Fernando

Yes I always said Tuchel was very bad for signing. Shor term he was good just like Conte but building a long term team are bad because of their buys.

I got to say the fiasco this summer with the logo was a golden one because people where able to get a shirt without any logo. Best logo was the Samsung for me, but a shirt with no Logo for a short time was a rare find.

Well I hope he does better because this summer we really did bad with many loans. Don't know how good he is but at least the club realize their mistake in this summer with loans that they want to try to get someone that might give a better input.

Joe Shields getting praise from the press for Palmer...... Cole Palmer thriving for Chelsea ahead of Man City return following reunion with talent-spotter Joe Shields Chelsea's recruitment has come under scrutiny but Cole Palmer has been a success story; Joe Shields, their co-director of recruitment and talent, knew him from Manchester City; watch Man City vs Chelsea live on Sky Sports Premier League on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm Image:Cole Palmer has shone since his move from Man City to Chelsea Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez scored the goals that clinched Chelsea's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Monday. But it was no surprise to see Cole Palmer have a hand in both. After laying the ball back for Gallagher to score Chelsea's second, the 21-year-old played the through-ball for Fernandez to add the third. With six assists to add to his 10 goals, he has been directly involved in nearly 40 per cent of Chelsea's total this season. Where would they be without him? It hardly bears thinking about given they sit 10th as it is. But it could easily have been their reality. Palmer was an eleventh-hour signing and might never have arrived at all if not for the influence of Joe Shields. Chelsea's co-director of recruitment and talent, formerly of Manchester City and Southampton, is said to have played a significant role in his arrival from the Etihad Stadium, completed for a fee of £42.5m on the final day of the summer transfer window. The club's recruitment under Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali has of course thrown up more questions than answers. But there can be no doubting the wisdom of signing Palmer. Not that it necessarily felt that way at the time. Palmer had only started three Premier League games under Pep Guardiola. But Shields was convinced of his potential having watched him closely across a nine-year spell at City during which he rose to the role of head of academy recruitment. His work there, starting out as their academy scouting manager for the south of the UK, earned him a stellar reputation, with Jadon Sancho among the many players he identified and helped to recruit before moving to Southampton and, subsequently, Chelsea. His belief in Palmer has been emphatically vindicated and the hope for Chelsea is that Romeo Lavia, another former City academy player who Shields previously took to Southampton, will prove similarly successful once he recovers from injury. That would be another boon for Shields, who is only 36 but whose experience in the industry spans two decades and whose journey to the top began at grassroots level in Croydon, south London, in the form of community coaching sessions in Thornton Heath. "Joe had basically decided coaching wasn't for him," says Harry Hudson, who worked at the same sessions and now runs the Kinetic Academy. "So, while I was focusing on coaching, Joe was trying to go his own way, bringing players to the sessions, finding gems. "It was difficult because, 20 years ago, there weren't as many roles in football as there are now. There was coaching, but there were no analysts. Agents weren't as big a thing. Scouting was this back-of-a-fag-packet role nobody really understood." Shields was also coming at it as a teenager with no prior professional experience in the industry. "That made it even harder for him," adds Hudson. "But Joe just had this incredible passion. He was so interested in being out and active in the community finding players. He got an absolute buzz from it. You could see that when he found someone. "And then he had his ridiculous ability to spot talent." It soon got him noticed. "When you're finding players, it quickly puts you on the map," says Hudson. Part-time scouting roles at Crystal Palace and Fulham followed. Even after going full-time at Palace, Shields continued flagging players to Hudson. One of them was striker Josh Maja, who has gone on to play for Sunderland, Fulham, Bordeaux and West Brom while also representing Nigeria internationally, and who now serves as one of many examples of Shields' ability to forecast potential. "Josh had just come out of Fulham's academy aged 13," says Hudson. "Joe brought him into a session with us at Kinetic and told me, 'This player is going to play in the Premier League one day'. "I did the session and I wasn't convinced. I said, 'Joe, I don't see it, he doesn't move well'. Joe just said, 'Trust me, he's got it. Work with him, develop him and he will be there'. "He was 100 per cent right but I didn't see it at the time. I didn't see that long-term potential in Josh like Joe did. And I like to think of myself as someone who can see talent." Shields was even more confident on Sancho. He is sometimes credited for "unearthing" the winger, which is not strictly true. But he was certainly aware of his potential from early on. "When Watford picked up Sancho, Joe said he would be in the England squad in six years," says Hudson. "I remember saying to him, 'Are you joking? He's a kid'. In the end he got there even quicker." Shields' talent-spotting ability and exhaustive knowledge of the younger market have been key to his rise in the industry. "He knows all the good young players and all the kids who have potential," former Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl told Sky Sports after Shields' appointment as head of senior recruitment at St Mary's in 2022. But he is similarly skilled at building relationships. "Having the foresight to think a player can be great is one thing but convincing a coaching team at a club to actually sign that player is probably the hardest part of any job in recruitment," says Hudson. "Especially when we are talking about young players from areas such as south London. A coach might have worked with their group for six months. They know Jimmy will do what he is coached to do. "So, if a player comes in who is a bit of a wildcard, who does things off the cuff, it is only natural for the coach to have a bias towards the player they already know and trust. "It is often about having those relationships where you can get coaches and staff members to see the vision you do. That is something Joe has always had quite a unique ability for." That ability is now being applied at the highest level. But, back in south London, Shields is still known for his eagerness to help open doors for young players, coaches and others who might be looking to break into the world of recruitment. "Even when Joe was working at City, there were players that he referred to us at Kinetic," says Hudson. "At other times, I would go to him with a player who I thought could get a deal, not at City but somewhere, and he would always be eager to help. "If he could see the player's potential, whether it was for Man City or Ipswich Town, he would always try to help the kid and his family out. That's something that is pretty unusual in football." Shields retains family ties in the area. "He came down to our 10-year anniversary match at Kinetic a few years ago, at Selhurst Park, to see us all and talk to some of the players who have been through our programme," says Hudson. "He spoke about players who have been released from professional academies and might want to go into scouting and recruitment, that he would always be there to help them in any way he could. "He is in a different stratosphere now. He has come a long way from the Croydon days. But I do genuinely believe that is true... It just might take him a few more days to get back to you than it did." Such are the demands of his role at Chelsea. Saturday's return to Manchester City shines a light on the Cole Palmer success story. But, for Shields, the search is now on to deliver more. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13072250/cole-palmer-thriving-for-Chelsea-ahead-of-man-city-return-following-reunion-with-talent-spotter-joe-shields

I think we are doing good because of motivation. Since nothing to play for in the PL motivation is low. But in cup games we are doing good because it's a cup and can win it. It just shows that the team needs more time to grow hence why I still back Poch and think next season there's better progress.

I had him as a buy but not for 100 million. The price tag was over killed and the problem is the board letting them go nuts just to get their man.

Same argument apply first season had a lot of up and downs and there was some games that showed promises. Similar here as well. That's why I see something similar by n next season, a bigger improvement then this season.

To be fair in think the first season of Arteta was very bad. There was some games that had good moments but it was bad in general that first season. Then second season improve. I envision the same happening with Poch and the team.

I agree with @milkasacking right now won't solve the problem. Continue with him and continue to adjust the recruiting. Owner and board made a lot of bad calls in transfers which is very bad. City and Liverpool are good because they build a team together with a manager. You can't do that, so is best to keep Poch and build the team for years to come. Work with him for 2 or 3 years as the owner and the board are real noobs.

Dumb board, should have send him to Portugal in the summer as many clubs wanted him. But oh well France league it is.

We tried getting him, he signed a new contract and then we got Palmer.

Lautaro Martínez or Victor Osimhen for me.

Does that means that lavia will also come good?

He wasn't giving enough opportunity....although I think it was as well he didn't want to sign a new contract.

Opposition is trash. We need another mid against better team. Still need Gallagher unless you replace him for another CM that is improvement over him......

True while Broja makes little impact it would be good to get another striker like they did with Jackson. Jackson not WC but better then Broja and have no striker at all.

Yeah I think Poch is not cutting it as a youth manager. I think Lampard was the best at giving young players a chance. The only problem is that Lampard was not good of a manager.

I'm not sure, why get him back when he was playing regularly. Over here he would be at the bench. Not good.

That would be a good sell if it where to happen.

That's what you get a lot of up and down with such a young team. Still we would have been better if the owner spend good on the striker department.

I still back poch. These results are expected for me. Burst now makes it more clear what we need. CB and striker. Disasi who we bought this summer was not a good buy. Badiashille who was buy last season is also come bad, Silva is old so he is leaving. That's 3 CB who are leaving or not good enough. We bought two CB from Monaco and have not improved. And then we got Fofana..... We need to get rid of Badi and Disasi and get new cb. I want Hincapie, and another cb. Striker there's no market right now for that.

Piero Hincapie: Leverkusen’s rough diamond whose decision-making must improve Liam Tharme Jul 26, 2023 11 This summer, we are running a series profiling 50 exciting players under the age of 25 — who they are, how they play, and why they are attracting interest during this transfer window. You can find all our profiles so far here, including “the Gen-Z Sergio Busquets”, the Canada striker determined to become a household name and the French midfielder who can do it all. Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, is more than a century older than Piero Hincapie, but it describes him perfectly as a player. Published in 1886, it tells of Dr Henry Jekyll, who has an evil, criminal alter-ego, Edward Hyde. Jekyll, uncontrollably and temporarily, transforms into Hyde and becomes violent. With Hincapie, there is the technically proficient, experienced-beyond-his-youth side, but also an overcommitted, defensively rash side to his game. There is the 21-year-old with 27 senior international caps, and already having played at a World Cup, a Copa America, and in the Champions League and Europa League. Yet there is the then-teenager who committed the error leading to Argentina’s second goal in the 84th minute of a 3-0 Copa America quarter-final defeat in which he would later be sent off. “Everything went wrong against them,” Hincapie said afterwards. He also clumsily conceded a penalty in a must-win group game against Senegal at the World Cup, too (Ecuador lost, 2-1, and were eliminated). There is the positionally versatile left-footer, able to play centre-back in a three or a four, or operate at left-back or left wing-back. The player under 23 with the most minutes in the Europa League and/or Champions League last season (1,192), but also the man who received the most yellow (13) and red cards (three) in the 2022-23 Bundesliga. Hincapie scored once (away to Eintracht Frankfurt in October) and assisted once (at home against Borussia Monchengladbach in May) in the German top flight last season, but ended up being sent off in both games having been at fault for goals conceded. Leverkusen did not win either match. Hincapie signed a new contract at Leverkusen in February, which runs until summer 2027. Simon Rolfes, their managing director, retrospectively described his arrival at the club two years ago as an “investment in the future”, adding that “back then he was a talented central defender with really big potential” and “he became a key performer, he has shown his international quality”. Leverkusen acquired him after one season at Argentina’s Talleres, who he had joined from Independiente del Valle in his native Ecuador — the club where Brighton’s in-demand midfielder Moises Caicedo also came through the youth ranks; they played together in the team that beat River Plate to win the Under-20 Copa Libertadores final in March 2020. Miguel Angel Ramirez, who was head of Independiente’s academy when Hincapie was there, tells The Athletic that “what stood out most was his physicality”, adding that, “Piero is extremely quick, technically sound and tactically intelligent. It’s no surprise that he’s one of the most valuable centre-backs on the market. I think he is cut out to play for one of the biggest clubs.” His debut Bundesliga campaign was in 2021-22, but Hincapie’s rise from first-team regular to guaranteed starter has much to do with his suitability under Xabi Alonso, who replaced Gerardo Seoane as Leverkusen manager last October. Hincapie has started in 33 of Alonso’s 37 games in all competitions — the ones he missed were all due to suspensions. Alonso has described him as “a very modern defender. He can play in different positions. He’s aggressive, is making better decisions when he has the ball, backs himself more to play diagonal passes and get in behind”. Leverkusen have been tactically and systematically flexible under Alonso but primarily play a high-possession 3-4-3 with a box midfield, which has seen Hincapie deployed in numerous roles and positions. He played three different ones in Leverkusen’s four biggest home league wins last season (they finished sixth, having beaten four of the other eventual top seven at the BayArena, to qualify for the Europa League). Hincapie was the left-back in a 4-3-3 in the 2-1 defeat of title-bound Bayern Munich in March: Against RB Leipzig (2-0 in April) and Union Berlin (5-0 in November), he was the left centre-back in the typical 3-4-3, attempting the most passes (46 and 92 respectively) of any Leverkusen player in those matches. He was at left wing-back in April’s 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, though played more defensively compared to Alonso’s wing-back on the other flank, Jeremie Frimpong: Alonso matched up Roma’s 3-4-3 in the Europa League semi-finals in May, with Hincapie starting at left wing-back in the first leg in Italy and almost getting an assist inside the first minute. Leverkusen break following a defensive-third regain, attacking down their right then switching play left. Moussa Diaby finds Hincapie high and wide: One-v-one, he nutmegs Zeki Celik and crosses low for the late-running Robert Andrich, but he shoots straight at Rui Patricio. Right centre-back Odilon Kossounou picked up an injury, so Mitchel Bakker came on at left wing-back late in the first half and Hincapie moved to left centre-back. His first action there was to drive beyond the first line of pressure — one of Hincapie’s best attributes — and punch a pass successfully into midfield. His assist for Amine Adli at home to Monchengladbach just over a week later is similar, stepping out and then playing a long vertical pass through midfield. “It’s the position (centre-back) I feel most comfortable in,” Hincapie said in February 2022. “I can give order to my team-mates and that’s something I like. It gives me an outlet when it comes to playing the ball, much more than at full-back, always going back and forth.” Hincapie’s positional versatility makes it complicated to compare him statistically to others. First, because playing different roles changes his demands and opportunities, but also because positional benchmarks vary wildly: his per 90 minutes average of 1.9 progressive carries in 2022-23 ranked in the top three per cent of big-five leagues centre-backs, but was below the average for full-backs. Hincapie needs to increase his end actions if his long-term future is to be as a ‘lateral’, rather than in central defence, but he has shown glimpses of final product with through balls and crosses from deep after dribbling to the edge of the final third. Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur was one of the statistical matches for Hincapie last season. They defend the same way: always front-foot, touch-tight and aggressive… and sometimes winning the ball. The Bundesliga being so transitional exacerbates Hincapie’s defensive flaws, but when he does sit off opponents one-v-one, his body shape is detailed and considered — up on his toes (not flat-footed), carefully showing opponents one way and picking moments to attempt the tackle. But all too often he gets on top of attackers and he makes contact often with his arms, frequently conceding fouls, allowing himself to be turned and, sometimes, compromising the team’s defensive shape. The result: 40 fouls committed, fifth-most by any defender in the division last season and the most for a Leverkusen player. But he ranked top among his team-mates for tackles plus interceptions in all competitions (146 — 94 tackles, 52 interceptions), while impressively ranking second for midfield-third tackles (38). Notably, someone Hincapie has cited as an idol is Sergio Ramos, the most yellow and red-carded player in Champions League (all-time) and La Liga history (since 1998-99, the point from which data is available). Whereas Hincapie’s in-possession strengths suit him playing left centre-back, he defends much more like a wing-back, often making tackles high upfield. Leverkusen’s 3-4-3 is often expansive and can expose centre-backs, requiring quick decisions to prevent or terminate counter-attacks and sometimes needing defenders to man-mark, Marcelo Bielsa-style. But Hincapie has a catalogue of fouls committed a long way infield or upfield, where he has tracked an opponent; they are not posing any danger, are facing their own goal, yet he clumsily fouls through the back of them. And at times, this can leave exploitable holes in the Leverkusen back line. The most significant example of Hincapie’s touch-tight approach ending badly was that red card in the Copa America quarter-finals two years ago. Fair enough, he is stepping up to Lionel Messi, but with left-back Pervis Estupinan playing high too, he has made space for Angel Di Maria to run in behind. Di Maria gets to the ball first, and Hincapie makes a valiant effort to recover… …but pulls Di Maria back on the edge of the area. It was similar to his second yellow card in Frankfurt last October. The initial error is not his, and the system exposes him, but he ends up positioned too wide, allowing Daichi Kamada to play a through ball inside him to Randal Kolo Muani, who is positioned in Hincapie’s blind spot. He puts in another big recovery sprint, but the tackle is late and he concedes a penalty. Hincapie (6ft, 183cm) is not a tall defender (Virgil van Dijk, who is 6ft 5in, towers over him in the screengrab from the World Cup below), although the 5ft 9in Lisandro Martinez dispelled that as an essential characteristic after joining Manchester United last summer. But it might explain his tendency to be aggressive and physical, being without the size advantage most centre-backs benefit from. His aerial win rate (53.9 per cent) in all competitions last season was worse than those of Leverkusen’s other centre-backs: Edmond Tapsoba (6ft 4in; 57.9 per cent), Kossounou (6ft 3in; 58 per cent) and Jonathan Tah (6ft 5in; 59 per cent). Combined, those three collected 20 yellow cards in all competitions (just two more than Hincapie collected on his own) and were never sent off. Since the start of June 2021, Hincapie has played in 103 matches and started 93 for club and country. He has earned a fast-tracked route to the top of domestic and international football — “everything has happened so quickly. All my expectations have already been exceeded”, he said last year — but stability is needed now to refine his craft. He called Leverkusen “exactly the right club” when he signed that contract extension in the middle of last season, and is central to this young, promising generation of Ecuadorian football. But he needs to be more Hincapie and less Hyde. https://theathletic.com/4700142/2023/07/26/piero-hincapie-50-to-watch/

This would makes sense then in selling Gallagher. They want to do similar with this, buy player and sell them. But then I have an issue, why spend 100 million on Caicedo and Enzo each? You can't sell them for more. So I see the point where they want to buy younger players play them and then sell them, but then I see they are willing to spend big on targets they want. So what is it? I don't know.

Perhaps Chelsea don't need to pursue new signings in the January window after all. But what does the manager think? "The Sporting Director and us, we are always talking and assessing - if we need to do something, we'll be ready. The pressure is always to bring young talent, and we have different types of targets - with experience, without experience, some younger than others and that's what it takes to provide the team with what it needs. "We need to be open to describing the situation. Always communication is really good with the owners, we're sharing everything. It's about sharing ideas; we need each other to express our vision in a way that's a positive statement for the club. "If we need to add, we do it together, in a way that takes the best decision for the club." more here: https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13033516/mauricio-pochettino-talks-chelseas-january-transfer-strategy-and-plans-to-restore-success-to-club You have the quote from Poch about Connor but then you have these statements. It sounds like they are working together? But then why say that about Connor? Makes it sounds like they are not working together....something does not add up.

Our players tend to do good in Serie A because the standard is way lower and the pace is very snail. Long may it continue because it gives us a market to sell our players.