Chelsea 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 2

[xceleryx]

5 hours ago, Original 21 said:

Appointing Lampard looks like another bad mistake. It’s just one mistake after another. When is it going to stop? Does anyone here think it’s a good idea we’re lumbered with Frank till the end of the season? His decisions make no tactical sense and he’s slating the players for not being good enough. All he’s going to achieve is to destroy what’s left of his own reputation and undermine the players’ confidence further. It’s a bloody shambles.

Lampard's appointment was never really meant to fix anything, it was more geared at removing Potter and limping through the rest of the season with a figure who could maybe inject a bit more positivity into the playing group before the seasons out. Yes, Lampard isn't the most astute of managers, but our issues run way beyond any manager that it wouldn't have really mattered who we appointed between now and seasons end.

This playing group are atrocious - not just in terms of their skillset and quality, but their football intelligence, worth ethic, and mentality. The impending summer clear out cannot happen soon enough, not just that but we need to make bold calls on more high profile players in the benefit of moving forward. We're also suffering tremendously with a lack of leadership in the squad. 

It is a fixable situation, even with how bleak it currently looks right now, it'll just not happen overnight.

[kev61]

15 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Lampard's appointment was never really meant to fix anything, it was more geared at removing Potter and limping through the rest of the season with a figure who could maybe inject a bit more positivity into the playing group before the seasons out. Yes, Lampard isn't the most astute of managers, but our issues run way beyond any manager that it wouldn't have really mattered who we appointed between now and seasons end.

This playing group are atrocious - not just in terms of their skillset and quality, but their football intelligence, worth ethic, and mentality. The impending summer clear out cannot happen soon enough, not just that but we need to make bold calls on more high profile players in the benefit of moving forward. We're also suffering tremendously with a lack of leadership in the squad. 

It is a fixable situation, even with how bleak it currently looks right now, it'll just not happen overnight.

we are a forty foot lorry in a cul-de- sac.It will take a lot of doing  to turn us around.

[kev61]

We must have accountants and business  owners on here.How would you put things right?

[xceleryx]

20 minutes ago, kev61 said:

we are a forty foot lorry in a cul-de- sac.It will take a lot of doing  to turn us around.

Turning us around won't happen overnight by any means, but we can certainly do enough in the summer to at least make us resemble a more functional and balanced team. In saying that, it also hinges on the direction we want to take moving forward. 

If the desire is to commit to a proper rebuild then we need to also factor in the type of side we want to create. For years on end now we've tried to be a possession based side with the creative and technical guile of a toad, then wonder why we can't move the ball around proficiently, struggle to break sides that sit back down, and look completely out of our depth in the attacking third as a whole. We really need to be set on a blueprint of how we wish to play football before we start any further recruitment drive. Whether that's to remain a possession based side, move to a more counter-attacking approach, or whatever. The aimless hodgepodge that we are right now is half the reason we're so shite. 

But yeah, it won't be easy but it's also not impossible. 

[kev61]

10 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

 it also hinges on the direction we want to take moving forward. 

Moving forward will do for me now.

[ROTG]

9 hours ago, Mark Kelly said:

We're not as good as Brighton under Potter. 

Morning MK.
Did you look up where Brighton finished under potter finished in season one and two?

[Mark Kelly]

8 minutes ago, ROTG said:

Morning MK.
Did you look up where Brighton finished under potter finished in season one and two?

Yes, above where we are going shortly. 

[Original 21]

2 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Lampard's appointment was never really meant to fix anything, it was more geared at removing Potter and limping through the rest of the season with a figure who could maybe inject a bit more positivity into the playing group before the seasons out.

Sure. But how has that worked out? We’ve lost three games in a row, scored one deflected goal and looked worse than at any time under Graham Potter. Staying up should be our priority now. Instead Frank is resting players because he thinks he’s going to win the Champions League by playing Sterling and Felix upfront against Real Madrid. Give me a break. 

[xceleryx]

1 minute ago, Original 21 said:

Sure. But how has that worked out? We’ve lost three games in a row, scored one deflected goal and looked worse than at any time under Graham Potter. Staying up should be our priority now. Instead Frank is resting players because he thinks he’s going to win the Champions League by playing Sterling and Felix upfront against Real Madrid. Give me a break. 

It's panned out as expected really. Did anyone actually think Lampard coming in was going to see a genuine change? I'm sure we all knew his limitations as a manager, specifically from a tactical point of view. As I said, this was more about moving on from Potter and limping through the remaining games than actually turning things around in any meaningful way.

[ROTG]

3 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Lampard's appointment was never really meant to fix anything, it was more geared at removing Potter and limping through the rest of the season with a figure who could maybe inject a bit more positivity into the playing group before the seasons out. Yes, Lampard isn't the most astute of managers, but our issues run way beyond any manager that it wouldn't have really mattered who we appointed between now and seasons end.

This playing group are atrocious - not just in terms of their skillset and quality, but their football intelligence, worth ethic, and mentality. The impending summer clear out cannot happen soon enough, not just that but we need to make bold calls on more high profile players in the benefit of moving forward. We're also suffering tremendously with a lack of leadership in the squad. 

It is a fixable situation, even with how bleak it currently looks right now, it'll just not happen overnight.

The playing staff is now the most unbalanced squad the club has had. Both last January recruitment were a joke with a sports department buying really poor players to support a coach out of his dept. 
 

you can continue to lambast the players however, the real problem comes from TB and his ego.  Sanctions or not some of the players were going to walk last summer and one can assume Marina and Co. would have had replacement lined up. Instead he decided to play football manager and provide TT with third or fourth choice replacement along with prospects which are not part of an elite coaches remit.

Thereafter TB replaces a WC coach and employs a nobody to coach WC players and puts the icing on the cake by hiring the nobody’s coach mid table recruitment team, who in turn spent £300m on mid table players to support the nobody coach.

So here we are with the worst squad I can remember based on people’s egos and out of their dept recruitment team.  Being coached Another nobody coach as an interim.  
The only path forward is to hire a WC coach and let the coach build a squad which includes input into recruitment and player release.  The RA model of letting a coach bring in one or two players is off the table due to the abysmal recruitment under the new ownership. 

[ROTG]

19 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

It's panned out as expected really. Did anyone actually think Lampard coming in was going to see a genuine change?

Yes I did, however yesterdays team selection showed he is only there taking a pay cheque and doing what he is told from above.  
If he had any gonads half the 1st squad would have sent to Coventry and he would be coaching 15-17 player until the end of the season. 

[ROTG]

1 hour ago, Mark Kelly said:

Yes, above where we are going shortly. 

Everton come to mind. 

The clubs saviour might be Clearlake who are in it for the money and will not let TB drag the club  further into the gutter.  

[Ham]

6 hours ago, kev61 said:

The $64000 question is how do we get rid of the deadwood?

The obvious answer is we are going to have to take a massive hit.

We thought Winston Bogarde was a problem! now we have several players in the same position.

What happens if we employ another top class manager and we still look clueless?.

Players like Mount,James and Chilwell and even Enzo will be looking to jump ship (if they're not already thinking about it)

We are truly in a mess.Our next manager needs to be a messiah or we're ****** for the foreseeable. 

James and Chilwell have recently signed new contracts and Enzo has a 9 year contract. Mount.... We'll see.

3 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Turning us around won't happen overnight by any means, but we can certainly do enough in the summer to at least make us resemble a more functional and balanced team. In saying that, it also hinges on the direction we want to take moving forward. 

If the desire is to commit to a proper rebuild then we need to also factor in the type of side we want to create. For years on end now we've tried to be a possession based side with the creative and technical guile of a toad, then wonder why we can't move the ball around proficiently, struggle to break sides that sit back down, and look completely out of our depth in the attacking third as a whole. We really need to be set on a blueprint of how we wish to play football before we start any further recruitment drive. Whether that's to remain a possession based side, move to a more counter-attacking approach, or whatever. The aimless hodgepodge that we are right now is half the reason we're so shite. 

But yeah, it won't be easy but it's also not impossible. 

I seem to recall that happening when TT took over from SFL.  Sometimes it's just the right coach.  I genuinely don't think we need much in the way of incomings.

A DM, maybe a new CM for Kova or Kante and a striker.  Lukaku might be that striker.  Felix on another one year loan if possible. 

Lots of outgoings. 

[ROTG]

9 minutes ago, Ham said:

I genuinely don't think we need much in the way of incomings.

A DM, maybe a new CM for Kova or Kante and a striker.  Lukaku might be that striker.  Felix on another one year loan if possible. 

Lots of outgoings. 

The squad is the most imbalanced since before RA, due to the club signing poor players over the past two windows. It going to take any WC coach more than one summer window to sort the current mess. 

[Michael Tucker]

16 minutes ago, Ham said:

A DM

Essential. Someone to sit and destroy!

16 minutes ago, Ham said:

maybe a new CM for Kova or Kante

Certainly both need replacing imo.

16 minutes ago, Ham said:

and a striker.  Lukaku might be that striker. 

Yes, he might be. Somebody needs to yell at these idiots running the club, that he's at least worth a try.

16 minutes ago, Ham said:

Lots of outgoings. 

Massive.

[xceleryx]

24 minutes ago, ROTG said:

The playing staff is now the most unbalanced squad the club has had. Both last January recruitment were a joke with a sports department buying really poor players to support a coach out of his dept. 
 

you can continue to lambast the players however, the real problem comes from TB and his ego.  Sanctions or not some of the players were going to walk last summer and one can assume Marina and Co. would have had replacement lined up. Instead he decided to play football manager and provide TT with third or fourth choice replacement along with prospects which are not part of an elite coaches remit.

Thereafter TB replaces a WC coach and employs a nobody to coach WC players and puts the icing on the cake by hiring the nobody’s coach mid table recruitment team, who in turn spent £300m on mid table players to support the nobody coach.

So here we are with the worst squad I can remember based on people’s egos and out of their dept recruitment team.  Being coached Another nobody coach as an interim.  
The only path forward is to hire a WC coach and let the coach build a squad which includes input into recruitment and player release.  The RA model of letting a coach bring in one or two players is off the table due to the abysmal recruitment under the new ownership. 

The squad was unbalanced long before Boehly and co arrived, been saying as much for years now. This wasn't helped by the circumstances in which the takeover happened and the late start to the window they had, while having several key areas that needed immediate address with a degree of quality to replace those that departed. None of the signings made where "terrible" players in their own right, however they'll all struggled at various points this season much like everyone else - including those who've been here for years and prior good performers. 

Sacking Tuchel has been ownerships biggest error to date, however even had he remained this season was still destined to be a struggle because the crux of our issues still resides with the personnel on hand. These cracks were already showing at the back end of Tuchel's time here. 

The recruitment team cannot be judged at this point in time, they've virtually had one January window here and invested largely in those for the future. Of the signings made Enzo looks class, Badiashile has shown promise, Mudryk glimpses, and Noni TBD. None of them are failures, but they will some time. Let also not forget, and I believe it have been @Mark Kellywho touched on this previously, there are several in the recruitment team that assembled the current Brighton squad that dismembered us with ease. 

Hiring a quality manager will be an important part of the process, they're not going to have full control on building out a squad though - that's the purpose of the setup we've created with the recruitment team. It may be a little rough in the short term, but longer term the idea is sound as it means that we'll hopefully have a squad built for a specific type of football where changing managers is a more seamless process. Opposed to what we had under RA where it was aimless recruitment, cycle through various managers with different philosophies, then trying to make it work. That may have worked in the earlier days but the football landscape has vastly changed and it had an end date. 

[xceleryx]

38 minutes ago, ROTG said:

Yes I did, however yesterdays team selection showed he is only there taking a pay cheque and doing what he is told from above.  
If he had any gonads half the 1st squad would have sent to Coventry and he would be coaching 15-17 player until the end of the season. 

More fool you then for having such expectations I suppose. 

Lampard was hired as, and is, nothing more than a place holder until we can identify the "best" candidate to appoint come the summer. 

[Michael Tucker]

6 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Lampard was hired as, and is, nothing more than a place holder until we can identify the "best" candidate to appoint come the summer. 

And where do you think that this 'best candidate' is hiding, currently?

[xceleryx]

23 minutes ago, Ham said:

I seem to recall that happening when TT took over from SFL.  Sometimes it's just the right coach.  I genuinely don't think we need much in the way of incomings.

A DM, maybe a new CM for Kova or Kante and a striker.  Lukaku might be that striker.  Felix on another one year loan if possible. 

Lots of outgoings. 

We did see the cracks appear with Tuchel though once the defence wasn't able to maintain the lofty standard it had set. 

If you look at the profile of the players we have there's no real balance, that's why we're looking at more than just a few incoming moves if we're to see serious progression made. The midfield being the area that should be focused on the most, followed by a CF as you've said.

It's more than just getting a couple players in certain positions in, but also getting the right set of skills into the side to build a more fluent and cohesive unit. 

[Mark Kelly]

42 minutes ago, Michael Tucker said:

And where do you think that this 'best candidate' is hiding, currently?

I think the board want Nagelsmann and he's on record saying he's taking time off until next season , hence Lampard.  Enrique was busting a gut to start immediately so I doubt it was him. 

[xceleryx]

42 minutes ago, Michael Tucker said:

And where do you think that this 'best candidate' is hiding, currently?

I'm not 100% sure. There's some interesting candidates, but also no one that necessarily stands head and shoulders above the rest either. This is probably why we're taking our time with the decision. 

My caution to the wind hire would be Postecoglou, the more proven and sensible option is likely to be one of Nagelsmann or Enrique. 

[ROTG]

1 hour ago, xceleryx said:

The squad was unbalanced long before Boehly and co arrived, been saying as much for years now. This wasn't helped by the circumstances in which the takeover happened and the late start to the window they had, while having several key areas that needed immediate address with a degree of quality to replace those that departed. None of the signings made where "terrible" players in their own right, however they'll all struggled at various points this season much like everyone else - including those who've been here for years and prior good performers. 

Sacking Tuchel has been ownerships biggest error to date, however even had he remained this season was still destined to be a struggle because the crux of our issues still resides with the personnel on hand. These cracks were already showing at the back end of Tuchel's time here. 

The recruitment team cannot be judged at this point in time, they've virtually had one January window here and invested largely in those for the future. Of the signings made Enzo looks class, Badiashile has shown promise, Mudryk glimpses, and Noni TBD. None of them are failures, but they will some time. Let also not forget, and I believe it have been @Mark Kellywho touched on this previously, there are several in the recruitment team that assembled the current Brighton squad that dismembered us with ease. 

Hiring a quality manager will be an important part of the process, they're not going to have full control on building out a squad though - that's the purpose of the setup we've created with the recruitment team. It may be a little rough in the short term, but longer term the idea is sound as it means that we'll hopefully have a squad built for a specific type of football where changing managers is a more seamless process. Opposed to what we had under RA where it was aimless recruitment, cycle through various managers with different philosophies, then trying to make it work. That may have worked in the earlier days but the football landscape has vastly changed and it had an end date. 

The trophy room say the opposite of your suggestions that transition of coaches was not seem less. A majority of the coaches hire from JM to TT under RA delivered titles & every domestic and European cup which sadly is not even on the horizon with the current model. 
 

As for Brighton beating us yesterday, that was down to them having a coach and frank sending out 11 individuals which is no change from potter.

Let’s see who get the most point the remaining fixtures. SFL or DS &JT at Leicester. That is a true bench mark of where the club is with regards to the coaching staff. 
 

potter cost around £30m to recruit and fire plus the delta of money between finish in the top 4 and 10th. 
Emery cost £2m will more than likely get Villa to finish in the top 6. 
 

it’s a funny old game. 
 

[ROTG]

1 hour ago, xceleryx said:

More fool you then for having such expectations I suppose. 

Lampard was hired as, and is, nothing more than a place holder until we can identify the "best" candidate to appoint come the summer. 

 Not at all.
Frank could demanded and implemented anything, unfortunately he’s just another yes man. 

[Mark Kelly]

11 minutes ago, ROTG said:

 Not at all.
Frank could demanded and implemented anything, unfortunately he’s just another yes man. 

How? 

Hello boss, I know there's only seven weeks of the season left and the transfer window is shut but can you please get me a CF and DM? 

 

[xceleryx]

19 minutes ago, ROTG said:

The trophy room say the opposite of your suggestions that transition of coaches was not seem less. A majority of the coaches hire from JM to TT under RA delivered titles & every domestic and European cup which sadly is not even on the horizon with the current model. 
 

As for Brighton beating us yesterday, that was down to them having a coach and frank sending out 11 individuals which is no change from potter.

Let’s see who get the most point the remaining fixtures. SFL or DS &JT at Leicester. That is a true bench mark of where the club is with regards to the coaching staff. 
 

potter cost around £30m to recruit and fire plus the delta of money between finish in the top 4 and 10th. 
Emery cost £2m will more than likely get Villa to finish in the top 6. 
 

it’s a funny old game. 
 

Yes, and we either had a squad that was littered with bonafide top draw quality, unrivalled spending power, or both. The landscape has drastically changed and that's a big part why we've been a glorified cup side rather than a genuine title challenging team for quite some time now. 

And it was also because they've got a far better balanced group of players to field that's equally as complimentary to their football style. All because they've had a requirement plan in place and found themselves a complimentary manager that's propelled them further. 

What Lampard does between now and seasons end is irrelevant, here's not here for the long term or even with any real responsibly or expectation of turning us around. Just like what DS and JT do at Leicester is irrelevant to us. 

That it is.