Socrates

Why nobody wants to sign Alexandre Pato (except us maybe)... http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/why-nobody-wants-sign-alexandre-pato#:n4s6Mlffyj131Q

So the lunatics really are in charge of the asylum.

We can play him upfront with Falcao.

Going to have a big effect on some proposed deals... ‘Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have each been issued with bans for two consecutive transfer windows for their acquisitions of a number of players under the age of 18, ​FIFA have confirmed. ‘The bans will not be enforced this month, but will come into play from the summer transfer window and last through the entirety of the 2016/17 season. The two clubs have suffered the same fate as Barcelona, who have only recently completed their punishment for similar offences.’ http://www.90min.com/posts/2871481-breaking-fifa-hand-real-madrid-and-atletico-madrid-year-long-transfer-bans?a_aid=35975?a_aid=35135

I think that at start of the season the Board thought the squad was good enough to compete for a top four place. Personally I think they got complacent over the Summer and we're now paying the consequences. But I don't think anyone anticipated we would be nearer the relegation zone than the European places. I think the Board sacking Mourinho was designed to be a wake up call to the players. I also believe the Board really thought that by getting rid of Mourinho we might go on a run and give ourselves a chance to qualify for Europe. Well that seems a long way off now. All Hiddink can do is steer us into midtable safety and maybe give us a shot at the FA Cup. Unfortunately, no Champions League football is a disaster for us. Not as bad as getting relegated. But the next worse thing. Both in terms of revenue, global appeal and in attracting the players to make us competitive. Never mind getting the manager that Abramovich thinks we deserve. Some might think a season or two out of the Champions League to rebuild, bring academy players through etc is no bad thing. But you can bet the Board are scared sh*tless at the thought. I don't blame them.

Two teams in the bottom half of the table battle it out for a 2-2 draw. Nothing to see here. Game just about summed up our season. A lot of false hope then brought down to earth with the reality that we're just not good enough. WBA are an average side but we still conceded two which is pretty worrying. At least we're not losing under Hiddink so if we carry on we'll be good enough to get into mid-table Nothing is going to really change without a serious overhaul of the squad. And that's going to have to happen without the prospects of Champions League football. No wonder Abramovich looked depressed at the end. I think the reality has just hit him.

Isco has been persuaded to stay at Real Madrid by Zidane. He's not going to Man City or anywhere else... http://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/liga/2015-2016/report-real-madrid-manager-zinedine-zidane-vetoes-isco-exit_sto5051796/story.shtml

We need to show more ambition in the transfer market if we want to keep world class players like Hazard. Signing the likes of Djilibodgi, Pedro, Kenedy etc hardly convinces anyone that we are able to challenge the top clubs in Europe. If we want to keep Hazard then we need to show more ambition. Otherwise who can blame him if he wants to leave for a club with better players challenging for top honours rather than being stuck at Chelsea with the likes of Ramires, Matic and Mikel.

Chelsea want bargain £10m transfer of Stoke City’s Bojan Krkic http://metro.co.uk/2016/01/03/chelsea-want-bargain-10m-transfer-of-stoke-citys-bojan-krkic-report-5598375/#ixzz3wCXegR84

Costa for me. Got his head down and worked hard. Led by example.

I repeat what Mourinho said which is that he identified the players he wanted before the end of the last season. It might be that these were unrealistic. But it was the Board's job to back the manager with suitable alternatives. Instead they appear to have obliged him to make do with cut-price nonentities and get by with academy players. So we alienated the club manager and left him with a squad he wasn't happy with. The outcome has been predictable and arguably set us back several seasons. I really doubt a new manager, be it Guardiola or Simeone, would tolerate such nonsense in future.

How have we turned a profit on Cuadrado, Marin and Salah? You'd be better off picking Lukaku, Mata, David Luiz, and De Bruyne for that argument. But unfortunately we still need to buy a striker, a goal-scoring midfielder, and a central defender. So we might well have made a profit on those players but we haven't really replaced them with better alternatives. And are arguably worse off than we would've been. And yes it is the manager's responsibility to identify weaknesses in the squad and to ask the Board to back him in the market. Mourinho has stated that he did this at the end of last season only for the Board to conspicuously fail to bring in any of his targets or even suitable alternatives. If it's not Emenalo's job to oversee the development and balance of the squad then what exactly does he do at the club? If it is his job, then he's made a right pig's ear of it and should be sacked for his incompetence.

The last three no longer play for us. Remy and Baba Rahman can't get a game. Oscar, Ramires and Matic are overrated. Fabregas and Pedro will be lucky to be here next year. He also signed Marin, Cuadrado, Salah, Schurrle and Djilibodji. Arguably only Costa and Hazard are truly top drawer. Well they were last season anyway. I doubt any of the players you mention would get into Mourinho's first title winning side. So there's a case to be made that Emenalo has overseen the decline of a once great side into one that is now struggling to avoid relegation. Rather than keep on doing what he's doing, he's bloody lucky to still be in a job.

Well it looks like Emenalo is going all out for Isco, Pogba and Teixeira. So we're getting no-one then.

140,000 a week for the rest of the season. It was obvious we should never have gone anywhere near him. But we did. Sums up the kind of stupidity that has plagued our transfer dealings recently.

Think he's finished as a Chelsea player. This was supposed to be his breakout season but he's been exposed. Just not cut out for the Premiership. Too fragile physically and looks average technically. For a Brazil no. 10 we sure got a dud one. Will likely do okay in Italy where the pace of play and fewer games will suit him. If Juventus still want him as a makeweight in a possible Pogba deal we should bite their hand off.

I think we'd be better off if Matic played with a paper bag over his head.

How is Oscar still on the pitch? He is still on the pitch, isn't he?

Looks like we're trying to keep Van Gaal in his job.

This is horrible to watch. Are we going to try and play like this for 90 mins? Christ.

Oh Christ. No strikers available to play. Good planning there from Emenalo. At least Papy makes the bench.

Costa for me.

Seeing the way Matic and Fabregas played today pretty much explains why we've been so poor this season. If the answer is Mikel, then we're just plugging holes and hoping to get away with it. Can't be arsed with Oscar or Pedro anymore. Couple of lightweights. Positives from today were Costa, Willian's corners and Hazard running at their defence. Hoping for a busy January.

Should've won that. Fact we didn't is down to mistakes from the p**s-poor Matic and a shocking penalty miss from Oscar. Positive to see Costa getting back to form. Shame he's out on Monday. But our midfield is an almighty mess and should be a priority this window.

Just incapable of stringing two decent games in a row.