12 Dec 2025 19:18:33
Apologies in advance for the rant and it not specifically Chelsea related. The World Cup; you all know that I believe that FIFA and UEFA are corrupt and put the Mafia on par with the Women’s Istitute. The notion that football is “the People’s game “ and “the beautiful game “ are long gone. Football is the biggest sport in the world and has been hijacked by money and politics.
I am not a great fan of international football but support England and Ireland in tournaments.
Domestically, I worry about club football, supporters who don’t have season tickets struggle to get to games and even to watch games on TV with different providers vying for rights; you will need probably four different subscriptions soon. ”The people’s game “ my ar**.
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12 Dec 2025 20:20:25
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12 Dec 2025 14:46:20
Unfortunately I will not be able to attend yet another game at the home of the Club World Champions.
I’m not very hopeful of a positive result but I’m usually wrong and I hope I’m wrong again.
I think Josh should start at CH and I also think that Santos should be the replacement for Caicedo.
I personally wouldn’t pick Pedro as our CF.
Anyway, COME ON MY MIGHTY BLUES.
12 Dec 2025 21:08:21
Tom, sorry to hear that. I will be there but honestly don’t know what to expect: so no predictions from me.
12 Dec 2025 12:19:11
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Matchday 15 - Quick Round Up
12 Dec 2025 09:33:08
Reece James and Enzo Fernandez called a meeting yesterday with the players to discuss their struggles against the lesser sides they should be controlling, I like that sort of leadership and something JT used to do when things needed sorting and that was even happening back then with Jose in charge. let's hope it works.
12 Dec 2025 10:15:53
Absolutely, the players needed to get together as you say like JT, Lamps and other senior pros.
Lets hope it turns things around, would hate to see Everton fans gloating.
11 Dec 2025 19:47:16
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new podcast entitled, Eds C U Next Time on Youtube
11 Dec 2025 07:39:40
{Ed's Note - OptimistPesimistt has posted a new article entitled, Daniel Farke Is Still The Right Man For Leeds United
10 Dec 2025 21:44:57
I was a great fan of Noni and wondered why we sold him, I got pelters on here for saying he would come good but we sold him anyway. Is Gittens any better? TBF to the sporting directors who sold him almost everyone on here also thought he should be sold. Just shows how important patience is, I also remember someone calling Moises a donkey and others calling out Cucu and others.
My point being patience is needed with everyone, players, coaches, sporting directors, owners etal. The poll ED033 has created shows a 50:50 split on Maresca, some are patient and some want a brand new shiny toy, what way will this turn out?
11 Dec 2025 09:24:45
Greenaway
Your correct of course, Noni is wingers who can beat people with ease and really teamed up well with CP, who i think misses him big time. I read somewhere that is attitude is not great but certainly on the field of play, there were no complaints.
With Regards to Matesca, I'm not surprised that he has so far splt the vote, he is like marmite, some like his style of play and rotation, others like myself think he is letting this young team down.
11 Dec 2025 10:44:53
Totally agree with patience needed but also a few weeks of great form at Arsenal doesn't mean it wasn't a bad sale as always time will tell. I admit I was a sell Noni person didn't mind the Gittens buy but the Garnacho buy was not something that excited me.
I think it is harder to have patience when the expectations at Chelsea are so much higher than the squad might be able to deliver, that being said we are definately a coming team . I was hoping or expecting 2nd or 3rd this season but feel injuries have derailed us a bit this season. Palmer Colwill and that stupid card for Moises .
A big couple of months coming up.
11 Dec 2025 11:25:50
If Maresca continues to rotate his centre backs it will be the end of him. 2 positions you never rotate are your goalkeeper and your centre backs. The rest of the side can be rotated but those 2 positions must remain the same. If Fofana can't play every 3 days then bin him off and play young Josh next to Trevor.
11 Dec 2025 14:13:57
Garnacho has been for the most promising he try’s to make something happen Gittens for me is awful but like you say time is required.
11 Dec 2025 15:32:26
Noni is an attitude problem. In the night clubs late in a Friday quite often. We was going to sell him. Then he scored a ha trick. Then we kept him. Then he did hardly anything. Maresca wasn’t a new toy, he was booed by Leicester fans though getting them promoted.
As for gittens, I’ve said ever since sancho Werner and havertz come to the premier league. They look good in Germany!
11 Dec 2025 17:53:03
I have no idea about the Neto personal life. Also for me, EM doesn’t seem to tolerate players who aren’t professional.
Time will tell about Gittens ability to play in the premiership.
11 Dec 2025 19:15:55
I expect that Noni sale was to do with bottom line for FFP first and foremost. For me it did not make sense to sell an already effective winger who was scoring goals for us to a rival and buy untested Gittens. a ganble. Was fairly neutral about Garnacho but reckon he has done ok.
Noni had good understanding with Cole and Jackson. But our transactional churning over of players with too little attention to striker and CB strengthening has been worrying to frustrating. Vision 2030 not Vision 2025 or 2026.if we're optimistic?
10 Dec 2025 19:38:33
I will continue to be critical of our recent performances but I still believe that EM will be our manager for the remainder af this season and therefore has my 100% support.
I also think that Jimbo has made a good point in his recent posts about our summer signings, so far, not living to expectations.
I do not buy into the age/experience excuses for the players and manager. I also believe that the rotation excuse is lame, as all premiership clubs and other champions league clubs rotate.
It’s now up to the players and manager to turn this slump in form around, they did it last season and I remain hopeful it will happen again.
10 Dec 2025 21:30:31
Tom,
I agree with you that unless there is a long term slump, Maresca will be with us until the end of the season, to be honest, I don't believe there are any options presently out there at the moment.
I also agrre with yourself and Jimbo regarding our recent purchases not performing espically Gittens .
Where i don't agree is that yes all teams rotate however non to the extent of half a starting 11 every game.
Hopefully the players manage to turn things around preferably starting this Saturday, let's hope they give us all a merry Christmas.
10 Dec 2025 21:01:31
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new podcast entitled, Eds C U Next Time on Youtube
10 Dec 2025 12:44:14
Ed033, can you run a poll on here, on Maresca in or out?
{Ed033's Note -
Marseca poll
10 Dec 2025 13:51:25
Thanks ED033, will be interesting to see the results.
{Ed033's Note - ok thanks.
10 Dec 2025 16:39:09
Get rid one tactic pony.
10 Dec 2025 17:21:28
He that theory wrong last season and how he change things for the second half of the conference league final. Of course would could forget the tactical changes he made for the CWC final against PSG.
Last week he made second half changes against Leeds that were obvious to a blind man and then got criticism for not making tactical changes.
10 Dec 2025 18:16:32
Tom
The issue is rotation and dire football, I did not like TT gor it and I don't like Maresca for it either.
10 Dec 2025 19:05:19
Bill, I’ve sort of worked out you want him sacked.
You want a manager who gets the team playing entertaining football three times a week and if possible winning every game.
I wonder if any other clubs are looking for any manager who can deliver that.
I think the last one we had who tried that at Chelsea was AVB.
10 Dec 2025 19:41:20
I’m sorry guys, I have voted twice on the above poll.
10 Dec 2025 19:52:15
Looks like the fan base on this page at least are more or less equally split if the poll can be believed as a true representation.
Think he really needs to settle on the defensive system as far as rotation is concerned I preferred the Weekend / midweek rotation of last year.
10 Dec 2025 09:57:39
Pedro to EM, bossing scored and although you put on 27 defenders, we still lost.
EM to Pedro, I said to thecm Atlanta coach, we will score first and you won't score as we will have so many defenders.
Pedro to EM, but you also had Garnacho playing.
EM to Pedro, who?
Pedro to EM, why did you not play Palmer and Estavo?
EM to Pedro, I did not want to disturb them, they are happy on the bench, nice and warm, playing their games on the phone.
Pedro to EM
So what is your team for Saturday?
EM to Pedro, well you need a rest so I was thinking about paying Sanchez as the main CF, putting Estavo in goal, playing Cucurella and Chabs on the wings, Guiu, Neto and Garnacho can play at the back, just trying to rotate the system. Maybe at last I will be sacked and will get my compensation just like my compatriot, Antonio Conte.
10 Dec 2025 10:47:28
Bill, very good. I have an idea let’s play Delap in a sling and Colwill in a plaster cast.
This anti rotation thing is a constant joke.
10 Dec 2025 12:42:52
Tom,
The point i made was after everyone is 'fit', not at this present time.
The only joke is the rotation.
10 Dec 2025 15:05:07
Bill, we are fans. We are not fitness coaches or doctors. We have zero idea how a player is judged to be fit to play or how long a rehab process for every type of injury takes.
On top of all those issue we have suspensions.
No manager is going to satisfy every fan on team selection (fit or not) anyway.
The truth is you want him sacked and whatever he does is wrong.
10 Dec 2025 15:19:35
Yet you keep mentioning these so called injuries.
We have 2 "first team players injuried" lavia and delap. Neither have played more than probably 30 games for us.
10 Dec 2025 15:35:14
Tom
I have already said that Maresca will be with us until the end of the season, that does and should stop me complaining about the ricidilous amount of rotation game in, game out. It also does not stop me from moaning about the sure football we are playing.
If Maresca stopped his massive rotation every game and played attractive football, I would back him, no problem.
Happy for you to be bored if you so wish, as I have previously said, everybody is entitled to their own opinion.
10 Dec 2025 17:30:00
Bill, I’m never happy when play badly or lose but I don’t want us playing well and lose that’s for sure. If some fans are happy with that so be it but I promise you there will be a huge amount of fans who will moan about losing and playing so called pretty football.
We saw what happened big Ange and how the fans turned on him when he employed his bonkers tactics.
10 Dec 2025 17:58:23
Every team rotates reason clubs buy more players for squad dept but maresca is over doing it. Not convinced about delap however. Maresca must have a starting 11 and stop this rotation madness. I might be anti maresca if he jokingly fail to qualify for the next stage in the ucl . The club should be ashamed of themselves for spending so much without addressing key areas like the striker, and defence. I like maresca but he must understand he's Chelsea manager who are spoilt with winninigs. Occasionally we.
10 Dec 2025 18:21:51
Tusole, you are correct every team rotates. Teams who are not in European competition rotate. Teams who did play in the CWC rotate.
Delap wouldn’t have been my choice but I am reluctant to give an opinion on him as a player until I’ve seen him play on a regular basis.
10 Dec 2025 19:43:05
chelsea forever
The Colwill injury and Palmer injury still not yet fit have had a bigger impact than that of Lavia and Delap although I see them both as top players in the near future if they can stay clear of injuries
Think i read somewhere that we were second or third on the days lost to injury list but agree that Maresca sometimes doesn't help himself with changes to the back 3 or 4.
10 Dec 2025 22:04:04
It’s also about managing player who had long term injury issues, like Fofana and James.
It’s injuries, suspensions and the amount of games played, particularly if your club is in a European competition.
Rotation isn’t an excuse, in my opinion it’s a necessity.
11 Dec 2025 08:44:47
TOM agree with all of that,
the fixture list is going to get so congested if we get to the semis of the League cup and have to play in the CL playoffs Jan and Feb become packed with fixtures.