21 minutes ago, abramovich said:

No one's asking to spend 50m on every position we need to improve. I just find it disappointing that City managed to sign three quality wingbacks (two of them we were clearly targeting) while we labouring over Sandro that probably will stay where he is, anyway. Conte's system is heavily reliant on those type of players and we got f**ked, if we're being honest. That's what we used to do back in the day, blow out the opposition and stockpile quality players which allowed the club to have great squad depth and quality in every position. Now we're getting a taste of our own medicine.

We can talk all day long how there's always an alternative to yet another player we missed out but that's the kind of talk that eventually gets you Papi Djilobodji and Michael Hector by the end of August.

i don't personally see walker as much of an upgrade on moses tbh. pep is a big draw for players, but city have money to offer the big wages too so i dunno. 

Yeah I suppose Tottenham are a great message I mean a team who hasn't yet made a signing versus one that has spent £130m such a strong message from Conte, clearly sticking it to the board. 

He said it was a miracle we won the league with 13 players. There is a frustration. I'm not saying he is taking digs at the board as he is working closely with them (I suppose). I think it a sign of frustration. Maybe the board promised him this and that and so far haven't delivered.

And I have to say I love Conte even more after his comments on youth.

20 minutes ago, enigma said:

i don't personally see walker as much of an upgrade on moses tbh. pep is a big draw for players, but city have money to offer the big wages too so i dunno. 

I'm not a fan of Walker but he's on a different level to Moses as a fullback. He is easily one of the best in that position in the league. Try asking that on any non-CFC forum, it's no contest. I like Victor and he's doing his best, but Conte plays him there out of necessity, because he's got no better option available.

Edited July 27, 20178 yr by abramovich

2 hours ago, EdinburghBlue said:

What?

Pedro have acceleration, but his speed lacks big time. He can`t outrun even average speed defender. That`s the reality. How often you see him to outrun someone on the wing? Moses do it easily, Pedro just can`t do it. He has good start in the first meters, then he lacks big time.

It`s obvious and you will see in the new season time after time.

Willy for example is a lot faster then him.

And for the transfer, if the board are trying to save funds for the stadium, then their expectation should be lowered for the manager. Not expecting title every season, but give a lot less, then our rivals give and did.

What they do is want to win PL or CL, if you fail, you are fired.

It`s idiotic as hell.

 

Edited July 27, 20178 yr by brakeit

27 minutes ago, brakeit said:

Pedro have acceleration, but his speed lacks big time. He can`t outrun even average speed defender. That`s the reality. How often you see him to outrun someone on the wing? Moses do it easily, Pedro just can`t do it. He has good start in the first meters, then he lacks big time.

It`s obvious and you will see in the new season time after time.

Willy for example is a lot faster then him.

And for the transfer, if the board are trying to save funds for the stadium, then their expectation should be lowered for the manager. Not expecting title every season, but give a lot less, then our rivals give and did.

What they do is want to win PL or CL, if you fail, you are fired.

It`s idiotic as hell.

 

You see his speed all the time when he is making his off the ball runs in behind. You could say that when Pedro has the ball he doesn't tend to run with it at huge pace but this is more to do with his dribbling style (he likes to keep it close rather than knock it to far in front of him). Whilst not the quickest player out there he is still a lot faster than an average speed defender.  

He's dancing a fine line for me at the moment. I'm not a board hater and i'm not a fan that expects success.

I understand some games need to be played, people just need to realise there are two sides playing. Fans all too often blindly back the manager as that side is invariably "spend more money on more players".

I think Conte has been supported this summer. It looks like by the end of the window we'll have brought in 6/7 first team players.

I do think there has been a gradual shift at board level over the past 5 years or so. The finances involved and the increasing strength in other sides at the top of the league means it's a volatile situation.

It seems like the board no longer want to and/or are willing to be the transfer bully. This has both positives and negatives for a manager. In the way things were done in the 00's, you don't win the league and you were sacked basically. Now I don't think that's the case. I think being competitive for trophies is the mark with success being expected along the way without being the constant expectation.

Say if we finish 3rd this season, I don't believe Conte would be sacked. In 08 he would have been. I don't believe Mourinho would have been sacked if we'd finished even 5th/6th a couple of seasons ago.

And again, let's not lose perspective, we'll probably spend over £200m this summer and will have signed 1/3 of a first team squad!!

Conte is just on the right side of the line for now. I don't want him crossing over to the Mourinho side where it becomes a toys out the pram preemptive excuse making exercise.

1 hour ago, brakeit said:

Pedro have acceleration, but his speed lacks big time. He can`t outrun even average speed defender. That`s the reality. How often you see him to outrun someone on the wing? Moses do it easily, Pedro just can`t do it. He has good start in the first meters, then he lacks big time.

It`s obvious and you will see in the new season time after time.

Willy for example is a lot faster then him.

And for the transfer, if the board are trying to save funds for the stadium, then their expectation should be lowered for the manager. Not expecting title every season, but give a lot less, then our rivals give and did.

What they do is want to win PL or CL, if you fail, you are fired.

It`s idiotic as hell.

 

Have you actually watched Pedro play football, you know that thing where you kick a ball with your foot?

5 hours ago, dkw said:

It was a beautifully subtle dig wasn't it, just lovely.

About as subtle as a Tyson KO,  but nonetheless a thing of beauty..

Only position conte can complain about now is wing backs. It is clear he had wanted morata for years, that he wanted rudiger last year before his injury and we got him a new center mid already. We are not city nor United. We cannot match that spending but if that is all it takes to win the title and cl why have city and united not split all those honours between them the last 10 years? 

12 hours ago, abramovich said:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4733450/Antonio-Conte-playing-different-rules-Chelsea.html

‘I don’t spend money because I like to spend money,’ said Conte. ‘Every team has to understand their ambitions. If their ambitions are to win or fight for the title or the Champions League, you must buy expensive players.

‘There has been a miracle with Leicester and us, because we won the title with only 13 players, but if you want to compete in England you have to be strong.

‘The strong teams are getting stronger because they are putting a lot of money into the market.’

Daniel Levy, chairman of Tottenham and yet to make a signing this summer, has claimed the levels of spending are unsustainable. ‘My question is this,’ said Conte. ‘What are Tottenham’s expectations? If they don’t win the title it’s not a tragedy. If they don’t arrive in the Champions League it’s not a tragedy. If they go out in the first round of the Champions League it’s not a tragedy. If they go out in the Europa League against Gent, it’s not a tragedy.

‘Maybe for Chelsea, Arsenal, City and United and, I don’t know, Liverpool, it is a tragedy. You must understand the status of the team. If Barcelona does not compete for the title it’s a tragedy. The same for Real Madrid. If Sevilla does not compete for the title it’s not a tragedy.

‘They can breathe and think in a different way. You can judge the others, but the others must fight to win the title.’

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Does anyone else have the feeling that while Conte's discussing Spurs he's actually indirectly talking to our own board and owner? He's mentioned missing out on Walker

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/antonio-conte-reveals-chelsea-bid-for-kyle-walker-before-50m-man-city-deal-a3597071.html

and we know we were after Lukaku and Danilo. So to me, he's basically saying that nowadays you have to make a choice about what kind of a club you want to be, the one where winning trophies is an expectation or where it's fine to not win season after season. If you're in the first category, you have to spend big because that's what it takes to stay competitive.

 

That's what I have been posting before.  Expectations have to be in sync with investment in the squad.  Let us see how the full back and centre midfield positions are addressed by the end of August.  

8 hours ago, ashwin said:

Haha not so subtle even, Spurs fans must be fuming. Although he did compare them to Sevilla which is quite a compliment...

Very flattering, they've won about 10 trophies this century to Spurs' 1.

"It is logical that when you must be tough, you must be tough. If you want an identity you need all players to go into your idea. Otherwise it is very difficult if I want to give the identity to the club and ask the No 10 to stay in his position and this No 10 is around the pitch, it is very difficult to give this identity. The coach becomes crazy . . . this is true.”

“The coach must be in total control of the dressing room. Otherwise there is anarchy. Yes, anarchy.”

“When I was a footballer, [Marcello] Lippi and [Giovanni] Trapattoni and [Carlo] Ancelotti and [Arrigo] Sacchi, my coaches were totally in control of the dressing room. Otherwise, you are preparing to die. ‘Morira’ [you will die]. If this doesn’t happen you are preparing yourself for death.”

“If you lose control, probably you will be sacked in one or two months. If you are lucky, three months.”

 

2 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Only position conte can complain about now is wing backs. It is clear he had wanted morata for years, that he wanted rudiger last year before his injury and we got him a new center mid already. We are not city nor United. We cannot match that spending but if that is all it takes to win the title and cl why have city and united not split all those honours between them the last 10 years? 

Think you'll find he'll be wanting a central midfielder, at the moment we have a mere 3 senior options for 2 positions - one of whom is recovering from injury.

7 hours ago, dkw said:

Have you actually watched Pedro play football, you know that thing where you kick a ball with your foot?

Of course i and many people also see this. And i was training and played football for long time, so i know the game very well.

Pedro have good acceleration start, then hes speed lacks.
I know Bellerin is very fast, but he makes him looks so bad here:

 

32 minutes ago, brakeit said:

Of course i and many people also see this. And i was training and played football for long time, so i know the game very well.

Pedro have good acceleration start, then hes speed lacks.
I know Bellerin is very fast, but he makes him looks so bad here:

 

Bellerin is also younger than Pedro - this is a Young Man's sport - the funny thing about that video clip is Costa appears to be holding Pedro back a bit

It`s not only this compilation. When you look closely at that aspect, you will realize he lacks top speed. He is good at starting, but then he is lacking and opponent overpowering him easy. He also lacks strenght. So much time i see him he try to outrun someone, and the enemy player just put his shoulder/body on Pedro and he goes down to the ground. He have hard time beating players 1 on 1, when he is on the wing or away from penalty zone. In there he is dangerous, cause he have good technique, he is skilled and have great distance shooting. He is also good in turns and opponent have harder time there. He also won us penalty like that.

That`s my opinion. He is good player, same goes for Willy, as i said what he is missing, but both of them are not the top notch. We could mprove greately on that position. But right now i don`t see many option.

Bernardeschi was a good choice for me, but we wasn`t interested at him and he is gone to Juve now and we will probably want him after 2-3 season, when he is worth 100+m.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, brakeit said:

It`s not only this compilation. When you look closely at that aspect, you will realize he lacks top speed. He is good at starting, but then he is lacking and opponent overpowering him easy. He also lacks strenght. So much time i see him he try to outrun someone, and the enemy player just put his shoulder/body on Pedro and he goes down to the ground. He have hard time beating players 1 on 1, when he is on the wing or away from penalty zone. In there he is dangerous, cause he have good technique, he is skilled and have great distance shooting. He is also good in turns and opponent have harder time there. He also won us penalty like that.

That`s my opinion. He is good player, same goes for Willy, as i said what he is missing, but both of them are not the top notch. We could mprove greately on that position. But right now i don`t see many option.

Bernardeschi was a good choice for me, but we wasn`t interested at him and he is gone to Juve now and we will probably want him after 2-3 season, when he is worth 100+m.

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, brakeit said:

It`s not only this compilation. When you look closely at that aspect, you will realize he lacks top speed. He is good at starting, but then he is lacking and opponent overpowering him easy. He also lacks strenght. So much time i see him he try to outrun someone, and the enemy player just put his shoulder/body on Pedro and he goes down to the ground. He have hard time beating players 1 on 1, when he is on the wing or away from penalty zone. In there he is dangerous, cause he have good technique, he is skilled and have great distance shooting. He is also good in turns and opponent have harder time there. He also won us penalty like that.

That`s my opinion. He is good player, same goes for Willy, as i said what he is missing, but both of them are not the top notch. We could mprove greately on that position. But right now i don`t see many option.

Bernardeschi was a good choice for me, but we wasn`t interested at him and he is gone to Juve now and we will probably want him after 2-3 season, when he is worth 100+m.

 

 

 

He is running flat out then Costa impedes his stride, thus wiping his speed

 

New assistant coach Antonio Prewigo

7 hours ago, Ballack & Blu said:

 

He is running flat out then Costa impedes his stride, thus wiping his speed

 

Costa try to push him forward to give him speed. Look closely.

 

17 minutes ago, brakeit said:

Costa try to push him forward to give him speed. Look closely.

 

Lol how does that work have you ever been pushed whilst running? Has it ever sped anyone up or does it just take them off stride?



 

Anyway it`s for from the topic we are. In the video you can clearly see how good start Pedro have and how he is lacking speed after.

And it`s not only this clip i see it many times in the season. He is very good in the first yards, but his "top speed" is kinda average.

Anyway i said and show my point and im done with this, cause it`s going for too long.

Everyone have opinion and i said it many times, that i would want upgrade on that RM position.

 

47 minutes ago, brakeit said:

Costa try to push him forward to give him speed. Look closely.

 

Good lord ha ha, you have to be on a wind up.

Don't really see what that clip proves everyone knows Bellerin is one of the quickest in the league and Pedro got slightly impeded by Costa and also had the small matter of the ball at his feet.

20 minutes ago, Imran_CFC said:

Don't really see what that clip proves everyone knows Bellerin is one of the quickest in the league and Pedro got slightly impeded by Costa and also had the small matter of the ball at his feet.

If he`s using Bellerin as the yard stick as to which players are fast or not then every player in football bar about 10-20 arent fast. Nice logic that eh.

Walcott and Valencia is fast as hell but you don't see them produce better goals than Pedro.

Its all about having speed of mind to match speed of feet. One look at Pedro's medal collection speaks volumes for how good a player he is.