Leif

I'd rather sign a Ben Techy, known at the office for solving computer issues.

Well everyone needs to take steps. Being technical director, and then waiting for the next manager of ours to be sacked, would give him that opening as interim manager. He should go for it. I've full faith he can get up to speed re: the technical director role quickly. And i'm pretty sure potential transfer targets could have a 'thing' for clubs that actually keep their legends around. An example being, knowing that Real Madrid still keep Raul around would make me/others feel more assured that we're joining a quality arrangement. Faces you grew up watching being staff at the club you're playing for is surely going to give a beautiful tingly feeling.

Sandro would be great for us. Everton are fucktards this season, and I couldn't expect any player to show the slightest bit of good form at that club. However, Everton wouldn't be able to get a replacement IMO, so i don't think they'd sell. To me though he has everything you want in a substitute striker: pace, he's direct, he's no-nonsense, he's a good FK taker, he's got a more powerful shot than any of our attacking players. But - all that said. He'd be even better in a 2-striker system, playing alongside Morata. He consistently dropped deep for Malaga before taking on every player in the other team, a la Hazard. That's the sort of mayhem that would distract everyone from Morata, which is how Morata thrives.

I'm sure many people think this guy is too good to be a bench player, that he should be starting week in and week out...but the best teams in history had benches which would've made the XI of all other teams on the globe (Barcelona, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Man United). That's to say, this is who I believe should be our new Pedro. Our super-sub, who sometimes starts games & ends up influential despite not being playing every week. This isn't any scouting effort of course, most of us have heard of him this season I hope. Very fun to watch since he's so direct and effective. Don't lose sight of the fact though that he's only on loan there - he's a PSG player - and PSG will never sell to other rich clubs for cheap no doubt. But, would they ever want to integrate him?

Pulisic has something lucky going for him - and that really is being American. Their athletes, no matter the sport, have a different drive and mentality. And you know, he could genuinely become the best American footballer there's ever been, that's some damn motivation. I haven't seen a game of his, just Youtube highlights, but if i could go to his WhoScored page and add to his 'Strengths' i'd add 'Balls of steel'. Reminds me of Hazard from these few videos. Just seen he's 19. Fucking hell It's not like these videos are just showing glimpses of greatness. He looks absolutely all-rounded.

In around 2 weeks should be the biggest Roma / Lazio game in over a decade.

I love the fact Lazio are poor (funny considering it's the rich people of Rome who support Lazio, and the poorer support Roma); we can absolutely plunder them if we want to. All of their players are used to 3/5 at the back, too. Including one of their better players, Jordan Lukaku (I don't know how Savic would work here/what role he'd have, but he's one of those players who's impossible to ignore given his form.)

Napoli being investigated for some reason relating to Mafia involvement. Something like giving a faction hoards of tickets for them to go and sell for themselves. I have to say, the American mob many decades ago, despite being motivated by selfish reasons + killing people, outside of that, they had class. But the factions in Sicily & South Italy? They're disgusting. They set cats on fire and release them into the woods, burning both the cats and trees to death, since it creates opportunity for mafia-owned companies to swoop in for a massive pay-day for clearing everything up.

It says a lot that little Kante is compared with Pogba in a way Bakayoko could never get a sniff; this despite Bakayoko's supposedly positive abilities being the exact same abilities Pogba is lauded for. Baka & Pogba are the same profile of player. And I'm sure we'd trade Bakayoko for Pogba in a heartbeat - because he's twice the player - despite himself only being half as good as the media make him out to be.

My last words (hopefully) on this - Whether him or Marina, regarding 1 or 2 particular, big things, there is no 'scapegoating' involved - No buy-back clause on De Bruyne. No buy-back clause on Lukaku. Allowing Matic to go directly to United. Did we even include a sell-on fee in the De Bruyne/Lukaku deals? What about a buy-back clause on Bertrand who was god damn decent, and is now god damn great? (I really miss him, and we could really use him.) Nevermind stupidity like signing Cuadrado (I don't think a manager (Jose?) requested him) just to loan him out etc, and continually holding onto players beyond their best days (Willian being the most obvious culprit). Those moves weren't Roman's responsibility, nor Buck, nor the managers. It was the responsibility of 1 or even both of the supposedly good-enough Emenalo/Marina. Passive and reckless way of handling things at the same time. More like a man throwing darts praying for a bullseye, hitting it 1 time out of 10, instead of a viper who hits his target perfectly 9 times out of 10. I'm excited to see who we bring in, only because it really is a position that can change your game entirely (look at Roma, improving with Monchi, and Sevilla, going from a great team to nobodies the moment Monchi leaves. That said, Monchi is an entirely great figure, so his impact good or bad will always be big.)

The media writing about this scenario, saying how it furthers our 'crisis' etc. (which is the narrative), are surely clueless. They normally spend most of their time talking about managers + players - are we to believe they're suddenly deeply informed about the Technical Directors / DoF's in the league? I don't really know shit about the board at United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool. But i do know my club. How on earth would they have even a scratch of knowledge regarding this compared to us, the actual club ourselves? It's just not something either a casual fan nor a journalist really takes an interest in (the staff at clubs they don't support.) We only let those fools put doubt in our minds because of their clout. And they have to write stories, it's their job. But, they know nothing. Maybe 2 established journalists in the UK are knee-deep in Chelsea knowledge.

The more Conte and Marina speak face to face without a diplomatic middleman, the more chance they have of finding a common ground IMO.

It's equally embarrassing if they don't win the CL. They're clear favourites, clear clear clear. Winning the Premier League after a weak Chelsea side & weaker Leicester side, after all that money, is nothing. Winning the Premier League actually, I don't want to say is 'nothing', but it isn't what it used to be. CL is absolute priority for me, since it'll always be the only indicator of true greatness.

I'm already convinced about who i want to sign next summer, presuming we stick with 5 defenders. I want us to go all out and sign some stars from top teams; make them offers they cannot refuse. Courtois; Conti; Christensen, Luiz, Azpilicueta; Rahman* Kovacic, Kante Hazard Morata; Dybala *Rahman was beastly before we signed him. I have faith he can be tutored by Conte. I'm trying to be realistic with funds too. I do away with our defensive stability here in favour for an all-out-attack approach every single game. It works for City, works for Barcelona, works for Munich, works for Napoli. It's time for us to throw away the obsession with being a 'tight' team. I'd expect Conti & Rahman to stick closer to Hazard than the midfield '2' behind him; otherwise Hazard will just be targeted. I need him centrally though. Bench would include the likes of Bakayoko, Pedro, Alonso (though i'd rather Guerreiro from Dortmund), Fabregas, Rudiger etc. We already have our bench players, but they're in the XI They can make a decent 4-3-3 too, though it doesn't scream 'safety' considering the full backs - Courtois Conti, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Rahman Kante Bakayoko; Kovacic Hazard, Morata, Dybala (Time for Hazard to switch sides and start tormenting different full-backs. He'll assist more in my opinion than on the left.) I understand it's far from a perfect team, but knowing the amount of funds we use now, I think this is at the limit of possibility. Obviously Dybala / Kovacic would be very hard to get, and when you look at the 4-3-3, the idea of a more balanced player than Dybala who's equally good at tracking back as getting assists/goals is a far better fit. But, I don't know an attainable player like that currently. It's important to say too, I'd expect further building on this team. Left back, midfielders & forwards. Looking at my formations there's just something missing. Maybe strength.

Did I miss something? What did we do to piss them off like that?

Abused I'm sure forum posts really took their toll on him.

It takes incredible skill to be a scout. It's a lot more than what we're capable of, which is picking young players who'll be great one day. Anyone can do that. But there's so many more nuances to making sure a player is the right fit for your team, your brand, your manager, your fans considering the type of play they expect. No way was he both a DoF & scout.

Not like a salmon. At United, Ronaldo was more of a feisty sardine IMO.

It was lose-lose, this handshake. Act all friendly, shake his hand with generosity, and be considered fake. or Don't shake his hand with passion, be considered a dick. Personally, after the back and forth bits between the 2, I'd feel odd to see a regular handshake. It wouldn't happen in real life. You're teaching kids fantasies, which'll be harshly broken, if you insist these managers must always show a pristine level of respect for eachother.

I think the most accurate post regarding all of this comes from a user on CFCNet. - Interesting news. Personally, I’m not a critic of Emenalo. Likewise, I find it hard to praise him for what is the easiest job in football. Let’s be honest here, the guy has probably taken a lot of unfair stick, but I would say unjust praise too. With a considerable budget in hand, it’s not difficult to spot talented players who fit the blueprint of what the club are looking for. Anyone who watches football on a regular basis can spot these players when working to a specific club strategy. I could list numerous players I have flagged on here before they broke through, so whilst it’s in interesting in the potential power play in club hierarchy. His achievements both good and bad would be overrated in both aspects. -

Wanna renew Fabregas's mentality? Make him vice-captain; give him a reason to lead by example. When all players are playing well, he certainly leads more than others. And players gain confidence when they see Fabregas playing, well or not. He's a big figure, nevermind our best interview giver too.

Another valid reason for wanting him gone, simply, is for a fresh start. Every club needs fresh renewal at times. And I don't understand how it could be argued he's worth keeping for that fresh start - I wouldn't be able to rationalise anybody's worry regarding him leaving; obviously we can only get someone more qualified in. We don't lose quality with this. We don't lose the ability to attract or pay top players, do we? We can only upgrade in quality, if his position is given to somebody else. How is that not worth celebrating? We celebrate upgrading players - why not him? Because he's 'nice'? That's called an Arsenal mentality.

Nothing is as crazy as these repeated posts in multiple places that Emenalo 'discovered' Hazard, the most hyped player at the time, that he discovered De Bruyne, who was literally, straight up, no other words to say it, 'discovered' by Piet de Visser, as well as Courtois. I don't know who 'discovered' Lukaku, the hottest thing perhaps in Belgian League history at the time, but I'd presume Piet de Visser knew of those exploits before Emenalo, considering he's the one who's been knee-deep in Belgium for 10 years. He found Musonda too. So stop this lie, and stop robbing a genuine man of credit. Erase Piet de Visser's incredible Belgian work, and the 'discoveries' we've made amount to Oscar. Edit: And Miazga, Papy, Kenedy, Piazon....No manager of ours signed van Ginkel, either. I really wanted van Ginkel, but what was i, 15 years old or something? I knew nothing. He should have. He didn't. Oh and Marko Marin I wonder if he 'found' Azpilicueta though, because we were going through a shaky period then, so surely he was in charge of transfers. If he chose him, for whatever reason, some credit goes to him.

Say this man's name. The greatest footballing mind + most consistent figure we've had at our club, maybe ever. Rejoice in what we have in him and give him his fucking credit.