All I see is a player watching out for the welfare of his fellow professional by ensuring the proper medical attention is administered
Chelsea 2024/25
- Thread starter duffer
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All I see is a player watching out for the welfare of his fellow professional by ensuring the proper medical attention is administered
Yeah he's been the best left back in the PL for the last year or so. His form at the Euros wasn't that surprising. When in a system when he can be a front foot defender with cover behind he's absolutely elite.
There's simply no sense in buying six goalkeepers - it's utterly ludicrous and unjustifiable.
6 goalkeepers was an exaggeration - and if they were all sat on the bench then yes of course, but that isn't the case. Goalkeeper is the one position where it makes sense to throw shit at the wall until it sticks.
He’s been in top form in 2024, especially from February/March and onwards. It’s shows it’s not always wise to give up on players. He was basically a meme at one point, and it’s probably no exaggeration to say there were 0 Chelsea fans that didn’t want to sell him for a cut price to whoever would take him. I’m now looking at guys like Mudryk. Maybe he can prove everyone wrong too.
Maybe he can, but the difference is Cucurella had played at a high level in the PL with Brighton prior to arriving at Chelsea during a time where their was massive upheaval at the club. Mudryk is still very much a wild card.
any news on Sancho - saw rumours on X that there were some concerns over his application/attitude - not sure if that’s true or just some WUMs stoking the fire…
Looks like they are definitely going to have to exercise the obligation to buy at the end of the season though.
He's got a lot of competition to get into that team…..
Looks like they are definitely going to have to exercise the obligation to buy at the end of the season though.
He's got a lot of competition to get into that team…..
He's been training as usual during the international break. Available for selection this weekend.
What was the point of signing Dewsbury-Hall.
A sop to Maresca?
No idea
Son of the legend signed up...
15. He was born in 2009 (most likely), meaning he’s an entire decade younger than me.
feck me. I feel ancient.
Yeah, it is all downhill for you from here.
Yup. And I’ve never even had a girlfriend. If this is the best I’m gonna get then that’s monumentally shit. Ah well.
What's up with pundits and rival fans obsession with asking if we're in a title race?
They're looking for that soundbite to create clicks, as it's been a few years since Chelsea were last in a title race.
We’re second after more than a third of the season, yes we’re technically in a race. Will we win it? Absolutely not. We need to focus on the original objective which is top four and if by some chance we’re up there near the end of the season then worry about it then.
We’re a very young side that are starting to mature. It’d be nice for the media to give them a couple of seasons before they start piling title expectations on.
We’re a very young side that are starting to mature. It’d be nice for the media to give them a couple of seasons before they start piling title expectations on.
Why would you want the players protected, if anything this will do them good. Getting used to the pressure now will get them used to it, so they’ll be better equipped to deal with it a few years down the line, should the opportunity arise.
Because when season started nobody thought we would be on par with arsenal and above city. Youngest line up with no prior experience in title race we are fourth probable title winners if things go well behind Liverpool,city and arsenal. That's why most didn't think we are serious challengers yet.
Title challenge comes with own pressure every team put their maximum effort to gain a point or three against probable title winners. That's the reason most managers tried to downplay their chances in my opinion.
It's still too soon for us to challenge. Very young squad comes with own up and downs. Game against forest prime example. Instead of concentrating on game, players created mini melee and chaos despite had time to win the match. Will see after December where we are then take it from there.
They want to create a dialogue and level of pressure around the program that shouldn’t be there yet.
Really, Chelsea’s strategy towards team building is so far afield from what they are used to they are downright paranoid of it succeeding.
They tried going ultra negative, constant mocking, implying impending doom where there was none. Only served to galvanize the group.
We are still getting it on the field: constant yellows, possibly coughing at an ill advised time or something. You would think Cole Palmers legs were training equipment for a karate school.
That hasn’t worked.
So now they are going to go with the success pressure route.
In addition to giving our Tottenham game to Anthony Taylor, of course.
Help me, Maresca. You're my only hope.
That wasn’t my point, though. The point was no matter the end result of this “challenge” (likely 3rd or 4th place), being exposed to this pressure now will likely benefit the young players long term. So no need to complain about it. Either the players live up to the hype or (likely scenario) they don’t, but gain valuable experience of challenging.
Yes they will be exposed anyway if we are the closest team to Liverpool after january. But trying to downplay as long as possible to put pressure on other teams.
I think you sound paranoid here.
It was ridiculed at the start because it was repulsive to spend that much money and hoard that many young players. People were, quite rightly, turned off by that approach.
They are now being mentioned in the title race because they are the form team after Liverpool, and their points total means they deserve a mention.
This wild idea of constant plotting and strategies to take Chelsea down is not happening.
I think most people wouldn’t want Chelsea’s strategy to succeed because of the nature and ethics of it. It wouldn’t be good for the game, but the game is so far gone by this stage, it doesn’t really matter.
Fair play to them for nailing the second coach choice and galvanizing so many strangers so quickly.
Sancho scored a peach
They're back. Their defence can be shaky at times but they're scoring lots of goals.
Since you can't rely on Arsenal to stop either City or Liverpool, I officially want them to win the league as the lesser of evils. Feels dirty to say that though.
They're a good side that moves the ball well. I'm not sure they can maintain a consistency to win the league but you never know.
They're a good side that moves the ball well. I'm not sure they can maintain a consistency to win the league but you never know.
Only reason we aren’t legitimately, genuinely title contenders and will come up short is because we only have 1 top quality CB in Colwill. All of the others are capable of a howler at any moment.
A priority in January has to be to sell one of Disasi or Badiashile and bring in an experienced, proven quality CB to partner Colwill. I love Fofana but he’s made of glass.
A priority in January has to be to sell one of Disasi or Badiashile and bring in an experienced, proven quality CB to partner Colwill. I love Fofana but he’s made of glass.
Plus the keeper, and no near top class options on the left.
Why not try Chalobah next season, i always felt he was quite good. Could partner Colwill, could he not?
We have Jorgensen who has looked much more composed and better when he has played. Including this last week.
Sanchez is horrendous but Maresca loves him for some strange reason.
Ofcourse you're contenders. Liverpool aren't City, and have not played any top team away aside from United and us. They have City, you, Villa, Spurs all left. We have played all our top teams away from home barring Liverpool now. You'll be in the thick of it by May.
If we shape up defensively and in goal, perhaps. I’m not saying it’s impossible we catch Liverpool but it’ll be super difficult if we aren’t secure at the back.
The ethics of it? Our young signees have experienced more success than most can dream about. Arsenal was ready to toss Omari Hutchinson in the trash and now he is a pivotal player on a PL side with a look to a bigger club soon 2 years later.
If Casadei doesn’t make the cut both AC Milan and Inter want him BADLY.
Andrey Santos been winning player of the month awards in Ligue un. He will be a part of our regular squad next year.
Even Carney, who’s really just been unlucky with that injury and the fact that Palmer and Felix are fixed ahead of him now, has at least three suitors … and he was essentially an academy kid.
This narrative that makes it sound like we are hiding kids in basements is uninformed and absurd.
We are two, maybe three deep at each position. And there will be people brought in who will compete for those spots. Believe it or not, most truly competitive players love that kind of stuff. The ones that don’t you weed out because they aren’t the type to come from 0-2 anyway.
You know little to nothing about our actual finances, much like the press over there. FFP is essentially a soft cap. And what you guys see as a “Billion dollars” is an actual outlay nowhere near that much. We are paying a cap number over time for each player, and that cap value is evaluated against their performance and value to the team.
Most of them progress in value, so if you had to close the cap value by paying it off for a sale, it is offset by profit. This especially true when you have a sane salary structure.
I feel like a broken record, but the people who don’t get the long term strategy and ability of this ownership group know little and understand less.
For the first time I'm coming round to Chelsea having a chance here.
Their next 7 or 8 fixtures look really good.
Huge amounts depend on Palmer though. Without him they're a big gear down.
Their next 7 or 8 fixtures look really good.
Huge amounts depend on Palmer though. Without him they're a big gear down.
Got lucky with decisions today. Straight red card for Cacedo today. Absolutely ridiculous it wasn’t given. Spurs also had one that could have been a red. Aside from that, good comeback. Palmer is an absolute beast. What a player!
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You sound like a broken record because you have no objectivity. You sound like a paid PR rep for the club.
Of course there are moral questions involved when you hoard young players and have spent 1.3 billion since 2022. You rhyming off a few cases of young players who are forging good careers for themselves despite that, doesn’t change anything.
The cap being so soft that you had to sell hotels to yourself as a loophole is telling.
The lack of respect to homegrown players and using them as a financial farm is also a point of contention.
While it may be a fascinating project with, what looks now, to be a quick remodeling of the whole club in a extremely rapid timeline, there are questions to be asked about it all and what it means for the players and for football as a whole.
You sound like a broken record because you are completely unobjective and aren’t asking any of them.
Think people are surprised by Chelsea purely because of how much they have underachieved the past couple of seasons. However, like I said consistently, they have bought some really good players, so it should have only been a matter of time before that equated to a good team.
Guys like Lavia and Caciedo were courted by all the top teams in the league. The likes of Neto and Nkunku was often on the wishlist of rival fans as well. And what can you say about Coke Palmer that hasn't already been said?
Was thinking about their squad in comparison to Arsenals. They've built their squad top heavy with attackers, being able to choose from Jackson, Nkunku, Felix, Neto, Palmer, Madueke, Sancho and Mudryk even is quite an impressive list, whereas there nowhere near the same quality at the back and in goals.
Meanwhile there's a feeling among Arsenal fans that they've concentrated too much on defensive players, Ramsdale then Raya in goals, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, White, Calafiori, Tomiyasu, Zinchenko, with Partey and the massive fee for Rice in front of them. The same level of investment hasn't went on attacking players yet.
Makes for an interesting dynamic over the next season or 2, to see who can sort their weaknesses first.
Guys like Lavia and Caciedo were courted by all the top teams in the league. The likes of Neto and Nkunku was often on the wishlist of rival fans as well. And what can you say about Coke Palmer that hasn't already been said?
Was thinking about their squad in comparison to Arsenals. They've built their squad top heavy with attackers, being able to choose from Jackson, Nkunku, Felix, Neto, Palmer, Madueke, Sancho and Mudryk even is quite an impressive list, whereas there nowhere near the same quality at the back and in goals.
Meanwhile there's a feeling among Arsenal fans that they've concentrated too much on defensive players, Ramsdale then Raya in goals, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, White, Calafiori, Tomiyasu, Zinchenko, with Partey and the massive fee for Rice in front of them. The same level of investment hasn't went on attacking players yet.
Makes for an interesting dynamic over the next season or 2, to see who can sort their weaknesses first.