On 06/09/2025 at 18:26, Scott Harris said:

These internationals are so boring.

Too right. It’s about time they abolished international football and just invited 32 (or 94) whatever it is now nations to the world cup every four years.

The best solution for fixture congestion is getting rid of it.

Nobody ever plays anything close to the best team until the tournaments anyway.

And on top of that, England’s national team is perpetually the dullest thing known to man.

Can we have proper football that people actually enjoy back now please? It was only just getting going before it stopped.

2 minutes ago, Snedger said:

Too right. It’s about time they abolished international football and just invited 32 (or 94) whatever it is now nations to the world cup every four years.

The best solution for fixture congestion is getting rid of it.

Nobody ever plays anything close to the best team until the tournaments anyway.

And on top of that, England’s national team is perpetually the dullest thing known to man.

Can we have proper football that people actually enjoy back now please? It was only just getting going before it stopped.

There is a simple solution, but the likes of UEFA, FIFA and the others refuse to compromise. They could easily move all international football matches to May-June and end the club season in April. If they did this, then International managers would get to work with a squad properly instead of two weeks every few months. The two weeks they do have is pointless because players are still trying to build chemistry.

Next season it's changing, but I'm not sure it's better. Instead of having an international break in September and October, they are just going to combine both into one and play four games. This will take place between the 21st September and 6th October. So it will be 20 days until the players play another league game.

Tuchel is producing the exact same football he produced for us. Was effective (until he started not caring) but so very boring. I'm not sure where pundits were expecting free flowing attacking football to come from.

Anyway, I've always hated this international window, happens just when the season is starting to get into its flow and you never get a realistic view of the WC/Euro squad because you've always have so many out for injuries and 'injuries'

Brilliant 45 minutes. More of the same please.

So 180 mins for James?

Is it too early for the Madueke debate?

2 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

So 180 mins for James?

Watch Marisca bench him on the weekend

England were very good tonight. Slow start under Tuchel with performances, but he gets results.

36 minutes ago, markpitts said:

Is it too early for the Madueke debate?

I don’t see any difference with Madueke this season and last season?

52 minutes ago, markpitts said:

Watch Marisca bench him on the weekend

As he should.

A few things were reinforced for me watching that tonight.

1. I do wish we had tried a little harder to keep hold of Livramento.

2. I'm glad we never succumbed to the clamour from some to go after Vlahovic.

3. I like Jared Bowen and hope he never ends up at Tottenham or Arsenal.

4. Am I the only one who doesn't particularly rate Morgan Rogers?

32 minutes ago, just said:

Am I the only one who doesn't particularly rate Morgan Rogers?

I still think he gets the nod over Buck!

2 hours ago, just said:

A few things were reinforced for me watching that tonight.

1. I do wish we had tried a little harder to keep hold of Livramento.

2. I'm glad we never succumbed to the clamour from some to go after Vlahovic.

3. I like Jared Bowen and hope he never ends up at Tottenham or Arsenal.

4. Am I the only one who doesn't particularly rate Morgan Rogers?

The club really struggled with that decision for years. Even when they were coming through people realised that we had two top-class players coming through and it was a big reason why the club let go of the highly-rated Lamptey.

Agree on Rogers, I just don't see it. He is fairly industrious and athletic but lacks Palmer's touch and isn't a great goalscorer either

3 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

The club really struggled with that decision for years. Even when they were coming through people realised that we had two top-class players coming through and it was a big reason why the club let go of the highly-rated Lamptey.

Agree on Rogers, I just don't see it. He is fairly industrious and athletic but lacks Palmer's touch and isn't a great goalscorer either

Some fans wanted us to drop £80m+ on him this summer. His performances have been very poor for Villa, and he is a prime reason why they are at the bottom of the table

12 hours ago, just said:

A few things were reinforced for me watching that tonight.

1. I do wish we had tried a little harder to keep hold of Livramento.

2. I'm glad we never succumbed to the clamour from some to go after Vlahovic.

3. I like Jared Bowen and hope he never ends up at Tottenham or Arsenal.

4. Am I the only one who doesn't particularly rate Morgan Rogers?

Not sure what more you can do if a player turns down a new contract. It was four years ago, he was third in line behind Aspi and Reece, he wanted senior football and he got it. The alternative? A couple of seasons of loans.

41 minutes ago, dermott said:

Not sure what more you can do if a player turns down a new contract. It was four years ago, he was third in line behind Aspi and Reece, he wanted senior football and he got it. The alternative? A couple of seasons of loans.

We even included a buy back for him as well. Literally did everything we could.

Blame Tuchel for spending weeks trying to get Hakimi.

28 minutes ago, Remodez said:

We even included a buy back for him as well. Literally did everything we could.

And a sell-on which paid off when Newcastle bought him.

On 06/09/2025 at 21:44, Sconnie Blue said:

Quansah 😂

And Joe Gomez😂

On 09/09/2025 at 22:47, dansubrosa said:

I don’t see any difference with Madueke this season and last season?

BBC Sport

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest: Gunners show £250m squad i...

Arsenal came into this season on the back of a busy summer transfer window where they spent around £250m and brought in eight players, and against Nottingham Forest the Gunners showed the reason behin

Thomas Tuchel says he doesn’t believe Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane can play together in England’s system

Seems Elliott Anderson & Rice are a lock for the starting 2 in the middle. It’s the 3 behind Kane he needs to make a tough decision. He seems to be a fan of Morgan Rogers in the “10” and says Bellingham is in competition for that role. As it stands it’s Eze, Rashford, Morgan Rogers, Bellingham, Foden, Saka, Palmer, Madueke, Gordon, Bowen and Morgan Gibbs White all competing for 6-8 squad roles.

2 hours ago, markpitts said:

Thomas Tuchel says he doesn’t believe Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane can play together in England’s system

Seems Elliott Anderson & Rice are a lock for the starting 2 in the middle. It’s the 3 behind Kane he needs to make a tough decision. He seems to be a fan of Morgan Rogers in the “10” and says Bellingham is in competition for that role. As it stands it’s Eze, Rashford, Morgan Rogers, Bellingham, Foden, Saka, Palmer, Madueke, Gordon, Bowen and Morgan Gibbs White all competing for 6-8 squad roles.

Smart. Balance wise, Rice cannot be this lone DM just so Bellingham, Foden, Palmer etc can play. He needs someone next to him.

I’d try Gordon/Palmer/Saka personally.

12 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Smart. Balance wise, Rice cannot be this lone DM just so Bellingham, Foden, Palmer etc can play. He needs someone next to him.

I’d try Gordon/Palmer/Saka personally.

I don’t think Palmer starts for England. He hasn’t really done it for England, think he has 2 goals in 12 appearances. There is also an elephant in the room no one wants to address, he has 3 open play goals in 21 PL games in 2025. Saka is in the same boat; 3 open play goals in 18 PL games in 2025, but he has 13 goals in 46 appearances for the national team. If he stays fit, he starts ahead of Palmer.

8 hours ago, markpitts said:

I don’t think Palmer starts for England. He hasn’t really done it for England, think he has 2 goals in 12 appearances. There is also an elephant in the room no one wants to address, he has 3 open play goals in 21 PL games in 2025. Saka is in the same boat; 3 open play goals in 18 PL games in 2025, but he has 13 goals in 46 appearances for the national team. If he stays fit, he starts ahead of Palmer.

A lot will depend on how Palmer's form is when he returns from injury. He is Chelsea's star player, but his form was patchy last season (no doubt down to the niggling injury) and I could understand TT leaving him out of the starting 11. BUT if he hits his previous levels of performance he should be a nailed on starter. Obviously I'm biased, but he would be the first name on the team sheet for me. Would have him ahead of Foden, Bellingham and Saka as he is more capable of winning a game (like he did v PSG) than any of the others.

Broja stretchered off against England. Looks bad. Poor lad can't catch a break.