paulw66

Well, if the fee was stupid, and you simply promote Emerson to left back, you still have Azpilicueta and Zappacosta that could fill in. I don't see the point in having 2 players in Alonso and Emerson who can both only really play the one position in the 433 system. I'm not saying we should sell Alonso over Emerson, but it might not be the worst idea in the world if we were to spend that money where it is needed.

I think people get slightly mixed up here.... when someone says, "I don't buy the players", that could easily mean I don't negotiate the fee, salary, etc, but doesn't mean you have no say who that person is. Sarri clearly didn't have any say on the Jorginho fee, he clearly didn't buy him, but of course he was a player that he asked for. Every week my other half does the food shopping. She asks me if there is anything specific I want, and I tell her. I don't do the shopping, but that doesnt mean I have no influence over what is in our cupboards.

Incredibly he was picked pretty frequently by 8 different managers. Were they all wrong and you are right?

Bit harsh on Pedro.

Great player, and staunch Chelsea. Apart from that, what qualities does he have to be a DOF? I am not saying I wouldn't support the idea, but is he well placed to do such a role? The only downside is you have to be very thick skinned when the knives are out for you, and sections of the crowd call you a fool Didn't Emenalo do just that? Oversaw us winning every major trophy going, and whilst under his remit secured some of the best young talent in world football for relative peanuts? Didn't stop him being blamed for everything that went wrong, and praised for nothing that went right. Ended up with "Emenalo Out" A4 bits of paper at Watford away shortly after Jose's sacking. Quite. hence the initial suggestion, albeit that it was a touch facetious (although am warming to the idea) If you have the time or inclination, you can trawl back through this forum to a time when he was around and find plenty of people slagging him off whenever a rumoured transfer target didn't arrive, or when a particular transfer didn't work out. Was generally something like, "the fat CEO with no football background........."

Yup. Kenyon, Gourlay, Emenalo, and now Marina have all been the main target at some point. They should appoint someone who does nothing, literally nothing, but call him DoF, pay him next to nothing, and let him take the blame for all bad signings, then sack said person every 18 months and replace him with another fall guy. All the while appoint someone else to actually do the role with a different job title and let them get on with it.

We have to win it? If our ambitions are to win the league, then possibly yes. For top 4 I don't think a draw would be a disaster bearing in mind both sides are in transition. I expect they would have won at Huddersfield and we would have lost to City had last weeks' fixtures been in reverse.

Well we need someone else to blame for whenever we lose. Currently Marina is in the trenches taking grenades

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No. he's saying that he is nowhere near as bad as people make him out to be. You can't be that bad with a CV like his.

So if we draw, we have no chance of the top 4? Or even if we win 1-0?

That is exactly what it is (was) but in a different key. The chorus bit, "Dancing in September" is where the "Tiemoue Bakayoko" part goes

I was there! Song got stuck in my head - remember standing by the printer at work singing under my breath

He was very much central to our struggles unfortunately. Most tellingly, the thing I will miss most about him is the Earth, Wind and Fire song for him and Kante.

Agree with defender subs point of view. Assuming Rudiger and Azpi both start, and will start most important games, then we have most defensive positions covered. Back 4 of Azpi, Alonso, Rudiger, Luiz, and you just need AC on the bench. If Azpi gets injured, Rudiger plays RB and if Alonso gets injured, Azpi goes left back. If a CB gets injured, AC plays there. The leaves a GK and 5 more outfield players as subs. Probably 2 from RLC, Barkley and Kovacic depending on which one is starting with Jorginho and Kante, then Pedro / Willian, then Giroud/Morata then one other.......CHO / Abraham perhaps. Don't see the need for another defender to sit on the bench when defensive subs are so rare.