OneMoSalah

You’re talking like this hasn’t been happening for 2-3 seasons now though. Unfortunately it has been. Hence the lack of real top, top players coming in the door. This is what many of us have been on about for a long time, players like Donnarumma & Guehi were available for transfer at good prices. We weren’t in the running for either. Probably mainly because of wages (can’t cheapskate on wages forever though) & their ages (perfect for what we needed, established players with experience at a good level). Semenyo would walk into our team ahead of both Gittens & Garnacho, approached him before reviewing our options to decide pursuing him wasn’t on the cards (his wages & age would be an issue for the club). Pointless exercise that was done for what? Caicedo & Estevao are the only good players we have beaten top clubs to signing. I mean who was our competition for Delap, Everton? Newcastle? Man Utd? For Joao Pedro, Newcastle again? Not that their top players but its the level of clubs we are competing with for average players.

I think as well that Acheampong’s lack of minutes could’ve been Maresca sending a message about not getting a CB also.

Its going to be the same again in 12, 18 or 24 months. The model/structure will ostracise any head coach. And all the good ones - or ones who think they are good in Maresca’s case - are usually a bit outspoken or will not take any shit. The medical team thing is madness. As is the pre match review with one of the co owners.

Is anyone surprised? They won’t go after top star name players & haven’t gone for any top managers beforehand with the appointments of Potter, Lampard, Pochettino & now Maresca.

And there is the full context. As per his contract. Why have such a clause in a contract? Oh wait so they could cash in on head coaches as well as players…….? I hope they get Rosenoir & it goes tits up. Big changes are needed at every level.

The BBC are now saying that there was friction long ago because he wouldn’t wear the clubs tracksuit, spoke at something in Italy without their permission & wanted to release a book (again without their permission). These lot are control freaks. Get them to fuck. And where is this information undoubtedly coming from? Probably inside the club, to make them look good & Maresca bad.

Glad they’ve got rid of him tbf although it will be viewed as daftness on the clubs behalf. He was half the problem but not the main problem. Now the 2 sporting directors have to go, thats the next move followed by a power shift between the owners. It is well noted that Eghbali is clearly running this club & has been for at least 2-3 years now, he has run it into the ground. He knows fuck all about football & neither do the sporting directors or that Joe Shields as well. The wanna be Man City u23s/Brighton project has well and truly imploded. They should all be held accountable. The fact the clubs statement mentions CL qualification says everything we need to know about the trajectory of this club. Just a money making machine now. And theres the story out to try make it look like BlueCo’s decision is justified, just like with Tuchel despite nobody confirming what he did (Simon Jordan only one to even remotely discuss it without going into specifics) & him getting top jobs at Bayern and then England. And you’ve fallen for it. They do this every time.

The recruitment was always going to shoot us in the foot. It has done so ever since these new owners came here. From that first window with high spending on more established names like Sterling, Koulibaly etc (players which we should of signed maybe 2-3 years earlier) now to windows where we repeatedly stock up on young players with limited experience in positions we aren’t screaming out for. This summer was a great example of this, crying out for a top CB, a top GK. Plenty of options we should’ve went for. The influence of Joe Shields & recruiting ex City players has also been a resounding failure if I am honest. Except for Cole Palmer, the signings of Sterling, Tosin, Delap & Gittens have all flattered to deceive/look well off the level. Throw in the debacle with the lad from Bournemouth, declaring interest then being like nah.

Cant see him making it past this summer. Sporting directors should also be binned - if the clubs ownership had real ambitions & balls - their incredibly poor recruitment is as much to blame as any of the managers that have been appointed.

Made a triple sub on 59th minute. Look at the stats after then. Chelsea: 0/3 Shots on Target, 10 Touches in Opposition Box, 38 Passes in Final 3rd, 44% Possession. Villa: 8/9 Shots on Target, 14 Touches in Opposition Box, 41 Passes in Final 3rd, 56% Possession. This is what happens when you spend the best part of £2.5bn on shite and/or unproven players & appoint bang average managers, sporting directors 👍 Been saying it for about 18 months now. Piss poor at all levels. There will be stories of Palmer & Caicedo will be wanting to leave next summer if things don’t improve, any self respecting top elite player who could have their pick of teams, would be looking to do so anyway.

Project is to generate as much profit as the club can. Sporting wise - not got a clue. Top 4 at all costs?

The more and more I see and look into us enquiring about Semenyo, the more and more it feels like one of three possible things. One: a PR stunt. For the sakes of shits and giggles. Because well who’d be surprised. Two: Them trying to make us look relevant; to show we are willing to pay top dollar to rival/attract the top top players the likes of Liverpool and City are after a long spell of questionable recruitment of younger/lesser known players - we know its been mentioned by the media & fanbase about the strategy at this club far and wide. Three: Maybe to try please Maresca, the fallout from this outburst the other week has mentioned he reportedly wants some more experienced, top level players in the squad to push the team on. As opposed to youngsters that need time to develop. Enquiring about him before realising we don’t need him as we are already stocked in wide areas though? Why even bother picking up the phone in the first place 😂 Also again. Another attacking linked but not one link to a top GK or top CB - when will they fucking learn….

Yep. If we hadn’t brought Gittens be a different story perhaps. But yeah. Top player wouldn’t of come here regardless probably. Why enquire though? Thats the bit that makes 0 sense if there was no intentions of pursuing a deal. Just looks amateurish.

Probably has worked out better for his development also. He got jeered by the Villa fans earlier in the season against Bologna after a tough start and Emery kept playing him through that patch to toughen him up. Looks as if its worked wonders. Also would say Tuchel has put a lot of faith in him with the national team which will have no doubt given him a boost, particularly as his direct competition for that central role is Jude Bellingham (and if you believe the media as well as consider Tuchel’s publicly stated intentions on picking the best team as opposed the best names, he looks to be ahead of him as it stands for the starting 11). Think this summer will be interesting, even more so after the World Cup. We have been linked but it would also be something that I think the player himself may be wary of because he could have the likes of City, Arsenal, Liverpool also if he continues like this and has a good WC. He will be £100m easy if this form Continues.

Was he not absolutely shit in Spain & wanted to go back to Brazil because he was homesick? Screams Clownlake tbf.

His first club in Europe also! Will finally make an appearance for their first team 20+ years later 😂

Salvaged a point but won’t manage to scrape back a 2-0 deficit every week. Anyone saying Maresca is the right man should watch that first half back, ok there is a reaction in the second half but the first half was absolutely spineless. Could even possibly have ended up with 3 points if we were lucky but be harsh on Newcastle, particularly given Sanchez’s saves & not to mention the Fofana hand ball that wasn’t given. This isn’t the first or last time under him we have been talking about Jekyll & Hyde performances. Its every week more or less. Shite first half then get a reaction, improving second half. Or vice versa. His obsession with Reece in MF is getting ridiculous though. Pick the best team. If it means you only play one of Reece or Malo at RB, go for it. Ok maybe we another top midfielder to come into the side to partner Caicedo long term. Fernandez makes a bit of a difference today but then you watch some weeks and he is an absolute passenger. Throw in the fact that Lavia probably gets injured thinking about playing football. I do fear if Caicedo were to get a big injury also, he is the only player you can actually rely on week in week out to perform to a high level. Would throw all the money in the world at Newcastle for Sandro Tonali to be honest, not even based on today, top midfielder who is coming into the right age, has plenty experience, very rounded, physically has great attributes too.

Would it be a disaster? Really? Maresca replacing Pep at City? Do people think he’s really gonna be able to live up to & improve upon what Pep’s done there? And is he really that good a coach/manager? Regardless, I don’t think City would actually appoint him if I am honest. There is definitely something off between him & our board/ownership group on top of the fact Pep has been linked with walking away from City at the end of the season for the second or third time in successive seasons. If he does go there, can we give them Tosin as well for free? Won’t see many folk too upset if Maresca leaves here for City either. He is an insufferable fucker at the best of times. He would probably end up playing Haaland on the left wing and Rodri upfront.

We will get shagged by any of the PL sides in the semi finals if we perform like that. Definitely not a good performance. Good result though yes.

Still a bit shite in terms of it only being 10% because it only works out at like 500 tickets for Scottish & English fans in the group games being at that price. Should’ve been a much higher % in my eyes, 25% would’ve been good. I suppose if each of the nations participating get that minimum 450-500 tickets at that prices for the groups then yeah it is better than before but its still quite shite. FIFA as well as the USA, Canada & Mexico are going to make an absolute fortune, like probably be the most profitable football tournament to date, so they should be trying to make it a bit more affordable. I went to Germany for the Euros & whilst it wasn’t cheap, it wasn’t extortionate. Particularly the costs for accommodation, food &drink in Germany but the WC over there is going to be another level for sure.

Still time for us to blow this lead. I mean based on tonight, I think we’ve got Stevie Wonder playing at CB with Badiashile although hes been terrible also (Hato can’t be good at CB either based on Badiashile playing CB ahead of him). Hopefully Tosin off for Trevor. Nope never mind, Trev on at RB 🙄

Absolutely deserved. Like I said before, for the cost of this squad, the level of performance is absolutely pathetic. Someone has to answer for this because it happens too often - be it the sporting directors and/or the manager. The players clearly are not that good (shock horror who’d of thought?!?!?) so in an ideal world, sporting directors need to be held severely accountable. They also hired the manager. Irony is, the Cardiff manager was an ex Man City EDS coach who worked with Maresca so if they go on & win this, he’ll probably become favourite for the Chelsea job 😂

Looks like that goals just gave them even more of a lift 😂 We have got better but still so poor. The cost of this team & to get this level of performance is abysmal.

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.

How has he hooked George & not Gittens? Then left Buonanotte on? Like Gittens & Buonanotte have been the worst players on the pitch by a mile (thats saying something), lost possession 20 times between them in the first half….. Maresca’s decision making there & in general, how he sees the game is absolutely atrocious.