Bamford will go on loan to Middlesborough, we don't trust our yoof after all.

 

Yes i think thats the plan and we all thought that would be done and dusted by now, but i think he is being held back just in case....

 

Personally id keep him if we lose Torres. Hes clearly nowhere near ready but he would offer more than Torres currently does, which i know isnt saying much...

Nah you can't go into a season fighting for everything with a 36 year old and a young boy with hee haw expierence.

That's just not enough.

If Torres goes we must get someone else in at a decent level...even if he stays we still need that tbh.

Nah you can't go into a season fighting for everything with a 36 year old and a young boy with hee haw expierence.

That's just not enough.

If Torres goes we must get someone else in at a decent level...even if he stays we still need that tbh.

 

No, ideally you cant. But what im saying is id rather go into a season fighting for everything with a 36 year old and a young boy with hee haw expierence than go into a season fighting for everything with a 36 year old and Fernando Torres!

 

I fear the worst case scenario is dawning  - Costa is out for a 4-6 weeks and therefore the club decide to keep hold of Torres.

Edited August 28, 201411 yr by bjd

Would be hilarious if we started Drogba v Everton with Lukaku starting for them & Etoo on their bench.

Without mentioning specific players you wrote this:

"......managers ultimately live and die by their decisions. The player quota, by your very same logic, could easily be circumvented by mourinho putting his foot down in that regard and omitting players from the registration process and fully marginalise them that way, thereby holding the requisite number of players in his squad whilst squeezing out the dead wood".

The original point I made still stands - Mourinho does not have the power or remit to do that.

Are you joking? There is precedent for players being marginalised. Remember malouda?

Nibs is it Mourinho's fault Torres is still here? Do you think it's Mourinho's fault that Lukaku would except nothing less than being our first choice, starting centre-forward and wasn't prepared to stay and fight for his place?

 

The answer is "no" on both those counts and I don't see how anyone can see it otherwise.

 

The decision to let Ba go as his third choice striker is the only one I would lay at his door but from the paper reports Ba wanted to leave to get regular football and Jose had Drogba lined up as a replacement.

 

 

But Just, I think everyone uses the Torres situation as an excuse. Whether we are lucky enough to get shot of by sale or loan or whether he stays, it doesn't matter. We should still have three other striker options. I know what a massive fan of Drogba you are but I think even you have admitted that Drogba shouldn't be one of tjose options and the fact he is, is pretty much soley down to Mourinho. And of course he could have put his foot down and made Lukaku fight for a place. To do that Lukakau would have needed to at least feel he had a future here and be wanted when it seems clear Jose didn't rate him (and to be honest I'm not convinced myself but when I look at other options out there, he's better than many).

 

I think Bamford is probably still too raw and the same applies to Izzie Brown, but the way things are, if we fail to sign some more quality, we may need them. I can't believe Mourinho hasn't got something in mind as he knows the buck stops with him.

No, ideally you cant. But what im saying is id rather go into a season fighting for everything with a 36 year old and a young boy with hee haw expierence than go into a season fighting for everything with a 36 year old and Fernando Torres!

I fear the worst case scenario is dawning - Costa is out for a 4-6 weeks and therefore the club decide to keep hold of Torres.

Yup I think torres will stay now. Wouldn't be surprised to see him start on Saturday if Costa is crocked

No, ideally you cant. But what im saying is id rather go into a season fighting for everything with a 36 year old and a young boy with hee haw expierence than go into a season fighting for everything with a 36 year old and Fernando Torres!

I fear the worst case scenario is dawning - Costa is out for a 4-6 weeks and therefore the club decide to keep hold of Torres.

Torres is gash and there is no getting away from it but I'd rather him than an untested kid who may or may not be able to deal with first team football with Chelsea.

It just makes the Drogba signing even more strange, we were just as well keeping Eto'o if this was what we had planned.

This was always going to heppen though when you only have 1 decent striker

Chelsea have said it's a minor muscle injury, to be assessed in the next few days, according to Sky Sports.

 

Please just buy another striker anyway.

Chelsea have said it's a minor muscle injury, to be assessed in the next few days, according to Sky Sports.

 

Please just buy another striker anyway.

 

Phew, suspect that wipes him out of Everton, But it could be worse.

should still have three other striker options.

 

Not to nitpick this one point but we should only have 3 options. We only play with 1 striker so having 4 would be a waste. 2 top and 1 backup.

 

City play 2 up front so they can get away with having 4 since they will all get game time as they usually use 3 in a game whereas we only use 2.

Edited August 28, 201411 yr by Stim

Not to nitpick this one point but we should only have 3 options. We only play with 1 striker so having 4 would be a waste. 2 top and 1 backup.

City play 2 up front so they can get away with having 4 since they will all get game time as they usually use 3 in a game whereas we only use 2.

2 of our 3 options are not good enough.

Jose brought Drogba back well knowing he wasn't anything near what he used to be, that was daft IMO.

I accept that he is never going to be first choice but here's one totally off the wall.

Carlton Cole.

It seems that big Sam is not sure if he wants him or not so even if you invested half the money Wolves paid for Saville it would be a decent back up

He would qualify as HG in both the PL & CL but just as important he qualifies as cub trained in the CL

Carlton Cole...jesus

I accept that he is never going to be first choice but here's one totally off the wall.

Carlton Cole.

It seems that big Sam is not sure if he wants him or not so even if you invested half the money Wolves paid for Saville it would be a decent back up

He would qualify as HG in both the PL & CL but just as important he qualifies as cub trained in the CL

 

It's an interesting shout but no. We don't just need another striker for the sake of it, we actually need a forward to influence our game, Carlton Cole wouldn't really offer that, he's a below average player by Premier League standards.

2 of our 3 options are not good enough.

Jose brought Drogba back well knowing he wasn't anything near what he used to be, that was daft IMO.

 

Well yes, but if Torres does go and a replacement comes in then suddenly it looks exactly as it should be.

 

Costa, 2nd striker, Drogba as backup

 

But if that doesn't happen then yes it was daft. But still a few days left.

Are you joking? There is precedent for players being marginalised. Remember malouda?

 

 

Malouda was left out of the 1st team squad and made to train with U21s he wasn't de-registered as a player;

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/9523004/Florent-Malouda-left-to-train-with-the-Chelsea-Under-21s-after-exclusion-from-Champions-League-squad.html

 

Note the use of the words.............. "club policy decision"

 

If Torres turns down a move to Milan it will be interesting to see if Roman uses the same tactic. I bet he won't.

This striker matter must be resolved immediately. Otherwise, Chelsea is winning nothing.

Over reaction to say the least. We got to the CL semi final last year, and if it wasn't for a couple of crappy results, we may have won the league. This was without a reliable strike force, so even with costa out for a few weeks, we still have him available, which is more than we had last year. We also have the addition of cesc fabregas, which is a great addition, as well as having matic available in the CL and all season. You have to remember that we never had matic for almost half the season last year, and scurrle was just intigrating into the team's ethos.

I think we will be fine, but we do need at least a competent back striker in case of drogs as well.

Over reaction to say the least. We got to the CL semi final last year, and if it wasn't for a couple of crappy results, we may have won the league. This was without a reliable strike force, so even with costa out for a few weeks, we still have him available, which is more than we had last year. We also have the addition of cesc fabregas, which is a great addition, as well as having matic available in the CL and all season. You have to remember that we never had matic for almost half the season last year, and scurrle was just intigrating into the team's ethos.

I think we will be fine, but we do need at least a competent back striker in case of drogs as well.

I'd say Eto'o and Ba were far far better options than Torres and Drogba.

We still havent adressed our striking situation IMO, maybe that's down to Torres but even still we should have brought in a better option than Drogba regardless.

Enigma,

Semis or almost...did not bring any trophy.

My posting is not an over reaction.

f**king Lukaku could have had a run of starts now for a top club, what an idiot.

I'd say Eto'o and Ba were far far better options than Torres and Drogba.

We still havent adressed our striking situation IMO, maybe that's down to Torres but even still we should have brought in a better option than Drogba regardless.

 

 

I think Drogba as a third choice striker is absolutely fine. His sheer physical presence and ability to the hold the ball up is still there, as is his awesome aerial power. What he can't do at 36 years old is play 90 minutes week in week out and nor should he be. But used sparingly as a substitute when needed, no problem at all.

I think Drogba as a third choice striker is absolutely fine. His sheer physical presence and ability to the hold the ball up is still there, as is his awesome aerial power. What he can't do at 36 years old is play 90 minutes week in week out and nor should he be. But used sparingly as a substitute when needed, no problem at all.

Yes but when our main guy is injured or suspended (like Everton) we are going to have to rely on a 36 year old Drogba who doesnt look like he's anywhere near ready enough to do that job.

That's why I think it was a poor decision in bringing him back. I'd have rather kept Ba tbh.

We all love Drogs and we all would love him to be what he used to be but the head rules the heart here.

I accept that he is never going to be first choice but here's one totally off the wall.

Carlton Cole.

It seems that big Sam is not sure if he wants him or not so even if you invested half the money Wolves paid for Saville it would be a decent back up

He would qualify as HG in both the PL & CL but just as important he qualifies as cub trained in the CL

 

Sure well I mean if he can't even get into West Ham's squad he'd probably be a class acquisition.

Enigma,

Semis or almost...did not bring any trophy.

My posting is not an over reaction.

You don't agree that we have better players than last season?!