My first thoughts, when I see this media talk, are always: "It's international break, there are no Prem games to report on but just as many column inches to fill and clicks to generate, so let's create our own stories this week".

Let's be real. 

James will get injured again in a few weeks. Gusto will have a slump in form (inevitable at his age), and we will be left with Chalobah as an option for RB. 

What you eyerolling for? I'm saying this notion that Chalobah will never play for Chelsea again is bollocks for the reasons I provided above. 

This were the case he’d of accept the Forest offer? From the Chelsea bench to Bayern bench?

 

On 14/10/2023 at 09:33, Sconnie Blue said:

This were the case he’d of accept the Forest offer? From the Chelsea bench to Bayern bench?

 

I would guess he will go to the best PL club offering him a shot at first team football.

Sad news. One of the best defenders our academy has ever produced and will go on to be a star elsewhere with good coaching.

More than anything else the hype around Levi Colwill and perhaps Bashir Humphreys has made Chalobah more expendable to the club. 

Edited October 16, 20232 yr by SydneyChelsea

I'll start mourning if and when his departure is confirmed.

On 16/10/2023 at 10:33, Valerie said:

I'll start mourning if and when his departure is confirmed.

Given the current form our fullbacks I think Trevor walks straight into the team. I honestly think he's the best cb at the club.

2 hours ago, Andy North said:

Given the current form our fullbacks I think Trevor walks straight into the team. I honestly think he's the best cb at the club.

He's still on the injuries list, I think, so he'd limp presumably.

Seriously what’s going on with all the injuries? Chalobah was always available for every game but he’s not played at all this season.

1 minute ago, dansubrosa said:

Seriously what’s going on with all the injuries? Chalobah was always available for every game but he’s not played at all this season.

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/chelsea/injury-news/injuries-and-suspensions/chelsea-injury-suspension-list-vs-luton_532291.html?t=123987456&s=zero

They say Fulham want him - 6 month loan with option to buy. Would be an extremely solid signing for them.

10 hours ago, Gonoir Beniashile said:

They say Fulham want him - 6 month loan with option to buy. Would be an extremely solid signing for them.

Has to be an “obligation to buy”. I can see them sending him back in the summer.

I still don't get why he doesn't get a look in. It's hardly as if we've seen stellar performances from the others in the defensive positions so far.

2 hours ago, WhiteWall said:

I still don't get why he doesn't get a look in. It's hardly as if we've seen stellar performances from the others in the defensive positions so far.

He's been out injured for a while. I'm not even sure he's fit now.

What a disasterous  sub 

1 lazy leg cost us the goal though it may have gone in 

but 

feck me he does it again in injury time and we get by lucky 

what was poch actually thing here. Just not the time for a 1st appearance of the season 

3 hours ago, Andy2461 said:

What a disasterous  sub 

1 lazy leg cost us the goal though it may have gone in 

but 

feck me he does it again in injury time and we get by lucky 

what was poch actually thing here. Just not the time for a 1st appearance of the season 

To be fair on the goal he has Casadei right in front of him and has no time to react.

And like you said you dont use a player who has been out so long injured in this situation, he should have used Alfie.

Agree on above. The Rodri shot was likely going in anyway and all happened so fast. Not exactly the easiest game to come into after a 7 month absence. 

I think we’ll see quite a bit more of him now - a better option at RB to cover Gusto rather than moving Disasi out there. Plus we are thin on CBs right now. Finally it’s not secret Clearlake may look to sell him, so playing time helps there. 

Never been a big fan, hes getting sold in the summer anyway. 

He has been out with different injuries for a long, long time and the first thing you ask him to do, when not match fit, is defend out a lead in a parked bus system, vs a treble winner.

Was a joke substitute choice and it backfired, he was not ready.

He needs several reserve games then the odd 20 to 30 minutes at RB against the like of Sheff United and Burnley to get his fitness us.

Poch sold him down the river yesterday.

19 hours ago, axman2526 said:

He has been out with different injuries for a long, long time and the first thing you ask him to do, when not match fit, is defend out a lead in a parked bus system, vs a treble winner.

Was a joke substitute choice and it backfired, he was not ready.

He needs several reserve games then the odd 20 to 30 minutes at RB against the like of Sheff United and Burnley to get his fitness us.

Poch sold him down the river yesterday.

You don't know that. You aren't an ear in the medical or dressing room. If he was declared fit, then he was fit to play. 

Have you seen Gilchrist win a header against a premier league player, let alone against Haaland or Akanji?

44 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

You don't know that. You aren't an ear in the medical or dressing room. If he was declared fit, then he was fit to play. 

Have you seen Gilchrist win a header against a premier league player, let alone against Haaland or Akanji?

He has not played a game since coming back from injury,  don't think I need to know the Chelsea medical to be able to say he is not match fit as he has not played any matches for long time.

Far as Alfie goes he does not appear to be the best in the air, not like say Disasi, he is however very good at making interceptions and clearances. 

1 minute ago, axman2526 said:

He has not played a game since coming back from injury,  don't think I need to know the Chelsea medical to be able to say he is not match fit as he has not played any matches for long time.

How do you know he's not match fit? How do you know they didn't spend the entire week training specifically for the scenario like we saw in the 75th minute?

Spoiler. You don't.

Quote

Far as Alfie goes he does not appear to be the best in the air, not like say Disasi, he is however very good at making interceptions and clearances. 

Against Championship opposition.

Asking him to battle the likes of Haaland, Akanjji, and Ake/Rodri in the air isn't the wisest decision, especially when we have no sample of him beating premier league players in the air in the first place. 

5 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

How do you know he's not match fit?

Mate come on now, match fit explains itself. He has not been playing matches, he therefore cannot be match fit. You get match fit, by playing matches. 

6 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

How do you know they didn't spend the entire week training specifically for the scenario like we saw in the 75th minute?

Spoiler. You don't.

You are right, I don't know know how they have been preparing for the game. Maybe they did indeed prepare exactly this way.

9 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Against Championship opposition.

Asking him to battle the likes of Haaland, Akanjji, and Ake/Rodri in the air isn't the wisest decision, especially when we have no sample of him beating premier league players in the air in the first place. 

He has done well in his sub appearances in the league as well to be fair to him.

On 19/02/2024 at 05:18, axman2526 said:

He has been out with different injuries for a long, long time and the first thing you ask him to do, when not match fit, is defend out a lead in a parked bus system, vs a treble winner.

Was a joke substitute choice and it backfired, he was not ready.

He needs several reserve games then the odd 20 to 30 minutes at RB against the like of Sheff United and Burnley to get his fitness us.

Poch sold him down the river yesterday.

It was ridiculous call to play him, especially when we had a good defender in Alfie ( who's impressed just about every time he played). It felt like a move to lose the match, and on any other day we would have lost. Winning headers is not just about height, but awareness, agility, whether the defender is willing to risk his neck going for the ball, it's almost unfair to demand a player out for that long to battle against the best attackers in the league.