@Leif, I was actually curious and continued reading it. I absolutely disagree with your arguments and I am horrified by your offensive language, however, I do agree with what I believe is your point in all of this. First, players are humans. Just because you think they are shit at their profession, it does not give you permission to treat them like verms. Saying that you don't give a flying fuck about a player, literally means you don't care if he dies, gets injured, leaves, fail, etc. You know I like you (well, you are a complete stranger, but you get the idea), but I thought you were super rude for an unnecessary reason. You could have perfectly used a more decent language, I honestly think you only did it to show off. I would be really happy if you learn to have a bit more respect towards our own players. I wont make a big deal out of this, you can apologise if you feel like you have to or you can just ignore me. All I wanted was to make myself clear about how I feel, lets move on. Second, no one in here denied Isco is one of the hotest prospects in Europe. He is amazing and you don't need to be a professional scout to see it. Nevertheless, it does not mean he will thrive in Chelsea, a lot of variables need to work his way in order for him to become the player everyone expects him to be. He is not that absolute certainty of success you make him, he does have flaws. Isco have great difficulty working on small spaces (Oscar?), something he doesnt really have to deal in La Liga playing for Malaga, but he will in England. So, although his talent is clear, he cant be treated like instant triumph. Third, Isco's development requires a good amount of playing time. He needs experience and knowledge of how EPL works and how he can adapt to it (the same applies to Oscar) and that we cant offer at the moment. The main reason many dont want him here is for that factor. He will be fighting with Marin, Moses, Oscar, KDB and Piazon for 2-3 spots in the squad. Everyone at the same team will be sharing a small playing time for too many players (I know they are all different players with somewhat different positions and individual and unique playing style, but I wont get into that). No team can allow the luxury of having one player for each little event that might occur during a full season. You can't cope with Isco for a certain situation, Oscar for the other, Moses for another, KDB as backup, etc. The chemestry falls apart and the egos get hurt. Players need consistant playing time to perform in a high level and to feel happy and desired (which is very important). Fourth, Isco needs freedom to get comfortable to play the way he likes. He works better with less attacking mids and wingers in the same space that he does (4-2-1-3 or 4-2-2-2). For him to play on a 4-2-3-1 with Mata, Hazard, Oscar or Moses; one of them will have to give up possession and centralization. Also, the wingers will have to defend and track back for most of the game. Things already look difficult with Mazacar (who have an impressive working rate), imagine with Isco. I do agree he penetrates more and gives more possibilities than Oscar and Marin, but he wont fit like a glove. Benitez would have quite a work to do. Not only the players will need time to get used to each other, but the manager will have to give them a defending mentality and a very well planed tactic. Fifth, Chelsea would need to give up on some of its own players in order for it to buy Isco and allow him to improve and play on a regular basis. I criticize members who want to get him just because he is a cool name in the market and who think we must buy every single promisse. It does not work like that - a winning team is made of balance and harmony, not huge depth and individual greatness. Having 2 good players for every position does not translate to success, the team will be great, but the egos will prevent the squad from getting that extra something when the time comes. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and ManCity are big examples of this. When only the stats on paper are analysed, they beat anyone by a mile. They have immense quality and backup in every position and that is why they are beasts in FIFA and FM (artificial math calculations that only count and compare numbers). However, they are always internally fighting and losing their heads in important matches. Their record and titles in the last 2-3 years and news of discontentment clearly shows that their lack of harmony and team spirit prevents them from achieving their ultimate goals. Overbuying is just as bad as not buying. Sixth, You made very clear that Marin and Piazon are not worthy of being in our squad and/or that you would happily trade them Isco. That is understandable, although a lot of people will disagree with your choice, it comes down to personal opinion and not actual facts. Everyone has the right to believe in whatever player they think will succeed (just like Old Harry said, it is a game of opinions), I just think it is not the healthiest way of doing business. We have already invested quite some money into those two players and Isco would cost us more than what we would get from both of them, so it will be more money to spend. This can very well prevent some improvements in other areas (we are not in 04-05 anymore), Roman is not buying anyone at any price anymore and the transfers must be carefully studied to suit our needs. Can it pay off? Surely, but only time will tell, so you cant claim to have the right decision in this one. At Last, I agree with the whole point of the need for better players (even for backup and diversity) and Isco does fit that need. I also agree that we are a bit diluded with some of our expectations and we should not accept mediocrity. Being very pratical, I don't think it would be a mistake buying him, but we must be aware of the consequences and changes that will have to be made in order for us to get the best out of him.
