petre.ispirescu

It's certain wums that derail threads all the time and bring fantasy stories on how half the squad should be sold in January because they are either not good enough, don't want to sign a new deal (???) or they simply do not fit their (wums) vision of how the club should be run. Modern football fan nowadays is a mixture of Sacchi, Guardiola and Ferguson when it comes to tactics and also a transfer guru and would make an excelent Director of football. Lots of people simply don't understand, or they don't want to, that Sarri is not here to become a hero among the fans by promoting the entire Academy over night. He is a 59 yo manager that has won nothing so far and he is basically on the big stage for only 4 years. This job now to manage one of world's biggest clubs is his dream, surely he is going to do everything to hold on to it and prove to himself that managing for decades in Italian lower tiers was worth it in the end. Sarri is here to prove something to himself and the world and fight for trophies by using the best players he believes that fit his style, not to give 17 year olds debuts. At least not for now.

Listen, look at Liverpool's matches against Palace, Brighton, Leicester, Huddersfield yesterday. Poor, very poor display against average teams, but got the win and that's it. Also they were minutes away from losing against Chelsea and City as well if it was not for a wonder strike and a squandered penalty kick. I hate the scousers with a passion, but look at their reactions after these matches in which they looked more like a top four contender, rather than one of the favourites for the league title. They are all happy for the win and ready to move on to the next match, happy that they are able to grind out results in matches that last season probably they would not have done this. Frankly of all the league title contestants, they look the worst, still the atmosphere is there. While here at Chelsea is all doom and gloom after a draw from some fans ready to sell the entire squad and call players different names. In a time where we are actually undefeated going into November and two points of the first place.

I think Sarri said something like 'Ampadu has a problem after the international break, also Odoi and Barkley. But Barkley and Odoi have something small, maybe one or two days, while Odoi (here he wanted to say Ampadu) needs a couple of weeks' He said Odoi two times, I think he meant Ampadu in the last sentence, he could be the one with the injury that needs a couple of weeks. I did not replicate the exact words, but live you could hear him say Odoi two times in the same sentence.

He is not the Courtois type and surely won't hand in a transfer request. Things will be more clear by next summer - a big contract offer plus us winning the league hopefuly I think will have him sign a new contract. Eden is a clever guy, he knows Madrid is like Hollywood and here he is the absolute undisputed king. We now play the football he likes and he really enjoys it. This summer was the big fear to be honest, we were coming of a bad season and he was flirting with Madrid, you could feel we were in big trouble of losing him. But the summer passed and he is still here. IMHO there is a lot more chances now of him staying and sign a new contract than leave for Madrid come next summer.

I think Willian for us is what Mahrez seems to be for Guardiola - simply not fit to play this style of football. Too many touches, to much time to think about the next move, both slow down the play and Sarri and Guardiola like the ball to be moved at fast pace. Well Willian was here already and we must deal with it, Sarri is going to rotate him and Pedro to keep some kind of good atmosphere, but Mahrez? I don't think he was Guardiola's first choice, more like a panic buy from the club because of his Leicester season and PL experience.

Indeed mate, also David Luiz's comments after the match are encouraging. Said Sarri wants them to be happy when they are on the pitch because football is fun and they are privileged to have one of the best jobs in this world. This is a manager that works hard through enjoyable drills and pleasant football, gone are the days when Hazard had to play left back and take care of fucking Robert Snodgrass or God knows who other bang average winger just because the manager could not go out of his comfort zone and in the modern era of football still played/plays dinosaur tactics. Look at this team of ours now - a midfield of Jorginho, Kovacic, Kante, Barkley, Fabregas. No tall, rigid midfielders, just ballers because this is what modern football is about. Compare this to Matic, Fellaini, Herrera, Fred. My God we were fooled into thinking football is all about having enforcers all over the pitch and every match is like WW2. Hell fucking no mate and I am glad we have a manager that not only gives us an identity now, but will surely change the 'rigid, park the bus' image Chelsea have as a club and makes sure we never go back to Mourinho type of managers.

Me too mate, I am excited about the future and we're not even two months into Sarri's tenure here. Liverpool and City are the main favourites, two great managers into their 3rd season already. But do they look miles ahead of us? I don't think so. Better? For sure. But not light years ahead as the media has painted this out. We're the dark horse this season and we look pretty good after a managerial change and also a big, a huge change in the style of play. It all takes time and Sarri has done superb things in a short space of time, enjoying his time here and surely he is the one to take us forward.

This is surely going until the last rounds. It is going to be one hell of a season, definitely the most balanced in years. Can't see anyone getting a good lead anytime soon. City and Liverpool are very strong, we are coming from the shadow but we are going to be up there until the end. Liverpool v City next and all three could go level on points again next round. Shows how balanced this season is going to be. David Luiz motm, sublime performance. Was a 50/50 match between two of the best teams in the league. Liverpool looked maybe a little bit better and it's no wonder, they are into Klopp's 3rd season, but Alisson kept them in the game. Fucking average players Henderson and Sturridge miraculously find their shooting boots at the Bridge...

Well this guy pretty much summed up how transfer windows go don't even know why the clubs needs a board to be fair. Kudos to football manager for bringing millions of scouts out in the light. We bring the Rudigers and Moratas when the mighty Junior Firpo is up for grabs. Fecking clueless board lol

No reference to the username, just that they use a lot of young players in order to sustain the club's finances. Was simply the first team that came to my mind as I like watching and betting on their matches, they are pretty much a banker when it comes to goals market.

They are hyped up by everyone in the footballing world and their dog, too. it's going to be more a more important match that most of you think, it's a knock out tie in the end. Win and Liverpool get knocked out of a competition early when everything seems to go their way. Lose and we get a chance less to a trophy. Full string team or at least maybe only a couple of changes we will make, not more than that. We play the Hungarian pub team after the two Liverpool games, it's still early in the seasons so two games in a row for the first team players won't do no harm, plenty of time to rest in between the 2nd Liverpool match and Southampton away.

Sorry mate but please help me understand something - when did Chelsea become some sort of Lyon or any other team similar to that? I see this frustration over youngsters' playing time, but do you forget who you support? This is Chelsea FC coming of an ugly season, they did not bring Sarri to nurture kids into grown men, they brought him here to fight for trophies from the 1st day at the club. Chelsea do not have time for experiments after a bad season, nor does Sarri. He might talk nicely about youngsters, but in the end all he is thinking of is winning something, not making a hero of himself by trying to make the next Messi out of Hudson Odoi. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see this guys play, too, but the season is long and they will have plenty of chances. What I don't like is the way some of you talk about this situation and you make it sound like Sarri has no clue what to do and he's failing at integrating youth. But it's not his target this, he's at Chelsea for trying to fight for the big trophies with settled players first and then if things go his way he might try to introduce new faces. Sometimes I think you are too greedy, you want beautiful football, also lots of goals and possession, but also youngsters. You want everything in such a short space of time, must understand this is a process and will take a bit of time.

I really don't understand the topic on Kante when he's clearly stated in an interview some days ago that he likes to play higher up the pitch and that this new role fits him perfectly.

No offence mate, I don't deny your passion, nor your intentions, but what about you enjoy the moment for once and stop complaining about X or Y and the lack of youth and so on. I've been enough on football forums to know that fans like you don't have a long life on those, seems like you want to live your Football Manager career in real life. I think Sarri knows better how to run his squad at the moment and who gives a fuck really who is playing and who is not in September when the season is just a couple of games in? There is plenty of time for Ampadu and Hudson Odoi, if you can see their potential be sure Sarri sees it too. For now it is all about the momentum and keeping the wins rolling while getting used to his philosophy. It was important after 5 out of 5 to get the 6th one also and playing away in a hostile environment. Maybe a 2nd string formation would have done it too, but who knows, maybe not. He wanted to be sure we keep the confidence high winning another match, hence he put a strong team there away at the hardest ground in this group. I have no doubts the likes of Ampadu, Hudson Odoi, Loftus Cheek, Christensen are going to start the next EL matches, especially those at home, but for now it was all about confidence and getting another win to top the other ones and keep the momentum going.

I've watched all of Paris' matches this season (because of sports betting haha) and this is definitely the worst Paris since the Arabs took over. Such a poor management, they've completely sold their soul to the devil with those two deals (Neymar & Mbappe). Look at that defence and midfield! Last night there was no connection between attack and defence, no cohesion, nothing. There is only three designated central midfielders in that squad FFS!!! Rabiot in his last 10 months of contract, Lassana Diarra and Verratti!! They even got rid of Lo Celso lol. Marquinhos, Di Maria, Draxler, Nkunku may have the ability to play there and will easily do the job against Angers and Nimes, but what about away matches in UCL against the top dogs? Such a poor management and it is only going to get worse if they don't win UCL this season. Rabiot is going to leave on a free, Thiago Silva, Cavani, Di Maria all aging players before next season starts and I can definitely see Neymar and Verratti both asking for transfers.

I am not saying he is rubbish mate, exactly the opposite, just that he is not the first name you'd expect to see on the scoresheet when Madrid score, although his impact is still big. Similar to Busquets when Guardiola promoted him, nobody understood his role, did not score, did not assists, but his role was vital in Guardiola's philosophy of controlling games from the middle of the park. Years went by and people used to say that you recognise why players like Busquets are so important only when they do not play.

Morata should get used to Thursday nights and League Cup matches. Giroud is a total different kind of animal, brings so much to the game even if he does not score, a la Benzema. Benzema's goal scoring record is nowhere near worth of a centre forward playing for Madrid, yet it's how many years since he's the undisputed centre forward there? 8? 9? I can name at least 10 other strikers with a better record than Benzema that Madrid could have easily bought. But they did not. I feel Giroud adds the same dimension to the game and could create a terrific partnership with Eden, a la Cristiano and Benzema.

So Liverpool play Spurs (a), Paris (h), Southampton and Chelsea (h) , Chelsea and Napoli (a) and City (h) in the space of 21 days between mid Octomber and start of November.

Trying to find flaws in our team after one month and a half in charge for Sarri and a couple of official matches. Funny enough for me. I though Tuchel was the closest thing to Guardiola in world football, but the feeling now is that Sarri might just be that one. They (the pundits) I think they know that and after seeing Chelsea at Newcastle they expect us to play the same game as Guardiola, but they forget Sarri has been here for only a few weeks now. Of course defence is going to improve and full backs will split opposition wider, but it takes time. Too soon now to be talking why Azpilicueta does not do this, why Chelsea does not bring the game wider to spread defences etc. etc. etc. I said from the beginning, I expect Sarri's full signature on Chelsea to be clearly seen by the end of November. Everything that Chelsea play right now is just the signs of a superb work in progress and every win is a bonus before we truly kick off the season and go into matches as absolute favourites.

Fully enjoying the meltdown, he really belongs to the banter section. Deserves everything that is thrown at him right now, bitter, past it manager that ruined his Chelsea legacy by spouting absolute shite about us at every chance. It's either Inter Milan or a NT next, no other big club is going to even enquire about him. Look at his presser last night, all this BS of playing well and always talks of others taking advantage of United's mistakes, but never aknowledges that their own chances come after big mistakes also, Rose's last night for example. Bitter fool, I hope they don't sack him yet. Things going to get even worse when CL starts, I hope they get drawn at least one top club.

Gung ho football in the 1st half but I am sure defence is going to get better when all the players click together and Sarri puts his print on the team. And for me personally it is going to happen in a few months, maybe by mid November when we are going to see the so called Sarri-ball. I remember Napoli during the last two months of last season's Serie A - they were fighting for the title and played away to Inter, AC Milan and Juventus during March and April and limited Inter to one shot on goal, Milan to two shots on goal and Juventus had no shot on goal in their own stadium and Napoli totally dominated them. So the problem does not lie to Sarri's defensive drills, but rather to team cohesion at the moment. He's more Guardiola than Mourinho/Conte/Simeone, defends by having the ball and pressing up the pitch, rather than meticulous defensive organisation.

He's my first choice to lead the line this season. PL experience, good finisher and a big, big morale after winning the WC. Unlike Morata, at least Giroud looks like A MAN, not only in terms of looks, but in his head also. 32 in a month and a bit slow, but I can't see Chelsea playing on the counter this season. Maybe against City in both matches and probably away to Liverpool or Tottenham, but otherwise I think we'll see a different Chelsea this season, with better possession of the ball and Giroud is the perfect type of centre forward for this. Midfielders and wingers will bring lots of balls into the last 10-15m from goal, I trust Giroud there and not Morata to burry all the chances.

Top top deal this one. I have given up on Willian leaving, so I think it's Kovacic and a GK and we are done.

Just speculation based on our game against Lyon tonight and the fact he did not get included in the match day squad. Well pretty obvious though as he reported back for training after the WC yesterday afternoon. Of course he stayed in Lyon to work on his fitness, rather than play in a friendly 24h after he got back from holidays.

Madrid is backed fully by the Spanish government, so no more words needed to be fair... Roman has his own problems with the UK visa that's why he's probably reluctant to pump big money again into an English club as long as the country itself does not even let him enter their teritory. New stadium was put on hold because of this, too. It's not rocket science, it is a morale thing to do, if you are not even given permission to enter the country then why improve their facilities and bring money to their government through taxes for a state of the art stadium plus lots and lots of other benefits that the state is given because of big clubs through the tourists that come to games, taxes et all. And frankly, should we fans now turn against the club because we are not being spoilt anymore with big transfers every summer? Me I could not care less, I support the club not their transfer policy and I don't live for the fancy names rumoured in the media, nor for the Sky Sports Deadline day on TV. Nevertheless Chelsea is a self sustaining club for years now through sponsorship deals, image rights etc. so I doubt Roman has pumped lots of money for the past years a la 2003-2010. Jorginho could be the one and only arrival this summer, we knew when Sarri was appointed that he's not that fond on fancy transfers and thats why the board appointed him also - someone that is happy to work with what he has and does not brag about transfers in every presser.