Tomo

And who was his manager last season? We I think are about 7 points down on this time last season with harder fixtures (last season we had all the top 6 at home first half bar one, this season vice versa) and about 2 points down on the same set of fixtures last season. Add to that the loss of a bonafide match winner, our best defender out for half the season, our second best attacking player last season being out all season so far alongside our best midfielder drifting in and out of injury till about November, while there's very much room for improvement it's hardly the doomsday disaster you and others are making it out to be all things considered. Yes, his all-round play at times while will never be Firmino is a lot better than it was (or atleast how I remember it) at youth level and out on loan. Also despite a bit of a rut lately he's on course for atleast 20 goals in all comps, (and that is PL, CL and possibly latter stages of FA Cup, not stat padding in the Europa or early rounds of the cups Vs Championship opponent's) that's impressive for his first season in the Chelsea first team no matter what spin you put on it.

A little bit gutting but when you're behind a generational talent who's already one of the top RB's in the league this can happen. Hopefully we've activated a buy back clause in case we either revert to a back 3 or James is moved to a midfielder.

Whether they do or not isn't really the point, my stance on it is that I have high hopes with Mount, Gallagher and Ruben that I would only want to buy a player in their position if a bonafide worldie is a available. Bruno despite healthy stats doesn't fall into that category in my opinion.

Bruno would be the exact type of short terminism/fuck the project signing we're trying to shake off. We have three academy lads in that position, if we're serious about bringing through our own boys #10/LCM is the last position we should be looking to buy bar a complete worldie becoming available.

You claimed Jose would make top 4 because he always has in his first season at a club (which in itself is wrong). If you're so insistent on basing his past on what he will do this season, then the fact he's never achieved top four from a chasing position is very much relevant I'm afraid.

I don't agree we easily miss out on the top four if we get nothing, the only team capable of punishing us are handicapped with a Championship manager. Part of the reason we've fallen so far off the top is were so now focused between 12-17, I wouldn't mind a low risk signing like Mertens but do I look at signings made by United/Spurs and think we should have gone there? No, in my opinion.

So in other words, we can only use 'the past' logic when it works against Chelsea? Which he doesn't have as a get of jail card for another six placed finish this time. Also if you're so insistent on judging managers on the past, then a bit more research would have showed you that Jose has never since Porto (possibly not even then) achieved either top four or the title from a position where he's chasing (bar I think one week in 2010 when Inter got briefly overhauled by Roma), I'm guessing a change of the goalposts are on the way?

This is based on nothing more than gut instinct at this point but I think Frank bullshits a lot in press conferences anyway, seems to have learned not to follow his uncle Arry who would have given away his bank details if pushed hard enough.

He already has.

Found this on the Shed End and thought it was frightengly applicable here aswell.

Disagree re Giroud. I like him a lot but his legs are gone, and even before then he was never really suited to the way we play under Sarri/Lampard, apart from Europa he looked like a spare part under both managers. His timing in England has been poorly timed, basically he's only had six months (here under Conte) of playing in a style of play that fully suits him.

Could be because he's delievered in the CL and in big games (scored both legs against Liverpool), which for all of Tammy's excellent progress this season he's still yet to do on both counts.

Apart from when he finished with 6th with Zlatan Ibrahimovic leading the line. Furthermore what he did in the past is irrelevant, he "guarenteed the title in his second season" until he went to United, infact if we're going to base things on past statistics then by your very logic we're guarenteed to win the CL because Kovacic has won it every time he's played in it.

No, Kane was who I meant in the first place and he's out for the rest of the season. To put this another way, we're 6 point behind Spurs who still have a healthy Kane, battered us at The Bridge a few weeks ago and still have us at home. We've just lost Kante for the season and our two signings are an unproven winger from Holland and a player Benfica were openly trying to get rid off. Would you give us a hope in hell of catching them? United are a bit of a worry I'll give you that (although I'm not convinced Bruno is as good as the stats suggest) but if Spurs get top 4 then I will potentially reaccess my view on Jose's present day level, that's how unlikely/good an achievement I think it would be.

Only you could say one of our rivals who have lost their best and only world class player for the rest of the season has strengthened.

For once Liverpool are in the right. You can't ask a club to respect a winter break and to not organise any games only to then go and do that to them anyway. Had we drew to Hull I would fully support Lampard had he followed suit (and will if any Chelsea manager does in the future) infact I'd be posting about how I want him too.

Everything goes smoothly and he'll be Jorginho's eventual successor.

I have just looked at Mertens stats and in the CL he has 5 goals in 6 games. Could we be looking at him with that in mind as opposed to what he can do in the PL?

Bergwijn is a poor man's Neres, and I don't even think the latters good enough himself.

Its just ridiculous tbh, for years the go to narrative the wait until their was a player worth it or in others words "don't sign more Baka/Zapas etc", now they're getting their wish all of a sudden that's the wrong way to do things after all. It is frustrating not getting another striker (or even a LB for that matter) but not half as frustrating as committing to another one who isn't of the required quality just to sign someone, that's one of the reason's were currently looking for another striker in the first place (we could have just ran down Remy's contract and brought ourselves time in the striker search instead of signing Michy).

Fernandes who couldn't get in the Benfica team and Bergwijn who has average numbers in a league that duped the world into thinking Afonso Alves is world class. I know there's a grass is greener mentality here but that's taking the piss.

I may bookmark the last few pages and around mid March see who moaned to "just sign anyone" also moan about our "poor scattered" recruitment if/when Mertens struggles.

That's underplaying it, should have been 4, maybe 5.

Exactly, would be similar for them of they offer around about that money for Oli who has completely lost his legs. That Modric saga created the most bizzare cult of Levy from Spurs fans, I've never known a set of supporters to idolise a member of their board. He is a weird one is Levy, sometimes he does really well (assembling that team that challenged us in 2017 with their transfer policy and wage structure was a massive achievement) but other times he does things not even Ed Woodward would be stupid enough to do (appointing Jose after two collapses with rivals).

I don't really get this mentality, if Spurs offer decent money and Oli wants to go there I don't see why we shouldn't. The reason why they won't sell to us is we're only ever likely go after their top players, bid £10m for Michel Vorm and their "stance" goes flying out the window.