Blue Armour

Very unlikely we go in for either.
Based on the article Vesper shared a few weeks back, this club administration doesn't want an experienced (and therefore expensive) CB on their books. 
Between Colwill, Badiashille and Fofana (all 3 with injury troubles), the club feels they have enough in the tank, and will only go in for another squad level CB player.
Basically, either a Tosin or Disasi, or a hopeful youth prospect.
Just hope its the latter, because many won't have the patience to watch another disaster from a Tosin or Disasi type.

Very unlikely we go in for either.
Based on the article Vesper shared a few weeks back, this club administration doesn't want an experienced (and therefore expensive) CB on their books. 
Between Colwill, Badiashille and Fofana (all 3 with injury troubles), the club feels they have enough in the tank, and will only go in for another squad level CB player.
Basically, either a Tosin or Disasi, or a hopeful youth prospect.
Just hope its the latter, because many won't have the patience to watch another disaster from a Tosin or Disasi type.

Sources: Chelsea up scouting on 6ft 2in France U21 international
This one could develop...
https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/sources-Chelsea-up-scouting-on-6ft

Chelsea are scouting many top young players from around the world right now, this is nothing new.
We see them get linked with another new teenager on a daily basis pretty much these days. So you will always see these stories come up.
However, this one has a sense that something could genuinely develop here. And also, he’s not a teeanger!
SPTC Sources have heard that Chelsea are stepping up regular scouting missions of Rennes centre back Jeremy Jacquet.
I’ve now had his name mentioned to me from a couple of sources in the last week or so, which usually means that the interest is very serious.
And his name is also out there in the media, with Chelsea’s interest being reported by local press in France. So, there is certainly something real there, a genuine Chelsea interest and perhaps a bit more than just scouting.
We still don’t expect much to be done in January, so I think if Chelsea do decide to pursue Jacquet then it will be in the summer. But he’s certainly a centre back name to watch.
The 20-year-old is 6ft 2in tall and has been capped 2 times for the France U21 national team, having been a regular coming up through the French youth teams.
Jacquet I guess is the next biggest thing coming up in terms of sought-after defenders, with Liverpool and Arsenal also being reliably linked with him.
Como First Team scout Ben Mattinson described him as a ‘Rolls-Royce’ centre back.
“William Saliba isn’t the only Rolls Royce of a CB to come from Bondy… It’s Jérémy Jacquet’s time to shine now.
“Jacquet has the tools to be a ‘Top 5 in The World’ CB.
“If you don’t already know about him, get to know.”
The full thread here is worth a look.
Anyway, let’s see if it turns to anything more than just scouting or not. But it looks like if Chelsea want him, they will need to be quick, with all the big guns now tracking him.
 
 

This is where our defending is important because we tend to start slow. The defense has to give the offense an opportunity to win the game. 
This is why I knew this season we would be up and down. It's the people that are expecting perfection that are disappointed. I think this is what happens when you don't focus on that aspect of the game. 
We should wait until next season to decide and even if the board decides to address this issue. Or just do the dumb stuff of firing the manager and think someone else can do amazing things without solving that issue... 

Hope this match puts to rest the idea that they could be the solution to our CB problems.
Good squad players but wouldn't trust either unless they have a world class CB playing alongside.

Watching that tackle from Reece James in the 77th minute.
Insane stuff, covering for that ball watching Fofana who lost his man.
No wonder Sanchez gave him a big hug at the end. One of the few players with high footballing IQ in the squad.
Would take that over low IQ, high talent players anyday.

Hope this match puts to rest the idea that they could be the solution to our CB problems.
Good squad players but wouldn't trust either unless they have a world class CB playing alongside.

I don't think it is similar to going for Moyes who was never at a set up like United's before and didn't set up his team anywhere close to how Fergie did. With Maresca there's a lot of similarity to City's shape + Maresca has had experience at a big club now. Would not find the switch a huge jump up like Moyes did. 

Watching that tackle from Reece James in the 77th minute.
Insane stuff, covering for that ball watching Fofana who lost his man.
No wonder Sanchez gave him a big hug at the end. One of the few players with high footballing IQ in the squad.
Would take that over low IQ, high talent players anyday.

Watching that tackle from Reece James in the 77th minute.
Insane stuff, covering for that ball watching Fofana who lost his man.
No wonder Sanchez gave him a big hug at the end. One of the few players with high footballing IQ in the squad.
Would take that over low IQ, high talent players anyday.

Watching that tackle from Reece James in the 77th minute.
Insane stuff, covering for that ball watching Fofana who lost his man.
No wonder Sanchez gave him a big hug at the end. One of the few players with high footballing IQ in the squad.
Would take that over low IQ, high talent players anyday.

and there are DAMN few actual world class CBs out there (2026 world class level, not all time world class level)
a maximal list (includes ones who are injured and have not yet shown they will fully recover back to that level, those are in italics)
I am sure even with these there will be a BIG argument on some (I did say this list was maximal)
under 30yo's: (in order of T-Markt valuation)
William Saliba   
Alessandro Bastoni 
Pau Cubarsí (his valuation is too high though)
Gabriel Magalhães 
Dean Huijsen
Willian Pacho
Josko Gvardiol 
Dayot Upamecano (had fallen down, now is back to WC level)
Micky van de Ven 
Rúben Dias 
Murillo
Marc Guéhi
Nico Schlotterbeck
Alessandro Buongiorno
Levi Colwill 
Bremer
 
30yo and overs:  (again, in order of T-Markt valuation)
Marquinhos
Virgil van Dijk (but sliding down lately)
José María Giménez   (but is so often injured, as he is right now)
Antonio Rüdiger
 
the 2 ancients who defy father time
Nicolás Otamendi (I used to detest him, but he has aged like fine wine, the past 3 or 4 years he has been amazing, far better than when he was in his 20s)
Thiago Silva
 
and the closest, IMHO, under 30yos to WC, but not there yet 
Ilya Zabarnyi 
Leny Yoro
Ousmane Diomande 
Jarrad Branthwaite
Castello Lukeba   
Joel Ordóñez  
Luka Vuskovic   (18yo 1.93m Croatian beast who has exploded this season, on loan at Hamburg from, ffs, Spuds)
 
 
 

Trevoh and Fofana both are having horrowshows
NOT GOOD ENOUGH
 

They have better players across key positions CB and ST. 

Agree. Hes very fond of SW 6
''Chelsea and Jose Mourinho told me everything that I needed to hear at that moment of my career and he made it happen. The fans were outstanding with me, outstanding. I couldn't be more grateful. We had a great feeling connection straight away. ''

🔴Estevao has a small muscle problem, he will also miss Newcastle. They will see after that!
(@BobbyVincentFL)

List is poor but what do we expect?
De Zebri is too volatile for BlueCo. 100%. Good coach with huge upside when things are going well but has shown at Brighton he will speak his mind & not bite his tongue when it comes to it. Howe has shown some good things at Newcastle, trophy win & CL qualification but they have also shown the same issues that his Bournemouth side did; can go on poor runs & conceding poor goals too often. Although could argue FFP has hamstrung him also with improving on what they have. Iraola & Glasner would be interesting moves but are they strong enough or just going to be yes men that would let the sporting directors go unchecked? Can they deal with the demands that this club should have? Glasner is an avid lover of playing a back 3 which is probably a formation the sporting directors haven’t built this squad for too. For Fabregas, it looks like he will do very very well but similarly with Rosenoir, who has done alright in France, needs to keep plying his trade and developing as a coach before making a jump. Lower level clubs in Italy & France are a different kettle of fish to what should be a top 4 team. 
But in all honesty, if we had to, Fabregas would be my preference out of all of those names if he’d be willing to move, even if he is very inexperienced as a manager. I think his career as a player gives him huge respect in the dressing room & sounds like he isn’t a manager who will be inflexible. He has spoke in great depth about trying to take things from all the managers he’s played under & that you cannot just be one dimensional effectively. Which is the polar opposite to what we have now. 

It's just one big catherine wheel shit show, I'm not Maresca's biggest fan as a lot know but I have also been seriously critical of this board and still am. The buying policy in the last 3/4 season has been hideous, all youth and the future without any thought for solid experience, I'd have paid extra to keep Thiago Silva around even without playing, but he is still better than Tosin, Badshit and Chalobah.
Scrimping on a top class number 9, dodging a world class keeper, not going for a CB when Levi got injured, this isn't on Maresca it's on the cock jockeys upstairs. Maresca has done OK for me in terms of on field stuff but he has also been culpable for some horrendous in game changes, starting line ups and tinkering far too much, that could be a two finger salute to the board, we will never know.
Both are very worthy of finger pointing, but this also proceeds Maresca, the whole lack of backing, not just spending millions but spending it where it is needed most of all. I'd have sooner seen us go for a Lewandowski than Joao Pedro, I want more experienced heads in this team, it's crucial at non league level never mind top flight PL stuff. The model isn't going to change, they see a lot of these players as the future, and this is why I always say don't be scared to play Estevao, he won't hide and he won't lose confidence by having a quiet game, every second on that pitch he will learn, you will kill him by not playing him.
I honestly think these last few days and Maresca going public, which he didn't need to do, has signed himself high, as soon as you go public and say what he did, which we know is directed at someone above your a dead man, whether you like him or not, he has crossed the board and they will now be out for him at any given chance. We face Cardiff tonight, and I don't want us to lose but I'm telling you if we do, and then lose to Newcastle, which is very very likely at St James's park, he's gone.
 
 

i want stability and maresca to stay. lets try 3 years with the same manager, when was the last time we had the same manager for three seasons.
glasner iraola and even emeri would be flops here.
rosenior? senevth in the ligue 1 with the fourth biggest budget? yes thats what we want. 
de zerbi is a human piece of trash, he can fuck off.

The same was said of Maresca. 
These guys are dumb with the long term nonsense. 

I blame the board for the vast bulk of the issues. They have taken the piss for years now at CB, CF, LW, and to a lesser degree, GKer (I say lesser as Penders looks like he will come good eventually and Sanchez, thank fuck, has improved enough that I do not lose my mind anymore when he plays).
The CB situation is just utter madness, and the CF situ is not at all good enough, not even close. LW has had CRAZY money spent on it, and we are nowhere near good enough (atm) either.

Probably go somewhere else and be very successful, and the board will appoint a Potter 2.0.
Then people will blame the Board.
Rinse and repeat.

Any manager with ambition would get frustrated with the lot, IMO. By this lot, I mean the board and directors, not the squad.
There are better managers than Maresca out there, sure. But for every Maresca, you also risk getting a Ten Haag.
Can remind everyone, that this board also had big Ange on the shotlist at one point. That's how laughable and scatter-brained their approach can be.
Still havent secured a permanent shirt sponsor after 3 years., and struggling to keep ahead of UEFAs FFP rules.

Any manager with ambition would get frustrated with the lot, IMO. By this lot, I mean the board and directors, not the squad.
There are better managers than Maresca out there, sure. But for every Maresca, you also risk getting a Ten Haag.
Can remind everyone, that this board also had big Ange on the shotlist at one point. That's how laughable and scatter-brained their approach can be.
Still havent secured a permanent shirt sponsor after 3 years., and struggling to keep ahead of UEFAs FFP rules.