The Greatest Pre-season Business Ever In The History Of Chelsea And Football?

[just]

............... quite possibly.

For once we didn't go mental and spend multi-mega-bucks on any 30+ has-been, or the latest yet-to-be-proven, young gun with one good season and a dodgy hair-style from the Dutch League.

Instead against all the odds we retained the services of:

1. The most consistent, best goal-scoring midfielder in europe, (possibly the world), and a player synonymous with our club.

2. The most complete centre-forward in europe, (possibly the world).

3. Ricardo Carvalho. I'm not his no:1 fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I do realise his worth to the team and the fact that there isn't, currently, many better and available.

4. Shaun Wright Phillips.

And, to cap it all, just when you don't think you could possibly hate Liverplod anymore, they go and sign Robbie Keane for well over the odds! Genius.

Restores your faith in football and God. Let the season commence.

[ethicalstrategy]

Don't speak too soon! There is still plenty of time for all of them to go.

[loz]

............... quite possibly.

For once we didn't go mental and spend multi-mega-bucks on any 30+ has-been, or the latest yet-to-be-proven, young gun with one good season and a dodgy hair-style from the Dutch League.

Instead against all the odds we retained the services of:

1. The most consistent, best goal-scoring midfielder in europe, (possibly the world), and a player synonymous with our club.

2. The most complete centre-forward in europe, (possibly the world).

3. Ricardo Carvalho. I'm not his no:1 fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I do realise his worth to the team and the fact that there isn't, currently, many better and available.

4. Shaun Wright Phillips.

And, to cap it all, just when you don't think you could possibly hate Liverplod anymore, they go and sign Robbie Keane for well over the odds! Genius.

Restores your faith in football and God. Let the season commence.

On retaining Drogba I think it is less to do with what we did and more to do with the fact that nobody actually wanted him that badly.

[Jimboola69]

If anyone had waved the sponds at him Drogba would have been off like a whippet mate!

[just]

I don't for one second think "nobody wanted Drogba". Simply not logical. He is, unarguably, one of the top six centre-forwards in the world. Any team, and any manager, would love to have him in their squad.

I believe it's more a case of:

1. We put such a high valuation on a proven player, who is still at his peak, that it frightened off most potential suitors.

2. We simply refused to sell him to anyone on the cheap.

3. Grant going and Scolari coming in and rapidly making it clear he wanted Drogba.

Which ever it is. Hooray.

[loz]

I don't for one second think "nobody wanted Drogba". Simply not logical. He is, unarguably, one of the top six centre-forwards in the world. Any team, and any manager, would love to have him in their squad.

I believe it's more a case of:

1. We put such a high valuation on a proven player, who is still at his peak, that it frightened off most potential suitors.

2. We simply refused to sell him to anyone on the cheap.

3. Grant going and Scolari coming in and rapidly making it clear he wanted Drogba.

Which ever it is. Hooray.

I don't buy it Just - irrespective of the value we put on Drogba if some of the big clubs were genuinely interested then I think we would have heard a lot more tittle tattle in the press. Since when has a club's valuation of a player being above what bidders are prepared to pay killed off interest in an instant without a series of media releases, speculation, talks of sums offered (see Robinho!!)

All there has been about Drogba is some minor interest by Barcelona reported a couple of times - other than that nothing.

I think Drogba wanted away and I think he is currently smarting a little because it transpires nobody big wants him that much. Maybe because of his age, maybe because of his temperament and maybe because they think we may have already seen the best of Drogba (or maybe something else). I think he was desperate to be reunited with Jose but there seems to have absolutely no interest there.

[loz]

p.s. I see the situation with Drogba as being very similar to the situation with Eto'o at Barcelona. Arguably Eto'o is also one of the best six strikers in the world and in his case his club have openly stated he is free to go if a deal can be arranged. In fact Barcelona have given clubs permission to negotiate personal terms with Eto'o first and then once that is sorted the clubs can agree a fee.

Yet despite this Eto'o is no closer to a move than he was at the end of the season. I just wonder if the big clubs are paying more attention to player's off the field attitude than maybe they have in the past.

[ethicalstrategy]

I don't buy it Just - irrespective of the value we put on Drogba if some of the big clubs were genuinely interested then I think we would have heard a lot more tittle tattle in the press. Since when has a club's valuation of a player being above what bidders are prepared to pay killed off interest in an instant without a series of media releases, speculation, talks of sums offered (see Robinho!!)

All there has been about Drogba is some minor interest by Barcelona reported a couple of times - other than that nothing.

I think Drogba wanted away and I think he is currently smarting a little because it transpires nobody big wants him that much. Maybe because of his age, maybe because of his temperament and maybe because they think we may have already seen the best of Drogba (or maybe something else). I think he was desperate to be reunited with Jose but there seems to have absolutely no interest there.

Well, I am sitting within spitting distance of Barcelona as I type and I can tell you that the Catalan sports pages have been full of Barca's interest in Drogba. Only last week it was being reported that he had "signed".

Realistically, how many other clubs might he go to from Chelsea? AC Milan (who were interested until told by Chelsea that he wasn't for sale) Inter, Real Madrid. I can't see many other options that would be attractive to him in a playing sense. He is also injured at the moment which would slow down any transfer. I sincerely hope he stays but I'm not convinced he will just yet.

[coco]

p.s. I see the situation with Drogba as being very similar to the situation with Eto'o at Barcelona. Arguably Eto'o is also one of the best six strikers in the world and in his case his club have openly stated he is free to go if a deal can be arranged. In fact Barcelona have given clubs permission to negotiate personal terms with Eto'o first and then once that is sorted the clubs can agree a fee.

Yet despite this Eto'o is no closer to a move than he was at the end of the season. I just wonder if the big clubs are paying more attention to player's off the field attitude than maybe they have in the past.

Both Eto'o and Drogs have been injured, this would be the major factor in them both remaining.

[Dorset]

Well, I am sitting within spitting distance of Barcelona as I type and I can tell you that the Catalan sports pages have been full of Barca's interest in Drogba. Only last week it was being reported that he had "signed".

Realistically, how many other clubs might he go to from Chelsea? AC Milan (who were interested until told by Chelsea that he wasn't for sale) Inter, Real Madrid. I can't see many other options that would be attractive to him in a playing sense. He is also injured at the moment which would slow down any transfer. I sincerely hope he stays but I'm not convinced he will just yet.

You get to go to Spain and I get…. life just isn’t fair Ethical :angry: I’m not convinced about Drogba staying either, but my thinking goes along the lines of our [cleverly] playing AC Milan off against Barca. Milan have been boxed in after the 5-0 drubbing we’ve given them and Ancelotti, desperately needing a big target man to compliment the second strikers he has, will take a lot of flak from the fans if he doesn’t get the right guy in. It isn’t going to be Adebayor anymore and, as he reputedly hasn’t got any money to spend in any event, he’s got to sell to buy, so…

Galliani has been preparing the ground he is going to retreat to over the last few weeks [pressure increased by today’s result] and I have this feeling that a Drogs [plus Sheva and undisclosed cash] bid for Kaka might eventually tick boxes for all concerned that will see him [Galliani] not losing too much by way of face. Barca, on the other hand, have Eto’o as a bargaining chip, although the longer it goes on and the more Anelka rattles them in, the less need there is for a natural finisher like him anyway. If any of this turns out to be correct, I hope Milan declare their hand first and, if Barca really are interested, let the bidding war commence!

[dreadis]

Having Essien and Cech signing contract extension is the pre-season highlight for me!

[dkw]

Having Essien and Cech signing contract extension is the pre-season highlight for me!

agree 100% with that. best pre-season deal in england was essien signing an extension...

[barak81]

And, to cap it all, just when you don't think you could possibly hate Liverplod anymore, they go and sign Robbie Keane for well over the odds! Genius.

Restores your faith in football and God. Let the season commence.

However they handad spuds 20 mill which let them buy bently who IMO would walk in to our first 11 and any of the other top four. that in adition to mordrch who was one of the stand out players in the Euro's and dos santos who while erratic is cirtainly an exciting tallent.

unfortutnaltly it seems spuds are a lot better of with out kean

[dkw]

However they handad spuds 20 mill which let them buy bently who IMO would walk in to our first 11 and any of the other top four

i dont see whats so good about bentley. i dont rate him at all. hes a decent player, but knowhere near good enough for a top four team. hes not as good as swp was at city and he couldnt make the step up. i may be wrong and he might do well at spurs, but im glad we werent interested.

[wicksy]

............... quite possibly.

For once we didn't go mental and spend multi-mega-bucks on any 30+ has-been, or the latest yet-to-be-proven, young gun with one good season and a dodgy hair-style from the Dutch League.

Instead against all the odds we retained the services of:

1. The most consistent, best goal-scoring midfielder in europe, (possibly the world), and a player synonymous with our club.

2. The most complete centre-forward in europe, (possibly the world).

3. Ricardo Carvalho. I'm not his no:1 fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I do realise his worth to the team and the fact that there isn't, currently, many better and available.

4. Shaun Wright Phillips.

And, to cap it all, just when you don't think you could possibly hate Liverplod anymore, they go and sign Robbie Keane for well over the odds! Genius.

Restores your faith in football and God. Let the season commence.

I generally agree with your posts Just, but not in this case:

1. All of that may well be prove to be past tense, but in any case we haven't yet secured his services as he still wants away

2. See above

3. Agree with you there, Riccy is vital to our team.

4. Sorry mate, but either you're taking the p*ss or you've totally lost the plot!!

[mad_mac]

yeah sweepy has to go, mate. He's not done much than a couple goals and one good cross to Crespo that one time. IN the few years he's been here that his highlights are so few, but his errors a far greater, it's time for him to move on

Scott

[loz]

I don't think your doing Just's sarcasm justice!

[g3.7]

you've forgotten keeping this man, just: