Losing Fofana was a blow. Good news it happened preseason. Can still be  fixed v

Of the young guys  that played the ones that I would loan are Maatsen and Santos and maybe Lewis Hall. Hall is looking good at left back but will struggle for game time and will want to play. Santos was hard to evaluate didn't catch the eye but often those players are doing a job.

Carney and Casedi looked excellent and Gusto looked plenty good enough.

Colwill's penalty was unacceptable. Partly Pochettino's fault for not taking him off earlier but still you can't be making those challenges in the premier league.

2 hours ago, just said:

I have absolutely no idea what position he is meant to be playing. Has Pochettino given him a free role?

Similar to stones role for City. 

2 hours ago, just said:

He is the biggest worry I have. Way more than Cucurella. I fear Pochettino is going to make him an "untouchable" purely because of his age and memories of the player he was 3 or 4 years ago. Sterling is a potential Torres MKII. He never was the greatest technically, or the most natural finisher, but he was fast and more importantly, so direct. He got the ball and ran past opponents. He hasn't been that player for a long while now. And without that there isn't a lot else.

He won't be untouchable, we have so many attacker. 

Played some good football, nice to see confidence and flair in these bunch of players. Defensively, no excuse to let 2 soft goals against 10 men. Early days, fitness is the most important thing, this looks like one of the better pre-season in a few years.

1 hour ago, ozboy said:

Of the young guys  that played the ones that I would loan are Maatsen and Santos and maybe Lewis Hall. Hall is looking good at left back but will struggle for game time and will want to play. Santos was hard to evaluate didn't catch the eye but often those players are doing a job.

Carney and Casedi looked excellent and Gusto looked plenty good enough.

Colwill's penalty was unacceptable. Partly Pochettino's fault for not taking him off earlier but still you can't be making those challenges in the premier league.

I think it's time to make a decision on Maatsen. He's 21 now, either keep him or sell him. Personally, I would keep him. Left back, wing back, winger, he's a good squad option. I would be looking to sell Cucurella and just give his spot to Maatsen.

6 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

I think it's time to make a decision on Maatsen. He's 21 now, either keep him or sell him. Personally, I would keep him. Left back, wing back, winger, he's a good squad option. I would be looking to sell Cucurella and just give his spot to Maatsen.

It is almost impossible to sell Cucurella unless you want to take big financial hit. 

You will get maybe just 15 m. No team will pay his salary, so you will have to subsidize. 

 

33 minutes ago, Bob stark said:

It is almost impossible to sell Cucurella unless you want to take big financial hit. 

You will get maybe just 15 m. No team will pay his salary, so you will have to subsidize. 

 

Then take the hit. It's not like we need to splash the cash to replace him, the replacement is already here.

I am likely the only one on the forum to think this way but I’d keep cucu and sell Maatsen. 

Cucurella plays like an adhd 8 year old is bashing the control pad on a game of fifa.

I feel cucurella being a chelsea player at this point is a huge inconvenience. We have 2 excellent and versatile youngsters right now in maatsen and hall, who without question i would rather see at left back than cucurella. I dont really want to entertain the idea of banishing either of them this season. Not to mention the financial benefit of cutting our losses on cucurella and his generous wage. He has to go, isnt maatsen in the last year of his contract? Give him some assurances of a future for us and sign him up. 

Edited July 23, 20232 yr by ALTE

1 hour ago, Bob stark said:

It is almost impossible to sell Cucurella unless you want to take big financial hit. 

You will get maybe just 15 m. No team will pay his salary, so you will have to subsidize. 

 

Let's loan him out then and subsidise his salary. At least there will be opportunities for the others and will defray some of the cost for him.

6 hours ago, ozboy said:

My one knock on Jackson is his non existent pressing. 

Drogba didn't press much either.

47 minutes ago, Malcolm9 said:

Drogba didn't press much either.

You're joking surely. He was one of the hardest working strikers we've ever had. Never gave defenders a moments rest.

 

4 hours ago, Bob stark said:

It is almost impossible to sell Cucurella unless you want to take big financial hit. 

You will get maybe just 15 m. No team will pay his salary, so you will have to subsidize. 

 

I'd like to see us offer him back to Brighton as part of the Caicedo deal.

4 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

Then take the hit. It's not like we need to splash the cash to replace him, the replacement is already here.

 

2 hours ago, WhiteWall said:

Let's loan him out then and subsidise his salary. At least there will be opportunities for the others and will defray some of the cost for him.

Finding team who want take him on loan will be difficult. 

 

4 hours ago, ozboy said:

I am likely the only one on the forum to think this way but I’d keep cucu and sell Maatsen. 

You are. Sadly this will probably be the outcome.

9 hours ago, just said:

De Zerbi really should manscape a bit lot. 

 

Having dropped that bombshell, I only watched the highlights of the Brighton match, but despite some mistakes I cheered me up immensely. If this is anything to go by, at least next season will be more fun to watch. 

Edited July 23, 20232 yr by Valerie

1 hour ago, just said:

You're joking surely. He was one of the hardest working strikers we've ever had. Never gave defenders a moments rest.

 

I'm not joking, I can't recall him being crazy at pressing. He didn't need to when his movement and physical ability allowed him to dominate defenders.

I recorded the game and am watching it now. I'm 20 mins in and Carney looks really good through the middle of the park. Looks our best player so far. I am not sure if I have got the old rose tints on but I'm seeing early shades of Bellingham in his overall presence and movement.  Good early signs.

A slight concern that I have is that our defence doesn't look that tall tbh.

Edited July 23, 20232 yr by WhiteWall

9 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

Then take the hit. It's not like we need to splash the cash to replace him, the replacement is already here.

I too would like to be rid of Cucurella but taking a substantial hit on him may push us close on FFP. Not sure on the exact figures as it's very complicated but we are taking hits all over the place. Pulisic, Havertz, Lukaku, Ziyech, Koulibaly, Mendy. I'm pretty sure all of these have, or are being, sold for less than we paid. 

Keep Casedei. His runs with the ball from midfield give us something we didn’t have last season.

He is going to be a big player for us. He’s kind of what we were hoping for from Kai. Casedei looks a far better player

Nice to see us scoring again, still work to do though we win again.

 

16 hours ago, Bob stark said:

It is almost impossible to sell Cucurella unless you want to take big financial hit. 

You will get maybe just 15 m. No team will pay his salary, so you will have to subsidize. 

 

Won't be difficult to loan him. Which would be more likely outcome. 

On 23/07/2023 at 01:57, the special one said:

Yes but Silva/Colwill don't exactly fill me with optimism either, offensively we look decent

Why is Badiashiel not playing ??

12 minutes ago, coombsie said:

Why is Badiashiel not playing ??

Still coming back from injury.