Vesper

the poison dwarf always chats shit its a given with the likkle cunt

15:00 - 16:45 | CET PREMIER LEAGUE | NOTTINGHAM FOREST VS LEEDS UNITED – S1

now he did score one that counts

what an explosive burst counter goal by Osimhen, and yet VAR crazily called a foul on HIM horrid call

LIVE last 45 minutes of the Bapoli game, if you care to watch Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia , etc https://www.topsporter.net/sports/2023/spe-vs-nap/

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will 100% leave Chelsea in 2023 https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/100973370/Chelsea Graham Potter on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of Chelsea UCL squad: “Pierre has done nothing wrong at all, no problem. It’s just unfortunate and Aubameyang will fight for his place until the rest of the season.” There was already talk of Aubameyang leaving in January, but it was impossible for Barcelona to proceed due to FIFA rules, they like the player but nothing else because of official rules. I think Aubameyang will 100% leave Chelsea in 2023, the plan is clear. 📰 Chelsea are ready to join the race for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in the summer transfer window (Mirror)

It’s definitely over for Julian Araujo to Barcelona. Agreement collapsed due to documents signed 18 seconds after the Deadline on Tuesday. FIFA has not approved the deal and it won’t change with any appeal. Barca will keep following Araujo for the future.

He was not even THAT bad v Fulham, especially for being sick. I sad so real time back then. This rush by some to take a hot steamer on Mudryk after 80 minutes of total play is beyond daft IMHO, especially when it comes from our own fanbase. I held my tongue with KK until it was very clear the bloke is well past it. Hell, I even ended up at times defending Alonso here, lolol

You out of the gate slaters and whingers never, or almost never, offer up any alternatives. All you lot often do is shit on our players from the moment they set foot on the pitch. You would be doing the same thing with Caicedo if we had dropped £100m (Brighton's demanded price) on him. Mudryk was £62m in transfer fee, and up to £26m in potential add-ons. That £62m is what CuCu cost, for a RESERVE LEFT BACK, yet the haters on here are already wetting the bed over a potential game changing winger. Sad. I so hope we end up paying the full £26m in add-ons, as that would mean Mudryk has hit big.

This is my nomination for the worst post of 2023 so far. You have already permanently binned Mudryk after less than 90 minutes total play, over half of which he played with a cold. Breathtakingly premature. Embarrassingly so, one might say. I certainly do.

Osimhen is in Serie A and he is special, with Vlahovic of Juve likely the 2 best CF out there who is actually available. Thus, out the door goes your entire construct there IMHO. Citeh is never going to sell Alvarez to us. If you don't rate Lavia (which is a legit stance) who do you want for DMF? As for the disastrous KK buy, good luck selling him whilst he is on £295K PW for 4 years. Ughhhhhh. Nightmarish.

DDF is perhaps going out on loan to Galatasaray

thanks for the info I will look into into much deeper Meslier as a suggestion is a new thing for me I have wanted Oblak for years and Mamardashvili is one of the best new keepers I have see in ages I would much rather buy Sanchez over Raya, who is too short

The Premier League Team of the Season – so far: Haaland, Casemiro… Cresswell https://theathletic.com/4143178/202302/04/pl-team-of-the-season-so-far-haaland/ The second half of the Premier League is now underway. There have been some standout performances through the first 19 games, from Erling Haaland’s much-heralded goal-scoring feats to the resurgence of Marcus Rashford and a Newcastle defence that has laid the foundations of their Champions League charge. Some of The Athletic’s Premier League writers wrestled with the difficult question of who makes the Team of the Season (So Far) — the variety of responses is wide, with only Kieran Trippier making every one of their XIs. Let us know in the comments who would make yours. I’ll be totally honest with you; I spent way too long picking this team, modifying it, starting again and then being struck by more second thoughts. These are infuriating exercises — good fun, but also quite taxing — and if you asked me again in a month’s time, I’m sure my line-up would look a bit different. Still, at some point, the prevaricating must end, so here we are with this half a story. I found it very hard to leave out Marcus Rashford, who has scored 10 goals in his last 12 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United, but I like the make-up of my side. I’ve only selected players from the top five teams. Perhaps I could be accused of playing it safe because there are some good candidates from elsewhere in the division — Moises Caicedo, the in-demand Brighton midfielder, has been excellent — but my choices have all played exceptionally. It should be no surprise that Arsenal and Newcastle United, both surprises in their own way, feature heavily. Arsenal have been incredible, the league’s outstanding team, and they are represented through the spine of my side in William Saliba, Martin Odegaard, and Bukayo Saka. There could have been others too, such as Grant Xhaka and Thomas Partey. (Photo: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) Newcastle have the tightest defence in the Premier League. Nick Pope has kept 10 clean sheets in a row in all competitions, so has to be in goal. Kieran Trippier contributes hugely at both ends of the pitch. Left-back isn’t Dan Burn’s preferred position, but he’s made it his own and deserves to be in there. It seems unfair to leave out their team-mate Sven Botman, but Saliba has been superb. The spectacular Erling Haaland is a cert up front. I said before he signed for City that he’s capable of getting 40 goals a season for them and he’s on schedule for more than that. Maybe City are under-represented here, but by their own standards they have under-achieved this season so far. GO DEEPER Alan Shearer analyses Erling Haaland: The physicality, the speed and the world-class movement Alan Shearer If Bernd Leno’s advanced shot-stopping numbers were merely average instead of third-best in the league — and if he weren’t as valuable to his team’s passing game — nobody would be talking about Fulham right now. OK, we’re not anyway, but we should be. Aaron Cresswell leads West Ham in progressive passing by a healthy margin, and he’s doing it as part of a back line that allows the league’s fourth-fewest expected goals per game. That’s right: West Ham are secretly decent. Luke Shaw is a full-back who’s rediscovering himself as a centre-back. Ben White is a centre-back running the league as a full-back. Put them together and what do you get? Who knows, but it’s bound to be fun. Eighteen-year-old Rico Lewis isn’t just another Pep Guardiola inside full-back — he’s way more interesting than that. Tactically flexible defenders are so hot right now. Tyler Adams’ league-leading counter-pressing is a big part of why Leeds are better this season despite selling Kalvin Phillips in the summer. Plus he’s got a solid suburban-dad vinyl collection, which has to count for something. Nobody at Brighton breaks lines more than Moises Caicedo. Nobody at Brighton breaks up attacks more than Moises Caicedo. Not unrelatedly, nobody at Brighton breaks transfer news more than Moises Caicedo. Moises Caicedo’s impressive form for Brighton saw him linked with a move away (Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA Images via Getty Images) Youri Tielemans is Leicester City’s leading passer, ball progressor, shot creator and ball-winner outside their own box. That seems good, right? Only Jack Grealish adds more ‘value’ with his carries per 90 minutes than Kaoru Mitoma, who’s the 10th most ‘valuable’ player in the league according to the all-in-one stat Estimated Impact. No wonder the nerds at Brighton and Brentford fought over him. Speaking of the Brentford nerds, they were smart to snatch Ivan Toney out of League One. Three seasons later, he’s got more non-penalty goals than anyone not named Erling Haaland or Harry Kane. Kieran Trippier isn’t technically a winger. Who cares. He completes more open-play passes into the box than any winger in the league while playing full-back for the team with the fewest goals conceded. He can slot in wherever he wants. John Muller Pope notched up a 10th consecutive clean sheet in the first leg of Newcastle’s Carabao Cup semi-final last week, taking him to 16 in total this season (from 25 games). The closest keeper to him is Manchester United’s David de Gea, who has 13 in 29. The defence is a Newcastle/Arsenal combo — unsurprising, given they are the two teams who have conceded the fewest goals (Newcastle 11, Arsenal 16). On his return to the Premier League after two and a half years in Spain, Kieran Trippier has shown not only his defensive quality (which, allied to the impressive form of summer signing Sven Botman at centre-back, has helped give Newcastle the league’s meanest defence) but also the value in his creativity from out wide. Oleksandr Zinchenko’s tactical intelligence, boundless energy and versatility have been key to Arsenal’s improvement this season following his move from Manchester City and Saliba has emerged as the ‘rock at the back’ the north London side have desperately needed. A midfield three of Martin Odegaard, Casemiro and Alexis Mac Allister brings a heady mix of vision, tenacity and a World Cup winner who is capable of helping to build the play from deep and creating opportunities higher up the pitch. Arsenal’s captain, Odegaard has shown a clinical edge in attack (eight goals and five assists in 18 league appearances), but his commitment to the defensive cause is equally impressive, often recovering possession deep in their half. New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag described Casemiro as “the cement between the stones” he had been looking for and the Brazilian summer buy has backed that up, bringing tactical knowledge and strong decision-making to their midfield. And Mac Allister? Well, the Argentinian has become an integral part of Brighton’s midfield in recent seasons and has shown there is more to his game than his usual deep-lying role. The front three need little by way of explanation. Quality on the ball, hard work off it. And so. Many. Goals. Sarah Shephard By far the hardest part of this exercise was the midfield. Other selections were fairly easy, but how do you pick just three from Casemiro, Rodri, Moises Caicedo, Granit Xhaka, Alexis Mac Allister, Bruno Guimaraes, Kevin De Bruyne and Martin Odegaard? All nine of them would be in my top 15 players of the season so far, but only three will make this line-up, so let’s say Guimaraes and Odegaard for certain and… Casemiro. That means leaving out Rodri, who is always disgracefully overlooked in these discussions. It’s quite possible I’ll be back pushing for Rodri again in a week but for now, it’s Casemiro. He’s made a huge impact. There are cases for Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Miguel Almiron and one or two others further forward, but I’m happy with a front three of Bukayo Saka, Erling Haaland and Gabriel Martinelli. I can’t see much cause to quibble with Nick Pope in goal or Kieran Trippier and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the full-back positions. Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier has contributed in defence and attack (Photo: George Wood/Getty Images) Central defence was less straightforward. There have been two outstanding partnerships: Fabian Schar and Sven Botman at Newcastle United and William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes at Arsenal. I could easily have gone Botman/Saliba, but I’ll go Schar/Gabriel while giving a respectful nod to Ben Mee, the best of the rest. So that’s four Newcastle, five Arsenal, one Manchester United and one Manchester City. Maybe that indicates how many of City’s players have been performing below their usual high standards — even if, compared to most of Liverpool’s and Chelsea’s players, they’ve been impeccable. Oliver Kay I had to squeeze Ivan Toney in, and only a fool would leave Erling Haaland out, so a 4-4-2 formation is the best fit for my title-challenging team. Toney’s performances have reached a new level and he has already scored more goals this season (13) than he did during 2021-22 (12). His ability to hold up the ball and thread passes in behind the opposition defence would neatly complement Haaland’s blistering pace too. Nick Pope has been phenomenal for Newcastle, but I prefer my goalkeepers to have a little more finesse. David Raya’s slick distribution and speed off his line secure his spot. Before I get accused of having some sort of strange bias towards Brentford, Raya has made the most saves (86) in the top flight as well. GO DEEPER David Raya: What next for a goalkeeper in demand? My centre-backs have a combined age of 68, but Ben Mee and Tim Ream have performed superbly for Brentford and Fulham. Everybody knows Mee as a rugged defender but against Leeds United last weekend, he nutmegged Tyler Adams to demonstrate there is much more to his game. For Fulham, Ream has been the heartbeat of a side that has surpassed everyone’s expectations. If Chelsea were slightly higher in the table, the indefatigable Thiago Silva would have been in. Kieran Trippier is a no-brainer at right-back and takes the captain’s armband too. Joao Cancelo is no more at Manchester City, yet he was still the most talented left-back in the division for the first half of the season — though he obviously won’t make my team of the season in May. GO DEEPER Listen: Sam Lee and Pol Ballus explain how Joao Cancelo's Man City career unravelled Casemiro is unlucky to miss out in central midfield, but it has to be Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Odegaard. The rejuvenated Marcus Rashford can cause havoc on the left wing and his England team-mate Bukayo Saka can dazzle on the right. Jay Harris This was much harder an exercise than it seems. I left out players who I think are having a better season than ones in the line-up, but I wanted to go with a balanced team. Let’s start with the goalkeeper. Liverpool are just ninth but it could have been much worse without Alisson. Nick Pope runs him a close second. In defence, there were many options at all four positions. At right-back, I could have gone with Ben White, but Kieran Trippier’s overlapping threat and inch-perfect set pieces are something not to be missed. On the other side, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s ability on the ball gets Arsenal out of sticky situations when pressed and the left-side rotations with Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli are key to Arsenal’s attack this season. Oh and counter-pressing! Sorry, Luke Shaw. At centre-back, it’s Lisandro Martinez and William Saliba. The two Premier League newcomers have elevated their sides’ defensive units with consistently impressive performances. Shoutouts to Sven Botman, Fabian Schar, Raphael Varane and Gabriel Magalhaes, who weren’t that far off. In midfield, it’s Kevin De Bruyne, Casemiro and Martin Odegaard. Two selfless creators who also put in defensive shifts when they don’t have the ball, and Casemiro, who will be surrounded by a team whose ability on the ball is something else. Bruno Guimaraes would be on the bench to sub in for Casemiro when playing against high-pressing teams. Up front is where it gets messy. Two wide players are needed, and despite Harry Kane and Gabriel Jesus having good seasons, I am opting for Miguel Almiron and Bukayo Saka as the wingers. A Newcastle connection on the right and an Arsenal connection on the left. Between them is Erling ‘Cyborg’ Haaland. Ahmed Walid OK, so there are a lot of Arsenal players in there but why shouldn’t there be? There probably aren’t enough Newcastle ones but then Pope’s typical 90 minutes have been very different from Alisson’s. One has had a superbly organised and disciplined defence sat in front of him and, well, let’s just say the other has not. You wonder how badly Liverpool’s season would have gone without the best goalkeeper in the league. In defence, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s missed a chunk of his first Arsenal season through injury but the influence he has exerted on the league leaders on and off the pitch has been remarkable. William Saliba has earned all the plaudits coming his way but Gabriel Magalhaes’ performances have been even more impressive. John Stones has quietly shown the type of consistency that makes you think, on his day, he is one of the most complete centre-halves around. There simply can be no arguments over Kieran Trippier at right-back. Casemiro edges out Bruno Guimaraes at the deepest point of my midfield. Playing them together was tempting but would be a little too conservative, so instead, there is a place for the rejuvenated Granit Xhaka. Then there’s the player of the season — it’s going to be a Norwegian. Realistically, even if Manchester City do not win their third straight title, Erling Haaland has marmalised defences to such an extent that he should be considered head and shoulders above everyone else when awards season comes around, but Martin Odegaard’s leap to becoming an elite talent is powering this remarkable Arsenal charge and you can see narrative swinging his way if it is sustained. Bukayo Saka is on the same trajectory. And if he can keep this form up, who knows what Marcus Rashford is capable of? Mark Critchley Joao Palhinha has very much become the apple of my eye and he’ll be my captain, my team’s beating heart and, if necessary, its Nasty Man too. Like a lumberjack swinging gleefully at a forest of redwoods, I don’t think I can remember a player relishing life in a Premier League midfield in quite the same way. Palhinha and his axe have been cutting down ball-carriers all season. Put Moises Caicedo alongside him and that’s as steady and as rounded a base as you could ask for. Joao Palhinha, Fulham’s human axe (Photo: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images) Erling Haaland gets in — obviously, boring — and so do the Arsenal trio of Martin Odegaard, William Saliba and Bukayo Saka. Brighton’s Pervis Estupinan just edges out Oleksandr Zinchenko, and only because I’m after a more traditional left-back. Zinchenko has been so much more than that for Arsenal, whereas Estupinan offers more regimented qualities: he’s skilful, smart off the ball and always seems to be in exactly the right place at the right time. His team-mate Kaoru Mitoma gets in too — Brighton’s left flank has been so good this season that I’m importing it wholesale. Mitoma is a marvel; he is a joy to watch and a terrible danger to opposition defences. Sven Botman has been outstanding and that’s despite the concerns about his lack of pace. Credit Eddie Howe for ensuring that hasn’t mattered, but also Botman for making as quick a defensive transition to English football as I can recall. Kieran Trippier is another pick to salute just how good Newcastle have been without the ball. A record of 11 goals conceded in 20 games is remarkable. And David Raya. Is Brentford’s goalkeeper the best shot-stopper in the league now? If not, it’s close. Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope have enjoyed super seasons too but it feels as if we’re still discovering the range of Raya’s abilities — match-by-match — so he edges ahead on novelty value. Seb Stafford-Bloor

Champions League registration rules explained: Why Chelsea could not register all of their new signings https://theathletic.com/4150251/2023/02/03/champions-league-registration-rules-Chelsea-signings/ Chelsea head coach Graham Potter admitted he was preparing to have some awkward conversations with the players who would not win a place in his Champions League squad and his decision has now been made public. The club made eight new signings in January — albeit Malo Gusto has returned to Lyon on loan — but only three have been able to be added to the Champions League squad for the knockout phase. That meant Potter had to choose between Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke, Joao Felix, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos. Santos is still waiting for his work permit. Ultimately, he chose to include Fernandez, Mudryk and Felix. GO DEEPER Mudryk, Fernandez, Felix added to Chelsea Champions League squad, Aubameyang omitted Potter was also forced to cut an existing member of the squad — Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made way. Confused? We examine Chelsea’s conundrum in more detail below. GO DEEPER How were Chelsea allowed to spend so much in the January transfer window? How many players can be registered? Submitted Champions League squad lists are split into two lists: list A and list B. List A is the one that has to be filed to UEFA following the closure of the transfer window. List B can be submitted anywhere up until 11pm GMT (6pm EST, 3pm PT) the day before each matchday. List A is the important one. It consists of a maximum of 25 players with at least two of them being goalkeepers. Eight of the 25 spots are reserved for locally-trained players. If a club do not have eight locally-trained players, they can still submit a valid list. However, the 25-man list will reduce accordingly to the lack of locally-trained players. For example, if a club can only named seven locally-trained players, they would only be able to name 24 players in list A. Only six locally-trained players would mean a 23-man list, and so on. Of those eight players, at least four must be club-trained and have spent three years or more at the club between the age of 15 and 21. Trevoh Chalobah, Conor Gallagher, Reece James, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount are all examples at Chelsea. The other four locally-trained spots can be taken up by players who spent three years between the age of 15 and 21 at another club in the same country. Ben Chilwell (trained at Leicester) and Raheem Sterling (trained at Liverpool) are among those that qualify for that criteria in Graham Potter’s squad. List B can contain an unlimited list of players. Although, there are stipulations. Players on List B must have been born on or after January 1, 2001 and been at the club for either two uninterrupted years since their 15th birthday or for three years including one loan of no more than a year. There must also be an additional goalkeeper on List B. Armando Broja (born September 10, 2001) and Lewis Hall (born September 8, 2004) are included on that list for Chelsea but Carney Chukwuemeka is not because he he has not been at the club long enough. Why were Chelsea not allowed to register all of their new signings? Champions League clubs have to submit two squad lists throughout the season. The first was submitted on September 2, 2o22 for the group stage. This is how Chelsea’s squad list looked at that point. Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marcus Bettinelli, Edouard Mendy. Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Reece James, Thiago Silva. Midfielders: Carney Chukwuemeka, Conor Gallagher, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Denis Zakaria, Hakim Ziyech. Forwards: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling. Once they have qualified for the knockout stage, clubs must submit a second squad list, on February 2, 2023. In that second list, a maximum of three new signings can be included. Fortunately for Chelsea, those players are allowed to have played for another team during the group stage. Unfortunately for Chelsea, they have seven more players at Cobham than they had at the beginning of January. GO DEEPER Chelsea's transfer window: Stellar signings, a 'Class A circus' and Ziyech's Boehly plea That gave Potter a very tough decision to make. He not only had to leave out four of his new signings, but another place needed to be opened up. Jorginho’s departure to Arsenal freed up a spot for the Chelsea manager but one more existing player was left disappointed. Which Chelsea players missed out? Noni Madueke was one of the players who did make the cut (Photo: Joupin Ghamsari/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) Chelsea’s January transfer business looked like this. In: Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Joao Felix (loan), Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto (loaned back to Lyon), Enzo Fernandez. Out: Bashir Humphreys (loan), Cesare Casadei (loan), Jude Soonsup-Bell, Jorginho. Four of the players listed in the ‘in’ section are not able to play for Chelsea in the Champions League. After being confirmed, this is how the updated squad list looks. Goalkeepers: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marcus Bettinelli, Edouard Mendy. Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Reece James, Thiago Silva. Midfielders: Carney Chukwuemeka, Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Denis Zakaria, Hakim Ziyech. Forwards: Kai Havertz, Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling. That decision regarding the squad list means Badiashile, David Fofana, Santos, and Madueke have been left out, as well as Aubameyang who was included in September’s list. Speaking ahead of the announcement, Potter knew that he would have to have a few awkward conversations. “We have a bit of time before we make the decision, we are aware of who we need to speak to,” he said. “There are going to be a few awkward conversations, that’s the reality of where we are because only 11 can play, only a certain amount of players can be in the squad, there are always going to be ones who are disappointed and it’s about being honest and open, respectful, transparent as you can. “And again create an environment where you respect the fact people want to play, players want to compete and help the team. But also that they’re patient and make sure they’re ready to play.” Chelsea face Borussia Dortmund in the last 16. The first leg, played in Germany, is on Wednesday, February 15 before the second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, March 7. GO DEEPER What do other Premier League clubs think of Chelsea and their transfer spending?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ‘will fight for Chelsea place’ despite Champions League cut, says Graham Potter https://theathletic.com/4154149/2023/02/03/aubameyang-Chelsea-potter-future/ Chelsea boss Graham Potter has admitted it was a “tough” decision to leave Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of his Champions League squad, but insists the striker still has a role to play at Stamford Bridge. Aubameyang became a high-profile casualty of Chelsea’s January transfer spending as he was cut from a 25-man list for the knockout stages to make way for British record signing Enzo Fernandez, as well as fellow newcomers Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix. The former Arsenal striker joined Chelsea from Barcelona on a two-year deal last September, reuniting with then-boss Thomas Tuchel, but has scored just one goal in 11 Premier League appearances. Aubameyang, who had started all six of Chelsea’s group-stage games, appears to face an uncertain future after his omission, but asked if there was a way back, Potter told Sky Sports after Friday’s goalless draw with Fulham: “Yeah of course. “I had to explain. It was a tough call as he’s done nothing wrong. But Pierre’s with us, he’s with us for the rest of the season and he’ll be fighting for his place.” Champions League rules mean that clubs can only add three players to their squads for the knockout rounds that were not in their initial list from September. David Datro Fofana, Noni Madueke, Andrey Santos, Gabriel Slonina and Benoit Badiashile all arrived in January but were also left out of Potter’s European selection, with Borussia Dortmund next up on in a last-16 first-leg fixture on February 15. Fernandez impressed on his debut, even though he was unable to help his team-mates find a breakthrough. Summing up his performance, Potter said: “Really good, considering he not been in the country very long. “I think you could see flashes of his quality, his personality is there. He’ll get better as we work with him.” The Chelsea boss, who said Mudryk had been substituted after a recent “heavy cold”, admitted a new-look side lacked cohesion, but felt there were positive things to build on. “There’s disappointment because we didn’t win, of course, and we could all sense the excitement and the positivity, there was definitely that in the team,” he added. “You have to credit Fulham because they’re a well-organised defensive unit. “We did quite well at times and at other times you could see the lack of connection you’d expect from a team that’s got a few guys coming back from injury or being integrated into the team. “It is where we’re at at the moment, but things to take forward and things to improve. Sometimes you need that connection, that understanding to sharpen up decisions and executions.”

Chelsea are not yet a football team – but don’t expect much patience https://theathletic.com/4154333/2023/02/04/Chelsea-transfers-patience/ “I haven’t played against any of my new team-mates and I haven’t had the chance to chat with any of them yet, but I do know who they are” — Enzo Fernandez on Wednesday. As they walked onto the Stamford Bridge pitch to face Fulham on Friday night, Chelsea did, at first glance, look like a team. They walked in a neat line out of the tunnel all wearing the same kit. After the customary opponent handshakes, they engaged in all the usual hi-fives, hugs and back slaps you might expect from a group of footballers with familiarity and good chemistry. Immediately before kick-off, they even arranged themselves into a formation which, presumably, had been discussed and agreed beforehand. But once the first whistle blew, the truth quickly became apparent. Chelsea are not a team right now. They are, in fact, a jarring amalgamation of three teams: one of longer-serving players, some of whom appear to have had their confidence worn down by the relentless instability of the past year; one of new players bought by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital as recently as this week; one of players steadily working their way back from various injuries. At times it was painful to watch these three disparate groups try to forge solid connections on the fly in the heat of a proper London derby. Every loose pass, crossed wire or missed run was seized upon by a settled, well-drilled Fulham side eager to spoil and scrap. Visiting coach Marco Silva did not use any of his three January signings at Stamford Bridge; Graham Potter, in contrast, fielded a debutant for the sixth consecutive match, a Chelsea record. That man was Fernandez, tasked with orchestrating a group of near-strangers a little more than 48 hours after being unveiled at Cobham as Chelsea’s eighth signing of an unprecedented January and the Premier League’s most expensive-ever import. For 45 minutes he did it remarkably well, snapping into well-timed tackles and finding quick, progressive passes that sparked some of the hosts’ brightest moments. “I thought he handled himself magnificently,” Potter said of Fernandez afterwards. “It was a tough game and you can see his quality, you can see what he will bring to the team. It’s not easy for him or for us because he’s not been with us that long. I think you’ll see how good he can be and how much he can influence the team, so we’re excited with him.” Fulham countered with pace and purpose whenever opportunities presented themselves but were repeatedly frustrated by Benoit Badiashile and Thiago Silva — the only reliable partnership anywhere on the pitch for Chelsea. Beyond them, the successes Potter could point to within the collective muddle tended to be individual in nature: Kepa Arrizabalaga making big saves, Conor Gallagher growing in stature and threat, Noni Madueke and David Datro Fofana both causing the visitors problems from the substitutes’ bench. “I’m confident with the potential we have, with the ability that is in the group,” Potter added. “What we need to do now is gel the team. That’s the challenge.” Some of Potter’s decisions towards that end raise questions. His starting XI contained two players, Reece James and Mykhailo Mudryk, who were only intended to last 60 minutes, but the Ukraine international only played the first half before being withdrawn due to heavy legs and, his head coach afterwards revealed, the lingering effects of a heavy cold that had affected him all week at Cobham. Hakim Ziyech had arguably endured even more disruption to his preparation than Mudryk or Fernandez, having been convinced as late as Tuesday evening that he would be allowed to join Paris Saint-Germain on loan for the remainder of the season before administrative failures scuppered the deal. His body language on the pitch at Stamford Bridge allayed concerns about his frame of mind, but did his selection hint that Potter never wanted him to go in the first place? Potter’s faith in others went unrewarded against Fulham. Correct decisions on the pitch are proving very difficult for Mason Mount to find right now, just as his contract negotiations with Boehly and Clearlake reach a crucial stage. Kai Havertz looks less and less like a viable No 9 with every passive performance and over-complicated his best scoring chance of the game. Fulham relished in shutting down Chelsea’s expensive new toys as Boehly and Clearlake co-founder Behdad Eghbali watched sullenly from the executive level. No football club in the world has a bigger target on their back in the eyes of rivals and so many people are willing them to fail after such extraordinary transfer spending. Overcoming that further complicates Potter’s task of turning this expensively assembled group of talented footballers into a real team. West Ham away next Saturday will herald the return of another new component in the form of Joao Felix. Beyond that lies the first of two battles against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, which almost certainly represents Chelsea’s final chance to salvage any tangible success from this season. Winning on the pitch is harder than winning in the transfer market. Right now, Chelsea look like a lavishly extravagant thought exercise in how to conclusively prove the old football adage that you ‘can’t buy a goal’. It is obvious Potter needs time to mould them into more than that, but it is also inevitable that patience — both in the stands and in the boardroom — will be more limited because of the last two transfer windows.

How were Chelsea allowed to spend so much in the January transfer window? https://theathletic.com/4142276/2023/02/01/Chelsea-transfer-window-spending-finances-why-how/ Chelsea’s historic January transfer window drew to a close in the early hours of Wednesday morning, when they confirmed a British record deal for the Argentina World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez. And, after an unprecedented winter window in which they signed seven senior players for over £280million, there is one question dominating the sport. How are Chelsea able to embark on such a spending spree while abiding by UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations? The answer, as you might expect, is complicated. The Athletic explains below. How are Chelsea planning to make it work? Chelsea supporters have been given a crash course in amortisation over the past month, as Todd Boehly and Clearlake have pushed the boundaries of what is possible with player contract lengths. By signing Mykhailo Mudryk to a deal that runs until June 2031, for example, they enable his €70million (£62m) initial transfer fee to be spread across eight years on the books rather than a more conventional four or five, thereby greatly reducing his yearly cost on the accounts. Fernandez, Badiashile, Madueke and summer signing Wesley Fofana are on similarly long deals. This amortisation trick – which could end up backfiring if the players on these super-sized contracts fall short of expectations on the pitch – is one of the conditions Boehly and Clearlake have exploited in order to maximise their opportunity to front-load the level of spending that most elite clubs would stretch over three or four summer windows, but not the only one. Another springs from the other half of how football clubs report transfers in their accounts. Transfer fees for purchased players might be amortised over the length of their contracts, but transfer fees for players sold are booked immediately in one lump sum (minus their remaining amortised cost on the books). These differing accounting practices can make it surprisingly easy for clubs to significantly offset or even completely balance several high-profile signings with as few as one reasonably-sized sale in their annual results – particularly if the player or players sold are already fully amortised or academy graduates, who represent pure profit in the books. Mudryk joined Chelsea in the January window (Photo: Getty Images) Does this work? An important example from recent Chelsea history: for the financial year ending June 2022, despite signing Romelu Lukaku in a disastrous £97.5m deal from Inter Milan, the club actually made a huge profit from player sales – estimated by respected football finance analyst Swiss Ramble to be £160m – due to the departures of Tammy Abraham to Roma, Kurt Zouma to West Ham, Fikayo Tomori to AC Milan and Marc Guehi to Crystal Palace, among others. Chelsea’s overall financial results for 2021-22 are not yet public. The club has until March 31 to file their accounts with Companies House. But in past years big profits from player sales have been enough to lift the club into the black overall, despite match day and commercial revenue that consistently lags behind their Premier League rivals – most recently in 2019-20, when a £143m profit from player sales contributed to an overall pre-tax profit of £36m. What is Chelsea’s current state of play? Swiss Ramble estimates that Chelsea’s pre-tax profit for 2021-22 will be £19m. Between those two years in the black is a huge £156m loss in 2020-21 partly resulting from the mammoth spending spree of summer 2020 that brought Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy to Stamford Bridge. FFP has traditionally only allowed clubs to lose up to €30m (£26.3m) over a three-year monitoring period, though a number of accommodations were made in recognition of the impact of COVID on club revenues. Back in September UEFA listed Chelsea as one of 18 clubs who “were able to technically fulfil the break-even requirement thanks to the application of the COVID-19 emergency measures and/or because they benefited from historical positive break-even results,” adding that further financial information had been requested and the relevant clubs “will be monitored closely in the upcoming period”. UEFA also reminded Chelsea that those particular COVID accommodations no longer apply, but FFP is changing in ways that make Boehly and Clearlake’s current spending more viable. From 2023-24 the allowable loss limit is being doubled from €30m to €60m, which would include the 2022-23 season as the third year of the monitoring period. Clubs judged to be in good financial health will also be granted a further €30m in allowable losses over a three-year monitoring period, meaning that Chelsea could be permitted to lose as much as €90m over three years – triple the old limit. Prior to deadline day, when Chelsea finally agreed a British record deal for Fernandez, Swiss Ramble estimated a €96m loss for Chelsea over the three years up to 2022-23, only slightly over the €90m allowable loss limit. He also estimated the club’s squad cost at 92 per cent of revenue and profit from player sales; UEFA has ruled that all clubs must bring this ratio down to 90 per cent for 2023-24, then 80 per cent in 2024-25 and 70 per cent in 2025-26. Chelsea finally secured a deal for Fernandez in the early hours of Wednesday (Photo: Getty Images) Should Chelsea have any concerns? Recent history suggests Chelsea have relatively little to fear even from being found in breach of FFP. UEFA’s latest round of punishments, announced in September, amounted to a list of fines – of which only a small percentage was to be paid immediately with the rest conditional on future compliance. You could argue that is the equivalent of a speeding ticket for an ambitious club determined to spend big. Boehly has publicly insisted on numerous occasions that Chelsea have FFP in mind, but it’s clear that he and Clearlake are pushing as close to the limits as possible in order to try to build a squad capable of consistently competing for the biggest domestic and European trophies, perhaps mindful that financial and regulatory conditions in the coming years may not be so favourable for this scale of investment. Is this level of spending likely to continue? UEFA have already moved to close the amortisation loophole for future transfer windows; even if a player is signed on a seven or eight-year contract from the summer onwards, their transfer fee will be spread over no more than five years in any FFP calculation. The steadily tightening squad cost control rule will also put pressure on Chelsea and their rivals to be more disciplined when handing out lucrative salaries to players and coaches. Then there is also the £60m in annual commercial income that Chelsea will lose from next season, as a result of the end of a £40m-a-year deal with main shirt sponsor Three and the early termination of a £20m-a-year deal with sleeve sponsor Whalefin. Neither have yet been replaced, the football sponsor market is less than inviting right now, and the clock is ticking before the process of manufacturing next season’s kit must begin. Most significantly of all, Chelsea are currently facing the real prospect of playing the 2023-24 season without Champions League football, and perhaps without European participation of any kind. That was absolutely not in the initial Boehly-Clearlake business plan, and would have a significant impact on the club’s transfer ambitions over the next two windows. Todd Boehly completed a Chelsea takeover in May 2022 (Photo: Getty Images) This is where it is important to note the very defined profile of player that Chelsea have targeted in this January window: players aged 23 or under who have, to varying degrees, flashed elite ability and can either blossom into key components of the next great team at Stamford Bridge or grow their resale value in the coming years. If enough of them prove to be positive assets on or off the pitch, nine-figure transfer splurges will not be required in future windows. In any case, no one should expect this level of transfer spending to continue indefinitely. Boehly is not an oligarch and Clearlake Capital are not a sovereign wealth fund. The money being invested is drawn from private equity, and with it comes an expectation of an eventual positive return – either in the form of yearly profits or, more likely, a significant increase in Chelsea’s value that can be realised if the club is sold on.

Keeper and a DMF and a striker are musts some points once Ziyech leaves, the only true RWer we have left is Noni, and once Puli and CHO leave, Sterling and Mudryk are the only other wingers we have and neither are RWers, that is why I am all over Mousa Diaby (or, 2nd option, Sane,, etc) IF (a massive IF) Wes Fofana fully recovers, sure then, a right footed CB can wait, but given the dodgy ones we have besides Thiago, it's a risk, KK is dire AF and Trevoh is more like Everton quality, plus we need speed, and so Jurrien Timber fills that bill, he is the perfect add for me (and remember, once Colwill sticks, if he does, I am done with wanting Gvardiol, as we do not need 3 left footed CBs, Citeh's having 3 aside) Zakharyan is a different kettle of fish from anything we have or are getting (officially), he is a creative number 10, more like a potential de Bruyne, not a slashing goal scorer SS/AMF type like Felix or Nkunku. His type is so rare, and he is cheap AF, that si why I am going bonkers that we cannot get around the Putin cunt-ups atm, that fucking POS fascist genocidal twat. and yes, Osimhen will be crazy expensive, but he is likely well worth it, and is the only one at that price level I am suggesting for any other position. I gave up on Bellingham, and we do not need Leao, and hopefully do not need Gvardiol, and those are the only others at the 100m and above range who are moving atm (Mbappe and Håland not counted, lol, they are not coming here when they do leave)

I tried to tell peeps he was nothing like they were thinking he was I failed, lol, was not forceful enough, as I was all freaked over Enzo, etc

in his topflight career for club and country, he has played over 700 games, with 317 goals/assists combined 218 goals, 99 assists Pulisic is at roughly half the amount of games, a little less 71 goals, 74 assist, with a greater chunk per minute coming from his national team Kalou for clubs (and the vast bulk of his minutes were in big 5 leagues and in Europe, and often with far worse teammates than Puli has had, other than Kalou's Chels days) 189 goals, 93 assists and Pulisic 59 goals, 60 assists which translates out to 124 goals, 126 assists extrapolated out at his current rate for Kalou's amount of club minutes 7 goals, 4 assists per year for all club comps is a really shit rate of return for someone we will end up dropping over 100m quid on

I am more than open to looking at Maatsen as replacing one of our two LBs (I am open to it because Chilwell is always injured and CuCu is strictly backup squad level, we shit away insane cash on him) but ONLY if we fail (and it is likely we do fail, GRRRRRRRR) on both of the only two remotely available LBs I truly rate now (as Theo has dropped off due to shit defence and Robertson is 30yo next season (tempus fugit, bitches) AND also is not leaving Pool in a few months or so, plus Saka will never be a LB again I wager) those 2 are the same names as always Alphonso Davies and Nuno Mendes both of whom are miles better than anything we have had since Ash days but sure, I am open to Maatsen I just wish he was not a dwarf (I am 16cm taller than he is, over a full half foot, ffs and I am a female, lolol, granted a taller one, just not in my family, who are all semi giants (thank fuck I am not as tall as mummy or my sis, let alone my father and brothers, I would never want to be taller than I already am, not a chance, in fact I would not mind being an inch or two shorter, but I can live with being 6 feet, ie 1.83m) https://www.chelseafc.com/en/teams/profile/ian-maatsen 1,67m is actually a wee bit little over 5 feet, 5 and half inches

I can see that, lol I was unclear as well we just disagree as you would give up one (Enzo it seems) and I would give up neither, and instead I would have only one of either Mudryk or Felix on the CL roster (I say Felix, and laid out why, but its not 100 per cent make or break for me on that choice)

Just to keep it all short and sweet here are my must buys: GK Jan Oblak or Giorgi Mamardashvili or Illan Meslier (likely it will have to be Meslier of those 3, unless Oblak demands to come, or Valencia come way down from Mamar's 100m release clause, neither of which are likely to happen) CB (right footed) Jurrien Timber as we need speed speed speed (unless it has to be homegrown, then either Nathan Collins or Taylor Harwood-Bellis) CMF/DMF Roméo Lavia or Rice OR if we want Kante style (we are NOT doing both, not this summer) Nicolò Barella or Caicedo or Manu Kone AMF/No. 10 creative Arsen Zakharyan (no one lelse interests me) RW Mousa Diaby or if not him, then Sane CF Victor Osimhen (only one I truly rate) or Dušan Vlahović or IF it has to be a homegrown, then Toney --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gvardiol is very likely not moving until his summer 2024 release clause kicks in, barring someone (not us) paying 110 to 120m quid (and if Badi and Colwill both come good, we do not need Gvardiol, just like we likely do not need Rafael Leão at LW, as we now have Mudryk and Sterling there, plus both Gvardiol and Leão are insanely expensive, and I can only see one more crazy expensive (as in 100m) buy atm, and that will be Osimhen, if we can pull it off) and to sum it all up Jude Bellingham is probably a pipedream for so many reasons, sorry

magic 8 ball now says