3 hours ago, OTL said:

I think Xabi will have his work cut out. Lots of new players, the squad is almost starting from scratch. Im not expecting too much from the first 5 games before the international break. On paper he might be expected to get at least four wins. I fear It could be a very modest return but i hope we stick with him/it. It will take him a little while to wade through this extensive list of players, i imagine he will be down to a core of approx 16-18 by Christmas if he is still here. Good Luck Xabi lad i think you are gonna need it.

Agree I think the first part of the season may be below average. A bit like how things were in the season when Poch took over.

On 04/08/2026 at 17:42, Brigadeiro Mk II said:

Someone please send Callum to Spain to get some much needed tan, he's glowing amongst those men.

That’s the least of his worries, the man has one facial expression = Misery.

You’d think he’d be grinning like a cheshire cat 24/7 having won the football lottery thanks to his mate Shields and the gang.

On 04/08/2026 at 19:12, C3blue said:

He looks like he’s gonna cry, he probably knows their all taking the piss in Spanish.

Jokes aside, they’ll be cautious around him. Reporting everything back like a soviet spy, ready for when he gets to take over as manager again when it all goes tits up.

10 hours ago, All Barco no bite said:

Love it, live for it. It is my purpose in life and i yearn for Teams meetings and KPI's

Settle down Eghbali

11 hours ago, All Barco no bite said:

I'm in Cornwall at the end of the month, so i'm hoping the weather holds out until after that.

It won't. By the time you get there it will be back to normal. You will be sitting in the caravan with the rain hammering down on the roof. Like sitting inside a drum.

You and Neto will have nothing to do except sit around in your Cagools playing Uno and arguing about who has to go outside and change the gas bottle for the heating.

Is quite incredible to see the number of players we need to move on by September 1 so Alonso has a squad that is the right sort of size for a team with no European football.

What does that look like?

2 keepers backed up by either the youth team keeper or a Robert Green type.

4 full backs

4 center backs

4 center midfielder

5 wingers/wide attackers/10s

3 strikers

Seems like the right sort of amount to have around. 20 plus 3 keepers.

Exluding playing like Walsh, Emenalo, Satpaev etc who could also reasonably spend the season with the youth team we need to trim:

2 keepers (Jorgensen and Gaga)

1 full back (most likely Gusto, perhaps Hato)

4 center backs (Chalobah, off to Como, Badishille, Disasi, Tosin)

1 CM (Essugo, Lavia or Enzo)

1 AM (Neto or Gittens)

3 Strikers (Delap, Jackson and Guiu).

12 players! Ok 11 cause Trev is all but done but still. Lot of business needs to get done in 4 weeks.

1 hour ago, axman2526 said:

Is quite incredible to see the number of players we need to move on by September 1 so Alonso has a squad that is the right sort of size for a team with no European football.

What does that look like?

2 keepers backed up by either the youth team keeper or a Robert Green type.

4 full backs

4 center backs

4 center midfielder

5 wingers/wide attackers/10s

3 strikers

Seems like the right sort of amount to have around. 20 plus 3 keepers.

Exluding playing like Walsh, Emenalo, Satpaev etc who could also reasonably spend the season with the youth team we need to trim:

2 keepers (Jorgensen and Gaga)

1 full back (most likely Gusto, perhaps Hato)

4 center backs (Chalobah, off to Como, Badishille, Disasi, Tosin)

1 CM (Essugo, Lavia or Enzo)

1 AM (Neto or Gittens)

3 Strikers (Delap, Jackson and Guiu).

12 players! Ok 11 cause Trev is all but done but still. Lot of business needs to get done in 4 weeks.

Even what you are asking is still very big squad without europe.

8 attacker is a lot. You want 6 or maximum 7 + 1 kid.

Midfield 3 + 1 kid + Lavia

Defender all you need is 7 + 1 kid.

For example attacker

Palmer, Rogers, Neto, Jp, Estevao, Welbeck , Quenda +Satpaev

So no Delap, gittens, Jackson, Emegha

Midfield

Enzo, Caicedo, Henderson + Essugo & Lavia

Defender

Colwill, Lacroix, Fofana, Hato, Palestra, James, Chavaria + a kid

No Acheampong, Tosin, Badi, Anselmino, Gusto

8 hours ago, just said:

It won't. By the time you get there it will be back to normal. You will be sitting in the caravan with the rain hammering down on the roof. Like sitting inside a drum.

You and Neto will have nothing to do except sit around in your Cagools playing Uno and arguing about who has to go outside and change the gas bottle for the heating.

Caravan? Ew gross, I would never put my family through such an ordeal

20 minutes ago, All Barco no bite said:

Caravan? Ew gross, I would never put my family through such an ordeal

Caravan's have come a long way since the 1960's - just ask Danny Dyer!

46 minutes ago, All Barco no bite said:

Caravan? Ew gross, I would never put my family through such an ordeal

Stop pretending to be something you’re not. I know you go to Butlin’s at least 3 times a year.

1 hour ago, Nibs said:

Caravan's have come a long way since the 1960's - just ask Danny Dyer!

My wife convinced me to go to the IOW for a three day caravan break in April.

The caravan was said to be deluxe.

Thank fully we didn’t take the cat as he wouldn’t have had his daily swing.

It was perishing cold in the mornings so had to rush out and turn the gas rings in, opened the curtains in our bedroom to be greeted by the vision of a woman in just her bra doing the same in the caravan opposite. Wouldn’t have minded but she was massive, had tattoos on her upper body and must have been 60+. She smiled as I closed the curtains back up.

The club house on the park was terrible with expensive lager/ wine and most of the residents line dancing

Danny Dyer or not I will never spend another night in a caravan

30 minutes ago, terraloon said:

My wife convinced me to go to the IOW for a three day caravan break in April.

The caravan was said to be deluxe.

Thank fully we didn’t take the cat as he wouldn’t have had his daily swing.

It was perishing cold in the mornings so had to rush out and turn the gas rings in, opened the curtains in our bedroom to be greeted by the vision of a woman in just her bra doing the same in the caravan opposite. Wouldn’t have minded but she was massive, had tattoos on her upper body and must have been 60+. She smiled as I closed the curtains back up.

The club house on the park was terrible with expensive lager/ wine and most of the residents line dancing

Danny Dyer or not I will never spend another night in a caravan

Must admit, I like my luxuries and caravans are not for me - not when there are so many nice holiday cottages etc about. But did stay in one with the Mrs and grandson at Great Yarmouth for a long weekend and it wasn't too bad - fine to use as a base.

Love the IOW by the way - such fond memories of the place. But we went back for a week last year and it has gone downhill a fair bit. Still great place but parts look very tired and looks in serious need of some money being spent to improve things. Sandown now a bit of a ghost town and even Shanklin looked a bit shabby compared to how it was when we went back in the 90's.

1 hour ago, terraloon said:

My wife convinced me to go to the IOW for a three day caravan break in April.

The caravan was said to be deluxe.

Thank fully we didn’t take the cat as he wouldn’t have had his daily swing.

It was perishing cold in the mornings so had to rush out and turn the gas rings in, opened the curtains in our bedroom to be greeted by the vision of a woman in just her bra doing the same in the caravan opposite. Wouldn’t have minded but she was massive, had tattoos on her upper body and must have been 60+. She smiled as I closed the curtains back up.

The club house on the park was terrible with expensive lager/ wine and most of the residents line dancing

Danny Dyer or not I will never spend another night in a caravan

1 hour ago, dermott said:

Stating what’s already been said - need to trim the squad asap. Both for sales but also to reduce who Alonso is working with daily. The bomb squad term will come back, but almost necessary. Here’s one view.

Xabi Alonso puts 11 players up for sale including £120m Chelsea star | Football | Metro News https://share.google/QqCsW8pO03MtUfFwH

Getting the defence, keeper and two midfielders sorted is key. I don’t think Palmer, Pedro and Roger’s gelling will be a problem.

Can we outscore teams in those early games or as I think should we set up not to concede knowing those 3 will get you a goal or two?

4 at the back? 3? I’m finding it intriguing not knowing, I felt like I knew where every pass was going last season.

5 hours ago, dermott said:

5 hours ago, dermott said:

5 hours ago, dermott said:

That’s her!

Anyways I wasn’t in my Chelsea undies.It was my wife’s undies !

You know I am joking don’t you ?

5 hours ago, Nibs said:

Must admit, I like my luxuries and caravans are not for me - not when there are so many nice holiday cottages etc about. But did stay in one with the Mrs and grandson at Great Yarmouth for a long weekend and it wasn't too bad - fine to use as a base.

Love the IOW by the way - such fond memories of the place. But we went back for a week last year and it has gone downhill a fair bit. Still great place but parts look very tired and looks in serious need of some money being spent to improve things. Sandown now a bit of a ghost town and even Shanklin looked a bit shabby compared to how it was when we went back in the 90's.

When we played in Norwich a few years ago we stayed two nights before the game in Gt Yarmouth in a Premier Inn. Wasn’t too bad but can’t say I took to the town.

We drove in the next day to Norwich and had a hotel just up from Carrow Rd. Before the game sat by the canal with a coffee and after the game had a drinks by the water and a really nice meal.

Both before and after the game the two sets of supporters were well behaved and there wasn’t a hit of trouble. It was really enjoyable indeed I just wish that I could say the same about the vast majority of away games but I can’t.

26 minutes ago, terraloon said:

That’s her!

Anyways I wasn’t in my Chelsea undies.It was my wife’s undies !

You know I am joking don’t you ?

Um ... we'll wait for a notarised statement from your wife.

5 hours ago, terraloon said:

When we played in Norwich a few years ago we stayed two nights before the game in Gt Yarmouth in a Premier Inn. Wasn’t too bad but can’t say I took to the town.

We drove in the next day to Norwich and had a hotel just up from Carrow Rd. Before the game sat by the canal with a coffee and after the game had a drinks by the water and a really nice meal.

Both before and after the game the two sets of supporters were well behaved and there wasn’t a hit of trouble. It was really enjoyable indeed I just wish that I could say the same about the vast majority of away games but I can’t.

And when you opened the curtains in the Premier Inn?

51 minutes ago, dermott said:

And when you opened the curtains in the Premier Inn?

theres got to be an Alan Partridge link here

52 minutes ago, dermott said:

And when you opened the curtains in the Premier Inn?

He wasn’t the Messiah. He was just a very naughty boy!

Edited 23 minutes ago23 min by terraloon

2 minutes ago, OTL said:

theres got to be an Alan Partridge link here

Back of the net . Aha