Styles

In many ways the Torres debacle was significant because it meant we had to change.

Samsung

End of 2012-2013 season was the perfect time for him to leave. He broke the goalscoring record and won a trophy.

Most conservative numbers suggested are £35m + add-ons if/when certain targets are met.

While I have doubts about the fee it's still PSG so I'm sure they offered an amount that was too good to turn down. I'll remember Luiz as a unique defender that would have been very good had we developed our style of play beyond simply sitting deep with and counter-attacking. Good luck to him.

Not really, Lampard's getting a new deal.

Telegraph? Reliable?! They're just as full of rubbish as every other paper.

50m for a CB Some really gulible people out there. The Daily Fail must be loving all the hits.

Apparently he's more like Lampard i.e. goalscoring midfielder than a midfield playmaker in the mould of Modric/Rakitic.

Agreed. Eto'o seemed close to Mourinho and spoke highly of him, so to find out he was making jokes about him behind his back must have pissed him off. I have no problem with Eto'o's comments, if anything he deserves credit for how tame they are because I can name many players who would have been more blunt.

The truth is Jose chats shit every now and again so you can't take everything he says at face value.

As strange as this sounds, sometimes I completely forget about Chalobah until he's mentioned. I'm going to watch this u21 game to see how he's doing.

Yeah, with the senior players getting an extended break the likes of Baker-RLC-Swift have a chance to impress in the first few friendlies.

MvG is an interesting player; one who will ideally be part of the rotation and offering cover/competition for places. I'd personally hope that Lewis Baker is around the first team next season getting minutes. For me a midfield hierarchy next season would look like: Matic + partner Ramires - MvG Lewis Baker - Chalobah/RLC/Swift etc

Ignore me, I'm pedantic like that

Sticking strictly to the age point, if Ramires was a better player I'd have absolutely no problem with him being our most senior midfielder at 27. Our midfield problem will be solved by bringing in a quality, long-term partner for Matic and opening up a path for the many talented young players. I do think Lampard will get a new deal though, mainly because of the home-grown quota stuff that is a bit of an issue for us.

Because as valid points as those points are referring to it as 'working out perfectly' is disingenuous in my honest opinion. I don't mind that we bought him back and 20m+ is the going-rate for good midfielders but that term doesn't sit well with me because he was ours and we never game him the chance.

He can continue to be an ambassador and example without actually having to play. 27 is almost the ideal age, that's when a player is at his athletic peak and has more than enough experience. In Ramires' case he has 338 career games so experience at that age is not even in question. Having said that Ramires' lack of technical ability makes that all virtually pointless. It all comes down to improving for me and giving a 36 year old player a new contract isn't a step in the right direction.

I really wouldn't call letting go of a young player without giving him a chance and then buying him back for 21m as 'working out perfectly'.

So give him a full-time coaching role then. Everybody's happy. Lampard is 36 in a month, we have a fundamental problem in our midfield that needs to be resolved once and for all and giving him a 5m+ contract out of sentiment just doesn't make much sense. If we improve in the way that we need to this summer then any minutes Lampard would get would be better served being given to one of our many young prospects. I get it, Lampard is an absolute legend and deserves respect but that's just how I see it.

Perfectly said.

Can you imagine Paulinho making that pass? No? Me neither.

Ashley Cole would be more useful as a back-up LB next year than Lampard would be doing a similar role in midfield, and yet many are happy to let him leave and sign Lampard for another year. The mind boggles.