Davey Baby

Knowing the way the club is run these days, I can't see us keeping Courtois this season, and forsaking a fee for him. I suspect the deal with Madrid is done and we're lining up his successor before we sell. Courtois doesn't want to be here and it's best we sell, IMO.

Just did a little digging. Areola is out of contract at the end of this season, so it's a good time to buy him. PSG's thirst for big names has prompted them to buy Buffon. However Areola has never totally convinced for PSG by all accounts, although he firmly established himself as number 1 last season, relegating Kevin Trapp to the bench.

If we can bring in Areola for the same sort of money as we get for Courtois, I think we've done well. It may be a downgrade but he's a good keeper, he's a good size, a good age and he's experienced. For that sort of money it's a sensible solution, and it doesn't stop us getting somebody better down the line if we feel we must do. Butland isn't that good and will be massively overpriced. Same with Schmeichel. We only have two keepers the way things stand so we'll need a third as well. No point having a youth as your third choice. I would try and get an upgrade on Willy for our number 2 and relegate Willy to third choice. He can hardly complain. He came to Chelsea when he knew he had no chance of being our first choice and he's sh*t anyway.

I didn't see the game yesterday but you'd hope over the summer he'd have a word with himself and come out with a point to prove. If he hasn't done that he needs to go. He needs to stop being such a victim and he needs to start showing some balls. Petulant, weak, mentally and physically. He's good when everything's going his way, when it's not he lacks the character to change things. Hopefully Sarri can get inside his head if he stays.

That we sell him.

I've said all along he's a very good signing. Really hope he does well. Think he's seriously underrated by some.

Rumour is we're close to signing Pepe Reina for £9m. Sickening if true. Hopefully it's just as our number 2 but if it's as our number 1 then heaven help us. Someone needs to give our Sarri a history lesson. Hopefully it's all bullsh*t.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIRb4kPp--M

I didn't watch the game but by the sounds of it, the player amongst that first XI who needs to be most worried is Alonso, followed by Morata. Early days of course but sometimes first impressions count.

Vitesse will be most pleased Dorset.

17 years old. If you're good enough you're old enough. If we loan him out I'm gonna go mental.

Indeed it is Barry.

Presumably he could have chosen Turkey as his national team. He would then be considered Turkish, I imagine. He would still play for Arsenal but he wouldn't attract nearly as much criticism. This is my fundamental belief. He would be celebrated more for the talent he is and there would be less focus on his undoubted flaws. People have a very negative perception of him as a player but if he were considered Turkish I think that perception would be a whole lot kinder. Edit: They'd talk about his flair rather then the fact he sometimes goes missing. Another similar case is Berbatov. Spectacular player, one of my faves. He went missing sometimes but he didn't get nearly the same level of vitriol. Romanian, rather than German.

We would certainly be scary down our left, but they'd all probably get in each other's way. Good to see you posting Dorset.

Sure, maybe he can't produce his best consistently, like many other players, but he's very different to most players in the sense that he generally plays at a very high standard, which is why Arsenal broke the bank to keep him and which is why he was a key player in a team that won the WC. People have different expectations of a top Turkish player and a top German player, that's my point. He's a flair player who can blow hot and cold. If he were "Turkish" this would be far more celebrated in my view. He gets an incredible amount of flak.

Gundogan doesn't get nearly the same level of vitriol. He had his photo taken with a dodgy politician, he's about the millionth sportsman to do that, I think the criticism is way OTT.

We have Hazard on the left and CHO waiting in the wings. We don't need another left-sided player. Even if we were to sign Martial and move Hazard to a number 10, where would that leave CHO? It's all well and good people saying replacing Willian with Martial for similar money is good business, but it's not good business if we don't need him. We need a right-winger to replace Willian. Sure, Martial can play up front, in which case we sign him, sell Morata and he's our number 1 striker, and we're relying on him not only for goals but to be the focal point of the team that brings others into play. I rate Martial and I think he could be a very good striker but as you say there's no real evidence.

Another thing, I've always felt Ozil attracts so much criticism in England because he's "German", whereas if he were "Turkish", he'd be celebrated as a brilliant player, because people wouldn't expect quite so much. If you actually forget for a moment that he's German, you realise he's actually quite a brilliant Turkish player. I hope that makes sense.

Ozil was born in Germany. He is a German citizen. He has a German passport. He doesn't have a drop of German blood inside him. His blood is Turkish. His parents are Turkish. He will have been brought up in a very Turkish way, with Turkish customs and Turkish food. He will also have been brought up in a very German way because he lived in Germany. He will have spoken Turkish at home and German at school. Is he German or Turkish? It's possible to feel both. He's German, obviously, but he may feel equally or more Turkish. I think he's right when he says he's German when he wins and Turkish when he's lost. Watch Trevor Noah explain it brilliantly in this video, in relation to France's WC win .. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trevor-noah-colonialism-france_us_5b51fc52e4b0fd5c73c4c560?guccounter=1

Agree with every word, except the one in bold. Replace with "definitely".

Would you take him as a replacement for Morata ?

I'm glad somebody agrees with me. Alexander-Arnold. Still a teenager. Never gone out on loan. I actually think it's been two very positive loans for Abraham but I think a third loan is taking the piss, and I think it's totally misguided. CHO and Ampadu are both 17 and will both be 18 by November. I think they're both good enough to have good seasons, at Chelsea. I would also bring back Aina, because of his contract situation. Loan him out again and that's it. If we think he might have a chance it's a no-brainer. Otherwise sell him.

Bang on. Richarlison is very young, came from another continent, and showed a lot of promise. The ceiling is potentially very high and that's what Everton are buying. It's a risk but the way the market is going it's one worth taking IMO.

The opposite was true at Bristol City. Sure, you can say that was the Championship but he was in a struggling side and it was his first taste of professional football, and he was still a teenager. Last season he struggled in a struggling side, but it was his first taste of Premiership football, and as I've said, that's what learning is all about. He will be better for the experience. His team were in a dogfight, he was struggling for goals and his confidence took a knock. It will stand him in good stead. Now I'm not saying he will definitely make it at Chelsea, far from it. I'm saying the club have to make a decision. Do we really want him to go out on another loan? Really? Do we believe in him as a prospect? If we do, bring him back. If we don't, sell him. I would rather bring him back, because there aren't many strikers his age with more potential. How many 19 or 20 year olds do you see leading the line in the Premiership? A tough season is a good season in his development. Too many loans spoil the broth, in my opinion. It's getting ridiculous, and it must be disheartening for our kids. No wonder Solanke left us. It will be interesting to see how he does at Liverpool. Same age as Abraham. I wonder if we'll see them send him out on as many loans, or if they actually intend on giving their kid a chance. Look at Alexander-Arnold. Therein lies a lesson for all of us.

How many Swansea games?