Chris Gundleton

I don't understand when fans say not to get too worried about pre-season results. I think we're kidding ourselves when saying that. I bet, if you look back over other pre-seasons, if we've had a good one, in term of results, we start the season well. Bad pre-season and we start p*** poor....

Growing up a Chelsea season ticket holder, in the 80s, in Essex I absolutely hate WHU. My number 1 hated team (have Liverpool on a par with them now). However, I have a lot of time for Moyes. The reason for this? Last season, when we played Arsenal at home, my Dad and I walked from Sloane Square station to the Bridge. Moyes was also doing the same walk (we had WHU that weekend). Two Chelsea fans stopped him for some selfies and Moyes walked the whole way, with these two Chelsea fans (one of them had a bad leg so was walking slow) - 25 minute walk - chatting away like they were best mates. None of this "thanks, very much, bye bye". At one point a cabbie jumped out of his cab for a selfie, and I asked for one to at that point. My Dad being in his 70s took an age trying to work my iPhone and Moyes was joking how his Dad is rubbish with tech too. My impression of Moyes is that he is really very decent, had a ton of time for all the Chelsea fans stopping him and the fact that these two Chelsea fans, in particular, was within for 25 mins and at no point did he try to make an excuse to get rid of them my Dad and I thought was class....

Exactly. In the past you paid the fee, that was it. This add ons craze must be fairly recent. There may have been one now and again, I think uncle Ken had to pay an extra fee to Reading if Kerry Dixon played for England, but now it's like every single signing has some form of add on.

Ha ha ha

I hate that term. Every signing, whatever team\player, always ends with fee "plus add ons!" Yes, I am easily irritated....

Frank Lampard's Everton is mentioned at the bottom of this article. I know you could say because of the connection to us and we have them in the first game but have seen it with Everton when they are not playing against us... https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12639058/matthijs-de-ligt-chelsea-interested-in-juventus-defender

Frank Lampard's Derby County Frank Lampard's Chelsea Frank Lampard's Everton Anyone noticed that as soon as Frank becomes boss, that team, be it tv, radio or in print, has a name change and automatically becomes Frank Lampard's...... Everton cannot be quoted without the prefix Frank Lampard's..... Don't know why but it irritates me. Love SFL but you don't hear Conte's Juve, Conte's Chelsea, Conte's Spurs, Mourinho's Porto, Mourinho's Chelsea, Mourinho's Inter.... Maybe it's something the press does when a PL playing legend becomes a manager..... If JT became a manager would it be JT's Chelsea or just Chelsea.....?

Hopefully we'll have some new signings but for me, I'd give it to Reece. Always seems super calm in the shootouts from last year, including the earlier rounds of the league cup. Just has that steely gaze.... Would like to see a defender well into double figures with goals (although let's hope he doesn't end up our top scorer meaning we still have problems up front!)....

No particular order, Townsend, Durie, Courtois (although well pleased that he stopped the scousers), Burley. Poyet and Gallas don't bother me so much... I recall, at the Bridge, when Villa came to play when Townsend was there, a minute's silence (can't recall what for). All quiet for the first 10 seconds and then this one lone voice shouts out "Townsend you're a w******", you can see the Chelsea players, Wise et al, trying not to laugh. The usual "Shhhhssss" could be heard and it quietens down. Then with about 10 seconds to go, the same bloke, "Townsend, you're still a w*****". Classic, ha ha......

The main reason I want him is because I believe it will allow us to switch to a back 4 permanently if TT wants to. IMO TT plays 3 at the back is to protect Jorginho. Constantly overrun in midfield with Frank and on occasions Sarri (City away) with Jorginho and a back 4. Won't happen with Rice.....

Agreed. Those articles annoy me too. One of my favourite strikers. Crespo's goal celebrations worth the admission price alone.

Good riddance. Flakey mentally and physically, even his facial expressions says to me "wimp"!!! I agree with a previous poster, up there with Courtois, Judas Durie and Townsend. In Saving Private Ryan, Christensen would be the coward character who drops the rest of them in it.

Prime Hazard would have scored one of those Pulisic chances. Previously, Drogba and going back further, Di Matteo, big game players who took their chances. Domestically in finals, this lot are flakey. no papers for me in the morning, no way I want to read how the scouse f******* “always find a way to win” - lottery on penalties - f*** off Oliver Holt, Danny Murphy and all the other ex scouse f****** pundits

Not sure what p****** me off more, another domestic final loss or another penalty shoot out loss. That’s 4 on the spin to those scouse c**** (champs league semi, super cup and two this year). With the exception of Munich, this years super cup and the spuds semi, Europa league semi under Sarri out record in shoot outs is s***. Laws of averages would suggest we win some but f*** me!!!!

I saw on the BBC webpage that Pay Nevin thinks the league cup final might be the last major cup final he'll ever see Chelsea in again, do any of you really think that? For that to happen it'll mean that Reece, Mount, Havertz et al have all been sold off...!!! I just don't see that... If we are forced to sell some players to fill a sponsor black hole, sell Lukaku and Kepa. Bring in Broja and sign some other back up keeper, I just don't see this scenario where the entire first team has gone and we're left playing the loan army as our first team!!!

I'm positive on this one. Domestically, in the cups, we tend to have their number, even when we were s*** in the 70s and 80s. The only time I recall us losing a domestic cup game was when Kerry got injured and was never quite the same. We are to Pool what the Arse are to us in cups, they always beat us in domestic cup games, apart from the Drogba years, but we have their number in Europe regardless of if we, or they, are better... If we were playing Pool in a euro cup final, my pooper would be going, but this is domestic, we've got this!!!!!

Going to jinx this but have started to see a player there. Was desperate to get rid but now I see him as our best / most in form attacker. I can't believe I am saying that, might be to do with the fact that all the rest are shocking at the minute!!!!

Bang average player IMO. No pace (anymore), can't score and rarely beats his man. If he is going to be a winger, who doesn't beat his man, then he needs to deliver perfect pinpoint crosses, Beckham style or like Wise used to before we realised he was better in the centre. Doesn't do that either (the lump upfront doesn't help mind you).

He's done well in Mendy's absence and I no longer worry when he plays like I did before. He'll never be a top keeper IMO though and the reason for this is he just isn't big enough. I think he will always be suspect to a long shot. If he was 6'4"+, he would be a top keeper.... Agree with others, when he leaves, he can indeed hold his head high...

I blame the tinkering of the front three. If TT was Liverpool boss, playing our system which would still mean a front 3, TT would constantly rotate Salah, Mane, Jota, Firmino, Origi and Minamino. Klopp has decided that Jota is better than Firmino and sticks with Jota, Salah and Mane. They build up an understanding and confidence... TT would have rotated prime Hazard!!!! I like TT but imo he does himself no favours in constantly tinkering. I get the impression that he needs to start Lukaku because of the price. To my mind Mount plays on one side and on the other one from Havertz, Werner or Pulisic and stick with it. Ziyech and CHO nowhere near the starting 11 for me. If he has balls, drop Lukaku and go with Havertz, Mount and one from Werner or Pulisic, but again stick with it. I can see us playing say Lukaku, Mount and Havertz against Brighton, doing well and then against Spurs, Ziyech and CHO are in, madness!!!! Prime Ranieri!!!!!

Does anyone see any comparisons of Havertz with Oscar? I was so annoyed when Mourinho chose Oscar over Mata, blatant work rate over ability. For me Oscar was like one decent game in seven. I think Havertz is better than Oscar but I see similarities in work rate, flashes of skill, and numbers not being great. Both came as the next big thing.... to answer the question, I like both but feel Havertz has delivered more than Werner. However, I do feel TT rotates the front three too much and therefore no rhythm or understanding so feel this has a bearing on the numbers...

Our problems started when Kova, Kante and Chilwell all got injured at the same time. The replacements are just not at the same level. I'm convinced that if we had our strongest 11, week in week out and playing Tommy's system, we'd be right in the race. We are having same problem Liverpoo! had last year when they had their centre halves all injured. For me, Tommy is still the man for the job, he is still an elite manager and would be madness of Roman gets rid (having said that Roman would have got rid of Klopp for that run where they failed to score at Anfield for half a dozen games). However, I do have some criticism for Tommy: 1. There has been some games where we are winning but have lost the midfield. Annoys me that he hasn't put an extra man in the middle and gone 2 up front during matches as I think we would have gone on and won these games (WHU for example). 2. Tinkers too much with the front 3. Pick your favourites and stick with them.so that they can build an understanding. 3. I wonder whether the system has been worked out and needs to mix it up. He now says we have no wing backs now, change it then and play a back 4. To my mind, go for the cups and forget the title for this year. Finishing third and picking up any of the cups would still be a good year. We can then focus on fixing the problems with another transfer window (particularly when the most of our defence would be out of contract)....

Hate to say it, as I was I initially excited at seeing RLC in the middle pair, but all I am seeing is Tom Huddlestone........

Just responded to a message on the CP thread. Got me thinking. My favourite players to watch are flying wingers, however my favourite players over time have always been right backs (Stevie Clarke, Ivan and Dave) ha ha. Im going to mark our wingers out of 10, let me know your thoughts too. I'm going to start with Clive Walker, Charlie Cooke before my time.... and I'm sticking with main winger at the club (i.e. Excluding say Canners as Pat was the main winger)... walker (7/10) - inconsistent but moments of magic in a crap Chelsea side Nevin (8/10) - super skilful but wished he would have scored more. Oddly, my teenage memory used to think of him as not particularly fast but in his book he said he was quick. Maybe my memory playing tricks. McAllister (3/10) - poor man's Nevin. I recall Stevie Clarke having to beat the full back for McAllister... Wise (5/10 as a winger 8/10 when moved to the middle) - just didn't do it for me as a winger. Not skillful enough. Like to see my wingers skinning the defenders. When he moved to the middle thoigh..... Gronkjaer (5/10) - first game I thought he was brilliant and then Ranieri took him.off at half time!!! After that realised he was fast but not much else. Did score that goal though. Robben (9/10) - world class to my eyes with the exception of being made of glass. Always thought this was more mental as opposed to being actually injured. Duff (8/10) - breaking my rule about the main winger as played with Robben but a personal favourite of mine. Just a shame injuries took their toll like Joe Cole. Malouda (8/10 for his season and a half of good play 2/10 either side of that purple.patch) - enough said. hazard (9/10) - him and Robben in the same team, wow.... Pulisic?????

This one is a tough one. If we twist I fear another Salah/De Bruyne situation. Knowing our luck, he stays fit and returns to post lockdown form in Lamps first season with someone else. Robben was made of glass until he went to Bayern. Used to frustrate me seeing him play so well when he could have been still with us. To my mind my favourite players to watch are wingers on song but TT system not really set up for a winger. So to answer the question, a reluctant twist next season if no improvement in fitness or a proper fit in the team.....