Reece James had surgery at the end of last season to fix his hamstrings so he wouldn't have these niggling injuries that kept on causing him to miss 4-6 weeks 
Chelsea 2024/25
- Thread starter duffer
- Start date
Starting him in all your preseason friendlies is just negligence with his injury record. Guess that surgery didn't do the trick.Reece James had surgery at the end of last season to fix his hamstrings so he wouldn't have these niggling injuries that kept on causing him to miss 4-6 weeks
He had already returned the last 3-4 games before the end of last season. And he mostly just played 45 mins in each game, 60 mins in one of them I think. Don’t think there was anything negligent about that.
Sorry but banishing a player from using the club facilities is just needlessly cruel, it’s especially stupid when it’s an academy player that has been using those facilities for 17 years since he was an 8 year old kid.
That’s an easy £100m they can clear out in terms of wages and salary from that list.
He played 30 minutes since December
Then went from that to playing five games in the space of 2 weeks this pre-season 45+67+63+79+70.... 324 minutes. I think those minutes could be managed better.
In theory he should have been fine after that surgery. Having Gusto play the friendlies (probably playing well like he normally does) and then James just waltzes in to take his spot when the meaningful games start wouldn't send a great message either.
He played 30 minutes since December
Then went from that to playing five games in the space of 2 weeks this pre-season 45+67+63+79+70.... 324 minutes. I think those minutes could be managed better.
Fair enough, I don’t know why in my memory he had a bigger impact than that back end of last season. Perhaps you’re right. It still feels like a normal amount of games you’d give someone you want to get back fit.
The Telegraph says that they plan to loan 6 senior players.
26,000 players and Gusto is the only right back who might be fit in any given week.
Better performance vs Inter than the previous two games. Still a few defensive lapses but generally way more solid at the back. Created enough chances to win the game.
First few preseason mins for Palmer. I still don’t know which CB pairing Maresca plans to go with against City next week. He started Fofana and Colwill today. That is who I imagined would be the starters but he has mixed and matched so much I have no idea which partnership he prefers.
Slightly concerned about the balance in midfield, but willing to give them benefit of them doubt as some of the joined the squad late (Enzo and Caicedo) and Lavia and KDH are basically brand new additions to the team.
First few preseason mins for Palmer. I still don’t know which CB pairing Maresca plans to go with against City next week. He started Fofana and Colwill today. That is who I imagined would be the starters but he has mixed and matched so much I have no idea which partnership he prefers.
Slightly concerned about the balance in midfield, but willing to give them benefit of them doubt as some of the joined the squad late (Enzo and Caicedo) and Lavia and KDH are basically brand new additions to the team.
If he stays fit, Nkunku will win player of the season.
What a fecking mess
By the time this lot get done with Chelsea they’ll make the Glazers look competent
Do the fans generally even know half of their players? The club is unrecognisable
By the time this lot get done with Chelsea they’ll make the Glazers look competent
Do the fans generally even know half of their players? The club is unrecognisable
Chelsea are the footballing equivalent of those hoarders, can't pass up an opportunity to buy anything. In years to come they'll be cleaning out Stamford Bridge and they'll find boxes of spoons, piles of old contracts, a wheelbarrow full of beer cans, dead cats, John Terry's NFTs, some cuddly toys and the remains of forgotten footballers in dried up baths.
Of course we do. I don't expect rivals fan to keep up with the ins and outs of Chelsea, but let's not be absurd
He's fecking shite.
No no let the Alvarez and Gallagher deals collapse
Was that sarcastic because I have him in my fantasy given he's cheap and I think he's a really good player
. Has he had a terrible pre season?It was neither sarcastic nor serious. It was just duffer being duffer.Was that sarcastic because I have him in my fantasy given he's cheap and I think he's a really good player
I literally don't see any upside to bringing Felix to Chelsea. He'd be no more than a bench option and he wouldn't be among the first options off the bench.
Palmer and Nkunku are better 10s than him.
Sterling and Neto are better LW's than him.
Palmer, Neto and Madueke are better RW's than him.
Jackson and Nkunku are better strikers than him.
We have no need for him. We have no space for him.
Don't forget the bags of excrement...
Has had a good preseason and almost pulled off a great bicycle kick today. But genuinely he's a class above. The only one who could compete with Palmer for goal contributions (fitness allowing).Was that sarcastic because I have him in my fantasy given he's cheap and I think he's a really good player
Why on earth Chelsea be interested on having Joao against after they had him for 6 months? It's not like they don't know what he offers.
They're like a compulsive wife can't stop buying everything that's on sale.
They're like a compulsive wife can't stop buying everything that's on sale.
They seem to sign players based on whether they think their value will increase regardless of how they'd fit into their team. Brighton sells brilliantly because they do both. If the player doesn't fit into their new team, why would their value increase?
Where does he play, 10? Won’t Palmer take his position/minutes.
Brighton does not follow a multiclub model. Chelsea does. And that means the club/ownership will buy players for a variety of reasons including profit. In the main the players signed for the first team squad would be carefully evaluated for how they'd fit into the team.
Now the post you were quoting says Chelsea have one fit RB...Disasi was targeted because he could fill-in at RB and has done so fairly recently. Acheampong is very highly regarded and trains with the first team. Ignorance really helps to bolster false narratives.
Yeah or as a false nine. Maresca has largely used two 10/8s and two wingers hugging the touch line. But recently he's tried one of the fullbacks being high in possession and the RW tucking-in. Either way they both have to play and won't compete for minutes.
Maybe even up top since the deal for the young Spaniard is off?
40 man squad, and one fit right back. That’s quite the achievement. Luckily they appear to be remedying the situation by buying an eighth striker.
Hope they get Felix. He’ll be on high wages, whilst being overhyped and not very good. As a bonus, he’ll get in Nkuku and their other 20,000 attacker’s way and maintain a decent YouTube highlights reel.
In fairness, Tony Bloom also had USG in Belgium, that only changed when both clubs were in Europe last season. It's where they had players like Mitoma and Undav before they brought them to Brighton.
I'm still confused by them handing 7-9 years long contract to players. Unless it has changed, it does not help with amortisation in FFP normalised accounts... But maybe for their regular books, the one they use internally with investors and such, they can ? Probably it helps secure more sensible wages long term (especially coming from baseball, MLB contracts are infamous for deferred payments to players continuing years after they left, maybe they're cautious about it) for players that are expected to either be core or good sells even beyond amortisation ?
I wonder if to some extent they aren't making the mistake of being too engrossed with player trading and "protecting asset value". In pro US baseball, there's a whole thing of trading players and if often involves sending or receiving prospects (academy players, so to speak) for established names. That's kinda what they are doing but the academy farm may start running dry at some point. Promising players are not an infinite resource or at the very least it does take time to grow them.
I wonder if to some extent they aren't making the mistake of being too engrossed with player trading and "protecting asset value". In pro US baseball, there's a whole thing of trading players and if often involves sending or receiving prospects (academy players, so to speak) for established names. That's kinda what they are doing but the academy farm may start running dry at some point. Promising players are not an infinite resource or at the very least it does take time to grow them.
This is the problem when you enter into dodgy transactions to cook the books. You end up having to sign shite like Felix.
We're an absolute circus, Felix, really??? These owners should never have been allowed near a football club.
No 1st choice goalkeeper or #9, either. It's all rather odd.
Petrovic was one of the only few positives to take from last season. And yet here we are with Italian Pep dropping him for Sanchez because of his "ball playing skills". Sanchez will play at least 1 suicide ball every game and be at fault for a good chunk of the goals conceded this year. I'd rather have a goalkeeper who plays more conservatively and is actually good at doing goalkeeper things thanks. #freepetrovic