if the future targets are to be believed ..then we have moved from the big pond  to a smaller one with players who we wouldn't have even looked at 2/3 yrs ago... we are at a crossroads that will determine  were the club goes in the future ..  uncertain times at the bridge   ,,, but forever cfc...

if the future targets are to be believed ..then we have moved from the big pond  to a smaller one with players who we wouldn't have even looked at 2/3 yrs ago... we are at a crossroads that will determine  were the club goes in the future ..  uncertain times at the bridge   ,,, but forever cfc...

 

Cheer up, the top three in England last season, all fish in the small pond.

I can't say that we've been ones for purely fishing in the big pond.

In fact I'd say that the majority of the most successful transfers of the Roman era weren't big pond buys in the first place.

I can't say that we've been ones for purely fishing in the big pond.

In fact I'd say that the majority of the most successful transfers of the Roman era weren't big pond buys in the first place.

 

Indeed most of the best buys since roman bought the club have been the players that were second tier that had the potential to be top tier, drogba robben cech essien carvalho amongst others, in fact its the big name ones that invariably go tits up, ballack being the notable exception.

I think over the coming years its very likely that we transition into a more arsenal like club with similar policies and aspirations.

 

The odd cup here or there and a solid track record of making CL appearances.

 

As rich as Abrahmovic is, he can not compete with the ruler of abudhabi or with the global revenue base of united anymore.

^ I highly doubt it. Roman wants to win trophies and that is the distinctive difference between us and Arsenal. Not going to change. That is part of our identity.

It's a little uninspiring being linked with gyan, nzonzi, and rudiger etc. Not exactly names you would expect to help us step up a level.

It's still early days yet though, maybe we will end up with a couple of fantastic signings.

Hope it doesn't go like last season, and every significant signing we make, is too late to have a preseason with us.

I have to admit I'm worried, we could get left behind (again) and I think the players we are been linked with don't exactly thrill me.

Football goes in cycles, at least we dont have an owner like Randy Lerner!

We may or may not be out of the running for a year or two, but we will be up there for the long haul .

I have to admit I'm worried, we could get left behind (again) and I think the players we are been linked with don't exactly thrill me.

 

I know what your saying, but when you look back at our historic marquee signings, you have to wonder why.

 

Torres and Shevchenko stand out as our two most high profile marquee signings, and yet both really struggled. 

 

Compared to non marquee signings like Drogba, Maka, Cech, Robben, and others, who were basically unheard of before we signed them.

 

Conte will know of players in Italy who are progressing and worth a punt, I'm happy to trust his judgement even though I have no clue who they are.

I know what your saying, but when you look back at our historic marquee signings, you have to wonder why.

Torres and Shevchenko stand out as our two most high profile marquee signings, and yet both really struggled.

Compared to non marquee signings like Drogba, Maka, Cech, Robben, and others, who were basically unheard of before we signed them.

Conte will know of players in Italy who are progressing and worth a punt, I'm happy to trust his judgement even though I have no clue who they are.

Very true

I know what your saying, but when you look back at our historic marquee signings, you have to wonder why.

 

Torres and Shevchenko stand out as our two most high profile marquee signings, and yet both really struggled. 

 

Compared to non marquee signings like Drogba, Maka, Cech, Robben, and others, who were basically unheard of before we signed them.

 

Conte will know of players in Italy who are progressing and worth a punt, I'm happy to trust his judgement even though I have no clue who they are.

Issue is we are not linked to the unknowns. We are linked to players like Lichtensteiner, Asamoah, Candreva etc who we are aware of & I personally don't rate. If we were linked to players like Saponara, Berardi & Romangoli; young talented players I would get it. Personally I am a bit wary of his knowledge of football outside the Italian league. There are loads of exciting talents we can pick up on the cheap in the German & Spanish leagues.

Issue is we are not linked to the unknowns. We are linked to players like Liechtensteiner, Asamoah, Candreva etc who we are aware of & I personally don't rate. If we were linked to players like Saponara, Berardi & Romangoli; young talented players I would get it. Personally I am a bit wary of his knowledge of football outside the Italian league. There are loads of exciting talents we can pick up on the cheap in the German & Spanish leagues. 

 

If you know these players and how they play then fair enough you can rate them, but I don't know Asamoah or Candreva.

If you know these players and how they play then fair enough you can rate them, but I don't know Asamoah or Candreva.

 

There used to be an Asamoah who played for Shrewsbury - I assume it's not the same one!

There used to be an Asamoah who played for Shrewsbury - I assume it's not the same one!

Was that the old bloke who sat in the boat on the Severn to retrieve the balls? Employed As A Rower by the club.

Ah the good old days of the v like in the coracle! When my lads were at cubs we went canoeing on the river and found some balls in the weeds by the ground so he obviously didn't do his job very well!

Indeed most of the best buys since roman bought the club have been the players that were second tier that had the potential to be top tier, drogba robben cech essien carvalho amongst others, in fact its the big name ones that invariably go tits up, ballack being the notable exception.

Agree with the overall argument. Cole and Maka two others. You could probably just about include Fab, Hazard and Costa in that.

No doubting that our biggest flops were top tier. Torres, Sheva, Veron, Deco come to mind.

That said we've lost a few of the really big players by quibbling over a few million. Alves, Robinho, Modric, Aguero all in that category.

It surprised me the other day to see we had won more trophies in the last 10 years than any other English club. 13 I think. We're doing okay given some of the mistakes we have made. Really believe a good summer with Conte can set us up to be successful again over the next five, particularly with our youth players.

Agree with the overall argument. Cole and Maka two others. You could probably just about include Fab, Hazard and Costa in that.

No doubting that our biggest flops were top tier. Torres, Sheva, Veron, Deco come to mind.

That said we've lost a few of the really big players by quibbling over a few million. Alves, Robinho, Modric, Aguero all in that category.

It surprised me the other day to see we had won more trophies in the last 10 years than any other English club. 13 I think. We're doing okay given some of the mistakes we have made. Really believe a good summer with Conte can set us up to be successful again over the next five, particularly with our youth players.

Including community shields we have won (since Roman arrived)

4 PL titles, 1 CL, 1 EL, 4 FA Cups, 3 League Cups and 2 Community Shields.

Think as well in that time we've lost a league cup final, a CL final, 4 community shields, 2 super cups and the WCC. We've also finished 2nd on 4 occasions (I think).

Edited June 6, 201610 yr by Bobbywoodhogan

Its all good and well going for second tier players like Drogba, Carvalho, Robben, Hazard, Cech etc. Ath the moment though, we are fishing around for 3rd to 4th tier players and still having a hard time getting them.

 

The problem we face now it that over the last 10 years many clubs in England and across europe have caught up with our ability to pay mega wages and fees.

 

In 2005 only clubs that could pay more money than us were Real Madrid and Man United and maybe Barcelona. Over the last 5-10 years the likes of Man City, PSG, Bayern have well and truly surpassed us. Also the likes of liverpool, spurs and arsenal, everton have enough financial might to fend us off from buying there players.

 

Unless we end up in the hands of an even richer new owner (maybe the Chinese govt or the Saudi royal family), I dont see how we can continue to get even the second tier players going forward. Needless to say, the success of the last ten years is something that will not be replicated.

I blame it on the scouts....how many thousands of players out there yet to be discovered...yet we generally end up paying big money for well known duds.   Time to fire some scouts rather than managers.  

Compared to non marquee signings like Drogba, Maka, Cech, Robben, and others, who were basically unheard of before we signed them.

Sorry, i really cannot agree with this. Drogba was a star in the French league. There really weren't many great strikers at that time and he was one of them. Maka was sold because Madrid are madrid. When Zidane says how big a loss that is, it says something. Not really an unknown. Essien on his day was the best midfielder in the world... Before he joined Chelsea.

Ferguson was among the many after Robben when Roman swooped him and got him. Cech was very highly rated but not an unknown talent as Fergie rued not putting his faith on young talent, a mistake he later rectified with De Gea.

The equivalent of those guys in today's world be the Douglas costas, griezmanns, martial, etc not underwhelming links like Morata, asomoah, etc

Sorry, i really cannot agree with this. Drogba was a star in the French league. There really weren't many great strikers at that time and he was one of them. Maka was sold because Madrid are madrid. When Zidane says how big a loss that is, it says something. Not really an unknown. Essien on his day was the best midfielder in the world... Before he joined Chelsea.

Ferguson was among the many after Robben when Roman swooped him and got him. Cech was very highly rated but not an unknown talent as Fergie rued not putting his faith on young talent, a mistake he later rectified with De Gea.

The equivalent of those guys in today's world be the Douglas costas, griezmanns, martial, etc not underwhelming links like Morata, asomoah, etc

 

Good point.

 

To put things in perspective, Essien cost us £24m in 2005. In todays money it would be more like £40-45m (even with a modest 5% fees inflation)

 

Are we looking to buy any 40m+ rated midfielders anytime soon? The truth is we dont sit at the top table anymore.

Good point.

 

To put things in perspective, Essien cost us £24m in 2005. In todays money it would be more like £40-45m (even with a modest 5% fees inflation)

 

Are we looking to buy any 40m+ rated midfielders anytime soon? The truth is we dont sit at the top table anymore.

 

Roman does not have unlimited funds, we can't rack huge losses every single year. 

Roman does not have unlimited funds, we can't rack huge losses every single year.

Billionaires have a LOT of £ though....

Edited June 7, 201610 yr by mwblue10

Good point.

 

To put things in perspective, Essien cost us £24m in 2005. In todays money it would be more like £40-45m (even with a modest 5% fees inflation)

 

Are we looking to buy any 40m+ rated midfielders anytime soon? The truth is we dont sit at the top table anymore.

I don't really get this sentiment from the players we are after they aren't exactly cheap or low level team players.

We are heavily linked with Morata who is going to cost £40-50m, or Lukaku for a similar if not more inflated fee.

On midfielders, it has been touted by the papers all though whilst unlikely that we are aiming to bid £80m for Pogba. Naingollan and Pjanic would cost around the £30m mark as well as Kante who was one of the players of last season, its not like the standard of players we have been chasing has dropped. 

Whether we get these or not is a different matter, but I would say we have solely been aiming at a lower tier of players.

Yes there have been some really weird transfer rumours like Gyan, Benteke and Ayew but when in silly season is there not random rumours that don't really add up, we are going to be linked with players left, right and centre because of the season we have just had and I wouldn't use it to judge whether or not the club is showing ambition. 

Edited June 7, 201610 yr by PedroMendez