Tomo

Meh, Sunday has me convinced not even Enzo will sort this.

People said the same about Casemiro going to United when they were in an even worse state.

He has historically been pretty sketchy (putting it mildly) in the market. But I don't want to go too deep into it now as it will start sounding like a deflection from holding Potter accountable for these performances which is not the intention atall.

I don't buy the idea he had no say, the same narrative was used to defend Conte. As I've just said he could have used the young players and asked the board to reaccess when we had a better structure. And he was beaming when we signed Lukaku so nothing will convince me he had that one forced on him.

He could have used the young players as depth and told the board to reaccess with a proper team in. And that's before getting into the previous summer.

As much as i love Tuchel and was gutted when we sacked him, his transfer record has contributed towards this. And I'm saying this at the point I still have some hope for Cucurella and Sterling.

There's a reason the striker market is becoming scarse and that's because the game is moving on from the out and out striker. Even the best one's who still score shitloads look awkward fits (ala Haaland at City, breaking record for fun yet still may lose the title to Arsenal).

Liverpool don't get the banter they deserve over that. Thought they were getting one over on us signing Joe Cole in the first place, then within a year they sent him on loan for him to spent the entire year getting Hazard to come here.

But that's the problem, we just looked at the top line and thought adding a poacher to a team that created loads of chances takes us up a level without realizing we created said chances because of excellent link up play and elite movement and pressing, all of which Lukaku can't perform to even an average level. And he already "turned knobhead" at United and even here once before so we can't play the blindsided card on that one. No hindsight needed, it was a clear disaster from the get go.

I actually think we may go through in this one. I felt we were very unlucky not to take the league cup tie to penalties at the very least and with a league Cup quarter 3 days after (with only one other top team in it), next to no more room for error in league and the UCL they will badly want to win there's only so many balls even a squad like City's can juggle in a season as unique as this.

I thought Hutchinson was awful. Hall was good but he has to be doing better with that chance young player or not. That's twice now he should have been a gamechanger vs City.

Quite bold actually. Can see this working well or being an unmitigated disaster, no middle ground.

I'm a big believer in sort the system out and the rests follows. Look at the difference with United's forwards now they have Casemiro and Eriksen and not McFred. Heck when Jorgi/Kova/Kante were at their peak we won the UCL with arguably worse forward options.

Enzo is worth every penny. I'd be beyond gutted if this doesn't happen and that's before factoring him potentially moving to a rival instead or us signing Declan Rice as the alternative.

Still no agreement between Chelsea and Benfica for Enzo Fernandez. Talks are not solely on a payment structure but the overall package. Yesterday Benfica conceded on a multi-payment structure but only if #CFC made a lump-sum first payment covering a large part of the fee. Either way, the parties are no closer to a deal than than Monday. Nothing is verbally agreed yet or signed. And sources indicate #CFC have never wanted to trigger Fernandez’s release clause. Chelsea must decide now whether to make a counter offer on terms, go against their position and trigger release clause or walk away. Talks have not ceased (they remain advanced) but Benfica, who have a divided board on this, are yet to fully approve any deal #CFC have offered. There is plenty of time left in the window, but the longer it drags on the more likely Benfica are to lock in their ‘release clause or nothing’ stance. Chelsea’s next move is now very important if they are to get a deal done on their terms. Sources have always indicated if a deal of this magnitude is not favourable to #CFC (knowing the fee would always be above current market value before they bid) they wouldn’t be held to ransom. And just to clarify, Benfica’s tactic, which I reference above, would be to get a larger proportion of any agreed number outside the release clause in the first instalment rather than seeking a bigger transfer fee. @benjacobs

The players in the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 Argentina WC squads.

If i ever get to the point I'm that unhappy with the ownership i won't go. Booing and demanding ownership to leave while simultaneously giving them money is about the most contradictory thing you can do.

Yep. This is the one situation where having a bonafide world class player turns into a negative. Our best bet of finding a quality James 'back up' is signing someone who primarily plays in another position but can cover there well when James is down.

I very much doubt it.

I'm not counting my chickens until it's done but surely Simon Phillips doesn't wade in if the guy who broke the news is some chancer?

If we can somehow get Kante, James and Chilwell fit alongside Enzo with Silva not hitting father time i genuinely think we'd have an outside shot at the UCL again.

He already kind of has changed a teams fortune to a lesser extent. Argentina looked utterly chaotic at the WC until he was put in the side.

Although it would almost certainly be too late for him to play I hope we can somehow get Enzo over the line before this game. United while in a similar rut to us currently got Casemiro in before the Liverpool game and while it was too late to play him it gave everyone in the club a big lift.

I mean, we've literally just convinced the world's best young midfielder.

Not nessesarily, IIRC Matic also played for Benfica when his move was as good as done.