And the transfer talk is still rather quiet. Aside from the silly rumours concerning Gudjohnsen and Gallas, there haven't been any major stories concerning players in or players out. If everything stays as is, the squad will start the season like so (starting XI position): GK: Cudicini (GK). De Goey, Bosnich, Evans. D: Melchiot (RB), Desailly (CB), Gallas (CB), Le Saux (LB). Terry, Babayaro, Ferrer, Huth, Kitamirike, Cummings. CM: Lampard (CM), Petit (CM). Keenan, De Lucas, Morris, Wolleaston. W: Gronkjaer (RW), Zenden (LW), De Lucas, Le Saux, Keenan, Stanic, Ambrosetti. F: Hasselbaink (S), Gudjohnsen (S). Zola, Forssell, Cole, Oliveira. Thats 30 players, we only need 23-24 for the squad, having more means excess wages. We can fill in the reserve team with some of the other youth players. One of the keepers should go. If we can't sell De Goey or Bosnich, then Evans should go out on loan. I thought Celtic would have been a good fit for either of the backups but it appears Claudio likes having all 3 as insurance and the Hoops just bought Hedman from Coventry. Maybe we can still get De Goey back to Holland somehow. Cummings does not have what it takes yet. He was consistently beaten at LB in both the Oxford and Portsmouth matches according to reports. He should be loaned out again or stay in the reserves the rest of the season. Same for Kitamirike, he needs some more experience. We should keep hiim at Chelsea though and maybe get him some experience in the League Cup. Ambrosetti and Stanic should be sold to anyone (bundle Bogarde in too), but it probably will not happen. We have an excess of youngsters at the wings and forward positions: De Lucas, Keenan, Wolleaston, Forssell, Cole, Oliveira. De Lucas and Forssell both are ready for first team football. Keenan can cover both CM and LW so he shoudl stay as well. Cole and Oliveira will be needed while our strikers recover fitness. That leaves Wolleaston as the odd man out unless he makes major progress in our last few friendlies and in Italy. He's been bounced around the reserves and out on loan so many times it isn't quite fair to him, but he just hasn't shown the talent to be a regular first teamer so far. If he is happy at Chelsea in a reserve role he should stay, otherwise we should try to help him find first team action somewhere. I guess the result of my ramblings is that we should try and cut the excess wages if possible, therefore I don't see the point in getting any new backups with wages larger than our current backups. We don't need Baggio or Lopez. I think the only players we need now are young players at CM and all the defensive positions on cheap wages that would be willing to back up the older guys until they leave. Prutton of Nottingham Forest fits the bill. U-21 CM, promising reports on him. Forest are desperate to hold onto him but if they really need the money maybe we can tempt them by offering a piece of any sell-on fee (a la Izzet). My final say: Out - Bogarde, Stanic, Ambro, De Goey (same 4 as always). Cummings, Kitamirike, Wolleaston to reserves. In - Chelsea youngsters, Prutton. 3rd/4th place is attainable, the first month is crucial though. We need a fast start, something we have not gotten the past 2 seasons.
Looking back on that post it's funny to see the changes in my feelings over the past 3 months. When last season ended, I thought we needed to buy: 1 holding midfielder 1 reliable right back 1 backup centre back possibly an attacking midfielder/playmaker and I thought we needed to sell: Bogarde Joker Stanic Ambrosetti De Goey Morris Ferrer So far, Chelsea's summer moves have amounted to the following: Sign De Lucas (maybe) - versatile winger, can backup CM Send Knight out on loan Release Jokanovic Get Ambrosetti back from loan So we did 1 thing right that I asked for - released Joker. We have solved the backup centre back problem by promoting Huth, and possibly the midfielder situation with Keenan and De Lucas. So even though most of my wishes from 3 months ago have not been met, why do I feel so optimistic about this season?
Realistic ambitions this time mayhap MST? I think over the past several seasons..esp during the late 90's...we were really thinking that CFC could go on and win the title.We really should have won it in '99, but as always we couldn't get the little results that we needed.2-0 up to the foxes and 12 mins left in the game, what do we do..screw it up as usual.End up tieing 2-2 and out of the title race. We had great runs in the cups and a prolonged run in the Cl.The big spending was there, the media continually toted us "big Three", and to a man we were really excited. Young Morris was coming tru the system and geting some first team appearances and rave reviews from reserve team matches, Wise was playing for England again and a certain player by the name of Terry was lighting up the U21's.Things looked really great.More title talk was abounding than ever before. How things have changed over the past three seasons huh? Now, for the most part, realistic ambitions are finishing in the top 4, securing Champions league footie and quelling financial worrys. The purchases of the pasr three years have brought mixed reviews.One of them is gone already, two of the others have been injured most of the time and one has really failed to live up to his name....i am of course refering to Jokanovic Stanic,Gronkjaer Petit [/list=1] This time it seems that the reported financial state of the club is taking the forefront of any "title' talk. We don't have any big name signings that we have had over the last few years to fuel such talk and our bigest arrival to date has been an u21 spanish international...who i might add has done quite well for himself, even if it was against non first level opposition....and the focus seems to be on keeping the likes of Gudjohnsen and Hasselbaink rather than wondering who will be on TV as the latest signing. No, all in all this has been a very humbling summer for the faithful.Certainly different than the last few years and thus i think we have come to accept that we simply will not win the title this year. Looking at the almighty gap that is between the top two of Man U, Arse and the rest is what gives us hope of a decent season though.Most have the scouse with the top two..could be right...but i prefer to see them as the top of the next tier of teams of which i see us as a strong member. Most of us realise this is where we are this time around and have accapted it as being so....thus we are looking forward to a good season whilst realising we will not win the title. How things have changed as we now look to capture a Champions league place as opposed to the title. Still, it could be worse, it could be the first division title we are talking about.
"Prutton of Nottingham Forest fits the bill. U-21 CM, promising reports on him." I think Prutton is a RB aint he? We were linked with him at one point last season and they started to get greedy. I agree with most of what you say Mst77. I still think we need another CM player and I think someone with some expereince - like Dino Baggio would fit the bill - because the only experienced Midfielder is Petit and I'm not convinced our "shampoo carrier" can stay fit all season. GK - We used all 3 last season. I think Rhys Evans is going out on loan, I'd rather we kept him and released De Goey D - Still need a RB. Time for Chappy to leave, he's been good, but he's not the player we need at the momment, we need some more pace at the back. Bogarde can obviusly go - thus free ing up 30k a week in wages (for Dino Baggio?) CM: Lampard (CM), Petit (CM). Keenan, De Lucas, Morris, Wolleaston. - ok, too many youngsters, Need to add an experienced player here, splint ends could rule out the little one and there where would be? W: Gronkjaer (RW), Zenden (LW), De Lucas, Le Saux, Keenan. Stanic and Ambrosetti can go. Add another winger/creative mid, maybe bring in a player mid season (a la Zola). Who that player will be - to be determined - but we'll need him. Its a squad game and there will be injuries, especially with Gronks and Zenden. F: Hasselbaink (S), Gudjohnsen (S). Zola, Forssell, Cole, Oliveira. - Excellent shape up front.
<i>GK - We used all 3 last season. I think Rhys Evans is going out on loan, I'd rather we kept him and released De Goey</i> He's gone for the season. Bournemouth.
David Prutton From the Forrest Web iste -seems he is a defender/midfielder. Birthplace: Hull DOB: 12/09/1981 Position: Midfielder Defender Signed: 22/09/1999 Honours: England U 18'S & U 21'S Height: 5ft 11in Weight: 12st 4lb At international level, he’s now firmly established in the England Under 21 squad and made three appearances in the European Under 21 Championships in Switzerland in May. A product of Forest’s youth system, he has played much of his first team football for The Reds as a right-sided midfielder, although he’s equally adept when operating in a more central role.
Clan / Monkee Good points. Didn't realize Evans was already gone, I thought it was just speculation so far. I think we will be fine in CM with the current crop of players. It should give Morris his last chance to prove he belongs in the blue jersey. I have been impressed with the reports of Keenan and De Lucas' versatility in the 2 friendlies, they seem to be able to play both holding and attacking mid, and both can play out wide as well. I think if it turns out we need an experienced player in the middle, we will be able to get someone of Baggio's calibre at any point during the season. I would prefer to not pay his wages or upset the current team harmony until it is definitely proven that we need him. As for Ferrer, until someone else proves capable of backing up Melchiot or outperforming him, I think we have to keep Chappie around. Clan - completely right. There is nothing that will make the fans realize what they have got except threatening to take it all away. By not responding to the finiancial stories, the front office has quelled all expectations to the point that we will be happy if we don't sell anyone, instead of expecting the usual 3-4 big summer signings. I'm still a bit put off by Bates and Birch claiming it was going to be a big summer of changes at CFC and that there were plenty of more signings to come after De Lucas. Like I said before though, if we can start the season with the current squad minus some of the excess fat, I would be satisfied. Boro seems to be buying everyone and their mother, maybe we should offer them Stanic or Ambrosetti... Prutton sounds good to me. Set him up alongside Lampard, Keenan, Morris and De Lucas and see who the best 2 or 3 are. Jenas went for 5 mil last spring and he was rated higher, I bet we could get him for 2 - 2.5 mil with the current crisis. Just a bit of wishful thinking though as I doubt we will splashing out any more cash. If we do, it will probably be to patch immediate holes in the first team, not lay more foundations.
I'm at a complete loss myself to understand the talk of leting Ferrer go.He is an admirable fill in for the RB spot and is not exactly hurting the bank balance.Apart from melchiot there isn't anyone who can play there on a regular basis.Gallas has stated point blank that he doesn't want to. I think this season is going to be one of great change at the back for a certain player.How he copes with is will remain to be seen.I think that Ranieri is going to have torealise that the future of the club at the CB position lies with both Tery and Gallas playing most of the matches.this is something he needs to sort out with dessailly.
dog days of summer Passing slowly at the bridge. No transfer speculation in the media regarding the club or many of the other clubs really. Borro and Pool have been the only excitable buyers in the closed season. The Serial Killer for 10 million could be the buy of the summer. Chelsea are good to go. Up front we are sorted. At the back we are in good shape, as is. Desailly will play CB for the opening games, as Terry is injured. Then CR will have to decide who the pairing at the back will be. Terry/Gallas is the best option, but having Desailly in reserve aint bad at all, considering Man Utd want to win the CL with Blankety Blanc. And then we come to the middle of the park, where Lampard runs around like a headless chicken at times, but you cannot deny his dedication. hopefully, this season Manu Petit will be fit and able to move his bulky frame around the park, distributing the shampoo wherever he goes. The young midfield players are looking very interesting and I think at least one of them could be just the player we have been looking for. Expereince in the middle of the park would be nice, but IF Petit aint fit I don't think we should give the surly Stanic a game just because he's one of the few midfield players over 23. Prutton would be good, David Dunn would be nicer :0) Lets just get on with it. I don't think anyone else is leaving <sigh> and I don't think anyone else is coming in.
Morning Monkee I'm just waiting for the start of the season meself. Another thing i am waiting on with excitement is for the end of qualifying in the UEFA cup as i'm interested to see what way the seedings etc are going to go and who we will get in the first round. I'm quite sure we will be seeded for the first game...at least i would think we would as there will be an awfull lot of lesser teams in it atr that stage.
Morning Clan Yep, the OOfa cup is good for us lot over here, sneaking out of the office in the afternoon, a few pints and watching a game, have really missed the lack of europearn games over the last couple of years, especially as we are still a very "Europearn styled" team, though I'm no longer sure what that even means. I think we should be ok as long as we get one of the BETTER lesser teams <chuckle> in an early round and not one of the lesser lesser teams. There are some nice teams in it, I'd like to see us play and beat Rangers at some stage. The UEFA could be our best chance of some silverware this season.
Do you really think so? I suppose it would be another story altogether if there wasn't any drop down effect from the Cl. There are an awefull lot of good teams in there and some more good ones will be in when the third and final round of pre qualifying is done for the CL. I'm really hoping that Inter is going to make it tru to the group stages...i think they will be on fire this year.
Ferrer? I know we don't have an adequate backup at RB if Chappie goes, but it would be a good piece of business for us if we could get the reported 2 mil for him. Last season they were quoting a price of only 1.2 mil so I don't know how reliable yesterday's report is. He is getting on a bit and won't ever be worth more than he is today. He has given a lot to Chelsea and we owe him a place in the squad if he wants to stay, but he has to know he won't be starting more than 6-7 matches this season. I am hoping everything will settle amicably and he returns to Spain. We pick up some cash and save some of the money we would have spent on his wages. Hopefully one of the youngsters can fill his spot. I know Stanic played at RB once or twice last year, I think it was in the same match that he and Petit played as the CB's for the last 15 minutes. Tuning into that one was quite a shock to hear those 2 as our CB pairing.
Is there a reason you did this - or are you just being a jackass? I'll await your answer before I delete these posts and this drops back into time
just interesting the transformation of cfc since ummm.. since you got rid of enrique de lucas... ya thats it~
Um.....do I give you the benefit of the doubt BTW - we didn't get 'rid' of De Lucas, I believe, legally, we had no choice in the end.
come on phishy is just the most irrelevant poster on big soccer...its not that he's beneath contempt, he's just beneath comment, he's meaningless and essentially harmless
Can you believe that sad cvnt Phishy gave me neg rep for this post Jaysus he has to be the biggest fvcking loser who posts around here...I'll give him some positive rep when I get a chance the poor lad has such low self-esteem it is truly pitiful
Thank ******** for the law. Where was the law when we signed Sutton, Ambrosetti, Panucci and Bogarde?
He's being a jackass, but it's interesting to look back at the squad composition and see what certain members were saying at the time.