Chelsea (A) - Sun 2nd Jan 2022 (4:30pm)

[Section_31 25,225]

12 minutes ago, Boss said:

We haven't invested since losing the Champions League final. It's criminal what FSG have done, but it's been swept under the rug by Klopp's genius. It's simply unsustainable to mount title challenges with a negative net spend when your rivals are spending £100m+ every season. 

 

It's heartbreaking really. For 30 years we tried success on the cheap, shoulda coulda woulda players for a few mil, the new Zidanes and all the rest of it.

 

The one time, once, we broke from that and invested real money in the very best established talent in the world, Alison and Virg, we won stuff and finally became a force.

 

Now we've reverted to type as mingebag FC and we're floundering. All too predictable.

[ManéMan 34]

1 hour ago, Babb'sBurstNad said:

Anyone notice Van Dijk's positioning for their second? Looked like he wasn't even going to attempt going towards Pulisic, even though the runner in the box was covered. Seemed odd.

I've noticed that a lot from him this season. Leaves things to the absolute last second or till it's too late to try and intervene, waiting or expecting others will clear or the attacker will miss.

[Jairzinho 25,382]

Just now, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

If you think we can win it now Scott good luck to you mate. Think you will be in a very small minority probably worldwide. 

Van Dijk in that interview looked like he didn't have even a shred of confidence that it's possible. 

[AngryOfTuebrook 24,572]

11 minutes ago, Boss said:

We haven't invested since losing the Champions League final. 

We're all a bit pissed off right now, but pretending that Alisson, Fabinho, Keita, Jota, Tsimikas, Thiago and Konaté don't exist is just daft.

[Joey8FrogsLegs 1,048]

1 minute ago, waddy78 said:

since them weve brought in Tsimikas (cheap at £11m and is worth more now) Minamino (£ 7m probably worth more now) Jota (£40m spread over 4 years and deffo worth more now) Konate (£35m if he continues the way he has been will also be worth more than we payed) Thiago (£20m bargain for the player he is but was in his last year of his contract probably would get atleast our money back if we sold him now) every signing is based on us being able to resell were City and Chelsea dont think that way and it seems FFP is only questioned once in a blue moon so the get away with it. FSG need to go out and blow £150 - 200m and not worry about what will come back in.

Out of the ones you mention Tsimikas, Konate, Jota and Thiago have all been good additions to the squad/first team. Thiago and Jota both have to prove they can stay fit and available for selection on s consistent basis of course, probided they can all of those look like good signings.

[Harry Squatter 13,901]

1 minute ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

And odd leg or two. 

And the odd Romanian scrotum.

[Scott_M 6,753]

22 minutes ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

If you think we can win it now Scott good luck to you mate. Think you will be in a very small minority probably worldwide. 

It’s what is super fans do!

 

I jest. Of course. 
 

I agree it looks like City are cruising to it, there is simply no other way to look at it. Stranger things have happened. Newcastle blew 12 points at this stage of the season. We blew 10 points (I know they had games in hand but still…). 
 

My point is (and I’ve had a few beers) is if we don’t go for it, we don’t do it. If we keep winning, maybe, MAYBE, City will cock up. But if we don’t do our thing, it’s over.

[Moo 959]

16 minutes ago, J-V said:

We spent £90million on two absolute shit midfielders who we can't get rid of.  Lets not pretend Klopp hasen't spent shit loads on that midfield.

 

I still don't don't know why we gave Hernderson a new contract when he had two years left at the time.

So because of the extremely tight financial margins (and that's being generous) Klopp has to have a near perfect hit rate?  He is a miracle worker but has any manager ever been perfect in the transfer market?  

This is on FSG.

[waddy78 464]

5 minutes ago, VERBAL DIARRHEA said:

And odd leg or two. 

I remember a tackle he made whilst playing for Ranger vrs Aberdeen he just ignored the ball and stamped down on to the players thigh (whilst the player was standing up !!) and fucking complained to the ref when he got booked (booked)

[gkmacca 1,417]

What sickens me listening to Carragher and Souness waving the white flag is that they don't want to explain it, they don't want to explain why the game now, dominated by owners with blood on their hands, is no real game at all. So they drone on about how great City are as if it's just down to some magical spell cast by the baldheaded genie called Pep, and that's the end of it. They can't be honest because they're employed by people who are part of the problem. So you get this practically every season now, constant complaints about FFP-conscious owners losing to FFP-go to fuck owners, and w're supposed to nod and agree it's all down to luck and effort. Pass the sick bag.

[Leyton388 1,866]

12 minutes ago, TheDrowningMan said:

Thing is, I have no problem with the first part in isolation (as far as domestic trophies go) because they don’t bring in any money. You can’t mount a consistent challenge for anything off the back of a domestic cup nowadays.
 

The part I find hard to stomach is the lack of investment from a position not only inside the top four but having won (and consistently going deep into) the Champions League and the Premier League title. It’s pathetic.

With an ageing squad that probably needs at least £200m worth of players in the summer, FSG are in danger of waiting another few years and snookering themselves into owning a club permanently locked out of the CL given the wealth of City, Chelsea, United and Newcastle.

That last bit there is spot on and you can put your house on this being their main factor of joining the super league. 

 

Remember that all the founding clubs would not face relegation so FSG could continue to invest less and less and still have their feet under at the head of the table. 

 

The premier league would have become an after thought for them and eventually they would have pulled us out of that as the super League became established. 

 

I'm amazed how they have not received much more backlash from the fans over it as its pretty obvious what their plans are and motivation. 

 

Its like theyve seen us,win the CL and league and thought to themselves "well that will appease the peasants so now lets just put our feet up and rake on the rewards and well rinse and repeat every 5 to 10 years. 

 

1. Buy an up and coming player

2. Sell when they become a star

2. Invest that money into the team.

3 invest less over x years.

4  repeat step 1

 

 

Quote

 

 

[TheHowieLama 13,029]

4 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

 

The one time, once, we broke from that and invested real money in the very best established talent in the world, Alison and Virg, we won stuff and finally became a force.

 

and Coutinho is available on loan!!

[Captain Howdy 1,914]

8 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

Van Dijk in that interview looked like he didn't have even a shred of confidence that it's possible. 

That will be because he has an IQ higher than a pot noodle. City are winning this league by 20+ points. They are so far away from us you need space Hubble to even see them 

[El Rojo 10,783]

Thought Tsimikas was great. Difficult task, but we nearly need to find a way of accommodating both him and Robbo. 
 

Kelleher did really well. Tough position and fixture to be thrown into.

[J-V 4,064]

4 minutes ago, waddy78 said:

since them weve brought in Tsimikas (cheap at £11m and is worth more now) Minamino (£ 7m probably worth more now) Jota (£40m spread over 4 years and deffo worth more now) Konate (£35m if he continues the way he has been will also be worth more than we payed) Thiago (£20m bargain for the player he is but was in his last year of his contract probably would get atleast our money back if we sold him now) every signing is based on us being able to resell were City and Chelsea dont think that way and it seems FFP is only questioned once in a blue moon so the get away with it. FSG need to go out and blow £150 - 200m and not worry about what will come back in.

You've gone from "up and coming talent" to full blown internationals.

 

Minamino is garbage we'll get £10mill if lucky. Even Southampton didn't want to pay for him.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA 9,742]

2 minutes ago, Scott_M said:

It’s what is super fans do!

 

I jest. Of course. 
 

I agree it looks like City are cruising to it, there is simply no other way to look at it. Stranger things have happened. Newcastle 12 points at this stage of the season. We blew 10 points (I know they had games in hand but still…). 
 

My point is (and I’ve had a few beers) is if we don’t go for it, we don’t do it. If we keep winning, maybe, MAYBE, City will cock up. But if we don’t do our thing, it’s over.

The depressing point for me was that  we lost those points from winning positions but had we taken those points the Afcon would have fucked us anyway. 

[VERBAL DIARRHEA 9,742]

4 minutes ago, waddy78 said:

I remember a tackle he made whilst playing for Ranger vrs Aberdeen he just ignored the ball and stamped down on to the players thigh (whilst the player was standing up !!) and fucking complained to the ref when he got booked (booked)

I remember that. He takes the Sky Dollar now though.

[George Costanza 629]

As a one off game a point away to a top 4 team is not a bad result but having been 2-0 up we kinda threw it away with poor end to the 1st half.  Its very worrying that we seem to struggle to keep clean sheets these days.  At times our defending actually looks lazy, the desire to defend at all costs just isn't there.  Maybe mentally they are all fatigued I don't know but something isn't quite right at that end of the pitch. 

 

As many of already said the midfield really needs some work in the summer.  We have far too mnay players either underperforming or you just cannot trust them to string a set of consistent games together.

 

Its going to be a tough few games ahead now without Salah & Mane.  Huge onus on Jota & Firmino (when he gets back from Covid isolation) but some of the rest of the team need to step up and contribute some goals.  They've rarely failed us but we rely so much on the front 3 for our goals.

[Jairzinho 25,382]

3 minutes ago, Captain Howdy said:

That will be because he has an IQ higher than a pot noodle

Well, yes. 

 

I think they'll finish about 20 points ahead of us, and would snap your hand off for third now. 

[Pureblood 7,454]

9 minutes ago, gkmacca said:

What sickens me listening to Carragher and Souness waving the white flag is that they don't want to explain it, they don't want to explain why the game now, dominated by owners with blood on their hands, is no real game at all. So they drone on about how great City are as if it's just down to some magical spell cast by the baldheaded genie called Pep, and that's the end of it. They can't be honest because they're employed by people who are part of the problem. So you get this practically every season now, constant complaints about FFP-conscious owners losing to FFP-go to fuck owners, and w're supposed to nod and agree it's all down to luck and effort. Pass the sick bag.

Do you subscribe to Sky? I don't know why anyone would. 

 

If everyone cancelled them, this shit would sort itself out. 

[sir roger 8,852]

i don't want us to start invoking the dark arts , and Jurgen wouldn't stand for it , but surely we coukd bring a bit of common sense into it at times.

 

2-0 up and 5 minutes to half time against a good opponent , tell the defence to stay as a back four until half time and get the midfield tucked in to help , and in situations like Hendo on their 2nd goal , you have just let in a goal and the opposition's tails are up and the ball has come to you on the half volley 30 yards from our goal. Two main options  - give a floaty iittle ball to put Trent in a 50-50 header situation , or just twat it towards their corner flag and regroup. Go option B next time.

 

And are we the only team naive enough to let Konate be kept off the pitch for treatment and play with 10 men for 2 or 3 minutes.

 

 

[ManéMan 34]

Having to start with Milner and Henderson in midfield you need a miracle of Barca at Anfield proportion to win a game.

 

Milner has probably already played well more minutes this season than 2018/19 and 2019/20 combined.

[Anubis 21,591]

4 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

Well, yes. 

 

I think they'll finish about 20 points ahead of us, and would snap your hand off for third now. 

I think we’ll finish second if we can get through the Alcon period intact. Probably about ten points behind.

[Jenson 914]

26 minutes ago, torahboy said:

Love Souness, who broke a player's jaw with a punch, saying Mane's 'wristing' of Azpilicueta was violent. The idiocy of the pundits and the commentators beggars belief.

I know we're all biased, but Mane's challenge was as nailed on a red card as you're ever likely to see. Any other time in the game and he's off no question.

[VladimirIlyich 9,638]

1 minute ago, sir roger said:

i don't want us to start invoking the dark arts , and Jurgen wouldn't stand for it , but surely we coukd bring a bit of common sense into it at times.

 

2-0 up and 5 minutes to half time against a good opponent , tell the defence to stay as a back four until half time and get the midfield tucked in to help , and in situations like Hendo on their 2nd goal , you have just let in a goal and the opposition's tails are up and the ball has come to you on the half volley 30 yards from our goal. Two main options  - give a floaty iittle ball to put Trent in a 50-50 header situation , or just twat it towards their corner flag and regroup. Go option B next time.

 

 

You can't legislate for  a worldie like the first goal but you could have easily dropped a few yards for the second and played the half out at 2-1.