Leif

Yup. The Turk wave is upon us.

The way that's worded screams 'either way i'll be right', he's a bullshitter.

Soon we'll all know his name, if all goes according to plan.

For the record, he's being pushed out of the club due to fighting with his teammates. Consistently throughout the season, ending on Dzeko, all he did was cause trouble. As a player, he is not good.

Pedro's good in the latter stages of the CL you say. I say, the players Chelsea are supposed to have shine every single game, not once or twice in a 10+ game competition, only putting in 'good' performances for those other games. I also say, whoever we replace Pedro & Willian with, would score against the top teams regularly, not once or twice in their Chelsea careers. Stats are not an indicator of quality. If they were, Lukaku would be better than Messi currently. We need quality, not players who bloat their stats. And, the 'output' of 17 goals...between 2 players...is not impressive, at all. Maybe if they were central midfielders that'd be impressive. We've lived through times where Chelsea had 4-5 players a season all getting 14+ goals. Now we barely have 1. Output is lacking. Pedro looks the most likely to score when Costa isn't playing, but he scores a handful of times per season, not consistently. We need consistent output. The likes of Vitolo/Pedro/Willian/Lukaku are great if we want to keep competing with Tottenham. Not so great if you actually enjoy beating the likes of Barcelona & Bayern. Douglas Costa didn't fail to get ahead of Willian, they played together almost every game, with Costa making more appearances in less amount of time, and scoring more goals. You go on to admit Robben probably could give us our edge, so we don't need to debate the 'what if's' - we all know he's injury prone - does that make Bayern consider him not good enough? Are players that boss it week in week out at Bayern somehow not good enough for Chelsea? And Costa has been mismanaged at Bayern. It's not a case of 'Robben's better, so Costa doesn't play.' It's a case of, Bayern, like Madrid, have their undroppables, and Costa as well as Bayern fans have been very vocal about this fact. Bayern can afford keeping world-beaters on the bench, just like Madrid do. We have Willian on the bench. We're supposed to be their equals, not a level below. Sanchez is a non-starter only for teams who don't have a war chest of 100m+. Arsenal would sell for 40m-60m, Sanchez would take double his pay. With the players Arsenal are targeting, they simply must be considering a high profile sale.

Skipper, nobody supporting Chelsea, Drogba, Essien, Makelele, Kante, Bakayoko, Lukaku, Ashley Cole and more has subliminal racism under their skin We have more black & Asian supporters than we have white; and nobody on here has shown any sort of aimed beef towards anyone who isn't white. Remove a drunk bunch at PSG who represent their sad lives & need for lad points more than they represent Chelsea, and we surely have one of the least racist fanbases along with the likes of Arsenal.

Yeah, little output. I watched a team who relied on 1 player for all the goals. Tell me who consistently scored in the league other than Costa. .. ... .. And that's little output when you consider our forward line costs about 100m, not even half of that fee being that 1 player banging in all the goals. It's called 'in relative terms', what I said. Which winger would I sign? I'd consider the following, and especially push for the first option, considering he'd be the hardest but most worthy of getting - Muller, I would've gone all out for Bernardo Silva (and it's shocking we didn't), I'd look at the ultra-productive & unsettled Douglas Costa, I'd offer Robben a homecoming, I'd go for Alexis Sanchez, I'd even look at Chamberlain since he's simply in a terrible team, with a bunch of talent in his own boots. Consider too, we've never had more money to spend. I'd even go all out for Bale, wouldn't you? He's another unsettled player, another proven, ultra-effective player. And that's not counting the absolute hoards of talent in Turkey right now; they're having their boom. Too many 21 year olds there would walk right into any top team currently. Who would you bring in? You don't think there's any options better than Pedro? If you want to win big, you buy big. You don't stick with Pedro who isn't getting any better and buy Vitolo. 2 players who'll have 0 value in 3 years. Then who'll you buy?

The real talents, so far beyond the likes of RLC/Chalobah/Baker/Solanke (this is a super depressing post considering the talent being wasted), are ... Charly Musonda. He isn't built for the Premier League or Chelsea, but, he has more talent in 1 boot than 99% of players will ever have in 2. If you've watched the guy play more than a handful of times, more often than not, you've seen shades of Iniesta. Italy/Spain are the best places for him. Jay Dasilva. Drafted into the team, he'd instantly be in the top 5 paciest full backs in the league. He's shown a tactical nuance & awareness you don't see in players twice his age. He had a breakthrough season for our youth, but, Jose was here, so, nothing came of it. He'll end up somewhere like Southampton one day, and we'll all be looking at this little English kid who plays like a well-rounded, golden-age Brazilian full back. Abraham. From day 1 as a youth, he was the most feared forward on the pitch. He looked awkward and lanky, but despite this, always ended up with a goal. He was stronger, he was more determined, and he was more confident than everyone around him. His mentality shines. Christensen. No longer a youth player. I thought he was terrible for the young teams, because he had brain farts akin to Luiz, but he's really great now, really one of the best youngsters we've ever had graduate. He's strong, he has ability in the air, he's affraid of no forward. He seems calm, and unlike some, unlikely to presume he's worth more than he is after 3 appearances. Colkett - What everyone acts like Chalobah is. The type of player you bring in simply for the fresh legs, and expect to do everything plainly and properly. No brain farts, no magic. Consistently solid, 7/10 performances. I'd say Chalobah lets the game pass him, and, he throws himself into too many challenges with the excitement of playing. Colkett is far more centered. Out of those we've lost, John Swift was our most refined, ready Englishman. Swift had everything McEachran was touted to have x2, + the ability to score some crackers. Elegant. Silky. Proactive. A leader by example. A fine Fabregas deputy. And the one that got away, so fucking stupidly, is Bertrand. Every other youngster drooled over is average as they come. It's these players I've listed who ensured our youth teams won over and over again (Kiwomya was also very influential, since he had unreal pace, but he has nothing to offer a top side). They had the influence. The likes of Chalobah and Baker were just icing; some pretty goals, some pretty tackes, but look closer, and their influence is almost non-existent, unless there was a set piece. Solanke never did anything Borini or Lucas Piazon didn't. As for Ake, he's the opposite of exceptional, and the definition of average, by Chelsea standards. The idea that we're bonkers to sell him for 20m, is bonkers. He isn't a presence. He isn't proactive. He isn't consistently making John Terry, Azpilicueta or any sort of elite centre back last-ditch tackles. He's just the clean up boy who kicks the ball upfield after the real players have done a job. Shave his head & take away the silly Ruud Gullit comparisons, and we'd be laughing, crying, at the fact Dasilva & Todd Kane weren't given the chances Ake's been given. He offers little going forward, little 1-on-1 vs. elite players. Both of the latter players are elite in marking, tackling their man, and then bringing the ball upfield. It'd be naive to discount the idea we've overestimated most of the academy players due to the irrational yearning to see them break through, as if we're some English La Masia.

Fabinho would be way more exciting for the long term, and given the fact we'll have a new manager in a few years, would be the only option I'd consider. Bakayoko fits Conte's style of having runners in the centre, whereas Fabinho likes to anchor himself a lot more, but, one of these players will be on top of the world one day, the other won't be. One is able to play in any system, anywhere behind the forwards. The other plays the same way every game. The long term value is in Fabinho. The short term 'fix' is Baka. It's the difference between a Lampard or a Ramires*, *who he's more akin to than Yaya Toure, unless we're talking the over-the-hill Yaya.

Pedro & Willian will never have an above average performance for us vs. the likes of Bayern, Barcelona, either Madrid team, Juventus. The proof's in the pudding who reliant we've been on Costa; no team with as many attack-orientated as we do has such little output. It isn't the tactics, it's the players. Willian will never be a starter for us again, and he will never give confidence if selected in the XI against any team who isn't in the bottom half of the table. Pedro's hot and cold. Good enough? I don't think so. Adding Vitolo to that is fucking hilarious. He's good, but not very good. Roma-tier player. Not good enough to improve anyone in the top 6 of our league; and we shouldn't be thinking about 'depth' until the XI is stronger. If we had a world class right winger, then, this would be sensible.

Maybe, just maybe.... he was painfully average for any team hoping to win both the league & CL.

Nike aren't Adidas - they care about the 'other' sides of the game, like an incredible Youtube channel, incredible presentations, incredible marketing. They're suddenly joined at our hip, where Adidas were always at arms-length. So it's simply that. They must've agreed with the board, tight lips until July, just like people have been saying on Twitter.

Everton's new signing Sandro Ramirez is the next coming of christ, I'd put all my eggs in that 5m basket instead of this outrageously priced one.

People are sugercoating 'barely passable', 'finally able to do without falling over', as 'OK' and 'good enough'. We know that's stupid. And the people doing that sugarcoating, are in the same basket as those saying Lukaku would be a fine signing. They seem on the same side. So those saying Lukaku would be a fine signing, silently OK'ing it too, are aligned with some very stupid perspectives. Let's continue. The people against Lukaku's signing, me, the people who consistently like my posts regarding this, are, without mincing words, the thinkers and observers of the forum. The people with slightly higher brain power (someone has to have it. nobody who has it though, enjoys it.) From the most eloquently spoken & philisophical thinkers, to multi-million / revenue brand owners, it's not the Fifa players who like my posts about Lukaku being terrible (and more evidence of their brain power, is the fact they'll quietly support someone like me, instead of being the person who takes the heat, like moi.) It's the people who 'see' what others don't, who'll no doubt go on to dominate whatever field they choose, since that's just how some people are - incredibly accurate thinkers & observers - which allows you many more options to trial & error, meaning you've a far wider spread to evaluate. And these are the people the highest officials of the lands trust. These are the people who know the human mind most, and become psychologists, sociologists. These are the people who have an edge in evaluating talent, in any field, because of the unique & far more effective measuring ability. And having such a talent, obviously lumps us into the minority - making it absolutely no surprise, that it's the slight majority on here, who would go down this far more illogical path, of seeing shit as a diamond. You'll consume anything without questioning it if you're starved, mentally as well as physically. And you are starved if you're not actively feeding your mind every day - which passively soaking up the world, is not. If you know your thoughts are shared by 17 year old Fifa video makers, as well as 45 year old Bill on Twitter who can't spell his own name & supports both Chelsea and West Brom, you probably shouldn't spout nor take those thoughts too seriously, you definitely have more to learn. That was a measuring tool. If many 17 year olds know what you know, and you're a lot older, you don't know enough. Unless you're on a Chelsea forum. Then everyone has the same capability to evaluate, and every perspective is equally valid, apparently. But if that's the way the world spun, we'd still believe the earth was flat.

When in flying fuck has Lukaku scored more than 2 headed goals in a season? His aerial ability has improved compare to Pedro's. Compared to a built man his size, it's pathetic. It's like having the longest legs in class, and saying you've improved because you finished 2nd-last this time, not last. Don't mark that down as progression Mark that down as finally being at the starting line, 4 years late. If you learn to head the ball at 24 you're not good enough for Chelsea ffs

It sounds more rational, level headed & reasonable to imply Lukaku's improved. But no, he hasn't. His finishing's the same, his physical ability is actually not as good as it was before in terms of strength, perhaps marginally better stamina-wise, but that'd go to dust the moment he's playing in 2 top competitions. He was so highly touted at 17 because unlike most, he was already at his best. Numbers and age aren't magical; you don't have to be 25 or 28 to be in your prime. He was already the player he was, and that's the player he still is; his traits, strengths and weaknesses are going nowhere, up or down, if he joins us. What you see is what you get. He's had 4 years to improve but hasn't improved his - heading ability, agility, work rate...and now ball control, I have to say he's improved that, but Matic is still superior. He hasn't improved his range of shots, he hasn't improved his ability to win the ball off defenders (that trait has gone down), I could go on about all that he was at 17 which he still is now, or isn't even now, which isn't good. Before he was raw and special. That boat has sailed. He's typical now, and we've all seen stories like his before. B- class players. He isn't 20% more of what he was before, & he's about to be sold for genuinely, 5 times his value, compared to his peers. At least Morata has experience in Europe; you know, something actually measurable to say, this player is worth more than others. But Lukaku hasn't done shit compared to his peers Benteke, Vardy, Defoe & more have all ripped through the scoring charts themselves, and that's the only thing he's ever done. Never steamrolled a big team, never offered inspiring defense a la Drogba, who he's supposedly supposed to emulate. He's never dribbled past 2 players to release a progressive pass, or got to the 70th minute without panting his eyes out. And that's with him standing around, not running, for 20 minutes per game already. 50 minutes knackers him , because he's a bodybuilder in an athlete's sport. In fact barely anyone in the Premier League can pass for a top footballer now, so that's no diss to Lukaku. All a bunch of just muscled up or toned up freaks w/ no dedication to fulfilling their potential in the sport. Weaklings compared to what we know. Simply dumb compared to the athletes in every other football league in Europe, where every other striker we've been looking at, currently is. Buy the player who's good every season, not the player who's good 45% of the time solely because he plays in a league more about pushing eachother over than kicking the ball, which can't translate into European games.

why does it have to be the next best thing instead of the hundreds of strikers who'd easily get 20 goals a season but cost 10m since they're 29 and don't have marketing power? why would you ignore all the brilliant players who simply don't have the star names? nobody who studies this game and its players seriously, dismisses them. i'm talking players who do *everything right consistently*, not these hot and cold players who only do 1 thing to an extreme. maybe football's just changing in other ways other than money too. the fans.

He's going to be the worst striker to ever cost over 40m. He's more bodybuilder than athlete; finishing 90 minutes is an achievement to him; its the bare minimum for other players. He wouldn't even be useful in games which go to extra time. Too unfit to carry any form over into Europe. Egotistical. Wasted his body's potential so far. Etc. There's plenty more players*, and just because you'll happily eat shit and smile doesn't mean it's not still shit. *Players also going for incredible amounts of money, floating between great teams, thriving because of marketing & other variables which are not 'ability'. Players a lot of people think are great. But most people aren't sharp.

and that's the main thing

If he's unspectacular with Hazard/De Bruyne/Kompany/Mertens I can't imagine him with Hazard/Matic/Cahill/Pedro.

Our board being our board, I imagine a huge motivation behind wanting Lukaku is simply so United don't get him. Scared of another De Bruyne. Which is terrible logic for buying a player.

Right, stats don't matter much. Just because Vardy scored loads doesn't mean he should lead our line. Just because Sturridge consistently scores loads doesn't mean he should be leading our line. Just because Mario Gomez is still a consistently high scoring poacher, doesn't mean he should be leading our line. Because context. Clearly goals aren't that big a factor when looking at a striker. Heaps of other things are considered. So, erasing goals from the conversation for this moment - what does Lukaku offer Chelsea? Other than supposedly liking the club? (So does Peter Crouch...and he offers more, including being HG, including being consistent, including being willing to sit on the bench for Costa, including ripping apart minnows in cups and starter phases of the CL. Why can't we be fucking frugal with great effect.)

After the Michy scenario I'm not letting anyone think this is a Conte signing without a laugh You don't follow a player, as a club, season after season, despite whoever the manager is, and then sign him.....because your new manager wants him. It's the board. It's Roman and idiots. It's Fifa 18 lovers.

Costa can score without every pass and cross being aimed at him. Lukaku can't; Costa relies on himself to score. Lukaku relies on those he's around to score. If your team has an off day, Costa can probably save you. Lukaku has a far higher probability that he won't, he'll act stranded. It's not too different from moving from Drogba to the Torres we got. The only positive Lukaku has over a broken, at the very bottom Torres, is his confidence, which lets him score in scenarios Torres would overthink. Same pace. Same use of strength, which is depressing. Broken Torres was better in the air. Broken Torres would show more grit. Broken Torres would have better hold up play. Broken Torres could be an assist machine. Torres was still one of our worst ever strikers. And offered so, so much more than Lukaku. Lukaku will be in the bottom 3 of the Roman era. Below Anelka, below Kalou, below Eto'o, below Ba, below my love Gudj (obviously not in order, some of these are greats.) He'll be right there with Falcao & Pato as complete utter nonsense signings, who'll never be torn apart appropriately, due to a shield of charm.