Mario Pašalić

[communicate 2,703]

3 hours ago, LAM09 said:

RLC is back in Feb if we're lucky and have no idea what condition he'll be in.

 

As it stands, we don't have a regular source of goals similar to the Ballack, Essien & Lampard days.

 

 

 

We haven't exactly been lacking in the chances department but still lack that clinical touch from last year.

 

I do agree with the point that the squad doesn't need massive chances right now aside from the addition of one or two players that are a class above the current crop.

Lampard was a goal getter, essien does not really score. Ballack score a bit especially when he is asked to play higher. 

RLC won't really back this season but that doesn't justify the need to buy another scoring midfield unless you want to say good bye Mount. That is whole another story

 

[LAM09 6,782]

Lampard was a goal getter, essien does not really score. Ballack score a bit especially when he is asked to play higher. 
RLC won't really back this season but that doesn't justify the need to buy another scoring midfield unless you want to say good bye Mount. That is whole another story
 

Where did I mention anything about buying someone?

I just made a point Pasalic ought to be here & could offer something different.

[communicate 2,703]

6 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

Where did I mention anything about buying someone?

I just made a point Pasalic ought to be here & could offer something different.


 

My fault but it is the same thing. Let say we sell Barkley and keep pasalic 

We have 

Pasalic, Jorgi, rlc, kova, Kante, Mount and we need one more dm. That is 7 players for 3 positions way too many. Plus we want to give player like Gilmour and anjorin chance to play. 

[LAM09 6,782]

My fault but it is the same thing. Let say we sell Barkley and keep pasalic  We have 

Pasalic, Jorgi, rlc, kova, Kante, Mount and we need one more dm. That is 7 players for 3 positions way too many. Plus we want to give player like Gilmour and anjorin chance to play. 

 

If I'm being honest, I don't expect Kante to be here next season and I'm on the fence with RLC/Mount. 

 

 

On a side note, Ampadu would probably be that DM option.

[NikkiCFC 8,058]

3 hours ago, LAM09 said:

If I'm being honest, I don't expect Kante to be here next season 

Why? 

[LAM09 6,782]

Why? 

Him having bigger ambitions as he reaches his prime and a solid Euros could push that narrative even more.

£100-125m isn't something we could just turn a blind eye at.

[Vesper 29,021]

8 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

Him having bigger ambitions as he reaches his prime and a solid Euros could push that narrative even more.

£100-125m isn't something we could just turn a blind eye at.

reaches his prime?

he turns 30 next season

he is in his prime now, and has 2 more prime years left after this season, maybe 3 max (and I say that is maybe, maybe a wee stretch, especially for the EPL and the type of action action player he is)

he is a small guy, has been pounded on for years, and at 32 (in the 3rd year from above) is going to be susceptible to injuries even more than he is showing now

lets look at WC older MFers

Modric (a different type of player) had his peak at the WC (when he was 32), and has rapidly declined since

David Silva is also rapidly dropping from when he was 32 (33 now) Look at his play this year versus last (and he is a different type of MFer too)

Blaise Matuidi's has been steady downhill from since he turned 32

Busquets is a shadow of what he once was, has been since he he was 30 (the second half of last season is when his decline started, he is 31 now) I am actually surprised by him, out of all these by far

Ivan Rakitic has been in decline since he hit 31, give him another year and he is truly done as a full time player on a top team like Barca

Radja Nainggolan hit 30 and its been downhill rapidly since (he is a smoker though)

Mata is 31 and looks like a shadow

 

defensive oriented MFers?

the only decent one left over 30 (Matic hit 30 as is done as a starter for a class club, he barely gets a sniff at Manure, ffs, who plays the simply dreadful Fred (worst ever £50m plus MF) as a full starter, although he has been injured, which starts to happen more often for so many players when you are 31, 32)

is the genetic freak, Fernandinho

he is literally the only one over 30 who is remotely still class, maybe, maybe the just turned 31yo  Javi Martínez (who would be eaten up here in the EPL, he is shielded a lot at Bayern and is hardly a super key player there)

 

I am NOT saying to sell Kante (unless a £125m or more offer came in) but we do need to start looking (starting for sure in 2021) for his eventual replacement (I cannot recco Camavinga enough for so many reasons)

even if we 3 more peak years out of him, if we waited til summer 2022 to do anything you literally have only one year of integration, which is probably how (knowing our board) it is probably going to go anyway, hell they may wait will summer 2023

[NikkiCFC 8,058]

26 minutes ago, Vesper said:

reaches his prime?

he turns 30 next season

he is in his prime now, and has 2 more prime years left after this season, maybe 3 max (and I say that is maybe, maybe a wee stretch, especially for the EPL and the type of action action player he is)

he is a small guy, has been pounded on for years, and at 32 (in the 3rd year from above) is going to be susceptible to injuries even more than he is showing now

lets look at WC older MFers

Modric (a different type of player) had his peak at the WC (when he was 32), and has rapidly declined since

David Silva is also rapidly dropping from when he was 32 (33 now) Look at his play this year versus last (and he is a different type of MFer too)

Blaise Matuidi's has been steady downhill from since he turned 32

Busquets is a shadow of what he once was, has been since he he was 30 (the second half of last season is when his decline started, he is 31 now) I am actually surprised by him, out of all these by far

Ivan Rakitic has been in decline since he hit 31, give him another year and he is truly done as a full time player on a top team like Barca

Radja Nainggolan hit 30 and its been downhill rapidly since (he is a smoker though)

Mata is 31 and looks like a shadow

 

defensive oriented MFers?

the only decent one left over 30 (Matic hit 30 as is done as a starter for a class club, he barely gets a sniff at Manure, ffs, who plays the simply dreadful Fred (worst ever £50m plus MF) as a full starter, although he has been injured, which starts to happen more often for so many players when you are 31, 32)

is the genetic freak, Fernandinho

he is literally the only one over 30 who is remotely still class, maybe, maybe the just turned 31yo  Javi Martínez (who would be eaten up here in the EPL, he is shielded a lot at Bayern and is hardly a super key player there)

 

I am NOT saying to sell Kante (unless a £125m or more offer came in) but we do need to start looking (starting for sure in 2021) for his eventual replacement (I cannot recco Camavinga enough for so many reasons)

even if we 3 more peak years out of him, if we waited til summer 2022 to do anything you literally have only one year of integration, which is probably how (knowing our board) it is probably going to go anyway, hell they may wait will summer 2023

Makelele is another example. Played for us till 35 and three more seasons after that for PSG on very good level. 

[communicate 2,703]

7 hours ago, LAM09 said:

If I'm being honest, I don't expect Kante to be here next season and I'm on the fence with RLC/Mount. 

 

 

On a side note, Ampadu would probably be that DM option

We have no midfielder who can really defend other than kante, if he is gone, we pretty much need a direct replacement. Really hard to get though 

I don't know about Ampadu. Haven't watched d him much. 

[Vesper 29,021]

13 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

Makelele is another example. Played for us till 35 and three more seasons after that for PSG on very good level. 

I would put him in the Fernandinho genetic freak camp. Same for Maldini, Buffon (who should have retired after he left Juve the first time), Zoff, Totti, CR7, Messi, Pirlo, Zlatan, Alves, Lothar Matthäus, etc. Not that Fernandinho is remotely in the same class as those players.

[Vesper 29,021]

Atalanta ready to enact buy option on Chelsea owned midfielder

https://www.calciomercato.com/en/news/atalanta-ready-to-enact-buy-option-on-chelsea-owned-midfielder-43857

Atalanta plan to enact their buy option on Chelsea owned midfielder Mario Pasalic, according to a report from Milan based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport via Calciomercato.com today.
 
The report details how the Bergamo based club are fully convinced by the performances of the 24-year-old Croatian midfielder, who is currently on his second season with the club. The player will cost la Dea around €15 million, a low fee for a player so well utilised by coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
 
The player has made 18 appearances for Atalanta so far this season, missing only one game all season, the club’s 3-1 win over Lecce in October. He has scored four goals and provided two assists in that time and even scored the equalising goal in Atalanta’s 1-1 draw against Premier League champions Manchester City in the Champions League.
 
Although contracted to Chelsea until 2022, Pasalic has never made an appearance for the South London club.

snip

[Antonio8 736]

20 hours ago, Vesper said:

Atalanta ready to enact buy option on Chelsea owned midfielder

https://www.calciomercato.com/en/news/atalanta-ready-to-enact-buy-option-on-chelsea-owned-midfielder-43857

Atalanta plan to enact their buy option on Chelsea owned midfielder Mario Pasalic, according to a report from Milan based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport via Calciomercato.com today.
 
The report details how the Bergamo based club are fully convinced by the performances of the 24-year-old Croatian midfielder, who is currently on his second season with the club. The player will cost la Dea around €15 million, a low fee for a player so well utilised by coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
 
The player has made 18 appearances for Atalanta so far this season, missing only one game all season, the club’s 3-1 win over Lecce in October. He has scored four goals and provided two assists in that time and even scored the equalising goal in Atalanta’s 1-1 draw against Premier League champions Manchester City in the Champions League.
 
Although contracted to Chelsea until 2022, Pasalic has never made an appearance for the South London club.

snip

he is become a top player in Atalanta it's a pity to lose him for only 15 mil IMHO 

[LAM09 6,782]

he is become a top player in Atalanta it's a pity to lose him for only 15 mil IMHO 

The club seemed to have learned from past mistakes, so there will probably be a buy back clause.

[Jase 43,479]

 

[LAM09 6,782]

 

A snip

[Vesper 29,021]

8 hours ago, Jason said:

 

he had a great goal yesterday, glad to see him find a home

wish it was 15m pounds, but still, we turn a nice profit

[Fernando 6,485]

For someone that never played with us yes its a good deal. 

However it's a pity that he never got a chance, it is why I'm happy with Lampard. He gives chances to these younger players that in the past never got it with past managers. 

[Johnnyeye 7,445]

i wouldn't mind bringing Pasalic back, he is having a great season, goals and assists wise with Atalanta. Is it confirmed we are selling him to Atalanta? is there a buyback clause? @Vesper