OneMoSalah

Again think its odd to just throw in Gilmour and Gallagher are already better when really they all play different positions to Ethan and even then, Gilmour hasnt played first team at any level and Gallagher is only just starting to now. Ampadu played first team football when he was 15. Think Bundesliga loan at a team with good players already in his position automatically puts him in a much more difficult situation/position, similarly to like when he was here, good players in the positions he plays already. Doesnt make him any less of a prospect. Everytime I have seen Ethan play, except one Europa League game last season, he has impressed me, even playing for Wales. He has such a maturity, assuredness and calmness than you dont see in many 18 year olds. He doesnt get flustered in a game even if he makes a mistake. Technically he can play easily off both feet and is very tenacious and physical for a slightly built guy. Connor Gallaghers started well but that form and goal return will tail off at somepoint as the physical demands of playing actual football that isnt u23s will get to him eventually as will inconsistencies with being a youngster as I am sure it does to most players who come out of u23s/youth team football. The intensity and physical demands arent of the same level, the championship is a brutal league as well because some teams just sit and play direct longball, very physical and a much more aggresive style of football. Rate Billy highly but again, no first team football that isnt u23s at a really competitive or much more demanding level. Again they need to be gauged and either introduced into the group or loaned to gain some experience. I think Connors got a good move and I hope Billy could follow in January or next summer as getting used to the more physical demands of professional football in a league like the championship or league 1 would be benefical to him progressing. Dont want to start putting too much pressure or expectation on these kids coming through though, since Lamps came back I have seen stuff like sell Alonso and use the youth team LB as a back up to a player whos suffered 2 or 3 big injuries in 6 seasons or it was we shouldnt buy Kovacic and use Billy or someone else instead. And it will be the same while Franks here as there is this weird sort of ideology that Chelsea are all of a sudden going to be like Ajax, when we realisitcally wont, 7 academy kids in the squad though (AC & Ruben in there too) who youd imagine will all get sufficient minutes is a good start with our youth record and a sign to show other groups that the chances are there. I do think Tammys been very lucky in the way that Franks got his hands tied behind his back with the transfer ban and the standard of more senior options upfront so he really has nothing to lose giving Tammy a proper chance to prove his worth. Having worked with Mason and Tomori he will be able to trust and gauge them more as he will be more than aware of their capabilities from last season as well as Reece James who he will have undoubtedly seen in the Championship some weeks. Think when Callum and Reece are back fit along with Tammy, Tomori and Mason those 5 (plus AC, RLC and Pulisic) give us enough of a youthful injection into the squad along with keeping experienced players around them that will undoubtedly aid and help with their development along with the coaching staff. Next summer as well I think Frank will be a bit more likely to look to the market than to some of the other younger guys on loan because there are some obvious areas we are lacking real quality in, positions that to be competitive in title challenges/cup competitions you want or need that little bit more. Its strange and encouraging at the same time that hes giving these guys a chance and there seems to be a clearer path so it seems but again we have played 4 games. We could hit a really bad run for instance and he might go for the tried and tested for a while to get the job done. Theres just so many different variables and with FLs inexperience as well, it will be interesting to see if he will stick to his guns and do it his way or maybe adapt a bit like previous managers have. We have to remember hes still learning too.

The fact Luiz said he probably would have left if Conte had stayed and the multiple stories around Conte's future deciding whether or not Eden would look to move to leave to go to Real Madrid after the world cup. Lets not forget Joses final season when shit didnt go well Cesc, Eden and Diego Costa were branded as rats as they were apparently disruptive and disillusioned with Jose too although was never actually confirmed or not. But thats never mentioned but one thing with Willian and he gets crucified despite showing examplery behaviour throughout his time here bar one incident which was a frustrating season for more than just him too. Yes what Willian did was poor but it was one thing and the fact the club knew Conte would be leaving and in what the 5 years he had been here before it was the only incident regarding his behaviour, where still yes it was a mistake and if Conte remained he would have had to apologise or get sold but he should hardly pinned to a cross for it now should he? If the club sticked with that manager and he still stayed I would think differently. The feeling I get is people just like to make him out as a really bad guy to justify selling him. We all know he is below average but fucking hell, the extremes some people go to is mad. Youd think he was running around the training ground missing training sessions, bad mouthing people, being a bad influence in the dressing room etc.

Its the same with the disruptive influence in the dressing room crap that is always posted as a reason to sell him.... there was one incident, which if Conte had stayed he would of probably sold him along with Luiz and Hazard as they were all at odds with Conte and wanted to leave if he stayed. But nobody said Eden and Luiz were disruptive.... it just suits some people that Willian is this bad guy as a reason to sell him. Hes not. Hes not a great player but he deserves a bit more respect from the fans over something that is far from the truth.

A mixed bag. I can see arguments for keeping or selling come next summer as hes at an age where he should be deciding/affecting games more. Connor Gallagher is nowhere near ready for even being considered a squad member either....

Tbf, I wouldnt say that Mount has exactly been consistent in every game for the 90 mins but hes a young player, still learning and adapting to a higher standard. Hes shown huge glimpses in moments in some of the games he has played though which is promising. Some people are just morons too, social media is full of them, hes rated highly for a reason. I think people wanted him in the squad last season but he wasnt ready for that, hes closer now and his ability to get in and around the box will bear fruit for us so to speak as we lack goals from midfield. I doubt Frank would keep him and play him if he wasnt ready to contribute in some way. I am not saying he is an excellent player at the moment but he can go far.

But you have to look at the majority of South Americans who played in the PL or even here. Rarely have we had an issue. But again yeah the right players have to be signed regardless of nationality.

I dont think thats necessarily true. Sure Neymar, Tevez, Icardi to name a few and theres maybe others that have had bad press but I dont think that they are any more difficult to handle than any other group of players. Its largely down to attitude.

I dont think there are many realistic English players we can go and get except maybe Chillwell, Jadon Sancho and possibly Declan Rice (although not sure he is at the required level like youve said). Sure theres other good English players but we will never get Kane or Sterling or Joe Gomez or whoever else. Weve got a good number of young English players to be honest, Reece James, Callum Hudson Odoi, Ruben Loftus Cheek, Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount... throw in Ross Barkley as well although I am unsure where he lies here in the long run and hes not exactly young so to speak. I dont think we need to have like neccessarily 10 or more English players in the squad plus the value for money for English players definitely isnt there and the calibre of players from other European/South American players is much better I feel. The additions have to be the right ones.

We must of watched different games then. Norwich played through us but its more tactical and a collective problem as we seem to press in a group of 4 or 5 with 5 behind the ball as opposed to as a team. Thats why the spaces are too big. 4 or 5 go and then theres lots of room for teams to utilize and youve basically got Jorginho and Kovacic, who both arent amazingly defensively but again arent exactly piss poor, trying to defend in a situation where they will be outnumbered or isolated more than often. If you want your team to be progressive and dominate the ball, Jorginho is an essential out of squad. Thats why I dont get why you are insistent on dropping him. Last season was the same, it was a collective issue than individuals with regards to defending and pressing.

Played a lot better today I think. We have to be careful though he has a lot of work to do still but 2 goals will give him a huge confidence boost.

Perhaps but we need pace on both sides to stretch teams and be more effective in offensive transitions, Mason is quickish but not as fast as you'd want a winger to be. Also Willian, despite his huge inconsistency and lack of end product is probably better going the otherway when we drop into a shape out of possession. We do need to upgrade on him but I think Lamps already has a preference of using Ross and Mason ahead of him even if it means shoehorning them in the team which hasnt really been a success so far for me but I would expect that to change when Callum is ready. Its a work in progress and I think a striker, a wide player (Pedro replacement) and left back will be the top 3 positions we look to strengthen when our transfer ban is done.

Is this a joke? How many times did he pick the ball up and play a 20 or 30m pass outwide, through the lines or directly to the frontman today? Kovacic doesnt do it enough. In a game where your going to have all off the ball Jorginho is essential. He wasnt all that bad defensively for me its more a collective issue than individuals.

Yeah far too many touches after getting in promising areas. Hopefully we go back to a 3 man midfield as opposed to 2 screening and one more advances think it suits everyone better. Particularly Ruben who although I think he can play as a 10 but like Tomo said in a thread when we discussed it, his drivings run from there slightly more deeper are very effective. Still dont get why he never put Willian in on the wing ahead of using Ross and shifting Mason outwide but hey ho not the first time FL has used 2 10s in that 3 and it hasn't exactly worked too well.

Still think people talking about VAR is pointless, it will take time to get it right as its the first season with it and it wasnt the most concerning thing today. Our defending and organisation as a team was. Again.

Dont know what to make of this game but if we keep defending like we have since pre season (exept the Liverpool game) then we might not even make the top 6 and thats being brutually honest. Dont think bar 2 games under Sarri (Man City and Bournemouth) have we looked so disorganized and easy to score against. Fair enough Lamps is learning on the job and still needs time but he wont get that luxury if we cant beat teams such as Leicester at home or Norwich away convincingly. 2 academy players scoring today maybe the only positive so far.

100% agree. I dont think anybody on here can say shes shit at her job because she negotiated deals for "players she wanted ie Bakayoki, Drinkwater, Morata, player X or Y whoever"... I mean wtf people clutching at straws. She doesnt pick the players we sign for fuck sake. If anyone is doubting this, then they should seriously look at what her job title is because I am certain it is Chief Executive. Not technical director or director of football. Okay, she negotiates the deals for them, contracts for existing players, sponsorships etc but she doesnt go and pick players personally or she would be a scout/technical director not a business woman. Okay maybe she has negotiated bad deals for us both ways and maybe the majority of ones from say the last 2 or 3 seasons the most of the players who came in, which she negotiated with clubs and players for contracts/wages, havent been great. She could be doing better but if anyone thinks shes sitting going okay who can I sign for Chelsea next without any input from anyone in a footballing capacity or with huge footballing knowledge then they need their head checked. I mean fair enough Ive been critical of her at times but not for signing Morata or Bakayoko or whoever because while she closed the deal, she didnt decide to go after them players herself. They were obviously players the club had been scouting where they will go through some evaluation process and eventually end up on a list of potential targets regardless of availability or the feeling the club can make the deal happen like I am sure happens at most clubs.

Kasey Palmer? Skills could have been useful for Chelsea's first team? Right whos been on the joints. He is below average and I think leaving is the best thing for him. No disrespect to him but he wasnt or hasnt been at the level needed to try and break in.

I think he'd be wasted in the 2 deeper positions though. I really do. Think we've either got to go 433 and use him with Jorgi and Kante or play him as a 10. He got a good amount of goals last season by getting in and around the box. Yes he can still do that in the 2 but hes more attack minded, I really hope he plays more advanced.

Depends. For that amount of money, if true (not just him, any footballer under the age of 20 coming in and getting a 52m 5 year deal) it means we have every right to expect a lot from him despite his age. Normally young players you can make an exception as they dip and are learning but still if it is that figure, 10.4m a year before tax, 200k a week... its going to raise expectations.

Too much money but still, not signed. Almost September now.... there was obviously much more than just "game time" in regards to his decision or it would of been tied up by now I think. But hey ho, its looking more and more likely I suppose. Sooner the better.

Wrong place for him to be. He needs to get shot of his wife as an agent at the very least. People have complicated relationships all over not just footballers but making his wife being his agent, as well as all the things before and all the things that have followed that have ultimately led to all the top clubs in the world avoiding him in my view. The whole Maxi Lopez-Wanda thing is unsavoury and not very nice but this sort of shit happens all over, marriages break down due to cheating or other circumstances, in the public eye and not in the public eye. Not saying that its right though and for a young boy (the age he was at the time) to have disrespected someone who again, made a lot of effort with him to help him fit in etc, is disgusting. . The guy has fucked his career though. Had huge potential, was captain of Inter, their talisman and now say 2 years later they've signed an excellent coach (who took Tevez after all the shit he pulled at Man City may I add) and he has backed the clubs stance without even regarding how good he could be for his team (think on his best form, he'd be a shoe in for many top teams in Europe), signed Lukkaku and stripped Icardi of the number 9 shirt. If his career continues to deteriorate so to speak, I bet that Wanda will be off like a shot as well. He will have made his fair bit of coin yes but a football career is short and he will look back on it and realise something had to give. He was talked about being a potential Barca/Real signing say 3 years ago.... now theres the talk hes maybe going to Monaco (not a bad place to live perhaps and a good club nonetheless) but its a waste of potential. Juventus and Napoli links for me are odd, both likely won't touch him with a barge pole despite the obvious lure of his ability and potential purely based on who they'd have to deal with before even getting him in the door. I mean people think Raiola is a fucking nightmare but some of the things that his wife seems to have pulled makes him look like a saint. Imagine somebody, who is also your team mate/captains wife having the fucking audacity to claim Inter don't support him etc? After making him their captain?

Have to agree. Plus it was zonal marking v someone on the move, so they automatically will always have the advantage so its not a mistake as such more a issue with setting up zonally to defend corners. Perhaps but a free man with a run on anybody yet alone someone two or three inches smaller with not as great a leap, is always going to have the advantage. Zonal marking is terrible. Fair enough its so common these days practically all the big teams do it but you can get the mix right, some zonal markers and then man to man following the bigger threats. As Cole stated in the interview regarding the body shape, yeah, hes right to an extent but if it was man to man and he had a chance to run and attack the ball like Ndidi did he'd of been a lot lot closer. Still think his performances have dipped a lot but you also have to consider that under Sarri and also with Frank so far, the teams really exposed and this has given United and Leicester huge chances to counter attack which has led to chances, corners, goals etc. Its maybe as many have alluded to, the shape and getting caught on the ball when we are further up field, not just individual errors (although Azpi hasn't been great for a lot of the goals this season when Frank has said about 4 mistakes v United I think he was wrong to just say that, the gaps between midfield and defence were the reason why these players got into these spaces to have these opportunities). His pace has never been outstanding and while I am excited to see Reece get a chance, I don't think Reece James will come in and fair a lot lot better as many predict as he will need time to get upto speed with the level and higher standard. Its going to take a lot of work to prevent being in positions where the teams very open and players can isolate Azpi or Emerson or Zouma or whoever. You give a player such as Martial or Rashford, who are so quick and good at dribbling all the space in the world or basically a free hit to run at players, they will beat them more often than not. If we stop conceding these counter attack scenarios we will eliminate half the issue. His concentration worries me more than his actual ability to defend, you can be the best defender in the world but if you switch off at the wrong moment... it doesn't matter how good you are.

Must admit, despite Cascarino talking nonsense some of the time, this is a more valid comparison than saying Pulisic is like Hazard. I can see his acceleration and directness being a huge tool for us this next however many years. His final ball hasn't been as bad as I thought it would of been too so thats also a plus. He showed v Liverpool he can also affect the game in the final third setting up Giroud and scoring a great goal that got ruled out for offside. Wouldnt go as far as saying I was expecting a great first season but the early signs are indicate there are good things to come from this guy.

I dont think there is a better GK except maybe Ederson in terms of distribution in the PL. Long pass, short pass, left foot, right foot... he is very good. Shot stopping is also very good, obviously. Does anybody else think hes maybe put a bit more muscle mass on this season. Or am I blind.

But it was the same in pre-season and really the defensive structure of the whole team hasnt drastically changed bar the Liverpool performance. Yes we are only say 10 games (including pre-season) into Lampard's tenure so this could come as premature but I am a bit concerned with how we concede so many chances and look so bad defending set plays. For me, it is similar to how Andre Villas Boas' team got on defensively. Couldnt stop conceding chances from open play, unorganised at set plays and eventually goals started going in and it was a matter of could Chelsea get back into the game. Without an improvement defensively as a team (although I think AC-Zouma both played decent today as a pairing but I mean as a whole from front to back) and seeing as we lack a top striker to bail us out, we could potentially end up dropping points. As for the attacking play, yeah it is good and exciting at times as well as the high press but there were also elements again in some of our games very similar to how we played under Sarri at times, very congested in middle. We also arent as composed in some phases of the game as we could be and that is also resulting in us turning the ball over and getting done on transitions far too often. Again with time, like the defensive structure, I really hope it improves. I have seen a lot of positives so far with Frank, the high press when it works is really good (example first 15 mins today), as well as the more direct attacking play (although still gets congested at times) and obviously trying to integrate the academy kids. I was apprehensive about his appointment and still think theres been alarms like I said similar to Villas-Boas' team defensively and for me, most good teams are built on a good defensive structure and shape. Liverpool, Spurs and City without the ball, press from the front. Theyve all bought into it and the distances are good, then if they dont win it they drop back in and are organised. We used to be very organised under Jose and Conte, being able to grind out results. Man United with Fergie as well could grind games out if they werent playing great. Basically if you cant keep goals out from set plays or concede too many big chances (think of Brendans Liverpool team that finished 2nd), your going to have to end up scoring 3 or 4 goals every game. Teams that have to score 3 or 4 goals a game because they cant keep a clean sheet dont traditionally win leagues or cups. Its probably easier to keep clean sheets than need to score 3 or 4 goals a game.