Leif

Look. We're rich as fuck as a club. He'd be a luxury signing but so what? The amount of money we'll gain and save from possible and definite departures of Marin, Malouda, Benayoun, Ferreira will help. Also, Turks are crazy. They love their national team players regardless where they play. Obviously it's a bit of a joke to mention this now, but I think we'd make a lot of kit sales with his name on the back from Turkish fans and he'd end it's all end up paying for itself. In fact no, from fans all over the globe. In January 2011, according to Wikipedia, he was voted the 3rd most popular player in Europe.

Would anyone say he's in the top 5 best left-backs in world football currently? If we were to do some proper scouting research (I mean us on the forum) and looked at every team in the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 etc, I think he wouldn't even get into our top 10. When he was at Benfica he was one of those top 5 players. Now he seems to have lost his self-confidence on the pitch and doesn't impose himself on games as much. IF Shaw is not an option however, I see this as our only realistic move for the left back position as he is indeed proven to an extent and has nice hair.

Liverpool: Begovic set to join Liverpool as Reina joins Barcelona soon apparently. Big upgrade. Downing set to leave for anything around £8m. Carroll likely to bring in around £15m with a move to West Ham United. I doubt all that much will be spent on Begovic and Stoke already have Butland as his replacement. Pool should have around £17m to play with at the end of those transfers above. They're also getting Kolo Toure on a free ffs. If invested wisely, I think next season will be their last season outside of the top 4 for a while.

I felt the midfield battle between RLC and Yaya Toure was quite even. RLC actually out-muscled Toure more whereas Toure was simply more intelligent at times and made a pass or move a split second quicker. Toure offered more going forward, as he always does, but RLC got around 8 or so very good tackles right in front of the defence after errors from the centre backs. If he was at Liverpool, Stoke, even Arsenal, I guarantee he'd already have double figure senior team appearances in all comps. He's good enough. I think it's been considered all season. He's our best midfield talent in the youth ranks in my opinion.

Today's 'big rumour' is that Ancelotti will take over at Real Madrid and demand - Neymar, Isco, Bale & Cavani He's apparently happy to let go of Modric (us?) and Higuain (Juventus?).

I don't like it right away because at the beginning it says the vast majority of supporters don't even know what he does, yet it's a supporter writing this article and thus the exact same could be applied to him. What an assumption for him to make. But after reading on - We're not headless chickens who know nothing about football and Emenalo is not a bloody scapegoat. Just because you point out the flaws in an U12 Girls Coach trying to lead transfers at one of the biggest clubs in world football doesn't mean he's a scapegoat. Gourlay gets equal berating from supporters but regarding different issues. But of course Big Ron isn't a scapegoat is he? I think what some of us fans say has more substance regarding the issue because we just say what we do know/presume, where-as this guy is writing as if he's on the Chelsea board and knows Emenalo's role inside out Much like Torres, arguably Mikel depending on who you ask, Bosingwa at the time and so-on, just because someone's at the club for a long period of time doesn't mean they're magically void of flaw and the people keeping them at the club are right

Mikel looks to be shit heading into the new season then

BLACKMANNN

BLACKMANNNN

Who's the short blonde?

Loftus-Cheek and Christensen are easily good enough for some cup teams next season I feel. Sure, this is a 'friendly', but it's evident they're playing beyond their years.

Who is Coutinho

FARKING EL NINO!!!!!!!!! CFC LEGEND

OH WELL LOVELY !

Oh god why Azpi

LET MIKEL TAKE THE PENALTY TO REDEEM HIMSELF FOR EVERYTHING HES DONE EVER

Mikel let the ball get passed right by him IN FRONT OF HIM then didn't run half a meter to try win it back lol

Mikel's brain works so slow. Coulda counter-attacked perfectly there but no.

Mikel pissing me off and we're not even in the season anymore.

City going with a pretty much full-strength line up ffs.

Was just about to post the above ^^^ He can be hit and miss, has poor finishing, can be reckless and is one of our worst passers, but it would be such a shame to let go of someone who gives their all for the club, has scored crucial goals including the one sending us to the CL final and has an infectious smile. Napoli don't have any amount of money they'd be willing to pay which would make our club turn their heads I feel. £30m or above and he can go Or maybe if we get Inler in exchange.

I'll definitely watch if a youth player starts. If it's just fringe players like Turnbull, Benayoun, Marin and the likes, I'll pass.

No. Coentrao can suck my willy (But i'd rather he didn't.) He's a great left back but I still want Luke "young so therefore not ready" Shaw.

Rumour regarding Porto players to Monaco. Cheeky Porto if true: Apparently Porto have sold Moutinho to AS Monaco for €1 million because his former club Sporting Lisbon have a 25% sell on fee. However, they are apparently selling James Rodriguez to Monaco as well for €69 million; so AS Monaco have basically bought two players for €70 million while Sporting Lisbon only get €250,000 back from the sell on fee. Smart that is considering Sporting are potentially a title challenging team.

If Hazard was groomed to be a central playmaker this is basically the player he'd be I feel: How the argument "WE HAVE TOO MANY PLAYERS IN THAT POSITION!" is still valid is beyond me. We can barely play without Mata on the pitch and we get dominated by relegation contenders without him even with Hazard filling in for him (which then leaves a void on the wing which Moses can't really fill, or Marin for that matter). At a top club you need proper depth. It'll probably be argued he's not a pure #10 anyway! He's more than capable at excelling in the role but his natural position is a deeper one. Y'know, the position we've been crying out for a player to fill? Give him time and the proper coach and you have the next Xabi Alonso. Ozil/Kaka/Modric Silva/Nasri/Isco (potentially)/Navas (potentially; and yes I know he's a winger but he will play more central at City if he moves.) Muller/Kroos/Shaqiri/Gotze Kagawa/Rooney/Potentially this man Thiago himself All of those are better than having Mata/Oscar contending for the central role, unless you include Hazard as I did with Shaqiri, Navas and Muller. You're only as good as your bench. Why exactly should we not replace Benayoun with Thiago, eh? (I haven't counted De Bruyne as I believe if he comes back he'll be used out right almost exclusively.) Having the following all able to play central - Mata, Hazard, Oscar, Thiago, De Bruyne is frightening. Then if you consider Hazard being out left and De Bruyne being out right while Mata starts central, you get to choose between Oscar/Thiago coming off the bench, rotating games or even displacing Mata if they earn their place. Right now if Oscar gets injured we're absolutely fucked for depth. Mata won't be this age forever too. Seasons go by quickly. One day when he's ready to be moved on or is sitting on the bench, we'd have his country compatriot Thiago then doing the job or our current gem Oscar. But what if Oscar doesn't realise his potential? Thiago is then our undisputed #10 and we look back fondly on the transfer.