Tomo

Can we have action took quicker against obvious trolls in the future? The fact that Bellion with his stingy board obsession has disappeared since we signed Kante and the Koulibaly chase has become public knowledge says it all. Another example is Bushman, most other places he wouldn't have lasted a week but here he lasted years. Don't get me wrong I think the staff do a great job on this forum, this is my only real bugbear because it ruins the best football forum I've been on.

Tbh I think that is actually Jose's intention to settle long term but he doesn't have the patience or characteristics for it. After his grand tour around Europe's big leagues it was perfectly set up for him to come back and build a true legacy and I do believe that's what he wanted, but ultimedly he couldn't make the nessesery adjustments to his management style to pull it off.

He was dreadful in general play and a lot of Bayern's attacks broke down due to him, so much so not even 80 goals in 97 games over 2 season's was enough to save his spot in Jupps eyes.

Jupp Heynkes disagree's with that notion as i pointed out with Gomez, his goal record was out of this world yet him being dropped improved Bayern ten fold, and made them more of a deadly team. Even Van Nisselroy leaving United helped them go up a level. Infact there is even an argument that Ronaldo's presence holds back Madrid despite his goals, as he often is invisible these days until he pops up and if he doesn't, his games are often rated as shockers.

I can't believe i have to repeat this from the other day but i can't help myself. We are in an unbelievably competitive market, this isn't like 2005 when we had first dibs on all the just below first tier talent (ie, not Zidane, Nesta, Ronaldinho etc etc), we have three teams in England alone competing with us tightly, not to mention numerous clubs abroad who can match us financially, we can't just click our fingers and sign players anymore. Do you not believe the club are not trying? The links to numerous centre half's makes it obvious, but it's not as simple as "get them in for pre season and let them gel with the team", i mean do you think the board are taking days off because well there's still a month/two left of the window, ofcourse their not, they are trying to get a defender in that will suit the needs of the club. Although we definitely could have got a centre back in before pre season, however that said player will likely be a panic buy who would in the long run probably solve no problems, remember the summer 2013? Every fan screaming for Jose to "sort the pivot out" and "get a world class striker in", he didn't that summer and fans took an envious glance at Tottenham signing Capoue, Paulinho and Soldado and wondering why we didn't/couldn't get them? Well the proof was in the pudding when they were at Spurs, none were actually better than what we already had infact they were worse, so instead he waited and by the same time next year, hey presto, Cesc, Matic and Costa, all three played a major part in firing us to the title. Do i believe defense is a problem? Yes, Do i want us to spunk ridiculous money on a CB version of 2013 Paulinho just so we don't have to see Cahill in the lineup? Absolutely not, furthermore the massive problem last season was the protection from the midfield and the shit tactics from our managers, both things won't be a problem this season, ofcourse i want us to sign a top CB and because of our current defense id happily see us pay more than usual, but the last thing i want to see is us spunking money on an average CB (like for example current day Subotic), because it would ultimately make things worse.

Honestly, if we are insistent on giving money to Everton this summer id rather it was Stones. Im convinced he will be world class, the fact we already have Zouma and Andreas is the only reason I'm not madly campaigning to get him.

We have also got a technically superior striker from Belgium who doesn't wave his cock about demanding an unconditional starting place.

The days of having a striker who scores but does nothing else are long gone, in 10/11 and 11/12 Mario Gomez scored 80 goals in 97 games for Bayern, yet that didn't stop him being dropped for 12/13 and the move turned Bayern from trophyless to treble winners. These days no amount of goals are worth being effectively down to ten men a lot of the time.

Azpilicueta is better defensively at left back, and Conte is going to build a solid foundation first and foremost, furthermore there was that period just after Hiddink took over where he was involved in about 8 goal scoring opportunities in about a month including scoring himself, he's no Marcelo but he's a lot more capable than people think.

Yes because the club aren't trying to, jesus.

Although i dont like the fact Lukaku is returning this comment is absurd, we are competing in a ridiculously competitive market and are actively chasing the best CB available, were not ignoring the centre defense issue.

I think Antonio fully intended to keep the stance on Costa not being for sale and I also think Diego has kicked up a stink about it which has forced our hand.

You are literally mentioning the few times that has happened and acting like we make a habit of selling great players and keeping average one's. What about the world class players that formed our squad for a decade? Or the crap that the club swiftly moved on a year/window later?

How is it mediocre? Considering the competitive state of the market these days, we have pulled off some great deals in the last few years.

The only reason Baba was rated in the first place was because of the desperation for Ivan to be dropped, I remember games were he stunk the place out only to come on here and see people madly raving about him. Ultimately the only thing dropping Ivan for Baba would have changed is which flank the opposition targeted.

I would actually prefer Ivanovic to Baba, of course I'd rather neither were anywhere near the side but if presented with that Hobson's choice.......

He was certainly poor last season, but in overall game I firmly believe he is the best in the league. I'm not sold on De Gea personally, pound his goal and he's brilliant, give him a quiet game when he's only called upon a few times I feel he's prone to cocking up and costing points (Croatia in the Euros and Norwich at Old Trafford last season two examples), he's more Cudicini level than Tibo/prime Cech/Van Der Sar in my opinion.

Courtois is easily one of the best and defiantly the best in England.

This love affair with Moses is just baffling. Hes been on loan to three PL teams and not one wanted to keep him, he has about three good games a season. Simply not good enough.

Mario Gomez scored almost a goal a game in 11/12 but was dropped the following season. He will score goals yes, but will that make up for the sheer amount of attacks that will break down at his feet?

How do you know he didn't do that? Word was they initially considered sacking Mourinho after the Saints game, but his track record gave him the extra 3 months to sort it out, he was given multiple chances to turn the rubbish around and didn't, one point of relegation at Christmas with only one player on form is a sackable offense whoever you are, even Fergie would have been sweating for his job under those circumstances. I am fully in the belief that this Roman itchy trigger things is overstated, if anything it shows his weak spot for appointing the right man, which I think/hope is different this time. All his sackings went beyond mere failure to win a trophy. Ranieri wasn't his choice, not a problem when it comes to Conte. Jose mark one, he was starting to fall out with the board, both Roman and Jose were in the early stages of their paths as owner and manager, so both thought they knew it all, the best thing for both parties at that time was to part company. That's a situation that could happen with Antonio, but if it happens three years and two titles later like with Jose, then we have had a good innings with him. Avram was never going to be long term, it was quite evident Steve Clarke was the man incharge. Scolari, couldn't adapt to the English and European game, had some of our best ever players in our prime fighting for 4th, players were unfit, had to go, can't see that being a problem with Antonio. Ancelotti, predictable tactics and formations, kept repeating the same mistakes again and again and again, his idea of pragmatism was swapping one of Anelka and Kalou for the other after the hour, 71 points doesn't get top four a lot of the time, and the way we stagnated and fell off a cliff that season still haunts us to this day, apart from the first six months of 14/15, we haven't looked a top class team since and a lot of it goes back to that season. Can you see Conte getting outsmarted by the likes of Kenny Dalglish, Mick McCarthy and Steve Bruce? I can't. He pleasantly surprised me with the double (although even that season things weren't all garden and roses), but the second season was horrific, the only difference between that season and season just gone is those players had the sheer mentality and character to churn out many results we quite frankly didn't deserve. AVB, all he had to do was finish top four and show some positive signs for the future, he achieved neither. RDM got a chance based on Munich but after a decent start we ended up looking like a more expensive version of his WBA team. Already been there with Jose mark two. Putting an scenario for argument sake, this season finish 3rd with say 80 points, and the next we finish 2nd on 87 points but narrowly lose out to Pep's City who get 90, make a strong performance in Europe but narrowly miss out in semi, with improvement made both season's in terms of playing style and youth integration, can I imagine Roman ripping everything up to appoint a manager who might not work? no I can't, he probably won't be happy per se that we won nothing, but I seriously can't see him being sacked in that hypothetical circumstance I just created and if he did, then no we haven't sacked managers for much less, it would be by some distance the most mindboggling sacking of the Roman era and would eclipse even Real Madrid for lunacy.

I would love it if he was a success he stayed for a decade and more. But being realistic, this is the modern day game, he will probably want a new challenge eventually, if he can give us 5 years with a couple of titles and consistent European performance then that would be brilliant.

The one negative of getting him would be he goes to the ACON and could end up missing our trip to Anfield and home match vs Arsenal. Of course the pros well and truly overide that, just putting it out there.

I wouldn't put anything on Martinez defensive judgement tbh.

Our English quota is on its last legs, Terry will probably be gone next summer and Cahill is hopefully a squad player from here on in, i think that is almost forcing Conte's hand to use the academy, not that I'm complaining per se, just as long as the players promoted have potential to be Chelsea level. I don't think Conte actually likes Mikel as a player, id be surprised if he gets a new deal and will probably be subjected to the role Kalou got under AVB, ie as few minutes as possible.