Tomo

Rumours that James, Jorginho and Alonso have caught the thing.

The thing I find the most hilarious is if he cost 50, 72 or 97 million he'll have a legion of lawyers and his name chanted every time he tripped over the ball. We're the only club where expectations tend to get higher the less you cost.

I wouldn't let anyone go next year without a replacement. If football manager is anything to go by next year is the worst schedule yet.

I was referring to the UCL win. It wasn't a miracle because as soon as Tuchel had us with momentum it was clear we had a chance, especially once we dodged City and Bayern's side of the quarter/semi draw (meaning any potential match up with either would be a one off game).

Oh come on there's no need to rewrite history because we've had a few poor results. Was the UCL win a surprise? Probably, but it wasn't a "miracle", not even close.

A lot is made of our squad depth and don't get me wrong it's certainly strong enough to maintain a top four place (the sudden urge to compare Arsenal favourably against us is beyond laughable) but to maintain any sort of challenge we will need our best Xl available most weeks (in my opinion said best Xl is the line up that played vs Juve bar Mount and Kai in for Ziyech and Pulisic, possibly Kova replacing one of the two midfielders opponent depending). Sadly I can't see such flawless fitness happening.

If he was still showing signs of class despite his so so performances (Kai or even Ziyech) or still producing good metrics (Callum) I'd say persist with him for a while. My issue is, what is he actually demonstrating right now that gives any hope he will 're explode? I've said it as a joke a few times but he's really starting to look like an American version of Alex Iwobi.

We gave Sarri till the end of the season (and would have given him longer but he decided against it) after the two biggest defeats in two decades. Unless we have an irreversible slide down the table like we did under Mou or Lamps, he at an absolute minimum will get the same.

Trevoh has won untouchable status without actually playing.

I think worst case we're looking at a quick fire break and/or the return of BCD but it is rather eiree a home fixture vs Everton is one again appearing to preclude such major change.

Many here were, some even thought Torres was better....... Regarding Lukaku, I'm hoping that regardless of what Tuchel says in public he see's how much better we are without him, and given Rom's history we know what that should mean.

That's the whole point, people did and many argued we should have kept Rom over signing him. The main point I was making was the context that smashing in goals for a team further down doesn't nesseserily translate to doing the same once you play in better sides.

As much as I like Broja and would swap them in a heartbeat next summer, people use to make that argument to favour Rom over Eto'o back in 2013 when the former was playing for Everton. Different ball game at Chelsea.

We're approaching Christmas and the team about to head 4th has a zero GD and got hammered a combined 11-0 to the three teams above them. Other league's are laughed at for a lot less. We may not be perfect but the teams below us are poverty.

He's not really "playing out of position" though. On paper maybe but in reality he's patrolling the pockets between the midfield and the forwards, a role which suits him down to the ground.

Leeds got four points against City last season. Palace and Spurs "went mental" vs City while getting tamely beaten by us. It isn't some big conspiracy.

West Ham if anything was further proof we play better with him there. We weren't incredible by any means but we totally lost our shape both on and off the ball when he went off.

Just a theory but maybe Alaba is doing a Gallas and saying he's only accepting playing out of position in the short term? Isn't being shoved to CB what caused his breakdown in relations with Bayern in the first place?

A few years back I would be fuming but looking at the likes of Wijnaldum, Ramos, Donnaruma and Messi last summer and all the players potentially/likely walking for nothing this it's clear not an us problem and what Wenger said in 2017 would start to happen is now firmly coming home to roost. https://www.google.com/amp/s/talksport.com/football/925115/psg-messi-ramos-donnarumma-wenger-arsenal-free-transfers/amp/ It's the only way players of any real note can have any form of control over their careers now.

There's noises Wijnaldum will be avalible for loan in January, if true we should be all over that. He would be a dream stop gap before Gallagher and/or Gilmour return.

A bit torn on Azpi, starting to see signs he maybe doing an Ivanovic circa 2015.

Thing is given how he likes them to drift into midfield I wouldn't be surprised to see Tuchel improvise with a CM in that position same way Pep did with Delph after Mendy's injury. With his ability to play in multiple positions Conor will be as leading a candidate as anyone in the squad to do it.

Can't wait for all the conspiracy's over the next few days that a team with no historic or current rivarly with us will decide to "save the game of their lives" for us...

Less than a month of not being a first choice and the hints of him leaving begin, lol. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10299121/Chelsea-Romelu-Lukaku-return-Serie-confirms-strikers-agent.html

Without meaning to be pedantic we didn't see to score at the point I posted the original post, we just needed to stop Leeds from doing so and we were finding that hard enough as it was without bringing on someone next to useless out of possession. Re the bolded bit, you're preaching to the converted.