some good analysis on him on the shed end forum. I think it's fair to say that he's excellent but to become world class needs to improve decision making, final balls, and shooting.
He is 21 years old. Seems reasonable to me that he has things to work on. Shooting and being able to hold the ball when being physically mauled are the two that I see as the most important. The final balls criticism is kind of meh to me... He has put at least two balls per game in an ideal place over his last 5 but none of them were put home. Things just go that way sometimes. Overall, he is quite a bit ahead of where I thought he would be in his 1st season in the EPL considering his age. The fact that pundits think he can be elite in the future speaks volumes.
He's doing great and yea "final ball" might just mean playing longer with Tammy or with better players than Bats. He had that scoop through ball to bats that should have been buried and then yesterday that little leave for Tammy that for whatever reason Tammy didn't see. More time together should help with that. It's a fun ride.
The full highlights of the Lille match are practically a Pulisic touches video. And then we have the critical analyses from the wise men of the various discussion forums. I am loving this moment.
Word. There is literally one Chelsea highlight chance that came after CP went off. As a matter of fact, I think the 5 minute official highlight reel didn't do him justice. That run to the end line in particular where he dazzled with his feet was pretty fantastic. He was crucial in the 1st goal and this is the 2nd week in a row where he dragged defenders out of the way on a set piece for a teammate to get the open header. I actually think it was a designed play. I am happy CP got some minutes off because the team is going to need him this weekend. At this point, the drop-off from CP to Odoi looks pretty substantial.
They are fine for CBs, they just need Rudiger healthy. That should not be a priority for now. LB and striker, and then replacement for Pedro, those are much more important as far as I can tell. I'd still be really surprised by anyone that has their pick of most clubs in the world electing to go to this current Chelsea side, which is why something like Sancho seems very unrealistic, but maybe he was a big supporter when he was a kid and has always dreamed of playing there. That could swing things. Probably not in January, though. Same for Chilwell, can't see Leicester selling while they're keeping up a fairly legit title push.
I do think Sancho wants to play for us... but I don't see Dortmund doing it this winter. Choking away the league title must have left the worst taste in their mouths and Sancho is signed thru 2022... no need to move him now... especially when he has just gotten on a super hot run of form. No... not this winter. Dortmund is going to go for it... the Bundesliga is wide open this season.... even though I would still bet on Bayen to win it again (I just vomited a bit in my mouth). Left Back... #1 priority. For pretty much the same reasons I don't see LC selling Chilwell this winter. This kid is a stud... only 22 and is signed thru 2024! Not at all certain they would even sell him in the Summer.
The steal becomes if he can play at this level for at least 4 years AND command a potentially fee exceeding or matching the one they paid OR if he plays like this for the next seven years.
Sancho will be 9 figures, and the kind of bidders that may draw in the summer -- including clubs like Liverpool and City, and maybe even Real? -- I just don't see Chelsea winning that war, currently. Chelsea are still probably only the 5th "best" squad in the premier league right now IMO, and United spending on their midfield could arguably bump them down to 6th. Don't get me wrong they've done generally well this season, and I like a lot of their young players, and I even like Frank's general style, but their general success is as much due to Spurs and United screwing up/being injured as it is them proving they really belong as a modern top 4 side. I just don't know what kind of draw Chelsea really represent when up against the big boys in the market these days... Sancho has friends on the team, sure, but it's a young-ish squad with a young attack that isn't necessarily suited to winning anything in the immediate future. Which tends to dictate these monster transfers with young superstar players, them making moves in order to get some silverware. I don't know. We'll see what happens... it would surprise me is all I'm saying. Maybe I'm wrong on this one, maybe he'd love to come play with Chelsea with all these young English players + CP. Who knows.
Or discovers time travel or the secret of immortality on his days off. That would make him a steal too, in my book.
The gap between the Big Five and the rest of Europe keeps widening: all of the 16 teams that made it past group in the Champions come from those leagues: England = All four Spain = All four Germany = 3 out of 4 (Aspirins didn't make it) Italy = 3 out of 4 (Inter didn't make it) France = 2 out of 3 (Lille didn't make it)
Here's how it looks over these past 4 seasons, in terms of the number of Champions League knockout stage positions filled by a team from each league over that period (with the number of unique teams in parenthesis). England: 16 (7 teams) Spain: 14 (5 teams) Germany: 10 (5 teams) Italy: 9 (4 teams) France: 7 (3 teams) Portugal: 4 (2 teams, including 1 quarter-finalist) Netherlands: 1 (semi-finalist) Ukraine: 1 Turkey: 1 Switzerland: 1
I don't get the Sancho transfer talk, he is on contract through 2024. He is going to be expensive. They need to spend what Sancho would cost on a LB, a striker, and probably a CB.
I would think if they want world class players at any position, they would have to be willing to spend Sancho-esque type money (or more) for just one (1) player. It seems they have plenty of squad players, except it seems they need a more adequate second choice at striker.
You realize Dortmund will want to get paid for those contract years. There are some very good players that won't cost 125 plus million. You can't win titles with squad players at CB but defenders do not cost what an English born international attacker/winger is going to cost. VVD, who arguably might be the worlds best defender, only went for 75 million.
Abramovich through his partner Andrei Bloch is set to control the blooming marijuana market in the USA, thanks to exclusive deals secured in the USA through friends of Mr. Putin here (and now with the policy that each state can make its rules). So the guy is going to have billions to invest in Chelski if he wants. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019...ns-him-to-forbes-richest-russians-list-a65293 https://www.barrons.com/articles/cu...rijuana-company-with-russian-roots-1542798001 https://www.marijuanamoment.net/pre...istration-will-let-states-legalize-marijuana/ https://mjbizdaily.com/curaleaf-amends-cura-partners-marijuana-deal-antitrust-hurdle-cleared/
Exactly. As I've said earlier, there are only 3 teams in the EPL that score more goals than Chelsea. Those are the 3 teams that site above them on the table (Liverpool, Man City, and Leicester). Now if they can reduce the number of goals they give up, they are pretty safe in that #4 spot; or even higher. The last 10-15 minute of every game, you have a feeling they are going go give up a dumb goal at any moment. No confidence in that back line at all.
Has to be left back as the big priority IMO, but not a great market for them at the moment. Maybe they can make a big splash at RW with Sancho or someone else the way they did with CP, making a deal in the winter and loaning back for the remainder of the season.