Why did we sell Meireles? He could have been a decent squad player. We were bare bones that 2012/13 season after we got rid of almost everyone.

 

i think he was garbage

As others have said, our record at parting with players is pretty good, as hardly any have gone on to bigger and better things (Robben being the glaring exception). Most sales/ departures have been well-timed, with the price being good (Luiz, Mata, Lukaku), or the player wanting to go (Gallas, Crespo, Robben, KdB, Schürrle), or the player past his best (Lamps, Gudjohnsen, J Cole, Deco,Torres - who was past his best when he came, anyway) or just not up to our standard (Meireles, Huth, and most of the others).

I agree we should have kept Ballack, who was keen to stay and willing to take a big pay cut, apparently. We missed him the next year.

Sturridge was a strange one. He never really established himself with us, and I think he wanted to go, but we didn't get as much for him as we should have, and - injuries apart - he's been a big success at Liverpool. And after he left, the lack of goals from our strikers hurt us badly as a team.

Edited May 9, 201510 yr by Backbiter

As others have said, our record at parting with players is pretty good, as hardly any have gone on to bigger and better things (Robben being the glaring exception). Most sales/ departures have been well-timed, with the price being good (Luiz, Mata, Lukaku), or the player wanting to go (Gallas, Crespo, Robben, KdB, Schürrle), or the player past his best (Lamps, Gudjohnsen, J Cole, Deco,Torres - who was past his best when he came, anyway) or just not up to our standard (Meireles, Huth, and most of the others).

I agree we should have kept Ballack, who was keen to stay and willing to take a big pay cut, apparently. We missed him the next year.

Sturridge was a strange one. He never really established himself with us, and I think he wanted to go, but we didn't get as much for him as we should have, and - injuries apart - he's been a big success at Liverpool. And after he left, the lack of goals from our strikers hurt us badly as a team.

I agree that we tend to get rid of players at the right time, going back to my original post, we struggled with injuries in the 06-07 season and the likes of Gudjohnsen, Gallas and even Huth (defensive injuries were a huge problem) would have been ideal to have as options that season. Maybe even keeping Duff would have helped, sure he wasn't the same player but he could still do a job and we lost Joe Cole for a big part of that season through injury. I truly believe we'd have taken the title that season had we had two of those four in the squad.

Ballack in 2010/11 was a massive loss, we really lost our squad depth that year, looking back at it Carvalho, Belletti, Deco, Ballack and Joe Cole all left and weren't really replaced. Yeah we signed Ramires but keeping say Ballack and Belletti would have really helped us with our injuries that season too.

Edited May 9, 201510 yr by Bobbywoodhogan

Agreed, gone after one season and he was a handy player to have.

Why did we sell Meireles? He could have been a decent squad player. We were bare bones that 2012/13 season after we got rid of almost everyone.

I think: Osgood, Townsend, Robben, Duff, Schurlle off the top of my head.

Obviously, some wanted to go.

Glad Sturridge went, never seemed to embrace the club. As for Lukaku........

Alex too soon

Alex too soon

 

I think Alex wanted to leave because he wasn't getting any game time. 

I think Alex wanted to leave because he wasn't getting any game time.

Wasn't it AVB that got rid of him?

Tony Dorigo.

i dont see the need to bad mouth or ex players like this, just because they saw their future away from chelsea. especially since neither kdb nor sturridge said anything bad about the club.

 

they wanted more playing time, there is nothing wrong with that

 

and by the way, de bruyne is on the brink of moving to an elite european club. he made a step back so he could make 2 steps forward. id say he made a very wise choice considering the circumstances

 

I don't think I was bad mouthing them, just stating my opinion on their attitudes while they were here.

 

Both very good footballers, and players of their quality would complement a lot of top clubs. But I don't think either did enough to justify a regular starting spot here, and neither appeared to want to fight to change that. Hence why I don't regret their early exits.

Just becuase I mentioned Tiago earlier:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lGk1Jaj8MZ4

Robben, by quite some distance. Could you imagine him and Hazard on opposite wings?

Kevin De Bruyne will prove costly. 15 goals and 26 assists this season at the age of 23. Amazing talent and completely both footed. Would have scored an insane load for us this year.

Besides this, we have done well.

We got rid of Luiz for a crazy sum and brought in productiveness.

The Belgian carthorse is sale of the millennium however. Everton must be spewing.

Just becuase I mentioned Tiago earlier:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lGk1Jaj8MZ4

 

Jose's reaction... Priceless!

Robben, by quite some distance. Could you imagine him and Hazard on opposite wings?

Kevin De Bruyne will prove costly. 15 goals and 26 assists this season at the age of 23. Amazing talent and completely both footed. Would have scored an insane load for us this year.

Besides this, we have done well.

We got rid of Luiz for a crazy sum and brought in productiveness.

The Belgian carthorse is sale of the millennium however. Everton must be spewing.

 

I believe KDB is shining more simply because the league is weak, he wouldn't have anywhere near the same number or goals and assists in the EPL

I would absolutely love to hear your theory behind this.

 

Their league is weak if you play for Bayern Munich. He doesn't.

 

That weak league outlasted English teams all over European Competition.

 

He has scored in pretty much all the big games he's played in, including a brace against the almighty Neuer.

 

I'm not buying the weak league nonsense.

It's really not a great league, it's no different that someone scoring a bunch of goals for a lower team in Scotland, it doesn't make the league good because of that.

The Prem this season has been a one team league but that doesn't happen every season like it does in Germany.

It's really not a great league, it's no different that someone scoring a bunch of goals for a lower team in Scotland, it doesn't make the league good because of that.

The Prem this season has been a one team league but that doesn't happen every season like it does in Germany.

 

Absolute nonsense. Cannot believe you wasted your time writing that. The Bundesliga is no better than the SPL. Good Jesus.

 

How many Scottish teams have advanced further than English teams this year?  German teams were more successful than English in Europe once again. Fact.

Absolute nonsense. Cannot believe you wasted your time writing that. The Bundesliga is no better than the SPL. Good Jesus.

How many Scottish teams have advanced further than English teams this year? German teams were more successful than English in Europe once again. Fact.

Wasted my time writing that? Oh I shouldn't have an opinion should I? Get off you're high horse.

I was using the SPL simply as an example of a one team league, if a talent happens to play for a lower team that's actually pretty decent then he will probably have better stats than he ever would over here.

Wasted my time writing that? Oh I shouldn't have an opinion should I? Get off you're high horse.

I was using the SPL simply as an example of a one team league, if a talent happens to play for a lower team that's actually pretty decent then he will probably have better stats than he ever would over here.

 

Which is complete lunacy. German teams progressed well in Europe, which is the only way we can accurately compare leagues against each other. Bayern, Dortmund and Wolfsburg all outlasted any English team.

Which is complete lunacy. German teams progressed well in Europe, which is the only way we can accurately compare leagues against each other. Bayern, Dortmund and Wolfsburg all outlasted any English team.

Listen to what I am saying, it's also a ONE TEAM LEAGUE! Get yourself to spec savers. It's not lunacy at all, of course I know the weakest team in Germany could probably win the SPL but point I'm making is it's the same as in when someone decent does well they end up moving to the top team in those leagues it's not a true reflection of how good they are cause they won't replicate those stats here. Andrei Vorinin and Claudio Pizarro were both PROLIFIC in that league, says it all really.

Listen to what I am saying, it's also a ONE TEAM LEAGUE! Get yourself to spec savers. It's not lunacy at all, of course I know the weakest team in Germany could probably win the SPL but point I'm making is it's the same as in when someone decent does well they end up moving to the top team in those leagues it's not a true reflection of how good they are cause they won't replicate those stats here. Andrei Vorinin and Claudio Pizarro were both PROLIFIC in that league, says it all really.

 

Oh dear lord. Okay, this is my final time educating you. Please ask a family member to read this out and explain it to you if you're struggling. I didn't spend years in University to carry out this role in your life.

 

KDB did not move to the 'one team' in the one-team league. If you do not believe me, Google it. He is playing for a lesser, less fashionably team and has helped propell them up the league and through an excellent run in European football.

 

How on earth do you know if he would have replicated the stats in England, mystic? I would love to hear your supernatural response to this one, champ.

For some deflection in this escalating war of words: I read a few times in this thread that Tiago wanted to leave (can't find those posts at the mo), but I always assumed he was part of a deal with Lyon for Essien. Think I remember reading reports that Tiago was in tears.

Oh dear lord. Okay, this is my final time educating you. Please ask a family member to read this out and explain it to you if you're struggling. I didn't spend years in University to carry out this role in your life.

KDB did not move to the 'one team' in the one-team league. If you do not believe me, Google it. He is playing for a lesser, less fashionably team and has helped propell them up the league and through an excellent run in European football.

How on earth do you know if he would have replicated the stats in England, mystic? I would love to hear your supernatural response to this one, champ.

Educating me? Who the f**k do you think you are?

Bollocks talking to you again on here get f**ked.

That deflection worked very well, I see :-)

Robben 

Parker

but mostly Kevin De Bruyne.