petre.ispirescu

Yes but in the end no matter we like the new rule(s) or not, VAR simply corrected what was a definite wrong call (as per the new rule). Yes it sucks when your team is at the wrong end of the VAR call, but at the same time you can benefit from it, too, so it's fair and square for me. Ok, if VAR would take ludicrous decisions saying the sun is ice cold well I'd get the rage, but as soon as it only corrects wrong calls, then I don't see any problem with it. That night at the Bridge vs Barcelona (Ovrebro), Lamps'goal vs Germany, that Grosso blatant dive vs South Africa, Suarez's shenanigans, all thr Salah dives, Bolton's night at Stoke 6-7 years ago and so many, many others would not have happened no matter some would not have celebrated anymore or not. There is two sides to the football game, those who benefit from wrong calls and get to celebrate and those who don't, if VAR makes it possible to undo the wrongdoings then it's simply the best choice.

If you ask me VAR should and must have been implemented long time ago. I keep seeing this 'sucks out the joy of celebrations' and frankly I don't get it. Let's forget about our rivalry with Spurs. What about their fans? Or any other fans in their position? Your team concedes in the last minute by a hand ball, but it's still allowed. How do they feel in the aftermath of all this? For me it's about the opposition fans as well, not only about those who's team score and it's dissalowed by VAR. Sucks the joy out of celebrations or not, it really does not matter, VAR simply took the right decision and did not allow a team to win after a hand ball (the new rule says it is a definite hand ball) and spares us all from an endless talk of how certain teams bribe entire institutions and refs and so on.

Really the baptism of fire for Super Frank and it is encouraging to see opposition fans aknowledging you look way better than everybody would expect. Last night I instantly turned off my TV after Tammy's miss and I felt so damn pissed. Again a good match with a good intensity from our boys and a definite improvement on the United game. Frank Lampard's adjustments were spot on and one thing we can be sure of he ain't going to be that rigid as Sarri. Some players have huge careers, but turn into shite managers, some turn into decent ones, I feel Frank is going the champions route. The signs are there for everyone to see, I hope he is here to stay for a long, long time. Sarri improved Chelsea's passing and pressing game, but now the team looks better as a unit I feel and the biggest improvement is that Frank is more like Klopp and Pochettino, more direct in the final 3rd and always looks to end attacks by creating something. Unlike what we did under Sarri when looked awful at times in the final 3rd. We might have a weaker squad than most of the big clubs in Europe, but what we don't lack under Frank is the intensity and the passion to play the big games. At least what I know this season is that we won't be going into big matches looking like Burnley in disguise, if Frank is playing on the front foot at OT and against the CL winners in his first two matches in charge, then I don't see him taking his foot of the pedal and it's only going to get better with time this is what I am sure of.

Exactly, I don't understand why some act like it's doom and gloom already when we all knew it was going to be an experimental season. No better season to introduce talent than this one, PL + CL football with nothing at stake, all about gaining experience and getting a sniff to what real football looks like. I see people asking "Why can't Chelsea nurture talent like Spurs did with Kane, Benfica with Joao Felix? (and there are tons of other examples)" Well I could understand if this was the Chelsea powerhouse of a few years back going for the PL and CL latter stages every season. But now??? This Chelsea is not good enough to win the PL, nevermind the CL. Not because it's filled with dross, but it's going through a transitional period full of inexperienced (but quality) guys that are in the process of learning. If this is not the best season to introduce talent, well I guess there never will be one again. Should be a fun ride where Chelsea is going to end up 6th maybe, but who cares really? Who is going to remember this United loss should in 4 years the likes of Pulisic, Mount, Reece James, Hudson-Odoi, Loftus-Cheek (and God help others, too) turn into world class players??? But we'll never know if they are not given chances and I'm sure fans will turn back to this season saying "You remember that season when there was nothing at stake? Why did not they play back then" What will people reply? Because of some losses at the start of the season?

Hope he changes nothing because I liked what I saw and it will only get better with time and practice. Could have started a totally experienced line up with Alonso at left back, Emerson on the left wing, Pedro on the other, Giroud and a midfield of Kante, Jorginho and Kovacic, but he went to OT playing his own way. I've watched plenty of Chelsea matches at OT and it's been a long time since I saw Chelsea that dominant there. A four nil loss, ok, some you win, some you lose, at least I saw a manager on our bench with some balls of steel. Was his debut on the big stage, could have easily played it safe and hang in there for a draw, maybe hope the lads would nick a goal at some point and get this debut thing off his shoulders. The same way Chelsea could have been one up early in the game or at least level at half time. It was just a matter of very small margins. Hate that bitter twat Mourinho, can't stand his face anymore, no wonder it's 2019 and nobody would touch him anymore. One of his former players is now in charge and he dissects his game like he's in this job for 20 years. What happened to all the punditry area needing some Chelsea supporting people? And not only Liverpool? Seems you've also turned into a money grabbing bitch you lousy twat, guess it's why they've also hired you, to create one headline over another. Frank is young and new in this job, sure he is bound to mistakes, but at least he sticks to his principles. Mourinho would have played three half fit Kante, Rudiger and Willian and some defensive line up just for the sake of a 0-0.

I always enjoy your posts and we both seem to see football in the same way, especially from the tactical point of view. It looks to me Lamps is clever enough to have understood football has moved on from Mourinho football to a very fast, high pressing one. Can't say 'Klopp-esque' because we've seen this football before, but surely Klopp is now a trending manager with an attractive style of play, different than Guardiola, direct and very attacking. Maybe he's not won that much but he put Liverpool back on the map and look at the headlines now, they are on everybody's lips when it comes to PL and CL favourites to win it at the end of the season. Just a couple of years after they were struggling to even make it to CL football. At half time I said to myself "We hit the post twice and played United off the park, at Old Trafford, all this with Pedro, Barkley, two Academy graduates up front and two young centre backs and a poor Right back, imagine what Lampard can do with better players". He will do better with time and if these are shades of an early Klopp as you say then I am ready to give him time if it means he makes us one of the most feared clubs in Europe.

These two are the sides that are going to miss top four. City and Liverpool are nailed on to make it, Spurs are good enough to make it and once Arsenal's pacey, deadly front three click they'll have no problems putting small teams to bed. I saw a lot of positives today to be excited about what future holds for us in terms of playing style. There is a Chelsea through and through on the bench with a quality staff around him that went to Old Trafford at their debut and played on the front foot with two youngsters up front that a few months ago were playing Championship football and two very young centre backs. And no Kante in the starting line up. United played Mourinho football w/o Mourinho. They are no better than last season, we'll see this the next quality team they will meet. Chelsea hit the post twice and created lots of opportunities to score. Fortunately this is a transitional season with a clever manager in charge that will trim the squad down at the end of the season. Don't think Zouma is good enough no matter how matches he is given, simply a rigid, not modern, poor on the ball defender, Everton level. Really believe he should be 4th choice, Tomori is a better player all around at least in my view. Nor is Barkley and Pedro. Abraham, I don't know yet, time will tell, won't write him off just yet. Also believe this should be Azpilicueta's last season as a starter. We looked good for Lamps' first match, with this setup. We'll only get better as soon as Hudson-Odoi, Rudiger, Pulisic, Kante, Willian, Loftus-Cheek get introduced back into the team. Happy we've moved on from Alonso at left back, Emerson looks good and I like the way Lampard gives his full backs freedom to bomb forward. Would love to see the duo of Emerson and Reece James play at some point in the season.

Can't say the atmosphere at United is toxic. Yet. But Pogba's shenanigans this summer and their lack of transfers have broken their fans' mood when they were all waiting for a spending spree. Bottom line is, no matter how bad they (other clubs, too, not only United) are or how toxic the atmosphere is, we always tend to lose against these teams in these particular moments. Think I'd have been more confident Chelsea would get a win had United come into this after a stellar transfer window and nailed on to fight head to head for the title with City and Liverpool. Giroud would be my first choice for this, then Michy. Think United's centre backs would eat Tammy alive. Too soon for him this one, matches like these need experienced strikes that could feed from one or two chances. I'd also go for Mount, Barkley and Pulisic as the three attacking midfielders.

Go back in time to last summer or fast forward to next summer and I would say this is great news, but now the timing is shite because we can't sign a replacement. And the other CB coming back soon from his injury is not some world class one let's be honest, I actually think Rudiger is not good enough either. Maybe David Luiz felt these past weeks Lamps does not trust him and I go with the gaffer here because this is not actually news for us, but it actually confirms what we all knew by now and this is that Luiz is not good enough and can't be trusted to lead a defence.

If I'd be in charge, the 'FM negociator' in me would go the Madrid/Barcelona/Bayern route, already contact Christian Eriksen and Timo Werner to try to convince them to come here on a free next summer. Some 15M signing on fee for the players and 5M maybe to the agent. That makes it like a 20M transfers which is peanuts these days haha

Mos def been tapped up already by Bayern and they get him on a free next summer. It's what that miserable club do.

Only a pre season match so getting fit for a long season is the most important thing, but what I like so far is seeing Lampard not being tactically rigid. I know some will say Pochettino is a loser for winning jack shit, but for me he is probably one of the best, if not the best manager in the world in reading the matches on the touchline, in-game and making changes to his team. And not only in-game, but he never plays the same tactics over and over again from round 1 to round 38. Hope Lamps has some of that in him too.

Yes but Frenkie is more of an artist on the pitch, whereas Marin an industrial type of player. Something like Federer vs Murray Really good generation of Romanian midfielders, Ianis Hagi (Genk), Marin (Ajax), Baluta (Brighton), Cicaldau (Craiova but not for too long, has a 7M release clause).

Totally different type of players if you ask me, Razvan Marin is more Van de Beek than de Jong

Viitorul (Romanian for 'future') is Hagi's club with maybe the best football academy in Eastern Europe. They play, as I like to say, a 'disciplined gung ho' football, especially at home they are a joy to watch, young players born 2000, even 2001 dominating big clubs and creating tons and tons of chances. Hagi invested a lot of money in that academy but now it is a gold mine. Marin at Standard, now Ianis, you will see others joining Jupiler League in the coming years for sure. Stanciu and Chipciu in Anderlecht were frauds and everybody in Romania believed Anderlecht were fools to even get them, nevermind pay that money.

Not really though, you are very very wrong, Ianis is head and shoulders the best player of his current generation, arguably the best one since the Golden generation of USA 1994. Everybody used to think he's hyped because he is Hagi's son but you must watch him play to see he is sooo good, hits the ball so clean with both feet and his hitting technique is so smooth. A pure no 10 with a great vision, for me the same playing style of Kevin de Bruyne only with a monster work rate. And he is a clever guy with a top education and 'big balls' on the pitch, not affraid to go into tackles and very charismatic, has a strong attitude. Hagi and Popescu (ex Barcelona captain) negociated for months the best deal/option for Ianis, Popescu said Barcelona and Man City made monster offers, but Barcelona wanted to loan him to Valladolid and City to loan him to some other team. Keep an eye on him, he's destined for great things, if not next summer, than the summer of 2021 he's off to a top team for big money. For me Genk is the best place now if they keep their attacking style like in the last season, Ianis going to simply thrive in that system.

I keep saying the same thing, this is simply not your average kind of Academy, it is a state of the art one, full of Chelsea through and through kids waiting for their dream to come true. The way this institution it is run, it is simply in the top 3 in Europe, although its players do not make the step forward to the big team, like for example Ajax's. In a world full of rats like Neymar, Pogba, De Ligt and disgusting football agents, this kids bleeding their favourite teams colors through their veins are the way forward. At least for us especially with the transfer ban which might prove to be a blessing in disguise in a few years.

It is a FIFA rule that obliges clubs to give their players a minimum of at least two weeks of holidays after their (players') season ends, so the earliest would be Monday, July 22. Would not be able to join sooner even if he'd want to, the rule is obligatory.

@Fernando said it perfectly - this season is a write off from the very start and if it was up to me I would introduce the youngsters (Reece James, RLC, Mount, CHO, Tammy, Pulisic) as starters for the PL and CL matches no matter the stakes. We're not expecting big things this season so I find this a glorious opportunity to introduce them into the first team. It's not like we'd challenge for the league title and the semi finals (at least) in the CL, we can all agree this is a 3rd-6th place and last 16 CL squad at most, I'd rather we have a mediocre season with all the youngsters introduced than another poor one with Pedro, Willian, Alonso etc.

I'm confident this is going to work well but above all that I have this incredible feeling of immense joy that one of the club's biggest legends is going to take over. I am so impatient for the announcement and the presser it is something I last felt when Jose Mourinho came back in June 2013, I remember that moment like it was yesterday, I called in sick at work and hours before the presser I was simply buzzing. Lamps, Ballack, Makalele, Jody Morris in the dugout, Cech on board, I feel good knowing our own take care of our club.

Hope Genk keep their core. Lille is my second home, I will be there for all their three home matches in the Champions League. If Genk play In Belgium in the same weeks, but different days of course, I will go to their matches as well. Hope I am lucky and one of them draws the Chels!

You can see at the end of the video when he tries to turn that he's still in a bit of pain. Wish him a speedy recovery, no need to be rushed I guess, this ain't no major season for us, looks like a transition one so he must be protected. He's the natural heir to Eden and has all the tools to become a PL star in the next years.

Don't think there is any question marks anymore over who is going to be the next manager. It is clear for me to see that as soon as he gets back from his holiday, Lamps is going to take over here. If he's a good manager or not, I do not know yet, time will tell, all I hope he brings back the good mood at the club and flushes away all the negativity. For me having a good manager and a top squad is just 40-50% in sports. You look at Liverpool, they would be nothing what they are at this point w/o Klopp's influence in creating a perfect environment full of optimism and good mood. I can even give another example in Romania's U21 team that just beat England 4-2 a few days ago. The squad is not wow, but the atmosphere and the emulation created around this team by a whole country is simply out of this world. 20M+ Romanians breath through this team at the moment, it is simply madness what happens in Romania at the moment and it's just the U21s. But as I said, the squad is not wow, lots are playing in the very, very poor Romanian league and they are also missing their star man, Ajax's Razvan Marin, but they have raised their level through a top atmosphere. It is what I hope Lamps can replicate.

Agree, truly a great in the making, oozes class this guy, so composed and elegant on the pitch, makes me think he is like the Roger Federer of football. Barcelona are a lucky bunch.

Think others have watched Derby more than I did and when they say Franks not ready for the job maybe they indeed know what they are talking about, but from the few Derby matches that I have watched, the Old Trafford one, Southampton (x2), Brighton away and a couple of Championship ones, they did not look bad at all, I mean I was really impressed to see a young team playing on the front foot even against PL sides and not one that would park the bus and feed on 2nd balls all the time.