http://www.chelseafc.com/page/NewsHomeP ... 06,00.html

just posted about this in the rumours. am i alone in thinking this is a good signing? what with the african nations coming up and maka seemingly on his way out.

Personally I am not convinced he is necessary. Even with Essien and Mikel at the ANC we still have Ballack, Lamps, Joe, Diarra and Maka who can play in the centre (I think Maka will be with us for another season) - that is hardly a shortage.

However we have signed him so here is hoping he proves me wrong.

Well, he is young,English and comes on a free transfer. He was apparently the best player at Reading but we've had a few players that had looked great in the midtable team and failed at Chelsea.

Time wil tell.

Agree with Loz, but I have said on another thread I think Maka will go this summer(I hope not, would like him here for another season to help Diarra & Mikel progress!!) So welcome Sidwell and time will tell.......???

Haven't seen him play this season so I cant really comment on whether or not he's a good player (although i hear good things).

As Abramovich said, time will tell.

hes a sort of lampard lite. box to box, good passer, good tackler, decent shot and gets in the box a lot. maybe hes been bought with a view to resting lampard more next season. he did struggle for a couple of months.

How did he get through the medical with ginger hair ?

How did he get through the medical with ginger hair ?

You have got to question the standards haven't you?

I also posted a link in the rumours section, didn't see this one.

Anyway, welcome Steve Sidwell.

welcome steve, you've just landed in possibly the most intense competition for places in any outfield position in europe. good luck!

what I worry about is even during the ANC there will be 3 central midfielders ahead of him.

i think diarra will be going on loan somewhere to get a full season, during maka's last year with us.

I fully expect us to keep Diarra, and ahve his as back up to maka, bleeding him in for next season. Also to have him as alternate RB. I think if Diarra were asked to go on loan after getting regular first team play, he may be afronted and ask to eb transfered.

I don't think Sidwell is a necessity, but not a bad back up player

good news steve! now there are only 6 players ahead of you!

this is the most illogical signing that will be made all summer. ANOTHER central midfielder... but one who offers nothing different (i.e. he's not riquelme) to anything our other players do.

not sidwell's fault really, but what on earth is going on here?

I agree totally with G4, if we had goen for a midfielder should have gone for a Deco type player to play at teh ehad of the diamond. Sidwell may be in the reserves for a while as this signing makes no sense at all. I don't buy into the mentality of "get him because he is English" I buy into the mentality of get him because he fits our team/ style of play/brings something to the pitch no one else does. And Sidwell doesn't tick any of those boxes for me

exactly- he's young and english! neither of these are reasons alone to buy a player! he's 24... and I hope I'm proved wrong, but I don't see him ever improving beyond what he is now. and I know people will point to lamps, but he was a bit of an anomaly in that he kept improving as a player, but he joined us at 22, got to play every game, and by 24 was a key player in getting us qualified for the CL...

Personally I don't mind this signing, as Sidwell must be fully aaware of the competition for places in our already over stocked midfield (so he can't really moan about not getting a game) and therefore it's down to him to prove that he has what it takes to get in there. I think he'll raise his game and take a few of us by suprise, also remember he'll be learning off some of the best players in the world.

Plus this strikes me very much as a Jose signing, not a Roman/Kenyon one as Sidwell is hardly a "brand" builder.

Let's get behind the lad and think positive.

Well i know nothing about him, have barley seen him all season, have heard good things but have seen nothing with my own eyes so have kept stum on this one and will continue to do so... How many of the people on here that are so underwealemd by the signing have seen him play even 10 times?

Ill admit, doesnt exactly get the puls racing but who knows

First thing I thought upon seeing this news was "Scott Parker mk II"....i.e., not comparing him as a player directly with Parker, but the idea that he'll be here, not get into the team on a consistent basis, and then shuffle off somewhere else.

*shrug*

there are at least 8 replies on this thread alone complaining that they think Sidwell is unnecessary, not understanding why we signed him, questioning the front office for even thinking of signing him.

um, fellas -- don't you think the gents that pulled this off (Jose, Kenyon, etc.) thought it through before signing him? you can't really think they picked up the paper, saw that someone was available on a free, and said, "Lookee here! We might only have a limited budget this year so a free player is great! Let's sign him!" i am not saying i am an all-trusting sort, but come on -- let's give a little credit to the people who run the team who know a bit more about this than we do, and assume they have a plan in place.

obviously, message boards are for yahoos like us to spout off our ill-conceived and ignorant opinions, and i am not trying to stifle dissent, but i am not worried about this signing because i am assuming that the powers-that-be have a plan in place for next season and that Sidwell fits in it.

I'm sure there is a plan in place and that Sidwell fits into that plan but that doesn't mean we shouldn't question it if we can't see the logic. We may well be entirely wrong (and I hope we are) but managers do get it wrong on occasions and thus why not question it at the time rather than waiting for hindsight to be your ally.

manny, there have been many times players have turned up at top clubs and not fit in, only to leave a season later...

it's also fair to say that they probably have an idea of how to use him... but if it involves maka leaving I'll say now that we'll be hurt by it. anything that involves makalele leaving is not good IMO.

del horno joined for one season, and left. tiago the same. bridge was loaned out when we should have kept him. ballack was signed apparently as a trequartista. swp joined, and overall has been (really) poor. you could argue these have all been mistakes (though none are bad players), and they are all transfer decisions made by jose under kenyon. maybe you could add boulahrouz also, signed as the third central defender, but by the end of the season, saw two central midfielders preferred to him at rightback and central defence.

you could add duff and eidur leaving. some would add sheva signing. or even not replacing huth. is it beyond the realms of possibility that sidwell is an error?

i agree with loz. when AFN come up we'll lose mikel and essien but we will have lampard, ballack, maka, diarra and joey cole. that's five players. what is diarra doing at the club?

i remember tommy langley on chelsea tv a few weeks ago saying there wouldn't be much money for signings this summer...this appears to be true with what is a so-so signing on a free transfer...it's a bit of a worry...we seem to be about to sign alex on the cheap too...are chelsea's big spending days over?

Plus this strikes me very much as a Jose signing, not a Roman/Kenyon one as Sidwell is hardly a "brand" builder.

It's definitely a Jose signing.

The Chelsea Athletic Club will be the better for it.

I wonder will we ever see Essien, Ballack, Mikel, Lampard, Makalele and Sidwell on the pitch at the same time.

With Drogba at the tip of the rhombus.

And Joe making the tea.

I can hardly wait.