kc_blue

How reliable are these reports this morning? Everyone seems to be talking as if he's gone already. I definitely won't be happy if he leaves but this whole thing just seems very strange. I know people are jumping all over Sarri and I can see the frustration that they have, I see it myself. I think CHO should have had more opportunities so far this season but I think this whole situation is just a bad confluence of events that has it's roots in past lack of integration of youth players as well as the board playing around and signing Sarri after preseason had already started this year. I might be crazy but I'm still not convinced this isn't just pressure by his agents and/or advisors to get a better pay packet in his new contract. He saw how much we paid RLC and he probably thinks he can get the same or more. Seems people are just jumping the gun a bit. I'm sure there'll be more twists and turns to come.

Very poor forward planning by the board to get into this situation.

I believe he has been quoted as saying he'd like to play in the Premier League. I think he'd be pretty good for us.

How many non home grown slots do we have open in the team right now? That seems to be a big factor in possibly tipping things in the direction of Chilwell.

I think we've seen firsthand how disgruntled players on the bench can lead to much worse malignancies in the background. I do agree though that Willian playing as much as he has for as long as he has this season kind seems a bit strange to me. In my view he's the anti-Sarri winger. This seems counterintuitive when you just look at his abilities though and I can understand why Sarri wanted to keep him and thought he could be something special in his system. Technically and physically Willian seems to have everything to be a great producer in Sarri's system. The only problem is it seems that Willian just mentally can't play the way Sarri wants in that position, fast, quick passing, off the ball movement. I think he's just not fast enough recognizing others movements and not decisive enough when one on one. I think Sarri thought he could develop Willian into the right fit for his system and tried to give him every opportunity to make it work. Personally I think he tried to make it work far to long but I can understand why he made the effort. We'll see what happens now but I hope Sarri has got to a point of being comfortable with CHO as he did with RLC and we'll see more of CHO as the season progresses beyond just the current injury crisis.

Another take on how Sarri is talking about CHO. I'd imagine that he's talked to him plenty on the practice pitch and in the locker room. I would take most of what Sarri says in press conferences about CHO not so much as messages to the player but trying to manage expectations for the fans. I'd also say that it can't be stressed enough the lack of prep time Sarri had with the full squad before the season started. If he'd just put CHO in the starting lineup or on the bench in front of senior players he would probably have had several disgruntled players on his hands. As it was, he has given his senior players enough time to show that the team needs something different.

I don't think Chelsea have the upper hand here really. Just look at Tibo this past summer. That said I'm not sure I really buy that he's desperate to leave. He's been here since he was 7 and he's breaking into the first team. It might be going slower then he'd like but he's still in the first team at 18 years old. It seems all the rumors are coming out of Germany. I don't know who CHO has as an agent or advisors but to me this smells like a negotiating tactic to get a bigger pay packet more then anything else. I guess we'll see in the near future.

I really hope there's something real behind these rumors. I'd love to see him in our squad.

Anyone else think something here is really off from the normal way we do business? All this paper talk, usually we are pretty quiet about things. Maybe I'm misreading the situation, definitely possible, but I get the feeling this is CHO's agent or advisors putting pressure on the club. He's been here since he was 7 is he really demanding to move in the middle of the season where he's finally, slowly, breaking into the team?

I'd like to see Ola get a look in next season but don't Torino have an option to buy? I'd also like to see Reece or Sterling get a preseason with the team to see if Sarri likes the look of them before shipping them out on loans. That doesn't really answer what we do for the rest of the season though if we sell Zappacosta now. I can't imagine that if we spend 45 mil on someone this winter that any of them would get a look in next season. Maybe Sarri thinks we have cover in the squad as it stands, Ampadu?

To clarify what I meant. In an earlier post I stated that it was my recollection that the whole point in buying Lukaku back when he was 18 was to get him young and at an early age when he wouldn't cost a fortune and avoid that kind of situation. I also said that letting him go without a buyback clause was stupidity of the highest order. I'm merely saying in light of that interview that you can't blame the board for not resigning him this summer as I honestly don't think he ever had any idea of signing with us, Pogba was in his head and just used us as a smoke screen. That might not be true and we may never know but it fits what he's said, back at the beginning of the summer and in that interview. In that case I don't think it would matter what we offered or when, he wasn't interested in joining us. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. I wasn't mentioning anything about other actions they've taken, selling De Bruyne, etc. In my earlier post I also mentioned they need to have a clear philosophy and stick with it, not change it every couple seasons which I believe goes back to this point and where they have obviously failed.

After that interview I'm not sure how much you can blame the board for this. Lukaku has said from the beginning that he knew where he was going to sign all along and I don't see any reason not to believe him about that. I'm not sure what was to be gained by acting like it was Chelsea other then extra attention and drama, or perhaps an attempt to run up the price a bit on United so they would pay what Everton would accept. It sounds like Pogba has been working on him for awhile. It seems like it wouldn't have mattered what we had bid or when, he was going to sign there.

Whether we wanted him or not it doesn't really look good. I guess this is what happens when you change your philosophy every couple seasons. Maybe I'm misremembering, but wasn't the reason we bought him at 18 in the first place was to avoid getting involved in a huge transfer battle and not have to pay a huge fee? If that was the case selling him without a buyback was stupidity of the highest order. I can't say I really blame the board for not wanting to pay that kind of money, but as stated, that was the whole point of buying him at 18, to avoid this kind of situation. The board just needs to decide what their philosophy is and stick to it through ups and downs and have faith in themselves to see it through. Easier said then done I know.

I would suggest bringing in an older player for a couple of seasons has benefits. It all really depends on who is coming up through the ranks and how close to holding down a starting spot they are. Also some positions there aren't always going to be young players coming up through the ranks with the talent required. An older player can provide for the needs of the team now and allow our youth players to grow into squad members with less pressure. Of course it doesn't always work out that way, but in theory there's not anything wrong with buying older players. It's all about getting the balance of the squad correct.

I just think this sends the wrong message. There are plenty of other players that could or should be sold to raise money before we think of selling one of our better prospects.

To be fair, without Overbo it's Chelsea-United 2 CL finals in a row there.

Best of luck. Hopefully the groundwork has been laid for the summer and we can hit the ground running after he's finished with Italy this summer.

I thought he had a pretty good game. Saying that I'm not sure it won't be more of the same from him if he doesn't get stronger on the ball. He still seems to go down far too easily to be successful in the premier league. I have hope though.

He's a legend. Of course. Do I feel the same way about him right now? No. Will I get over it and accept it. Yes. It's an unfortunate situation.

Not sure we've ruined any of those players careers. Some bad loans didn't help them but they either have what it takes or not. And as it has turned out they haven't had what it takes to make it at Chelsea. Making a comment that we ruined their careers is crazy. There's no way to tell how things would have played out and they would have developed if things had been different. Did we deny them a chance to compete and show what they talent they have? That would be the only way I could see any justification for a comment like ruining a career. If we had just left them in the reserves and let them rot, then maybe we would have ruined their careers. Maybe, just maybe they just weren't as good as some thought they were going to be earlier in their careers. It happens.

For the right money he could and should be definitely moved on. For me the latest reported offer from Barca is not the right money needed to justify moving him on. He isn't first choice at any position at the moment but he does provide quality depth and value to the squad.

Really hope we get the PL next season. Kind of early to have a clear picture at this moment though.

I guess it depends on what the expectations were at the beginning of the season. If someone really thought at the beginning of the season Chelsea was going to win the league or the CL then I guess the season is a failure. It has certainly been an improvement on last season and at least to what my expectation at the start of the season a success. Has the ending been disappointing? Yes it has, but that disappointment has been increased because we were in with a chance of winning a trophy. For those claiming last year was more successful because of winning the Europa you're missing a key point. We were only in Europa with a chance to win it last year because we couldn't make it out of the group stages of the CL. I'm glad we won it last year but I hope we aren't in a position to compete for that trophy again for a long while. In my opinion it's much better to advance to the knock out stages of the CL, in this case within a game of the final then win the Europa. Winning the Europa is a sign that you failed big time when you started in the season in the CL.

I'd love to see PVA given a go as Ashley's backup next season. I just think he's got more going for him then Ryan, but it's just my opinion. I'd also like to see Kalas given a loan in the premiership next season, then evaluate him.

Sign Shaw and let him backup Ashley next year. If given decent rotation he should be get enough appearances that keeping him doesn't hold him back. This might also allow Ashley another year and let Shaw take over from there in a natural progression.