1 hour ago, strider6004 said:

Cahill was an odd one, sometimes costing us a goal yet often scoring too in the same match from set pieces.

Decent rather than great yet his desire to get a goal back was impressive.

Crazy really that Cahill would be our current best CB by an absolute country mile.

13 hours ago, 19seventyone said:

I get what you are saying but Gary Cahill average????

Cahill was an average CB, he was just decent to good at best, his best quality was goal scoring.

In saying that, if we signed him today, he's easily our first choice without any argument

Alex or Zouma would do for me at this point.

On 21/02/2026 at 20:31, Deino said:

Cahill was an average CB, he was just decent to good at best, his best quality was goal scoring.

In saying that, if we signed him today, he's easily our first choice without any argument

I thought you said you don't like Disasi. Cahill case is quite similar to Disasi, very good box defender, not so great at defending open space.

1 hour ago, Bob stark said:

I thought you said you don't like Disasi. Cahill case is quite similar to Disasi, very good box defender, not so great at defending open space.

You cannot be serious. They share some characteristics but they're miles apart, they don't even belong in the same league. Cahill was consistent, adaptable, can score goals and technically sound.

Cahill also cost like 7M, Disasi was 30+M iirc.

58 minutes ago, Deino said:

You cannot be serious. They share some characteristics but they're miles apart, they don't even belong in the same league. Cahill was consistent, adaptable, can score goals and technically sound.

Cahill also cost like 7M, Disasi was 30+M iirc.

Not really. Cahill biggest weaknes was defending open space. Not a big problem when you are playing for Mou or Conte.

If you ask him to defend the way Rosenior/Maresca want to defend, he will suffer the same fate as Disasi.

2 hours ago, Bob stark said:

Not really. Cahill biggest weaknes was defending open space. Not a big problem when you are playing for Mou or Conte.

If you ask him to defend the way Rosenior/Maresca want to defend, he will suffer the same fate as Disasi.

Wrong. Cahill's just a better player, you can't just assume player A works in B system but can't work in C system.

Also, I'd want title winning managers' tactics and strategy over mediocre managers who haven't even challenge for league titles.

Sorry to say, this argument about him vs Disasi is nonsense since Cahill came to the club, he never lost his place and won everything with the club under a lot of different managers in one of the most competitive eras of world football. Disasi can't even keep his spot in the team and is largely crap in what is in my opinion the weakest era of football

I saw Cahill pocket Iniesta at the bridge.

Disasi just got done by an 18 year old in a U21 game.

But yeah. They're similar.

Julian Alvarez [26] is in demand again and wanted by Arsenal and Barcelona. But he is also wanted by Chelsea apparently.

25 minutes ago, TheCeleryKing said:

Julian Alvarez [26] is in demand again and wanted by Arsenal and Barcelona. But he is also wanted by Chelsea apparently.

The famous BlueCo market opportunity pump fake 💪

On 22/02/2026 at 21:30, Bob stark said:

Not really. Cahill biggest weaknes was defending open space. Not a big problem when you are playing for Mou or Conte.

If you ask him to defend the way Rosenior/Maresca want to defend, he will suffer the same fate as Disasi.

Agreed.
Gary Cahill was much better in a low block. With the game in front of him his positioning and aerial ability were top class, but higher lines exposed his lack of pace.
I'm not sure Disasi is actually good even in a low block tho.

Pump fake written all over it.

49 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Pump fake written all over it.

The only way this happens is a swapsies deal with perhaps Chalobah and Jackson going the other way

On 25/02/2026 at 13:29, Sexyfootball said:

The only way this happens is a swapsies deal with perhaps Chalobah and Jackson going the other way

Won’t even still happen. Apparently on around £120k/w at Villa. Doubt his agent will pick up the phone at anything under £200k/w. You give him that, expect a long line of players demanding the same. There is also the little problem of Palmer and Enzo are undroppable, and already vying for the same “10” role he plays. He isn’t a LW in case anyone is getting ideas, lacks the pace needed to play that role.

7 minutes ago, markpitts said:

Won’t even still happen. Apparently on around £120k/w at Villa. Doubt his agent will pick up the phone at anything under £200k/w. You give him that, expect a long line of players demanding the same. There is also the little problem of Palmer and Enzo are undroppable, and already vying for the same “10” role he plays. He isn’t a LW in case anyone is getting ideas, lacks the pace needed to play that role.

You think Palmer is here beyond the summer without CL football? I dont. He's probably Palmers replacement.

1 hour ago, bluelightening said:

You think Palmer is here beyond the summer without CL football? I dont. He's probably Palmers replacement.

Given that he's contracted till 2033, I think you're kidding yourself.

17 hours ago, dermott said:

Given that he's contracted till 2033, I think you're kidding yourself.

We're in the age of American owners doing financial favours and both clubs have already utilised this type of approach for players before.... Everyone at our club has a price.

On 26/02/2026 at 11:53, dermott said:

Given that he's contracted till 2033, I think you're kidding yourself.

As Isak has shown us, contracts mean little if the player doesn't show up for training.

Not saying that Palmer would do this, but lengthy contracts can only protect the club from losing a player on a free. If a player wants to leave he will (and should) leave.

10 hours ago, yaz said:

As Isak has shown us, contracts mean little if the player doesn't show up for training.

Not saying that Palmer would do this, but lengthy contracts can only protect the club from losing a player on a free. If a player wants to leave he will (and should) leave.

All predicated on the theory that he would want to leave, a proposition floated only by a few doomsayers around here.

39 minutes ago, dermott said:

All predicated on the theory that he would want to leave, a proposition floated only by a few doomsayers around here.

Is it doom to look at the storm clouds and predict rain and storms? Not sure we're doomsayers... But our "project is now 3 years old and still no closer to a title challenge, we're going to struggle to make top 4 again. Palmer has gone through three managers. If I were a cfc player, I'd be asking my agent about alternatives, a return to city or up to United, or one of the big clubs in Europe. He wont be short of suitors.

Also worth noting, we have sold all of our best players under the new ownership and Palmer is a cash cow to a club that may well struggle to meet its debts. We're already looking at more academy players being sold.

5 hours ago, dermott said:

All predicated on the theory that he would want to leave, a proposition floated only by a few doomsayers around here.

I know there's nothing concrete that suggests that he's leaving, but why wouldn't he consider it?

His wages will be docked next season and he'll have to play in Europe's second tier competition at best.

He's managed by an inexperienced coach and the squad around him keeps getting younger and worse every season.

He can go anywhere with guaranteed CL and a guaranteed big paycheck. He'd also have the opportunity to play with much better players.

He'd be daft not to consider it.

Rumour of Darwin Nunez looking at a move to Newcastle or Chelsea.

I think it's evident what is severely lacking in the team. Physicality and dominating aerial presence is missing across the board.

3 hours ago, TheCeleryKing said:

Rumour of Darwin Nunez looking at a move to Newcastle or Chelsea.

Click bait from Chronicle Live whoever they are. Completely unsourced and ignoring the fact that Chelsea don't sign anyone whose balls have dropped.

I just saw a rumour for CR7 😂😂