Chelsea Transfer Banter

30 Oct 2025 09:35:20
Great first half, 3 good goals and players rested for the Spurs game, squad players used all good.
Second half started badly, they came out quickly and we were still in the dressing room, that is simply not good enough and a JT or Dave would never have allowed that, the onfield captain (Tosin? ) didn't do his job and the other 10 were strolling, piss poor. That set the scene and the whole tie changed on that. Maresca wanted a dominant centre back and didn't get one, he is being proved right and the owners might take that into consideration when they review the whole set up in the summer? Sporting directors mistake?
Good points. Gittens with goals and assists and he looked very promising and a constant threat, can beat his man on the outside with pace and also cut inside, I would like to see him start v Spurs, Estevao, great goal and a good run out on a cold night midweek, good experience for our young brazilian, Hato looks a player and Josh showed some leadership skills, Lavia got more minutes in his legs and that was needed, let's hope he stays fit.


Bad points. the keeper is a bag of nerves and needs to be sold, simply not good enough, Tosin is too slow and just not good enough, George is a lovely lad but not a centre forward and not as good as Gittens on the left so a sale or loan is needed, the brighton no.10 we have on loans offers nothing and couldn't even get in the Leicester side last season whilst on loan, what a strange signing from the sporting directors (end of season review debate on them? ), Delap was like a headless chicken charging around and although the red card was harsh he was utterly useless and again a question mark hangs over the sporting directors for allowing Jackson to go on loan (yes, he wanted out, but maybe a sharp you are under contract remark me Jackson would of been the thing to do? ) .
Of the others, Santos took his goal well and got valuable minutes but will struggle to get in ahead of Enzo, Moises and Lavia so maybe needs a loan?
Anyway, what a rollercoaster of a match.

30 Oct 2025 12:14:59
I enjoyed your post Greenaway and agree with most of it. Will hope that Delap unimpressive cameo about being rusty and perhaps trying too hard and not thinking enough. Tosin has had some good games for us but yes likes of Terry on pitch and Mourinho off it would demand 100% focus from all. players in every game.

That's what top teams are made of. I do think Gittens improving almost game by game so making argument for more EPL gamete. Wolves have of course been v poor this season and their defence worse than ours. so was expecting plenty of goals in this one if a better scoreline for us than how it ended.

30 Oct 2025 14:17:25
Thanks JBS, I think we are a "nearly side" at the moment and just lacking a few ingredients, namely a top centre back to play alongside our exellent young players like Levi, Hato and Josh. A Thiago Silva type to guide them through their development. Maresca asked for this and was turned down by the sporting directors so will be interesting to see if they back him in January. Sanchez is a good goalkeeper and if he continues to cut out the odd lapses in concentration and improve his distribution will be fine but needs competition and Jorgensen is not the answer. Palmer missing and Moises, Enzo and Pedro all nursing injuries is not helping but that shouldn't be an excuse and they will be back as the season goes on, the other ingredient needed is a top level striker, Jackson was and is better than Giui and Delap and should of been kept but that was another mistake by the sporting directors as Maresca often applauded him last season even when he was under performing, maybe the striker we have agreed a deal with at Strasbourg will join up in January? For me, a striker and a centre back will take us forward and we have been saying that for 2 seasons now and Maresca has said the same so for me the sporting directors are to blame and maybe that is why the guy from Liverpool is being recruited.

30 Oct 2025 19:42:32
Totally agree we are a nearly side but getting close if the injuries clear up, think the sporting directors have generally done a good job with the obvious exception of the keeper may take us 2 or three years but i see us close to winning the league we have some great young players if that is under Maresca I don't know.

29 Oct 2025 21:46:03
Whats your thoughts on the season so far?
il discipline again and shocking performances makes you wonder if Maresca is in trouble, something doesn't seem right.

29 Oct 2025 22:11:53
I have to say players getting sent off doesn’t make me worry about EM’s future, the second half performance makes me worry.

29 Oct 2025 22:22:16
It's a 6 out of ten season for me so far,

We have been hurt by injuries to Colwill and Palmer in particular not a surprise with no summer break, we show signs of promise going forward I think we are full of goals but defensively we look so open with no dominant centre half , its all very knee jerk to the Sunderland defeat but generally we are going in the right direction think we will make top 4 / 5

Hard to know on Maresca we have had a lot of red cards, the manager in my eyes will be judged at the end of the season so as always time will tell.

29 Oct 2025 22:32:13
Seymns, I agree the manager will be assessed at the end of the season.

30 Oct 2025 09:21:53
Whist I agree it will probably be the end of the season, if clubs are sniffing around our preferred candiate (whoevercthat may be), then he might go sooner.

30 Oct 2025 13:32:22
Is there any mention of a preferred candidate.

If EM leaves the guy from Stuttgart would be by some distance my first choice.

30 Oct 2025 23:28:40
Maresca will be in charge this season as the owners have made it known that a review will take place at the seasons end. Frank Lampard is well respected and is the likely successor if Maresca were to leave which I think unlikely as we will finish top 4 just as we did last season when one or two were predicting a mid table finish.

The majority of our group think Maresca is doing ok although room exists to develop into an even better coach. Our worry is more with the SD's.

31 Oct 2025 07:49:04
The SD’s will always come for some criticism. As fans we all see players differently, so I except they are never going to me or probably any other supporters entirely happy.

We have to assume that the owners are happy with the job they have been asked to do. Of course we are not privy to there job descriptions but from the outside it looks fairly conclusive but again, as fans will never all agree with this approach.

31 Oct 2025 10:38:17
Tom, our view is the SD's are doing an ok job at best, yes they have recruited some real gems but they have also made some strange decisions with the Brighton lad on loan being questioned in particular, there is no option to buy so it doesn't fit with your view that we are a trading club as he will go back come the end of the season. What does he offer? the Jorgensen signing as cover for Sanchez at a very high fee with no chance of getting the money back was simply insane, the chap is hopeless, why bring in Garnacho? there will be no chance to flip him at a profit so again, it doesn't fit with your trading club opinion? the way they handled the Jackson saga was very poor, as was the way they handled the Guiu situation, Maresca clearly identified a weakness at CB and said as much in public yet they ignored him and look at where we are at the back, all over the place.

I'm as positive as you are about all matters Chelsea but sometimes a balanced view is needed and the sporting directors are the weak link at the moment in my humble opinion.

31 Oct 2025 10:48:29
Greenaway, I’m sorry to pedantic but it’s because you keep using the word” our view when I assume like all of us you are just giving “your” opinion as per your last paragraph.

Without doubt any like all SD’s they will make mistakes in signing certain players. That just seems par for the course at all clubs.

I’m not sure they could have handled things any differently with the so called Jackson saga. I personally think the player didn’t fancy fighting for his place and made it clear to the club he wanted to leave but I admit I am only guessing.

I personally just except that the SD’s by the very nature of there job cannot make every fan happy because we all have different views on a player’s abilities.

31 Oct 2025 12:12:48
Tom, if you read some of my earlier posts I refer to my group of mates who attend games hence "our view". And as this is banter and you mentioned the word pedantic may I also be pedantic and point our that you often use the word "there" instead of correctly using "their". please take this in the light hearted way it is meant. ?.

31 Oct 2025 13:18:47
Of course I do and likewise. Thanks for the clarification.

28 Oct 2025 09:54:33
Out with some fellow ST holders for a few yesterday and we all made our predictions about POS, finishing position, top goal scorer plus transfers.

All was all pretty predictable until I said I think the club will sell Palmer to PSG at the end of this season. You would have thought I killed there child. Anyway, as we all know, my predictions are generally crap.

28 Oct 2025 11:26:56
Not this time Tom,

I feel that a huge offer will come in and we will accept it, I'm also sure CP is not enameled with Maresca's tactics.

28 Oct 2025 11:45:19
I’m not sure what CP thinks of the EM tactics but I am sure I don’t care.

28 Oct 2025 12:39:42
If it means CP moves because he feels he is not progressing Tom then I think you should be concerned.

As fans, we want our best players in front of us performing.

28 Oct 2025 15:31:08
I haven’t got a clue if CP likes or dislikes the tactics of EM.
If EM leaves, is there any guarantees he will like the next managers tactics? Of course not!

If any player doesn’t want to do what the manager says then they can leave whenever they like as far as I’m concerned.

29 Oct 2025 08:51:53
If CP doesn’t like Maresca’s tactics ( whatever they are, perhaps someone could enlighten me) he in is in line with most supporters. If you want an example of tactics from a coach think back to last Saturday and how Sunderland played with their bargain basement squad.

Estavou has stated the EM wants him to eventually play as a 10: that would be a complete waste of his talents. Players and coaches come and go but I know which of Marcesca or CP the vast majority of supporters would want to keep.

29 Oct 2025 10:58:10
I disagree, I think Estavou is made for a more inside role.

What’s happens to the next manager who doesn’t make a so called star player happy. Let’s sack just sack another manager.

Anyway, I think it’s a load of tosh. I can’t find a single comment attributed to CP that criticises EM.

29 Oct 2025 11:49:05
I agree that Cole Palmer doesn't enjoy Maresca's tactics at times and the same goes for all the flair players in the premier league who are stiffled by modern day coaching as has previously been debated on here. It is all so dreadfully dull and boring and fans now get excited by a long throw into the box or a corner set piece designed by one of the 800 director of corner set pieces now employed by the majority of the premier league teams.

Palmer and all the other maverick talents in the premier league will drift away to other leagues unless someone comes along and changes things up. I think ED01 has already highlighted this.

29 Oct 2025 11:50:07
I agree we can’t keep sacking managers but these are the consequences of poor recruitment by the SDs. Here’s a thought. , next time let’s appoint a good coach.

29 Oct 2025 12:39:36
The problem though Jimbo is who is better? Fabregas has been touted but he, like so many others are exactly the same as Maresca, all these new coaches like to set up the same, keep ball, recycle, left to right, recycle, back to the centre back, keep ball.

Most of the top sides find it very hard to beat low blocks including Aresnal who play the same as us but have better defenders and a better set piece coach.

29 Oct 2025 13:19:10
We have a good coach who has satisfied the owners and I personally believe the majority of fans first season ambitions.

I wouldn’t have a clue about so called “stifled” player abilities. We have one manager, let him manage.

29 Oct 2025 19:48:20
Lots of players will leave as they won’t put up with the boring football eventually.

29 Oct 2025 20:40:19
Players come and go.

29 Oct 2025 22:38:49
I don't agree that the football we play is boring think we play some great stuff, but we certainly do tend to sit back when we think the job is done, players come and go expect there will be one big sale every year or so Fernandez to Madrid would not surprise me.

30 Oct 2025 09:23:18
Players coming and going is the problem Tom, how are we going to get a settled squad if it keeps happening.

30 Oct 2025 12:09:01
Greenaway, plenty of coaches are better than Maresca. I get bored with coaches at top clubs complaining about low blocks and so on; there is nothing new in these tactics. How to you deal with it? Easy, score goals by playing with bravery and letting your creative players express themselves instead of worrying about keeping the ball and passing the ball backwards and sideways in your own half.

30 Oct 2025 13:33:14
We have always bought and sold players. I can’t see anything changing.

30 Oct 2025 17:03:30
I find managing from my seat at SB or in my armchair so easy!

If you ever get to see a game while sitting next to just a good coach, it is a complete and utter eye opener. They see so much more of a game than the average fan but I guess that is there job.

28 Oct 2025 07:39:32
{Ed's Note - Thestigno1 has posted a new article entitled, Can Hearts End The Old Firm Dominance?

27 Oct 2025 11:06:03
Good day all. May not be everyone's cup of tea but who else thinks that we made a mistake selling / loaning Nicolas Jackson? was a mistake and has affected us this season so far.

Admittedly, he misses chances but still one of the best performing strikers in the epl in the last few years now. I think he's other attributes that helps the team. He's a threat to defenders and makes other players better including palmer. Like jao pedro but he's not a striker and imo not good enough for our #10.

So I hope bayern doesn't make his stay permanent, so he can come back unless we are returning to bid for osihmen again.

27 Oct 2025 12:08:18
Tusole, I personally would have kept Jackson.

The problem as I understand it is he wanted to leave hence the club continually saying in the last window “they are looking for a solution. ” We have a history of not keeping players who want to leave or who do not want to fight for there place in the team.

Osimhen isn’t going to happen now. Apparently his wage demands were deemed excessive.

I hope Delap or Guiu prove to be better than both Jackson and Osimhen.

27 Oct 2025 16:01:38
I would have kept Jackson. He had demonstrated he could cope wity the physicality of playing up front in the EPL and combined well with or created space for others like Palmer to score. He did have a temperament problem and got those red cards but then discipline problems seem to be a feature of our teams recently whoever is in them. I think he was a particularly good friend with Caicedo and this seemingly endless churning over and trading in large numbers of the squad not great imho though clearly there will always be some ingoings and outgoings. But surely CFC must have set the record for ghis over last three seasons or so?!

Given that Delap missed more than three months with a knee injury last season it was a bit of gamble to rely on just him and EPL untested Pedro as strikers if Guiu not seen as ready and sent t cevleop further at Sunderland (who ppossibly didn't need him except for cup matches? ) . So if not bringing in a replacement for Jackson and ideally an EPL tested physically robust forward/ striker - perhaps the lad who went from Brentford to United or prising Semenyo away from Bournemouth if he'd come (would still like that! ) - then we should have kept NJ. But perhaps he wanted out and let's face it Bayern Munich are a bigger beast right now in European football than we are though we hope to change that in the next few years. Jackson did miss a lot of chances but he also got into gteat positions to have as many chances as he did and constantly caused opposition CBs problems. Anyway we hope that Dlkap will be nbackl soon, stay fit and fill that role. but with the need imho for us still to strengthen further in that position.

27 Oct 2025 23:36:03
I think he's a bad egg tbh, decent player but not what we needed to take us up a level, i always did say do id love to have seen jackson play lw.

28 Oct 2025 09:05:01
Pochempire, we let Jackson go who was felt could not take us to another level then we get forward in who again cannot take us to the higher level, it's called standing still.

28 Oct 2025 11:25:41
Surely you’re now making a judgement on Pedro and Delap already?

27 Oct 2025 07:39:36
{Ed's Note - PatrikBurgher has posted a new article entitled, Slot Has Failed Tactically With Liverpool In The Premier League

26 Oct 2025 22:02:10
Ed001, I read you comment about set pieces on the Liverpool site. I think most os us would prefer free flowing football but this is how the game is going. However, leaving aside Arsenal don't you think it's fair enough for so-called lower teams to deploy tactics to particularly keep themselves in the PL. Moreover, isn't it up the coaches of teams like Liverpool and Chelsea with their pools of defensive coaches and analysts to come up with tactics to defend set pieces.

The goals Chelsea and Liverpool conceded from throw ins yesterday were similar. In both cases the defenders were clueless in how to deal with it and the goalkeepers were flapping around like injured pigeons.

{Ed001's Note - I fully agree with you. The issue for me is that teams are only concentrating on set pieces, rather than them being a part of the skillset. It means the rest of the games are just a lot of silly errors between the odd set piece. It is not good to watch and it will see us fall behind in Europe if we are not careful.}

27 Oct 2025 10:07:31
Totally agree with you ED01, the way Arsenal play is very similiar to all the diet pep coaches, slow and keep ball, set up to not lose but Artita has then added the set piece winner and more and more teams will follow suit.

The premier league is now very boring as a spectacle and you are right, it is in danger of falling behind the rest of europe.

{Ed001's Note - if it continues to be this uninteresting as a spectacle, people will drift to watching other leagues as well. It will not just be worse in terms of quality but also start to lose the lead financially. It is exactly why Serie A and La Liga dropped behind, because they were terrible to watch. The Prem has always been the most entertaining, without that it just becomes another league.}

27 Oct 2025 11:12:50
Ed001, the PL is probably the most competitive league but in terms of football and entertainment it has already fallen behind. We have top players in the PL but a lot of the coaches lack courage in their approach to the game: I blame Pep for his possession is the be all and end all approach to the game: he has many clones around who are as not as good as him and even he is his on the wane.

PL football is very boring at present. I start to watch many games but find myself getting bored very quickly.

{Ed001's Note - I am the same, if I am alone I can sit and watch them, but my parents were here for a month and I found myself missing long periods in matches just chatting with them. It just isn't holding my attention and I am not someone who lives with their head down on their phone either. I am of the older generation that still concentrates on one thing! Maybe this style works for the kids because they can just look up for set pieces and then go back to their phone?}

26 Oct 2025 16:30:53
So for interest I looked up where we were after 9 games last season. Then we had 17 points and were 5th and the season before we had only 12 points and were 10th. This season we have 14 points and are 9th.

26 Oct 2025 16:49:05
JBS, two or three wins and it all looks very different. Of course the reverse is true, a couple of defeats and the atmosphere starts to turn toxic yet again!

26 Oct 2025 17:23:39
Completely agree Tom. A major purpose in posting these stats wasd to to make point that these are still early days and things could go either way!

I really do think we have suffered in recent seasons from not having a consistently reliable striker up top though Jackson was better suited to play this role in EPL perhaps than Pedro is. Obviously bad news that he was on way out as Delap injured and we can only hope that Delap return will help our cause plus possibly add another striker in January or hope recruit already signed from Strasbourg for the summer will be the real thing. Plus Palmer injury has robbed us of major source of assists and giols and LC one of someone who was developing into out best CB.

Will trust that fans appreciate these problems but they/ we may well think - and not completely without reason - that both the striker and CB positions needed reinforcing this last transfer window and that owners/ SDs to blame. That a mess was made in loaning out both Jackson and Guiu but also recalling Guiu not anough in terms of said strengthening up front. Though I would still like him to get more game time there in upcoming matches and whil Delap carefully reintroduced after his hamstring injury. To have based so much of our attacking threat on wingers meant we had to have a target man in the box -- a really robust Costa/ Drogba one and perhaps Delap can become something like that to fight with opposing CBs in the box - and Pedro not a classic one/ EPL classic one at least. PLus in LC absence we don't really have a CB who passes through the lines with the consistent quality needed to cause problems for opposing defenders this route.

26 Oct 2025 17:30:55
Arsenal will win this bang average league due to showing consistency just as Liverpool did last season. They have no style and rely on big lumps at set pieces to win the majority of their matches but as has been flagged up already the entertainment has been stiffled out of the game by all these diet pep coaches and only winning or certainly not losing counts.

JBS, we will be ok mate the longer the season goes on and we get these little niggling injuries to our players sorted out. That historic club world cup victory may of come at a price but that title "club world champions" will be ours to sing for at least 4 years and maybe longer if we do the Chelsea thing and win it again.

26 Oct 2025 17:37:13
PS but I hugely hope we don't end up lower than my range of 3rd to 7th. I'd be hugely happy if we finished higher of course!

26 Oct 2025 18:47:49
Greenaway, you’re right Arsenal will probably win a bang average league as did Liverpool last season but you haven’t considered where that leaves us. Let’s hope we make the top four in this bang average league. Haven’t you noticed Maresca is a prime Pep disciple: possession football and curtailing talented players from expressing themselves.

Whether people like it or not set pieces are important including long throws; you have to adapt when you are up against teams who are coming out to defend. I don’t remember anyone complaining about long throws when Ian Hutchinson’s long throw landed on Webb’s head to win the 1970 Cup final replay against Leeds.

26 Oct 2025 19:16:39
Set pieces, long throws, long balls and a low block are all legitimate tactics and something a team has to deal with through a season.

26 Oct 2025 19:41:44
Thanks JImbo for taking me back to that magic moment as a kid! And of course you are right.

26 Oct 2025 19:43:12
I'm certainly not complaining about the wimbledon approach to winning football matches Jimbo and good luck to Arsenal as it works for them. As for us, we will be fine once our players get over their niggles. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

26 Oct 2025 21:04:06
Greenaway, I’m not suggesting a Wimbledon approach but to be successful in the PL you can’t just stick to one way of playing . You have to adapt to your opponents and during the course of the match. Perhaps Liam should take some lessons from his Dad. You criticise Arsenal but most of the time this season our football has been predictable and boring.

26 Oct 2025 12:13:51
So it turns out that Joao Pedro has been training alone due to a groin strain and is not fit! explains a lot. Enzo and Moises are also suffering with ongoing injuries which again explains a lot. Maybe best to rest all 3 for a few weeks and let them recover properly?

26 Oct 2025 14:40:53
Agree Greenaway otherwise it could lead to long term injuries.

26 Oct 2025 14:55:24
We have another international break coming up soon. That could create another obvious break for certain players.

26 Oct 2025 10:17:58


Pochempire has written an article entitled, My Take On Chelsea's Season

26 Oct 2025 11:08:24
Poch, I enjoyed your article. I find myself agreeing with some of your points but disagreeing with others. Different opinions to one’s own make football more interesting.

26 Oct 2025 07:39:31
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, Manchester United Overview So Far This Season