3402 replies to this topic

[Ubik]

Box of Tricks, on 22 May 2012 - 08:44 AM, said:

Now we've got the likes of Marin and De Bruyne, and potentially Benayoun coming back, all I think we need are four players.

But they have to be four players who'd walk into the first team. Most expensive doesn't equal the best, but as long as we buy quality players who (on some level) compliment each others games and can take us back to that level, then I think we'll be fine.

As it stands, I don't get this panic over us not finishing 4th again. If you look back at our season, take into consideration AVB trying (and failing) to find his way with a completely new playing style (and the relative naivety of his approach, which alone caused quite a few hiccups and dropped points) and then consider that we pretty much prioritised the Champions League over the Premier League from April onwards and rested near full first teams against Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle, and went out at about 50% at Tottenham (because of the game that came after) - three out of those four clubs finished directly above us - and not by a lot of points - so the balance of those results ultimately tipped us into 6th.

If we only had the league to go for from March onwards, and were out of the FA Cup and Champions League, then I strongly believe we would have finished 3rd. I'm glad that wasn't the case though.

In August, if we have a stronger squad, with less reliance on a few players who probably can't deliver to the level we need, week in week out, then we'll be challenging in the league again.

Agree with this and a good post. Playing our "normal" way should have got us top 4, but I just dont think we have the quality upfront to challenge for the title which is waht everyone wants and Chelsea expect. Thats down to a lack of goals. So someone to create and someone else to score would be good options and might push us back up to challengers

[bluecueball]

With that squad, I'd bring in 1 CM, 1 AM and 1 Striker. If we were to sell Malouda, I'd bring another AM in too.

How does the U21 league integrate with the 1st team games? For e.g., could we play Lukaku in the u21 league and then put him on the bench for saturday's league game or is this not logistically/physically possible?

[Ubik]

Stim, on 22 May 2012 - 09:11 AM, said:

Isn't Benayoun like 32? I highly doubt we'll keep him

I think we have set a dealine to Arsenal to sign him\loan him again or he comes back

Daily fail

http://www.dailymail...ne-Arsenal.html

[Bob Singleton]

Battersea Boy, on 21 May 2012 - 10:46 PM, said:

Drogba has denied that he made any such comments to the French rag that published this tripe.

I knew it was nonsense; Drogba may well leave, but he has openly stated that he wants to stay. He wants to play for two more years and he is willing to pass up mega bucks in China if he gets 2 years. I think he has too much respect for te fans and club to have announced leaving in this way. If he does leave the club will know first and he will do so in a dignified way.

When I read and hear so much negative and biased rubbish in the media about Chelsea it amazes me all the more when people are so ready to believe what Sky put on te screen!

Firstly France Football is not "a rag" but a well respected publication on a par with L'Equipe. They regularly publish a diary piece provided by a player, and for the last month or so that diary piece has been supplied by Didier Drogba by way of a regular phone call to the journalist in Paris who transcribes what he says and then slightly rewrites it to make it more coherent and readable.

Secondly, Drogba himself has not denied the story; it's his "representatives" that have been denying it. Like many top players, he has many representatives, from his agent down to people who work on his behalf at various companies whose products/services he endorses, plus various publicists etc.

Do we know which of his "representatives" have denied the story, because if it's his personal agent or personal publicist, it would hold more credence than some tea boy at a company whose products he endorses.

Rumours were circulating before the Barcelona games that Drogba had signed a pre-agreement to go to China, and Anelka (who is now the player manager there) talked of re-igniting their partnership.

Do France Football sometimes get stories wrong? Of course they do; usually when they've been fed misinformation by a club/player/agent with ulterior motives. Do France Football deliberately make up stories (like the Daily Mail do on a regular basis) to sell papers? No

[hanuma]

Ubik, on 22 May 2012 - 09:10 AM, said:

I reckon Ferreira will leave and TB will stay out on loan. Kalou might sign a new contract?

Wasn't a prediction. Thats just the current reality, to the best of my knowledge.

[Sciatika]

Is Blackman ahead of Hilario at the moment?

[TreeGeek]

We'll be left with no wingers other than Ramires who CAN play there, but it's not his natural position and Sturridge who DOESN'T WANT to play there. And people want to buy 1 winger.....blimey....

Edited by TreeGeek, Today, 10:48 AM.

[Alec_Cobas]

TreeGeek, on 22 May 2012 - 10:48 AM, said:

We'll be left with no wingers other than Ramires who CAN play there, but it's not his natural position and Sturridge who DOESN'T WANT to play there. And people want to buy 1 winger.....blimey....

Marko Marin?

But yes, if Malouda and Kalou leave (I hope so), we should buy two wingers. And quality.

[terrychoi]

Bob Singleton, on 22 May 2012 - 09:45 AM, said:

Firstly France Football is not "a rag" but a well respected publication on a par with L'Equipe. They regularly publish a diary piece provided by a player, and for the last month or so that diary piece has been supplied by Didier Drogba by way of a regular phone call to the journalist in Paris who transcribes what he says and then slightly rewrites it to make it more coherent and readable.

Secondly, Drogba himself has not denied the story; it's his "representatives" that have been denying it. Like many top players, he has many representatives, from his agent down to people who work on his behalf at various companies whose products/services he endorses, plus various publicists etc.

Do we know which of his "representatives" have denied the story, because if it's his personal agent or personal publicist, it would hold more credence than some tea boy at a company whose products he endorses.

Rumours were circulating before the Barcelona games that Drogba had signed a pre-agreement to go to China, and Anelka (who is now the player manager there) talked of re-igniting their partnership.

Do France Football sometimes get stories wrong? Of course they do; usually when they've been fed misinformation by a club/player/agent with ulterior motives. Do France Football deliberately make up stories (like the Daily Mail do on a regular basis) to sell papers? No

maybe Drogba or the people represent him now has reservations about joining that Shanghai club. Hearing that Anelka is very unhappy over there, had a major bust-up with the owners and threaten to retire. Also hear that Shanghai team is only one point off the relegation. That team seems to be in turmoil and Drogba may have second-thought about that.

[guddy69]

"I feel it is time for Cech to go as he has underperformed this season"

Have you seen any games this season?... tsk.

[Bob Singleton]

terrychoi, on 22 May 2012 - 11:21 AM, said:

maybe Drogba or the people represent him now has reservations about joining that Shanghai club. Hearing that Anelka is very unhappy over there, had a major bust-up with the owners and threaten to retire. Also hear that Shanghai team is only one point off the relegation. That team seems to be in turmoil and Drogba may have second-thought about that.

I wouldn't blame him if that's the case (I too have read stories of Anelka's anger at the way things are going on behind his back), but according to their London correspondent (who was interviewed on Five Live just before 9.00am today) the phone call interview to FF was made after the parade, and Drogba told the guy in Paris that after the parade was over he got all the players around him and told them that he was off. That bit was part of a longer interview which will be going toward making up the diary piece.

Of course much can happen between Sunday evening and Monday mid-afternoon (when the Drogba leaving story started circulating).

What annoyed me was the original poster knowing little or nothing of the story or it's origins other than it being "a French rag" and disregarding it in spite of no actual quotes from Drogba himself to the contrary (only from "representatives" of whom he has many... some close, some not so close)

Too many people here believe whichever story suits them best (and I'm not just talking about the Drogba one, here), without ever looking at where the story originates, how they may have got the story in the first place, where any denials may be coming from, etc., etc.

[Mceech]

Theafonis, on 22 May 2012 - 04:16 AM, said:

I disagree, therefore, your opinion is wrong.

What is the point in this comment?

[TreeGeek]

Alec_Cobas, on 22 May 2012 - 10:50 AM, said:

Marko Marin?

But yes, if Malouda and Kalou leave (I hope so), we should buy two wingers. And quality.

Ooh yeah, forgot him, but he'll be a squad player me thinks. Two wingers are needed badly, and it's not rocket science to see that. Even the board sees that, if you look at all these rumours about Hazard, Moura, Hulk. Can you imagine getting both, Hazard and Moura? ****ING DREAM!