In January I think options are limited. Pogba and stones are not coming, we need to accept that, not until the summer at least, pogba probably wont happen at all.

Why on earth we never signed a kondogbia,imbula even a schneiderlin or schweinsteiger is beyond me.

In January players of the quality of mousa sissoko and Charlie Austin and perhaps bringing back a loaned or 2 if possible is as good as it gets.

If we are not looking likely for top 4,(which, at the moment, looks the case) then I am not so sure players like pogba or Koke would consider joining us. They would likely want cl football.

We may need to aim lower.

We may need to aim lower.

Shouldn't be a problem with our Board.

Shouldn't be a problem with our Board.

True, just a problem for a manager who wont pick them.

We have an entire team of players we've already bought just waiting for a chance.

Just to reiterate

Well if our targets are Stones and Koke we may aswell make moves for them. Although I highly doubt were going to get either of those in January.

 

Although we will undoubtedly get linked with Stones and will still have him as a target, anyone have any idea how Christensen is fairing at Borussia?

 

When he was playing for the Youth team he looked a real prospect and I recall either Drummy or Viveash saying in their opinion he was the best young defender in the whole of Europe.  He is two years younger than Stones so may not be ready for PL next season, but then again he might and he has already made the Danish National Team. I hate the idea of us splashing out obscene sums of money on Stones when we have a player who maybe as good, if not better.

Edited October 29, 201510 yr by Nibs

Although we will undoubtedly get linked with Stones and will still have him as a target, anyone have any idea how Christensen is fairing at Borussia?

Christensen has been an integral part of the turn around Mochengladbach have had since their change in management and I think has played every minute since the change. Gladbach are on a 5 match winning streak in the league and have had good showings against Juventus 0-0 and Man city a 2-1 loss in the champions league, in both games Christensen put in stellar performances. Looking pretty good by all accounts

Who scored rates him as there 5th best performer with an average rating of 6.99. Not sure how representative this site is as I have really only just found it.

Christensen has had 7 league appearances 2 CL appearances and appeared twice in the cup. racking up a whopping 990 minutes.

Fabregas is a class footballer, wish people would stop ignoring his influence on our title and cup win last season. He played some good games after Christmas last year, people seem quick to forget that aswell.

This.

Just a whipping boy even though loads of our first teamers have been poor all season. Personally I think it's because he played for Arsenal.

Edited October 29, 201510 yr by Chelsbear

This.

Just a whipping boy even though loads of our first teamers have been poor all season. Personally I think it's because he played for Arsenal.

 

Seems a good enough reason to me!

Seems a good enough reason to me!

lol.

I just think he get’s it a bit much because of this.

I mean Costa, Hazard, Terry, Cahill, Ivan and a few others have been just as bad since the season ended. I do think we do need some midfield reinforcement though because Matic and Cesc isn’t as strong as it was due to teams figuring out how to play against us this season.

Cesc is our best creative player IMO, you take him out and we are left very short of ideas and no doubt we’d struggle to score even more than we do now. If we could somehow get a box to box player to play beside Matic it would be ideal but that type of player is in short supply and the ones we all want will cost a fortune like Pogba.

Edited October 29, 201510 yr by Chelsbear

Fabregas has undeniably been extremely poor this season, more than the majority of the squad (who haven't exactly been beacons of good form themselves), and most of the criticism levelled at him is largely justified.

 

What I don't agree with is people writing him off; he is the only player of his kind in our entire squad, and it is far too soon to be forming dramatic conclusions like that. The lack of attacking fluidity that many have lamented on here will probably return when Fabregas gets back into form. We need him at his best.

My feeling with Farbragas is he's at a age where wear and tear started to slow him down. He started playing EPL around 16, so he had 12-13 seasons under him already. His physical condition could easily be a 32 year old footballer. It's the same thing with Rooney, the body could not keep up with the mind anymore.

 

Austin would be a huge panic buy. We need real quality, not just players that just make up the numbers on the bench.

I think Fabregas needs to look at pirlo and how he managed to change his game as he got older.

Pirlo never sprinted but always covered the most ground, and learnt how to dominate games from deep.

I don't think fabregas is dynamic enough to play as a number 10, and I think if he concentrated on dictating play, rather than getting forward, it would improve his defensive positioning.

If the full backs attacked more we wouldn't need matic or fabregas to support the attack as much.

Pretty easy for me to say now that the Old Lady are having something of a Chelsea-like season.

But I watched a few games last year, only a few, and never really saw much that I liked in Pogba. Is it because he possesses the qualities that a top manager could turn into a weapon?  Short of reading the pages and pages of speculative transfer articles on him, can someone tell me why he is so good?  I'm not at all devastated we didn't get him and not really bothered if we don't.

I thought he grew into the game second half of champions league final, a tough arena to shine for any youngster though.

If we are not looking likely for top 4,(which, at the moment, looks the case) then I am not so sure players like pogba or Koke would consider joining us. They would likely want cl football.

We may need to aim lower.

 

No problem, they said, and signed up Ramires.

Although we will undoubtedly get linked with Stones and will still have him as a target, anyone have any idea how Christensen is fairing at Borussia?

When he was playing for the Youth team he looked a real prospect and I recall either Drummy or Viveash saying in their opinion he was the best young defender in the whole of Europe. He is two years younger than Stones so may not be ready for PL next season, but then again he might and he has already made the Danish National Team. I hate the idea of us splashing out obscene sums of money on Stones when we have a player who maybe as good, if not better.

Come on in, the bandwagon has plenty of room

TBH we'd probably play better with Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompas than the crock of sh*te we've been knocking out lately!

Hopefully we buy players who actually want to not only play for the shirt, but would be willing to die for the shirt. Think JT getting kicked in the head to stop Arsenal scoring.

I don't think it would matter much who comes into this ability-sapping smog that is around right now.

Well, Id like to see us buy some dogged players, players who will always do a job at around 6.5 / 10.

 

Thats what we need right now.

 

I think Sissoko, or even Alex Song (canny believe Im saying this) would improve our midfield immensely.

Some powerful, energetic ball winning midfielders who actually know how to pass more than 6 yards (Yes, Blue Kenyan, that is a reference to you) would be good, like a Sissokho.

Honestly, a midfield of Matic, RLC, Sissokho and Hazard/Oscar/Willian would be give the team a grip in midfield. Would be nice to go back to a bulldozering midfield style of previous years. Overpowering and outfighting teams with just the right amount of quality as well.

Edited November 1, 201510 yr by GhostOfDembaPast

Some powerful, energetic ball winning midfielders who actually know how to pass more than 6 yards (Yes, Blue Kenyan, that is a reference to you) would be good, like a Sissokho.

Honestly, a midfield of Matic, RLC, Sissokho and Hazard/Oscar/Willian would be give the team a grip in midfield. Would be nice to go back to a bulldozering midfield style of previous years. Overpowering and outfighting teams with just the right amount of quality as well.

Ye lets buy a player from a team who are in an even worse position that us[emoji108]

we have a huge army of young talent and should not be afraid to give them a chance.

our core players not performing for various reasons and we need to do something different. that also involves formation.

everyone has learned how to play against us by the end of last season and pre-season was no different.

bizarre how nobody on TV has mentioned about it or even thought it through but our form was bad towards the end of season. the only let off was the buffer of points we managed to build up.

 

there is obviously something wrong in the team and if I was somewhere near the team I would ask them to go into the game without thinking of the result and enjoy the game as they would do in a show match or a friendly ball kick-about in the back garden.

 

they are all good players, pros, and perhaps Mourinho could do this sort of approach just for once. surely nothing can go worse.

A commanding centre back, a strong but technical centre midfielder, and a striker that can offer something a little different from the bench.

Why didn't we buy Vidal in the summer?