🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Frank Lampard

[Vesper 30,185]

Hard to blame Lampard when the following are simply not anywhere near prime Chels material

these are now on the main roster

 
Kepa  (this needs to be fixed and SOON, starting with a coaching change) 
Willy Caballero (ok for now as a backup, but is NOT good enough, not even close, to be a starter)  
Kurt Zouma   (simply piss poor on the ball and makes too many mistakes, I have held my tongue for months, but this is the bottom line for me, not that anything will be done)
Andreas Christensen  (one word....WEAK)  
Emerson    
Marcos Alonso 
César Azpilicueta  (NOT acceptable as a LB, fine as a backup/rotation RB, but is a poor captain as well)
N'Golo Kanté   (not in his present role, he is crammed into the side and it unbalances us, this will not change under Lamps, as he is not a defensive, counter-attacking manager)
Ross Barkley   
Marco van Ginkel  (tragic injuries)
Lewis Baker   (why is he not sold??)
Danilo Pantic   (see Baker)
Willian (oki as a backup for the next 4 months, but to consider him as our best and main winger, as some have posited, is madness and damning of the level we are at, if we renew him for 2 or even the 3 (!!!) years he is demanding, this shows where we are headed and it isn't pretty)   
Pedro  (is dregs now, he is spent, good servant, but his race is run, it is insane we did not sell him to one of the many teams that wanted him, and then buy the red hot Boga, for a net cost of only £7-8m!!!)) 
Michy Batshuayi   (the death of top 4 hopes if Tammy goes down, utter pants as an all-round footballer)
Olivier Giroud   (needs to be used as we kept him) 

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

58 minutes ago, bigbluewillie said:

a few of you are slating Frank when he probably needs at least 3 seasons to turn things round,

He's never going to get three years the way things are going he'll be lucky to get three months. One of the biggest cliches but it's ultimately true that football is a results business and if results are going badly then your out it doesn't matter what your stature at the club is. We've seen double winning managers sacked, a champions league manager sacked, our most successful manager in our history sacked, a world cup winner sacked.

Lampard should get this season and if the club back him in the transfer market in the summer and by christmas things aren't going well he'll be out. I'm not anti Lampard nor am I a Lampard apologist If we don't get top four he'll be under severe pressure especially as we've had a decent lead on the team in fifth place and not capitalised on it.

[Vesper 30,185]

1 minute ago, Mana said:

People will disagree with me, but there's one thing I'll always credit Lampard for.

He didn't pussy up and showed his frustration with the board for not backing him. He said he had players he wanted for the window, and the board didn't deliver.

He went Conte mode against Leicester. That was rash, but he needs to send a message somehow.

The board fecked him up. Now the board must, in all circumstances back Lampard this summer if they want to stick with him. I want to see 5/6 new players that improves the team that we have been long waiting for.

If the board fail to back Lampard again this summer, if Lampard cares about Chelsea Football Club, he'll walk from the club. Because if the board didn't back you in the summer, what makes you think they'll back you in the future? Stop being a shield to Marina and idiotic lot.

Fans will probably act then. Enough is enough with the board.

completely agree

[Laylabelle 9,535]

5 minutes ago, Mana said:

People will disagree with me, but there's one thing I'll always credit Lampard for.

He didn't pussy up and showed his frustration with the board for not backing him. He said he had players he wanted for the window, and the board didn't deliver.

He went Conte mode against Leicester. That was rash, but he needs to send a message somehow.

The board fecked him up. Now the board must, in all circumstances back Lampard this summer if they want to stick with him. I want to see 5/6 new players that improves the team that we have been long waiting for.

If the board fail to back Lampard again this summer, if Lampard cares about Chelsea Football Club, he'll walk from the club. Because if the board don't back you in the summer, what makes you think they'll back you in the future? Stop being a shield to Marina and the idiotic lot.

Fans will probably act then. Enough is enough with the board.

I'm not expecting anything in summer. Hasn't been that great in the past and you can tell whoever is manager is frustrated. I'd back him if this happens and he does walk.

[Atomiswave 6,117]

12 minutes ago, Mana said:

People will disagree with me, but there's one thing I'll always credit Lampard for.

He didn't pussy up and showed his frustration with the board for not backing him. He said he had players he wanted for the window, and the board didn't deliver.

He went Conte mode against Leicester. That was rash, but he needs to send a message somehow.

The board fecked him up. Now the board must, in all circumstances back Lampard this summer if they want to stick with him. I want to see 5/6 new players that improves the team that we have been long waiting for.

If the board fail to back Lampard again this summer, if Lampard cares about Chelsea Football Club, he'll walk from the club. Because if the board don't back you in the summer, what makes you think they'll back you in the future? Stop being a shield to Marina and the idiotic lot.

Fans will probably act then. Enough is enough with the board.

I fucking loved that he did that. He is a proper Chels, Conte too was becoming a Chels, he loved it here, fond of the fans etc, then we fucked him up badly. Fans will def riot if he walks and good on him if it comes to that.

[Vesper 30,185]

6 minutes ago, Laylabelle said:

I'm not expecting anything in summer. Hasn't been that great in the past and you can tell whoever is manager is frustrated. I'd back him if this happens and he does walk.

the 3 keys to judge summer 2020 by

1 a fail on Sancho (fail here and it is all downhill form there)

2 a fail on Dembele or (my own injection of an option) Calvert-Lewin, as I (as all know by now) do not think Werner ends up here. If we fail on those 3, then the options really dry up FAST (Lautaro is pipe dream, Shitty will not sell us Jesus, and Raúl Jiménez, who turns 30 next season, is too old for the cash demanded)

3 a fail on Chilwell and if we fail, we then do nothing at all at LB

if those 3 things happen

we are FUCKED

if those all fail and we still, even then (given all that money for the above is not spent there) fail to land Ziyech (or similar) and Grealish (or Maddison), plus Palace will not budge at all on the £80m demand for Zaha (thus meaning ZERO chance we move on him), and also we still make (at that point) no moves at CB and DMF, AND as a cherry on the cake, renew the cuntish Willian on a 2 or even 3 year, £10m per year contract (thus blowing out the dressing room atmosphere wage structure demands)

THEN the the fucked part will come viciously hard and come so soon it will make heads spin and minds reel

 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,819]

I am not convinced that Chilwell is the best choice. He looks limited in the games I have watched of defending headers. Great wheels tho and can score.

[Vesper 30,185]

17 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

I am not convinced that Chilwell is the best choice. He looks limited in the games I have watched of defending headers. Great wheels tho and can score.

oh, neither do I at all

I think £80m for him is madness

I was only saying that IF (as the board and Lamps seem to be Chilwell or bust) we fail and then do NOTHING at LB that is a huge fail key

I would so so much rather sell or swap the 2 dregs we have now

 

and buy (no order and the Bayern two are pipes dreams)

2 of the following

 

Theo Hernandez

Robin Gosens

Alex Telles (last summer to buy before he is too old, utter madness we did not sell Alonso and buy him, which was a zero (or near) net cost deal)

David Alaba (last summer to buy before he is too old)

Alphonso Davies

Luca Pellegrini

Alejandro Grimaldo (I think he is too pricey (60m euros) for what we would get)

Jose Gaya (not even an option as 100m euros is insane)

Sergio Reguilón (RM will not sell him unless we dangle Kante, which I would bite their hands off for a Kante for Varane + Reguilón swap)

Rayan Aït Nouri  18yo, 2nd best U20 LB on the planet (Davies is top)

 

 

[Jase 43,479]

32 minutes ago, Atomiswave said:

I fucking loved that he did that. He is a proper Chels, Conte too was becoming a Chels, he loved it here, fond of the fans etc, then we fucked him up badly. Fans will def riot if he walks and good on him if it comes to that.

I'm not sure what does moaning about the lack of transfer backing has gotta do with being a 'proper Chels'.  

Conte moaned because he wants to win and I'm sure it's the same with Lampard as well. The club definitely took a risk by not signing anyone in January but at the same time, there were also enough arguments as to why we did the right thing by not signing anyone. 

[Vesper 30,185]

3 minutes ago, Jason said:

I'm not sure what does moaning about the lack of transfer backing has gotta do with being a 'proper Chels'.  

Conte moaned because he wants to win and I'm sure it's the same with Lampard as well. The club definitely took a risk by not signing anyone in January but at the same time, there were also enough arguments as to why we did the right thing by not signing anyone. 

do explain LB

we had hard offers (Marina bollocksing about with Alonso's price with Inter was FUCKED) for both of ours and clear deals (Telles via RC for one) that could have been done

CF I will give you (although I personally would have been all over RM about a loan for Jovic, even with no option at all)

[Vesper 30,185]

5 minutes ago, Jason said:

I'm not sure what does moaning about the lack of transfer backing has gotta do with being a 'proper Chels'.  

Conte moaned because he wants to win and I'm sure it's the same with Lampard as well. The club definitely took a risk by not signing anyone in January but at the same time, there were also enough arguments as to why we did the right thing by not signing anyone. 

Also, explain the non-sale of the now-horrid Pedro and then not using the buyback on Boga, which would have net cost only 7-8m total

that and LB are inexcusable fuck-ups

[Jase 43,479]

Just now, Vesper said:

do explain LB

we had hard offers (Marina bollocksing about with Alonso's price with Inter was FUCKED) for both of ours and clear deals (Telles via RC for one) that could have been done

CF I will give you

I wouldn't necessarily argue against the LB point but I was talking from the strikers' chase perspective. Lampard and the board clearly were targeting a striker, feeling that it was more of a game changer than getting a LB. 

[Vesper 30,185]

8 minutes ago, Jason said:

I wouldn't necessarily argue against the LB point but I was talking from the strikers' chase perspective. Lampard and the board clearly were targeting a striker, feeling that it was more of a game changer than getting a LB. 

I accept that a valid for CF

Cavani's Atleti desires bollocksed us in the end, as did Lyon's refusals to sell Dembele

Not much we could do about either

I still think Mertens rumour was sham, as he is injured and LOVES Naples. No way was he leaving, and I fully expect him to renew soon or by summer.

[Jase 43,479]

6 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Also, explain the non-sale of the now-horrid Pedro and then not using the buyback on Boga, which would have net cost only 7-8m total

It's clear by now that the club are putting all the eggs into the basket of hoping we finish in the Top 4 and then (hopefully!) go big in the summer. If we do that and sign Sancho, then it wouldn't make sense to have Pulisic, CHO, Sancho and Boga. Heck, Willian might even stay!

Apart from getting a few million, I don't think there's any difference at all in letting Pedro go in January or in the summer. We can easily sign Boga in the summer, if it comes to that, given the clause in his contract. 

[Vesper 30,185]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

It's clear by now that the club are putting all the eggs into the basket of hoping we finish in the Top 4 and then (hopefully!) go big in the summer. If we do that and sign Sancho, then it wouldn't make sense to have Pulisic, CHO, Sancho and Boga. Heck, Willian might even stay!

Apart from getting a few million, I don't think there's any difference at all in letting Pedro go in January or in the summer. We can easily sign Boga in the summer, if it comes to that, given the clause in his contract. 

so you think we would roll with only 3 wingers?

or that if we do have 4, that the fourth would be a 32-34yo Willian on a £30m for 3 years contract instead of Boga?

and £5m or so that we just flushed down the shitter with letting the turgid Pedro walk on a free just adds to already monstrous losses we have already had and will have

the amounts are already jaw dropping (over 300m and counting) and quite likely can go well over £400m if we cock up with the remaining older players

On top of that, most all of our older loan army out now is going to end in masssssive fails when the final coin is counted

The board is criminally poor, and the blame ultimately is Roman's to bear

I hate seeing our once magnificent team being slowly rendered null and void as a future-forward force by a pack of mendacious and inept rotters

[Jase 43,479]

15 minutes ago, Vesper said:

so you think we would roll with only 3 wingers?

or that if we do have 4, that the fourth would be a 32-34yo Willian on a £30m for 3 years contract instead of Boga?

If we have Sancho, Pulisic, CHO and Boga, Boga would likely be at the bottom of the pecking order, no? Having competition is one thing but there's only so many times we can rotate 4 young players for 2 positions before someone becomes unhappy. Plus, if we're gonna spend over 100 million on Sancho, we'll likely make him first choice and only rest him when needed. On top of that, Boga is playing week in week out now at Sassuolo. We might be a bigger club than them but you would think Boga wants consistent game time here as opposed to playing on and off. 

I'm not gonna debate the length of contract Willian should be getting but say if he's happy to be 4th choice behind Pulisic, Sancho, CHO, then that wouldn't be the worst of situations. We also have Mount to play out wide if needed anyway. 

[Vesper 30,185]

10 minutes ago, Jason said:

If we have Sancho, Pulisic, CHO and Boga, Boga would likely be at the bottom of the pecking order, no? Having competition is one thing but there's only so many times we can rotate 4 young players for 2 positions before someone becomes unhappy. Plus, if we're gonna spend over 100 million on Sancho, we'll likely make him first choice and only rest him when needed. On top of that, Boga is playing week in week out now at Sassuolo. We might be a bigger club than them but you would think Boga wants consistent game time here as opposed to playing on and off. 

I'm not gonna debate the length of contract Willian should be getting but say if he's happy to be 4th choice behind Pulisic, Sancho, CHO, then that wouldn't be the worst of situations. We also have Mount to play out wide if needed anyway. 

why would we open up the Pandora's box of wage structure by renewing him at insane wages until he is 34 (turns 35 right after the 3 years end)

it will fuck us hard with the younger players like Tammy

and you KNOW he will bitch about lack of playing time if he is 'Pedro'd'

full poison mode

so depressing to think that it may not be until the start of the 2023-24 season that we are Willian-free

it's a nightmare 

[Superblue 6,372]

1 hour ago, Vesper said:

Also, explain the non-sale of the now-horrid Pedro and then not using the buyback on Boga, which would have net cost only 7-8m total

that and LB are inexcusable fuck-ups

Whilst I would agree about the left back situation because I also am unsure Chilwell is the best solution at the money being talked, but if the club have their sights on a first choice that is available in six months time then I think it's a better and more efficient policy to get into. It might not even be Chilwell as their first choice, it could be someone completely different (Chelsea seem to have a knack of doing that) who may not be available until the summer. If come the summer, we still don't get our first choice then these options which were available in January are still on the market to move on to but at least then we haven't gone for our third or fourth choice option because simply they're available soonest.

Again I agree on Boga but if Chelsea keep Willian and buy Boga then there isn't really a spot open then for a new wide player next season because CHO and Pulisic certainly aren't being sold. I think Boga is a safe and cheap option to bring back next season to replace Pedro and/or Willian if higher priority options fail (e.g. Sancho) or both Pedro and Willian leave.

I think it is simply the case of the opportunities available in the summer to do what is some pretty significant reinforcing and reshaping of the current squad far outweighs a quick fix solution in January.

[Vesper 30,185]

24 minutes ago, Superblue_1986 said:

Whilst I would agree about the left back situation because I also am unsure Chilwell is the best solution at the money being talked, but if the club have their sights on a first choice that is available in six months time then I think it's a better and more efficient policy to get into. It might not even be Chilwell as their first choice, it could be someone completely different (Chelsea seem to have a knack of doing that) who may not be available until the summer. If come the summer, we still don't get our first choice then these options which were available in January are still on the market to move on to but at least then we haven't gone for our third or fourth choice option because simply they're available soonest.

Again I agree on Boga but if Chelsea keep Willian and buy Boga then there isn't really a spot open then for a new wide player next season because CHO and Pulisic certainly aren't being sold. I think Boga is a safe and cheap option to bring back next season to replace Pedro and/or Willian if higher priority options fail (e.g. Sancho) or both Pedro and Willian leave.

I think it is simply the case of the opportunities available in the summer to do what is some pretty significant reinforcing and reshaping of the current squad far outweighs a quick fix solution in January.

I understand that reasoning about winger but that assumes 2 things

1 we are going cave in and renew Willian on 200K PW for so or either 2 or 3 years (shoot me now)

2 We couldn't have resold Boga (IF we had too) for a MASSIVE profit (we so could have)

The LB part I am unmoved by, and I have laid all all possible quality options who are remotely available (unless you want to toss an super over-priced Digne in there) and NOTHING stopped us from selling one of our dregs and bringing in a superb Telles (to name but one) at basically even cost, and who helps us at multiple levels

Alonso's value is plummeting (he is 30yo in December), and Marina upping the price on Inter to an insane 45m euros after quoting them 35m initially (which could have been hammered out to near that) was a huge bitch move that will cost us millions at the end of the day

If we hold onto him over the summer, the most we will get is probably well under £20m, say around £15m or so in 2021, which would represent a £30m loss from what RM offered (£45m) in 2018, and to which Marina did the SAME thing (raised it to £55m!)

the losses on refused and mistimed sales are KILLING us, its hundreds of million of pounds less cash towards the bottom line

and many of the players we hold onto HURT the team!!!!!

the only one who truly helped after we refused to sell in a timely fashion was Hazard (and we will take a £90-100m or so loss versus what we could have gotten the year before, although I will admit he got us into the CL and won the EL, so some of that was paid back)

Courtois not being sold in 2017 cost us MASSIVELY, as we lost around £40m outright in a lesser t-fee, gained us no CL, no title (did win the FA cup but that was NOT singularly due to Cuntois at all) and it also fucked us the next year, as we could have so so found a far cheaper and better replacement in 2017 than the nightmare £143m forced Kepa cock-up (and so far it DOES look a nightmare atm, which hopefully changes) in 2018

[communicate 2,703]

9 hours ago, Mana said:

...you're kidding, right?

Something IS wrong with Kante. He has been poor to average more constantly now. There hasn't been a WC performance from Kante for a very long while.

Nope. Willian is our best winger and that is a problem. 

Nope nothing wrong with Kante. He hasn't been brilliant that is for sure. But Kante is least of my concern about this team. I laugh at people who focus on kante against Leicester. Was he brilliant ? Nope. Perfectly acceptable? Yes.