Super Frank Thread

[NikkiCFC 7,943]

5 hours ago, Mana said:

Get one or two signings done. A LOAN even. Just something. We will not get top 4 with this squad if other sides strengthen. I don't trust them anymore.

Who is strengthening? Spurs losing Eriksen and Kane will be out maybe till the end of the season. They are signing for big money some kid from Benfica. Maybe they sign Piatek but he's horrible this season and is far away from Kane level. Arsenal? Lol. Wolves with all respect are not in top4 race expecially with EL incoming. 

I don't know why I even mentioned these clubs because realistically only United is a threat. Bruno will improve them no doubt but they have Thursday-Sunday schedule soon and it's going to kill them. Don't forget Leicester is slowly going down and is also in the top4 race. Even with this squad we should get top4 comfortably with all the circumstances. 

We all agree we need LB and RW but we won't sign them this January because we are waiting for Chilwell/Alaba and Sancho who'll be available in the summer. I do think we can get Dembele probably on deadline day but only if Lyon finds replacement. 

[Superblue 6,370]

5 hours ago, Mana said:

I've seen big players last summer snub United because they are not big as they were before, including failure to get Champions League and having a rookie intern. (Which star player would want to work under Ole?)

We will be in the same position as United in the summer if we fail to get CL this season (and Lampard gets another season). Get one or two signings done. A LOAN even. Just something. We will not get top 4 with this squad if other sides strengthen. I don't trust them anymore.

The problem is the real top drawer players will not move this window. So the alternative is overpaying for a 3rd of 4th choice option in those positions this January.

If we overspend and they under-perform what are we expected to then do in the summer having blown big money in this window.

Just as an example based on players we're being linked with, if we've been given an idea that Sancho and Werner are interested in a move in the summer, should we wait or should we instead spend our money and buy Zaha and Dembele just because we may be able to get them now if we pay enough? There is no way we'd drop £80m on Zaha to then be in the market for Sancho in the summer.

I think the club are doing the right thing, if this is indeed their strategy. If we miss out on Champions League football options such as Zaha and Dembele would likely still be attainable in the summer anyway.

The only position possibly is left back because I'm not sold on us trying to buy Chilwell. In the last month I've kept more of an eye on him and he has been underwhelming at best, particularly defensively. If there is someone available now alternatively to Chilwell then I'd be inclined to make a move for them this window. 

As you mentioned, if we really need to bring a player in to freshen things up or add an extra body then it would probably be a loan and in that situation you do have to ask the question why is that player available on loan from their parent club in the first place?

[communicate 2,703]

14 hours ago, Mana said:

I've seen big players last summer snub United because they are not big as they were before, including failure to get Champions League and having a rookie intern. (Which star player would want to work under Ole?)

We will be in the same position as United in the summer if we fail to get CL this season (and Lampard gets another season). Get one or two signings done. A LOAN even. Just something. We will not get top 4 with this squad if other sides strengthen. I don't trust them anymore.

Define something? Should we sign another Zappacosta? 

Give me a name of a player that is better than ours that is attainable. 

[Vesper 28,795]

1 hour ago, communicate said:

Define something? Should we sign another Zappacosta? 

Give me a name of a player that is better than ours that is attainable. 

at LB it is easy

I want BOTH of the following

Sell fucking Alonso  to Inter and buy

Alex Telles (£32m RC) tracking to 10 goals and 16 assists, has over 50 assists as a LB (including CL) in the past 3 and half years, and he is a SUPERB corner taker

and then (or first) swap for

Robin Gosens (offer a straight swap of Emerson for him to Atalanta) tracking to at least 15 goals and 11 or 12 assists (over a 3500 min season)  tall, pacy, solid defensively, motor on him, typical high end German fullback with a great shot and cross

they are almost the exact same age (28 days apart) at 25yo

Emerson is an Italian citizen and speaks (obviously) fluent Italian and has played for years in Serie A and is much more suited for Serie A (Gosens is built for the EPL as any LB is atm)

they are both worth around £30m (hell, I would pay £35-40m for Gosens, I have watched a tonne of his games now, he is the real deal, so I would even toss a bit of cash in the deal to get it done)

 

done and dusted

 

it is madness to keep trotting out Azpi at LB

he crushes, just kills, our offensive play on the left, the other two (regardless of how in demand they are, and they are in demand) are dogshit for us, the EPL, and the way we play

 

LB is by far my number one enraging thing atm about the club (Kante will be soon be as well come summer if we do not do something to sort him now)

we have NO QUALITY PLAYERS THERE AT ALL (the only position you can say this about)

 

FUCK waiting for the insanely over priced Chilwell (who is massively slumping atm and is so NOT a guarantee but anyway) fuck paying 100m euros for Gaya or 60m for the super short Grimaldo

Theo Hernandez I also rate, but he will be shit hard to pull from AC Milan (plus they just have been bought by the 2nd richest man on the planet, so have literally a 100 billion fortune backing them now)

Alaba is a pipe dream, Bayern are not selling him now or in the summer, they will probably wait until summer 2021, (when he is 29yo) to sell him (even if they would sell him now, they would want at least £70m, no way do I believe they will sell him for 60m euros in January, which I have seen tossed out there)

[NikkiCFC 7,943]

3 hours ago, Vesper said:

at LB it is easy

I want BOTH of the following

Sell fucking Alonso  to Inter and buy

Alex Telles (£32m RC) tracking to 10 goals and 16 assists, has over 50 assists as a LB (including CL) in the past 3 and half years, and he is a SUPERB corner taker

and then (or first) swap for

Robin Gosens (offer a straight swap of Emerson for him to Atalanta) tracking to at least 15 goals and 11 or 12 assists (over a 3500 min season)  tall, pacy, solid defensively, motor on him, typical high end German fullback with a great shot and cross

Alaba is a pipe dream, Bayern are not selling him now or in the summer, they will probably wait until summer 2021, (when he is 29yo) to sell him (even if they would sell him now, they would want at least £70m, no way do I believe they will sell him for 60m euros in January, which I have seen tossed out there)

Alaba contract expires in June 2021 so they will most likely sell him in the summer this year. And it has to be cheaper because of this. It doesn't look like he will renew and he said if he leaves Real, Barca (they are set at LB) or PL are only options. Let City have Chilwell and we have open path for Alaba. 

But I must say I do like Gosens a lot! 

[Vesper 28,795]

27 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

Alaba contract expires in June 2021 so they will most likely sell him in the summer this year. And it has to be cheaper because of this. It doesn't look like he will renew and he said if he leaves Real, Barca (they are set at LB) or PL are only options. Let City have Chilwell and we have open path for Alaba. 

But I must say I do like Gosens a lot! 

IF Alaba is around £45-50m then I can be persuaded to accept him over Telles, but I really want Gosens NOW

am 100% sold on him as a great attacking left fullback, left wingback, and even maybe LMF/RW in a pinch

he screams Chels quality to me

gut feeling strictly but I truly like the cut of his jib

I think he can do major damage under the Lamp's system

he is MILES beyond the dregs buys of Zappacosta, and Baba and the utterly mediocre (for the EPL) Emerson

he is like a far better defending so much faster, much stronger, far more driven Alonso (he is only 1 and a half inches shorter than the turtle too, so adds greatly needed height)

Emerson as bait for Atalanta surely can help close a deal as Serie A LOVES Emerson (look at how long Juve have been trying to prise him away from us, under both Massimiliano Allegri and now the old smoker Sarri) He is HG in Italy, which is a huge advantage.

We have already scouted him, so let's get it done!!!

 

Lotthar Matthäus believes Atalanta's Robin Gosens deserves a shot in the German national team.

https://bulinews.com/news/4269/lothar-matthäus-atalantas-robin-gosens-deserves-be-called-for-germany

Lothar Matthäus has urged Germany coach Joachim Löw to call up Atalanta's Robin Gosens for the national team.
Gosens, who can play at left-back and as a left midfielder, has made an impression on Matthäus with his performances for Atalanta over the past few seasons.

"With the affinity I have for Italy, Robin Gosens is no longer a nobody to me. He has been playing at a high level for two years. He's dangerous in front of goal, and I think he's capable of playing internationally. He has proven that in the Champions League," Matthäus, a former Inter player, wrote in a column for Kicker.

"I don't see why Löw shouldn't test him. He's very well trained tactically. That's why I would like to see him in the German national team," he added.
The 25-year-old has made 21 appearances for Atalanta this season, racking up seven goals and four assists.

snip

 

Matthäus is notoriously hard on players too, so if he rates Gosens, that is a big deal

 

[NikkiCFC 7,943]

37 minutes ago, Vesper said:

IF Alaba is around £45-50m then I can be persuaded to accept him over Telles, but I really want Gosens NOW

am 100% sold on him as a great attacking left fullback, left wingback, and even maybe LMF/RW in a pinch

he screams Chels quality to me

gut feeling strictly but I truly like the cut of his jib

I think he can do major damage under the Lamp's system

he is MILES beyond the dregs buys of Zappacosta, and Baba and the utterly mediocre (for the EPL) Emerson

he is like a far better defending so much faster, much stronger, far more driven Alonso (he is only 1 and a half inches shorter than the turtle too, so adds greatly needed height)

Emerson as bait for Atalanta surely can help close a deal as Serie A LOVES Emerson (look at how long Juve have been trying to prise him away from us, under both Massimiliano Allegri and now the old smoker Sarri) He is HG in Italy, which is a huge advantage.

We have already scouted him, so let's get it done!!!

 

Lotthar Matthäus believes Atalanta's Robin Gosens deserves a shot in the German national team.

https://bulinews.com/news/4269/lothar-matthäus-atalantas-robin-gosens-deserves-be-called-for-germany

Lothar Matthäus has urged Germany coach Joachim Löw to call up Atalanta's Robin Gosens for the national team.
Gosens, who can play at left-back and as a left midfielder, has made an impression on Matthäus with his performances for Atalanta over the past few seasons.

"With the affinity I have for Italy, Robin Gosens is no longer a nobody to me. He has been playing at a high level for two years. He's dangerous in front of goal, and I think he's capable of playing internationally. He has proven that in the Champions League," Matthäus, a former Inter player, wrote in a column for Kicker.

"I don't see why Löw shouldn't test him. He's very well trained tactically. That's why I would like to see him in the German national team," he added.
The 25-year-old has made 21 appearances for Atalanta this season, racking up seven goals and four assists.

snip

 

Matthäus is notoriously hard on players too, so if he rates Gosens, that is a big deal

 

I love Lothar. He qualified for the Champions League with Partizan knocking out Newcastle in qualifications back in 2003. They had Shearer and Sir Bobby Robson and we had Taribo West 

About Gosens apparently he still didn't chose national team. Germany or Netherlands (can't use Holland anymore ). 

 

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Vesper 28,795]

LAMPARD DELIVERS POSITIVE INJURY UPDATE ON LOFTUS-CHEEK, DISMISSES TWO TRANSFER RUMOURS AND PRAISES CHELSEA'S ADOPTION OF IHRA ANTISEMITISM DEFINITION

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2020/01/17/frank-lampard-press-conference-pre-newcastle-away?cardIndex=0-0

[Jase 43,479]

 

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Can't blame Lampard for that one, if I'm honest, and I'm probably one of his biggest critics. No penetration, no quality. This season is a write-off - we'll end up being 5/6/7th by the end of February and that's where we'll stay. That's our level. We're not a Champions League club at present. 

[BlueLion. 21,491]

2 minutes ago, Mana said:

I can blame him if he thinks this squad is good enough

HAHAHAHA, okay. 

Lampard clearly, fucking obviously KNOWS this team isn't good enough. For some reason, the board are clearly not willing to invest. They've decided they want to use the season to blood the youngsters. 

[Jase 43,479]

4 minutes ago, Mana said:

I can blame him if he thinks this squad is good enough

Okay, you keep on saying we need to buy this month but who is actually quality that we can realistically get this month? Give us names! 

[MoroccanBlue 5,296]

I too am curious to hear these names that are currently better than what we have and are available

[MoroccanBlue 5,296]

10 minutes ago, BlueLion. said:

Can't blame Lampard for that one, if I'm honest, and I'm probably one of his biggest critics. 

His misuse of Kante and defending set pieces still a concern. 

[Milan 17,853]

"This squad is not good enough, not top 4 material, and if we do not sign players, I want Lampard sacked.'

This is a good one  

Someone would make a brilliant boss in the real world of business.

[Tomo 21,733]

15 minutes ago, BlueLion. said:

Can't blame Lampard for that one, if I'm honest, and I'm probably one of his biggest critics. No penetration, no quality. This season is a write-off - we'll end up being 5/6/7th by the end of February and that's where we'll stay. That's our level. We're not a Champions League club at present. 

Which teams will you reckon will gazump us?

[BlueLion. 21,491]

1 minute ago, Tomo said:

Which teams will you reckon will gazump us?

This is the weird thing, because everyone else is shit. I honestly can see United overtaking us, however if they lose tomorrow we have, to some extent, got away with losing.