Official Chelsea FC Thread

[stormi]

Deserved it's own page away from that mess.

Read on Twitter

You're the best in the world son.

[Baseline81]

stormi, curious to have your take on Poch. Do you want him back next season?

[stormi]

stormi, curious to have your take on Poch. Do you want him back next season?

Adamantly not, just because I don't feel like he's the man for this alleged project.

One so ambitious that we're spending this amount on youth products.

Read on Twitter

Páez and Estêvão are two of the brightest superstars in South America right now. This is the sort of ambition that we lost after Roman finally got his UCL.

It would have been like trying to corral Hazard and Neymar under Josep Guardiola. That is the scope of BlueCo and their intention.

However, I'd like to see similar emphasis being placed on the individual behind the helm of the project. I haven't seen too much from him to inspire confidence in his ability.

In fact, IMO, this current season there isn't anything that Pochettino didn’t attempt to jeopardize our season

- Chilwell LW / playing at all. Called it out months ago.
- Continuously forced Sterling to start regardless of how selfish, lazy and brain dead he was playing.
- Consistently forced CBs at fullback (and not even inverting like Pep does, he had 6'5 300lb Axel Disasi overlapping) -- to the point of them all getting injured
- Gallagher in the 10 role for 85% of the season

His interviews worry me. His track record worries me. His lack of style of play / identity worry me.

There are bright young managers out there that are excelling with much less at their disposal.

Heck look at Palace pre and post Glasner.

I really wanted Arne Slot last summer and I think Liverpool got a good one.

Some of the names of the managers that can be protagonists of this next decade at Chelsea are Motta, Hoeneß, De Zerbi, Wilfried Nancy.

I don't really care for the table right now. I want to focus on building a sustainable foundation upon core principles. Pochettino has us losing the possession battle and playing basketball against Sheffield United and Forest. Bailed out, by pure player brilliance.

[Frankie]

Deserved it's own page away from that mess.

Read on Twitter

You're the best in the world son.

They were booing him all game. I'm glad he and Cucurella both ended up having good games.

Caicedo has been unreal the second half of the season. It's funny how all that noise about his transfer fee just randomly disappeared.

[Baseline81]

They were booing him all game. I'm glad he and Cucurella both ended up having good games.

Caicedo has been unreal the second half of the season. It's funny how all that noise about his transfer fee just randomly disappeared.

Why is it funny? He, in fact, was poor early on.

[stormi]

Deserved it's own page away from that mess.

Read on Twitter

You're the best in the world son.

They were booing him all game. I'm glad he and Cucurella both ended up having good games.

Caicedo has been unreal the second half of the season. It's funny how all that noise about his transfer fee just randomly disappeared.

Caicedo will always be attacked for his price tag and called a flop because he doesn't get passport PR like some other players. He's been a steady 8/10 week in and out week for a while now.

He's a 22 year old supreme ball winner that's flawless in possession, can beat the press and is an excellent passer. A lot of the consensus favorites for his position that are considered better players than he could not hack being De Zerbi's sitter as the metronome.

You can't find a comparable on the market. Worth his fee and then some.

[stormi]

Caicedo goal from 50 feet out and then outplayed thoroughly by Bournemouth since.

Sack him at HT.

[stormi]

Podge ball. Concede 20+ shots.

Get outchanced. Get outcreated. Win because Caicedo scored from 0.0001 xG.

Not only sack him, but make him carry his barbecue on his back out of Cobham while getting whipped.

[Frankie]

They were booing him all game. I'm glad he and Cucurella both ended up having good games.

Caicedo has been unreal the second half of the season. It's funny how all that noise about his transfer fee just randomly disappeared.

Why is it funny? He, in fact, was poor early on.

It's funny because a lot of the people who were making a lot of noise about his transfer fee just scurried away never to be heard from again.

[Baseline81]

It's funny because a lot of the people who were making a lot of noise about his transfer fee just scurried away never to be heard from again.

Again, I don't see you disagreeing with the folks that said he was rubbish in his early days at Chelsea, and thus, deserving of the criticism.

Once he started playing up to his caliber, which I thought he would as I was over-the-moon when I thought Liverpool had signed him, the talk stopped, as it should have.

[Frankie]

It's funny because a lot of the people who were making a lot of noise about his transfer fee just scurried away never to be heard from again.

Again, I don't see you disagreeing with the folks that said he was rubbish in his early days at Chelsea, and thus, deserving of the criticism.

Once he started playing up to his caliber, which I thought he would as I was over-the-moon when I thought Liverpool had signed him, the talk stopped, as it should have.

Two things. I think his bad performances early on were overstated way too much. I thought he was rather underwhelming at the start but he wasn't dropping disasterclasses every week like you'd think if you looked at the discourse around him at the time. Even Klopp was dunking on him at one point lol. He had one or two high profile errors but his actual performances week to week were relatively OK.

The second thing is, my whole point in my OP was that people feed off misery and negativity. So the same people that were dancing on his head when he wasn't setting the world alight weren't willing to also give him his flowers when he eventually proved them wrong.

[stormi]

Read on Twitter

Don't ever forget that it's my club. And you're not welcome back.

[MetalFingaz]

Didn't see that coming.

[Baseline81]

Whoever goes to Chelsea will be their 21st manager in 17 years since Mourinho's first stint there.
In that time only Antonio Conte has even lasted 2 years.

Names such as Kieran McKenna, Enzo Maresca and Thomas Frank, are any of those better than Poch?

[stormi]

This is one of those moments when fans from other clubs who haven’t paid attention think they know more than people who watch the team every week. Poch has not been hard done by, could have been sacked months ago.





Look at the state of this flip flopping and fickle fanbase, reverting their opinions on the structure of this football club on a week by week basis.

The board said from the jump that Pochettino would be given the entire year for evaluation. They didn’t waver once on that stance despite pressure from the fans to sack him numerous times.

Meanwhile the less intellectually coherent section of the fanbase changed their stance with the wind.

After 5-0 against Arsenal not a soul would have complained if he got sacked because by then it was already long overdue.

We cried for it while the people in charge held out and it’s resulted in a European spot and the manager being gone. They're the smart ones in this case, not the opposers, don’t get it twisted.

[stormi]

This also feels painfully similar to rival fans confused at the club for forcing media darling Mason Mount out. He was below standard and just like Mauricio Pochettino, the braintrust knew they could monumentally upgrade on him. And so they bought Cole Palmer.

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October 2021. Hmm, sounds awfully similar to my recurring complaints all season long in this very thread.

Anyways, the celebrations have to be halted as we have a busy summer upcoming. Getting in a manager and then the summer transfer window.

Based on the names -

Open arms: Roberto De Zerbi

Benefit of the doubt: Kieran McKenna

Neutral: Thomas Tuchel

Wait and see / suspicious: Enzo Maresca

No thanks: Ruben Amorim

Would rank Hoeneß and Michel very highly as well, but unfortunately I don't think I've seen credible links.

I'm not really one for immediate reaction, but I understand that it comes with the territory. I'm going to have to monitor the appointment, and the assess the style of football that takes place next season as I did with our now ex-manager.

I will say though that the people with their faces in the forefront of the club have walked into the crosshairs. I know they're already facing mass scrutiny by the media, but this next season is one of the most important in club history. They could have kept Pochettino and tumbled into a 4th-7th place finish again, but they've gone for the high stakes option -- like selling a fanbase favorite academy graduate and replacing him with a CIty academy player that hadn't even had his debut season yet.

Very interested in seeing what happens next, and they have to get it right.

[stormi]

Read on Twitter

I've appreciated EuroExperts takes on Chelsea and Pochettino this season. Balanced and measured from a neutral's perspective.

[stormi]

Early window thoughts.

First category are players I consider with best in their position in the world level talent. James (RB), Colwill (LCB), Caicedo (MF).

Standard deviation of a tier I'd say, so Palmer was probably a tad bit hard done by, another seasons worth of work and he's stamped. I think Fernández has that level of talent as well. Finally freed from the shackles of Pochettino. Everyone in the top two groups I'm long-ish term planning my squad around.

Even lesser tiered players on that level ala Axel Disasi or Marc Cucurella are players I have no qualms about keeping around as a backup RCB or a versatile off the bench fullback that could fill in at LCB/LB in a 2 or 3 or at RB.

Last chance, players like Nkunku and Chukwuemeka are mercurial talents, but I can't do the in and out of the line-up act. Play or stop stealing money from my club. Both Nkunku and Carney both have the talent to force their way up a tier, Nkunku in general has gamebreaker upside.

Mudryk, meh. Seen some flashes, heading into your third season it's make or break time. Another season of meandering between upside and "rawness" and he can be sold.

Loan, some kids I believe in. Angelo/Datro/Slonina/Humphreys, have shown me the ability to be future squad players.

Sell, a mixed bag here. Squad needs to be trimmed. Lukaku and Kepa... What are we doing here. Alex Matos, very mediocre prospect. Omari Hutchinson, wonderful loan season at Ipswich under McKenna. This is one that could bite us down the line, but I think we have higher upside wingers in the system coming up and he was signed on a free just a year ago. It's a free £25-30 million to help with PSR lol. Ian Maatsen, similar to Omari. Big upside, but I prefer a tad bit more robustness from the position. Was phenomenal at Dortmund and his RC is a steal. Could be one that bites us down the line, but such is life. Madueke, average player with the arrogance of a superstar. Sanchez, too many highs and lows.

Final category are players who by existing alone boil my blood. Get them all out. Straight deadweight. Sack Pochettino twice (he was on the tiermaker).

[Baseline81]

stormi, where have you been?

Here Chelsea is once again throwing money around, with the latest being for Neto from Wolves. Good player, however, may have the injury-prone tag.

[Baphomet]

stormi, where have you been?

Here Chelsea is once again throwing money around, with the latest being for Neto from Wolves. Good player, however, may have the injury-prone tag.

Boehly is a lunatic but Neto is undeniably class whenever he's able to get on the pitch. I thought Chelsea might go with Chiesa in the injury prone winger stakes given that he looks to be a slightly cheaper option, but they went with the Premier League proven Neto. Great player, always looks dynamic and direct whenever I've seen him play for club and country.