I mean we could move all 12 players today if we sold them for £10 a piece. Teams have to be more desperate to sign than we are to sell and considering we have begun banishing players from the first team to encourage sales tells us all we need to know about how desperate we are to sell which means we are going to purposefully have to undersell players just to get rid of them. Unless we want a squad of 42 heading into the new season obviously...

The other way of looking at the banishments is, Potters start was chaotic because of too many first team squad members, caused untold training problems, resulting in poor game performances. Perhaps the current thinking is to ensure Maresca doesn't suffer the same, and has a sporting chance of welding the squad into a more cohesive team.

7 minutes ago, Ajbod said:

The other way of looking at the banishments is, Potters start was chaotic because of too many first team squad members, caused untold training problems, resulting in poor game performances. Perhaps the current thinking is to ensure Maresca doesn't suffer the same, and has a sporting chance of welding the squad into a more cohesive team.

The owners created that mess under Potter by signing to many players at the time, without considering the impact on the squad. Even if we accept that mess was down to the learning curve as new owners, they have created exactly the same situation another 18 months on. It was entirely avoidable had the policy been to move some players on first, or at least before the pre-season tour. Banishing players like this is not a good look and cannot be healthy for the morale in the squad. Especially when the players involved are academy products that have grown up with the club and seemingly well liked within the squad.

52 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

Kellyman and Wellington to play in PL2, surely we'd be the first youth team to have a £40m attacking partnership?

That would be depressing. 

21 minutes ago, forbzy said:

 It was entirely avoidable had the policy been to move some players on first, or at least before the pre-season tour.

It was entirely avoidable had we simply not signed all these players. The squad was stabilizing towards the end of last season. Having Nkunku, Lavia and Reece fit again would have had the impact of three new signings. Couple of incomings, couple of outgoings would have been enough and the squad would have been fine.

4 hours ago, yaz said:

It was entirely avoidable had we simply not signed all these players. The squad was stabilizing towards the end of last season. Having Nkunku, Lavia and Reece fit again would have had the impact of three new signings. Couple of incomings, couple of outgoings would have been enough and the squad would have been fine.

Well Laurel and Hardy knows better. Dont you know they are following the mighty Brighton!!!

They need to learn to sell first then buy...because right now everyone club will have them over a barrell!

We have to offload soon otherwise it will be like school, there will have to be different sittings for lunch to feed them all!!

I really feel sorry for Moresca.

Does he even know which of his players will be around by the end of transfer window? How can you plan like this? How can you even pick players and the subs to concentrate on for Sunday? 

Yes there's a few that are absolute definites (palmer, gusto, Enzo, cucu, etc) but do you think management have told him who NOT to concentrate on just in case it's bye bye at the end of the transfer window?

And how does he get the msg across if unlike trev and Lukaku they are still training with the first team!

 

It just feels all unprofessional tbh, and I actually feel for maresca. Is not as if his job isn't hard enough in the limited time he has and the army he has to organise. Let alone the complicated tactics to get across....jeez, headache just thinking about the to do list if I was in his shoes!

7 minutes ago, Simplymo said:

I really feel sorry for Moresca.

Does he even know which of his players will be around by the end of transfer window? How can you plan like this? How can you even pick players and the subs to concentrate on for Sunday? 

Yes there's a few that are absolute definites (palmer, gusto, Enzo, cucu, etc) but do you think management have told him who NOT to concentrate on just in case it's bye bye at the end of the transfer window?

And how does he get the msg across if unlike trev and Lukaku they are still training with the first team!

 

It just feels all unprofessional tbh, and I actually feel for maresca. Is not as if his job isn't hard enough in the limited time he has and the army he has to organise. Let alone the complicated tactics to get across....jeez, headache just thinking about the to do list if I was in his shoes!

I'm sure Maresca had some idea about what to expect from Todd & his pals. He is an extremely confident person & probably thought that he would be able to deal with it. Hopefully some serious housekeeping will happen before the deadline.   I want Enzo to succeed !!

3 minutes ago, gurru991 said:

I'm sure Maresca had some idea about what to expect from Todd & his pals. He is an extremely confident person & probably thought that he would be able to deal with it. Hopefully some serious housekeeping will happen before the deadline.   I want Enzo to succeed !!

So do I mate. I really really want him to succeed. For the sake of the club, players and our own sanity.

I just hope he factored in this level of madness when he thought he had some idea of what they are like. 3 yrs on and we still get surprised and what they are doing.

I wouldn't say feeling sorry for Maresca, he knew what he's signed up for when he agreed to join. He got a lengthy contract which he won't fulfill ( either by actions or him or the owners), so he won't worry about another job ( like Potter) once he's done. Of course I want the team to perform, so any help he'd get would be beneficial. I don't think having 40 players to pick from is beneficial to him. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say when being asked about Gallagher later this week, if Gallagher it's not in his plan due to ability, say it out loud.

I don't feel sorry for Maresca. He got his main man from Foxes, just got Pedro Neto who is an excellent player and players like Nkunku, Palmer, Gusto, Caicedo and Enzo at his disposal. He has tools to work with. The job itself is probably the trickiest in all football but he knew that. 

After seeing the dross that was put out Pre Season I can’t see him even making it to Halloween.

The strengths of the squad against the style of play Maresca wants to implement do not align and we’ll end up stifling our best players a la Palmer & Reece (for the 2.5 games a season he isn’t injured or suspended)

On 31/07/2024 at 12:11, g3.7 said:

Or at least were two of our best. I don't think a role that might be slightly physically less demanding would necessarily be bad for reece tbh. 

Re his Leicester season, I'm not going to put much stall by that, and personally I think this best ever championship squad stuff is slightly overstated. They were and are a ridiculously overpaid squad relative to their quality, but I don't really buy this whole premier league side playing in the championship narrative. They deserved to go down.

He deserves just as much of a shake from the fans as any new manager, and that means more than a couple of friendlies. 

My post was more of a general moan, but I hate our owners and I hate the direction we're going in.

I used to take joy in watching Chelsea. Might put that under my profile picture come to think of it...

For some reason, Maresca doesn’t surprisingly come across as useless manager…but I suppose we find out tomorrow if it’s all talk. 

9 hours ago, JM7 said:

For some reason, Maresca doesn’t surprisingly come across as useless manager…but I suppose we find out tomorrow if it’s all talk. 

I agree but personally I won't judge him too harshly against man city. Their 11 and subs know their formation and tactics blindfolded.

He does come across as a competent tactical coach though and watching his interview again I just wish the "extra" issues weren't there, to give him the best chance this season (50+ players, ppl returning late, background noise about transfers, etc...).

Edited August 18, 20241 yr by Simplymo

Good luck to him today in his first competitive match as Chelsea coach.

A good opportunity for the Apprentice to tame the Sorcerer !

I think we were ok today.

Liked the team selection and subs.

I hope the manager doesn't get stick, a game against Citeh was always going to be difficult first game Enzo will have learnt a lot, and 4 debut subs was brave

5 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

I think we were ok today.

Liked the team selection and subs.

I hope the manager doesn't get stick, a game against Citeh was always going to be difficult first game Enzo will have learnt a lot, and 4 debut subs was brave

Hmm .. I didn’t understand the tactics though to play Enzo in 10.. could have just played Palmer there and our most attacking player in madueje on the wing.. 

8 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

I think we were ok today.

Liked the team selection and subs.

I hope the manager doesn't get stick, a game against Citeh was always going to be difficult first game Enzo will have learnt a lot, and 4 debut subs was brave

You say you've watched us last season but flog Petrovic and start Sanchez. Terrible keeper.

Nothing so far suggests this is an upgrade over Poch absolutely nothing!!

Picks a terrible keeper in Sanchez.

Subs off Nkunku when needing a goal.

Subs on Dewbs when needing a goal and not Noni.

Leaves Enzo on whole game.

Higher a championship manager get championship calls. Graham Potter mark 2.

We were sh*te. Stuck in the same gear from the first to last minute. No urgency, mistakes all over the pitch, giving the ball away cheaply, never created anything. The Bridge was silent again, we are back to that now. It's Snoozeball and 1 or 2 nil defeats without any real pressure in the entire 90 minutes to change that.

2 minutes ago, Jangz said:

Hmm .. I didn’t understand the tactics though to play Enzo in 10.. could have just played Palmer there and our most attacking player in madueje on the wing.. 

Yeah agree with you.but I always thought Enzo would be better further forward, it was obvious that it wasn't working and Palmer wasn't effective either.

I'm trying to be postive !

I might try blaming the ref instead!