I guess there is a sliver of a chance this boy makes his debut in this game. Funny is he's played for Fluminense. If we clear Palmeiras and Al hilal goes out he will face his former club 😃

3 hours ago, Jangz said:

Common you Chels!!.. I think the money from this tournament could mean we can get Kudus.

Or a couple of under 18 Brazilian kids.

53 minutes ago, evissy said:

I guess there is a sliver of a chance this boy makes his debut in this game. Funny is he's played for Fluminense. If we clear Palmeiras and Al hilal goes out he will face his former club 😃

Yet Santos, according to Maresca, is still learning the tactics.

15 minutes ago, dermott said:

Yet Santos, according to Maresca, is still learning the tactics.

You have to take every player case by case. It is much easier to give a chance to an attacking player after 65-70 mins than to a midfielder especially with the system we play in. And Pedro is 23. Andrey is 20. The difference between those two is there and very apparent.

Palmeiras will be well up for this. The South Americans are taking this competition extremely seriously.

5 hours ago, dermott said:

Yet Santos, according to Maresca, is still learning the tactics.

You just have to laugh and assume everything they say is bo**ocks

22 hours ago, Scott said:

It's only 9:00pm here I'll watch it for everyone and report back. 😂

Am I correct both Caicedo and Palmer are out.

£10 it sends you to sleep too

Its a shame it a 2am game, i'll try to stay up to watch as would love to see Estevao.

Probably Sanchez

Reece Chalobah Colwill Cucurella

Lavia Santos

Palmer Enzo Neto

Delap

Caicedo out so perfect chance to blood in Santos. I'm sure he'll go to his defaults with Enzo next to Lavia and Palmer in the 10 with Neto/Madueke out wide.

18 hours ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

You just have to laugh and assume everything they say is bo**ocks

Not sure you guys fully appreciate what coach does in a team. While inexperienced at top level I am pretty sure he knows if Santos can do a job or elevate the team watching him in the training every day. The way Santos takes direction, the way he understands it, the way he performes there. You guys write about him like he has an agenda on Santos. If you had the chance to work alongside in the training I am 100% you'd agree with him and his decision.

If you were neutral on Enzo and Santos you'd probably agree he has just joined the squad and the position in the midfield is probably the most delicate to our football and to Enzo especially being a top player in that position. It is pretty logical he is used from the bench it the game needs or allows it.

46 minutes ago, evissy said:

Not sure you guys fully appreciate what coach does in a team. While inexperienced at top level I am pretty sure he knows if Santos can do a job or elevate the team watching him in the training every day. The way Santos takes direction, the way he understands it, the way he performes there. You guys write about him like he has an agenda on Santos. If you had the chance to work alongside in the training I am 100% you'd agree with him and his decision.

If you were neutral on Enzo and Santos you'd probably agree he has just joined the squad and the position in the midfield is probably the most delicate to our football and to Enzo especially being a top player in that position. It is pretty logical he is used from the bench it the game needs or allows it.

Do you attend all training sessions to formulate such an opinion? How can you confidently claim such a thing when the evidence we have available is quite the opposite. I understand you like Maresca but you just make things up some times in an attempt to back him.

Maresca has gone on record to say Santos needs to learn how we play while handing minutes to Delap, Essugo, Sarr that are in the same experience. You mention his young age in previous posts, while Essugo and Sarr are of the same age and didn't have a season half as good as Santos.

He's said Chalobah can't possibly play his football and he needs to leave the club, then begged for him to come and save him after January and shock horror Chalobah was one of our best CB's when he returned (who could have guessed that).

The Petrovic scenario. Maresca stated he couldn't play his brand of football, yet went to Strasbourg and was one of the best ball playing keepers in Europe last season. You can argue the loan worked, but he was doing this from day one at Strasbourg, the ability was always there but Maresca ignored it. He spent the first 4 months of last season saying the GK position is up for grabs, yet refused to drop Sanchez regardless of how many mistakes he was making. This alone makes me think whatever Maresca sees is pretty irrelevant because he clearly can't identify suitable talent.

He consistently plays Gusto out of position. Does he not see this in training? Or is it only Santos he watches for mistakes? Has he not watched Gusto at all this last year?

The list is endless but you get the idea.

1 hour ago, evissy said:

I am pretty sure he knows if Santos can do a job or elevate the team watching him in the training every day. The way Santos takes direction, the way he understands it, the way he performes there. You guys write about him like he has an agenda on Santos. If you had the chance to work alongside in the training I am 100% you'd agree with him and his decision.

Here is another coaches idea on Santos (someone that has actually worked with him for a year).

“Andrey [Santos] has been on top since I met him,” he said as cited on X.com.

“He is an exceptional player for us who shows great professionalism. He has a reading of the game that a 20-year-old player shouldn’t have.

I’m not surprised he’s the second-highest scorer on the team, because he has a natural sense of purpose and an ability to feel the shots.”

Maresca's style must be too tough for him to wrap his head around though. How dare he shoot when he could recycle the ball to Sanchez!

I feel like we are going to get a dodgy ref (again) for this one. No way will FIFA want 3 European sides in the semi final.

I have been going to a few games at this club world cup. I will be there Friday night. I bought tickets for the Semi and Final. We better make the final!

On 01/07/2025 at 04:52, evissy said:

You have to take every player case by case. It is much easier to give a chance to an attacking player after 65-70 mins than to a midfielder especially with the system we play in. And Pedro is 23. Andrey is 20. The difference between those two is there and very apparent.

Spot on! I tend to agree with many of your posts, you are quite brilliant and true to yourself, regardless of the abuse you get!

20 hours ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

Do you attend all training sessions to formulate such an opinion? How can you confidently claim such a thing when the evidence we have available is quite the opposite. I understand you like Maresca but you just make things up some times in an attempt to back him.

Maresca has gone on record to say Santos needs to learn how we play while handing minutes to Delap, Essugo, Sarr that are in the same experience. You mention his young age in previous posts, while Essugo and Sarr are of the same age and didn't have a season half as good as Santos.

He's said Chalobah can't possibly play his football and he needs to leave the club, then begged for him to come and save him after January and shock horror Chalobah was one of our best CB's when he returned (who could have guessed that).

The Petrovic scenario. Maresca stated he couldn't play his brand of football, yet went to Strasbourg and was one of the best ball playing keepers in Europe last season. You can argue the loan worked, but he was doing this from day one at Strasbourg, the ability was always there but Maresca ignored it. He spent the first 4 months of last season saying the GK position is up for grabs, yet refused to drop Sanchez regardless of how many mistakes he was making. This alone makes me think whatever Maresca sees is pretty irrelevant because he clearly can't identify suitable talent.

He consistently plays Gusto out of position. Does he not see this in training? Or is it only Santos he watches for mistakes? Has he not watched Gusto at all this last year?

The list is endless but you get the idea.

20 hours ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

Do you attend all training sessions to formulate such an opinion? How can you confidently claim such a thing when the evidence we have available is quite the opposite. I understand you like Maresca but you just make things up some times in an attempt to back him.

Maresca has gone on record to say Santos needs to learn how we play while handing minutes to Delap, Essugo, Sarr that are in the same experience. You mention his young age in previous posts, while Essugo and Sarr are of the same age and didn't have a season half as good as Santos.

He's said Chalobah can't possibly play his football and he needs to leave the club, then begged for him to come and save him after January and shock horror Chalobah was one of our best CB's when he returned (who could have guessed that).

The Petrovic scenario. Maresca stated he couldn't play his brand of football, yet went to Strasbourg and was one of the best ball playing keepers in Europe last season. You can argue the loan worked, but he was doing this from day one at Strasbourg, the ability was always there but Maresca ignored it. He spent the first 4 months of last season saying the GK position is up for grabs, yet refused to drop Sanchez regardless of how many mistakes he was making. This alone makes me think whatever Maresca sees is pretty irrelevant because he clearly can't identify suitable talent.

He consistently plays Gusto out of position. Does he not see this in training? Or is it only Santos he watches for mistakes? Has he not watched Gusto at all this last year?

The list is endless but you get the idea.

Cynical me thinks that Maresca says things like that so when he is told by the owners to sell Santos, he already has his excuse and narrative “he can’t play the system”. We all know that Maresca is a “yes” man. This is when he is found out though. We are told that Chilwell can’t play the system but we know it’s his wage the owners want off the books whereas Gusto clearly can’t play the system but low wages so fine. At the end of the day, Maresca will be told who he can keep and who he must sell and Santos is in that bracket as a player he might get told to sell and he is simply preparing his excuse but spinning it as his reason regardless of whether he really wants him or not….

1 hour ago, Chris Gundleton said:

Cynical me thinks that Maresca says things like that so when he is told by the owners to sell Santos, he already has his excuse and narrative “he can’t play the system”. We all know that Maresca is a “yes” man. This is when he is found out though. We are told that Chilwell can’t play the system but we know it’s his wage the owners want off the books whereas Gusto clearly can’t play the system but low wages so fine. At the end of the day, Maresca will be told who he can keep and who he must sell and Santos is in that bracket as a player he might get told to sell and he is simply preparing his excuse but spinning it as his reason regardless of whether he really wants him or not….

100% agree, i just can't wrap my head around the posters that try to justify it as Maresca being right and he's not just doing as he's told like a good little lap dog.

6 hours ago, Clown Lake said:

Spot on! I tend to agree with many of your posts, you are quite brilliant and true to yourself, regardless of the abuse you get!

Stop flirting with yourself

51 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

100% agree, i just can't wrap my head around the posters that try to justify it as Maresca being right and he's not just doing as he's told like a good little lap dog.

Let's flirt with the idea of a coach who doesn't do what his employer wants him to do or what you have promised to do when signing on the club. Let's think about this in the context of your own life. How do you go on about in your job with these set of rules...

Now let's get back to the coach: Thomas Tuchel. Is he here? No.

Some people do the old escapism thing with football and hope their coach or player wants to rebel against the superiors because they don't dare do it in their own life nor see it even a good thing to go.

Jose, Pep, Carlo and most of the coaches play inside the reality of the set club. As does Enzo. He is merely the coach. He has applauded a million times he loves the squad and the quality of it. If you choose not to believe his word it is up to you.

15 minutes ago, evissy said:

Let's flirt with the idea of a coach who doesn't do what his employer wants him to do or what you have promised to do when signing on the club. Let's think about this in the context of your own life. How do you go on about in your job with these set of rules...

Now let's get back to the coach: Thomas Tuchel. Is he here? No.

Some people do the old escapism thing with football and hope their coach or player wants to rebel against the superiors because they don't dare do it in their own life nor see it even a good thing to go.

Jose, Pep, Carlo and most of the coaches play inside the reality of the set club. As does Enzo. He is merely the coach. He has applauded a million times he loves the squad and the quality of it. If you choose not to believe his word it is up to you.

If my employer was consistently telling me to do something that was counter productive, i'd look for another job. I agree the recruitment is down to the 'employer', but no one is telling Maresca to play such a boring and dull style of football. No one is telling him to only play one way and refuse to adapt. No one is telling him to mis-profile players and shoe horn them into unsuitable roles. This is lazy whatabouttery.

Thomas Tuchel left, well observed. I agree with this point.

Jose and Pep are notorious for not doing what their club wants and are two of the most successful coaches in football history. Weird examples to give.

His word means next to nothing when he consistently contradicts himself. One has to be very small-minded to believe what everyone says without being able to critically think and analyse yourself. I'm sure he does love the squad, its a very good squad. It should be doing far more than Enzo is managing.

51 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

If my employer was consistently telling me to do something that was counter productive, i'd look for another job. I agree the recruitment is down to the 'employer', but no one is telling Maresca to play such a boring and dull style of football. No one is telling him to only play one way and refuse to adapt. No one is telling him to mis-profile players and shoe horn them into unsuitable roles. This is lazy whatabouttery.

Thomas Tuchel left, well observed. I agree with this point.

Jose and Pep are notorious for not doing what their club wants and are two of the most successful coaches in football history. Weird examples to give.

His word means next to nothing when he consistently contradicts himself. One has to be very small-minded to believe what everyone says without being able to critically think and analyse yourself. I'm sure he does love the squad, its a very good squad. It should be doing far more than Enzo is managing.

Our football being boring is subjective. I am not a fan of it but I feel we are heading towards a more balanced style. I'll give to Enzo and the squad to work that out.

Jose and Pep are not notorious in that. Maybe in media. I'd say they do 99% of what the club wants them to but have balls to contradict when see fit. Enzo is first year coach and clearly has good repour with the club but I am sure he will be tested whether he has those balls at some point. Remains to be seen. Pretty early days.

Enzo is the primary outlet from the club. He speaks in the words of the club basically. He is in meetings with the directors and head of press. He is also coached by our media reps to steer clear of certain subjects if needed. I feel he is also a pretty smart guy so he knows what to say and how.

I don't see him contradicting himself. I think he is pretty consistent with the story.

I can't give a balanced view on Enzo as I don't see enough of the matches yet the worse I remember was Tuchel with the U formation as we swept the ball around defensively at the back waiting for an opening in front of the defence. Despite this we won the CL............

I think the young squad needs a ton of structure as opposed to very experienced ones. Good to see how Alonso fares in Real after Carlo and players like Modric and Kroos leaving among with other experienced ones.

I am sure he is giving much more structure and guidance than Carlo ever did. Alonso is also very inexperienced as a top level coach.

1 hour ago, evissy said:

Our football being boring is subjective. I am not a fan of it but I feel we are heading towards a more balanced style. I'll give to Enzo and the squad to work that out.

Jose and Pep are not notorious in that. Maybe in media. I'd say they do 99% of what the club wants them to but have balls to contradict when see fit. Enzo is first year coach and clearly has good repour with the club but I am sure he will be tested whether he has those balls at some point. Remains to be seen. Pretty early days.

Enzo is the primary outlet from the club. He speaks in the words of the club basically. He is in meetings with the directors and head of press. He is also coached by our media reps to steer clear of certain subjects if needed. I feel he is also a pretty smart guy so he knows what to say and how.

I don't see him contradicting himself. I think he is pretty consistent with the story.

Our football is boring. It is subjective like everything in life, but the vast majority will say its boring.

Jose and Pep are both notorious for speaking their mind and not peddling the opinion of the club, what sport have you watched for the past two decades? If they aren't getting the squad they want they'll be the first to say it.

Yes, he's a lap dog. We've covered this already and we know. Still doesn't change the point I've made several times about him mis-profiling players that you avoid every time.

You're just lying at this point. One single example being Chalobah, he said he can't play his style and has to go then brings him back and he's one of our best CB's. How is this not a contradiction? Said GK position is up for grabs then refused to drop Sanchez. Said GK would be dropped if they went long then kept Sanchez as number 1 even though he keeps going long and keeps passing to the opposition. Said Petrovic can't play out from the back, went on to be one of the best ball playing keepers in Europe. Says Santos needs to learn his style but players others that don't know it.

These are contradictions.

2 hours ago, strider6004 said:

I can't give a balanced view on Enzo as I don't see enough of the matches yet the worse I remember was Tuchel with the U formation as we swept the ball around defensively at the back waiting for an opening in front of the defence. Despite this we won the CL............

Tuchel and Conte brought us some of the best success this club has ever seen whilst also at the same time bringing in the most frustrating football this club has ever seen.

5 hours ago, evissy said:

I think the young squad needs a ton of structure as opposed to very experienced ones. Good to see how Alonso fares in Real after Carlo and players like Modric and Kroos leaving among with other experienced ones.

I am sure he is giving much more structure and guidance than Carlo ever did. Alonso is also very inexperienced as a top level coach.

It's objectively boring. It's only saving grace is we actually have players with world class moments.