Just waiting for the...

Disappointed in how he behaved leading up to the first goal. Completely flat footed.

It’s the risk of having so many young players. Inexperienced.

2 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Disappointed in how he behaved leading up to the first goal. Completely flat footed.

It’s the risk of having so many young players. Inexperienced.

Happens to experienced players too.

If you want to play this type of football then you run a risk of things like this happening. That's why its important the defence is switched on but I'm not going to blame Caicedo cause he's not a right back.

16 minutes ago, Remodez said:

Happens to experienced players too.

If you want to play this type of football then you run a risk of things like this happening. That's why it’s important the defence is switched on but I'm not going to blame Caicedo cause he's not a right back.

Being caught flat footed like that shouldn’t happen in any high stakes game. At all.

3 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Being caught flat footed like that shouldn’t happen in any high stakes game. At all.

Ideally, it shouldn't but I've seen better players than him get caught like that.

I guess I'm not that upset about it as it was still quite easily defendable.

2 hours ago, Remodez said:

Ideally, it shouldn't but I've seen better players than him get caught like that.

Quite correct. It happens and will happen again. Mistakes aren't as much of an issue (given the squad profile) as us not having the quality to cover for it. Someone like Trent has made a career out of doing some things very well and being surrounded by quality cover for his inevitable gaffes.

Injured again?

1 hour ago, nonotnowjim said:

Injured again?

Glass bones and paper skin 🥲

Disappointed he was missing. I hope precautionary and not another setback - we await more news.

He's an excellent player, but his availability is terrible. This has to improve for us to go up a competitive level - we can't carry him in the squad for another 2 years with such a poor minutes played record.

The 3 sicknotes filling there normal positions already

Fofana

Lavia

James

Use the CWC money to give him new legs!

3 hours ago, Deino said:

Use the CWC money to give him new legs!

We've spent this money multiple times over already!! Delap, then Joao Pedro, then Gittens, then UEFA fines - its a bottomless pit!

Confirmed as injured for today

Blokes made of candy floss

Lavia in training:

‘Romeo is training already. Unfortunately, though, he is not training with the team, so he is not ready for tomorrow.’

Don't care, so long as he's ready for the season.

On 05/07/2025 at 13:31, Andy2461 said:

The 3 sicknotes filling there normal positions already

Fofana

Lavia

James

Such a shame, 3 really good players on their day. Latvia’s fitness is another reason talk of Santos leaving was madness.

Yep that’s right…… the entire country is injured😳

There has to be a serious conversation in the coming weeks about Romeo Lavia and his future at the club. No doubt about his ability but when you're unavailable for most of the season, the team suffers.

The upcoming season should be decisive for him. You can't build the team with a player in mind who's never there when you need him.

24 minutes ago, abramovich said:

There has to be a serious conversation in the coming weeks about Romeo Lavia and his future at the club. No doubt about his ability but when you're unavailable for most of the season, the team suffers.

The upcoming season should be decisive for him. You can't build the team with a player in mind who's never there when you need him.

No one is buying him though, we're stuck with him and Fofana until their contracts expire regardless.

We have Essugo and Santos on the books as back up. Regardless of the ideal profiling we want Fernandez at the toe of the midfield three with destroyers in the double pivot against the pace and power of PSG.

Maresca now needs to put on his big boy pants and put one of these lads into the fray rather than some half arsed approach of covering the position with our RB or Dewsbury-Hall or any other substitute answer outside of what we have lined these kids up to do.

I am sh*tting myself anyway because that PSG side has the wherewithal to shred us all over the pitch, but this could be the making of either Santos or Essugo alongside Caicedo.

Cojones Enzo, Cojones!

4 hours ago, abramovich said:

There has to be a serious conversation in the coming weeks about Romeo Lavia and his future at the club. No doubt about his ability but when you're unavailable for most of the season, the team suffers.

The upcoming season should be decisive for him. You can't build the team with a player in mind who's never there when you need him.

Fofana, yes. Lavia, not so much.

Given the 30% pay bump, Lavia is still only on £60kpw. With Santos and Essugo in the team we don’t have to rely on Lavia anymore as much as we have. His current wage also reflects his role, which is being fit 1/3 of the time. He wants a new deal, he needs to focus on managing his body better. Something the club too needs to focus on.

Fofana is a different matter. Very much a make it or break it season for him given his wages. We’re all hoping the surgery does him wonders.

12 hours ago, abramovich said:

There has to be a serious conversation in the coming weeks about Romeo Lavia and his future at the club. No doubt about his ability but when you're unavailable for most of the season, the team suffers.

The upcoming season should be decisive for him. You can't build the team with a player in mind who's never there when you need him.

Agree. This will be his third season, and still feels like his career is yet to really start with Chelsea. It has to improve. Door is wide open for Santos to stake his claim.

Also, reluctant to say this, but Caicedo, and Enzo (excluding brief hernia issue) have been ever present. It’s unlikely that level of availability continues given the minutes on them already. I think they’ll be plenty of playing time for Santos, Essugo, and Lavia if we manage game time appropriately.

The thing is when Romeo is available we’re an infinitely better team, he’s a beast against the press and frees everyone else up to be the better versions of themselves ie Caiceido & Palmer for sure.

It’s just his availability is seriously hindering the team. Maybe having him not train/train as intensively is the solution?

This is why keeping Santos will be so critical. He could probably take Lavia's place in the squad within a month. Not the same type of player but he can do just about everything in midfield.