Van Butsen

In that same respect, every club is resting their hopes on a new signing being the answer for the position they were brought in for. You can't do much more than have a problem with defensive midfield and answering that by buying the best defensive midfielder in the league.

Average full back options?

I wouldn't be opposed to Lichtsteiner for a season or two with Dave on the Left. No way the club will gamble on an untried full-back and though he is the same age as Ivan he is a much more natural fullback and a fitness machine.

Then all the "we don't treat our legends with respect" clowns will pipe up. I always thought he was a passenger in the teams success but lately have come to enjoy his dedication to the role, happy to play second fiddle, happy to come on late. There is no way he lived up to his hype, but he's played his role which is all you can ask.

I agree with this but last season was (hopefully) an anomaly for the majority of the squad. I'm positive he could play just as well on the right. I think it can work to your advantage having a right footer in the LB spot, but you do need someone with a left foot on the wing somehwere. For all of Baba's flaws, he has a wicked left foot cross.

That's what they said about Mahrez

Does anyone know if that Brazilian Bernard who plays for Shakhtar is a left back or a left winger? I swear I've seen him play at the back but perhaps not. Quite liked him when I've seen him play and could be an option, no one seems to be making noise about him either. Shakhtar usually sell.

Kenedy is a prodigious talent and has the making of a player who could turn out better than anyone currently in the academy. We won't always have established seniors, players move on, get offered money from foreign leagues, lose form. I don't think the club is above developing young players that haven't actually come out of the academy. Did enough for me last season though he did get the opportunity that the academy players haven't had.

Gameiro has gone to AM, good news for us

Anyone know if Cesc has to sit this one out? Be interesting to see who starts in the middle if so

Sorry mate but I was actually in here discussing the pros and pros of Papy D before you came in telling people to stop wasting their time. You're a child and you're everything you protest against on this forumn. Sorry to break it to you champs.

Someones tapped him on the shoulder by the looks of things

Well if all they do is complain about the match day thread then so be it. Stop living in the past, if you think the forums suffering encourage others to be better

To be honest Bobby, I feel that it is posters like yourself that no one should waste their time with. As soon as someone challenges the status quo or the general feeling that you or Chelsbear have for a player, we (and I can say that now you've directly referred to me) get told we are bringing the forum down. I rarely (probably never) get heated and try to contribute as best I can whilst being light hearted all the same I do want to know why some posters have this elitist view of both themselves or the club. I'll keep posting the way I do so new posters don't get turned away for thinking differently to yourself.

That's exactly my point, you saw him play twice and have made up your mind. You do it for a number our players and regardless of their performances elsewhere, they're written off. As I said in my post, I admire Conte's willingness to at least put him through his paces, find his flaws and hopefully work on them. You have this elitist view of our club.

I'm so glad you aren't in the coaching ranks. I really admire Conte's willingness to test everyone we have, develop players that need work and to have multiple options in the squad.

I never really understand the digs at other leagues, when players are bought regularly from such leagues and then perform well in the PL. Anyway, I don't think you can definitively say Mahrez or Willian is better than the other. I think they are on par. Take Willian for example, he was an incredibly consistent player in the Ukrainian league and won it 2 or 3 times, not to mention getting to the knock out stages twice in the champions league AND giving us the runaround. Compared with Mahrez, who for his skill in a better league was in a lower team and didn't win anything. He didn't catch the eye of any of the big clubs. Mahrez best season in the premier league has been better than Willians yes, but Willian as been a consistent player for multiple years and at a high level.

How did he get from England to Austria without a passport?

He's in good company

I've started watching the anime series again. Team rocket are effing annoying

Good to get the minnows out of the way, bring on Madrid

yawn

So do you get XP points for evolving Pokemon? I didn't know that, I've been transferring all the frequently occurring ones. And wouldn't that waste your stardust which could be used on evolving the Pokemon you actually want to keep?

What on earth is that line up? Haven't seen much of Kenedy this pre-season.. I'm getting a loan vibe which is a shame.

I've read that the players were entitled to three weeks holiday following the conclusion of their country's final Euro 2016 match. So I'd say he is due in next week, unless he doesn't take the full three.