No he’s quality. One of 4 world class players we own. We should be building the squad around him.

1 minute ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

No he’s quality. One of 4 world class players we own. We should be building the squad around him.

He just needs to play CAM

21 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

He just needs to play CAM

Not sure he'd get a game against Cambodia. Not good enough

As a 2nd striker, playing in a quick, progressive and front footed team he was epic. Golden boot and bundesliga player of the year. His exploits mean he is still wanted by Bayern Munich despite 2 years of mismanagement and injury at chelsea....

But hey - Maresca knows best right? Let's use him as either a lone target man or out wide - in a slow, negative and unprogressive team that doesn't create space or get the ball forward with any urgency....

One day fans will realise the level difference between Germany and England. We've suffered, Kai and Timo and still think Nkunku is worth persisting with lol

He’s a dud. He’s shown a few flashes of his talent in almost two seasons but he’s not arsed. It’s literally like playing with 10 men.

50 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

One day fans will realise the level difference between Germany and England. We've suffered, Kai and Timo and still think Nkunku is worth persisting with lol

Yeah, we suffered Kai and Timo....they were the worst! Would have never won anything with those two.....

52 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

One day fans will realise the level difference between Germany and England.

Yeah - Nobody from that league can succeed in the mighty EPL.....

• Haaland would never score a goal in the EPL...

• Son would fail to get a game

• De Bryune? He would never do well in Eng-er-land

• Gvardiol - would be an abject failure

• Konate? who is he?

• Akanji? As if he could ever score against Chelsea!

• Werner and Kai? What have they ever won (aside from the champions league, European super cup, club world cup etc)?

Edited April 18, 20251 yr by nonotnowjim

My take on Nkunku is that he is a good player who has never been given a run in the side at all, certainly not in his best position. Remember how ineffective Hazard was when he played as a 9?

Maybe nearly 2yrs of injuries have affected his game, I know being basically put in the ‘B’ team will have affected his confidence. How can you do that to a squad, split them like that. I mean make the changes, use the squad but to split them like that sends the wrong signals and is poor management IMHO.

I think now the damage has been done and he has checked out. I don’t like players who down tools but I feel maresca has to take some responsibility for it. Unless a new manager comes in, puts their arm round him and convinces him he’s wanted a move might be best all round at this point. Which is a shame because he has ability, and the experience others lack.

28 minutes ago, C3blue said:

My take on Nkunku is that he is a good player who has never been given a run in the side at all, certainly not in his best position. Remember how ineffective Hazard was when he played as a 9?

Maybe nearly 2yrs of injuries have affected his game, I know being basically put in the ‘B’ team will have affected his confidence. How can you do that to a squad, split them like that. I mean make the changes, use the squad but to split them like that sends the wrong signals and is poor management IMHO.

I think now the damage has been done and he has checked out. I don’t like players who down tools but I feel maresca has to take some responsibility for it. Unless a new manager comes in, puts their arm round him and convinces him he’s wanted a move might be best all round at this point. Which is a shame because he has ability, and the experience others lack.

This is 100% my position - much more eloquently put than me!

Comparing Nkunku’s situation to Hazard at false 9 when Hazard gave his best performance ever in a Chelsea shirt at false 9 during the ELC final 2018.

I think Nkunku and Chelsea just don't have a future together. It's not working. It is Six of one and half a dozen of the other, but it is time to move on. He needs to blow his balloons elsewhere.

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Comparing Nkunku’s situation to Hazard at false 9 when Hazard gave his best performance ever in a Chelsea shirt at false 9 during the ELC final 2018.

Hazard played off of Giroud in that match, but that’s beside the point really. I’m sure there are examples of him doing alright as a false 9 but the point is he was never as good with his back to goal as he was running at defenders.

Our team needs experience and he has it yet we want him gone, and the 3 clubs linked in January were Man U, Bayern and Barcelona so they must see something.

I’m not defending him here cos I don’t care about reputations….he has done very little in a Chelsea shirt for him to be missed if/when he leaves, mainly due to injury but having nursed him for the best part of 2yrs I thought we could have at least given him some game time in his best position. And put Palmer back where he was most affective last season but what do I know.

I don’t want disgruntled players at the club though either so if we get top $ and a decent replacement so be it.

2 minutes ago, C3blue said:

Hazard played off of Giroud in that match, but that’s beside the point really. I’m sure there are examples of him doing alright as a false 9 but the point is he was never as good with his back to goal as he was running at defenders.

Our team needs experience and he has it yet we want him gone, and the 3 clubs linked in January were Man U, Bayern and Barcelona so they must see something.

I’m not defending him here cos I don’t care about reputations….he has done very little in a Chelsea shirt for him to be missed if/when he leaves, mainly due to injury but having nursed him for the best part of 2yrs I thought we could have at least given him some game time in his best position. And put Palmer back where he was most affective last season but what do I know.

I don’t want disgruntled players at the club though either so if we get top $ and a decent replacement so be it.

No, he didn't....

He was false 9 and arguably had his best ever performance for us, which completely dismantles your entire point. Talented players will show their talent despite where they are playing. Man City fans to this day still say that was the greatest performance they've ever seen against their team.

You are also making another completely invalid point about we will miss his "experience", when an 18 year old has shown more drive and potential than what Nkunku has ever shown this season.

Edited April 18, 20251 yr by Sconnie Blue

Sorry I was thinking of the europa league final 2019.

But as I said I’m sure there are examples of him having a good game there and you’ve found one, terrific.

Blind squirrels and all that!

31 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

No, he didn't....

He was false 9 and arguably had his best ever performance for us, which completely dismantles your entire point. Talented players will show their talent despite where they are playing. Man City fans to this day still say that was the greatest performance they've ever seen against their team.

You are also making another completely invalid point about we will miss his "experience", when an 18 year old has shown more drive and potential than what Nkunku has ever shown this season.

Ahh.... you still remembering John Terry in goal?

Oh and I never said we will miss his experience, I said we are in desperate need of more experience. In fact I said we haven’t seen anything from him to miss.

Experience is totally the opposite of an 18 yr old running round like an headless chicken. If ur 18 and don’t have potential or ur not driven then u ain’t going far are you?

We kept Dave at the club the last couple of years not because of what he offered on the pitch but off it. On the training ground, in the dressing room. This young squad needs more of that not less of it.

Now Nkunku may be a totally disruptive influence in the dressing room in which case bye bye. But it still doesn’t change the fact that maresca has used him badly and while I agree good players can do a job anywhere, if you want to get the best out of them keep it simple and play them in their best position.

Trying to use the exception to prove the rule with Hazard.

Linked with a move to Arsenal in this mornings papers, if that’s true, how the f**k do we keep getting away with unloading our dross onto them?

He'll probably come good at another PL team. He just seems completely disinterested here.

38 minutes ago, Zeta said:

He'll probably come good at another PL team. He just seems completely disinterested here.

The feeling is becoming mutual

7 hours ago, Zeta said:

He'll probably come good at another PL team. He just seems completely disinterested here.

yeah - arsenal can make him better....

Just like they did with Diarra, Benayoun, David Luiz, Cech, Willian, Jorginho, Kai....

In arsenal we trust!

.

On 29/04/2025 at 20:10, nonotnowjim said:

yeah - arsenal can make him better....

Just like they did with Diarra, Benayoun, David Luiz, Cech, Willian, Jorginho, Kai....

In arsenal we trust!

benayoun he would even find a place in this team - what an abject signing that was.

Must confess I had no idea that Christopher Vivell had pitched up at Manchester United as their Director of Recruitment.

Seeing as it was surely him that was behind Nkunku joining us in the first place, it would make sense that he might now try and take Christo to United this summer, especially as Amorim likes 3-4-2-1 (he could play in the 2 alongside Cunha, behind the striker).

15 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Must confess I had no idea that Christopher Vivell had pitched up at Manchester United as their Director of Recruitment.

Seeing as it was surely him that was behind Nkunku joining us in the first place, it would make sense that he might now try and take Christo to United this summer, especially as Amorim likes 3-4-2-1 (he could play in the 2 alongside Cunha, behind the striker).

I think that Vivell may well have been the start of us ballsing everything up, meaning Vivell's departure. With a decent manager and Vivell and Shields working together behind the scenes, with unobstructed backing from above, this could have worked really well.

I watch YT content creators constantly mocking Man Utd and the links to our players because they're "in the mud" and they're not rivals any more. I get that off the pitch they are mental and are on a financial rollercoaster, but I don't subscribe to the line that they are finished. I am not sure our passing on Nkunku to Man Utd can be viewed in any other way than a major negative on this ownership and management. I get that Nkunku's performances have never matched expectations, through a mixture of injury, mis profiling and more recently disinterest. For a team that failed to beat the majority of the relegation fodder in our league over the last two years tells me every team is a rival. Losing one of a select band of elite European attacking players to a rival because of our inability to get the best out of him is, for me, nothing to be glad about and is a major concern for me in Maresca's coaching ability.