Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire

[Kojo 4,676]

NO! It's not good enough, what we need is something else, something different! not just a billionare a super billionaire.

Someone like Bruce Wayne! not only would he invest in some players, he could kick fergies arse and no one would know, because he is the man of disguise afterall. I'm liking this idea of Wayne Industries taking over, fuck Roman, lets get the Batman in charge and see if we can actually do some damage, Alfred get ready!.

[Backstreet09 499]

NO! It's not good enough, what we need is something else, something different! not just a billionare a super billionaire.

Someone like Bruce Wayne! not only would he invest in some players, he could kick fergies arse and no one would know, because he is the man of disguise afterall. I'm liking this idea of Wayne Industries taking over, fuck Roman, lets get the Batman in charge and see if we can actually do some damage, Alfred get ready!.

Or we can get Tony Stark lol ? He's the fucking IRON MAN xD

[robdog 2,084]

NO! It's not good enough, what we need is something else, something different! not just a billionare a super billionaire.

Someone like Bruce Wayne! not only would he invest in some players, he could kick fergies arse and no one would know, because he is the man of disguise afterall. I'm liking this idea of Wayne Industries taking over, fuck Roman, lets get the Batman in charge and see if we can actually do some damage, Alfred get ready

Lo Siento Hombre, I rather have Tony Stark

[bushman 2,043]

Roman is the best thing that ever happened to Chelsea. Without him, the club, most likely would have been bankrupted.

No one can deny the power & influence that money has in football.

It was Murdoch´s Sky TV that changed the face of the game from working class game to a billion pound business.

It became the most globalised sport in the world. Sky TV took advantage of this opportunity & invested millions.

TV deals are at the highest they ever been, these days.

This is the way modern football is heading.

[robsblubot 3,504]

Author of the article is really unkind to Corinthians (far bigger club than QPR in every possible way), but fair points regardless.

They are not mutually exclusive: Roman can indeed be the best "thing" that has ever happen to Chelsea, and also a hinderance concerning long-term strategy, by the manner in which he mishandles managers and coaches.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Fair dos. Cant see him going unless some Siberian peasant or rival oligarch puts a bullet in him. Like him (and his money) to stay but wish he'd learn and pay off the shyster hangers on, employ more football people upstairs and stop thinking he can sack and buy who he wants without it being detrimental to the club

Is it just Buck you want out?

Surely a similar group to the one that owns PSG could come along and buy us from The Russian (in theory)? PSG seem to be doing things the right way. A very good board, smart transfers, bringing in a player like Beckham to increase the brand etc. (I really doubt Becks was brought in as actual cover for midfield.)

Haven't the current board been making smart moves in the market? Aren't we laying the sins of previous board members at their feet?

People want the board out - do any of them have a fucking clue why?

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Surely a similar group to the one that owns PSG could come along and buy us from The Russian (in theory)? PSG seem to be doing things the right way. A very good board, smart transfers, bringing in a player like Beckham to increase the brand etc. (I really doubt Becks was brought in as actual cover for midfield.)

PSG are doing an awful job. They've spent about 10X more than the next highest spending club in France over the past five years and they're only 3 points clear. PSG spent around 125M this year. Next highest spending team? 4.4M. They're going to win but not because they're run well, but because they spend so much more than anyone else.

[zolayes 14,489]

PSG are doing an awful job. They've spent about 10X more than the next highest spending club in France over the past five years and they're only 3 points clear. PSG spent around 125M this year. Next highest spending team? 4.4M. They're going to win but not because they're run well, but because they spend so much more than anyone else.

I wish we had their manager...

[Leif 6,006]

PSG are doing an awful job. They've spent about 10X more than the next highest spending club in France over the past five years and they're only 3 points clear. PSG spent around 125M this year. Next highest spending team? 4.4M. They're going to win but not because they're run well, but because they spend so much more than anyone else.

They're paying too much, but they back up what they spend. We've spent £50m on Torres, half that on Luiz, £35m on Hazard, around £27m on Mata, £20m on Oscar etc. We've actually spent around the same as them if we date back to the Torres purchase - and since then, of course we have a CL title, but their current team in the CL - we are not. And they're on course to win their league - we are not. They also have a board and backroom staff who are built for football; many of which are ex-AC Milan. They've got one of the best managers in the world and market themselves really well while also communicating with the fans.

[Ollie 4,400]

That article has basically made me not give a shit about the club because whether we like it or not, it's all true. They don't give a shit about us. Although i do care, i dont care as much as i used to. Roman took over 10 years ago and we're in this position? Yes we've won trophies which is great but we should be title contenders every year in which is the holy grail really, domination of your domestic league. We should be a hell of a lot more stable and most of the trophies we've seen on the outside, paper over a lot of cracks on on the inside of our fraud of a club.

[ZanSnake 1,211]

I think the club should be seen more as a football club rather then being seen as a 'business'. We have the Gourclay, who doesn't know anything about football, who comes out with this terrible shit, now and then, trying to make the 'dumb-witted' fans to try and understand why the board makes it's decision, which most times implies negative responses on the field. If the club was more interested on the football on the pitch, rather then the money going into their back-pocket, maybe we wouldn't have to grieve every time a manager goes into a lack of form.

The only way forward is for Roman to swallow his pride, and get back the only person who has the talent to reemerge us, and make us the great power we were, and that is Jose.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

They're paying too much, but they back up what they spend. We've spent £50m on Torres, half that on Luiz, £35m on Hazard, around £27m on Mata, £20m on Oscar etc. We've actually spent around the same as them if we date back to the Torres purchase - and since then, of course we have a CL title, but their current team in the CL - we are not. And they're on course to win their league - we are not. They also have a board and backroom staff who are built for football; many of which are ex-AC Milan. They've got one of the best managers in the world and market themselves really well while also communicating with the fans.

They do have good people, but it doesn't matter, because you could put idiots in charge and if you are outspending everyone 10/1, you should win the league easily. Some of their signings are working out, some have been poor. Pastore, Lavezzi, and Veratti cost about 75M and have been pretty mediocre in lesser league. Thiago Silva is excellent, but 35M and 160K/week on a five year contract a 28 year old central defender? That's just crazy money. And Lucas Moura has looked good early on, but 45M Euros for an unproven player? That's a massive risk. It's the Chelsea 2003/2004 model where you just spend so much that some players turn out and the ones that don't, don't matter because you'll just spend 100M more the next season. That model is why we're in the trouble we're in. Massive, reckless spending on prestige signings.

[robdog 2,084]

They do have good people, but it doesn't matter, because you could put idiots in charge and if you are outspending everyone 10/1, you should win the league easily. Some of their signings are working out, some have been poor. Pastore, Lavezzi, and Veratti cost about 75M and have been pretty mediocre in lesser league. Thiago Silva is excellent, but 35M and 160K/week on a five year contract a 28 year old central defender? That's just crazy money. And Lucas Moura has looked good early on, but 45M Euros for an unproven player? That's a massive risk. It's the Chelsea 2003/2004 model where you just spend so much that some players turn out and the ones that don't, don't matter because you'll just spend 100M more the next season. That model is why we're in the trouble we're in. Massive, reckless spending on prestige signings.

Right & failure to produce quality youth products. But TBH, it's rare to have more than 2 or 3 Top Youth products to break into Top side like ours.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Right & failure to produce quality youth products. But TBH, it's rare to have more than 2 or 3 Top Youth products to break into Top side like ours.

I have no problem with that. I don't even have a problem buying our young players like we did with De Bruyne, Courtois and Lukaku. It works. The issue is this: we've spent in the 20M and over range on six players in the last three years. Only one, Mata, I would consider close to top-level. Hazard is not far behind. Ramires and Luiz are good but flawed players. Oscar has promise. Torres is not even worth mentioning. In that same period ManU has spent 20M+ on one player. Robin Van Persie. When you spend elite money, you should be getting elite players a lot of the time. We're not.

[GodZola 630]

I believe that the club is making strides in the right direction to become self sustainable - most on here were applauding their business strategy last year were they were bringing in different revenue streams. The hierarchy finally have applied some common sense in their approach to signing players - younger, lower wages & a potential sell on fee, the youth set up is starting to bare fruit although there is still much work to be done in this area imho

However its more on the playing side where the hierarchy have made mistakes, this goes back to Jose's reign were he had players shoved on him he didn't want, Arneson given overall running of the youth set up, he was then sacked that followed a succession of poor management appointments, Wilkins being sacked for speaking his mind & more recently the waste of 50m, premature sacking of Robbie & lastly installing a manager that would upset just about every fan & this was probably the straw that broke the camels back for many fans who saw this appointment as complete ignorance.

For me though the near future is where the club can make huge strides forward on & off the pitch if they appoint the right manager who is given time to get things right for a change (not tin tacked after a poor spell) I have to agree with FB in that we need a football person on the board that can give the expertise on the playing side that is transparently lacking in the boardroom, Wilkins would be my choice - not only does he have the club at heart he also has a wealth of knowledge & has that personal touch too.

There are some massive decisions coming up in next 6 months which will be fundamental to our future - releasing Benitez, employing the right manager, selling Torres, loan players returning etc, Roman & the board have a huge role to play & if they get it right then we will be sitting pretty this time next year & set up for the near future to challenge again, if they don't then it could set us back years. Come August I expect most of those decisions to be in place......

Oh by the way I don't care Rafa is still our manager, I will be there Saturday supporting 'the team' all this negativity about our club reminds me of sour fuckin bitter Liverpool & Arsenal fans moaning about what used to be, yeah we've been shite but let's not stoop to their art of whinge'ing - please!

[Blue Armour 4,289]

I believe that the club is making strides in the right direction to become self sustainable - most on here were applauding their business strategy last year were they were bringing in different revenue streams. The hierarchy finally have applied some common sense in their approach to signing players - younger, lower wages & a potential sell on fee, the youth set up is starting to bare fruit although there is still much work to be done in this area imho

However its more on the playing side where the hierarchy have made mistakes, this goes back to Jose's reign were he had players shoved on him he didn't want, Arneson given overall running of the youth set up, he was then sacked that followed a succession of poor management appointments, Wilkins being sacked for speaking his mind & more recently the waste of 50m, premature sacking of Robbie & lastly installing a manager that would upset just about every fan & this was probably the straw that broke the camels back for many fans who saw this appointment as complete ignorance.

For me though the near future is where the club can make huge strides forward on & off the pitch if they appoint the right manager who is given time to get things right for a change (not tin tacked after a poor spell) I have to agree with FB in that we need a football person on the board that can give the expertise on the playing side that is transparently lacking in the boardroom, Wilkins would be my choice - not only does he have the club at heart he also has a wealth of knowledge & has that personal touch too.

There are some massive decisions coming up in next 6 months which will be fundamental to our future - releasing Benitez, employing the right manager, selling Torres, loan players returning etc, Roman & the board have a huge role to play & if they get it right then we will be sitting pretty this time next year & set up for the near future to challenge again, if they don't then it could set us back years. Come August I expect most of those decisions to be in place......

Oh by the way I don't care Rafa is still our manager, I will be there Saturday supporting 'the team' all this negativity about our club reminds me of sour fuckin bitter Liverpool & Arsenal fans moaning about what used to be, yeah we've been shite but let's not stoop to their art of whinge'ing - please!

Agreed. And good post.

[nachikethas 1,149]

just hire jose or a good manager and kick torres out every thing will be ok. we seriously lacking a fear factor for others.its like even smaller teams arent afraid of us.

[ZOS 580]

we're all disappointed with all what is going around the club, but wishing Roman to walk away?........come on guys