19 Apr 2026 17:53:31
A sign last night at the game read £1.4 billion and I miss Victor Moses.
1.) 19 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026 18:13:41
I miss Bovril and sherry from the little hut/caravan in the corner of the shed.
2.) 19 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026 18:37:43
Blimey, Tom, you paid £1.4 bil for Novril and sherry?
3.) 19 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026 18:41:00
Looks like top 5 places in the PL are settled. Not sure if 6th place will qualify for the CL, but frankly, I doubt we will end up in the top 6. In any event, we are not good enough to be in the competition. At least the title race is still open.
4.) 19 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026 19:00:42
Anyone who qualifies for the competition is good enough in my book.
I seem to remember a Bovril and sherry from under the counter was 3d (about 1.5 pence). I also seem to remember admission for kids was 10d (about 5p). It truly was a working class game in those days!!
5.) 19 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026 19:24:26
Tom, you are obviously reading the wrong books. I was waiting for your typical response.
6.) 19 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026 19:39:46
Don't wait for me. I just have zero problems in how we qualify for any competition.
The last time we won the Champions League, I think, we finished 4th in the Premiership to qualify. They don't put the previous year's league position on the trophy.
7.) 19 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026 21:34:04
The World Cup and Champions League have been extended (diluted) for political purposes by the corrupt officials to obtain votes, to ensure they retain their seats on the gravy train paid by football lovers around the globe. If anyone thinks qualifying for the CL in sixth place in an extremely poor Premier League is an achievement, well...
8.) 20 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026 21:57:56
Tom, I remember paying 50p to move from the shed to the benches in the west stand and the peanut sellers, they were the days.
9.) 20 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026 22:02:07
I don't care how we qualify for a competition. I do care that, if we qualify on a technicality, it isn't used to dilute the manner in which a clearly unacceptable season is reviewed.
10.) 20 Apr 2026
19 Apr 2026 22:11:28
Greenaway, the worst thing about the old West Stand was the toilets, or, to be more accurate, the toilet. ?
11.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 06:59:13
J, I couldn't agree more, mate. Like you, I couldn't care less how we qualify for a competition, but no way should qualification be used to paper over some significant shortcomings.
12.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 09:00:38
We have several teams breathing down our necks. Now is not the best time to talk about European qualification. Currently, our form is probably near the bottom 3 if not in it.
13.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 09:08:36
Bill, now is the time for everyone to support the team and manager in getting the best league position possible.
14.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 10:04:30
Bill, mate, when you wanted Maresca out, I told you what might well happen.
15.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 10:24:19
Greenway, Maresca out because he started behaving like a spoilt child. Regardless, the morons in charge of the process decided Liam was the answer, but then it was most likely decided by the same people who have signed an endless list of comedy signings in the past few years, so it's not a massive surprise.
16.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 14:25:15
I have not generally been a fan of our current owners' and manager's decisions, but then when I look back over the last 20+ years I have only been ok with about three manager signings.
In fact, I'm always happy with the rumours of us signing someone I rate, but I'm very rarely happy with the players the club eventually sign for the last 60 years ish.
I guess I've always been a miserable old git.
17.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 17:53:51
Maybe Tom, but as long as I can remember, the decision making has never been worse. We are on the verge of an absolute disaster, being led by people that are clearly massively incompetent.
18.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 18:48:58
The present owners certainly made many initial mistakes. From the outside it looked as if they came up with a plan to sign young players with potential. Those players were put on very long contracts but on PRP. I can sort of understand that plan, but there are two parts I question. 1) Why act so quickly, and why not use young academy players throughout that process. 2) I am not as obsessed with age as some fans, as I am not sure age is necessarily a barrier to leadership. So, why not sign leaders, particularly in key areas.
Outside of the so called plan, I have two further issues. 1) Ticket prices and availability to members. 2) Away fans in The Shed should be stopped.
Your post uses words such as "massively incompetent," I see it as mistakes, but mistakes that were avoidable. I hope they will acknowledge their errors and "slightly" change course. We are not "on the verge of an absolute disaster." I was happy enough with last season, and although I expected a lot more from this season, we can still win a trophy and may just manage a CL spot, but it will depend on other teams.
I always said that next season was the one that we will find out if this approach has been good or bad. People will make their judgement based on this season, and that's up to them, but I will (as usual) stick to my own measurements and timetable.
19.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 19:03:50
I'm so sorry, I should have also added that I strongly believe the decision makers (maybe the SD's) made a massive mistake when allowing Em to leave mid-season. Whatever the issues were, they should have been papered over until the completion of this season.
I have no way of proving this, but I am personally convinced we would now comfortably be secure in a CL spot.
Anyway, he has now left, so as far as I'm concerned "The King is dead; long live the King."
20.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 20:34:40
Tom, your criticisms of the club are what many people on here have been saying for a couple of years. It is sad how we went from a Champions League-winning team to battling for 6th, after spending a monstrous 1.4billion.
21.) 20 Apr 2026
20 Apr 2026 21:22:10
Standard, my criticism isn't about the amount of money spent. My point is there was no rush, and taking our time would have meant giving more opportunities to academy players.
I am definitely not obsessed about the amount of money invested. Or the money recovered on sales.
I was not a fan of football under Tt, but I will always be grateful for our CL success.
In my opinion, the squad investment prior to the takeover had been poor, and a rebuild was required.
Like a lot of clubs who have new owners, I anticipated it taking a few seasons for any new owner to be seen as successful.
I cannot understand why fans expect immediate success, and I can't understand why some fans are so eager to criticise. Sometimes these things take time.
22.) 21 Apr 2026
21 Apr 2026 07:57:19
Kazblue, if you choose to believe the club's PR people, who put the blame on Maresca for leaving, that is entirely up to you. I have said on here repeatedly that he wanted to stay, but also wanted to have a bigger influence on recruitment, something the sporting directors didn't like, hence their interference and him walking away.
{Ed001's Note - Green, it was not the club's PR people, he was spotted in talks with City's people months before he left. It was reported to the club, they spoke to him and he said then he was looking to move on as he felt Chelsea's ambitions did not match his own. They initially tried to convince him to stay, but he became increasingly vocal in public and he was not attending to his coaching (in the belief of people that I know anyway) correctly.}
23.) 21 Apr 2026
21 Apr 2026 09:27:34
Greenway, Maresca created his own problems by speaking to another club, shouldve been sacked the day that was found out. However, the board has definitely not helped, and my opinion on them is clear.
Tom, you keep saying judge next year, same as you said last year and the year before...
theyve been here long enough for me to judge that theyre clueless... billion+ and a few years in... theyre not showing any signs of improving... Rosenior and signing Garnacho are a perfect example of the issues within the club... sack all 5 sporting directors and the manager asap.
24.) 21 Apr 2026
21 Apr 2026 09:00:10
Ed, as always mate brilliant information. Thanks.
{Ed001's Note - very welcome.}
25.) 21 Apr 2026
21 Apr 2026 09:22:31
Thanks ED01, pretty much exactly what I have been saying and it goes back to last smmer when Maresca asked for an experienced centre back who could play out from the back to replace Levi Colwill, their refusal to back him and him not accepting that decision lightly after delivering 2 trophies and a top 4 finish.
It is done now but could and should of been managed better.
{Ed001's Note - it could and should have been, but they were caught by surprise by the City talks.}
26.) 21 Apr 2026
21 Apr 2026 10:37:44
Kazblue, you are correct I have always been consistent with my assessments. I will repeat my thought process.
I will praise and criticise managers and players performances from game to game. I will then make an end of season assessment on that season's general performance. I rarely give up on a player after one season.
I have no idea what job the SD's have been asked to do. I personally think they have made some good signings and like all SD's in my opinion they have made some questionable signings. My assessment of those signings will be different from other fans. My guess is the owners judge the SD's performance based on all signings and not just one or a few.
I have made my views very clear several times on our current owners. They would not have been my choice but as I understand it we were caught between a rock and a hard place with our choices. I also made it vey clear that I believed the club needed a squad rebuild. I also highlighted my concerns that a new owner might choose to make "statement signings, " sadly that was the case. I also think the owner went about the rebuild to quickly and without making an assessment of our academy talent.
Unlike some I did not believe it would be a quick fix and that is the reason my first season guess of our league position was I think 8th-10th My second season league position guess was 3rd-5th. This season was 2nd-4th. Obviously I am bitterly disappointed with this seasons league performance and it has fallen way below my expectations. For me next season was always the season I expected us to challenge for the premiership title. I will wait until after this next window before making my prediction for next season.
Other fans/posters are obviously entitled to make their judgement on players, managers, SD's and owners whenever they want.
My view is that players should be judged after a substantial amount of games, Cucarella was slagged off by many in his first season but came good and is a classic example of fans rushing to Judge. SD's should also be judged over a period of time particularly because of the age of players they have been asked to recruit and how long it might take for those signings to develop their talents. I am also aware that not all signings will be successful.
I repeat, I did want these owners. They created a BP put in place the structure and hired the personal to fit that structure. If it does not work after a period of several seasons, if it fails my focus for criticism will be 100% be on them but that will not happen until the end of next season. I hope I am singing their praises.
27.) 21 Apr 2026
21 Apr 2026 18:44:25
Great Tom, you now share the same opinion as the many. It was extremely rushed, they were naive, thought it was going to be easy, and made a real pigs ear of it. Doesn't mean they can't turn it around, though, and I'm hoping they do, because they clearly do want success.
28.) 21 Apr 2026
21 Apr 2026 18:58:54
Pigs ear is a massive understatement... It's been embarrassing start to finish.
29.) 21 Apr 2026
21 Apr 2026 19:42:11
Standard, I expressed my concerns when the new owners "took over" that they may well make "statement" signings.
I did want a major rebuild of a squad that I believed had run its course. My point then and now was, with the exception of a couple of positions, there was no need to rush into so "many" signings.
Unlike some, and obviously Kazblue, I am now "generally happy with the majority of our signings." My guess is players I rate or see potential in will be different from other fans, but that is never going to change.
I remember very well posters slagging off players after one or a couple of bad performances, Hato being the most recent.
My point remains, there is no need to rush to judge, especially in football.
Many years ago I stupidly compared Morata with Ossie, how stupid was I.