Vesper

apparently not everybody also, full disclosure, I am neutral on Mount atm, BUT I sure as fuck would have sold him IF that guaranteed Enzo coming, or Gvardiol coming

it always was going to be two CMFs/DMFs so not just Caicedo, even though we cocked up Enzo

Every single one of those players on that entire list, in their prime (and many not even in their total prime) would walk straight onto our team

lol, yep nothing but flops here: World Cup FIFA Young Player Age 1958 Sweden Brazil Pelé 17 1962 Chile Hungary Flórián Albert 20 1966 England West Germany Franz Beckenbauer 20 1970 Mexico Peru Teófilo Cubillas 21 1974 West Germany Poland Władysław Żmuda 20 1978 Argentina Italy Antonio Cabrini 20 1982 Spain France Manuel Amoros 21 1986 Mexico Belgium Enzo Scifo 20 1990 Italy Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Robert Prosinečki 21 1994 United States Netherlands Marc Overmars 20 1998 France England Michael Owen 18 2002 South Korea/Japan United States Landon Donovan 20 2006 Germany Germany Lukas Podolski 21 2010 South Africa Germany Thomas Müller 20 2014 Brazil France Paul Pogba 21 2018 Russia France Kylian Mbappé 19 2022 Qatar Argentina Enzo Fernández 21

Bruno Guimarães and Caicedo if not Bruno then Caicedo and either Lavia or Kone, BUT I do love Mac Allister too Caicedo and Kone (nipping Lavia for now) call it and that is NOT to shit on any of them PLUS Arsen at AMF is a must for me

true Manure have always been fairly damn meh in giant euro finals and global cups they should have only one European Cup (1968, their only dominant big final win ever) and one Champions League (1999) and have three losses, not 2 (2008 nightmare for us should have been the 3rd loss) Barca destroyed them in 2009 and especially 2011 they lost the first Intercontinental Cup they played in (1968), barely won the 2nd (in 1999, over Palmeiras, 1 nil, part of the yet another Palmeiras world championship loss, that is part of why that club is so obsessed with winning it, they are the only still giant Brasil side that has never won an IC or a FWCC) Manure are the only UEFA team to not even make the semis of of a FWCC they played in (2000), and the year they did win (in 2008, when they never should have been there) was against one of the weakest fields ever, and they still barely won, 1 nil, against a really poor LDU Quito side they also are only 1 win and 1 loss in Europa League finals and finally they are worse than us in the Super Cup 1 win, 3 losses and that 1991 win is pretty dodgy, as Red Star Belgrade, the European Cup holders and vastly better side that season, was already being dismantled, with 5 star players sold off a few months before the Super Cup (but even then they were still the better side) AND the 2nd leg (the home leg for Red Star) was not allowed to be played Manure scraped out a 1 nil win at old Shitford, with some dodgy ref calls going their way (there is a familiar chorus, lol) and then UEFA stepped in when Manure was whingeing about security in Yugoslavia, and cancelled the 2nd leg and awarded the Super Cup to Manure (they should have just played it at a neutral ground anywhere in Western Europe) so yep, not that impressive on the big stage overall, and that 2008 CL final REALLY would should have put them down further pegs as a big global club

removing Enzo (sob) and Bellingham (he was a pipe dream, so not coming here, he will end up at Real, or Citeh, or, if the Glazers sell in time, maybe Manure) the remotely available CMF/DMFs left that I rate buying: Bruno Guimarães (hard AF pull) Nicolò Barella (hard AF pull) so that leaves those 6 to choose from, it really is not that complicated (other than the Enzo heartbreak) Moisés Caicedo like a poor man's Kante but with more scoring ability Roméo Lavia a wee bit of Makélélé and Essien (healthy) combined, although nowhere near those levels yet Manu Koné (most versatile on this list, can play anywhere in MF, also maybe even an emergency winger, RWB (not fullback) or even an SS Alexis Mac Allister very versatile too, I think he is great Martín Zubimendi (the deep lying playmaker type of the 6) Matheus Nunes (Pool wants him BADLY) the only AMF/No 10 I want is Arsen Zakharyan

there are multiple ways we can avoid that the whole league place qualifying as in who goes where, when the cups are added in too, is insanely complicated now in theory we could finish 5th and have NO Europe at all, not Europa League, not Conference, although that would take crazy League and FA Cup wins by non top 5 teams

well, we should have 3 already, if not for Terry slipping on the shit Moscow pitch I have to be honest I would SO trade winning in 2008 for winning in 2012. Of course both would be nice, but no shame in losing to a vastly superior tem in 2012 in their home stadium. We were BEST team in 2008, and the way we lost is maddening. Bayern says the same for 2012. Plus, Manure would NOT have a FWCC win at all (and we would have one more, as in 2008 the FWCC was SO weak, and we also would not have had the shame of losing it (FWCC) in 2012 either) AND we would have another Super Cup as well, very little chance we would have lost to Zenit in 2008 (and we would also have one less Super Cup loss, as we got pounded in 2012, 4 to 1, by Atletico Madrid, who never lost a Super Cup, despite always being the Europa League representative)

each decade there are 160 slots that can make that claim 432 slots in my lifetime so far all you need do is make it out of the group stage to get there it's hardly a massive achievement for a quarter of a century plus power club like ours (starting in 1996/97 and up until now, when the trophies started to really pour in from then on, 27 and counting in that time period, and should be WELL over 30, perhaps 35 if we could fucking win domestic cup finals (CS, and lately, shockingly bad in the League Cup and FA cup finals) plus not have choked in Moscow 2008 (3 more trophies likely there alone, CL, SC, and FWCC) and also not choked at the 2012 FWCC (unless Real somehow cock up this year, we will be the only UEFA team to have lost the FWCC since the first 3 went to vastly better (for them in terms of having top players not fleeing to Europe) Brasilian teams, UEFA teams in the last 16 will be 15 wins, 1 LOSS, us, in 2012), and finally nicked just one of the SCs we lost in 2012, 2013, 2019 (especially 2019) In regards to the FWCC, the only solace I take is that us losing in 2012 was not the worst UEFA result in the very first one, in 2000, there were two UEFA teams and neither even made it to the final Real Madrid went on to lose the 3rd place game as well, and Manure was even worse, they crashed out at the group stage the next two FWCCs (2005 and 2006) were also won by Brasilian teams, São Paulo (great side, top 3 for sure Brasilian (and not just Brasilian, all of SA) team ever in the entire comp, they beat Pool despite missing 4 top players) and then the next year, Internacional (Porto Allegre) beat Barca. After that, it was ALL UEFA wins, except for us in 2012 (again to one of the best Brasilian teams ever in the FWCC , that Corinthians side with prime Paolo Guerrero plus a rock solid back 4) The Palmeiras side we did beat in 2021 was a top 6 ever FWCC Brasilian side as well, along with both the winning Corinthians sides (2000, 2012), the 2005 and 2006 winning sides above, plus the finals-losing 2000 Vasco da Gama side. Most of the years all the teams except for the UEFA one were weak, sometimes really weak. I would rate the best non UEFA teams to make it to the final, in order of quality (now I do have to say those insane Boca Jrs teams of the late 1990s and early 2000s would have probably won one, but the FWCC was not played in 2001, 2002, 2003, or 2004, and in 2000 they were denied a spot by those two superb Brasil sides, they did win 3 of the 3 Intercontinental Cups they played in, beating Real Madrid in 2000, and Milan in 20023, losing to Bayern in 2001, and way back in 1977, they beat Borussia Mönchengladbach, after Pool refused to play in it ) so, the best non UEFA sides: 2000 Corinthians (easily the best non UEFA side ever in the FWCC, they were so fucking loaded) 2000 Vasco da Gama (Romario scored 66 goals that season!, lol) 2005 São Paulo 2012 Corinthians 2006 Internacional 2021 Palmeiras 2009 Estudiantes 2007 Boca Juniors 2019 Flamengo 2017 Grêmio

West London hierarchy turned upside down as beleaguered Chelsea face confident Fulham https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2023/01/12/premier-league-london-Chelsea-fulham/ The story goes that when Roman Abramovich, the Russian-born billionaire who was to transform English football, was ready to finalise his purchase of Chelsea just under 20 years ago, he had a late moment of alarm. His plane was coming into London and he glimpsed a stadium beneath the flight path, not far from Heathrow airport. It looked old and unglamorous. And rather small. He apparently worried for a moment this might be an unflattering aerial view of his prospective new property. Abramovich was assured that, no, the worn, tired arena was not Stamford Bridge, where he would go on to be serenaded by fans for the next two decades. It remains unclear whether it was Fulham’s Craven Cottage, or Brentford’s Griffin Park that the former Chelsea owner had peered down on, unimpressed with its size and old-fashioned appearance. That seems a long time ago now. For the new owners of Chelsea, who took over the club last year after UK government sanctions against Russia-linked businesses and individuals obliged the club’s sale, the view from above and indeed within West London is very different. Brentford, who 20 seasons ago were in the third-tier of English football, are now an ambitious Premier League club enjoying a smart new stadium, a kilometre – and light years in terms of facilities – from Griffin Park. Fulham, in the top division after three years of back and forth in and out of the Championship, are still at Craven Cottage but its quaint, picturesque charms are now supplemented by a brand new grandstand rising up next to the River Thames. Viewed from nearby Stamford Bridge, there are aspects of both venues that would provoke envy. Although Chelsea’s stadium is a good deal bigger that Brentford’s or Fulham’s, the club’s owners past and present long for a capacity far greater than the current 40,000-odd, but face a number of practical difficulties in expanding or relocating. More urgently, Chelsea find themselves in the uncomfortable, unfamiliar position of looking not at Fulham and Brentford from above, but beneath, in the hierarchy of the league table. Chelsea, the 2021 European champions, sit 10th in the Premier League, a spot below Brentford, and three places and three points behind a confident Fulham, who host their next-door rivals on Thursday. Chelsea are horribly out of form. At the weekend, they tumbled out of the FA Cup, beaten 4-0 by Manchester City, who had also eliminated Chelsea from the League Cup at the earliest point of elite clubs’ entry to that knockout tournament. Chelsea, who sacked Thomas Tuchel as manager in September and poached Graham Potter from Brighton as his replacement, have won just once in the last six league outings. At 10 points off the top four, they are beginning to regard their best chance of being involved in next season’s Champions League as qualifying as holders. That looks a very long shot. They meet Borussia Dortmund in the last 16 next month for a place in a last eight that will be well stocked with squads in better health than theirs. In this gathering crisis, would-be saviours are sought. Potter has been assured his position is safe, and that by the end of the transfer window an unbalanced, injury-hit but still expensive squad will be significantly strengthened. Joao Felix, 23 and not too long ago football’s second-most costly teenager ever, confirmed his arrival as a Chelsea player on Wednesday, the fourth signing of the winter transfer window. Chelsea have taken the Portuguese on loan from Atletico Madrid until May for a fee of over €10 million, and will cover his salary but without an option to buy. Atletico, keen for Felix to extend his contract with the Spanish club by a year to 2027, want to retain what they see as a highly saleable asset, a player they invested €111 million in when he moved from Benfica in 2019. But Felix has pushed for this January exit, however temporary, with his relationship with Atletico head coach Diego Simeone - and specifically Simeone’s safety-first tactics - more and more strained. Whether Potter, an imaginative, progressive coach, can stimulate the creativity in Felix and the player have the quick impact required by Chelsea remains to be seen. “He can make a difference,” said Potter, “a quality player that gives everyone a lift, someone who can impose himself on a game. He’s a nice addition and I’m looking forward to working with him.” But Potter also warned: “It’s not just one person who solves your problems. You have to fix the team, attack better, create more chances.” As he looked across West London at tonight’s hosts, on four wins out of four since the break for the World Cup, he saw a Fulham “who play with courage and personality” while his side “are not in a top, top moment, hurting.”

Lavia just bossed Citeh in MF last night, wow stream replays 1st half Sky https://sbchill.com/pnfaaqd5a3cj.html 2nd half Sky https://sbchill.com/6tmpdv0w66ei.html

Chelsea are in talks with AC Milan over cancelling Tiemoue Bakayoko's loan and are willing to let the £35M transfer flop leave on a FREE... with the midfielder last playing for the Blues back in 2018 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11625605/Chelsea-talks-AC-Milan-cancelling-Tiemoue-Bakayokos-loan.html

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/Chelsea-fc-injuries-pulisic-mount-kante-b1051257.html snip Club doctor Paco Biosca and head physio Thierry Laurent left the club as part of a cull by the new Boehly-Clearlake ownership. They believed City, Liverpool and even clubs such as Brighton had more progressive medical departments. The issue has not yet been resolved. A private physiotherapy firm used by celebrities including Dave Grohl, Morrissey and Katie Price has stepped up in place of the long-serving staff. Even still, they have overseen some injuries that some believe avoidable. James Ralph, James’s personal physio, hinted at anger towards the reintroduction of his client to playing after he returned from injury after the World Cup. “I need to bite my tongue despite having a lot to say,” he posted on Instagram. Fofana also suffered a similar setback in his recovery, coming off visibly upset, according to those present, in the final friendly against Brentford before the Premier League restarts. It is understood that players are concerned with the situation after seeing Kante’s career ravaged by a series of niggling injuries. The France star was once regarded as the best defensive midfielder in the world but, ahead of contract negotiations with Chelsea and Barcelona, his injuries have hurt his ability to command a big salary. snip Chelsea hire physiotherapy firm Remedy to sort out medical department https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2022/10/11/23398133/Chelsea-hire-physiotherapy-firm-remedy-to-sort-out-medical-department-report Slightly late to this news, but the man you see at the top is Freddie Murray, a former journeyman player turned physiotherapist to the stars, who’s been reportedly hired by Chelsea on a consultancy basis help sort out our medical department. According to the Daily Mail from a few days ago, Chelsea have hired Murray and his London-based private physiotherapy firm, Remedy with the brief “to provide advisory services to the club”. And in the meantime, the firm’s staff have “already begun treating Chelsea players”, too. So it sounds like they are both filling in for the people who have recently left the club, including department head Dr Paco Biosca, and also helping to create a structure for the department going forward, presumably with some new full-time people eventually hired. Murray, who used to be a physio at QPR before starting his own company, has since worked with the likes of “Dave Grohl, Morrissey, Gerard Butler, Cuba Gooding Junior, Katie Price, Billie Eilish, Hans Zimmer and members of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Alice in Chains” ... and even a footballer or two, like Florian Thauvin. Given co-owner Todd Boehly’s connections in the entertainment industry, it’s not surprising that Chelsea would thus hire Murray and his firm to work with the team.

'He can't be going anywhere but Man United': Rio Ferdinand insists Erik ten Hag MUST sign Harry Kane from Tottenham to fix their No 9 problem amid reports Old Trafford club will chase England captain this summer https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11616867/Manchester-United-Rio-Ferdinand-claims-Erik-ten-Hag-sign-Harry-Kane-summer.html

“He is depressed” – Star ‘not happy’ at Chelsea, ready to return to former club ‘at any cost https://sportwitness.co.uk/depressed-star-not-happy-Chelsea-ready-return-former-club-cost/ Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is “depressed” at Chelsea and will do anything to return to Barcelona before the end of this month. That’s according to AS, who cover the player today and his wish to return to Spain just six months after departing. They explain that Aubameyang is ‘not happy’ at Chelsea, where he is struggling for gametime after falling out of favour under Graham Potter. He joined the Blues to work under Thomas Tuchel but since the German’s departure and the arrival of Potter, he is one of the last options in attack. The forward’s entourage have revealed to the newspaper that “he is depressed” while also refusing to deny that Aubameyang is ‘seriously considering’ packing his bags and leaving Stamford Bridge this month. His preferred destination would be Barcelona, and, according to AS’ information, he has been in contact with Xavi Hernández to state that he misses the club and city and would be willing to return ‘at any price’. Xavi has asked the striker for a little patience, waiting to see what happens with Memphis Depay, who is wanted by Atlético Madrid and an unnamed Premier League side. His departure would open the door for Aubameyang to return. He would have to make a new effort, though, as he did when he arrived from Arsenal, and ‘significantly reduce his wages’ if he does want to return to the Nou Camp. That is something he would presumably be willing to do, having enjoyed his time at Barcelona last season and shone at the end of last season. The club were also very happy with him and his departure to Chelsea was ‘greeted with displeasure by staff’. They saw him as the natural replacement for Robert Lewandowski and wanted to keep him but the club desperately needed to free up the wage bill and Chelsea’s offer of €12m was seen as a good one by those in charge of the club. Aubameyang would now like to return but for that to happen he would need to significantly reduce his wages, the Blues would have to accept a six-month loan move and the numbers would have to fit.

8 fucking minutes with Barca at the end of their first league game is fucking us, ffs FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKkkk

its £106m, 120m is euros and good luck trying to buy Bruno now for less than £75-85m

I post on youth targets too many of mine have blown up I think we are doing well in buying youth and I also have issue with people who moan about them, slate them I see it being done with some of ours already Santos for instance, before the lad has even kicked a ball for us we are just going to have to disagree about Enzo I have seen almost no young players who I see and they instantly go into the 'so good they can change an entire team' category lately the only ones I would say I have said that about the first couple times I saw them play are Mbappe at Monaco early on Håland at RB Salzburg (not Molde, Norwegian football is not exactly easy to scout, I am NOT a pro, obviously) Tchou at Bordeaux and especially at Monaco Bellingham at Birmingham Alphonso Davies the first time I saw him play LB De Bruyne at Genk starting around 2011, when they won the league for only the 3rd time in their history, then elation when we bought him, then on loan at Werder Bremen, and then my utter freakout when we sold him Josko Gvardiol his first season at Dinamo as starter see this from 2020 on youth CBs I rated (Bold as usual is rate them a lot) or at least thought worth watching Enzo a little later on, not as a teen, BUT, going back at watching his play at Defensa y Justicia, especially against a superb Palmeiras side in the 2021 Recopa Sudamericana, it is obvious he was special already, which he showed his last season at River Plate, when he started scoring as well and now Warren Zaire-Emery, a 16yo on PSG who has the potential to be the best MFer in the world, eventually, he is a freak:

Police visit 1,000 homes of people watching online streams in piracy crackdown Operation signals switch in focus to those not just sharing pirated streams but also watching them https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/piracy-free-online-streams-uk-laws-b2259510.html Police in the UK claim to have identified more than 1,000 people accessing illegal online streams following a raid on a major piracy operation. Officers with West Mercia Police plan to visit homes in order to serve notices to the accused individuals, ordering them to cease illegal streaming activity. It forms part of a broader crackdown on piracy in partnership with the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT). “This operation has involved months of collaborative hard work and the warning notices issued are an excellent example of adopting a multi-agency approach between FACT and the police,” said Jason Grove, who works for the Government Agency Intelligence Network (GAIN). FACT chief executive Kieron Sharp added that the operation aimed to “ensure that the public are made aware of the dangers of using illegal streaming services and, more importantly, that they understand that there is the risk of criminal prosecution”. It is illegal to watch pirated streams in the UK, though law enforcement have historically focussed only on those operating the websites and services rather than those watching them.

true!!!!!! Simeone teams are often a shithousery parade

5 months would cost £150m just in wages (as taxes would come out, so we would have to double it up to pay him the same net) lololol

yep, £3.5m PW, lololol no taxes, so like £7m PW gross if in the EU a million quid per day gross equivalent 🤣