GPK is trying to hold us down, rise up and fight, rebel.... wait I am too old for this shyte... fair enuff GPK you win, another victory for the MAN
i dont know, its the middle of the week and I am stuck at work trying to waste time... felt like taking my vengance out on you instead of the big boss anyways, thanks for sorting us out
From previous thread Both still on the books as far as I know. Oliveira has been on the fringe of the first team since around when CR took over, but has failed to make the leap to the big stage. If he doesn't do it this year I fear he will move on. Nicolas (along with Keenan) was one of our top youth/reserve CM but his showings last season left me with the thought that he was squad material for us at best. Keenan was about the same before he botched up his leg last season. Both seemed more likely to be loaned out or sold to lower division teams (or Spurs). And Kniessl has been lighting up the reserve and youth leagues for 3-4 years now but seems destined to go the way of Sam Parkin and Leon Knight - out on loan for a year or two then sold to a lower division side. Shame since we've never been given a glimpse of what he can do at the top level. Haven't heard anything recently about the Bouffasa kid - supposed to be a Zola/Knight type of player. I remember when Di Cesare came on he was heralded as the future lynchpin of our defense. He's still in the youth/reserve set up 3 years later. Who has the inside scoop on the youth and reserve kids? --the following youngsters turned up for the first day of training as part of a 25 man squad Yves Makabu-Ma Kalambay( phew have fun with that one commentators), Dean Smith, Valerio Di Cesare, Steven Watt, Sam Tillen, Ben Hudell, Filipe Morais, Alexis Nicolas, Craig Rocastle, Danny Hollands, Filipe Oliveira, Sebastien Kneissl and Michele Gallaccio. Oliveira was originally signed from Porto, although I am not sure if it was under JMs tenure. I think several of the lads, especially the older ones, will find themselves out on loan this season and will probably end up following the Knight/Parkin path; Di Cesare, Nicolas, Rocastle, Kneissl.
IMHO... Sorry, but I would vote to split this up into the usual "Where is Crespo Going?" "Where will Smertin Play?" "Jimmy to Celtic?" "Blues in for Portugese CD" threads, rather than this all encompassing thread. Just my 2 cents. Wait, is that Mrs. Abramovich in the Atkins Diet Ad????
i'd love to see one of the young guys make the leap to the first team this year. it's been a while since chelsea had a "young starlet" type player, Filipe Oliveira, Sebastien Kneissl and/or Michele Gallaccio are the ones i'd earmark to get a few minutes this coming season. word on Gallaccio (striker)is that he was chelsea's top scorer in all competitions (youth+reserve squads) last year, and he's still a teenager! Kneissl (attaking midfield/striker)scored in the World Youth Cup earlier in the year (so did huth), and was an occasional sub (one goal) on loan from january at dundee. Filipe Oliveira (versatile right winger)played 10 mins+ vs. everton last season and had more good crosses than gronks had in his ten previous games! a skinny lad but he still beat his marker and ran like hell! fingers crossed lads
crespo vow's to stay and fight for his place i know i've been harping on & on & on about this but i hope he stays
Well, yeah I’d like him to stay. But when a player doesn’t turn up for training and is linked constantly with a return to Italy one has to question the players loyalty and commitment to the club. Hopefully, this is the end of it and he and we can get on with OUR great new season.
i do agree with ya dont get me wrong like but,but paper talk should always be takein with a large pinch of salt,yes i know he missed training which was bizarre,but like you said hopefully it's all water under the bridge now and we can get on with the season. anyway speaking of large pinches of salt...... tiago latest...
this is also very intriguing aint it? a defensive midfield player? when we already have 2 fairly decent ones in Makalele and Parker. Add to that the “returning” of Smertin. I just don’t get it myself. Ho-Hum. Our priority at the moment really should be a central defender (or two).
i heard smertin played a CB role in euro 2004 very effectively, maybe thats his purpose for us, backup i mean
Well.......he was very adequate. However, he kept wanting to make runs forward, at which he's fairly proficient. He's actually a very good sub, although I'm not sure how happy the Russian captain will be at sitting on our bench. Most Portsmouth fans I've spoken to (all of 3 of them) thought he played pretty well, especially as he adapted more the Premiership. So with all that in mind, he's a defender in the same way Desailly was a midfielder.
so crespo's staying, smertin can play center D in a pinch, huth is staying...are we done? we've got 2 first strikers/2 second strikers-CLOSED !, 3 & a half central defenders-CLOSED! , and a big grab bag of attacking & defensive midfielders. the only problem may be the right wing. do we NEED to buy anyone else? i don't think so.
No, I definitely think we need another CB. A central defensive pairing of Huth and Smertin scares me a lot, despite Smertin's name being derived from the Russian word for death. Also, I'd think another RM is a must. That would about bring the squad up to 24. Which, oddly enough, doesn't seem like that much smaller since last year's, since we had so many players who never saw the pitch. (Petit? Bogarde? Stanic? Etc.)
(gulp) huth & smertin, i hadn't thought of that! suggestions for who you'd like to see at center back? off the top o' me head i'd say carvalho, but i realy don't want to pay 12mil for a third choice CD. Q: who is a solid midlevel defender who could stand to sit on the bench & wouldn't break the bank (again)?
Why go for a 2nd rate CB? They're not as hard to rotate, and pick up injuries thanks to jumping into burly attackers Look at how often Terry, Desailly or Gallas were out last year. (Remember our Melchiot-Huth baclkline at Highbury?) I think 3 first class CBs won't present too many selection headaches - didn't last year. I'd say go for Chivu. He's young, captains his country, and he might be able to straighten out whatever's wrong with Mutu.
chivu's a big thing in rome right now and he & totti are about the only players roma won't sell. but how about dellas? from what i head he's used to being a bench warmer & was very much the defensive rock for greece. here's a couple of other names that popped into my head: Fabricio Coloccini (Villareal) is on loan from milan and i think we could out bid VR was a major player for them in the uefa cup and is breaking into the argentine NT (is at the copa america but not a starter). Danny Gabbidon (Cardiff) by all acounts is the best defender in the 1st div- oh pardon me the "championship" Luisão (Benfica) at the copa america for brazil, & no doubt JM has had a look at him
I think J.Cole will feature more as a RM than a CM. I know he is not a winger but his creativity could be quite useful on the flank. With Lamps, Makele, Parker, Smertin and Geremi all able to play in the middle I would not be suprised to see Cole moved outside. Geremi seems to be the obvious choice as the reserve RM, unless JM thinks he is a better option. I still would not be suprised to see a RM brought in, thats why I dont understand the links to Tiago. We are at least 2 deep in the holding midfielder role, and if he wants to groom a young player to take over for Makele then I am quite confident that Parker would be just as good. As for the fowards. Lets hope this Crespo thing is all bollox. He is talented and if really wants to stay then so be it. Mutu has told JM that he wants to stay and I can see him featuring behind the front 2 at times, and Kezman will more than likely get a look in as well. Lets face it lads, he might not be a crowd favourite at the moment, but Crespo is very gifted and probably would have scored a few more last season were it not for injuries and the rotation of the strikers.
From what i've heard about Tiago, hes more of a two way midfielder in the Lampard or Maniche mould than a defensive midfielder in the Makelele mould.