2 hours ago, Mod said:

Back training with the 1st team!

They have Been briefing about a more experienced cb coming in to the first team.

Guehi for a steal? Jaquet as a prospect?

Blueco.... hold my Beer, we can sort that issue....

4 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

Batshuayi?

A lot of people forgetting his heroic MOTM performance away to Man City under Pochettino.

He may have his limitations as a player, but I am happy to see him back with the first team squad. I don't like to see players being forced to train on their own like that. As far as I have seen he has never complained over lack of game time, or when he was loaned out and we tried to offload him. I am sure if picked he will give his best for the shirt.

Assumed he’d left seeing the new posts

Turns out Tosin is out for weeks with a hamstring injury, so this explains the sudden desire to bring Disasi back into the fold !

The potential for seeing the disaster brothers back together at the heart of our defence just increased tenfold LOL

Edited January 21Jan 21 by Sexyfootball

17 hours ago, GarnachoCheese said:

Batshuayi?

No.

1 minute ago, Mod said:

No.

100%

It's a cartoon of Disasi that was originally posted on the Official Club Facebook group on 14th February 2024.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=973631644124083&id=100044317692169&set=a.832890808198168

17 hours ago, PloKoon13 said:

A lot of people forgetting his heroic MOTM performance away to Man City under Pochettino.

Just like Mudryks spectacular 5 minute cameo against Liverpool. Some of us will never forget.

43 minutes ago, Mod said:

No.

Gosh, i hope we didn't pay an artist for that.

9 hours ago, GarnachoCheese said:

Gosh, i hope we didn't pay an artist for that.

Gave him an 8-year contract, probably.

Good to see Disasi integrated. Rubbish player, but players do not deserve to be treated the way he was. The club lacks any semblance of morality or standards these days.

I have no sympathy for players who are told they aren't needed, but choose to "sit" on their contracts even if not playing for a very long time.
I just hope he's not registered because then it's simply a wasted spot. Squad registration spots are limited, which makes them costly.

20 minutes ago, acaeus said:

I have no sympathy for players who are told they aren't needed, but choose to "sit" on their contracts even if not playing for a very long time.
I just hope he's not registered because then it's simply a wasted spot. Squad registration spots are limited, which makes them costly.

I don't think it's a matter of 'sympathy', it's a matter of logic.

There's nothing that actually proves Disasi 'sat' on his contract. That's speculation on our part. Disasi has no real agency to move, seeing as it is ultimately up to the club to agree to release him. It was the club that decided that, despite the few clubs that had interest in purchasing him, none of them met its terms. Aston Villa reportedly offered to buy from for 6m, but the club refused. Disasi had agreed to move on loan back to Monaco, but the club declined this request. What can he do? His options are to train in exile or go to a club that he doesn't want to go, and ultimately neither were actually possible because the Jackson-Bayern saga meant that no further loans were allowed.

The owners put their financial position before Disasi's. That's fine, though that does not mean it was ultimately in the club's best interest. They have made it out via the media that it is entirely Disasi (and Sterling's) fault that moves cannot be secured but it is also factual that the club has declined moves for both parties to preserve the owners' financial interests.

16 minutes ago, SydneyChelsea said:

I don't think it's a matter of 'sympathy', it's a matter of logic.

There's nothing that actually proves Disasi 'sat' on his contract. That's speculation on our part. Disasi has no real agency to move, seeing as it is ultimately up to the club to agree to release him. It was the club that decided that, despite the few clubs that had interest in purchasing him, none of them met its terms. Aston Villa reportedly offered to buy from for 6m, but the club refused. Disasi had agreed to move on loan back to Monaco, but the club declined this request. What can he do? His options are to train in exile or go to a club that he doesn't want to go, and ultimately neither were actually possible because the Jackson-Bayern saga meant that no further loans were allowed.

The owners put their financial position before Disasi's. That's fine, though that does not mean it was ultimately in the club's best interest. They have made it out via the media that it is entirely Disasi (and Sterling's) fault that moves cannot be secured but it is also factual that the club has declined moves for both parties to preserve the owners' financial interests.

I agree there is speculation in the mix and I don't trust the club at all (to be doing the right thing).
On the other hand, I think professional players should be doing anything in their power to actually play; and honestly I don't see that desire in certain players especially once they reach that 30-something and sign that last good contract.

Perhaps Sterling would be a more obvious example of "sitting on the contract" and we know the reasons: his focus may lie elsewhere these days (large family etc).

Edited January 22Jan 22 by acaeus

21 minutes ago, acaeus said:

I agree there is speculation in the mix and I don't trust the club at all (to be doing the right thing).
On the other hand, I think professional players should be doing anything in their power to actually play; and honestly I don't see that desire in certain players especially once they reach that 30-something and sign that last good contract.

Perhaps Sterling would be a more obvious example of "sitting on the contract" and we know the reasons: his focus may lie elsewhere these days (large family etc).

In this case, he really did. He was all set to go to Monaco until the Jackson/Bayern saga, which then meant the club couldn't make any more overseas loans. They reportedly hashed out a deal with West Ham but it was too late and also, he would have been backup at best. He also had Bournemouth as an option but the club did not find something to suit there. Can't really blame him for the club's administrative failures.

Edited January 22Jan 22 by SydneyChelsea

7 hours ago, acaeus said:

I agree there is speculation in the mix and I don't trust the club at all (to be doing the right thing).
On the other hand, I think professional players should be doing anything in their power to actually play; and honestly I don't see that desire in certain players especially once they reach that 30-something and sign that last good contract.

Perhaps Sterling would be a more obvious example of "sitting on the contract" and we know the reasons: his focus may lie elsewhere these days (large family etc).

It never ceases to amaze me that people without any knowledge whatsoever of what's going on nevertheless hold firm opinions on what someone they don't know "should" do.

28 minutes ago, Valerie said:

It never ceases to amaze me that people without any knowledge whatsoever of what's going on nevertheless hold firm opinions on what someone they don't know "should" do.

Come on, @Valerie, 34.2k posts here and you're still amazed by this place's stranglehold on stupidity.

2 hours ago, dermott said:

Come on, @Valerie, 34.2k posts here and you're still amazed by this place's stranglehold on stupidity.

Yeah, I know... New depths keep opening up, I should be used to it.

6 hours ago, Valerie said:

It never ceases to amaze me that people without any knowledge whatsoever of what's going on nevertheless hold firm opinions on what someone they don't know "should" do.

Wow, seriously?!
I am clearly talking about professional players, not individuals—which would be none of my business. The professional side of things—how he trains, how he keeps fit—that’s very much fair game in my book.
Isn’t Sterling a Chelsea FC player? Isn’t he being paid to be 100% focused on his fitness and form?

BTW, clubs absolutely look at all aspects of a player’s life before signing them. There’s simply too much money involved not to.

Edited January 22Jan 22 by acaeus

18 hours ago, acaeus said:

I have no sympathy for players who are told they aren't needed, but choose to "sit" on their contracts even if not playing for a very long time.
I just hope he's not registered because then it's simply a wasted spot. Squad registration spots are limited, which makes them costly.

Of course if your line manager at work said they didn't need you any more, you'd just leave and forget all about your legal entitlement under contract law.

3 hours ago, acaeus said:

Wow, seriously?!
I am clearly talking about professional players, not individuals—which would be none of my business. The professional side of things—how he trains, how he keeps fit—that’s very much fair game in my book.
Isn’t Sterling a Chelsea FC player? Isn’t he being paid to be 100% focused on his fitness and form?

BTW, clubs absolutely look at all aspects of a player’s life before signing them. There’s simply too much money involved not to.

So are you saying that you know that Sterling is breaking the terms of his contract. Where did you find out that he has stopped coming in to training, stopped doing his fitness and conditioning work and health, weight and fat measurement work as run and monitored by the club.

Just now, WhiteWall said:

So are you saying that you know that Sterling is breaking the terms of his contract. Where did you find out that he has stopped coming in to training, stopped doing his fitness and conditioning work and health, weight and fat measurement work as run and monitored by the club.

I never wrote that. I’m genuinely curious where you saw any mention or suggestion that these players are in breach of their contracts. What I actually said is that they may be “sitting on their contracts,” which is absolutely something players can—and sometimes do.

What my eyes saw was Sterling as a player with a certain level of fitness and form, and then what we actually got. I am indeed suggesting that he let himself go. There is no amount of training that will help if a player’s mind is elsewhere.

This isn’t speculative—clubs routinely look at these things as part of their recruitment and due-diligence process. A player’s ambition, professionalism, lifestyle, injury history, and off-field commitments are all considered alongside technical and physical metrics. Given the financial stakes involved, this is pretty standard practice at top-level clubs.

Let’s stop pretending this resembles a normal person’s job. It doesn’t, especially at this level.

BTW, Disasi is a different story: he was simply never really good enough, which is not his fault.

Edited January 22Jan 22 by acaeus

11 minutes ago, acaeus said:

I never wrote that. I’m genuinely curious where you saw any mention or suggestion that these players are in breach of their contracts. What I actually said is that they may be “sitting on their contracts,” which is absolutely something players can—and sometimes do.

What my eyes saw was Sterling as a player with a certain level of fitness and form, and then what we actually got. I am indeed suggesting that he let himself go. There is no amount of training that will help if a player’s mind is elsewhere.

This isn’t speculative—clubs routinely look at these things as part of their recruitment and due-diligence process. A player’s ambition, professionalism, lifestyle, injury history, and off-field commitments are all considered alongside technical and physical metrics. Given the financial stakes involved, this is pretty standard practice at top-level clubs.

Let’s stop pretending this resembles a normal person’s job. It doesn’t, especially at this level.

There is a difference though between keeping yourself fit and available to play and having a level of fitness gained from playing in elite level matches. He will still be monitored and measured for his fitness and conditioning on a regular basis included his body fat percentages. So my contention was that perhaps you were confused by what may have appeared as him letting himself go rather than the fact that he's actually a bit sh*t and has somehow got himself such a good contract and lifestyle that he is, indeed taking an early retirement paid for by the idiocy of our club.