Still think he's over-valued. His agent admitted Napoli thought him not good enough for them before he had a monster of a season. But if reports are true he's Conte first option for reinforcement in defence and the club is willing to get fleeced in backing him.

 

This is true. He wasn't reallly anything special two seasons back. He had one superb seson and honestly he should prove himself first via consistency.

It doesn't take a scouting network to work out who the best players are.  The player's club has to be willing to sell as well.  50 million bids mean little if said club rely on that player to qualify for champions league or survival in their top flight.  It's a two way street

IMO, in football there is very few players or clubs who don't have a price, more so if the players unhappy.

It's just whether the club is willing to match it.

For example it now all but seems Mustafi to Arsenal is as good as done.

He was available and we opted not to go for him, nothing to do with availability, we just must not have fancied him.

Which on the other hand I'd worrying for me as, he may not be JT in his prime but he's a lot better than what we have at the moment.

Don't look forward to his agent announcing he is signing a new contract on monday and our club just realizing we screwed up putting every egg in one basket once again. Would certainly have taken Nathan Ake back here right now as leftback and cover for CB but the club was stupid enough to ship him out on loan without anyone better coming in.

Don't look forward to his agent announcing he is signing a new contract on monday and our club just realizing we screwed up putting every egg in one basket once again. Would certainly have taken Nathan Ake back here right now as leftback and cover for CB but the club was stupid enough to ship him out on loan without anyone better coming in.

If I was to hazard a guess, I would say all these happened without the manager's knowledge? or its too early in his managerial career to be getting insults like the club are?

Our Answer is Andreas Christensen.  Get our player back and all problems are solved!!!!

Our Answer is Andreas Christensen. Get our player back and all problems are solved!!!!

He has a contract for another year with them, it might not be as easy as to just recall him. I'd imagine we cannot since we haven't already done so.

You really have to question our club why would we allow Christensen to go out on loan with no recall? It's like not putting buy back options in players contracts.

It is quite a shock that an Italian Manager, like most of his compatriots, renowned for getting his defence sorted out first and foremost, has not displayed any great panic in sorting the back four (three ??) out at Chelsea.

 

Is this because he is happy with what he has seen - unlikely. He will have watched VT's of last Seasons debacle and seen the players up close in training and in Austria and the USA so he will now know what he has to work with.

 

Therefore he either knows we are trying to bring players in or he has seen players in the squad and at the Academy that he believes can do a job for him.

 

I think that we have to trust his judgement and pray he is right.

Andreas Christensen, officially the BEST DEFENDER in the Bundesliga, must have one hell of a water tight contract to keep him from coming back to the Bridge. Therefore we must be patient and be excited at getting him back next Season. It will be like getting a £50million signing on a Free !!!

You really have to question our club why would we allow Christensen to go out on loan with no recall? It's like not putting buy back options in players contracts.

You don't recall players so that you build relationships.  If we say here you go take this player for two years, but we can recall him at anytime, you're basically telling the other club you're using them for your own benefit and it gives the loaning team all the power.  On the flip side, honoring the loan makes the loanee team more willing to play the player as a starter because there's no threat of them being pulled at any time.  Add on the fact that it may help in future negotiations with other players, and there's lots of reasons to honor the loan.

 

What you can probably take exception with is the fact that it's a two year loan and not a one year loan.  But when we loaned him we were premier league champions who gave up very few goals during our run.  Probably figured we'd be good defensively for at least two years...

You really have to question our club why would we allow Christensen to go out on loan with no recall? It's like not putting buy back options in players contracts.it was part of his

It was part of the agreement we had with him in return for signing his new 5yr deal.

Scandinavian's one step ahead as usual.

You really have to question our club why would we allow Christensen to go out on loan with no recall? It's like not putting buy back options in players contracts.

 

The answer is the idiot who was our manager is too much of a coward to give young players a chance. 

Think that's a bit harsh kiwi. Not sure we have a young player (beyond Christiansen) ready to step up to the first team. Problem for me is size. There are some big guys in this league and at 18 it's very rare to have the physique needed to compete at CB regularly. It's much easier for attacking players who rely more on speed. I for one have great hopes for Clarke-Salter when he fills out given he is left footed which is really a bonus in a CB.

Koulibaly is obviously still our priority but I feel it might be worth signing a Mustafi or equivalent anyway if a deal can be closed reasonably quickly. We're going to need another CB. It takes the pressure off if we can get someone and then get Koulibaly if not now later in the year as a long term target.

unless we're going for a proven world class defender then I see no much different from buying and using our youth.. I'd still like to see chalobah given a shot as CB..  Age is just a number and experience is for average players..

the one issue with koulibaly is, isn't he african? which means AFCON. isn't that january? so if he signs we'll miss him for a month. 

unless we're going for a proven world class defender then I see no much different from buying and using our youth.. I'd still like to see chalobah given a shot as CB.. Age is just a number and experience is for average players..

Again I think it's about physique in the youth. Not many people are Zouma's size at his age.

Throwing in a Tomori or JCS against a Carroll or a Benteke isn't viable. I think a Garay, Mustafi or De Vrji might be the best option. A good player who can improve what we have curently and then work with a back four that includes Christansen and Zouma over the next 3-4 years.

IMO we should have been in for Ashley Williams, would have been a no brainer, tough tackling and aggressive and would easily compliment Zouma,Terry or Cahill and given his age, a year or two, Christensen replaces himm

The answer is the idiot who was our manager is too much of a coward to give young players a chance.

Well if you think he was a coward then you must think the same of our other managers who also didn't give youth a chance.

Also didn't see it as cowardly when we won all those trophies.

This Saga is winding me up a touch now. Why is it that we only seem to have 1 target?

 

Last year it was Stones (with a last minute bid for Marquinos) and this year KK. I know Marina plays hardball, but surely we should be putting other plans in place. We might well be doing so, but we didnt last season and ive not heard anything to suggest we are here too. 

 

michael hector in frankfurt 

with miazga also to be loaned, does this mean we have reached an agreement for a new centre back?

or are we rolling with jt-cahill-fikayo tomori 

Something must be in line surely

We're in massive trouble if nothing gets done.

Andreas Christensen, officially the BEST DEFENDER in the Bundesliga, must have one hell of a water tight contract to keep him from coming back to the Bridge. Therefore we must be patient and be excited at getting him back next Season. It will be like getting a £50million signing on a Free !!!

 

?????

Interesting development for Monday night. Aina the only 'senior' defender as things stand. Chalobah might be being seen as a flexible DM/CB