Also it doesn't help when the manager and players come out and say we are here to win titles. Are they just reading from a script?

I'm happy to give Poch time but this looks a harder job than his Spurs one at the rate. I've said time and time again it's not just about the quality of the squad or coach or even individuals. You have to have a balanced squad, we haven't been balanced since TT UCL run and maybe 21/22. 

This squad makeup is so unbalanced it's unbelievable, these owners and the people making decisions are so far out of their depth they've left the players, coaches and fans to drown with them. 

Not enough proven quality in attack it's been an issue for over 12 months and they still continue to spend 100s of millions on youngsters. These guys are genuinely playing some weird billionaire game of football manager and they're not even doing it right.

Buy youngsters cheap and sell high, not buy youngsters high and tie them to 8 year deals. That only protects your investment if they end up being world beaters and even stay in the team and win honors or are sold for profit. Neither looks likely on the balance of things.

I'm a firm believer of positivity and I don't actually think many people on here moan for the sake of it. We just ask for certain values and standards to be upheld. We didn't expect Roman 2.0. Some of us feared Levy/Arsenal owner level lack of spending....this what we have now is probably worse because not only are we spending ridiculously but we're making ourselves worse whilst pushing ourselves closer to debt after paying it all off. £3b to make us relegation battlers or a mid table team and possible in heavy debt from the lack of European football and drops in value of the players and the team as an asset.

3 hours ago, Ernie_blue said:

Carney wasn't even looking that great but he scored a goal and the hype train soon came. Chelsea fans haven't had much to cheer for from the 50 new signings and scoring being a problem so scoring a goal might be worthy of some hype 😂

Wtf are you talking about? You obviously didn't watch any of the pre-season games. Chucky was excellent in every game. Super fast feet, blinding ball control, creative vision. He played well against Liverpool, he played bloody excellent against Wet Spam until his injury. He looked a proper 10.

Pencil please. E r n ie_b l u e. Right. You are in my little black book. Along with all the rest of the end-of-world cultists on here  like @Scott Harris @Snedger, @Whats_The_Mata? @ross91690 and @OriginalS although @OriginalS believes Tuchel will return on judgement day with a herald of winged angels and Patrick Aubameyang to save us.

4 minutes ago, just said:

Wtf are you talking about? You obviously didn't watch any of the pre-season games. Chucky was excellent in every game. Super fast feet, blinding ball control, creative vision. He played well against Liverpool, he played bloody excellent against Wet Spam until his injury. He looked a proper 10.

Pencil please. E r n ie_b l u e. Right. You are in my little black book. Along with all the rest of the end-of-world cultists on here  like @Scott Harris @Snedger, @Whats_The_Mata? @ross91690 and @OriginalS although @OriginalS believes Tuchel will return on judgement day with a herald of winged angels and Patrick Aubameyang to save us.

Of course I didn't watch any pre-season games, they mean f**k all 😂, got better things to do than watch sh*t games in America. 

We look miles off the top teams, particularly in terms of finishing and attacking threat. It’s painful watching us attack. 
 

We just have to remember that it took Poch about half a season to get going with Spurs - 18 games I believe. My main worry is that the fans are booing and showing their frustration. 

2 minutes ago, Ernie_blue said:

Of course I didn't watch any pre-season games, they mean f**k all 😂, got better things to do than watch sh*t games in America. 

Brilliant explanation Ernie. So if you didn't bother with pre-season matches, what is your actual sample size, you know games you have deemed important enough to sit and watch, that has conclusively made your mind up that Carney isn't very good? 

1 hour ago, OriginalS said:

And who gives a sh*t about developing youngsters? Sure, it's a good thing if you've got the basics right otherwise but I doubt anyone had a burning desire to see Chelsea FC turn into a full blown development club only to see the ones who actually becomes good picked up by clubs who are actually competing.

Spent a billion to become discount Arsenal from a decade ago.

It's one thing buying youngsters on the cheap (<20m) and developing them, but spending 60m+ on completely unproven talent like Mudryk is ridiculous. For that fee you expect immediate performances. 

Edited September 17, 20232 yr by Drogba1

6 minutes ago, just said:

Brilliant explanation Ernie. So if you didn't bother with pre-season matches, what is your actual sample size, you know games you have deemed important enough to sit and watch, that has conclusively made your mind up that Carney isn't very good? 

The 80mins against Liverpool and 45mins at West Ham, that was enough for to decide Carney didn't look good, maybe I should have used the words "he didn't play well" but obviously a goal makes everything seem better and hype.  I'm not saying he isn't very good because he might end up being a world better in 5 years just IMO he didn't play as well as others seem to think. That's the problem with the squad as a whole tbh, a few players with immediate impact would have helped.

2 hours ago, enigma said:

 

And who the hell is he and why should I care about his opinons? I wasn't the one asking our owners to fill up almost the entire squad with kids, I'm not the one demanding 3 points every week. I'm not the one demanding any European football at all right now. 

I feel like people keep saying these things about us and I haven't come across a single Chelsea fan that is demanding any of this. When people say "we can't win every week".......so when do they think we should be winning? because we aren't winning many games at all, 2 in 18 league games to be precise. 

We could be in league two and I would still see this sh*t posted every week.

Edited September 17, 20232 yr by Scott Harris

4 minutes ago, Ernie_blue said:

The 80mins against Liverpool and 45mins at West Ham, that was enough for to decide Carney didn't look good, maybe I should have used the words "he didn't play well" but obviously a goal makes everything seem better and hype.  I'm not saying he isn't very good because he might end up being a world better in 5 years just IMO he didn't play as well as others seem to think. That's the problem with the squad as a whole tbh, a few players with immediate impact would have helped.

It's a game of opinions Ernie and you're entitled to yours. 

I get the argument about buying players who should make an immediate impact. Perhaps Boehly and Clearlake should have gone all out to get M'bappe. But then there's no guarantee that would have worked out either. For any true Chelsea fan this is both a scary and frustrating time. Everything that's affected Chelsea over the past two and a bit years has come out of the Blue and happened so fast. No club in the history of English football, probably world football, has ever had to deal with this set of circumstances or anything like it. 

The model Boehly and Clearlake are making is unique and untested. Buying up the brightest young talent across the world on long contracts in the belief that a good percentage of those will turn into the finished article. Yes it's a gamble and bad luck variables, which no one can account for, like our terrible injury list, makes things worse. And it won't get results overnight.

As much as we might not like it, to determine whether this "project" is ultimately a success or a failure will take TIME.  And it needs a good dose of patience from all involved. Personally I'm not gonna make a shout either way ATM but I am prepared to be patient. And what I am also prepared to do is fully support and back young players who look like they could fit the bill given time and the right coaching. And Carney, for me, without a doubt is most definitely one of them.

This team looks half decent on paper and yet none of these players were involved today for various reasons, mainly injuries.

Probably at least 5 of those would be in most people's idea of our "best starting XI" ... 

 

38 minutes ago, just said:

  The model Boehly and Clearlake are making is unique and untested. Buying up the brightest young talent across the world on long contracts in the belief that a good percentage of those will turn into the finished article. Yes it's a gamble and bad luck variables, which no one can account for,

This paragraph is so incorrect hope you were paid to write it and if you were good for you.

Our model couldn't be further from unique and untested, it's the most common model in world football the key difference is the other 435 professional clubs in the world that follow it do so because they can't sign quality players and they have to keep bringing in young players hoping one or two develop so they can be sold to keep the lights on.

It's an incredibly common strategy, no chance of it ever challenging for trophies and that's no different with us.  The only possible result of this strategy is the majority of the squad flopping (simply because the majority of talents don't develop into top players) and the few that do perform moving onto better teams more suited to competing.

As for signing the brightest young talent in the world?  We haven't done that infact we haven't tried to sign much top young talent at all.  We haven't gone for the top young players we've simply paid top prices for players that aren't close to the best players in their age group.

Us drastically overpaying for average young talents doesn't make them any more talented and it certainly make the model more unique or ambitious.

Edited September 17, 20232 yr by Whats_The_Mata?

3 hours ago, forbzy said:

If you are right though the manager doesn't really matter as the recruitment team has set up just about anybody to fail.

He is not doing himself a lot of favours but indeed I agree.

Is not good at the top, they appointed Potter, Lamps and now Pochettino. Whoever they appoint next I don't expect to be brilliant either.

At the top of the club we don't have the right people in charge to make us one of the elite again in my opinion. They will make their money off us, of that I feel sure, but don't believe it will include on the pitch success.

41 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

This team looks half decent on paper and yet none of these players were involved today for various reasons, mainly injuries.

Probably at least 5 of those would be in most people's idea of our "best starting XI" ... 

 

A better team than we put out today arguably 

2 hours ago, just said:

Wtf are you talking about? You obviously didn't watch any of the pre-season games. Chucky was excellent in every game. Super fast feet, blinding ball control, creative vision. He played well against Liverpool, he played bloody excellent against Wet Spam until his injury. He looked a proper 10.

Pencil please. E r n ie_b l u e. Right. You are in my little black book. Along with all the rest of the end-of-world cultists on here  like @Scott Harris @Snedger, @Whats_The_Mata? @ross91690 and @OriginalS although @OriginalS believes Tuchel will return on judgement day with a herald of winged angels and Patrick Aubameyang to save us.

Say what? You have a list of negative Nellie's and I am not on it?

Pochettino needs the players to step up over the next 3 games. We hear all about how the players like him, trust him, how he is improving their game. 

Well if even our diehard away fan base is turning toxic we badly need some relief for Pochettino and time for him.

 

Next 3 league games are:

 

Villa (H)

Fulham (A)

Burnley (A)

 

We need three wins out of three, badly. I don't believe their is a snowballs chance we get them after 2 wins in 18 league games, but we do need them.

If we go in to the league fixtures after with 5-9 points things are going to get really ugly I fear:

 

Arsenal (H)

Brentford (H)

Spurs (A)

City (H)

Newcastle (A)

Brighton (H)

Man United (A)

 

I can really can believe we come out of that run of fixtures with between 0-4 points. Which would put us in, or just above, the relegation spots. 

6 hours ago, JM7 said:

We look miles off the top teams, particularly in terms of finishing and attacking threat. It’s painful watching us attack. 
 

We just have to remember that it took Poch about half a season to get going with Spurs - 18 games I believe. My main worry is that the fans are booing and showing their frustration. 

I already knew this would happen if we didn't start the season strong especially since Poch is an ex-Spurs manager. People are unfortunately going to turn on him as quick as Potter if results don't turn around by Christmas.

Only 5 games in for Poch so one could say patience is needed and give him more time and there’s lots of injuries to boot 

This EPL affords no time it’s easy for any team not winning much to drop towards the trap door. City 10 points ahead 
 

It’s been more than 5 games playing not the same but similar fruitless  tactics and systems it’s been close to 35 now Top 7 😂

SFL was slagged heavily last season but he won vs this lot.  And squad is still at 30 and looks like the same morale problem. 
 

So far Poch not faring any better than Harry P & only a wee bit better than SFL. his tactics and team selections are baffling and not producing on the pitch so what now, shall we just blame the players ? Most of the players with last seasons moral problems have been moved on so what’s the new players reasons for performing like the last season all over again.  

Let’s continue with our mandatory required patience for the Clearlake Poch led project with apparently no decent behind the scenes planning, execution and to date results.  

I think Poch deserves support and sympathy ( if he ever needs it), anyone booing him or even is just plain stupid. I don't think this is the job he envisioned. He would expected some key enforcement that fix certain areas, instead he got an expensive and unbalanced squad full of so called promising young players. There are no proven or even goal scorers, no creativity in attack, no defensive rocks. I'm sure he has different ideas on how to spend 300Ms. With money spent, the repercussion is we can't afford another season like the last one, you don't get a squad overhaul over season, and debts will be paid. He needs to find a way to win games or he's at risk, developing some random under 23 players is not what we signed him to do.

7 hours ago, just said:

Buying up the brightest young talent

Isn't it getting increasingly obvious for you that we aren't signing the brightest young talent? None of Jackson, Palmer, Lesley, Mudryk, Madueke, Petrovic, are elite talents for me and yet we've spent over 200 million on that crop. For me we are paying obscene amounts for talents or players i'd expect West Ham or Crystal Palace to be after.

Add other young players under 25 we've signed in various windows like Disasi, Cucurella, Fofana and you are approaching 400 million on those 9 players I have just mentioned.

And the proof is in the pudding isn't it. We have turned the entire squad upside down, brought in the brightest young talents and the results have been been obvious, we have been a relegation side for the last 38 games and there is zero evidence of any of that changing on account of this season.

42 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

Isn't it getting increasingly obvious for you that we aren't signing the brightest young talent? None of Jackson, Palmer, Lesley, Mudryk, Madueke, Petrovic, are elite talents for me and yet we've spent over 200 million on that crop. For me we are paying obscene amounts for talents or players i'd expect West Ham or Crystal Palace to be after.

Add other young players under 25 we've signed in various windows like Disasi, Cucurella, Fofana and you are approaching 400 million on those 9 players I have just mentioned.

And the proof is in the pudding isn't it. We have turned the entire squad upside down, brought in the brightest young talents and the results have been been obvious, we have been a relegation side for the last 38 games and there is zero evidence of any of that changing on account of this season.

Based on what those named players are not top talents? Why would we pay premium if they are not? 

It is disappointing to see how toothless we are at the minute and we should be a lot better but we are absolutely packed with injures at the minute. If we have the team almost fully fit to play in January I think we will look a lot better given returning players and these lot will have played together for a bit longer. I think against teams that park the bus we could swap out Lavia for Jackson/Broja and have them up top with Nkunku behind the striker. Although ideally in January we sign a top striker 

Subs: 
Petrovic

Gusto

Chukwuemeka 

Silva

Disasi

Jackson

Madueke

Palmer

Broja

Then we also have Maatsen, Gallagher, Ugochukwu, Chalobah and Cucurella.

Edited September 18, 20232 yr by timetowaste

10 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

And who the hell is he and why should I care about his opinons? I wasn't the one asking our owners to fill up almost the entire squad with kids, I'm not the one demanding 3 points every week. I'm not the one demanding any European football at all right now. 

I feel like people keep saying these things about us and I haven't come across a single Chelsea fan that is demanding any of this. When people say "we can't win every week".......so when do they think we should be winning? because we aren't winning many games at all, 2 in 18 league games to be precise. 

We could be in league two and I would still see this sh*t posted every week.

It's silly that anyone actually believes we were calling for virtually the whole team to be replaced with youngsters. They are fighting an argument that no one actually made. 

What we wanted was youngsters to play alongside our already experienced squad members. It was also mostly players from our academy we were calling for, not overpriced youths from elsewhere. 

Having to resort to being disingenuous as a coping mechanism for our results is a joke. 

Edited September 18, 20232 yr by Remodez

As Poch asked for in pre-season, this squad is crying out for some form of experience.

Should've signed Parades instead of Lavia and someone older instead of Palmer. 

4 minutes ago, RIP Mourinho said:

As Poch asked for in pre-season, this squad is crying out for some form of experience.

Should've signed Parades instead of Lavia and someone older instead of Palmer. 

Even Callum Wilson in the summer would have helped a lot. Had 12 months left on his contract and coming off 18 goals in the league last season, so far this season he's got 3.

We are so focused on the future we are forgetting about the present. But unfortunately Pochettino will feel the heat in the present if we continue to slip and languish in mid-table.
If we lose 2 out of the next 3 (can easily happen) I can see the entire club go into a state of panic before the horrendous fixtures until December as we could be drawn into a relegation fight with a bunch of no-experience youngsters who's got zero interest in a dirty relegation battle.

 

 

14 hours ago, Ernie_blue said:

That's one hell of a sh*t post you have pulled up there. Any u23 player will need some time to develop but I don't think fans expected a squad of mainly 25 and under, I've read many fans on here mention experience and youth together. Fans would also like some decent football and let's remember, Chelsea's first 5 games have included 10 man West Ham, Luton, Forest and Bournemouth and it's been awful.

To be fair, our fans wanted Jorginho, Kova, Azpi and the more experienced players gone and youngsters playing. Even the players our fans raved about were under 24/25 so I think the fans absolutely expected that.