Oh I know, hence my last line but they have failed to secure the manager's no.1 target. I mean, it's not like with Griezmann, where fate conspired against us. Lukaku was theirs for the taking, since the end of the season.
Chelsea under Conte | Let's sign the next Hazard, literally.
- Thread starter Gandalf Greyhame
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Damn, those youngsters need to learn some patience.
His record with youth players at both clubs is appalling.
He is right though. Extremely talented young players want game time, but they lack the consistency required by the big teams. I'd like to see young talented players loaned out for a minimum of two seasons to the same team - I think it could make a huge difference.
Chalobah should have gotten a shot with the first team after his first loan with Watford.
Erm, have you not seen the amount of loans Chelsea youth players get sent out on? Their longest serving player hasn't played a game for them yet.
Yep, 17 years old for a good portion of that season as well, crazy to think how long ago that was and how absolutely nothing has happened in his career since really, not that's been good for his development anyway.
I think you've missed the point about being loaned out for a sustained period to the same club, that will probably help a players development a lot more than the trotting around that Chalobah did for example. Had a great season at 17/18 with Watford playing in most games and scoring some cracking goals on the way to the play-off final, then ended up at Forest the next year for half a season, then Boro for the 2nd half... he should have been straight back to Watford for another year if they weren't planning on giving him a crack at the first team.
I really think they need to do something that would prevent clubs from hoarding up young players. But, I can not think of solution that would not cause unintended consequences elsewhere.
If those youngsters stayed where they were or ended up at some little known clubs, no one would give a crap. But since it's big bad Chelsea that buys them and loans them out, suddenly it's a tragedy of massive proportions.
No one does business like you guys though. From a financial perspective you can see why you do it, but I don't think it does your young players any good long term for their development.
It's not only a 'Chelsea' problem, but you guys seem guilty of it more than most.
Not sure about the quotes without context.
Makes it seem like he is annoyed with the club's decision
Not full context but a (quiet) video of him saying it - doesn't seem thrilled but might just be annoyed with the prior questions etc.
Players like Chalobah aren't good enough for Chelsea anyway. If anything he should have been sold earlier.
The lack of squad depth at Chelsea is very surprising. If Conte thinks he can compete on all 4 fronts with his current squad he is in for a very rude awakening.
I think Conte is not under suspicion of wanting too little quantity or quality in his squad.
Mourinho Mind Games FC
This makes me so happy knowing we stole Lukaku from Conte and he isn't impressed with Morata + he's upset over the club choosing to sell Matic to us
Why do you think Conte has any real say in our squad depth? He's head coach, he's consulted about transfers but he doesn't action them.
This must fill you with confidence for the upcoming season, sounds to me as a gloryfied janitor.
It's been that way at Chelsea since about 2003. Glorified janitor, what on earth are you talking about?
He has no say over the most important aspects of managing a team.
If the job done with putting together a competitive squad is cr@p, to no fault of Conte, he'll still be the one kicked out unless he'll perform miracles.
They'll get rid, just as easy as letting the janitor go.
If the job done with putting together a competitive squad is cr@p, to no fault of Conte, he'll still be the one kicked out unless he'll perform miracles.
They'll get rid, just as easy as letting the janitor go.
The same as the head coaches of pretty much every major club on the planet, yes.
Why? He was a near ever-present in a Championship promotion chasing team at 17... Chelsea ruined his development sending him out on loan every season to a different place and never giving him first-team experience at the club. Just like they ruin dozens of young players.
Will be interesting to see how they get on this year. Pep joining City and Mourinho at Utd took the spotlight off him a bit last year, expectations were tempered coming off a dreadful season and they had no European football to contend with.
Now they'll be expected to retain their title and compete in latter stages of the CL by a large contingent of their fans and the media, all whilst they've arguably replaced a couple of key players in Costa and Matic with worse players who are still unfit going in to the season and in Morata's case, probably low on confidence (2nd choice to Lukaku, manager bigging up Harry Kane instead of his new signing, done nothing in pre-season and puts a pen wide in the CS shoot-out).
Teams are probably likely to have the system figured out a bit more this year as well, I certainly don't think they'll have a period of form like they did last year between October and New Year last season which was probably the best sustained period of form ever seen by a PL side.
Now they'll be expected to retain their title and compete in latter stages of the CL by a large contingent of their fans and the media, all whilst they've arguably replaced a couple of key players in Costa and Matic with worse players who are still unfit going in to the season and in Morata's case, probably low on confidence (2nd choice to Lukaku, manager bigging up Harry Kane instead of his new signing, done nothing in pre-season and puts a pen wide in the CS shoot-out).
Teams are probably likely to have the system figured out a bit more this year as well, I certainly don't think they'll have a period of form like they did last year between October and New Year last season which was probably the best sustained period of form ever seen by a PL side.
It's a bit silly if Roman is meddling again in first team affairs. They've got a manager whose come in and done a stunning job by winning the title. There's really nothing to gain and by poking your nose in his business and making sales he doesn't want to make. If that is the case then Chelsea will struggle this season and lose an excellent manager.
This is a bit silly. Matic wasn't a key player, which is why we sold him. You've also managed to conflate Morata playing a few minutes after arriving late for pre-season as him having 'done nothing' and created a fantasy where he's 'probably low on confidence'. Don't get me wrong, its certainly going to be a tough season, but lets save the wild flights of fantasy for after the seasons actually started please.
He played in 35 league games last season.
I don't think anyone is saying Matic was the reason you the won the league but he was clearly an important member of the first team.
I think that right now they haven't improved the squad at all. In the striker position, I think Morata will be a downgrade on Costa. Bakayoko is coming from a new league and won't have the pre-season, so it's reasonable to expect that he'll take three-four months before he shows his potential(which I don't think he has much, but that's a topic for another thread), so Matic's absence will certainly be felt there.
There have been loads of rumors about Chelsea going for VvD which wouldn't make sense to me as I think the CB is one their strongest areas(Cahill, Rudiger, Luiz, Christensen, Azpi) although it looks like Conte doesn't trust Christensen much which seems to be a shame.
They still need a upgrade on wingbacks IMO which is why they're going after Aurier and Alex Sandro. Also need a midfielder and another wideman. Loads of work still to do for Chelsea. It's baffling that they sold Matic before getting another midfielder in.
There have been loads of rumors about Chelsea going for VvD which wouldn't make sense to me as I think the CB is one their strongest areas(Cahill, Rudiger, Luiz, Christensen, Azpi) although it looks like Conte doesn't trust Christensen much which seems to be a shame.
They still need a upgrade on wingbacks IMO which is why they're going after Aurier and Alex Sandro. Also need a midfielder and another wideman. Loads of work still to do for Chelsea. It's baffling that they sold Matic before getting another midfielder in.
I actually have a lot of time for Matic, but over the last two seasons he's been a shadow of the player that bossed the PL in 2015 despite his improvement last year. We couldn't have won the league without him last year, but Conte clearly didn't see him as a key member of the squad for this season with Bakayoko arriving.
I guess we'll see, in my opinion a lot of the reason Kanté was able to do what he does best and press all over the pitch was having Matic solidify the midfield. With Bakayoko alongside him - who isn't a holding player by any stretch of the imagination - I have a feeling he might be a bit subdued this season in that respect and thus might not be as effective as he was last year. As mentioned he did play 35 games last year as well, and it's just an opinion that he's better than Bakayoko who I've never really been impressed by and certainly isn't able to fill the same role I don't think.
And yeah I shouldn't have said that that was 'probably' the case with Morata, but seriously it can't help knowing you were plan B and then having your manager come out talking about how a rival centre-forward is his perfect striker instead of talking about his new signing. I still don't think he's a patch on Costa (will hold my hands up at the end of the season if he smashes it and I'm wrong).
I guess time will tell. I don't watch many non-Chelsea games, so I really don't know much about him (or Bakayoko).
What if Bakayoko doesn't adjust to the league/team quick enough? then you have no one to replace him with. I would have Kept Matic around for a season as a just in case player. Certainly not going to sell him to a rival who happen to need the exact things he brings to the table.
Last year it was Inter in the press, this year is going to be AC Milan month in month out.
I'd have kept him around too, but perhaps he didn't want to be second string with both Bakayoko and Fabregas also needing game time at CM.
Bring on the FSW!