kellzfresh

I know Everton didn't want to sell last season, but if stones had a release clause last season, we would have gotten him. Just like costa. Players want to come but the people negotiating with the other Club's are poor at it. The moment it has to do with convincing another team to sell their KEY player without a clause it is beginning to look like we don't know how to negotiate from that perspective as things stand. But Manchester clubs easily get it done by throwing too much money to refuse (even bravo, a starting GK for Barcelona can leave to mancity) That is the Manchester clubs style, I'm not suggesting we should break world record bids but I'll highlight a little problem we have in negotiations. While we were struggling to get nainggolan from Roma, Juventus swoops in and gets pjanic from a direct rival, we started going for Koulibaly for a while and Juventus swoops in and gets Higuain from the same clubs that supposedly don't want to sell their players, while we struggle. Something is not quite right imo. I think we actually piss off teams with very low starting bids but this is another topic. But the truth is these days, if you want to convince a big team to sell a player to you, you have to put an offer they can't refuse instead of pissing them off with low starting bids and coming up with the money later when they've changed their minds to sell. Thankfully we got batshuayi after other smaller clubs had agreed a deal so we bid a little higher and got him like willian. But I had this feeling if we started to bid it could have turned out differently.

Simple, kante had a release clause. If he didn’t, he won't be here.

Blaise Matuidi has reached a contract agreement with Juventus, a deal between clubs is close, according to L'Équipe bit.ly/2bv0Jqz Honestly I would offer Matic to Juventus and grab matuidi to replace him. Matuidi was a starter in a midfield of a good possession team like PSG and starts for France and didn't look out of place. He's better than Matic right now, more mobile and is perfect for a box to box role. And we always have good players from the French League (Makelele, Drogba, Cech, Essien, Azpi, hopefully kante and batshuayi)

6.2 magnitude earthquake in Italy today. 21 dead, I hope our Italian members and families are safe @Blue_Fox_

Very funny midfield we have. We have one that's good going forward with passing but terrible in defending/marking. And we have another who contributes little to the defence and nothing in attack. We need to try another combination without Matic to see if anything clicks

True, Matic has been poor of late 3-0 to Porto Surely we can get a centerback from them after conceding two to Bristol

Porto leading Roma 1-0 halftime. 2-1 aggregate lead, Roma down to 10 men, Derossi redcard. Roma could be out of the Champions League if it stays this way, no champions League money (35mil or so). Maybe a cheeky bid for Manolas first thing tomorrow????

Batmaaaan!!!!!!

Youth.... But it's Chalobah I want to see play the most

Since everyone is rejecting our offers and we cannot buy defenders, we have to start thinking of loaning some. Let's give cuadrado to Juventus for 2 years but in exchange we get Rugani from them on a one year deal so that we can get a defender in at least.

Needs to raise his head when attacking, why does he always look on the ground when he's supposed to create??? Annoyingly average

Strong, good technique, knows what link-up play means, can control the ball in tight spaces and can shoot. Needs to play more

He has weakness defending but because of the number of people in attack that can't pass or control a ball, we have to shoehorn him into the side and hope no one takes advantage of his deficiencies. Especially against smaller teams.

Exactly, he reminds me of Fellaini in attack. Maybe that's why Mourinho is playing him as well

He's so clumsy on the ball, no right leg, no ball control, so slow, awful when asked to attack. You could see the difference between him and kante when kante was allowed to get forward. Matic should be the one sitting back, he has no ball control in tight spaces.

What has happened to Matic? Ivanovic has always been terrible but Matic my word..... He's so clumsy on the ball, no right leg, no ball control, awful when asked to attack. You could see the difference between him and kante when kante was allowed to get forward. Matic should be the one sitting back, he has no ball control in tight spaces.

Moses has to start. He can dribble past a defender, we cannot have only one player out of 11 that knows how to get past his marker so Moses has to start. Costa has terrible ball control and he prefers balls in behind the defence rather than ball to feet so a strike partner can make him play better. Enter batshuayi, very technical, good in the air, good with both feet, if we're serious about attacking, he should be starting as well. What has happened to Matic? Ivanovic has always been terrible but Matic my word..... He's so clumsy on the ball, no right leg, no ball control, awful when asked to attack. You could see the difference between him and kante when kante was allowed to get forward. Matic should be the one sitting back, he has no ball control in tight spaces.

This defenders lol. When Conte realizes the poor quality of our team both ttechnically and defensively, he'll convert to his tried and trusted 3-5-2

I don't understand why our defenders don't know how to head a ball to their own player. Everytime they head it into throw-in or to the opponent, annoying really.

That's rare, I don't think I ever remember Willian getting injured

Unless Willian is injured, I had a feeling Conte wasn't happy with Willian refusing to take on his fullback in one on one situations, being too careful like a central midfielder. But sadly pedro isn't any better, he'll only make runs in behind. He should have tried Moses

Me too. Especially against smaller teams. Moses is more suited to play the wings in Conte's system because he is direct, daring and always likes to take on his fullback one on one. Willian is more reserved, relaxed, doesn't like to take on his marker but because of his good ball control and fantastic ability to hold the ball under pressure he'll be more suited in the role that Matic played beside Oscar when we were attacking. I feel we need another daring dribbler like hazard on the other wing and Willian might not have a good offensive season with Conte if he keeps refusing to use his speed and take on defenders.

I watched only the second half but I loved how we spread out on the pitch when we had the ball, it even looked like the Bridge had a very large pitch. Westham had no sniff till the ghost freekick which led to the goal. Ladies and gentlemen we have a coach who instills a pattern of play that is visible on the pitch

Loved the last minute winner.... I wouldn't have had it any other way against the Westham pipes

Mane and Chamberlain have done what no winger in Chelsea except hazard can do: face your defender beat him with a dribble and score. No Chelsea winger except hazard can do this. Just petty leg overs and no dribble. Arsenal defenders