Leif

Kante will step up to the plate and headbutt any opposition player in the groin.

So according to Twitter, Bournemouth have bid £18m. Would be great business if we removed the context of needing back-up players. Conte wouldn't be crying for back-up, to settle for recalling Ake, to then sell him. I'm sure the board will agree that £18m isn't much to us, so we can pass on it. But it'd be exciting to take.

I've a fear we'll only take 2-3 shots per half.

We don't even have 30 scouts, so we know off the bat that most of our 30 loaned players aren't even being watched consistently by the club. Sending out only 5 or so at a time would ensure we see full seasons of each player and get actual indepth reports on them. For as long as our loan system is Quanity over Quality we will be the McDonalds of youth with not much quality being produced. It's much better to spend longer crafting an amazing dish & only serving 5 people that day, then because of that obscene quality, charging an obscene price (or enjoying the meal all to yourself.) Right now, we're just winging it. No enterprise that takes itself seriously just wings things and sees how they go. We have no strategy in this department, and it is 100% Emenalo who's top dog here in terms of outgoing loans.

You're such a fool for calling Piet de Visser a random scout. You're a plague so far.

Yet some people genuinely don't think Emenalo should be removed. This has happened multiple times now, and each time, the manager has clearly identified and wanted targets. It's not Abramovich shrugging off potential purchases, he's too high up for that, it isn't Buck who's responsible. So there's only 2 candidates. Emenalo, and Granovskaia. This dire situation has repeated itself before Granovskaia even arrived, though. Anyone thinking Emenalo doesn't need removed would be terrible at running a big company with employees.

if we dont win i'll cut my shin and fuck a twin in a bin wow we better win - Fin

Because during a handful of specific times & transfer windows, not every single season, he was unduly given the right to acquire players, often through the limited contacts he has (agents) who in turn have had a limited pool of average players a lot of the time. Also, if you can't see your boss bringing anything positive or motivational to your enterprise you have to find a new one. He's only here in the first place because he was friends with the right people; he has no record, and here, he has not produced any shining results. Our few obscure purchases who turned out incredible, like De Bruyne & perhaps Lukaku, and Courtois too, were found by 1 scout only, Piet de Visser. Every club with a competent board knew about Hazard before we get him. Point is, he shouldn't be the guy who evaluates talent, he doesn't have that quality; yet he embraces the role like a dickhead. Our scouts go out and find a handful of players. Of that handful, Mr. Em is the one who picks the few that the club will decipher further. Too often, we have gone for the wrong options, and even disregarding that point, he has shown no true quality (unless you can highlight?) to have such authority over who the club take deep interest in.

No, credit goes to the scout who actually suggested him to the club. If you're going to give credit to a club official for doing some paperwork then what's next, credit to Willian for putting on his shoes?

You can already tell he'll go down as one of our most underrated ever. Lists will cover Desailly & Carvalho before him, but he's in the conversation with those IMO. He seemingly has such a non-existent ego that I can't imagine he'd ever imagine where-else he could be but Chelsea. So he must be committed to us in his mind for the long haul which'll only be great. In my eyes our Terry replacement.

That adds nothing to the conversation at all. Pedro plays on the other side generally. And he'd continue to do so when Hazard is absent if Kenedy was used properly; even switching positions 1-for-1 with Willian.

It's murder what we're doing with Kenedy. He's made in the same role as Hazard and needs to be in the same position with the same freedom. We wonder where our flair player is when Hazard doesn't play; he's right there, being smooshed into a defender's position for some reason.

Remy without the finishing.

THE DISRESPECT. MUSONDA IS BETTER THAN PRIME ZIDANE. GET HIM ON.

the small teams always do

Klopp really is a genius. Putting out a team just shit enough to lose vs. Wolves without it looking like the tie's been thrown on purpose. All to try and get back into Premier League mode and catch up with us. They're darlings, their entire fanbase & staff.

Just a few years before the big money, we were consistently among the high end up the table like Everton have been for a long while now. If we'd have stayed at this Everton level of the few trophies we had, and sometimes going on a thriller and chasing a team down for the league title when we weren't expected to, I'd probably love the club a little more. In 1998 we finished 3rd, which is better than Everton will ever do (I reference them because to me they're a 'big' club while not the biggest, making talk of us being a small club before Abramovich nonsense to me.) 2 more wins and we would've won the league, this being against elite United & Arsenal sides. That was truly impressive. If we were more stable, we could've kept biting at the ankles of the greats without the big money. But with the big money, now we are a great; but which great would remain still without the big money? None. We were great & we are greater now.

5 starts for us would have him more ready to be a mainstay than 40 starts for Vitesse or Bristol City.

It's damn hilarious and great progression that Josh at his 'prime' youth-wise, our 'best youth product since Terry' , would be benched by all of our youth players from the past 4 or so seasons. This may've been the only season he'd get a sniff. Always thought he looked like a yogurt pot trying to play football. It just won't work.

The fact that his price has gone UP since his overall ability has started to decline, shows how much he means to Bayern's team. They know how good he is, and they know they got him for half price in the first place. The apparent transfer fee he'd cost is spot on value-wise in my opinion

Makelele was 30 when we signed him, and at that age he did not have near the energy or even pace that Vidal still currently has. Makelele was one of our greatest ever. As would be Vidal. I imagine in just 1 season he'd give us shades of Ballack and Essien to lovely effect.

This is Conte's first season with us only, remember; he's probably only now gained some real trust from the board. Before the season began, there's no way he'd be allowed to build his own team to his own style. But now, he can. And, if part of that is replacing Courtois, or moving funds around to bring in an amazing player or few that he really wants, then go for it, it's what we've been waiting for. Who was the last manager who actually tried to instil a style and consistency in our team? Jose, his first time 'round. The robust, no-nonsense counter-attacking team of like 2004. It's been over a decade since a manager actually gave a shit about tailoring us, so let him make whatever decision he wants.

You are a MAD MAN (or woman) if you think Courtois would rather be here than in Spain. His partner & youngling still being where his heart already was is confirmation. He's itching to get back into the Atletico side, or perhaps better yet, one of the bigger Spanish clubs. He's the equivalent of a substitute teacher; they're only here because they have to be, because of a contract, and they use the situation as a stepping-stone to get where they really want. He would never picture himself still being here in 5 years. He would hate it. He's felt the sun and wants it back.

But Mata is cute and we deserve eachother.