OneMoSalah

I dont see what the hassle is. I was slightly apprehensive after the links based one that one season last year but he has like over 20 assists this sesson and like 8 goals already. Hes shown he can do it again. As I said before, I think he lacks that geniune pace you'd want in a wide player and for me it feels like if he plays outwide it would be like Mourinho shunting Mata there. I do think centrally he could be a lot more influential and have lots more touches of the ball. His final pass, shooting and dribbling are great qualities as well as his deliveries from set pieces and freekicks as we have seen this season. For 38m, he is as good as it gets at that price range in the modern market imo. Hopefully if the deal is done, he does play as a 10 in contention for a place with Mount or as a more advanced option in a 3. If hes shunted wide in the PL, I think he may struggle to have the same influence he has at Ajax, here. Although maybe not. I dont think FL will necessarily see him as an out and out winger. I know he plays there for Ajax but he floats infield a lot more than he would perhaps get to do here as they are a lot more fluid with their line up. For 38m, at 27 years old, it seems logical because we lack a bit of that x factor in the final third. Technically he is probably just as good as anybody out there I would say bar the Messis, Neymars, Ronaldos etc and I am geniunely surprised that Spurs didn't go for him on Van der Vaarts recommendation in the summer because he is probably just as good as Eriksen and more adaptable.

Hopefully he will be deployed as a 10 when he comes here, he can play wide but he does lack that pace that Willian, Pulisic and CHO have. Great final pass and dribbler though.

If I am following correctly, we are on about last season. I think the majority of the results in the first half of the season gave us as good a chance of getting 4th minimum, we went on like an 18 match unbeaten run although there was obvious weaknesses and signs we could struggle when the goals dried up, which they did. Yes results tailored off but I dont think top 4 was ever ever truely in doubt. Tottenham and Arsenal didnt help themselved either as they had the chances but again I doubted we would of finished outside the top 4. Even with the radical change in style and set up. Plus throw in Hazard on top of that. Re Tammy, again if I am following correctly, I think Conte had he been around to this season may have used Tammy. I do think the previous 2 years he did on loan was absolutely nevvessary for his development and the right thing to do. Tammy kinda seems like he could of been an ideal CF for Antonio if you ask me, tall, decent aerial ability and pace. Yes his hold up isnt amazing but you can work with it. Look at what Antonio has done to Lukaku's game at Inter. Hes brought out a huge improvement in his movements, combination and hold up play. Lukaku predominantly has always preferred running in behind teams and not being overly involved in the build up. Maybe Conte wouldnt have fancied him but I have a feeling that it isnt necessarily as straight forward as that. He seemed to take a shining to Ruben (injuries and the fact Conte couldnt seem to piece him in one fixed position was maybe a reason why he didnt feature as much) and Nate in his first season. Okay they didnt play every game but Nate especially became a trusted member of the squad although the whole decision to try loan him out to accomodate Drinkwater baffles me, even more so having lost Matic and signed Baka who I never truely expected to be the 'midfield general' many seemed to have him pegged to be. Ruben he tried in various positions in pre season amd I think he played him as a CF in cup games but again, at that stage after his first season, a loan move seemed more logical than being a cup game player and Nate maybe felt the same after the additions so moved to Watford. I dont think Conte would of neccessarily just went and promoted the likes of Tomori or Mount like Lampard has but again, the whole giving Moses a permanent place in the team and also used Andreas a lot in the 2nd season and Nate in his first, I dont think he would of neccessarily shunned them completely. Maybe I could be wrong but I feel that his trust in Andreas over David who played the best football of his career the previous season was a big sign that if the player was good enough, he would of used them. Conte also promoted and gave Callum his debut which everyone forgets. I think winning the title in his first season, I doubt he expected that to happen, he would of wanted us to compete but we were like 9th the previous season. He worked miracles with half of that team if you ask me. You would probably never have thought Moses, Alonso, Luiz, Cahill, Pedro in those moments would perform as they did. I mean forget Kante and Matic for a minute in MF, the back 3 was unbelievably solid with 2 of the most average CBs out of the top 4 teams at the time. Moses and Alonso were key parts but arent exactly amazing footballers either, both have huge limitations but they gave that team in that set up a lot and it freed the likes of Pedro and Hazard up in more central areas. Some of the matches that first season the football was great, Everton, City and United games for instance. Winning the league and again failing to build on that team with top quality, like with under Jose, was just as major a factor as him becoming disinterested and kicking up a fuss. This is a guy who left Juve because he felt he couldnt progress them any further due to limitations in the market (although Allegri did and it was a welcomed change for them undoubtedbly as he and Conte are polar opposites in terms of their styles and demeanors) so the club knew whst they were getting when they hired him, just like rehiring Jose.

Think thats harsh. Having watched him from his time at Rangers, with Scotlan and here I think he can be a really good player with some fine tuning in certain areas. PL isnt going to be easy for him just now as he had never played first team football at any other level before this season and that Sheffield game as youve said was tough for him but better players than Billy have went and struggled in matches against them so I wouldnt sweat it. Hes shown in cup games he can play well in this team and I dont think his inclusion as a first team squad member is rash or unwarranted as he has huge potential. A loan to the Championship would have maybe been better so he could get regular minutes and adjust to the physical demands of the league but technically he is very good and I think once he gets to grips with the standard in the PL through playing more youll change your mind. He is capable of playing in the deeper 2 or as a 10 so if Lamps trusts him he might have plenty opportuinities if Mason and Barkley continue to struggle. I really dont think Mason is that much ahead of Billy in terms of talent but he has more match experience and is slightly better physically due to that and being older. They are different players too but in terms of their ceilings I dont think Mason will be a much much better footballer in the long run if I am honest.

Conte wont go for a draw v Lazio. Just like Inter didnt settle for a draw tonight. They have to win every big game to have any chance of pipping Juventus who just dropped points to Hellas Verona. Theirs only 1 point separating them all but hes won titles before, he knows what it takes.

Wait and see Inter go and win their next 3 games.

I'll believe it when I see it. Seen the whole player X only wants Chelsea move or have said the usual 'Chelsea would be a great team to play for' before for it to turn out to be utter shite and they move elsewhere or not at all. The likes of David Silva, Robinho, Neymar, Douglas Costa, Sergio Aguero, Nicolas Pepe... the list probably goes on and on. I do find it very strange that out of all the clubs linked with him, particularly the Spanish giants, he only wants to move here. I mean that is surely a first. Even more so when we have no guarantees on where we will be finishing as of yet because theres still plenty of games for 4th position to change hands. Even if by some miracle that is the case, doesnt mean Dortmund will be pressured to sell him to us if we cant agree a fee with them which I dont think people understand. I think the whole 'he wants Chelsea only' thing is kinda blinding them from the fact that Real, United, City and Barca will probably be able to outbid us comfortably if they want to. And before anyone says we have the Morata and Hazard money on top of this supposed kitty of 150m in the summer, please dont, this isnt as easy as FIFA or FM, its not as if every sale goes straight back into a kitty for Frank to spend on the squad only. I doubt we are gonna sign Sancho because there will be teams sitting waiting to see who bids what amount before coming in and bidding more or offering more money as usual. Just like us and United offering more wages to Cavani than Atletico although he was never interested in a move to anywhere else bar Atletico.

Yes and no. There was a lot of tension in the squad between him, Willian, Hazard and Luiz who were obviously big parts of the team and dressing room. Reports are they would have all tried to leave if Conte stayed which said it all. Yes he moaned a lot, wasnt overly happy at the recruitment and he didnt do an amazing job after the turn of the year but the players also dropped their levels a fair bit so to speak based on their effort and performances (again, like under Jose too a season after winning the title although again there were similar factors). There were games like Watford and Bournemouth for instance where you could see the players didnt give a shit. Other games we still created chances but not being clinical fucked us (Morata, lack of trust in Batshuayi - although warranted based on what we see from him when he does play). Regarding Morata too, I think he signed him for Juve at his request before he left but obviously Lukaku was his first choice that summer and you can see that at Inter. Morata still confuses me, he was good the majority of the first half of the season, having an effect similarly to what Costa had when Jose first brought him in (albeit different players and styles), his regression here is absolutely baffling. He had good aspects to his game in terms of technical attributes and his ability to combine with others but his mindset was completely wrong after he went on that dip and never has recovered. Not even properly at Atletico. Sarri, as I said before he went needed time and some new players but the fans and club werent truely behind him towards the end which is sad because I do think if he was able to persist with his tactics and add to the squad, it would of been better. I also agree with your points. He was trying to go from a more pragmatic 343 to a hugely offensive fast paced possession based 433. There were times where the football was very good in terms of the build up but the final third again, that was the key issue, it either got too slow (Hazard, Willian, Morata taking too kany touches and no 3rd man runs from midfield particularly in the 2nd half of the season) or broke down. 2 cup finals were really a bonus for somebody who had never won anything until that season although beating Arsenal in the way we did in the Europa was great. There is a huge underlying factor behind all our managers since after Di Matteo. The transfers have been mixed, for all the good, there has been more bad. For every Courtois, Cahill, Azpi, Hazard, Kante, Costa, Cesc, there is a Bakayoko, Papy Djibilodushd whatever his name is, Barkley, Drinkwater, Michy etc.

Probably his way of saying he has 3 years left lets look to get a new deal. Juventus dont need him. Pjanic is just as good.

If there is a bidding war like many expect for Sancho he will easily go for closer to the 150m IMO. Man Utd, Real, Barca, City, Liverpool and us have all been linked. Dortmund will be rubbing their hands together at the prospect of say 100m minimum for the starting price rising to god knows what. I honestly do think he will go for closer to 150m than 100m because of the interest in him.

This whole Kepa isnt good enough thing is bullshit and just shows double standards. After Cech and Courtois it was always going to be a downgrade of somesort. People keep saying about having faith with younger players and a manager with relatively no experience but want to dump a GK, who is a hugely respected and well known talent around Europe, after a bad half a season. Last season he was consistent and played very well too. Being 25 y/o for a GK is still young. Physically he could do with adding some muscle mass, I feel he isnt particularly strong at coming and claiming high balls from set plays and corners but again, De Gea was exactly the same (even worse IMO) at United before he put on some muscle mass. Kepa is lightweight but his reflexes, general shot stopping, distribution, communication and decision making is still very good for me and if he filled out a bit he would be better able or maybe be more confident in coming to claim high balls and command his area. The coaching behind the scenes really intrigues me, I didnt see this regression coming after last season under Sarri. I do think he has a lack of fonfidence in his defenders as well. Even Cech and Courtois showed signs of regression here too in periods but it didnt mean they were shit so its not like GKs are immune to performing badly or making mistakes either. Looking for a long term replacement on a 71m GK as well? That is going to be difficult to sell to the board.

Lampard wants to bring a GK coach in, I dont know if Sarri had his own one in when he was here, IIRC he did so the coaching standard or the training obviously is inferior/different/whatever because Kepa is a very talented keeper and we all know this.

Or appoint Luis Campos and save the hassle. Someone who can identify great talent.

Think his spell at Milan has shown he isnt that good. He did very well in Poland and at Genoa but moved too soon after a promising start. Started decently for Milan but their desire to resign a 38 year old on a big salary, regardless of how good he is, speaks volumes about what they think of Piatek imo. Spurs taking a hard pass at 30m is also more evidence he isnt that good. As a second option, maybe, he is a decent choice but strikes me as someone who needs to be playing regularly to deliver and I dont see him as an outstanding choice or that big an upgrade on Tammy. Suppose maybe 6 month loan with option to buy is as good as we will get him for or any CF just now though. We do need another CF though.

Perhaps but its also true to say that a big reason why he lost the dressing room because of his reluctance to use senior players more (despite many people at the time thinking they werent at their best), Lamps, Drogba, Anelka etc, even when things werent going well or others underperformed (Mount almost undroppable despite offering nothing in recent weeks, very familar with Torres, Bosingwa and Luiz under AVB). Frank hasnt alienated anyone but his use of Giroud, Barkley, Alonso and Pedro this season, who are more senior personnel in the squad is odd considering how some others have played in those positions. Plus the likes of Pedro and Giroud have won a lot between them, they are good pros so he has to be wary of not looking too far ahead when he has these guys here and now. I think his recruitment ideas of Sancho and Chillwell in the summer, is dangerous because there are no guarantees with them coming and he has other players he can use in those positions to bring others who have underperformed out.

His contract runs out in 6 months so wouldnt of ever been a realistic option unfortunately..or it would have been too much like common sense even for us to mess it up. I do think he could be persuaded to take a wage cut of sorts but we would have to make other circumstances change (bonuses, signing fees etc). The wages on offer in Spain are undoubtedly higher due to their taxes. Pretty sure the likes of Messi and Bale are near bang on 50% tax. Not sure if its much less in PL but if it was to be maybe that or a bigger bonus/fee for signing would make him lower his demand. I do think its probably too late in the day anyway for us to sign anybody of that sort of name. Think the change of scenery would do Eriksen the world of good, regardless of if it is here, Inter or wherever but I do feel Frank could have maybe edged him into a player who as well as gets plenty of assists, scores more.

Even somebody like Tagliafico would be easily attainable in my eyes. Maybe more short term but again, 2 or 3 seasons out of him, better than what we have... its almost as if the club see it as Chillwell or bust.

Maybe wages but again if we are going to haggle with Willian over a new contract before caving and probably handing him 200k a week then offering Cavani slightly more is hardly anything out of the ordinary. Especially considering the fact weve thrown 100k a week at guys like Drinkwater, 180k a week to Hudson Odoi, god knows how much of Falcao and Pato's wages we were paying etc etc. He would be worth the risk I think because 1 we are urgent for better CF options to reduce the load/rotate Tammy out at times and 2 the other options dont seem realistic in January. I do think he will be a hit for Atletico if he goes there, he doesnt strike me as somebody who is finished, where as Costa really suffered after that 6 month spell of not playing and basically has wound up finished earlier than he should of been as well as that Croatian bloke they had for a season who was pathetic, he was probably finished before he had even kicked a ball for Atletico. Have to disagree with Eriksen, hes in his prime age and while he hasnt started for Spurs with Mourinho his quality on the ball is still evident. He has come on and had a hand in a few goals with either key passes or assists in these games and he is definitely more creative than Willian, Barkley and Mason combined. Again for 17m, he would of hardly been a huge risk. Even if he didnt set the world alight completely. I mean we paid 15m for Barkley and people said it was a good move because it was a low price and he had untapped potential so 17m for a player who was arguably one of the top 5 number 10s in the PL over the last 3 years, a huge upgrade on everything we have, baffles me why we werent even in the running. Even more so United who were chasing the inferior player in Bruno Fernandes at about 4 times the price....

Hopefully see Barkley, Pulisic and Giroud (if still here) in some capacity. They can't do any worse than Mount and Willian. And dont risk Tammy for the love of god, remember when Kante, Emerson and Rudiger were risked earlier in the season and ended up out for longer.... Hopefully should be straight forward enough.

Again, exactly. I am not utterly convinced Telles is the best LB out there but he is far better than what we have. I am still baffled regarding Eriksen and will.continue to be so. Not even just us, Man United not going for him either, it is as if the clubs dont want to improve....

Tbf I think its a fair point to say aeve been lucky the other teams around us havent done so well while we have struggled in recent games. To call it luck of the footballing gods is another thing. I think if Spurs had performed better under Mourinho (as I felt they would have personally because they have the firepower) we could have been out the top 4. United we have a bit more of a chance with because they are as fucked as we are if not more so but again they seem to manage to nick points in big games bar the Liverpool one, where as we really tend to struggle in the big games, which based on how we are doing in the smaller games could determine our top 4 status this season. I do seem to remember when we only finished 3rd under Sarri due to the 'other teams playing poorly as opposed to us doing well last season... I think it could be more the same this season if we manage it. The people making out people are moaning about Lampard all probably moaned a lot about Jose, Conte and Sarri.... fans moaning about managers not doing well isnt exactly unwarranted, its not as if we are playing great just now and Lampard doesnt deserve the criticism from fans?

If Frank and the board keep coming out with this naive 'it has to be the right player' shite for the remainder of the window when guys like Edinson Cavani has handed in a transfer request - a top player in a position we are crying out for hugely just now - then I don't know. I mean who or what are the board looking at/doing? If they can miraculously decide they want to go after Giroud for Conte then surely when somebody of Cavani's ilk puts in a transfer request they take notice? Surely? We continue to be linked with younger players (particularly English ones in Chillwell and Sancho who are obviously with more long term in mind but we need something now to refresh the group. Even Eriksen is going to Inter, for 17m, I mean who at the club hasnt thought you know what he might do a job for us and for 17m... why not? Surely Frank and Jody isnt thinking Mason and Ross are better options than Christian Eriksen? 17m is hardly breaking the bank and even then at 20 or 30m he is a top quality player and his final pass is better than anything we have in the squad at the moment. Eriksen and a new CF as well as shipping Ross out who Frank clearly doesnt fancy (was linked with West Ham) would of been a great window imo.

Yes if somebody much better came along I would go for it. We need to. He needs the competition and we need another more than capable striker. Yes hes the striker but above all else this is his first spell in the PL at a big side, he was always gonna go on a barren run at somepoint, hes still young and hasnt scored reguarly bar at Championship and youth level his whole career. Its as if people assumed him and Mount were gonna coast the PL based off a few seasons of championship and dutch football... they are struggling but because we are short and Franks mismanaged certain squad players, they will continue to play. Lampard and the board will take a lot of blame if we cannot get somebody in this month to reduce the pressure/burden on Tammy. That is my honest opinion. I do think Lamps was naive to basically throw Giroud aside after a month, if he had played more he might have been able to offer more in certain games. I am getting worried if we are forced to rely on just Tammy upfront and we continue to dominate games but not score, dropping easy points in small games, the other teams will smell blood and eventually leap frog us which despite their current state of affairs I dont think is so unforeseeable. If that happens, surely it means 2 things, no CL and potentially no FL at the helm especially if we go from 4th to outside it. Other managers have been let go for the same things (Villas-Boas).

Something along the lines of Buffon was talking to club executives about championship winning bonuses as they had already won the league, although the season wasn't over. Not sure if it was season they went unbeaten or not.

Something along the lines of Buffon was talking to club executives about championship winning bonuses as they had already won the league, although the season wasn't over. Not sure if it was season they went unbeaten or not.