We have neglected areas of improvement for so long. The defence for e.g has needed improving for such a long period of time, it's coming back to bite us in the ass. We started seeing fragilities during Cahill's latter years here when he was making silly mistakes. The board neglected upgrading our defence with high quality. 

We had the chance to sign Koulibaly or Van Dijk, and also Sandro, but passed the opportunities up, rather than dip into the pockets for one of them. We won the league under Mourinho and didn't strengthen like any league winner would do. The same when we won the league under Conte. We have had the same mediocre players here for many seasons now.

Azpilicueta has shown he is not good enough going forward and he has been inconsistent in recent seasons. Rudiger has looked poor. The CL against Roma showed up his weaknesses. Luiz was a calamity waiting to happen. Alonso has to be in a specific system to play well on a consistent basis. 

The 2017/18 transfer window might be one of our worse. Emerson, Barkley, Zappacosta, Morata, Bakayoko, Drinkwater. Just average all around. Not a single game changer. Just game worseners. We then got rid of Courtois in the following summer window and brought in Kepa for a record fee. We supposedly were after Allison and the deal would have happened if not for the uncertainty over Courtois. 

Another reason why the board have let us down, is their insistence on making money from the loan system. I will admit it has it's benefits of course, but not when the club sign underage players and leave the new manager going into this season without a transfer window. Sold our best player and then putting all our eggs in one basket in regards to relying solely on our young players promoted to the first team. 

For me, the situation the club and Lampard faces now is due, in large part, to the constant lack of signing top tier players, especially in defence. When the board have the chance to sign top players, it's a good idea we do, otherwise we end up in the situation we are currently in, with average, inconsistent and aging players. 

Edited July 12, 20206 yr by enigma

We are changing managers like socks. No one's had a chance to have a project like Pep or Klopp. Hopefully something like this is what we have now with Frank. I don't believe it before I see it though. 

3 hours ago, evissy said:

We are changing managers like socks. No one's had a chance to have a project like Pep or Klopp. Hopefully something like this is what we have now with Frank. I don't believe it before I see it though. 

I agree. I was reading what a few Utd fans were saying and a couple mentioned that Ferguson would be gone after 1 or 1.5 seasons in the current times. It's because it's how modern game is. The modern fans are impatient and ungrateful too. It is irksome. 

No use of talking about the past now.

Whats important is that the board is backing Lampard now and that we signed Pulisic ahead of the transfer ban. The rest will sort itself out in due time, there is no way that we don't sign any LB.

It's quite sad. We've made so many bad transfer decisions. We passed up Aguero to buy Torres, and bought Shevchenko who Mourinho didn't seem to fancy at the time.  Aguero alone would have sorted out our striker position for years, and might have won us a few more titles. You can't get it right 100% of the time, but the number of duds we have bought for mind-blowing money is just ridiculous. This is in part due to how frequently we change managers, but surely management should do an evaluation and realize something is massively wrong! I have no qualms about going for bargains that don't work out. What's worrying is spending loads of money on signings like Torres, Shevchenko, Kepa, Morata, Drinkwater and Bakayoko, to name a few. Totally unacceptable. 

Edited July 12, 20206 yr by TheSage

To be a little bit fair, i dont think its been down to lack or trying or ambition. It's mostly been down to those responsiible for finding and signing players making a lot more bad or bang average signings than good ones.  Where they are open to flack is never having a longterm plan in place and giving a manager time to see it thru. Klopp would have been sacked at Chelsea. 

I respectfully disagree sir. First of all, we couldn't buy anyone because of the ban. Right before that Rudiger was super promising defender, future captain, leader etc nonsense, remember? Azpilicueta was among the best defensive RB if not the best, Alonso was among the best offensive LB if not the best. Luiz had a couple of great seasons as well. Did we react on time, did we foresee? Absolutely not, but that's not letting down.

They will let us down for sure if they dont replace Kepa, Christensen and the rest of the gang NOW tho. 

 

Edited July 13, 20206 yr by Droopy

 

On 12/07/2020 at 08:00, enigma said:

We have neglected areas of improvement for so long. The defence for e.g has needed improving for such a long period of time, it's coming back to bite us in the ass. We started seeing fragilities during Cahill's latter years here when he was making silly mistakes. The board neglected upgrading our defence with high quality. 

We had the chance to sign Koulibaly or Van Dijk, and also Sandro, but passed the opportunities up, rather than dip into the pockets for one of them. We won the league under Mourinho and didn't strengthen like any league winner would do. The same when we won the league under Conte. We have had the same mediocre players here for many seasons now.

Azpilicueta has shown he is not good enough going forward and he has been inconsistent in recent seasons. Rudiger has looked poor. The CL against Roma showed up his weaknesses. Luiz was a calamity waiting to happen. Alonso has to be in a specific system to play well on a consistent basis. 

The 2017/18 transfer window might be one of our worse. Emerson, Barkley, Zappacosta, Morata, Bakayoko, Drinkwater. Just average all around. Not a single game changer. Just game worseners. We then got rid of Courtois in the following summer window and brought in Kepa for a record fee. We supposedly were after Allison and the deal would have happened if not for the uncertainty over Courtois. 

Another reason why the board have let us down, is their insistence on making money from the loan system. I will admit it has it's benefits of course, but not when the club sign underage players and leave the new manager going into this season without a transfer window. Sold our best player and then putting all our eggs in one basket in regards to relying solely on our young players promoted to the first team. 

For me, the situation the club and Lampard faces now is due, in large part, to the constant lack of signing top tier players, especially in defence. When the board have the chance to sign top players, it's a good idea we do, otherwise we end up in the situation we are currently in, with average, inconsistent and aging players. 

What?

1) Rudiger, Zouma and Christensen are good enough centre backs. They've all delivered for other clubs at a high level in the PL or Bundesliga. It's not the board's fault that VVD wanted to play for Klopp. We decided not to pay silly money for Sandro and Koulibaly - that's fair enough, we can't afford them. But without being able to buy a CB for the past 18 months, the centre backs we have should actually be good enough.  

2) Morata felt like he would be a game changer. Emerson felt like a good LB signing. Bakayoko was a CL semi finalist. There were mistakes, but the intent was good. 

3) Kepa was the worst transfer I would suggest in the past 10 years in the premier league. Can't argue with that. 

4) Your comment on the loan system doesn't make sense. 1) It makes us money, but .... but what? The loan system is completely separate to our main squad. 

5) We sold out best player (Hazard) and replaced him with Pulisic who has been excellent. We didn't put our eggs in one basket on youth players at all there. We've further strengthened with Ziyech and potentially soon to be Havertz. These are world class  players. 

The board are fantastic, we are buying some excellent young players and trusting Lampard. We've balanced our books in the last 10 years to the extent that we are spending the same amount of money on transfers as Arsenal and are still significantly more successful than they are. 

Lampard should have the players he needs to execute his vision next year. Which is a miracle as we don't have the same amount of money to throw about as City or United. 

Edited July 13, 20206 yr by bisright1

12 hours ago, Gol15 said:

No use of talking about the past now.

Whats important is that the board is backing Lampard now and that we signed Pulisic ahead of the transfer ban. The rest will sort itself out in due time, there is no way that we don't sign any LB.

Agreed. All the past transfer windows have been analysed to death on the forum. We've bought a few good starting players, some useful squad players, and what seems an above-average number of disappointments or downright duds. Yesyes, we know! Right now, the board is showing more ambition by signing of Ziyech and Werner, and hopefully a couple more to bolster our defense. Yet every recruit new to the EPL needs to settle in, and I'm already bracing myself for the inevitable impatient posts when we don't set the league alight from day 1 and the board gets accused of buying underachieving players 

7 minutes ago, Valerie said:

Agreed. All the past transfer windows have been analysed to death on the forum. We've bought a few good starting players, some useful squad players, and what seems an above-average number of disappointments or downright duds. Yesyes, we know! Right now, the board is showing more ambition by signing of Ziyech and Werner, and hopefully a couple more to bolster our defense. Yet every recruit new to the EPL needs to settle in, and I'm already bracing myself for the inevitable impatient posts when we don't set the league alight from day 1 and the board gets accused of buying underachieving players 

Yeah if Ziyech Havertz or Werner flop, then that will 100% be the boards fault in some fans eyes. 

Well now FFP has been undermined completely time for Roman to sponsor of club shorts for a billion pounds and we can replace our whole defence and keeper with the best players money can buy and then take just a football wise small fine ?

No they haven't, dont be so ridiculous.