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Chelsea Rumours Member Posts
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Melbourne CFC's Posts and Other Poster's Replies To Melbourne CFC's Posts
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To Melbourne CFC's last 5 banter replies
Melbourne CFC's rumours posts with other poster's replies to Melbourne CFC's rumours posts
24 Jun 2026 14:21:11
Very interesting to see Carra on the Liverpool pages (typically a very good track record of having direct information from within LFC) said that we met with Diomande's agent.
I believe Leipzig already turned down a 100m euro offer from Liverpool, so kind of wild that we are interested knowing that. Would be a monster statement of intent. Can't see how we afford it before sales.
He did note that we were told he only wants to join LFC. Maybe Drogba can get in his ear haha.
Also he is only 19, but had a huge season in Germany and is playing extremely well for Ivory Coast at the WC, so another that would likely get into our starting 11 quite easily despite his age.
1.) 24 Jun 2026 20:14:47
He can play both sides, but he's mostly played off the right at Leipzig. Also, seems strange if we're gonna play with 5 at the back. Honestly, don't see anything in it.
18 Jun 2026 00:52:13
Seems like we may be signing Cambiaso from Juve. I watched a good chunk of Juve games last year and it would certainly indicate that Xabi would be setting up with wingbacks.
Personally I don't rate him that highly. He is not very strong defensively and while he tries to be as offensive as Trent, his final delivery is similar to Neto in that he has a killer ball about 10% of the time. Juve play with wingers also so maybe it would work in Xabi's system, as the amount of times Cambiaso tried to play balls into the box himself, rather than get Yildiz involved in the build up was frustrating to watch.
1.) 18 Jun 2026 10:10:16
Melbourne, I have still got my fingers crossed that we re-sign Hall. I think we have a sell on clause.
I think Newcastle will sign either Delap or Jackson.
2.) 18 Jun 2026 11:54:29
Tbh, I'm not too worried who we sign for what positions as long as Xabi gets the players he wants and has time to instill his ideas. If this portion of the 'project' doesn't work out, the future looks very bleak.
Would be happy to see both Jackson and Delap be sold.
Vlahovic is someone that looks like we also might be in for and would certainly add some of the Diego Costa aggression to the front of our attack. Although he is another that seems to fold at the first sign of a slight niggle in a toe.
3.) 19 Jun 2026 09:41:13
Am in two minds about Jackson. I think he offered quite a lot, not just in the 15 goals or so he contributed, but in his link upplay and creation of space for Palmer when with us. When I first saw him in pre-season games he also seemed able to play out on the left and had linked well with a pre-injury Nkunku. He has pace, can pick a good pass, and has scored some good goals. Unfortunately, what we also saw was someone who too often lacked composure in front of goal and lost his temper and got cards and sendings off.
Not often a starter at Bayern, for obvious reasons given Kane's superb form, he did manage 11 goals in all competitions there.
Jaoa Pedro certainly needs more support and/or rivalry for the striker spot, and Jackson would seem to offer more than Delap. So it depends who else we could get in who would be better not just than LD but also NJ.
4.) 19 Jun 2026 15:15:57
Obviously, he got less minutes because of Harry, but he also managed to get himself red carded a couple of times when he was given the chance to start games. He's a liability. He will always be a liability, and something we must move away from is having players who continuously make the same mistakes. It's ok if players are young and do something stupid, it's not ok for the same mistakes to be made three years on the bounce.
I don't think Nico is anywhere near world class, and I think he thinks he is.
You'd expect, going and playing understudy to Kane for a year, you'd learn something, and maybe realize how much improvement you need to make to get right to the top. There is nothing I've seen to make me think he learned anything or even slightly improved his game. We need a drama-free squad, and everyone to buy into the idea that the collective is more important than the individual. Nico only thinks about Nico.
5.) 20 Jun 2026 12:47:33
I think Jackson, like most players, will learn a lot about behaviour on a football pitch.
He lets himself down, blows hot and cold performance-wise, but on his day, in my opinion, he is a handful.
6.) 20 Jun 2026 16:04:55
You could say that of most if not all strikers, Tom.
7.) 20 Jun 2026 21:42:25
Bill, that is very true. All but the greats seem streaky!!
16 May 2026 12:59:28
Xabi Alonso agrees terms!
I retire in 1 month so the slog of early mornings won't be as rough. Very excited to see who he wants signed and how we play.
1.) 16 May 2026 23:16:27
Congrats on retirement, mate! You mentioned you were in China. Is a return to aus back on the cards?
2.) 17 May 2026 00:15:12
It isn't, Standard. Retirement is only possible because of how well my wife's business is doing, and China is the key for that.
We will be traveling quite a bit, so will owe a few beers whenever we make it to London.
3.) 17 May 2026 10:37:42
Fair enough. Enjoy!
06 Mar 2026 15:59:48
Anselmino's situation is odd. Obviously agree with him being recalled from Dortmund, however, he's only played 2 mins for Strasbourg (2 sub appearances) and wasn't in their squad last time out.
Seems a fairly stupid loan at this point for a player that was looking good and getting settled at Dortmund.
1.) 06 Mar 2026 18:23:14
Melbourne, I believe he picked up an injury.
2.) 07 Mar 2026 01:28:24
Thanks, Bill! I hadn't seen that. Hopefully, he can recover quickly.
20 Mar 2014 17:57:08
Ed002 if you have time. As I'm sure plenty of media will claim Hazard will go to PSG in the window. I know things change over time, but would you think Spain is a far more likely attraction, still, to the player?
I don't think he'll leave for a second - in the next window, and don't think the club would listen to offers, if he expresses no desire to leave. Just curious as to if PSG is at all a likely future destination?
{Ed002's Note - I wouldn't think a move to PSG is likely.}
Melbourne CFC's banter posts with other poster's replies to Melbourne CFC's banter posts
27 Aug 2026 17:10:55
Seems we just signed a young CB from Atalanta. I believe the lad is only 18, but has played a decent chunk of last season at Atalanta, as well as some CL games and been capped twice for Italy. One for the future I would assume.
1.) 27 Aug 2026 18:48:35
Apparently a lot of interested clubs. Supposedly going straight out on loan.
23 Aug 2026 14:55:36
Switching between Brighton Villa and Citeh Bournemouth. I'm sure there's a few who have forgotten just how boring Marescaball became. Might be a long season for Citeh. Meanwhile Aston Villa have imploded and might be tailor-made for both Garnacho and Jackson this season. Garnacho, unsurprisingly, starting on the bench.
1.) 23 Aug 2026 15:48:32
Tom, I hadn't forgotten how boring the football was under Maresca. Let's hope for more entertaining football this season.
2.) 23 Aug 2026 15:51:24
Jimbo, I'm not Melbourne.
3.) 23 Aug 2026 15:56:27
One in the same, Tom. ?
4.) 23 Aug 2026 17:29:14
Sorry chaps. Can't even blame the drink: haven't opened my bottle of red yet.
To clarify, Melbourne, I agree with you, even if your alter ego doesn't. ?
08 Aug 2026 15:28:28
Overall a strong performance against an AC Milan side that didn't seem too bothered. Josh looked much better and although Leao hasn't put in a shift for a number of years now, Josh still did very well against a world renowned winger. Palestra had his best performance and the runs behind the defense were very similar to Cucu last season. We also were much better at passing through the lines, as well as long balls over the top.
I thought Lavia and Caicedo looked very strong together. Cole did great always offering an option and Quenda looked dangerous when he came on. You can also see that Danny's signing will allow us to play Joao behind the striker and those two look like they enjoy playing off each other, even if it didn't come off often tonight.
Negatives remain Sanchez's ability to play out. Although he played one good long ball for Pedro early, quite often he had an option short and opted to blast it to nobody, which clearly annoys the rest of the lads on the pitch. I will give him credit that he played more balls along the pitch and into teammates, but we all know how that turns out when he's under pressure.
Hopefully a few of the boys get a rest for tomorrow's game before returning to London.
1.) 08 Aug 2026 17:31:04
Melbourne, thanks for your report. However, I pay no more attention to the result than I did for the previous two defeats. The real business starts in just over two weeks' time. This is the problem, not the only one, with Sanchez; invariably, he resorts to long balls which give away possession. I really can't see Alsonso wanting to resort to that style of play.
2.) 08 Aug 2026 20:01:13
Melbourne, Sanchez went through a period under Maresca when he had a mixture of long and short balls. To my sad old eyes, it was the tactics of LR that took him out of his comfort zone.
It will be interesting to see if Alonso starts him as our No1 and how he asks him to play.
3.) 08 Aug 2026 20:08:02
Sanchez has been poor since he joined: that's one thing LR can't be blamed for.
4.) 08 Aug 2026 20:16:24
While he wouldn't be my choice to start as our No1, I have to remember how much he looked to have improved under Maresca.
Mind you, I only rate two premiership keepers. I think this is generally the worst crop of premiership keepers that I can remember.
05 Aug 2026 13:25:36
A few notes from the first half with Juventus. Obvious disclaimer of a preseason game, so can’t think too much.
If Sanchez is in goal for the start of the season, we 100% aren’t playing out from the back. If Wes in also in the 11, I’ll join up with you lot after changes are made. Jamie Gittens looks sharper, but still clearly a headless chicken. He ruins our press fairly consistently and allows teams to meander out from his flank. Thankfully we have Rogers as first choice, as can’t go another season wondering if Garnacho/Gittens/Neto will start on the left.
Some positives were Palestra seemed a little sharper. Better combinations and runs. Great to have Moises back controlling the middle and the youngster playing next to him will learn a lot. Quenda hasn’t offered much but I’m sure he will grow into the season. Joao has been our best attacking outlet but seems to play on a different frequency to those that started.
1.) 05 Aug 2026 14:34:31
Haven't been able to see any of the game - though have heard it was ultimately won by a v good Juventus goal - so good to get your comments on the first half, Melbourne. What, apart from the Juventus goal, stood out for you in the second half? Any reasons for concern, or CFC players that impressed?
2.) 05 Aug 2026 14:45:47
Stevo was the bright spark in that game; he looked very lively. Palestra is going to be a fantastic signing. Lavia is pure gold, and, as Tom says, will be our player of the season if he stays fit. Penders should have saved their goal for a man of his height.
Other than that, it was all a bit of the usual pre-season fitness training, with so many changes. A lot of fans out there, all wearing shirts, showing just how big our fanbase is.
3.) 05 Aug 2026 14:50:11
We all see games differently. In my opinion, we looked ok, and had control for periods of the game, but we still look like a team reliant on "moments" rather than constant pressure.
I thought Gittens was ok and Palestra was also good.
Despite rumours coming out of Portugal, I can't see us signing Costa (unfortunately), so I think Sanchez will start as Alonso's No1.
4.) 05 Aug 2026 14:53:16
Second half wasn't great, JBS. Estevao was good when he came on, Jackson was better than Welbeck, but was starting fights, as usual, and will always be a red card waiting to happen.
It felt like we had more of the ball, but created very little, and Juventus were decent on the break.
Yildiz looked amazing, as usual.
Overall, nothing to be worried about as we weren't close to full strength, so hard to judge a central defence that, hopefully, sees no minutes during the season. We do look very fragile on the break, which will need addressing as Caicedo can't do it on his own.
5.) 05 Aug 2026 17:19:11
Thanks Melbourne, EbW, and Tom for additional reports, and I agree that we should not get too worried about results in these preseason friendlies for reasons posters have already mentioned.
6.) 05 Aug 2026 18:00:51
I put such little stock in this stage of pre season, other than getting mins in legs. Very few of the players who started will be starting our first EPL match, and mass substitutions also spoil any flow in the game.
In the last couple of pre season matches, you want to see the team looking more prepared and together.
7.) 05 Aug 2026 21:49:08
Agreed, J.
28 Jul 2026 23:19:29
Don’t know how many were able to catch the first pre season game. I missed the first half but managed to see the second. Obviously it’s only preseason so not much can be taken from it. However, two things we knew from last year were painfully obvious.
Delap isn’t good enough. He actually seemed completely disinterested for 60 minutes and when Joao came on for him and put in a little bit of effort, chances came.
Sanchez cannot be anywhere near this team if we plan to play out from the back. His decision making under pressure and his distribution are woeful. I think we have a good chance to make a run in the league, but have no chance to compete at the top with him in goal.
1.) 29 Jul 2026 07:20:14
Melbourne, I think Sanchez will "start" as our No1 keeper. Of course, I may well be wrong. I would love us to sign Costa, but I haven't seen us linked to any keeper during this window. So, if I am correct, I guess we ain’t winning the league this season.
2.) 29 Jul 2026 08:34:06
Melbourne, you won't be surprised that I agree with you about Sanchez. He is totally unsuitable for Alonso's style of play. Alonso is decisive and knows how he wants his teams to play.
I find it hard to believe that he would settle for a weakness in such a pivotal position. I don't expect Sanchez to be No 1 next season. It will be Penders or someone else.
3.) 29 Jul 2026 08:38:32
I also agree that we will have no chance with Sanchez in goal, he will be targeted and will always let us down in big games.
Goalkeeper is such an important position nowadays. You only have to look at Arsenal & Man City.
They had Ramsdale & Trafford, both good keepers, but both teams still upgraded with Raya & Donnaruma.
I posted before, but we should meet the release clause for Diogo Costa.
4.) 29 Jul 2026 12:35:20
Agreed, swcfc and Jimbo.
As Sanchez is a liability with his feet, and a liability for Alonso's style of play, he cannot be No 1, not even No 2.
Why we are not going for Costa, God only knows. Maybe I was right, and we are going for Peter Shilton.
5.) 29 Jul 2026 14:51:29
Maybe trust our new manager to make the correct call?
6.) 29 Jul 2026 15:17:57
EbW
As Sanchez is not very good on possession, I don't see how he suits Alonso's way of playing. Therefore, I just can't see why it would be his choice to keep him.
7.) 29 Jul 2026 15:25:51
My gut feeling is we will buy another keeper in this window.
8.) 29 Jul 2026 15:41:35
I repeat.
Maybe trust our new manager to make the correct call?
{Ed001's Note - so why come on here and give an opinion at all? If all you are going to do is say this? It is extremely tedious and makes the whole point of a discussion forum moot. Give it a rest and let people discuss their opinions, if you disagree you could try explaining why.}
9.) 29 Jul 2026 17:00:34
I don't know what it is with Delap - at times last year it's almost like he was trying too hard, hence the stupid fouls, and then now he seems like he's almost accepted his future is away from the club.
As for Sanchez...
agreed, not good enough with his feet, and really surprised we haven't replaced him - I know the club like Penders, but I would've cleared Sanchez and Jorgensen out and signed a relatively experienced keeper to replace.
10.) 29 Jul 2026 21:01:17
There were rumours of us going back for Maignan again after missing out last year. I wasn't too impressed by him in the WC, but a bad/good World Cup ain't something to base an opinion on.
Melbourne CFC's rumour replies
27 Aug 2026 01:41:51
Lot of reports, bid expected yesterday. Wouldn't surprise me if Citeh are leaking with no intention of bidding, just to waste our time.
Really hope they bid and he goes, though. He was pretty useless when paired with Caicedo in the past, and he isn't getting into the team as a starting 10.
21 Aug 2026 15:46:44
Which is fine, as I previously said, to each their own. You have a very logical brain, Tom, which I'm sure has served you well. I back intuition from life experiences, especially when it comes to those at the top of the ladder.
Being retired at 37, it seems my intuition hasn't hurt me all that bad.
I can assure you, my use of the word crook is tame as I'm sure Tris' filter wouldn't allow the words I would think best fit Boehly and his ilk.
21 Aug 2026 00:59:40
There is an open lawsuit against him from the golden globes due to his shady attempt to devalue and acquire it. The speed with which him and Walter are trying to raise cash is clearly due to what's currently being lobied against Walter, who owns multiple businesses with Boehly.
It's fine to hold judgement against someone when they have a pattern of good decisions and being a decent human, its weird to defend a guy who has money dealings with the biggest known nonce of our generation, who refused answering any questions about the links.
20 Aug 2026 16:07:29
Of course, and as he was a money man as early as 2011, it seems to me to be a safe guess he was well aware that Epstein was a convicted nonce.
If you feel comfortable letting that slide, that's all good for you.
He has been involved with fraud cases a number of times, but again, all good if you think he comes out smelling fresh. Benefit of the doubt is a subjective thing where some choose to be much looser and others may view the world without such favorable glasses after being exposed to its rottenness.
20 Aug 2026 14:16:52
To each their own.
Melbourne CFC's banter replies
26 Aug 2026 23:25:21
Haha shots fired by K. If you are Greenaway it's fairly weird to pop up and pretend not to be. Says a lot about your mental. Also, EdW and EbW are too close for it to be a coincidence. Definitely some disturbed wackos rocking around on this page.
Oh well, at least the genius investors that run the club only posted a 400m loss last time round.
23 Aug 2026 15:56:27
One in the same, Tom. ?
05 Aug 2026 14:53:16
Second half wasn't great, JBS. Estevao was good when he came on, Jackson was better than Welbeck, but was starting fights, as usual, and will always be a red card waiting to happen.
It felt like we had more of the ball, but created very little, and Juventus were decent on the break.
Yildiz looked amazing, as usual.
Overall, nothing to be worried about as we weren't close to full strength, so hard to judge a central defence that, hopefully, sees no minutes during the season. We do look very fragile on the break, which will need addressing as Caicedo can't do it on his own.
02 Aug 2026 01:17:40
Tom has given more to this site than almost anyone, keeping things active while many other club pages have slowly died. He has certainly given far more than someone who I've never seen post before.
He has spoken huge praise for Josh for a couple of years now, and if he called the performance 'shocking', you can be certain it's an honest assessment from a lifelong blue.
If Josh reads this page and gets discouraged by a post from someone he doesn't know, I'd be extremely worried about his mental fortitude. This season is a big season for a youth product that is yet to grasp the chances he has had.
In future, Dingo, try adding someone to this page before berating those that have been doing so for years.
01 Aug 2026 14:04:23
I watched the first 70 odd minutes and switched off when the subs came on and went outside. I thought Palestra looked very raw and a little sluggish. Will take a little bit of time to get up to speed with English football. Gittens looked better than last season but not a huge accomplishment in itself. Wesley is atrocious and I really hope we're putting him in the window.
I actually thought Cole was one of our better players and played some beautiful balls.
It is pre season and I can't imagine his personality lends itself to getting too amped up for it.
The youngster (32) looked really assured when he came on at the start of the second half and seemed an upgrade on Lavia, who thankfully made it through 45 minutes unscathed. There's a big difference between Caicedo and Enzo in the middle compared to Lavia and Essugo and I am not worried about the result at all.