http://www.thisislondon.com/sport/football/articles/9288218?source=Evening This isn't the independant so it may have some truth to it.Plus, doesn't Mellor write for these guys? Funny thing is i can see it actually happening. The clear out will no doubt be a precursor to another shopping spree - although most likely not on so grant a scale as last off season. Names mentioned. Veron...well, to be blunt, we need a player thats available all season long. When i think of him i do wonder if he'd be any help, then i remember the Rovers game at home and the oh so many times i wished i could have given him a kick in the arse to get him into the game, especially at the start. Makelele...lets be honest here.Great player, but he came for the money.Looks disinterested of late and has become very sloppy. Petit...crocked, 'nuff said. JFH...his best days are behind him, he's lost a step and has lost what little team play he ever had.Can't raise his game to the level required. Bogarde...rotflmfao Melchiot...pity, good squad player.Young Johnson will be the future and Melchiot will make way for a "name" to take the starting role for the next 2/3 seasons whilst he learns the game at a higher level. Gronkjaer...his headless chicken approach of belting the ball and legging it up the field after it is okay for most of the other teams in the prem, but he's found wanting when up against quality opposition.Still, for all that, if he could cross the damn ball to any effect he'd never be sold. Desailly..recently signed that one year extension, but will most likely retire after Euro '04 anyway. Babayaro..can't figure this one out.Bridge will be the regular starter now, he's improved considerably over the past few months and Baba is a more than adequate squad player to have when he needs a rest. Stanic...Feel sorry for him really.Ranieri asked a lot of this players last season, playing him in just about every position on the pitch except goalkeeper.He went out and did the job as best he could, never whinged once...(Makelele). Will always be remembered for that wonder goal against the hammers. Sullivan...see Bogarde.
Honestly Snuffles Who would you want out of that bunch? Gronks obviously as he seems to put in quality appearnces vs you guys - you only seem the best in him. Would Desailly or Melchiot start for you? Jimmy wouldn't be bad either as your 2nd/3rd striker. Makelele or Petit in for Hammann?
I've been expecting a few players to go at the end of the season, Chelsea have more players than they need in certain positions, especially if they intend to buy some more. I'd have thought they would have kept Veron and Makelele though, for over 15 million each you might as well give them a second season to prove themselves. Makelele started well, and before Veron's injury I thought Ranieri had managed to get some much improved performances from him. Selling them a season later is like admitting you made a terrible mistake buying them in the first place. Babayaro, Melchiot should be kept on as squad players unless new players come in at left/right back, but I agree with the rest of them going.
I think there are lots of other options we haven't considered. We currently have 3(!!!) useless goalkeepers. With Cech coming in the summer, they're gone. So that's three down. Next - Bogarde, Stanic - they won't be missed. Melchiot and Jimmy are likely to leave anyway, and we've known that for a while. So we're down to 3 names now. I'd guess Veron, Petit and someone else. Maybe Eidur - that game against the Arse might have sealed it, and I don't think he's any better than Forsell these days. (STPUID.) I really want Babayaro to stay, actually, as he's played well in a reduced role recently. Seems to agree with him. With all of Nigeria's pointless friendlies and tournaments, he won't be around all that much. Also, lets not forget the players we have on loan. Zenden, Carlton Cole, Smertin - they're still technically Chelsea's. If those three are sold - we've got our quota of ten without losing anyone remotely integral. I think Cole will be loaned out, personally, for his own good. Of the players mentioned, in no way do I want Gronks or Makelele to go. Money or not, Claude's a great holding midfielder. Gronks is the perfect substitute. Is there anyone better to bring in against a tired defense. He plays hard, and he tries. Yes, his crossing is awful, but for the occasional start I'll be happy with it.
Good call. I've always wanted to see that central defensive pairing of Bernard Diomede and Winston Bogarde.
good points nicephoras I think the writing is on the wall for Sullivan and Ambrosio. I think Macho had a two year deal though so the question is whether he will stay and be 3rd string or whether we bring Pidgeley back for that spot. I think Lenny goes on loan to a Div 1 side again or maybe a EPL team that desperately needs someone. So that's 2 gone. Only Bogarde will definitely go from the back line. I also hope Baba stays as he seems to be perfect for the #2 LB role. I think it's 50-50 that Melchiot and Desailly leave. I will guess that one goes and one stays. So that is 2 more to make 4 gone. I agree with Pizarius, I would give Makelele and Veron another season to prove themselves. Stanic, Zenden and Petit are virtually assured of not being back. Zenden bc he has not impressed and seems to get in the manager's doghouse often, Petit is always injured, and Stanic has outlived his usefulness. That's 3 more to make 7. Jimmy won't be back up front and if we buy another striker to push Guddy back to the #4 spot I think he will ask to leave. Hopefully Mika will come back, but he probably won't settle for being the 4th striker either. C Cole will still be on loan to Charlton as part of the Parker deal. I would suspect that Jimmy and one of Guddy/Mika will be gone. That's 2 more to make 9. I think management will make one or two of the above moves that we would not, probably Baba, J Cole, Gronks, or Veron. Hopefully not Gronks - he can play either wing if Duff or a new RW gets injured - that would be invaluable. Even with those 9 gone, we would still have the following core of 22 back next season: GK: Carlo, Cech, Macho/Pidgeley RB: Johnson CB: Terry, Gallas, Huth, Desailly LB: Bridge, Baba RW: Gronkjaer, Geremi CM: Lampard, Parker, Makelele, Veron, Cole, Smertin LW: Duff F: Crespo, Mutu, Forssell/Gudjohnsen I would take that team +1 RB and +1 winger any day. Unfortunately there don't seem to be any youth/reserve team players knocking on the door yet. Oliveira has yet to crack into the first team squad, nor has Kniessl or Keenan. Nicolas is a stop gap at best and we already have a glut of CM's (anyone remember when we were dying to buy some CM's this past summer?).
you should surely axe the players who haven't played for you all season(stanic, borgarde) Although veron might have been a very good player but i don't think he is suited for the english game..wasn't good enough for manu, not good enough for chelsea...
If we're building team unity then there won't be a wholesale sell off. All the new, high dollar buys should stay. Melchiot and Johnson will probably switch roles with Johnson getting more starts. Stanic and Bogarde: gone. Petit and Desailly might have one more year left. Zenden, sell him for the money. He appears to perform better someplace other than Chelsea. Might also get good money for Forssell. Has Leon Knight been sold or is he out on loan (Brighton)? Was Cole's loan extended, or was he sold outright as part of the Parker deal? What about that Russian at Portsmouth? JFH and Eidur have scored over 20 goals between them, so as awful as they look at times, they are knocking them in on occasion. Next year Mutu will be much more of a force as he will be more established as either striker or provider. Ditto: Geremi as either attacking or defending mid. And finally, we have the built in relationship between Crespo and Veron that we haven't seen at all this year. And that is a large part of the 100 million spent, that Ranieri's critics are moaning about.
Whats Makelele done to suddenly have everyone wanting him sold?. He's been one of our better players this season and is one of the better defensive midfielders in the world, unless hes bringing down team spirit I dont think he should be sold unless we can replace him with a Veira or an Emerson. As for Veron, I think we are judging him too harsh, he wasnt too bad when he was on the park and his dangerousness in space means that the opposition has to play him close attention meaning that he can have a big positive effect on a game without even touching the ball (creating space for teammates).
Makelele is a bit like Nicky Butt, fine if you stick him with two wingers and someone like Scholes or Veron as they split the midfield load between attack and defence but i'm not convinced he is that useful if you plan on playing no wingers and lots of all round midfielders. Now that, is scary. Hmm, I'd take; Melchiot as cover for Finnan as I don't want to see Diao at right back next year. Desailly as cover for H & H as I don't want to see Biscan, it would be funny to see Hyypia and Desailly trying to catch Henry in a game next year. Veron and Gronkjaer to challenge Diouf and Kewell as creators as I don't think TLT, Cheyrou, Murphy or Smicer are really pushing those two to play better, they probably try to play worse to fit in... Makelele to challenge Hammann as the holding midfielder and be cover, don't want Gerrard to have to do that job and don't want Murphy, Biscan or Diao on the pitch either. JFH to challenge Baros and Heskey for 2nd striker, which I think he has a good shot at. Supposedly we are getting Cisse for 14 million next year, I would much rather have JFH, Gronkjaer and Melchiot, I doubt they would cost 14 million either.
Well I don't think we will be letting all of those players go, but Melchiot and JFH will be out of contract so unless we resign them before the summer they would cost you nothing but wages. I'll admit I don't like the idea of JFH playing for another English team. He may be 50% of the player he was 2 years ago but on his day he can still destroy a team with one shot. I think Gronkjaer and Veron will be the big transfer question marks this summer. I think if Ranieri stays they will both stay but if we bring in someone else we may see one or both go out the door.
makelele ran the show against besiktas . he bossed the chelsea attack and broke up any besiktas attacks .I rate him higher than Patrick viera . i think you should give him a chance to get his form back .He aint the only player to lose his touch because of ranieri's contant tinkering and farting around with the tactics. Even mutu has lost his touch compared to when he first arrived.
Dunno I hope Makelele is just tired but he sure has looked poor the last few outings, especially against Arsenal and Stuttgart. And he can't really have been messed up by CR's tactics because he has played as the deep holding midfielder in every match except one where he was pushed to the right of the diamond when Petit was in. CR must see him as vital to the team to not give him any rest but I think we will need Parker, Geremi, or Manu to deputize for a stretch soon.
Re: good points nicephoras How about using Geremi as a RB? Taking over from Melchiot and signing a more skilful RW player? Or using Veron on that side until Beckham has had his 2 years in Madrid. I think we'll also sign a striker (for Jimmy) and a CB.
Strikers. Mutu & Crespo we keep. Carlton Cole we continue to loan. Jimmy we lose. Eidur? fits in well with the lads in the team, but he’s been erratic with his performances this year and last season too. Forssell, we have to make a decision on the lad really. If we let Mikael go, I just have the feeling he’ll come back to haunt us. Decisions, decisions .. .will Claudio be making the decisions? I hope so. there has been mention of Sir Alex taking over (I’m sure its a total rumour, but stranger things have indeed happened). blast from the past: AC Milan are interested in Tore Andre Flo apparently, now of Serie A's Siena.