1 hour ago, OTL said:

was he under consideration for a loan move to Crawley?

Crawley actually want him on loan?!😀

The lads react when hearing this suggestion?😀

xabi is clearly trying to get us to be more physically.. looking at the signings .. Morgan physical .. pelestra physical.. lacuoix physical ., Wharton physical..

Bernardo Cueva removed from on pitch duties.

21 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Bernardo Cueva removed from on pitch duties.

New role studying the opposition set pieces and Alonso will bring in his own set piece coach.

Cueva flattered to deceive would be an understatement

I’m beginning to think Emegha will be our deputy to JP. Jackson to Villa makes sense whatever way you look at it after yesterday. Delap and Guiu have serious PL interest too.

Maybe Satpaev or Mhueka can be the third choice?

Both look very good prospects and it would be good to keep one of them at Chelsea with the other going on loan.

I watched a few of Emegha’s games the other night and he’s got much more to him than his physicality and he’s a different player to JP. Decent hopes for him.

Edited Sunday at 18:451 day by 19seventyone

52 minutes ago, 19seventyone said:

New role studying the opposition set pieces and Alonso will bring in his own set piece coach.

Cueva flattered to deceive would be an understatement

Oh the points he delivered with the short corners!

6 minutes ago, Valerie said:

Oh the points he delivered with the short corners!

I think the one where Cucu goes to the taker for a short corner then jogs back to the front post to get a flick on is my favourite. I think it worked twice all season.

Halcyon days.

1 hour ago, 19seventyone said:

Cueva flattered to deceive would be an understatement

Thought we improved during Maresca’s first season but that just turned out to be Colwill his influence in organizing the back line.

Feel sorry for Alonso already given the sh*ts he's going to have to manage if the club cant find new homes for some players.

30 minutes ago, bluelightening said:

Feel sorry for Alonso already given the sh*ts he's going to have to manage if the club cant find new homes for some players.

Bomb squad, he won't see them

Enzo I see being a big issue put on him to solve.

Leaving him out and his value tanking won't be an option. Being one of the two 10s behind Joao Pedro leaves Palmer or 117mill of Morgan Rogers on the bench, being alongside Caicedo leaves him, and the team, exposed.

Big task for Alonso to make that situation work out.

If he stays, I assume he'll play deeper.

E.g.

Sanchez (!!!)

Palestra Fofana/Lacroix Colwill Hato

Enzo Caicedo

Estevao/Quenda Palmer Rogers

Pedro

2 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Enzo I see being a big issue put on him to solve.

Leaving him out and his value tanking won't be an option. Being one of the two 10s behind Joao Pedro leaves Palmer or 117mill of Morgan Rogers on the bench, being alongside Caicedo leaves him, and the team, exposed.

Big task for Alonso to make that situation work out.

I can't believe that we have gone all in on Rogers for £117m without them know that Fernandez is sorted and on his way somewhere.

8 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

I can't believe that we have gone all in on Rogers for £117m without them know that Fernandez is sorted and on his way somewhere.

I do... Its not like the past four years of transfer windows havent been big steaming piles of poo in recruitment and sales.

I think our owners are compulsive gambling addicts.

9 minutes ago, bluelightening said:

I think our owners are compulsive gambling addicts.

Of course they are, they're in private equity

32 minutes ago, bluelightening said:

I do... Its not like the past four years of transfer windows havent been big steaming piles of poo in recruitment and sales.

I think our owners are compulsive gambling addicts.

You've seen the financial accounts? We are on a suspended sentence already. Pointless spending the money to get a team to quality for Europe that you would then be excluded from.

If its not Fernandez they have got money banked that is coming back in to pay for this.

8 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

You've seen the financial accounts? We are on a suspended sentence already. Pointless spending the money to get a team to quality for Europe that you would then be excluded from.

If its not Fernandez they have got money banked that is coming back in to pay for this.

Probably Jackson to Villa, Chalobah to Como, Disasi to ? and Acheampong to ?

£117 million?

Were we in a bidding war with another club?

1 hour ago, The Rising Sun said:

£117 million?

Were we in a bidding war with another club?

Egbhali's swollen member i believe, for going £1m more than Man City for Anderson.

24 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

Egbhali's swollen member i believe, for going £1m more than Man City for Anderson.

As another poster has mentioned if Eghbali has to deal with the big money transfers what do Stewart and Winstanley actually do ?

If we need the Top man and the manager to sway a player or push a deal over the line are these two clowns (Stewart & Winstanley) redundant?

Just imagine Stewart & Winstanley together with Rosenior trying to convince a top player to join us. Laugh i nearly bought a drink.

Edited 21 hours ago21 hr by OTL

CB and CM hopefully

29 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

CB and CM hopefully

I think the CM ship has sailed, we've basically replaced Santos already with Barco and I can't see Enzo going. I think a left back and centre back should be our priorities.

15 minutes ago, timetowaste said:

I think the CM ship has sailed, we've basically replaced Santos already with Barco and I can't see Enzo going. I think a left back and centre back should be our priorities.

I still believe Alonso will be actively pushing for a holding midfielder.

You look at what he'd done at Bayer with Xhaka and Palacios, how he wanted Zubimendi/Stiller at Real Madrid to partner Tchouameni, and when you look at our squad, you only see there's Caicedo and an injury-prone Lavia/Essugo. Enzo isn't suitable for a pivot, and Barco is such an unknown quantity. We haven't even officially signed him yet.

LB I agree, but for me CB and CM are a must.

2 hours ago, OTL said:

As another poster has mentioned if Eghbali has to deal with the big money transfers what do Stewart and Winstanley actually do ?

If we need the Top man and the manager to sway a player or push a deal over the line are these two clowns (Stewart & Winstanley) redundant?

Just imagine Stewart & Winstanley together with Rosenior trying to convince a top player to join us. Laugh i nearly bought a drink.

Yeah,

3 hours ago, OTL said:

As another poster has mentioned if Eghbali has to deal with the big money transfers what do Stewart and Winstanley actually do ?

If we need the Top man and the manager to sway a player or push a deal over the line are these two clowns (Stewart & Winstanley) redundant?

Just imagine Stewart & Winstanley together with Rosenior trying to convince a top player to join us. Laugh i nearly bought a drink.

The last thing the club needs is Eghbali acting as a fecking Sporting Director. I can imagine Rogers being convinced to join us by Alonso and probably more wages, but FFS keep that no nothing about football eejit out of it..

Don't get your hopes up about our Sporting Directors being sidelined. !!!

On Thursday, after the 2-1 loss, a combined effort involving the club's sporting directors, head coach Xabi Alonso and co-owner Behdad Eghbali helped secure a deal. Even Chelsea captain Reece James was making the club's case from within the England camp, while those close to the negotiations say Cole Palmer was also aware of developments as, in Rogers' words, "one of my best friends in life".

It was a well-planned operation involving figures across the club and resulted in Rogers being signed in under 48 hours.

The deal was underpinned by the strong relationship between Chelsea co-owner Eghbali and Aston Villa owner Nassef Sawiris, with the agreement being finalised on Saturday afternoon, shortly before Rogers took to the field in England's bronze-medal victory over France.