Vesper

2022-23 English FA Cup, Third Round Oxford United Arsenal https://www.sportfacts.net/sports/2023/fa-cup-oxford-united-vs-arsenal-s1/

Spuds academy who moved on Eredivisie players are always a crapshoot he is nowhere near my top wingers

Donkeykaku in full effect what a clown

that is not germane to the post I replied to and we all have different ways of expressing our support part of mine, a big part, is my interest the transfer market, plus our contractual and physical plant (mainly the stadium) management

Monday January 9 2023 This season is a write-off, so judge him on the next term By Jason Burt, CHIEF FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT Transition seasons do not usually work in Premier League football. Especially with a club of the resources, ambition and profile of Chelsea. But this has been a unique time for them: change of ownership (and that phrase hardly does justice to the seismic shift at Chelsea with Roman Abramovich forced out), change of manager, change of personnel, change of approach, also. It has also come at a high cost: £21 million in compensation to release Potter and his backroom staff from their contracts at Brighton and a £60 million, five-year deal for the new head coach. That is some show of faith in Potter and while, under Abramovich, he would be staring at the sack after being knocked out of the FA Cup yesterday it makes no sense for Chelsea to make a change this season. They need to consolidate. They need to get the structures and team in place to help the new manager. Mistakes have been made by Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, and a lot of money has been spent questionably. Indeed maybe it was wrong to dispense with Thomas Tuchel. But they need to back Potter, as they appear to be doing, and accept that this is going to be a difficult campaign which might end with Chelsea trophyless and failing to qualify for the Champions League. This only works, though, if Potter hits the ground running come August. The circumstances at Chelsea, and his potential, buy him this season. Next season Chelsea have to be far more competitive from the off. That is non-negotiable. He is already, arguably, being given a second chance. No manager really deserves a third and especially not at a club with Chelsea’s ambitions and despite the length of his contract. Clubs can be like supertankers; once they head off in the wrong direction it takes an awfully long time to turn them around. Just look at Manchester United and Arsenal. There are solid reasons why Chelsea hired Potter and they should not disappear in a handful of months. But he has to be ready next season.

I ALWAYS offer up what I think should be done, ofttimes WELL in advance. I just do not go on a whinge-fest retroactively and I back my shit up usually with a lot of detailed analysis on most players I truly rate as for are you happy with the current situ??

Todd Boehly stands down as Chelsea's interim sporting director Exclusive: The bulk of Chelsea's transfer business will now be handled by recent appointments Christopher Vivell and Paul Winstanley https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/01/09/todd-boehly-stands-chelseas-interim-sporting-director/ Todd Boehly has relinquished his title as Chelsea’s interim sporting director and remains steadfastly supportive of head coach Graham Potter. Chelsea’s co-controlling owner Boehly made himself interim sporting director following the departures of Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech last summer and led transfer negotiations himself. But, after hiring a new recruitment team, some of whom have started work in this month’s transfer window, Boehly has dropped the sporting director title and is now just Chelsea’s chairman. While Boehly will still take a part in Chelsea’s spending, the American and his co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali have handed the bulk of the responsibility of Chelsea’s transfers to new technical director Christopher Vivell and Paul Winstanley, who was appointed as director of global talent and transfers. Vivell and Winstanley were pictured either side of new signing Benoit Badiashile last week and the duo are leading Chelsea’s strategy, not just for this month but beyond. The pair will be officially joined by Joe Shields, who has been appointed as co-director of recruitment and talent, and Laurence Stewart, who has been given the title of technical director to focus on football globally, when they start work next month. Boehly only ever saw his interim sporting director position as a short-term role to help get Chelsea through the summer window and to plug a gap while he and Eghbali searched for the right recruitment specialists. Winstanley and Vivell have been charged with combining Chelsea’s strategy of trying to buy some of the best young talent in the world along with attempting to strengthen Potter’s squad. Chelsea ideally want to sign a back-up right-back to Reece James, a new midfielder and a wide forward but it remains to be seen whether or not they will be able to fill all of those positions this month. Benfica rejected a bid for Enzo Fernandez, while talks have been held with Shakhtar Donetsk over Mykhailo Mudryk and Atletico Madrid about taking Joao Felix on an initial loan. But finding a deputy to James is considered one of the most important and difficult tasks. With James considered one of the best right-backs in the world and due back from injury next month, Chelsea face a tough task in trying to sell the position as his stand-in to players of the required quality. Telegraph Sport reported last week that Chelsea’s owners remain supportive of Potter and that has not changed following the FA Cup defeat to Manchester City. Boehly and Co are understanding of the impact made by the crippling injury crisis that has hit Potter, while there is also acknowledgement that the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta were all given time at Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal. There is confidence that results and performances will improve as players start to return from injury and the Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership have not been swayed in their faith by chants for former coach Thomas Tuchel and ex-owner Roman Abramovich at the FA Cup defeat to City. Chelsea are waiting on the result of a second scan on Raheem Sterling, who pulled his hamstring in the first minute of last Thursday night’s League defeat to City.

WTF IF we sign both Felix and Rice, I am going to go insane might be time to stop caring about what we do as the yanks are looking like clowns atm I know it sounds crazy arrogant but FFS I think my transfers targets in terms of both who to buy and who NOT to buy blow away what we have done in the past 5 to 7 years we have shit away at least 750m quid on shit buys (I listed them out) and that could go up to one billion if the ones we have who are still up in the air as to good or bust go bust that a LOT OF FUCKING MONEY THAT I WOULD HAVE PUT TO FAR BETTER USE I approved of and wanted Kante Pedro Kova Rudiger (and I would NOT have let him go on a free) Giroud and also was not unhappy (I cannot say I was all-out to bring him in then) at all with Thiago on a free those 6 are THE ONLY decent, truly good to great business we have done counting the 2015/2016 windows up until NOW thats crazy Jorginho is arguably in there, as is Alonso but I would have sold Alonso in summer 2018 to Real for that £55m offer and replaced him (Theo, who I already had liked since his 2016/17 breakout loan with Alaves, or Jose Gaya or Alex Sandro (was 27yo then) or Alex Telles, who would have done far better IMHO in a Chels wingback role that he did at Manure), and would have sold Jorginho off and replaced him as well, after the 2021 CL win, with Bruno Guimarães (who I like from when he was in Brasil, at CAP), and sold Kante then as well and replaced him with Aurélien Tchouaméni.

and so it begins..... 'Enough is ENOUGH': Chelsea icon Frank Leboeuf calls for Graham Potter to be SACKED, slams 'gutless' stars Mason Mount and Kai Havertz and says Jorginho should be cast off in stunning outburst 'I see players convinced of nothing and proving nothing. They showed disrespect toward the fans and Chelsea Football Club. I'm talking about so-called leaders, not the young players.' https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11612387/Frank-Leboeuf-SAVAGES-Graham-Potter-claiming-branding-players-shameful.html

well, I have had some that although I was not in favour of buying, that once they got here, I thought they MIGHT work out, and they didn't. And I never thought (I thought he was a good free sign, just not great) Thiago would retain his WC skills at his age he absolutely IS still a WC CB, and there are so so few of them out there, it is a hell of hard position to play into today's ultra explosive game that has been greatly de-strongmanned on defence no more Choppers allowed

Exclusive: Chelsea still interested in 19-year-old midfielder who would “love” Blues transfer https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/01/09/Chelsea-remain-keen-on-arsen-zakharyan-transfer/ Chelsea remain interested in the potential transfer of Dynamo Moscow midfielder Arsen Zakharyan, Fabrizio Romano has revealed in his exclusive CaughtOffside column the Daily Briefing. The Blues have been linked strongly with the highly-rated young Russia international on several occasions in recent months, though things had gone a little quiet on that front. Romano has provided an update on the situation, suggesting that Chelsea remain keen on Zakharyan and the player would also still love to get the move to Stamford Bridge. However, with Chelsea also working on so many other deals, it may be that Zakharyan isn’t quite the priority he was, even if the west London giants are still open to bringing him to the club. “Chelsea are still interested in signing Zakharyan, for sure,” Romano said. “He’s one of the talents they are following, but Chelsea are working on many deals so the timing cannot always be fast, that’s absolutely normal. The player would love to join Chelsea.” Chelsea have had a busy January, bringing in some exciting young talents as Andrey Santos, Benoit Badiashile and David Datro Fofana have all joined. Zakharyan, 19, would certainly be another fine signing to add to Graham Potter’s squad, so it will be interesting to see if this becomes a priority again later this January.

have been overall shit for ages Bold are what I think will likely be or ARE already busts (including massive overpays , like CuCu and Wesley Fofana) italics means jury still out bold blue: great buy (only 6 total starting in summer 2015, and the TOTAL cost for ALL 6 was only around £130m (in transfer fees) the busts starting in summer 2015 are staggeringly more, around £750 MILLION gross, and that could go to around £900m to 1 BILLION pounds sterling gross, just in transfer fees, as if you are talking pissed away salary too, well, I can only SMDH Players Club Transfer sum Wesley Fofana Leicester City Leicester €80.40m Marc Cucurella Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton €65.30m Raheem Sterling Manchester City Man City €56.20m (leaning towards bust atm, especially given the massive fee) Benoît Badiashile AS Monaco Monaco €38.00m Kalidou Koulibaly SSC Napoli SSC Napoli €38.00m Carney Chukwuemeka Aston Villa Aston Villa €18.00m Andrey Santos Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama €12.50m David Datro Fofana Molde FK Molde €12.00m Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang FC Barcelona Barcelona €12.00m Gabriel Slonina Chicago Fire FC Chicago €9.09m Denis Zakaria Juventus FC Juventus Loan Romelu Lukaku Inter Milan Inter €113.00m Saúl Ñíguez Atlético de Madrid Atlético Madrid Loan Kai Havertz Bayer 04 Leverkusen B. Leverkusen €80.00m Timo Werner RB Leipzig RB Leipzig €53.00m Ben Chilwell Leicester City Leicester €50.20m Hakim Ziyech Ajax Amsterdam Ajax €40.00m Edouard Mendy Stade Rennais FC Rennes €24.00m Malang Sarr OGC Nice OGC Nice free transfer Thiago Silva Paris Saint-Germain Paris SG free transfer Mateo Kovacic Real Madrid Real Madrid €45.00m Kepa Arrizabalaga Athletic Bilbao Athletic €80.00m Christian Pulisic Borussia Dortmund Bor. Dortmund €64.00m Jorginho SSC Napoli SSC Napoli €57.00m Gonzalo Higuaín Juventus FC Juventus Loan Rob Green Huddersfield Town Huddersfield free transfer Álvaro Morata Real Madrid Real Madrid €66.00m Tiemoué Bakayoko AS Monaco Monaco €40.00m Danny Drinkwater Leicester City Leicester €37.90m Antonio Rüdiger AS Roma AS Roma €35.00m Davide Zappacosta Torino FC Torino €25.00m Emerson AS Roma AS Roma €20.00m Olivier Giroud Arsenal FC Arsenal €17.00m Ross Barkley Everton FC Everton €16.80m Ethan Ampadu Exeter City Exeter City €2.80m Willy Caballero Manchester City Man City free transfer Michy Batshuayi Olympique Marseille Marseille €39.00m N'Golo Kanté Leicester City Leicester €35.80m David Luiz Paris Saint-Germain Paris SG €35.00m Marcos Alonso ACF Fiorentina Fiorentina €23.00m Eduardo GNK Dinamo Zagreb Dinamo Zagreb €1.25m Pedro FC Barcelona Barcelona €27.00m Abdul-Rahman Baba FC Augsburg FC Augsburg €26.00m Asmir Begovic Stoke City Stoke City €11.00m Kenedy Fluminense Football Club Fluminense €8.00m Radamel Falcao AS Monaco Monaco Loan Michael Hector Reading FC Reading €5.40m Matt Miazga New York Red Bulls New York RB €4.60m Nathan Atlético Paranaense Atlético-PR €4.00m Papy Djilobodji FC Nantes FC Nantes €3.50m (we did make a profit, though, lolol) Danilo Pantic FK Partizan Belgrade Partizan free transfer Alexandre Pato Sport Club Corinthians Paulista Corinthians loan

That is exactly what I thought we were getting with Bakayoko, my biggest mistake and only real cock-up in terms of getting played in the last 6 years or so (I said he was a great buy). One of the reasons I have not made other mistakes is that we consistently have brought in players I did not want and thus I predicted they wouldn't work out (and when I did, I was almost always right).

nope Harry Maguire is NOT close to joining Aston Villa despite Twitter rumours - with the Man United captain pictured in a restaurant near Villans' Bodymoor Heath training ground because he was playing GOLF at The Belfry https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11612475/Harry-Maguire-NOT-close-joining-Aston-Villa-despite-pictured-near-training-ground.html Manchester United laugh off Harry Maguire transfer speculation https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/manchester-united-harry-maguire-transfer-25925796

Rudiger TOTAL deal with Real Madrid (signing bonus, add-on commission, salary) prorated out over 4 years (and remember, he is almost 2 years younger than KK) adds up to a total of £71.1m our total deal for KK was £24m MORE, around £95m (counting transfer fee + salary) for a non ELP proven, ageing out player Marina refused to pay the signing bonus and the extra commision for Rudiger (added up to around £19m or £20m after conversion to pounds at the time, and I think his demands were less than that for us), which was fucking STUPID as there was NO chance we were going to replace him for anywhere near that £20m, and a salary would still be around what we offered him (turned out to be even more for KK) the only free mover CB at a Rudiger's quality level is IF Skriniar leaves on free in summer 2023, that did not help us back then, and Skriniar may well renew or if he doesn't, PSG is ALL in, so Skriniar is not at all a sure thing. Ndicka (also fee in summer 2023) is on the way there IMHO, but we obviously do not rate him as we just dropped £33.5m on Badiashile instead, and both are left-footer anyway, Rudiger is a righty, as is Skriniar

Madness to pay him £295K PW for FOUR YEARS that's £61.5m €70m! add in the €38m (£33.5m) transfer fee and it's €108m (£95m) total spend

Like Manure, the other Manc team's followers will be allowed to exhibit open homophobia with nothing of import done.

Which is a bigger shitshow? Chelsea or the NHS after years of Tory cunt-ups

I warned on all this for ages it was so easy to see it happening as the last 5 years or so rolled by, especially everything after Roman said no new stadium and the SHIT transfers really started to pile up, plus the horrid contract management

that works out to 30 games needed to score a cumulative team hat trick, ROFLMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

easy IT'S BOTH!!!!

Boehly should be locked up for dropping €110m (fee, add-ons, salary) on the TURGID Koulibaly £295K PW FOR FOUR YEARS

and Potter and Boehly