OneMoSalah

Regardless a challenge like that is absolutely ridiculous. He has shown issues with his discipline for the past 2 seasons here through various things from this, the Newcastle sending off and various bookings from dissent countless times so you cannot blame the manager here. Am sure both Poch & Enzo have mentioned this. Surely as a professional athlete you know you cannot be so reckless when making a challenge though, I mean its brutal on the stills. He could’ve been playing in ballet shoes or taught how to play football by Ronaldo or Messi for all it matters but he is still so so average and will continue to cost us games with either his finishing or discipline. A major upgrade was needed, a higher quality than Delap who may be better suited as a second choice to we see if he can do what he did in spells for Ipswich at a bigger club.

I think having one of Lavia/Santos/Essugo (Essugo must be the next one the fan base raves about based off a handful of games) with Caicedo in midfield is something we wont see with Maresca. Unless Caicedo is playing as a RB. But then defeats the our pose. There are plenty of technically gifted footballers out there who are athletic and adept tactically though. Fernandez may be potentially as good as anyone out there with the ball but he is probably one of the most tactically unaware and lethargic looking midfield players I’ve seen in a while in a Chelsea shirt. He is kind of like our own version of Pogba in a way. Talented for sure, really inconsistent and really doesn’t give anyone a clear idea where his best position is or what his role in the team actually is. Improved his output last season a lot but again, how many stand out games did he play where anyone thought he looked what he’s been billed up to be? His goals and assists will get him some slack for last season and maybe rightfully so - but for this potentially great all round midfielder that he was meant to be coming in from Benfica, that “we couldn’t afford to miss out on” & that Eghbali/Boehly wanted desperately after the WC final, I really cannot remember many games against really decent teams where he really got to grips with it and ran the game for us. I am sure Poch also played him higher up a lot 2 seasons ago which didn’t really do much for his improving his consistency or defining his role in the team. I think the next 12 months is really really big for him. It may define whether or not he continues to be an enigma to us or actually becomes a really consistent footballer. When certain games/moments get more difficult, he needs to do more without the ball in terms of being competitive and aggressive. He is far too good at disappearing when things don’t go our way or the game gets that bit more physical and intense. Traditionally when you look at how competitive South American players are, its even more baffling.

That game under Poch? First game of that season? He played as the more advanced midfielder out of the pair of him and Gallagher then also IIRC because Liverpool pressed CG whenever he got the ball and made it really uncomfortable for him as Enzo was positioned slightly higher up the pitch. The physicality and intensity has always been his issue. It’s never going to change. You cannot be a £100m+ plus midfielder and not be able to run and compete physically these days. The amount of average footballers who are very good athletically that can just run over you these days if you aren’t at it is incredible because you need to be of a certain athleticism to play in modern day football now due to the nature of how quick, direct and transitional it is. But even deeper he isn’t switched on enough to hold his position and see danger as we seen with Potter & Frank using him as a 6 often. He has just come off a good season in terms of goals and assists so would assume he’s safe but if anyone offers anywhere near to what we got him for, I’d take it. Particularly Madrid. I genuinely reckon Modric at his current age is quicker and more athletic than Enzo Fernandez ever will be.

Can’t wait to not watch any of our league matches this season. Saving myself the hassle, Maresca needs to go, absolute clown.

Precisely. I am beginning to wonder if there are other financial issues that the owners are worried about. Or if it purely that they were expecting to generate much more money from their current investment? The loopholes for the 7 & 8 year deals were closed by both the PL & UEFA. The hotels & women’s team now also have been sold to ourselves to balance the books, what other assets can we do this with realistically to get around PSR? The failure to close the Maignan deal for the sake of a few bob is an absolute anomaly given the spending in previous windows and seasons. Fully with you on the experience and leadership. Could talk about squad building and recruitment to the cow comes home. How we went from one extreme in that first window with new owners to another extreme afterwards, which has set us back on the pitch. And will continue to result in competing for Europa/CL qualification at most. I seen quotes from Maresca talking about PSG and how their project is an example for him and what he’s doing here. And it was also alluded to on here at times. Are people forgetting about the core of their starting 11 consists of more proven and experienced guys like Dembele (28), Marquinhos (31), Hakimi (26), Donnarumma (26) & Fabian (29)? It is all about balance in squad building and recruitment.

Garnacho apparently confirmed to leave United. £70m price tag. Wait and see, he ends up here.

In hindsight, probably for the cost it does but again, he should definitely be a second choice striker at a CL club, not a leading man. Thats always going to be the thing because he needs to learn a lot still. He isn’t going to learn anything new playing with Nicolas Jackson for instance, he’s probably forgotten more about football than Jackson’s ever known. He will probably start ahead of Jackson in all fairness. Gyokeres isn’t worth the £59m yet alone £85m let’s put it that way. And won’t have many suitors at that price now its confirmed from Sporting’s director/president. Sounding like a broken record but he 100% will not score half the goals he did in Portugal in any other league. Just watch his goal compilations.

“There are other players out there” The brief coming out is the club weren’t looking for a GK prior to Maignan being offered to us. And believe that Sanchez, Jorgensen & Penders will be sufficient for the coming CWC & up season. Gittens not so fussed about, nobody is, its the whole GK situation and Maignan deal causing the hassle. “Good on us for not folding” for fuck sake did you see the figures involved 😂 We offered between £8-12.5m for France’s number 1… if the shoe was on the other foot and Milan had offered us the same for any of our players with 1 year left on their deal, you’d be the first one to complain. Imagine they offered us £8m for Pulisic…. Fully agree regarding us relying on Sanchez, 100%, but Petrovic certainly the answer wasn’t under Poch and isn’t the answer now. I think he will fetch a half decent fee after his season in France but I doubt we will be regretting moving him on. He won’t be going to a top 4/6 team as a number 1. James Trafford fuck sake here we go be £25-30m for an utter average player. Joe Shields must be trying to make City some serious dosh through sell on clauses….

The same people who probably have told the Brazilian lad he will play as a number 10 here when we have Cole Palmer also or that several of the other 500 youngsters we’ve bought will play in the squad as soon as possible. BlueCo have basically recreated the Roman model of stockpiling youth but now we cannot loan as many and have to do dodgy deals between ourselves and Strasborg which will be heavily scrutinised 😂 Petrovic is another poor run of the mill mid table GK though? Not sure what he would really bring to the table that we don’t already have, just more inconsistent performances and shakiness playing out. Showed the same under Poch. Unfortunately due to the GK’s we have, Sanchez is probably seen at the club as the best out of them all. Petrovic will be sold - as he should. But it is exactly the same for either or both of Jorgensen and Sanchez. The reluctance to close that deal with AC Milan over the sake of say 5 mil is ridiculously stupid though. When was the last time a top leading nation GK would’ve moved for a fee like that? Its relevantly low cost. Gittens - maybe we would be ripped off badly. Who knows. Don’t think we need another youngster at all in those attacking positions anyway but different matter. Not sure where anyone gets the opinion Milan were ripping us off by asking for what is reported to be around £15-20m for France’s number 1 GK, who is maybe 29 or 30. We have absolutely made an arse of that deal and cannot believe folk are even denying it. Penny pinching at the highest order offering between £8 to 12.5m for him. Talking peanuts in modern day transfers for fuck sake. But because of the players age, contract and likelihood theres no resale value we have tried to cheap them out. Thats the only way we should be looking at it. People would say £20m its a good deal. So the logic is moronic. If he was 21 and had a 7 year contract we’d probably offer them £125m.

Nah he will be too old by then wait and see 😂

Another thing. Can’t believe after another season of watching young, inconsistent attacking performances…. our grand solution is another attacking youngster who is undoubtedly going to be inconsistent. Wheres that great Albert Einstein quote about insanity….

Oh you better believe they’ll throw in an extra £5m with no hesitation if BVB ask 😂

New bid for Gittens…. Just wait for us to bid £84m for Ekitike next also.

Exactly. But some people will be happy to think we showed Milan who’s who by not giving in for the sake of a few million or whatever it would’ve taken. Yet wait and see Dortmund will get £40-50m for Gittens or we will splurge another similar fee on someone no different to what we have quality or experience wise without hesitation. This happy with what we’ve got at GK brief was pretty much the same as last summer - look how well Sanchez & Jorgensen did for majority of the season, cost us matches. But because Petrovic is coming back to all of a sudden (10000% a second choice GK quality wise) people think it’ll all off a sudden be different. It also means Maresca has no choice but to insist with them cause we couldn’t close this deal now and also opens up the door that 1) he decides to persevere again with any of those muppets and 2) that another club offer Milan the fee they wanted for Maignan. If people can’t see how not closing this deal is bad for us in several ways then I don’t know. But Maresca sneaked us into the CL and won a Conference League as well now people are back to thinking he’s the right man also after months and months of being out his depth. Shows the fickleness of it all.

Well thats a different excuse to get rid of him other than he’s a braindead footballer most weeks

Welcome to Strasbourg. Or welcome back to Strasbourg. Another “what was the point in signing him” signing…. Great

For sake of the £3-5m more it would likely take to close this deal… Not too confident? Are we seriously haggling over pennies for a player that is no doubt at the calibre of what we need, in a key position, that we have needed a reliable player in for multiple years….. just because he is over 30 (what other reason would there be)? Who’d of thought after spending more than £1.5bn, severely overpaying on a huge % of transfers under this ownership group that aren’t or weren’t worth that fee or needed at all, we’d finally go the polar opposite way… un fucking believable 😂

Tbf they could have any of Sanchez, Jorgensen or Petrovic? They would better 3rd choice options and gets them off our books 😂

We would haggle over a few million for Maignan yet likely go well beyond the first offer we’ve made for Gittens without hesitation (mixed feelings about going for him)…. Give Milan another 4 or 5 million and get it done as a good GK is absolutely critical for us. Then a top CB next. Can worry about which up and coming attackers we are going to sign once we get those key positions sorted. Would say Delap signing ends any hopes of a top CF though.

Lukaku nowhere near as bad as Mudryk. Didn’t have the desired result and ended up leaving yes after shooting himself in the foot but to say Mudryk isn’t the worst signing we’ve made in last 25 year is borderline stupidity. Be even worse when we loan him or sell him for peanuts. Because he is 100% done here.

Hopefully spells the end of Mudryk‘s career here. We have made a lot of unbelievably shit signings for big money in the past 25 years but his signing for me is probably the worst in terms of the level of the player and the fee paid initially. Never mind the add ons that could of taken it to £80m or whatever.

If Newcastle want Noni then the first player we should be trying to get from them/work into any deal, is Sandro Tonali (Isak would be top but unattainable for us I think). Gordon has improved aye and is of a similar position but what a season Tonali has had. He and Caicedo would be scary. I get then we’d have to reshuffle the pack re positioning/playing Enzo & Cole together, have Santos coming back as well as Lavia (fitness going to be reliable?) but it would be some statement signing. Would be something the old Chelsea would do - like when Ballack came in. Defo more pressing areas but if we are going to try deal with Newcastle for Noni, why not? Can’t see it happening but would be a massive move - weakening a CL rival significantly whilst strengthening our midfield with one of the best PL players in that position for me. Was noise about Napoli/Juventus/Milan sniffing around Tonali this summer I think.

Genuinely reckon the amount of time and money they will waste trying taking someone like Roman to court will be incredible. I wouldn’t be surprised if he also won in Court because the government are so so so incompetent 😂

Might be the first sensible thing those pair of sporting directors have done for a couple of years. £5m is fuck all in comparison to the £25m and wages we’d be wasting. Bit torn on this. Good squad player but is his numbers going to ever be good enough as an out and out first choice? If they offer more than what we paid and they make him a good offer, could happen. James Trafford ffs 🤣

How can they sue Abramovich? Is he not stalling because those government retards have moved the goalposts and its all to do with wording and licensing? Or are they that stupid? That wanker Starmer is also trying to save face after cutting the aid funding and putting it into defence a few months back for sure…. Ironically Trump cut off US funding to Ukraine few month ago too? This will go on for years and years yet if they think they are gonna take Roman to court. Has any form of government ever taken a multi billionaire to court and won? The initial case itself was incredible 😂