ChelseaFC Austin

Just going on the record here to say I’m all in favor of Lampard. Experience is good but overrated. I think he’s got the rare combination of intelligence and personality to become a world class manager. If anyone can break the cycle of up-down-system change-sack-hire then it’s Frank Lampard. Why? Can’t say for sure. Gut instinct plus a close watch of the way Derby played and the way the fans there treated him. My feeling is that Chelsea have won in recent years DESPITE the madness. I’d love it if we could win BECAUSE of a rational plan. Also: to everyone who says we wouldn’t hire him if he weren’t a club legend. Of course You’re right. That’s part of the appeal. He scored 200 against... Anyway ... sign him up

I don't post a lot but I read a lot here. My take: Second half was some of the best football we've played all season. Just needed a goal, obviously. But I'm encouraged what I saw. Jorginho always looks better when Ruben plays.

I'll say this: I really did like Antonio Conte. I hate the way in which all this has played out. The board did not adequately support a fantastic first season in the transfer window that followed. And then Antonio made it all much worse by sulking, deflecting responsibility. In the end, it is a divorce seen from miles away. It didn't need to be this expensive or this messy. I think they both knew it was coming, and could have parted last summer with a little more class on both sides. In the larger perspective, it continues to bother me that there seems to be no coherent longterm vision for the club. Despite our trophy haul, I dislike the feeling that great managers can quickly, and at a tremendous cost, be made disposable. I dislike the lack of continuity between the academy and the first team. I dislike that we haven't replaced Emenalo with a director of football who might help bring about a more seamless strategy. I dislike that our owner has been essentially evicted from the country, and that the stadium rebuild has been shelved in seeming retaliation -- neither of which are good for Chelsea Football Club. I like Cesar Azpilicueta and N'Golo Kante. Very much. I don't know how our new chain-smoking Italian will fare. Well, I hope. It would be nice of him to last long enough until we bring Frank and Jody back.

Hi, Blues. I’ve been an occasional reader since 2012, when I first signed up for an account on this site. But I’ve never actually posted, to my knowledge. So I’ll say hello to you all and thank you for six years of reading material. About me: 52 years old, guy, middle of Texas. I’ve been to the Bridge three times and Wembley once (for last year’s semifinal). Seen every match possible otherwise on TV or streaming since the day of the Napoli comeback under RDM. That was the first club match I ever watched, and I saw it in a bar in NYC. The bar was going nuts during the middle of a Manhattan workday. I thought to myself, sh*t, this looks like fun. I remember thinking a player looked like Sideshow Bob. Anyway, the rest is history. I didn’t know my new favorite club was “Big.” I’ve been very dedicated since. I’m a CFC True Blue member, a Chelsea Supporters Trust member, and am finally gonna buy a CPO share and frame it. Grew up on American football. My younger brother started watching “soccer” well before me. He chose Ar6nil and tried to convert me. He failed. My current perspective: tired of the managerial merry go round. Ready to integrate top-quality youth. In my mind, the most obvious choice is RLC. I honestly felt similar about Chalobah and think he will be a BIG player. I did grow weary of Antonio’s moaning. Hope his replacement knows what he is doing. Looking like Sarri. Hope it isn’t AVB all over again. Cheers. Up the Blues.