Chelsea Transfers

[OhForAGreavsie 5,874]

22 minutes ago, Vesper said:

Matt Law settled that issue ages ago, she DID control football and transfer decisions

every few months (thankfully less lately) this always comes up

 

Thank you for answering my question and with a reasonable response. I do not believe Matt Law however. I don't recall reading what he had to say on the subject but, if I had, I'm sure that I would have found him to be using careful language. Just as careful as the language Romario used in the last few days when he 'announced' that the N'kunku deal had been completed. Everyone will have noticed how he skilfully danced around saying when this had happened. I took that dance as a further indicator that N'kunku's deal was completed months ago.

Meanwhile, I might believe Marina made the football decisions, i.e. deciding that player A was a better footballer than player B, when I hear Roman confirm it. In truth however, probably not even then. The notion that Roman would allow someone with no particular football knowledge to make a decision that he could otherwise have made himself, sounds as ludicrous to me as the idea that Chelsea would have carried out a medical on a player because they hoped to sign him 12 months later. Such a pointless, useless, waste of time and money, medical simply never made any sense. Nor does Matt Law's story about Marina playing Football manager with Roman's money. I won't accuse him of deliberately misleading people, but he may have been misled himself. 

Edited December 27, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie

[Vesper 28,373]

7 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

Thank you for answering my question and with a reasonable response. I do not believe Matt Law however. I don't recall reading what he had to say on the subject but, if I had, I'm sure that I would have found him to be using careful language. Just as careful as Romario did in the last few days when he 'announced' that the N'kunku deal had been completed, but skilfully danced around saying when this had happened. I took that dance as a further indicator that N'kunku's deal was completed months ago.

Meanwhile, I might believe Marina made the football decisions, i.e. deciding that player A was better footballer than player B, when I hear Roman confirm it, but probably not even then. The notion that Roman would allow someone with no particular football knowledge to me a decision that he could otherwise have made himself sounds as ludicrous to me as the idea that Chelsea would have carried out a medical on a player because they hoped to sign him 12 months later. That simply never made any sense to me and nor does matt Law's story. I won't accuse him of deliberately misleading people, but that does not rule out that he may have been misled himself. 

start it around 8: 30 or so (the whole podcast is fascinating tbf)

he lays out a cogent case for it all (and this was not the first time he has talked about it)

Matt Law has zero reason to lie, for ages he was as close as one could get to be THE insider on Chels, in terms of reporters

She had to sign off on all major footballing decisions, including transfers, and of course she was in charge of contracts too

she was also the one who also flew off the Italy and had her road run by Juve, Inter, et al. going back to at least the Juve with that Alex Sandro nightmare ages ago

shew also turned down Real's £55m offter for Alonso and  Barcas £45m for Azpi back when we were just leaving Australia (pre season) years ago

I do not forget these things

 

[turgi 71]

53 minutes ago, Vesper said:

he is not a CB!

that is just gaslighting to try and claim that

lol

no matter how much people wish he was or claim he is, he is NOT a CB, even when he plays in a back 3 he doesnt play a true role, plus he is so short he make Lisandro Martinez look tall

IF we play him every game in back 3 or back 4 as a CB, we will finish down around 11th or so (at best)

I don't know what he is to you. Since Potter arrival he is mainly playing at CB.

 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,874]

34 minutes ago, Vesper said:

She had to sign off on all major footballing decisions, including transfers, and of course she was in charge of contracts too

she was also the one who also flew off the Italy and had her road run by Juve, Inter, et al. going back to at least the Juve with that Alex Sandro nightmare ages ago

shew also turned down Real's £55m offter for Alonso and  Barcas £45m for Azpi back when we were just leaving Australia (pre season) years ago

I do not forget these things

I have not listened to the podcast, and won't do so immediately but will respond when I have.

Meanwhile, none of the above offer any evidence, or even imply, that Marina made the football decisions. They only show she was responsible for enacting them once they had been made, and this we already knew because it was public knowledge. There is always an executive with responsibility for signing the cheques, and negotiating the deals. Marina was that person in the latter part of Roma's era. Settling the business of a transfer is a long way from actually deciding who to target or who to sell. Matt Law has his work cut out to persuade me that Marina decided to buy player A because she, not the manager, not Roman, and not any of his advisors, thought that player was a better footballer than player B.

Are people really asking me to believe that Roman, the Manager, and Petr liked Tchomeni, (SP?) but that Marina didn't buy him because she decided he wasn't good enough? Surely such a notion sounds just as ridiculous to everybody else, as it sounds to me. Marina enacted football decisions, she didn't make them.

Edited December 27, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie

[Vesper 28,373]

Just now, turgi said:

I don't know what he is to you. Since Potter arrival he is mainly playing at CB.

 

Really?

5 times at CB is mainly? and only 2 of those 5 were full game as a starter (one in the CL, one in that League Cup loss to Citeh)

you can call us buying a horse actually buying a duck, but that horse still wont have feathers and a bill, nor webbed feet

[Vesper 28,373]

4 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

I have not listened to the podcast, and won't do so immediately but will respond when I have.

Meanwhile, none of the above offer any evidence, or even imply, that Marina made the football decisions. they only show she was responsible for enacting them and that we already knew because it was public knowledge. There is always an executive with responsibility for signing the cheques, and negotiating the deals. Marina was that person in the latter part of Roma's era. Settling the business of a transfer is a long way from actually deciding who to sign or who to sell however. Matt Law has his work cut out to persuade me that marina decided to buy player A because she, not the manager, not Roman, thought he was a better player than player B. To me anyway this sounds silly and impossible to believe.

I absolutely think she nixed some deals (sales and buys) and forced others through (mainly buys I wager), when the rubber met the road

[OhForAGreavsie 5,874]

1 minute ago, Vesper said:

I absolutely think she nixed some deals (sales and buys) and forced others through (mainly buys I wager), when the rubber met the road

I can't of course rule out that you are right, but I believe very strongly that you are wrong.

[Vesper 28,373]

Exclusive: Chelsea eye January loan deal for Joao Felix

A winger is high on Graham Potter's agenda in January, but he also wants a centre-back who can compete for a first-team place

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2022/12/26/Chelsea-transfer-news-graham-potter-eyes-joao-felix-january/

Chelsea are looking at a deal for Atletico Madrid Joao Felix on an initial loan to bolster Graham Potter’s attack for the second half of the season. 

Felix, 23, is available at the right price when the transfer window opens next week and, according to Spanish sources, Atletico are braced for an offer from Chelsea as they look to climb back into the Champions League places.  

 

Potter’s targets for January include a centre-back to compete for a first-team place but a winger is high on his agenda to support an attack that has scored 17 goals in the Premier League this season. 

 

Chelsea are considering a loan with an option or obligation to buy in the summer, depending on the terms Atletico want for Felix’s departure after the Portugal international’s four seasons in Madrid following his move from Benfica in a deal worth more than £100 million. 

 

After falling out of favour under Diego Simeone – he has only started one Champions League match since September – Atletico are not expecting to recoup the fee they paid in 2019, when Felix was also on the radar of other Premier League teams. 

 

While Chelsea’s rivals have been monitoring Felix, chairman Todd Boehly is believed to be willing to move swiftly for a deal. Felix would compete as a left-sided forward who can also play on the right, with Kai Havertz in the frame to play as a central forward.  

 

Despite being out of favour with his club, Félix started in four games at the World Cup for Portugal and scored in their opening victory over Ghana, with his reputation still high among clubs around Europe. 

 

With Potter looking to add a centre-back to his squad in January, Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile is in his sights, with the France international expected to cost more than £30m. Chelsea are long-term admirers of RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol but the Croatia centre-back has other European teams now looking to compete for his signature.   

[Vesper 28,373]

3 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

I can't of course rule out that you are right, but I believe very strongly that you are wrong.

Well I feel the reverse, so we are at loggerheads, lol

and again, congrats on the birth of your granddaughter 💖

[OhForAGreavsie 5,874]

2 minutes ago, Vesper said:

and again, congrats on the birth of your granddaughter 💖

Thank you. It's absolutely incredible. 🙂 🙂 🙂 

[Vesper 28,373]

Chelsea are interested in young Brazilian starlet Vitor Roque

https://astamfordbridgetoofar.com/2022/12/Chelsea-are-interested-in-young-brazilian-starlet-vitor-roque-latest-news/

According to Simon Phillips of The Athletic (subscription required), Chelsea are interested in Brazilian starlet, Vitor Roque, who plies his trade for Athletico Paranaense.

The former Cruzeiro forward is 17 years old and one of the upcoming gems from the Brazil factory of top footballers. He is a versatile forward player who prefers to operate as a number nine but is comfortable playing on either wing.

A few months ago, Chelsea were in the race to sign another young Brazilian forward named Endrick. They even had the lead for a few days, before European champions Real Madrid came in and completed the deal.

Roque is an incredibly quick forward who is great at dribbling, shooting with accuracy and being in physical battles against defenders. He scored seven goals and assisted three in 36 appearances in all competitions in the recently-concluded season.

During the preceding summer transfer window, the first under the new regime, Chelsea did not hesitate in splashing the cash to sign talented young players. Carney Chukwuemeka, Omari Hutchinson and Cesare Casadei being the examples.

It is all part of Todd Boehly’s ‘Vision 2030‘ where he wants to buy the top young talents, improve the standard of the youth sides and simultaneously increase competition for places in the senior team.

In the forward line, we have already completed the deal to unveil young Molde striker David Datro Fofana (20) as our player soon. If we sign Roque, our centre-forward department will have added depth to the youth sides.

As much as spending money on the future is great and sustainable in due course of time, we need signings of players who are ready to deliver now. This team needs help if they are to finish in the top four this season. Making the future secure is only great if the current is also looked at nicely.

 

 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,874]

7 minutes ago, Vesper said:

and again, congrats on the birth of your granddaughter 💖

P.S. I don't know yet if it is a boy or a girl. They sent me a picture but didn't say. I've told them to just enjoy their moment and not to bother with any answering questions. Mum and dad look overjoyed.

[Strike 7,200]

4 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

You were absolutely right about this at the time. NG should have been sold in summer '21.

Easy with hindsight but no chance we take that call so soon after the Champions League win. Kante was MOTM or near MOTM level in all of the knockouts.

[Strike 7,200]

5 hours ago, Vesper said:

 

I don't know how people have any confidence in the Boehly, Eghbali regime? The Badiashile interest is an admission from the people in charge that they got the CB search terribly wrong in the summer.

I seriously hope the recruits like Vivell, Shields know more than whoever was advising Eghbali, Boehly till now. There is a real chance we'll end up with a squad that looks like a Football Manager save with an inexperienced manager.

[Vesper 28,373]

2 hours ago, Strike said:

Easy with hindsight but no chance we take that call so soon after the Champions League win. Kante was MOTM or near MOTM level in all of the knockouts.

I did not use hindsight, I called it then and I have borne out to have been correct

same as my concurrent call/plea to buy Tchou then

again the correct call

same as my earlier call to buy Alisson back when he was Roma's 2nd keeper in the Summer of 2017 (I was tipped off to him by Porto Allegre friends)

same as my call to sell Cuntois then, as it was clear he was not going to renew

but nope, we (I wont say the Chels people involved, lol) said nope, Cuntois will renew, which of course he did not, and we ended up selling him for around £50m LESS in 2018, and then panic buying Kepa for crazy money as Pool beat us to Alisson and also Oblak told us to piss off when we agreed to pay his release clause

same as I was begging us to just pay Rudiger what he wanted (or close to it) but nope, we lost him on a free, and AC too, (so 90m or so pissed away) and then we turned around and spent 115m on damaged goods Fofana + apparently rinsed KK

I am proactive and think ahead, down the road

look at my myriad number of age discussions on potential buys (perfect example was my warning that Ziyech, besides me not being sold on him, was too old to buy as by the time we would know he was a bust, he would be at or near 30, which he will be in 2 months, and that greatly reduces what we can recoup)

and my warnings back years ago, in 2018 and 2019 (starting with the Skripal poisoning) that they WOULD come for Roman, they would fuck with his visa (they did) and that fucking with would cause him to pull the plug on the new stadium (he did) and they may well seize the club potentially, which of course is exactly what happened this year

I warned on Pulisic too, I caught hell for calling him a marketing buy (which of course Buck came out and admitted a year or so later) and that he was not Chels quality

I could go on, but you get the point

so nope, not hindsight from me

 

 

[Vesper 28,373]

2 hours ago, Strike said:

I don't know how people have any confidence in the Boehly, Eghbali regime? The Badiashile interest is an admission from the people in charge that they got the CB search terribly wrong in the summer.

I seriously hope the recruits like Vivell, Shields know more than whoever was advising Eghbali, Boehly till now. There is a real chance we'll end up with a squad that looks like a Football Manager save with an inexperienced manager.

I already said we should go for Ndicka  on a free (or pay a small fee thsi January to get him now)

Never kusen are trying to ramp up Hincapie's price to over 50m based off the world cup

and I see zero links to us with my other lefty choice, Gonçalo Inácio of Sporting

also, for right footers

here is another young Portuguese CB to really watch

António Silva, who has mad potential

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by Vesper

[Vesper 28,373]

8 minutes ago, Vesper said:

and I see zero links to us with my other lefty choice, Gonçalo Inácio of Sporting

 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,874]

3 hours ago, Strike said:

Easy with hindsight but no chance we take that call so soon after the Champions League win. Kante was MOTM or near MOTM level in all of the knockouts.

I would have, and I would have been right. Correct assessment of the available facts would have led to the correct answer.

As for hindsight, @Vespersaid it at the time and said it first. I echoed her then and since. I also repeated it in summer '22.

This approach is not radical, it is established football lore; let your players' legs go when they are playing for someone else. It's just a question of getting the timing right. The information was there to be seen that would have led to the right decision. All that was necessary was to see through the gleam of the Champions League trophy. Vesper did, others here did, and the club should have.

Edited December 27, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie