Dean

What a fantastic last couple of games. Tremendous performance, really enjoyable to watch which is soooo important, Palmer a real standout… I might have to become an optimist again! 

What a fantastic last couple of games. Tremendous performance, really enjoyable to watch which is soooo important, Palmer a real standout… I might have to become an optimist again! 

Fair play to Gallagher, he's been one of our best players this season. He doesn't give up. He's really impressed me when I didn't think he would. 

What a fantastic last couple of games. Tremendous performance, really enjoyable to watch which is soooo important, Palmer a real standout… I might have to become an optimist again! 

Romero been approached by some dodgy betting mafia or something? Bizarre. 

Yeah that was sooo much better and, above all, really enjoyable to watch. 

Yeah that was sooo much better and, above all, really enjoyable to watch. 

We haven’t even had the recession yet. I struggle to see how this current reign can withstand that when it comes. But I’m repeating myself. It’ll be fun again to be a fan one day. But worse first imo. 

Ok. I have heard a few Chelsea fans have given a name to our project. It is now "project Titanic". Lol

And possible relegation if we are nor careful. This squad has absolutely no experience of being in the trenches and digging their way out. The whole squad is completely unequipped to deal with a relegation battle, especially against hardened experienced pros

Have to say I’ve really tuned out this season - focusing on other stuff more including other sports. I think too many are expecting a return to normal. We’re in the early stages of a more drawn out period in the wilderness, and I see a decent chance it ends with a forced sale by current owners. 

Could we have a forum just for stats as in the 'Stat forum' I don't get it, all seems too tedious and mechanical. Or maybe i'll just carry on flicking past all the gobbledegook or just pass on the whole thing. I'm really going off football now anyway, there just isn't the buzz anymore, for me anyway. Shame really.
 

The goal may be the same, but the methods are radically different.
For CFG, PIF and Al-Khelaifi, financial sustainability is only a means to an end which is ultimately sportswashing. Football investment is a vehicle for them to drive political influence around the world, especially in Europe. To do so, they need to also comply as much as possible with the culture and rules of the establishment they so desperately want to join. That doesn't mean they won't break the rules, but they will do whatever they can to give the appearance of complying. The monetary value of the club is not as important as the cultural clout success brings.
FSG and the Glazers are not blitzscaling. They were bought using a traditional private equity model; in FSG's case they bought Liverpool for cheap, a relatively de-valued asset following the Gillett/Hicks years and invested to bring it back to where it should be. Given Liverpool's "brand" and following around the world they are merely returning the club to where it should be commercially rather than actually improving it. The Glazers have a completely different model in that they bought an already-profitable asset with huge amounts of debt and at best, have kept it running. The Glazers profit from the revenue of the club, which is largely unchanged, rather than the asset value.
Blueco's strategy is different, as outlined in the video and many others on 'blitzscaling'. For Boehly and other investors who made their fortunes during technology booms, their investment strategy hinges on breaking the existing paradigm to prioritise growth over anything else. All they care about is the paper value of the club; the financials, revenue, even trophy success are all just possible means to an end. All they care about is that in ten years, some geek at Forbes gives them a valuation number that is higher than what they spent to acquire the club. 
Blitzscaling is a risky strategy because it is essentially a pyramid scheme. The way it works is by appealing to investor FOMO; for investors who cut their teeth during technology and cryptocurrency bubbles, and faced no material consequences from the GFC, they have no frame of reference for investment failure and consequently have an enduring assumption that the market will always return a profit. Everyone either wants to make up for the fact they missed out on Apple/Amazon/Netflix or wants to make sure they get on the ground floor for the next one. 

Blitzscaling works because it prioritises the indicators that these investors are looking for, and so creates a feedback loop and investment frenzy when it comes together. It is a stunning exercise in confirmation bias. These investors aren't looking for profitability or sound financial fundamentals, they're looking for speed for growth and market share. The earliest adopting, fastest growing bird gets the biggest worm, so to speak.

But, as @Dean has written in this thread already, this strategy is unlikely to work because football, unlike Wall St, is actually relatively highly regulated, and the world is no longer in the era of low interest rates and endless cheap money for asset-rich people to use. And if it does work, it will almost certainly be at the expense of the long-term profitability, reputation and integrity of the club or sport as a whole.

Even with all my Balkan bias, I don’t get Vlahovic. If we had to go Balkan, I’d take Mitrovic over Vlahovic in a heartbeat. 

Even with all my Balkan bias, I don’t get Vlahovic. If we had to go Balkan, I’d take Mitrovic over Vlahovic in a heartbeat. 

No not really 😂 though his record would probably great if granted all those things . See my reply to bisright.

Dean, mate. Really? 
Will that make him able to catch corners and stop more long range shots? 

I get your point, but Kepa would still be required to make saves and clear his lines...that's his job. 
Enzo finds space, pings accurate cross field balls and can play in a number 9. But he's exposed when we don't have a DM and we need players to pass to. 

Even with all my Balkan bias, I don’t get Vlahovic. If we had to go Balkan, I’d take Mitrovic over Vlahovic in a heartbeat. 

This will probably get ridiculed but i think Havertz is one of the players that should be given the benefit of the doubt, shouldn’t be judged based on this season. To me he’s def not in the “unsalvageable” category at least. Been frustrating as hell but the whole team has been completely at sea this year and it has fed on itself as the season has gone on and confidence has just disintegrated. He still has age on his side, and potential. He might be a lot better than we’ve come to think and selling him could be a risk. It’s amazing how transformative a decent structure, proper coaching and a bit of confidence can be. My bigger concern is that those don’t materialise. 

Completely agree Dean. But IF there was any chance to sell him and then negotiate a deal for Felix I would 100% go for that as Felix is the better player.

I think him winning the CL for us may still be slightly clouding my judgement regarding Kai but I am happy to keep him and I believe part of the reason Pochettino seems to be too is that at the very least he works hard with his pressing. 
There's definitely still time for him to turn it around but it has to be next season. 

This will probably get ridiculed but i think Havertz is one of the players that should be given the benefit of the doubt, shouldn’t be judged based on this season. To me he’s def not in the “unsalvageable” category at least. Been frustrating as hell but the whole team has been completely at sea this year and it has fed on itself as the season has gone on and confidence has just disintegrated. He still has age on his side, and potential. He might be a lot better than we’ve come to think and selling him could be a risk. It’s amazing how transformative a decent structure, proper coaching and a bit of confidence can be. My bigger concern is that those don’t materialise. 

Even with all my Balkan bias, I don’t get Vlahovic. If we had to go Balkan, I’d take Mitrovic over Vlahovic in a heartbeat. 

This will probably get ridiculed but i think Havertz is one of the players that should be given the benefit of the doubt, shouldn’t be judged based on this season. To me he’s def not in the “unsalvageable” category at least. Been frustrating as hell but the whole team has been completely at sea this year and it has fed on itself as the season has gone on and confidence has just disintegrated. He still has age on his side, and potential. He might be a lot better than we’ve come to think and selling him could be a risk. It’s amazing how transformative a decent structure, proper coaching and a bit of confidence can be. My bigger concern is that those don’t materialise.