Chelsea Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2016

LightningBlue

Gonzovision wrote: »

Rumors Baba is off on loan to Schalke. Strange one

Good for Aina though....

Definitely a strange one. Maybe he hasn't settled properly in England and wants to head back to Germany?

He's looked lost defensively since he joined us though. All 3 managers clearly haven't rated him too.

Would mean we would need to sign a full back or promote Jay DaSilva though. We really are paper-thin at the back with Ake and Christiansen on loan.

pudzey101

ahhh jeez marcelo on a hatrick

Johner

Garbage.

TimRiggins

Oscar at centre mid isn't going to work. Oscar anywhere on the pitch doesn't seem to work.

SureYWouldntYa

Gonzovision wrote: »

Rumors Baba is off on loan to Schalke. Strange one

Good for Aina though....

What's another year in Germany going to do for him

Maybe he'll be a top left back in the league, and come back to us an exciting youngster

Exactly like he was last year............

Bret Hart

Fantastic goal.

Johner

Begovic is shocking.

TimRiggins

Begovic should save that for me. 3-0, embarrassing.

hots

Jesus this is rough... Same old story of not being able to retain possession. RLC is really underwhelming again but it is just preseason (again )

LightningBlue

We've been abject since the first goal went in.

Back four have been exposed but that's down to the midfield offering no cover. Hopefully we can get some reinforcements in before the start of the season at CB.

Kind of feel sorry for Aina in that he's been double-teamed every single time by Marcelo and the left winger. Willian and Pedro haven't bothered their arse to track back or make an option for a pass. At least he's getting minutes with the first team.

Oscar showing why he's bench fodder going forward. Pure lazy, can't even make a pass and he failed to track the runner or put a block in on the 1st and 3rd goal. Put Chalobah in CM - he can't be any worse.

Front four haven't done a tap all game long. Traore's just about the best of a bad bunch. RLC's looked lost as a 10/CF.

McDave

hullaballoo wrote: »

It was the UCL semi final but the two are easily confused.

:pac:

LightningBlue

Batshuayi looks good. Shape seems to be better so far in the second half.

LightningBlue

Nice ball by Chalobah in the build up to Hazards goal. The spell at Napoli seems to have brought him on well.

TimRiggins

Some respectability back on the scoreline after the first half. Chalobah has impressed since coming on, would like to keep him this year

LightningBlue

Second half was a much better display. Shape looked better, Matic and Chalobah look a good pairing in midfield. Nice balance of skills.

Batshuayi and Traore looked good as a partnership. First time in ages we've had the option of real pace in the CF position. It should keep defenders more honest.

Hazard should get plenty of chances in the 4-2-4 going forward either as a 10 or LWF as it will give him more 1 on 1s rather than being force to deal with double and triple marking.

TimRiggins

LightningBlue wrote: »

Second half was a much better display. Shape looked better, Matic and Chalobah look a good pairing in midfield. Nice balance of skills.

Batshuayi and Traore looked good as a partnership. First time in ages we've had the option of real pace in the CF position. It should keep defenders more honest.

Hazard should get plenty of chances in the 4-2-4 going forward either as a 10 or LWF as it will give him more 1 on 1s rather than being force to deal with double and triple marking.

He usually hits his 1 on 1's straight at the keeper though.

SureYWouldntYa

Baba Rahman having medical at Schalke ahead of loan love, according to SSN

So so stupid, and it's probably going to more more Ivan

Johner

Strange one alright.

hots

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

Baba Rahman having medical at Schalke ahead of loan love, according to SSN

So so stupid, and it's probably going to more more Ivan

It's an odd one alright, but Conte has obviously seen enough... means we'll absolutely have to sign someone else now.

peteeeed

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

Baba Rahman having medical at Schalke ahead of loan love, according to SSN

So so stupid, and it's probably going to more more Ivan

Aina , he's played all pre season

hullaballoo

I'm more worried we haven't got CB cover. Aina/Kenedy and Dave should be our starting FBs but at the moment our starting CBs are Terry and Cahill until Zouma is back at Christmas.

LightningBlue

peteeeed wrote: »

Aina , he's played all pre season

Yeah, looks like Aina is a starter with Azpi but an injury to either and we're fecked. We have no depth in any defensive position.

Aina/Azpi/Ivan(injured)/Cuadrado

---

RCB

---

LCB

---

Azpi/Aina/Kenedy/da Silva

It probably means were signing a Centre back and full back (preferably a left back) before the end of August.

SureYWouldntYa

peteeeed wrote: »

Aina , he's played all pre season

Untested but I'm all for giving youth the chance

Chalobah could get a squad role this season, can cover midfield and defense

McDave

Lukker- wrote: »

Atelti just signed Kevin Gaimero so they won't be signing Costa any time soon.

It might not be to Atletico, but Costa looks like a goner at CFC, if we can get a striker we want.
http://www.espnfc.com/story/2920703/antonio-conte-cant-guarantee-diego-costas-chelsea-future

LightningBlue

McDave wrote: »

It might not be to Atletico, but Costa looks like a goner at CFC, if we can get a striker we want.
http://www.espnfc.com/story/2920703/antonio-conte-cant-guarantee-diego-costas-chelsea-future

The tapping-up from Atleti seems to have done the job and unsettled him. Now they've signed Gameiro and we're left with a player who didn't try a leg for half a season the last time he was in a sulk. Shower of *****. :mad:

If we can get £50-60 million for him and brought in solid replacement (Lukaku, Morata, Lacazette) I have no problem letting him go. Any less and we are getting screwed given the inflation in the transfer market.

Only question is who would be interested in him at the price - PSG? Napoli? Atleti?

McDave

LightningBlue wrote: »

The tapping-up from Atleti seems to have done the job and unsettled him. Now they've signed Gameiro and we're left with a player who didn't try a leg for half a season the last time he was in a sulk. Shower of *****. :mad:

If we can get £50-60 million for him and brought in solid replacement (Lukaku, Morata, Lacazette) I have no problem letting him go. Any less and we are getting screwed given the inflation in the transfer market.

Only question is who would be interested in him at the price - PSG? Napoli? Atleti?

Being honest, I don't think Costa ever really settled in the first place. Given the choice, I think he would have stayed in Madrid.

When you look at the money at stake, my guess is a lot of players get manipulated by agents into making moves, often against their will. I think this may well have been the case with Costa in particular.

Digressing slightly, if an agent is to get 20% to transfer Pogba, you have to question the ethics of the sport overall. Tevez was briefly mentioned in dispatches. Wasn't he actually 'owned' by a 'consortium'? I know certain clubs don't play that game, but there's something not quite right there.

SureYWouldntYa

Maybe in a few years we'll have to make this guy first choice, or stick with Courtois, the cycle goes on :pac:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3716007/Chelsea-agree-deal-sign-6ft-5in-Polish-goalkeeper-Marcin-Bulka-fighting-competition-Barcelona.html

McDave

£68-70 million valuations being mooted for Lukaku (ESPN and the Telegraph). Crazy money. If Lukaku was proven at UCL level, maybe. But my biggest fear for him would be that he might get a decent haul in the EPL only, and flop in the big UCL matches.

McDave

PS: on Lukaku, I'd say if Everton insist on stupid money, leave him at Goodison to take out his frustration on them, and then come back in one of the next two windows for a more realistic price.

Lukker-

Why did we loan Baba before signing a replacement LB? We did the same last season selling Filipe Luis. Got held over barrel by Augsburg for Baba because they knew time was running out in the window and we hadn't signed a replacement.

Also Baba has to go down as one of our worst signings in recent history. Signed after 1 good season in the Bundesliga, where he was good offensively and average defensively. Not some of Emenalo's better work. 3 managers in the space of a year who didn't rate him.

Bit worried for the start of the season now with Costa and possibly Matic unsettled, we are still very light in a few positions.

Johner

Lukker- wrote: »

Bit worried for the start of the season now with Costa and possibly Matic unsettled, we are still very light in a few positions.

Have to agree, we really need a few more signings.

SureYWouldntYa

2 weeks until the season starts

Always takes a couple of days to complete any signing so any new signings now won't have had pre season with us

2 of our best signings in recent years that hit the ground running were Cesc and Costa, deals done early in the summer

If Lukaku/Koulibaly is to happen it better happen this week

Johner

Koulibaly has scored twice in a friendly tonight, replacement for Costa? :pac:

GavRedKing

Theres still some payments and clauses that Lukaku has yet to meet at Everton meaning we wont pay all of the money Everton want for him.

We've also apparently written to Atletico over their tapping up of Costa.

GavRedKing

Napoli is a possible destination for Costa, theyve got the Higuain money in the bank, PSG might fancy replacing Ibra, there is possible destinations for him if he does want out.

GavRedKing

Oscars also took out mentions of Chelsea from his Twitter account so I live in hope that hes gone.

Theres 29 players on tour with us, not all of them will be invovled next year so some will be loaned and some sold.

GavRedKing

Chelsea have today confirmed what everybody knew, Rahman has joined Schalke on loan.

hots

Busy end to the end of the transfer window needed now, 1/2 out and 2/3 in... Not a great position to be in.

GavRedKing

hots wrote: »

Busy end to the end of the transfer window needed now, 1/2 out and 2/3 in... Not a great position to be in.

CB is a real concern. We've options in the youths but its a position you want to be blooding players in and with only the league to worry about, theres a lack of games for Conte to chop and change and give guys minutes.

We've got another 4 weeks anyway to do business, I can still see us bringing in another player after our first game against West Ham at this rate and we'll have players leaving after that game too.

Ricardo Rodriguez from Wolfsburg has been mentioned again as a ready made Rahman replacement at LB, we were afer him last year but Wolfsburg had no interest in selling him and we went after Rahman.

LightningBlue

GavRedKing wrote: »

Oscars also took out mentions of Chelsea from his Twitter account so I live in hope that hes gone.

Theres 29 players on tour with us, not all of them will be invovled next year so some will be loaned and some sold.

Its probably the best move for him and the club if it happens. The slower pace of Serie A might allow him to fulfill his potential.

In 4 seasons with the club he's stagnated - particularly since being placed in the defensive 10 role by Mourinho. We also made the excuse that he was burned out from playing with Brazil every summer and not had a rest, but last season he was worse.

In reality barring the magnificent brace against Juve in his CL debut and a couple of FA cup ties he's failed to deliver.

grumpymunster

Second season on the trot our transfer policy has been an utter shambles, when this goes pear shaped before Christmas it really cannot be ToL who carries the can. Our defence was poor last season and all we have done is made it worse. We obviously have learnt nowt as Lukker points out did exactly the same at LB last season absolute madness.
So Ake and Baba out on loan and no dedicated left back cant help thinking it is deja vu all over again :mad::mad::mad:

Andersonisgod

LightningBlue wrote: »

Its probably the best move for him and the club if it happens. The slower pace of Serie A might allow him to fulfill his potential.

In 4 seasons with the club he's stagnated - particularly since being placed in the defensive 10 role by Mourinho. We also made the excuse that he was burned out from playing with Brazil every summer and not had a rest, but last season he was worse.

In reality barring the magnificent brace against Juve in his CL debut and a couple of FA cup ties he's failed to deliver.

I remember seeing his senior Brazilian debut and thinking that he could go and play for Barcelona or Real Madrid eventually such was his level of technique and the personality with which he played. He was magnificent to watch.

His development in England came to a screeching halt, while he is physically stronger now than that kid playing in yellow on that day, some of that magic has been lost in England. He seems far less assured, far less willing to try the unexpected. If anything, key areas of his game have regressed.

I do hope he finds the right club and can recapture that touch of genius he had as he was breaking onto the world stage.

peteeeed

i'm not having the oscar bashing . i hope he stays

hots

GavRedKing wrote: »

CB is a real concern. We've options in the youths but its a position you want to be blooding players in and with only the league to worry about, theres a lack of games for Conte to chop and change and give guys minutes.

We've got another 4 weeks anyway to do business, I can still see us bringing in another player after our first game against West Ham at this rate and we'll have players leaving after that game too.

Ricardo Rodriguez from Wolfsburg has been mentioned again as a ready made Rahman replacement at LB, we were afer him last year but Wolfsburg had no interest in selling him and we went after Rahman.

I'd like to see Rodriguez alright but he's been wanted seemingly for a good few years now and no one had managed to get him... I still wonder about Bertrand too

LightningBlue

grumpymunster wrote: »

Second season on the trot our transfer policy has been an utter shambles, when this goes pear shaped before Christmas it really cannot be ToL who carries the can. Our defence was poor last season and all we have done is made it worse. We obviously have learnt nowt as Lukker points out did exactly the same at LB last season absolute madness.
So Ake and Baba out on loan and no dedicated left back cant help thinking it is deja vu all over again :mad::mad::mad:

Thing is we are going after players who are off the market or quibbling over a couple of million in transfer fee for defenders while supposedly going to blow 70M on Lukaku. It's maddening.

Even bringing in players like Mustafi, Tah or Maksimovic from Torino for modest fees would massively improve our current defense instead of wasting the whole preseason chasing Stones or Koulibaly who've only had one decent season either.

We've seen in previous seasons that signing guys like Zouma and Azpilicueta have worked out better than other mooted players with stupid pricetags like Mangala.

GavRedKing

LightningBlue wrote: »

Its probably the best move for him and the club if it happens. The slower pace of Serie A might allow him to fulfill his potential.

In 4 seasons with the club he's stagnated - particularly since being placed in the defensive 10 role by Mourinho. We also made the excuse that he was burned out from playing with Brazil every summer and not had a rest, but last season he was worse.

In reality barring the magnificent brace against Juve in his CL debut and a couple of FA cup ties he's failed to deliver.

Thats it, hes not progressed under various managers, he was crap out wide and poor from the #10 role, well, not consistent enough to be considered a top quality player.

Hes got bags and bags of technical ability in close quarters but at key times it seems to leave him and he ends up dribbling into players or over hitting simple passes.

As we're not going to be using a#10 really this year, I'd sell him ASAP.

GavRedKing

peteeeed wrote: »

i'm not having the oscar bashing . i hope he stays

Nah, I cant get behind a player whos not improved one jot since hes been here, I'd prefer to get shot of Ivan or Mikel first but Oscar is close to the door too for me.

His consistency or lack of, is so frustrating its not even funny.

GavRedKing

LightningBlue wrote: »

Thing is we are going after players who are off the market or quibbling over a couple of million in transfer fee for defenders while supposedly going to blow 70M on Lukaku. It's maddening.

Even bringing in players like Mustafi, Tah or Maksimovic from Torino for modest fees would massively improve our current defense instead of wasting the whole preseason chasing Stones or Koulibaly who've only had one decent season either.

We've seen in previous seasons that signing guys like Zouma and Azpilicueta have worked out better than other mooted players with stupid pricetags like Mangala.

We must have at least 1 CB coming in or close to it if we left Christensen go back on loan, I know he had a 2 year deal but we could have paid the penalty for cutting the deal short if we were really worried.

I am concerned though that our starting back 5 could be pretty much unchanged from last years cluster f**k that left in goals for funs.

Ivan is surely going to be benched but its Cahill next to JT I've grave issues with too, hes very bad and only hanging pn because of his HG status, IMO.

Gonzovision

GavRedKing wrote: »

Nah, I cant get behind a player whos not improved one jot since hes been here, I'd prefer to get shot of Ivan or Mikel first but Oscar is close to the door too for me.

His consistency or lack of, is so frustrating its not even funny.

Mikel: “I am definitely staying at Chelsea and I will try to give my best to the club, like I have always done." #CFC (Standard)

:pac:

GavRedKing

Gonzovision wrote: »

:pac:

Season is ruined already.