Paez who seems to have avoided any serious injury. Paez has been playing for his loan club River Plate after a failed loan move with Strasbourg earlier this season. He had just been starting to get some minutes when he had to come off with a shoulder injury in his last game. At the time, it looked like it could have been a pretty bad one because he was all strapped up in an arm sling after the game and his face was grimacing in some pain. Thankfully though, it does not look like it will be anything serious and if reports are true, it could even be as little as two weeks before he is back playing again, which would be great all things considered. Paez injury updates Kendry Paez in action for River Plate. (Photo by Rodrigo Valle/Getty Images) Bolavip reports that Paez has a ‘minor shoulder injury’. This should keep him on the sidelines for at least two to three weeks, which is also agreed upon by another source below… Studio Futbol also report the youngster should be out of action for two to four weeks. So really, it’s good news all around. The outlet state: ‘The two-to-four-week timeframe will be key in determining whether he will only miss local matches or also more demanding games on the schedule. Everything will depend on how his shoulder responds in the first days of rehabilitation.’

Chelsea loanee says he wants a first team spot after seven goals at loan club Chelsea loanee Omari Kellyman responds to Cardiff City fans telling him to stay https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/news/Chelsea-loanee-omari-kellyman-responds-to-cardiff-city-fans-telling-him-to-stay/ Omari Kellyman has delivered a bittersweet message to the Cardiff City faithful, admitting that while he is enjoying his time, his ultimate goal remains a permanent breakthrough at Chelsea. Chelsea have a heap of promising young talents in their youth ranks right now, but the story of Omari Kellyman is a different one. Kellyman joined Chelsea for around £19 million from Aston Villa back in June of 2024, with Ian Maatsen making his way to Villa Park. However, he’s still yet to make his first team debut for the Blues. He does have five appearances under his belt for the Under-21s, scoring two goals in those appearances. And Kellyman’s loan spell at Cardiff City has been a successful one, scoring seven goals, including five goals and one assist in his last six Championship appearances. Omari Kellyman issues an update on his Chelsea future Chelsea are stacked for attackers at this moment in time, but that hasn’t stopped Kellyman from wanting to play a part at Stamford Bridge. Speaking to The Athletic, he reacted after seeing Cardiff fans on social media have been trying to convince him to sign on again next season. “I have seen those,” he says with a smile. “Even coming out of the stadium, I can hear them saying it. It is great. After having a whole season being in the shadows, it is good to feel wanted again. But I signed for Chelsea, and I want to play for Chelsea — that is the end goal. “I chose to go to Cardiff on loan because they are a massive club. Seeing how the manager (Brian Barry-Murphy) gets them playing suits me. I am more of a No 10 that plays off the right so I can cut in on my left foot. That was one of the positions he saw me playing in, although, like any manager, was stressing beforehand that I would have to expect to play in other positions as well.” Omari Kellyman shares Reece James’ influence at Chelsea As we know, Reece James’ influence goes way beyond his work on the pitch. And that’s the case with Omari Kellyman, who struggled with a long-term hamstring injury. “I had great support from all of the lads,” Kellyman reveals. “Most of the players would check up on me every day. With Reece, Romeo (Lavia) and Wes (Fofana)… I also spent a lot of time doing rehab with them. “Reece checked up on me so much. The injuries he has had are very similar to mine. He is the one I understood the most because a lot of the challenges were similar to what I was going through. The difference is that everyone already knew how good he was, but he still faced the same talk from people about not being able to stay fit. “Reece came out the other side and is flying now. He proved you can come back from it. I never doubted I would start playing again, but the doubt in your mind is: ‘Will I be the same?”