CHOULO19

What? No deadline day thread?

Their attacker's pace will obviously be the main danger. But as long as the fullbacks don't go rogue and we have Mikel in the XI the defense should be able to cope. Think Hazard can really hurt them.

Very good article about how JT broke the news: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/12133502/How-John-Terry-put-Chelsea-on-the-back-foot-with-his-contract-bombshell.html According to the journalists he actually spoke to, it was not planned, in fact he wasn't the one that brought it up. He was just asked about his future, paused for a second and decided to answer truthfully. In a lot of ways this is so much more like JT.

Thought he was very good going forward most of the times (though, tbf, Don's RB might as well have stayed home yesterday), but was a bit all over the place at other times. No idea why he never actually crosses in the air, though, but always goes for the low cross to the near post. Needs more diversity in that area.

Thought he showed some very good flashes, but I'm not going to lie, I'm not a big fan of that performance. Maybe he was given sort of a free role by the manager but his lack of desire to track back and hold position when needed would have definitely cost us against better opposition.

But I wanted 'Strawberry'!

Actually agree with large chuncks of that (on tablet now so can't discuss with length) but my main point is, how do you conclude from what you wrote that what the club needs to do now is let JT go at the end of this season instead of give him at least one more season, sign a couple of defenders in the summer, give him a much reduced role, let him help the new defenders settle in and keep him as back in case of injuries or if new defenders flop, then let him go at the end of next season if all goes to plan?

Tbh, I genuinely did. My bad.

So you genuinely believe that 57% of men are just terrible people and 'cretins' regardless of whatever else they have done in their lives? I'm not trying to convince you to cheat on your partner, I'm saying that there are circumstances and motivations that push a lot of people to commit infidelity, which is obviously terribly immoral, but that doesn't make them monsters, it just means that they did something very wrong.

Here, let me put it in order for you and do try to actually come with a response this time. This is why this is a terrible decision by the board: - John Terry was the best defender in the league last season and is currently our best and most experienced defender. - John Terry has starter almost every single match for Chelsea this season and is hence a key player for us. - John Terry is not only the captain of this team, he's also the best and most important leader in the club's history, a leadership that will VERY sorely be missed given the lack of leadership in our squad. - John Terry has the best relationship with the fans for whom he personifies this club and binning him when we have no one better will damage more the faulty fans-board relationship. - John Terry is a product of our academy and his departure (as well as the possible departure of Cahill) will further damage already almost empty 'homegrown' and 'club trained' quotas. - John Terry has the abilities to rally the dressing room and encourage and advise the youth players like no other which will be practically irreplaceable. - John Terry has won everything and been in every situation and to sign TWO defenders who can offer more to the team than him would be almost impossible with no CL football next season. - Finally, John Terry is the most decorated captain in the history of this club and telling him, after almost 700 games, that he won't be playing here anymore through a phone call with his agent is a fucking disgrace and exactly why other fans rightly call our club plastic.

Then with all do respect I think you're rather narrow minded when on this matter. You obviously don't know the full circumstances or the motivations. This is in NO way in defense of Terry, it's always an awful thing to do, but if that alone makes him a 'cretin' then we need to redefine how bad cretins are since 57% of men in relationships admit to infidelity: http://www.statisticbrain.com/infidelity-statistics/ On the other hand, Terry was always the one to show actual caring for his teammates as well as the players in our youth academy. He more than anyone is always there to lend advice and encouragement as almost any ex or current player would tell you. Now why would a cretin do that? Obviously people are a lot more complicated than to be judged on a single action or decision.

That's just your (uninformed) opinion. I don't know him personally so I can't say otherwise. But anyway none of that has any relevance what so ever to how much of a stupid decision that only weakens the CLUB this is. No disrespect, but most of the content of your posts on this so far has been based speculative conclusions (he only cares about himself and is manipulating the fans, Iva will be sold anyway, no future manager would want him in the team...etc.) while you have actually failed to address any of the points I've raised in response and just moved onto another point in each post. Not sure how you can subsequently accuse anyone of irrationality. And since you feel the need to question my personal motivations for this opinion, let me as well tell you that I think you're trying a bit too much to swim against the flow and be controversial. Last sentence is also obviously false. Of course had we, say, signed a couple of top defenders and JT had found himself on the bench for most of the matches then the reaction of most Chelsea fans would have been VERY different.

Yeah, good luck with that..

The board*. Yes, they can obviously do whatever they want and I can call them disgraceful morons with no values nor, worse, any football intelligence for it. When he's not still the best defender in our team! Either when he does not wish to play any longer or when he does not still offer A LOT for the club. Forget that it's Terry and forget that he's the legend and captain, if we are letting the contract of any of our nailed starters and key players in the team just expire, everyone would be livid because it is plain stupid business first and foremost and because it weakens the team without even gaining anything in return.

No, the club told his agent over the phone no. He can do whatever the heck he wants with that info and he decided that the fans deserve to know. He's obviously not happy with the decision and why should he be? He's done everything for this club and lead it to every major honor possible. He's also worked his heart out in training to still be the best defender at the club despite his age only to be rewarded with being let go while the wort player in the league gets a renewal. He can work any angle he wishes to.

This was JT's reaction after putting in a blinder to help the team beat Arsenal in the very first match since he found out (through his agent over the phone) that the club he's played almost 700 matches for won't be renewing his contract: But yeah, he obviously cares nothing about the club and is only manipulating the fans so he can keep filling his pockets for another year, the greedy bastard....

This is the guy who literally almost killed himself to try to score a goal for us, the guy who played with a broken rib for the club. He is the only individual in the entire Chelsea setup that constantly does everything that shows he cares about the fans and the club. He can physically shit on the fans and still be the biggest legend in the history of this club. The very least we can do for him is sticking up for him now.

His agent was told over the fucking PHONE! HAHAHAHAHAHA We really are a plastic club with no values. Smh...

We just gave IVANOVIC a two year extension. But we all know he's every manager's dream! There is NOTHING even remotely logical about this decision. Stop it.

Yeah, you're right, we should be marching on the headquarters with fucking pitch forks! Forget everything he's done for the club, we're letting our captain, our best defender and the best defender in the league last season just leave. Of all the stupid decisions the board has made recently, this BY FAR tops them all.

There should be a boycott of a major match in protest.

No. This is one decision by the board I can't fucking swallow. This better turn out to be BS.

You've got to be fucking kidding....

What a half of football! I haven't laughed that hard in a long while

Would have liked Kennedy to start but good lineup nonetheless. Now, let's get the job done (hopefully without a replay!).