We've done some good sometimes very good dealings in the market, we've also made some absolute howlers, I think this is going to be one of the latter unfortunately. 

Lol, 10m Euros is peanuts 

On 6/23/2017 at 23:44, Blueblur said:

Matic has agreed terms with United, apparently. 

Maybe Jose played a part on this.

Gutted to see Ake go, thought he has real potential, the money is good but it doesn't feel great to me.  I saw him play years ago when Chelsea under 18s played Dundalk, and to see him break through was great,  his loan spells got him back with us then go on and help us to win the league.....then to be sold for good money, its a success story for the academy no matter what people say. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40454293

However. he has been reluctantly added to the 'out' list. 

I'm genuinely disgusted to see Aké go. What the hell are the board thinking?

Very disappointing news indeed. Is it going to stop us winning things? No. But he was arguably the most promising of a generation that included Josh, Kakuta, Borini, Chalobah, and others. Largely that has come to nothing. Which is disappointing if we remember back to Carlo being asked to integrate them in 2011.  

It's a key area for our club to fix. It needs to be done soon so we don't waste the next generation of European youth trophy winning talent.

17 minutes ago, Spiller86 said:

Very disappointing news indeed. Is it going to stop us winning things? No. But he was arguably the most promising of a generation that included Josh, Kakuta, Borini, Chalobah, and others. Largely that has come to nothing. Which is disappointing if we remember back to Carlo being asked to integrate them in 2011.  

It's a key area for our club to fix. It needs to be done soon so we don't waste the next generation of European youth trophy winning talent.

It is frustrating but I think what I have come to appreciate is how all players develop differently. Some 16/17/18 years olds look absolute world-beaters but then for whatever reason trail off and don't turn out as good as expected. Other youngsters who look average or don't stand out at the same age, do blossom and kick on and by their 20's look something special. 

I have had high hopes for a number of the youngsters since we first one the FA Youth Cup - 7 years ago now. But it has been pretty much zilch and although I have more faith in Conte and the current coaching set-up, the chances are, unless one of the youngsters REALLY steps up, little will change. 

Edited June 30, 20179 yr by Nibs

Sad to see him go, but glad we've inserted a buy back clause, hopefully with another year or two of games under his belt we can bring him back, I always thought he had something about him that made him stand out from the rest of the youth team, and in his appearances for us this season I thought he was largely excellent, barring a few mistakes. The game against spurs was the stand out for me, I thought he was fantastic. I hope he does well at bournemouth, they're a good team, a good club, and Howe is a great young manager who will hopefully get the best out of him. 

So, roughly £130m received in transfer fees this year so far and we've yet to spend a penny of it.

Big things coming over the next three weeks! 

6 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

So, roughly £130m received in transfer fees this year so far and we've yet to spend a penny of it.

Big things coming over the next three weeks! 

And that's not even counting the new sponsorship deals like the 60m Nike deal, 40m Yokohama deal and 10m Carabao deal alongside 150m+ worth of EPL money. 

Edited June 30, 20179 yr by Deino

20 minutes ago, Nibs said:

It is frustrating but I think what I have come to appreciate is how all players develop differently. Some 16/17/18 years olds look absolute world-beaters but then for whatever reason trail off and don't turn out as good as expected. Other youngsters who look average or don't stand out at the same age, do blossom and kick on and by their 20's look something special. 

I have had high hopes for a number of the youngsters since we first one the FA Youth Cup - 7 years ago now. But it has been pretty much zilch and although I have more faith in Conte and the current coaching set-up, the chances are, unless one of the youngsters REALLY steps up, little will change. 

Fair play Nibs. I think we all got a bit excited that night Josh came on against Newcastle and thought that was the beginning of something special. Sadly that actually proved to be the pinnacle rather than the preview of a generation of players. 

My frustration remains that we farm these players out to clubs that don't suit the style we have raised them in. They don't do as well or play at all and we then say well perhaps they're not good enough.

I think we're making the right moves to say if you want our blokes on loan they have to play and they have to be the right fit. 

I do share Ray Wilkins frustration about Nate vs Bakayoko who really has just had more opportunity to play over the last 5 years. Our pathways stops at 18. It really needs to find a way to continue so that Nate has the same opportunity for growth from 18 to 23 as he had from 15 to 18.

20 minutes ago, Spiller86 said:

Fair play Nibs. I think we all got a bit excited that night Josh came on against Newcastle and thought that was the beginning of something special. Sadly that actually proved to be the pinnacle rather than the preview of a generation of players. 

My frustration remains that we farm these players out to clubs that don't suit the style we have raised them in. They don't do as well or play at all and we then say well perhaps they're not good enough.

I think we're making the right moves to say if you want our blokes on loan they have to play and they have to be the right fit. 

I do share Ray Wilkins frustration about Nate vs Bakayoko who really has just had more opportunity to play over the last 5 years. Our pathways stops at 18. It really needs to find a way to continue so that Nate has the same opportunity for growth from 18 to 23 as he had from 15 to 18.

With those two it could just come down to this obsession in modern day football with physical presence. Ake is certainly under 6 foot whereas Bakayoko looks like a Unit and that's no doubt in the mind when we have to compete with the likes of Spurs midfield with Dembele & Wanyama. On that basis though, you wonder why RLC isn't getting more chances, but then that probably comes back to his lack of "drive".

 

Physical presence is a fair point. As I've said previously for every Essien there seems to be two M'Villa, Imbulla, Kondogbia etc. who have physical prescence but not much else. 

Nat I think is suffering a bit from being a bit too much of a Mikel clone. You watch him for England and he circulates possession and holds position but he needs to take the game on a bit more. He has the ability I think but just needs to be a bit braver.

1 hour ago, ForeverCarefree said:

So, roughly £130m received in transfer fees this year so far and we've yet to spend a penny of it.

Big things coming over the next three weeks! 

Havent spent a penny yet, bu i can see some big players coming in, and all of them look to pretty much slot straight into the first team which is great considering the vast majority of players sold this season are not even starting XI. Hell, even Oscar wasn't really a starter imo

21 minutes ago, Spiller86 said:

Physical presence is a fair point. As I've said previously for every Essien there seems to be two M'Villa, Imbulla, Kondogbia etc. who have physical prescence but not much else. 

Nat I think is suffering a bit from being a bit too much of a Mikel clone. You watch him for England and he circulates possession and holds position but he needs to take the game on a bit more. He has the ability I think but just needs to be a bit braver.

I'd have said that for every Essien there are 100 M'Villa, Imbula Kondogbias. Essien was a freak, the way players just bounced off him was like he had a forcefield surrounding him.  And he combined that with brilliant technique, I just wish injuries hadn't robbed us of another year or two of the bison.

Agreed. Let's hope Bakayoko if he signs turns out the same.

1 minute ago, Spiller86 said:

Agreed. Let's hope Bakayoko if he signs turns out the same.

I hope Cesc and Kante teaches him to be the best of both worlds

making those profits 

5 hours ago, ForeverCarefree said:

So, roughly £130m received in transfer fees this year so far and we've yet to spend a penny of it.

Big things coming over the next three weeks! 

Or will that go into the bricks and mortar fund? 

 

It was said we needed to sell before we buy, so now we've done the first bit. I hope it's all done behind the scenes because time is moving on. With the players that have already departed, Solanki gone, Matic nearly gone rumours of Zouma and Michy going on loan plus no idea about Aina, RLC, Chalobah, Tammy. It leaves last Mays squad depleted

24 minutes ago, Richard P said:

It was said we needed to sell before we buy, so now we've done the first bit. I hope it's all done behind the scenes because time is moving on. With the players that have already departed, Solanki gone, Matic nearly gone rumours of Zouma and Michy going on loan plus no idea about Aina, RLC, Chalobah, Tammy. It leaves last Mays squad depleted

The squad was too small as it was before all those left especially for the CL next season.

We really need to be bringing in 4 or 5 top quality players at least. 

8 minutes ago, Chelsbear said:

The squad was too small as it was before all those left especially for the CL next season.

We really need to be bringing in 4 or 5 top quality players at least. 

Agree, could be more. Goalkeeper has left, Three centre halves( if Zouma loaned) Midfielder (Matic) strikers could be three one sold, one loaned and Costa?? If we were short last year we have some work to do.

Sad to see Ake go. Money is good though and he will be a regular PL player next season.

2 hours ago, Chelsbear said:

The squad was too small as it was before all those left especially for the CL next season.

We really need to be bringing in 4 or 5 top quality players at least. 

Maybe that's the club's thinking too.

Rudiger for 38m euro if he passes the medical