PloKoon13

Not only a goal but a competent victory to nil. I had almost forgotten the feeling. Also f**k off Leeds. f**k off even more BlueCo. Take your pick.

Adarabioyo over Acheampong? Maybe he's just dyslexic

Didn't realise that Nico González is the son of Fran (the old Deportivo captain when they won the league).

Pawson is such a buzzkill

What a finish! Bit of a monkey's paw moment though, this creates a very real possibility that Leeds win the FA Cup. Also f**k P&O Ferries

If I were a Man City fan this is the point at which I'd be starting to worry that it's just not our day.

Making me tear up

In the unlikely event that Simeone is actually a realistic prospect, I would do unspeakable things to have him at Chelsea. It would, however, betray yet more slapdash long-term planning from the sporting directors. He would be by an enormous distance the best manager to manage Chelsea under BlueCo, but he's hardly the stylistic successor to Maresca (and the players they signed for his ponderous style of play). I do have a slight hope concern that he would physically assault a couple of our more... lackadaisical players though.

I think you may have missed the point somewhat.

Personally I look forward to seeing his haunted, hunched figure resume its grim march along the touchline.

Symptom rather than cause but inevitable really, he did a terrible job. Wish him all the best in the future, seems like a decent bloke. Hope his next bosses are less craven and inept.

Half of Neto's goals were in cup competitions against lower league opposition. Last season one of the nine you've counted was against Barrow in the League Cup, one was in the Conference League, and three weren't even in competitive fixtures! Marc Guiu scored more goals in Europe last season than Lamine Yamal. Using your own logic, you'd take the former over the latter. Context matters.

Neto's career high for league goals in a season is 5. He has only once got more than 6 assists. I don't think he has either the output (or indeed the maturity) that you've suggested. He has scored two goals against teams that were in the Premier League last season: against Postecoglou's Forest (who were 19th) and at home to Wolves (who at that point had 2 points from 11 games). His qualities are 'stands out against lower league opposition' and 'runs fast'. Palmer has scored 22, 15, and even in a 'sporadic' season which he has spent the vast majority of carrying an injury still has 9. Palmer at his worst is still significantly better than Neto at his best.

Neto over Palmer? If there is a genuine acknowledgement among the board/sporting directors that their strategy to date has been unsuccessful and they are willing to change it (which I doubt), we should be aware that different doesn't necessarily mean good. There's every chance we end up signing the 2026 equivalents of Koulibaly, Sterling and Aubameyang, or even worse, whoever happens to play well at the World Cup. We also can't just draw a line under the farcical player recruitment under BlueCo and simply 'do better'. There is no buying club who will be interested in paying the amount for some of the unwanted squad players which wouldn't also f**k us from an SCR perspective. Consider also that we're a less attractive prospect for good players with no Champions' League football, and particularly now that we're a famous mess. We also have no idea who the manager is going to be, and Rosenior is hardly a draw if he stays on next season. We don't want to compound the issue by overpaying for players who won't make us better (which is exactly what we've done over the last two seasons with the exceptions of Pedro and Estêvão). There's a very real possibility that we won't qualify for Europe next season. This at least gives us the benefit of only needing enough players to win enough of 38 league games to get back into the Champions' League rather than also having to deal with a protracted European campaign. So how do we build the skeleton of a competitive squad out of what we already have? We need to figure out what we already have that is useful then use any money we are able to raise to plug the gaps competently (if they are serious about 'experienced and ready players'). What we shouldn't do (but are more likely to) is to identify who we can sell at a profit (i.e. the good or club-trained players) then use the proceeds for incoming transfers. That way is 100% guaranteed to leave us with a mediocre side across the board rather than a smattering of genuinely good players surrounded by idiots. Our current core of good players with the addition of a competent goalkeeper, striker and a couple of wide men could probably pull it off. Just in case: DO NOT SELL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES: James, Colwill, Acheampong, Caicedo, Palmer, Estêvão, Chalobah, Pedro. FEEL FREE TO SELL: Cucurella, Fernández, Lavia, Jackson, Gusto, Santos, George, Anselmino. PROBABLY CAN'T SELL EVEN THOUGH WE'D LIKE TO: Neto, Gittens, Fofana, Garnacho, Badiashile, Disasi. ACTIVELY LOOK TO GET RID OF: Adarabioyo, Jörgensen, Delap, Guiu, Slonina.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-liam-rosenior-enzo-fernandez-premier-league-b2962246.html

A real possibility that this is our last meaningful game of the season. Leave it all out on the pitch. Start Essugo and Acheampong for f**k's sake.

Deserves better.

The dead-eyed stare at the (rightly) furious away fans. The players either need therapy or to borrow one of McFarlane's Kierkegaards

Worst 45 minutes tactically I've ever seen as a Chelsea fan. The club should be reimbursing every single one of the away fans.

We're on our worst league run since Herbert Asquith was Prime Minister and we're still above Tottenham in the form table. Other than that, an utter disgrace of a performance. Take your pick.

These Acheampong subs are a proper piss-take.

Inevitable. 'Are you Tottenham in disguise?' from the Brighton fans. The greatest insult.

Got two subs (and one sub window) left - may as well bring him on for the last five minutes.

How much do those cost now? Assuming it's a mini one I'm gonna guess £13.50

Our centre-forward had a shot! Is that allowed?