Term-X

Of course. No major new training facilities in football have been built since then.

They need to find another architectural USP, otherwise don't bother.

Top Ten Training Grounds: 1. French Centre of Excellence, Clairfontaine 2. Chelsea FC, Cobham 3. Ajax, De Toekomst 4. Sporting Lisbon, Academia de Alcochete 5. Barcelona, Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper 6. Arsenal, Shenley 7. Real Madrid, Ciudad 8. Dynamo Kiev, Koncha Zaspa 9. Manchester United, Carrington 10. Everton, Finch Farm http://blog.sport.co.uk/Football/405/Top_Ten_Training_Grounds.aspx

The sheer scale of Cobham is incredible, look to the far right of this image, the pitches go on for miles.

I wouldn't take these training top numbers too seriously, nothing has been confirmed.

AVB owes this move to the tabloids, he can never bad mouth the press ever again. The media portrayal that his failings at Chelsea were nothing to do with him, and were in fact 100% entirely the players fault, saved his career.

Kenyon caused Gallas to have a meltdown, when he stripped him of his number 13, to appease Adidas and Ballack's corporate representatives. It was the reason Gallas ended up leaving the club, he felt disrespected. Eden Hazard should be our number 11, Gourlay is a poor mans Kenyon. You had nothing to back up what you were saying, no quotes, neither in audio or text form. I deal only in facts, you were spouting something you couldn't back up with solid evidence.

BluesMaster

It was pretty obvious what I meant by that.. Although, Arsenal's 'profits' took a dive last season anyway. Not to mention the fact the stadium debt is still being paid off, and they are actually committed to paying it off, unlike other debt ridden clubs.

Arsenal = England's Valencia

Balance.. We don't need to have a young prospect as 'back up' for EVERY position.

No.. But then again, the Lampard case is VERY different. A pre-roman era player (2001-), a man who has surpassed Zola as the greatest Chelsea player ever. When we look back in 20 years time, we want to see a 'clean' C.V, i.e.. only us & west ham, not some random nomark MLS team. AC Milan fans would have a seizure if Maldini ended his career like that, we should feel the same way about Lamps & JT.

The neighbours have been rummaging through our bins.. AVB has poor man-management skills, and it's not even a case of learning from his mistakes at Chelsea because he's intrinsically stubborn as a manager. He has benefited greatly from the media’s portrayal that his failure was 100% the players fault, hence why Spurs went for him.

The general consensus is that 'when rested' Maicon can still be a very good player. Which is perfect for a role as cover for Ivanovic, as long as we don't over pay, this wouldn’t be all that bad a signing. Also as the WAGNH article mentioned, Todd Kane and other RB 'prospects' can go out on loan/develop without fearing they'll never get a chance to fight for a place.

We signed him for a whopping £18m, and even now.. I can't see any club paying over £20m for him. Not much of a ROI, which somewhat defeats the purpose. *edit: ROI (return on investment)*

I judge/judged him 'on the pitch', from what I've seen with my eyes. I don't use misleading stats to delude myself or others.

Judging by the responses in this thread. Particular members here would be better off following Accrington Stanley, if they want to support mediocre players who 'try hard' and 'do their best'. Kalou became a multi-millionaire at Chelsea, and left with zero development as a footballer. If we had given him a new contract, there would have been no guarantees a club would sign him, especially with his wage demands.

The problem was, you choose the most unoriginal & uninspired thread title in Talk Chelsea history.

His age (31 in july) only becomes a problem if we pay over the odds for him, as he's not much of an investment.

Part 2, 3, 4 etc are all on youtube, poor quality though, the dvdrip will be higher resolution.

Direct quote.. "I’ve been here a long time, I’m 33, I’m realistic. It doesn’t mean I want to play every game but, if I sit on the bench, I want to see Chelsea win." http://www.dailymail...illas-Boas.html

He said if he's going to be benched he wants to see the team winning. Replacing him with a world class player (Modric), rather than Meireles.. a squad player at best, would be a good start. AVB's subpar man-management skills are partly to blame, and the way he dealt with players (ala Alex & Anelka).

Unfortunately, Sturridge has the football brain of Emile Heskey.. We should bite their hand off for £25m plus Sturridge.

Yes, but he will be leaving early, Check out the dates for the summer tour and the Olympics schedule.. He also misses all of our domestic pre-season games including the community shield, and will no doubt miss the first game of the season for obvious reasons.

I've already prophesied this in the Mata thread, but Juan will miss a chunk of the pre-season & PL season due to his participation in the Olympics. Hazard won't have time to form an understanding with him, and Mata could find himself on the left wing or worse. We need actual wingers out wide, regardless of the 'interchanging' roles Mata & Hazard will most likely have. Marin (signed as a mere squad player) could surprise us, leaving Mata with quite a predicament upon his return from the Olympics.