Moros

Well sorry to inform you, but Choulo and RyanDavidson both killed your argumentation and point. There is in all fairness nothing left to say.

I do not want to believe this. It's just overly ridiculous, even to FIFA's standards..

Why don't they just let him sign at a smaller club in a different country with different rules, with a chelsea specific buy out clause? First I was thinking about Vitesse but I'm not sure if non European players can sign contracts there before turning 18. They do have to get a salary that is at least 75% (only 150% if older than 20) of the average player of the Eredivisie, but that shouldn't really be a problem.

Link up play doesn't look like the most important of aspects that will be taking into account. First if Mourinho wants his team to play as he usually does, Lukaku fits it much better and link up play will not be his most important task. Making dangerous runs, being at the end of assists and finishing them is. Which he sadly wins hands down to Torres. I wouldn't mind Rooney comming though. But would hope Lukaku still play enough minutes to grow and have some impact. You can't keep such a hard working and talented guy off the pitch too much; he doesn't deserve that.

There's nothing wrong with his vision from what I've seen him play in the Eredivisie. Of course it's probably the division where you get most space and time to do as you please. It's just the first two games he has played in pre-season, player of the level as Hazard are clearly not yet doing what they can and loosing the ball to often or not creating as much yet. And the latter had a year to learn to know the players he's playing with. Van Ginkel has vision and talent he just isn't that far yet, he's a bit unpolished, raw and undeveloped. Personally I would have given him a year on loan in a club between the level of Vitesse and Chelsea as a stepping stone. There's a big gap between both clubs you know. He's a bit like KDB two years ago, a lot of potential and a bright future but not ready yet. At least that's my opinion. I'll support him regardless and I'm quite confident he'll make it, he just needs time.

Mata, Hazard and Oscar are further a long when it comes to development and adaptation to the level of football that is required at the bridge. However De Bruyne is the player that fits best into Mourinho's philosophy of play, which helps a lot as well. Which helps compensate his performances very much. Also any good trainer looks not just to the past, the current, but also to the future and near future. Seeing as KDB fits in best, has as much talent and potential as Hazard and Oscar (just not as polished yet), the smart thing to do is already fitting him in and getting him playing time. Especially against smaller teams (though he is great at counter attacking, so he'll naturally do well against tough opposition as well). He'll fit in quickly as well seeing how the game fits him, he might have to adapt less than Hazard. Also if there's one thing that helps with him is that one of his biggest qualities is his effectiveness/impact and contribution in assists and goals. Finally his skill at set pieces, which Chelsea really had some problems with, especially Hazard's and Mata's corners, give a coach a good reason to put his name on the team sheet. Discussing who is the best is silly as they are different types of players who merely play about the same spot of the pitch. They are all strong contenders for playing a lot and a team like chelsea needs more than three quality players for those three very important positions. Add to this that they are indeed different types and thus provide not only good substitutes but tactical flexibility. Tactics will likely be a determining who will play, of course combined with current level of play, and thus make for varying starting places. I don't expect him to play the most of these players, perhaps the least of the four, but I expect him still to make an impact and gather a decent amount of playing time and not a season like Moses. Andre is however, I think, likely to play a similar role to moses last year. While Moses role will likely diminish, sadly as he is a little underrated. on the other hand how tougher it is to get a spot in the team, the better the team, which is what we ultimately want

He does have a good long shot and has great composure in front of the goal. Sometimes he has a tendency to over hit it though.

He is said to make the decision on where to go before the team leaves for Asia...

No. Not yet anyway. Perhaps in the future, but personally I don't think he'll ever truly become a player of Chelsea's standard. Let's hope I'm wrong.

Yeah well Paterson was a prick and Deniehy was a tit. Outside of Australia nobody cares about them... :banghead:

Suarez has always been err... troubled in this regard. The same was true in his time with Ajax, when he might have been the stand out as well, but was part of the most talented team in the Netherlands. It's not the first time he bit another player, you know...

Every league can produce talent, some can grow it. From the dutch league and avarage team as Vitesse to regular playing time at Chelsea for such a young and unfinished player is way too big a step. Give him a year to get acclimatised to the physicality and tempo of the league. Also the ligue 1 is still quite a bit better than the Dutch and clearly the better Portuguese sides are quite a bit better than any Dutch team. Also note that the Dutch league physically is one of the weakest leagues there are. I don't know why we wouldn't him give some time, one who believes he's actually going to immediately boost the squads quality is awfully mistaken. Chelsea doesn't win much by having him on the bench all season, nor does Van Ginkel himself really. People are rumouring and demanding/wishing for a player as De Rossi to join or an alternative. Our pivot will already be strenghtened and starting and bench places will already be harder to get already. Let him grow, ripe and make a name for himself before putting that kind of pressure on him. He'll also wants to be in the World cup squad next year, he currently is fighting for a place on the bench there and if Van Gaal has been saying and repeating one thing over it is players are selected on their current form and playing time. Why would you want to rish frustrating a players that does have a lot of potential in the future. Just be nice to him, give him that year, let him try to get into the World Cup squad for the Netherlans, then give him a fair chance next year when there's less pressure on both himself and Chelsea. Our squad is numerous enough, currently we just need some extra and immediate quality injection, big name signings that will directly have a serious impact, not a Van Ginkel. He's clearly a signing for the near future, not unlike KDB for example was. I doubt he really is a Mourinho signing, likely it was something that was already in the makes before José was here. He likely just greenlighted it as he was cheap (6 mil.) and would be a good addition for the future.

What have you been smoking? One of the things that is good in the Netherlands?

I'd rather hope a smaller BPL or Bundesliga team. The step from the Dutch league to the English one is rather big especially to a team of Chelsea's quality. Let's give him a step up. Why not Werder Bremen again for example?

Not wanting to be a party pooper, but whoever believes Van Ginkel is as far as Oscar was last year or as fars KDB is this year, well is quite deluded. Sure he has played quite a few games for vitesse (which were very depended on Bony), what does that say? The Dutch league is only very slightly better than the Belgian one, if at all. I'd say he's about as far as KDB a year and a half ago. I think he could have an impact but needs a decent loan for year first. Sure he's part of the dutch squad, but as far as I know he played only once for them. Compare that to KDB or Oscar who have been vital for their national teams. And let's not forget that both those player hold a much more contested position than the one Van Ginkel aims to get. Let's be fair, the dutch while still have a quality side aren't as much quality as they used to and are in sort of transition period. Only a few of their top players from the earlier cups are part of it (remember how well they did?) with only Robben, Huntelaar and RVP being really in form and top class players and those being focused almost exclusively in the attacking part. Sure central midfield isn't in such bad shape as their defence currently is, but still. Strootman has the preference and he is more comparable to the level of players were talking about, Clasie and Deguzman also seem to be higher in the hierarchy. Both decent players for an international squad, but no more than that.

I doubt it. The Chelsea page of wiki says he currently has no decided number and so does the official Chelsea website. Never saw anything about his number being changed to 23. So unless a more credible source of information says so, I'd better keep my doubts.

Well he's not a KDB, who at this age was ripping through teams on his own at times. Sending him to loan in Germany is quite a risk and would probably mean sitting on the bench more than anything. He's not going to be a 10 mil euro player or anything soon if ever. There's a reason Belgian teams think they have a shot at getting him, and they don't think that often. If I were director of sport of a club, I wouldn't really spend much more on buying Thorgan for much more than Chelsea already did, there'd be cheaper options that would be just as good. He had a good season, but let's not get over excited either. It was in Belgium to start with and worse, none of the 'bigger' teams had a good season. Even the champions of last season, Anderlecht, were bad; yes even to Belgian standards.

If chelsea gets a decent offer they make a quick buck and did some good investing. Don't think he'll be playing for a team of Chelsea's level soon. Unless he keeps on developing really quick.

Krc Genk has an agreement with Thorgan himself, but there are some difficulties between the clubs themselves. I'm guessing it might be due to a buying option Genk would like to obtain, or at least details surrounding such an option. Though rumours of connections between Anderlecht and Vitesse also exist, Genk indeed are most likely to sign Thorgan this transfer window, at least it currently looks that way.

Well there's a problem with Jordan Lukaku, namely he thinks he's a very promising player, a future NT player and international star. Well he isn't. At least he hasn't shown the potential at all IMHO. I think he could do well, but he's far from a talent that could make it at Chelsea. I don't think Thorgan Hazard will make it at Chelsea either, at the very least not in the near future. I rate him much higher than Jordan as well. He should however ask for play time or a loan. But shouldn't be that demanding. A team like OHL or KVK, not too big but with a positive attitude, could be ideal. That way he could get some more games and improve, so that he could become a good first team player for RSCA. If he manages that he should be happy. Perhaps he could even get to a small team in a bigger competition when he's at his peak. But he should be patient, mature, hard working and especially more down to earth. It's hard and strange to see your brother make incredible fast stepts and not getting them while trying the same. But he simply has to accept that he's not his brother.

Drenthe did have the talent to become a good player, but he chose not to by lacking a professional mentality and lifestyle. Only a few are talented enough to get far without a lot of sacrifice and even they can't become really far without it. Note that I do rate Isco's current ability and potential higher as that of Drenthe (when he was the same age) however.

http://www.rtbf.be/sport/football/coupedumonde/detail_jan-mulder-hazard-c-est-un-genie?id=8017971 (Note: it's in french)

Yes. These are legit. They're all over Belgian media and I'm talking about the reliable ones.

There are more teams after his services though. Genk for one declared him a high priority transfer prospect. And they are far from the only ones, which was to be expected. I'm anxious to see what is going to happen with him though.

Well there's a problem, you think the English Premier League is so much better then the Bundesliga. If for one only see the English one spending more money, but that's it. Germany on the other hand has a much larger pool of quality home grown players to help that difference for one. Also there was only one good and consistent opponent in England last year and that was man utd. Bayern and Dortmund would have ended first and secon the BPL, Man utd would have battled Leverkussen for third. And do you rate teams as Arsenal or Tottenham so much higher than Shalke? I don't. The Bundesliga has been and still is growing as competition, while I haven't seen the same in England. More amazing is how they are doing that in a financially sound way and within a financially sound economy. Germany is the future, well for a few years it will be. Edit: Or you can rightly ignore me as my spelling and grammar shows that I obviously had enough to drink.