Tomo

I've been banging the drum for this youth group since around 2017, the 16/17 and 17/18 sides were the most dominant sides that's existed at that level for some time, we forced pretty much every side we faced (including a City side with Sancho and Foden in it) into setting up like ultra underdogs. Get the cream of that group in plus the transfers right we're going straight back to the top.

In a peverse way i feel quite sad because football has peaked in my eyes, not even England winning the world cup would top that. Probably explains why i remain rational after the majority of bad results these days, i never use to be like that in the 00's.

The Europa league agreed but i stuggle to accept the level of praise he gets for the CL. He may have scored the goal vs Barca but it was Bosingwa that made the vital interception (from his mistake) that prevented a certain goal and elimination.

Aguero was practically whoring himself to us, i have absolutely no doubt we would have got him if we seriously tried. Falcao may never have got injured here (and with it not declined so rapidly).

Because it has long term consequences if we get it wrong, especially big money one's, we couldn't put our names in the hat for Aguero and peak Falcao because we couldn't financially justify binning Torres so soon. That's what makes me nervous about signing Chilwell, in my opinion he's not that much better than Alonso if atall and we'll be stuck with him for years, we would never be able to recoup whatever the hell Leicester would make us pay and Lampard won't have a leg to stand on if he goes to the board and asks for a replacement.

Hazard and the incoming Morata money allows us to approach this window like the pandemic isn't happening.

That's pushing it, as good as he ended the season it was still only two months of excellent form (with around a month before that being an impact super sub), he still has it all to do to prove that is sustainable and wasn't a purple patch.

I can't see Ruben being a regular starter under Lamps, as much as he's greatly improved he just doesn't have the stamina, off ball tactical astuteness (for pressing and cutting passing lanes) and intensity Frank demands.

I think we have an abundance of versatility across the board. Werner can play LF and ST, Ziyech can play CM, RF possibly even false 9, CHO and Pulisic can play both wings, Mount can play CM and LF, RLC likewise. We could also be bringing Gallagher back who can play in every single midfield position. We have that much versatility we could regularly rotate and keep most player's largely happy and most importantly, fresh.

I am 100% sure we will not be playing 442. If Tammy and Werner play together it will be with Timo LF.

As an ex player (amateur) myself i'd go as far as saying tap in goals gave me the best feeling (even over my 40 yard volley), there's something so satisfying about scoring a goal that was made possible by being that little bit smarter.

I've never understood this obsession with degrading tap in goals. It takes excellent tactical intelligence to find yourself in the position to score tap in's time after time, not only do you have to escape the attention of the defenders but also accurately judge when and where the ball will be played in.

I think next year is a year too soon for a title challenge, even with Ziyech and Werner here we will still be that little bit too raw to take on City and Liverpool over 38 games, so for that reason i have no issue with us getting the match winners in then after that focusing on getting the gamechangers at the back.

Out of all the languages I've tried to learn i have had the best (sort off) success with German, but the issue is German isn't that widely a spoke language and Germans in my experience just speak English to you anyway even if you make the effort so the combination of both factors meant i lost the motivation to learn the language. Spanish is the one i'm really trying with and I've learned enough to get by when in Spain and Latin America, but i hit a massive glass ceiling when it gets to the verbs/adjectives etc, it's so much more complicated than it is in English.

I've actually found the Bundi quite enjoyable so far especially the most recent run of games. No crowds is not ideal but 100x preferable to no football atall and i'm semi use to it anyway having watched my fair share of youth games.

The players in their prime now grew up seeing Chelsea being nothing but successful with Lampard as the main man through a fair chunk of it. That (plus the package we can offer) makes us a huge pull to a lot of players, aslong as the big Spanish two aren't after them we have just as much chance as anyone in a race for a player (we can blow Bayern out of the water financially).

Willian has pretty much confirmed he's going to accept short term terms.

If this happens and we get Chilwell (don't rate him but he'd be the managers choice) then next season there's huge pressure on Lamps to deliver with two world class attacking signing's plus his choice of fullback. I think he's done a fine job this season all things considered and I maintain that even if we end up 6th/7th but with Zyiech and Werner in the ranks comfortable third is minimum requirement.

Is he going straight away or seeing out the season?

Never thought i'd have said this in August but Zouma should probably be starting every game for us until the end of the season. Purely because only two of our partnerships seem to work and both include Kurt (him with Rudi and him with Tomori).

I think the Giroud and Caballero deals were about a bit of added security at both ends, we don't lose players for the run in aswell as added insurance just incase Covid fucks up our transfer window and they get a years guarenteed income secured in uncertain times. I don't think either being here in 20/21 is nailed on, especially in Willy's case.

I was delighted to get him and wanted him the previous summer, thought he was the perfect replacement for Carvalho.

I had an argument with someone during the Spurs/City game who thought Spurs transfer business (in other words him and Fernandes) will mean they overhaul us and i do recall the odd (paraphrasing) "all our rivals got business done and we didn't they're so much better" That said I do think United got a bit of a boost with Bruno but luckily we seem to have got a similar in house boost with Gilmour which will hopefully be enough to see us over the line.

You can never tell. I remember end of January people were going mental because we didn't panic buy the average Bergwijn only for three weeks later to sign the best player in his division.

I genuinely wouldn't, even more so now Taglifico (a superior fullback from what I've seen) is supposedly avalible for nearly half that. Chilwell is a similar level to Alonso in my opinion.