Not intended, I said 'most' (with the exclusion of pedro and matic) have 'proven' to be short-term. Cesc has last put in a decent shift in december, he form has been so-so ever since, likewise Costa since Feb till now he has only scored 5 league goals as he's been plagued by injury and woefully off form which means both players have only performed for half a season only. That looks short-term to me

No, it's not short term. It's a drop in form for various reasons. Just as Hazard has lost form, but you don't mention him as a short term signing.You bracketed the signings of Matic, Fabregas, Costa and Pedro with the decisions to bring back Eto'o and Drogba. These are different things.

The squad needed freshening up, competition for places and serious strengthening over the summer. For whatever reason the Board messed up. We got a bit of tinkering around the edges which has proved a serious miscalculation. This is why Emenalo's role at the club is being questioned.

No, it's not short term. It's a drop in form for various reasons. Just as Hazard has lost form, but you don't mention him as a short term signing.You bracketed the signings of Matic, Fabregas, Costa and Pedro with the decisions to bring back Eto'o and Drogba. These are different things.

The squad needed freshening up, competition for places and serious strengthening over the summer. For whatever reason the Board messed up. We got a bit of tinkering around the edges which has proved a serious miscalculation. This is why Emenalo's role at the club is being questioned.

No. Hazard's been here since 2012 and this should be his first poor spell ( if memory serves me right) for us. Cesc and Costa have been here a year and half of it was spent playing poorly.

I bracketed Matic and Pedro as the exception in Jose's 'supposed' buys which I said most have proven to be short-term

The Club's recent transfer policy has been one in- one out. They replaced players who left and still spent circa 72.8 million pounds this summer. As stated previously the transfer targets we read in the papers were next to impossible as either clubs were reluctant or were too expensive. The same squad just won the league, yes it needed few adjustment but I don't think we needed serious strengthening, also we had third most expensive squad in the league, we weren't in a dire need of players.

There's no guarantee if we had signed these supposed targets we would be performing in the league as its the whole team that's playing badly not just the new recruits.

As stated previously the transfer targets we read in the papers were next to impossible as either clubs were reluctant or were too expensive. The same squad just won the league, yes it needed few adjustment but I don't think we needed serious strengthening, also we had third most expensive squad in the league, we weren't in a dire need of players.

There's no guarantee if we had signed these supposed targets we would be performing in the league as its the whole team that's playing badly not just the new recruits.

So we spent an entire window pursuing ‘impossible’ transfer targets and you think this is acceptable?

And if we didn't need strengthening, as you claim, why on earth were we pursuing Stones and Pogba? For a laugh? To waste everyone's time?

Clearly the squad needed strengthening in key areas but the Board screwed up. It didn't get its main targets and had no real back up solutions. We were left with Djilibodji, Kenedy and Rahman who the manager doesn't trust or think is ready. Pedro is the only signing getting significant game time and his impact has been limited.

The argument that we won the league with these players last season is irrelevant. We won the league with the same manager last season but that hasn't stopped some demanding we sack the manager.

Things have moved on. And we haven't. If anything we've gone backwards while other teams have strengthened. There's a reason we're getting beaten by the likes of Stoke, West Ham and Crystal Palace. And it's not all down to bad luck and lousy refereeing.

There's an argument that we won the league last season in spite of the team's limitations and that was down to Mourinho's astute but brutal management of a small squad. But that took its toll and we haven't been able to repeat it this year. Mourinho knew this was the situation but was let down ultimately by the Board and now we are paying the price.

The problem certainly ain't Emenalo, we won the league last season! I do think that a manager should have full control of virtually everything pitch related though, can't stand this bullsh*t director of football role - seems like the worlds easiest job!

So we spent an entire window pursuing ‘impossible’ transfer targets and you think this is acceptable?

And if we didn't need strengthening, as you claim, why on earth were we pursuing Stones and Pogba? For a laugh? To waste everyone's time?

Clearly the squad needed strengthening in key areas but the Board screwed up. It didn't get its main targets and had no real back up solutions. We were left with Djilibodji, Kenedy and Rahman who the manager doesn't trust or think is ready. Pedro is the only signing getting significant game time and his impact has been limited.

The argument that we won the league with these players last season is irrelevant. We won the league with the same manager last season but that hasn't stopped some demanding we sack the manager.

Things have moved on. And we haven't. If anything we've gone backwards while other teams have strengthened. There's a reason we're getting beaten by the likes of Stoke, West Ham and Crystal Palace. And it's not all down to bad luck and lousy refereeing.

"There's an argument that we won the league last season in spite of the team's limitations and that was down to Mourinho's astute but brutal management of a small squad. But that took its toll and we haven't been able to repeat it this year. Mourinho knew this was the situation but was let down ultimately by the Board and now we are paying the price.

So we spent an entire window pursuing ‘impossible’ transfer targets and you think this is acceptable?"

Nope. We didn't spend the entire window purchasing targets, we were quite quiet during the window as we only replaced those who left. We started pushing for stones at the tail end of July and Pogba towards the end of the window.

"And if we didn't need strengthening, as you claim, why on earth were we pursuing Stones and Pogba? For a laugh? To waste everyone's time?"

It was clear they were going to be panic buys as we started the season on a wrong foot. We would have bought any player with a reputation if they had become available.

"Clearly the squad needed strengthening in key areas but the Board screwed up. It didn't get its main targets and had no real back up solutions. We were left with Djilibodji, Kenedy and Rahman who the manager doesn't trust or think is ready. Pedro is the only signing getting significant game time and his impact has been limited.

"

The main targets were who? Koke? Pogba? Griezmann? Stones? I ask, at what cost?

"The argument that we won the league with these players last season is irrelevant. We won the league with the same manager last season but that hasn't stopped some demanding we sack the manager."

You actually have a point here, but in football, I haven't seen where the squad is sacked instead of the manager. If results are poor the manager's head is called for, unless something changes, that's how it would always be in football.

"Things have moved on. And we haven't. If anything we've gone backwards while other teams have strengthened. There's a reason we're getting beaten by the likes of Stoke, West Ham and Crystal Palace. And it's not all down to bad luck and lousy refereeing."

Arsenal signed on Cech, I don't see how that is massive strengthening yet they are 15 points ahead of us. Spurs signed a korean, A.Madrid's back-up defender and Dele Alli and are faring better than us. We have better squads than everyone ahead of us bar City and perhaps Utd. We getting beaten isn't down to lack of strenghtening either.

"There's an argument that we won the league last season in spite of the team's limitations and that was down to Mourinho's astute but brutal management of a small squad. But that took its toll and we haven't been able to repeat it this year. Mourinho knew this was the situation but was let down ultimately by the Board and now we are paying the price"

Good to see Jose getting all the credits for last season's success then he should be getting the blame for this season's failures also, don't you think?

Edited November 12, 201510 yr by lesblues

"There's an argument that we won the league last season in spite of the team's limitations and that was down to Mourinho's astute but brutal management of a small squad. But that took its toll and we haven't been able to repeat it this year. Mourinho knew this was the situation but was let down ultimately by the Board and now we are paying the price"

Good to see Jose getting all the credits for last season's success then he should be getting the blame for this season's failures also, don't you think?

 

 

I'm personally leaning towards the argument you mention here and if that argument stands up then your last paragraph is really shown to be wrong.

 

Are you arguing with yourself or saying you don't agree with the argument mentioned above?

 

Nope. We didn't spend the entire window purchasing targets, we were quite quiet during the window as we only replaced those who left. We started pushing for stones at the tail end of July and Pogba towards the end of the window....It was clear they were going to be panic buys as we started the season on a wrong foot. We would have bought any player with a reputation if they had become available.

 

 

Hardly quiet. The whole world knew we were after Pogba and Stones from the start. Stones as a long term successor to Terry and Pogba as the box-to-box midfielder we haven't had since Lampard. To argue that Stones and Pogba were attempted panic buys while Djilibodgi wasn't is a pretty strange argument.

 

The main targets were who? Koke? Pogba? Griezmann? Stones? I ask, at what cost?

 

 

We offered 40m for Stones apparently and 70m for Pogba. Their clubs didn't want to sell or possibly in Pogba's case the player didn't want to leave. Are you saying there were no other alternatives worth considering? Because my main criticism is we put all our eggs in one basket. And left the manager with a weakened squad. 

 

We getting beaten isn't down to lack of strenghtening either.

 

 

Then how come we have an ageing defence, a struggling midfield and an ineffective forward line? You don’t think any of these areas needed strengthening? I suggest results prove that we should've strengthened to give the manager alternatives, the players motivation and the squad a sense of progress. Instead we've gone backwards and the best we can hope for now is a top half finish. And it's only November.

 

Good to see Jose getting all the credits for last season's success then he should be getting the blame for this season's failures also, don't you think?

 

 

Not even Jose would take all the credit for last season's success. It's no secret that Jose asked for top quality reinforcements over the summer as he probably felt that we were unlikely to repeat last season's success with the same squad. It's no coincidence we were looking to reinforce in key areas. Unfortunately the Board couldn't get the main Pogba or Stones' deals done. They also messed up the replacements for outgoing players. Falcao in for Drogba was a mistake. Rahman doesn't look better than Luis. Or even Bertrand for that matter. Djilibodgi hasn't got a look in. Neither has Traore. Kenedy has been deployed as a left back and Pedro is wondering what he's let himself in for. Meanwhile we're relying once more on Hazard and Costa to do everything. It's a complete balls up.

 

Jose hasn't helped himself at times both on an off the pitch. But he's not been a happy bunny since pre-season and it's pretty obvious why. 

Edited November 12, 201510 yr by Socrates

I'm personally leaning towards the argument you mention here and if that argument stands up then your last paragraph is really shown to be wrong.

Are you arguing with yourself or saying you don't agree with the argument mentioned above?

Chippy its no problem if you lean towards the argument. For me, if we are going to disregard the fact Jose himself said he prefers having a small squad also he brought in his required targets and had the 2014/2015 squad molded to his satisfaction and still say the squad was "limited" and say last season's success was all Jose irrespective of those who worked behind the scenes to ensure everything was satisfactory, then this season failures so far should be his fault irrespective of those who failed their objectives

"Hardly quiet. The whole world knew we were after Pogba and Stones from the start. Stones as a long term successor to Terry and Pogba as the box-to-box midfielder we haven't had since Lampard. To argue that Stones and Pogba were attempted panic buys while Djilibodgi wasn't is a pretty strange argument."

Mate there's a difference between being linked to a player and having bids rejected/accepted and made known to the public. Pogba until Aug was bidded for by Barca and City (at least those were bids known publically) we were rumored to have made a bid in late Aug. Jose was asked sometime before about Pogba and he said he didn't need him as he had RLC . Stones bid was made in late July before everton's pre-season game against arsenal as I recall Martinez moaning during his press conference.

"We offered 40m for Stones apparently and 70m for Pogba. Their clubs didn't want to sell or possibly in Pogba's case the player didn't want to leave. Are you saying there were no other alternatives worth considering? Because my main criticism is we put all our eggs in one basket. And left the manager with a weakened squad."

There were alternatives. We also bidded for marquinho (40 million euros) but PSG also refused to sell. If we compare both targets (Varane included) we could see Jose preferred a younger ready made defender, their clubs were reluctant to let go. How many of these types of players are out there?

"Then how come we have an ageing defence, a struggling midfield and an ineffective forward line? You don’t think any of these areas needed strengthening

When David Luiz was sold I didn't see Jose saying he needed a new defender. He said he was ok with Terry/Cahill/Brana/Zouma. The struggling midfield has players termed as 'Jose's buys (matic, cesc_ surely he doesn't intend changing it every summer

"I suggest results prove that we should've strengthened to give the manager alternatives, the players motivation and the squad a sense of progress. Instead we've gone backwards and the best we can hope for now is a top half finish. And it's only November."

Because we didn't make expensive purchases doesn't mean the squad should be lingering in bottom half of the table

"Not even Jose would take all the credit for last season's success."

Then why the silly argument that it was all down to his 'brutal management" and 'astuteness'

"It's no secret that Jose asked for top quality reinforcements over the summer as he probably felt that we were unlikely to repeat last season's success with the same squad. It's no coincidence we were looking to reinforce in key areas. Unfortunately the Board couldn't get the main Pogba or Stones' deals done. They also messed up the replacements for outgoing players. Falcao in for Drogba was a mistake. Rahman doesn't look better than Luis. Or even Bertrand for that matter. Djilibodgi hasn't got a look in. Neither has Traore. Kenedy has been deployed as a left back and Pedro is wondering what he's let himself in for. Meanwhile we're relying once more on Hazard and Costa to do everything. It's a complete balls up."

It would be silly for the board to tell Jose that the title must be retained. Surely top four/title challenge was the objective. Once again, not spending massively don't mean we should be lingering in the bottom half.

"Jose hasn't helped himself at times both on an off the pitch. But he's not been a happy bunny since pre-season and it's pretty obvious why".

If he is throwing toys out of the pram because we didn't use the open cheque book then he's in the wrong job. Our days of large spendings are over and I think he was told that before he rejoined.

Edited November 12, 201510 yr by lesblues

I truly feel everything went wrong all together this year. Generally we have some positives that offsets the bad form that people are having be it the manager, board, players, etc.

 

The board/Emanelo is to blame for not properly strengthening the squad when the manager and team itself was crying for it. We started getting serious about our Pogba/Stones bids only after the season started and they saw how bad the squad is performing. Also, for the ridiculous post season tour when the whole squad was jaded.

 

Jose cannot be absolved of the blame either. He does not react well to negative situations and it shows. He was to blame in the Eva situation. I don't know if that is the message he translates after every defeat to the squad but he has to stop blaming the refs after every game. Although he has a very legitimate point, there is nothing his complaints are going to bring and people will just say he is moaning. I guess he finally realized that the FA, albeit the most corrupt and biased organization, is in power and he has to abide by their rules. He also shares some of the blame for running the players into the ground last year. He needs to start trusting his bench players more or get ones that he will.

 

The whole squad for thinking that opposition players will just roll over for them as they are champions. It was complacency at its best. Hazard, Costa and Fabregas eating their pies all summer and thinking they were too good to fail. Guess a reality check was in order. 

 

Finally, I hate playing the luck card but how unlucky can we get? I have lost count of the number of stone wall penalties that we don't get. Hitting the crossbars, opposition players manhandling our players and not even getting a card (I am looking at you Charlie f***ing Adams). I think it is time the FA start taking pity on us. Don't give us wrong decisions, just be fair.

 

All in all, it has been a clusterf*** of a season and I doubt we will get another one like this.

so who actually decides which players are signed, emanelo or jose? does jose give him a list of wants or does emanelo say this is who i can get you?

I thought it was always the case that the manager provided a list of targets, and from there it was up to the board to secure them.

 

So the board actually signs the players based on the request of the manager.

 

This ties in with the fact that Jose had seemingly listed about 4 players for the board to go after this summer and they didn't bring any of his targets in.

 

Who knows?  I certainly don't, but I've also read that other clubs in Europe operate that way. 

so who actually decides which players are signed, emanelo or jose? does jose give him a list of wants or does emanelo say this is who i can get you?

Both.

Sometimes Jose will identify a specific player he wants and the club will pursue a deal depending on how they value them.

Other times Jose highlights weaknesses in the squad, centre back as an example and the club and its' scouts identify what they deem suitable targets.

Did he fail at negotiating the price, or did he actually blocked the request from Jose to sign players? I read once somewhere, the one who's doing the actual negotiation is this Russian Lady directly reporting to Roman. I don't blame him for selling, he only sold players Jose didn't want. 

 

 I don't mind him getting the sack, but to blame for our failure to beat the like Stoke or Liverpool is just laughable.

I don't mind him getting the sack, but to blame for our failure to beat the like Stoke or Liverpool is just laughable.

If he had provided the players JM wanted and they were available to play would we have lost to Stoke of Liverpool ??

If he had provided the players JM wanted and they were available to play would we have lost to Stoke of Liverpool ??

 

We're talking about a squad that walked away with the title by a healthy margin last season, yet our results and league position suggest that we've been more like a newly promoted side. I don't think a few new recruits would have saved us. This doesn't look like a situation which would make me think: "oh, I just wish we'd have got a couple of new players and we'd be fine". The problems are much bigger than that. Pretty much the whole squad is playing poorly with just a few exceptions. There's been glimpses of better things, but it's been just that. Glimpses.

We're talking about a squad that walked away with the title by a healthy margin last season, yet our results and league position suggest that we've been more like a newly promoted side. I don't think a few new recruits would have saved us. This doesn't look like a situation which would make me think: "oh, I just wish we'd have got a couple of new players and we'd be fine". The problems are much bigger than that. Pretty much the whole squad is playing poorly with just a few exceptions. There's been glimpses of better things, but it's been just that. Glimpses.

It has long been debated on here the healthy margin flattered us massively last year , I am certainly of the opinion that from March onwards we were running on empty and the squad was physically and mentally knackered . That was why we needed to refresh the squad in the summer , add completion for places and provide cover in certain areas , this we failed to do and have suffered from the hangover all season

don't know whose making the transfer decisions, as the club are as tight lipped as the KGB

 

but you can put money on 1 thing, the Guvnor RA has final say on all the 'marquee' comings and goings

 

so let's see if hes in the mood to spend and spend big  - a proven goalscorer, a powerful holding/ box to box mid, a couple of proper defenders

 

as Jose operates with a limited number of players a few will have to be moved out if possible

 

wont be cheap but cant see the current squad getting back up to or near the top 4 without qual reinforcements 

Emanalo didn't choose to sell Mata and KDB. Our problem right now is we are missing players of that calibre.

He is certainly not the problem why we are 16th

It has long been debated on here the healthy margin flattered us massively last year , I am certainly of the opinion that from March onwards we were running on empty and the squad was physically and mentally knackered . That was why we needed to refresh the squad in the summer , add completion for places and provide cover in certain areas , this we failed to do and have suffered from the hangover all season

 

I agree that we needed to refresh the squad, but after a summer without a World Cup or European Championships tournament and majority of the players getting a good rest, you would assume that the squad we had last year wouldn't fall apart in quite as dramatic fashion as it has. We're not even grinding out results, never mind beating opponents with ease like we did in the first half of last season. We needed fresh blood inserted into the squad, but I don't think we'd be up there in top four (or near it) even if we'd got a few top signings. We'd still have majority of the squad underperforming, so unless those new players were miracle makers, I don't think we'd be any higher than mid-table at the moment.

I agree that we needed to refresh the squad, but after a summer without a World Cup or European Championships tournament and majority of the players getting a good rest, you would assume that the squad we had last year wouldn't fall apart in quite as dramatic fashion as it has. We're not even grinding out results, never mind beating opponents with ease like we did in the first half of last season. We needed fresh blood inserted into the squad, but I don't think we'd be up there in top four (or near it) even if we'd got a few top signings. We'd still have majority of the squad underperforming, so unless those new players were miracle makers, I don't think we'd be any higher than mid-table at the moment.

We've got a very good player in Pedro and even he looks average in this team. 

If he had provided the players JM wanted and they were available to play would we have lost to Stoke of Liverpool ??

 

If Jose need better players to get into the top half the table , then he's really not special at all. It's no Emanalo's fault we ended up with Faloc, is it? I remember Jose made it a public knowledge he wanted him. There are so many wrongs this season, to blame soley on Emanalo is laughable. I'm sure he will be the guilty one to pick Ivanovic this weekend.

Emanalo didn't choose to sell Mata and KDB

I don't think we can say that with any certainty.

Definitely been a few deals that have been revenue motivated.

can't wait for the opinions when JM has us motoring up the league!

Come on, we all know Emenalo has as much say on Chelsea transfers as a random user on the forum here does.