Sideshow Luiz

Well....we technically have 2 strikers and Hazard who's been playing F9. I think when Anelka came, Pizarro started that match, I think? C'mon, it's not that bad right now. I think we'll go in for a new striker in the summer.

Do you think he'd start, even if he came in tomorrow, 2 days before the match? Personally, I doubt it, maybe on the bench. I think Anelka was on the bench in his first match which was a day or 2 after his transfer, but we had an injury crisis, IIRC. We'll see.

I actually said that about David Luiz the first time we got him. Same window as Torres.

Not news to add, since it's covered. But, Pedulla....

That scenario is exactly like the one with Pulisic. Except that there was no need for any stupid "don't play him clause". That clause is for youth players going to lower league teams for their development. Not for players you don't want to sell. What your scenario is conveniently omitting is what differs from the Pulisic transfer (whole context, mate). CHO supposedly wants to leave because he doesn't think he's going to get any game time. So, in your scenario he's going to leave for a club that says "we'll play you so little that you can actually go back to that club you're moaning about". In order for your scenario to play out it would mean that: 1. Playing time has nothing to do with it 2. Bayern don't need him more than we do for the next 6 months which again brings up the same question and answer again. Why can't you just wait until the summer? Just don't sell him this winter.

Again....you may have gotten me mixed up with someone else, but your little ridiculous loan situation wasn't mentioned to me. What you proposed was a solution to me saying that we don't have to sell him. Again.....that's the whole context of our back and forth. Again....I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I should say that based on further replies, the margin is shrinking. If we "claim" we need him as you like to say then another really good way of "putting our money where our mouth is" is to just not sell him. Since you're going to ask, the reason I think your loan situation is ridiculous is: If we "say" we need CHO why would we sell him now? If the answer to that is: We are selling him now because he wants to leave - maybe. Then why the hell would he come back here on loan if neither he nor Bayern think he's getting play time (supposedly the reason for him leaving)? The situation is not the same as Pulisic because we are buying and loaning him now to make the fee smaller. And, no. I wouldn't be upset if Dortmund benched Pulisic the whole time. If they didn't need him they would just sell him outright. If his minutes are shaved because someone else is better, I'd be more concerned that we bought a dud. Really, I didn't want to get in to this again with you. I was responding to another post. But since you wanted clarification, here we are.

That was the full context. I said that we don't have to sell him if we don't want to. If both Bayern and CHO want it so bad, they can wait until the summer. Then, that was your response. Even if the wires got crossed, it still doesn't make any sense. Why in God's name would we loan in our own player that we didn't want to sell and not play him? And if CHO wants to leave now for more playing time, why would he agree to come back here on loan? Maybe you were responding to me but thinking of someone else's post, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. But, as far as our back and forth goes, that was the full context.

It was in relation to me suggesting that we (as Chelsea) don't HAVE to do anything this window. Regardless of whether or not Bayern or CHO like it. The world does not revolve around them. To which...

I'll be honest, I think Mr. Bayern is getting some undue stick. But, he lost me when he suggested that if we don't sell CHO, and he doesn't get enough (unspecified amount) minutes, we should financially compensate CHO (above his current salary, it's not like he's free labour) for the rest of the season. That would be absolutely unprecedented.

The fee seems small, so I don't know if there are some other details of the deal between BM and Madrid. Still, that only returns him to Madrid where they can be other suitors that would raise his price.

I don't know why, but I had the impression that they weren't interested in picking up his option. I don't know why I thought that.

I'm not his biggest fan, but this guy is a no-brainer upgrade to Barkley. Maybe in the summer, isn't his loan deal expired then? Madird don't seem to want him.

Must be a slow news day for transfers. They're just recycling stories now.

That was classic. I actually give LVG some credit for that.

Hazard and Willian, yes. Pedro knows what to do, IMO. Unfortunately, he's the only one making runs. We're also kind of playing without a striker. But, having 2 of the 3 like to come deep to collect the ball is not leading to goals, that's for sure.

It's as Kellfresh said, no one is making runs off the ball. It's going to look like this stale LVG style game until we start linking up as a team.

Ohhh...Pedulla. I wish we could get a Pedulla quote, I do love seeing them. 18 month loan still gives us the opportunity to buy a young striker in the summer. Besides Icardi, there are no available (and I'm not sure he's even available) strikers in the proven commodity + prime years just ahead category. Everyone else is a risk and will have to be a younger player, and a good chance that they won't be able to lead the line for us on a regular basis.

It's the 3rd man runs, the ball goes back then forward again quickly. We started doing that in the build up, but never in the final 3rd, or even rarely even in the offensive half. I'm confident that this will come, but if no one makes runs, the whole team looks stagnant. I'm not sure when everyone started getting so negative, I thought everyone was in agreement that our goal was top 4 and hopefully we could achieve that even though it's a transition season and it was going to take time.

Oh, I agree that we need a striker. It's just that us needing a striker and us playing CHO more are in opposition to each other at the moment. Personally, I don't think we should sell CHO this winter because we are short of wingers, and I think we should get a striker in. Hazard's contract situation will be played out by then, and we can decide if we want to sell CHO then. I realize this makes it harder for CHO to get game time, but we are trying to accomplish more important things than keeping CHO happy.

If we spent a significant sum on him, it would make him a starter. Which pushes Hazard out to the left, and makes CHO the 4th choice winger. Which also means, he won't be getting a spot on the bench, either (Sarri seems to prefer 2 midfielders on the bench). This doesn't only apply to Wilson, but any striker coming in, which means they have to be good.

We're waiting for the Nike contract to start

Anyone seen Maxi Gomez play? His name is getting some circulation in the "up and coming" conversations. He's got 27G and 10A in 53 matches in La Liga (only 1 of those from the spot). Doesn't seem to get shy when it gets physical either.

"I just told him to do whatever is best for him" = has encouraged Callum Hudson-Odoi to join him in the Bundesliga...... These headlines

Thanks. I already worked around it and found a tweet that had the video in it. Thanks though.

Balls