A really strange transfer deal, I could understood why Cech choose Arsenal at the time, but this time it doesn't make much sense, I'd say a conflict behind the scene between Luiz and someone in charge. We will know more about it in days to come. He's still a good player, but as long as Rudiger coming back in the next month or so, I don't think we will miss him that much for most of the season. I'd rather Arsenal sign him than a proper defender, Luiz and Mustafi are what dreams are made of!

The game against Salzburg summed up Luiz for me, looked good when we was playing well then gave away a corner through casualness then lost his marker and conceded the goal that started a mini fight back.

He will be a loss given our current situation with transfers but he’s chosen to move to Arsenal rather than staying and proving to Frank he should be number one, so I haven’t got much sympathy. 

Frank probably wasn’t happy with the goals we’ve conceded in pre-season and asked for more focus and less concentration lapses from Luiz.

He’s probably chosen Arsenal because he walks straight into their team and can stay in London where his business interests are.

He’s done what’s best for him, what’s best for us is to realise it’s far from the end of world and back Frank and then next summer we can add to the squad and hopefully start challenging again.

 

Edited August 8, 20196 yr by 2211

3 hours ago, evissy said:

3 hours ago, Blue Exile said:

Not sure how anybody can sympathise with him, seeing the entitled reaction he has coughed up? 
I do scratch my head sometimes when we call for a together, harmonious and young team, then Luiz pulls this stunt - and it is him pulling it, and he then has people on his side.

So you know how things have gone back at Chelsea? Enlighten us please.

And you do?

It’s called joining dots.

He was fine signing a new contract just a couple of months ago, was also on Twitter proclaiming Mason Mount to be ‘his boy’, just last week, now all of sudden he wants a transfer, and is happy to join one of our biggest rivals. So what went wrong? Can only be a difference of opinion to how things are going to be run this year I’d say.

so enlighten us on your inside knowledge then?

Seems to be big friends with Willian, who was also falling out with conte when he was here. Wouldn't be suprised to see something similar with him in Jan. 

Got to say Luiz was one of the players I was hoping to see shipped out this summer (before the Transfer Ban was announced) - his inconsistency and lack of motivation in some games last season started to really grate. Then he had a sh*t pre-season and seemed oblivious to the fact he was supposed to be impressing a new Boss and fighting for his spot. The manner of his leaving has revealed a lot about his character, he knows the Premiership and knows us Fans won't like him going to such close rivals but he's prepared to wreck his reputation by leaving two days before the Season starts.

9 minutes ago, Zeta said:

Seems to be big friends with Willian, who was also falling out with conte when he was here. Wouldn't be suprised to see something similar with him in Jan. 

Don’t you dare get my hopes up.

1 hour ago, evissy said:

He is an okay defender as he showed with Conte. Prem team of the season back then. However he has his own way of thinking and it is not always good for the team.

This leaves us with Rudiger, who is our main man by a country mile, Christensen who is okay, Zouma who is a big body and an able defender and Tomori who is untested. We are pretty thin at the back.

If Frank thinks we can cope without Luiz then we just have to live with it and trust the man.

I think Conte's system with three CBs made things easier for Luiz and gave him more freedom to do what he's really good at, just like it did for Alonso. Once we got back to four at the back, his poor defensive skillset and erratic desicion making were once again on display.

We're going to miss his experience, leadership and ability to bring the ball from the back and spread it around but we've survived without better players and better men than David Luiz. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, geezer.

51 minutes ago, Argo said:

Am i the only one that doesn't really get this "never sell to rival" mentality? I mean for the top/crucial player's and the young lads with potential to hit that level absolutely but anyone below is fair game under the right circumstances for me. People will say "United don't do us a favour back" okay then bid £40m for Smalling and see how long that statement stays true. I remember when the Baka/United rumour surfaced and someone gave me the "we shouldn't help out a rival argument" umm mate that wouldn't be helping them.

I was personally delighted that we got £40m for a heavily declined Matic and i spent a season hoping United were going to give us even more for Willian.

Totally agree, what the fxck is with all this Luiz love in, Luiz is old news and Frank wants to move in a direction with young players, which many have said they want, so moving him on is no issue, couldn't give two shxts him going to Arsenal, infact it might be fun watching.

He’s dead to me. 

Why all the Luiz hate ? triple European titles with the club, 32yo wants to play football, good on him, Frank did exactly the same thing when he went to city.

 

 

5 minutes ago, chi blue said:

Totally agree, what the fxck is with all this Luiz love in, Luiz is old news and Frank wants to move in a direction with young players, which many have said they want, so moving him on is no issue, couldn't give two shxts him going to Arsenal, infact it might be fun watching.

 

Same here.

A lot of accusations being made that , somehow, Luiz engineered this move. A far more likely scenario is Frank has told him first team opportunities will be limited this season and he could move on if he wanted to. Luiz, being a footballer who , well, likes playing football, saw his only chance was a move away. His family are settled in London so his choices were limited. Added to this, at the end of the day it is Marina who is selling him to a rival.

It’s odd how we expect footballers to be different than any other professions. If anyone here was told their chances of career progression in the company they work for were limited and they had ambition, they would move away and wouldn’t go a smaller company if one of the same size and stature offered them a job.

 

If there's one thing we have learned, it is that the club nor players have much loyalty these days. Not just at this club, but across Europe. 

Edited August 8, 20196 yr by enigma

12 hours ago, IndianaBlue85 said:

Cech to Arsenal when they were in desperate need of goalkeeper and this would be another. I guess your fine with strengthening our rivals while we can’t sign anyone? Oh ya and Mata and Matic have strengthened United I’d much rather we sell abroad than domestically. Plus the sale of Matic was forced because the club wanted Baka as his new young replacement and we have seen how well that worked out.

Also selling a young Sturridge to liverpool wasn’t a great idea considering he has a few great years there. 

Did agent Cech really strengthen them though? If anything he cost them more points than gained! 

Of course given the choice I would sell these players abroad to a non-english side, but given that the VAST majority of the time we do sell players to rivals, they are way past it and over the hill. I cant think of a single player we sold directly to a rival that turned out to be amazing and made me regret it. Players like KDB and Salah dont count as they are initially sold abroad.

Either way, Luiz for 8m is definitely a bad move imo, even if he plays 80% of his games terribly, that 20% where he plays well in a big game would be worth that tiny fee.

Just now, coco said:

Why all the Luiz hate ? triple European titles with the club, 32yo wants to play football, good on him, Frank did exactly the same thing when he went to city.

 

 

I wouldn't say I have hate for Luiz, but 'calling in sick' for training to force a move through to Arsenal, the day before the transfer window closes, and 4 days before we play our first game isn't the way to do things (for me). 

If he wasn't willing to stay and fight for a place like everyone else, then I think he should have made this clear months ago, and we could have made arrangements to suit. 

Of course we don't know all the ins and outs, but he does appear to be turning his back on the club at the first sign that he isn't first choice. 

For me, the bit that annoys me is that one of the few positives of the transfer ban was the lack of drama, and the lack of uncertainty over who would be in the squad come the first home game of the season. I like the fact that we were quietly going about our business in training, with everyone knowing they had a fair shot at impressing the Manager, getting in the team on merit, with no risk of a last minute transfer to come in and blow everything out the water.

Luiz has taken a piss on that bonfire. He has caused a drama, and seemingly done whatever it took to force through a move. I don't like that, and I will judge him for that. Always liked him to be honest, so it's a sad way to go out. 

Anyway, I like the way it has been handled by Lampard and the club; if he isn't with us then get rid. 

11 minutes ago, coco said:

Why all the Luiz hate ? triple European titles with the club, 32yo wants to play football, good on him, Frank did exactly the same thing when he went to city.

 

 

I don't hate on Luiz for being the type of person that he is, he believes that he should be in the first plans and a secure starting player and he is ready to change the club for that and that's it.

For example Cech wanted to stay in London and our club wanted to please his needs thus the Arsenal transfer was done very fast, David Luiz has some restaurant in London from what I know so he probably also wants to stay in London.

I just think that David Luiz isn't as a good as a defender, he won't solve much of Arsenal's problems so to miss out another Champions League season just so that he plays more games sounds like a very stupid decision for me but maybe I'm missing something.

On the plus side at least Arsenal TV will be more entertaining than it already was..

I’m not too bothored from a football point on view, as with Frank he’d be my 4th choice CB in a back four, but he’s a big character and I’ll miss having him around. I can understand him wanting to stay in the same city, so I’ve no problem with him going to Arsenal.

So... I guess I’m mildly disappointed but not overly concerned.

34 minutes ago, ENygma said:

Did agent Cech really strengthen them though? If anything he cost them more points than gained! 

Of course given the choice I would sell these players abroad to a non-english side, but given that the VAST majority of the time we do sell players to rivals, they are way past it and over the hill. I cant think of a single player we sold directly to a rival that turned out to be amazing and made me regret it. Players like KDB and Salah dont count as they are initially sold abroad.

Either way, Luiz for 8m is definitely a bad move imo, even if he plays 80% of his games terribly, that 20% where he plays well in a big game would be worth that tiny fee.

Arsenal won't be winning major trophies so it's all relative.

There's a massive mentality problem at that club and Luiz and Pepe are the latest in the long line of faux saviour's.

1 hour ago, Crem said:

 

Same here.

A lot of accusations being made that , somehow, Luiz engineered this move. A far more likely scenario is Frank has told him first team opportunities will be limited this season and he could move on if he wanted to. Luiz, being a footballer who , well, likes playing football, saw his only chance was a move away. His family are settled in London so his choices were limited. Added to this, at the end of the day it is Marina who is selling him to a rival.

It’s odd how we expect footballers to be different than any other professions. If anyone here was told their chances of career progression in the company they work for were limited and they had ambition, they would move away and wouldn’t go a smaller company if one of the same size and stature offered them a job.

 

Spot on

1 hour ago, coco said:

Why all the Luiz hate ? triple European titles with the club, 32yo wants to play football, good on him, Frank did exactly the same thing when he went to city.

 

 

Frank wasn't given a new contract. His move wasn't considerate of the fans he  wasn't wanted here anymore so decided to do what was best for him. He didn't sign a new contract before the summer and then decided to leave the club a day before the Window closes.

Also we didn't have a transfer ban that Session.

The man won 2 Premier Leagues and 3 European trophies playing with us. He´s a part of our history whether anybody likes it or not. Did anyone seriously think he was some sort of Chelsea lifer at any point in time? The man likes to live free and smile and I don´t see a good argument as to why hold this against him. 

He doesn´t significantly improve Arsenal so why be mad at us selling to them? If anything he will be a liability there. 

Give the man the respect he deserves for the years he logged in for us and don´t expect every single player to have the same passion for the club as a JT or Frank had. 

Or keep on bickering, whichever way you like it.

I really hope I am proven wrong with Luiz leaving. Hope our defending improves and we make less errors. Hope we still can play the football Frank wants.

19 minutes ago, True Blue23 said:

Frank wasn't given a new contract. His move wasn't considerate of the fans he  wasn't wanted here anymore so decided to do what was best for him. He didn't sign a new contract before the summer and then decided to leave the club a day before the Window closes.

Also we didn't have a transfer ban that Session.

All of which are just excuses to hate on him, with little to no regard to his achievements with the club.

1 hour ago, Crem said:

 

Same here.

A lot of accusations being made that , somehow, Luiz engineered this move. A far more likely scenario is Frank has told him first team opportunities will be limited this season and he could move on if he wanted to. Luiz, being a footballer who , well, likes playing football, saw his only chance was a move away. His family are settled in London so his choices were limited. Added to this, at the end of the day it is Marina who is selling him to a rival.

It’s odd how we expect footballers to be different than any other professions. If anyone here was told their chances of career progression in the company they work for were limited and they had ambition, they would move away and wouldn’t go a smaller company if one of the same size and stature offered them a job.

 

Exactly. Some people are colouring in the blanks and then blame players for the things they themselves have dreamed up. Players are employers, don't look at them and their choices from a fan's point of view. Most players will make the same choices we do in our jobs.

I think what has got fans riled up is not the fact that Luiz is looking to leave but the timing of the whole episode and to further rub salt in the wound that he is going to a direct rival who are currently undergoing a defensive crisis of sorts.

Anyone thinking that Luiz doesnt strengthen Arsenal is kidding themselves, last season Arsenal experimented with playing 3 at the back and had some degree of success and now with Luiz they've pretty much got the ideal CB to adopt the system. They have a front 3 who are amongst the best in the league and now a ball playing CB who is the best in the league when it comes to switching play, considering Arsenal's front 3 that will be a huge weapon.

I understand Luiz is past his prime and no way can the current version of Luiz play a major role in a title winning team however we are going to be competing with Arsenal for the 4th spot and not the league and I think Luiz could potentially help Arsenal secure top 4.