Official: Chelsea sign Moises Caicedo on 8 Year Contract

[Mark Kelly]

1 minute ago, boratsbrother said:

An insane and obscene fee for a player who is little more than a very good athletic spoiler of a footballer. Just 2 years ago,  for this kind of price you'd get a genuine elite striker who'd win big games against the big teams and bang in 25 + goals a season or a midfielder who creates and scores goals for fun. Those are the level of players where huge money should be spent on  and by  stretch of the  imagination Caicedo is nowhere near that level of player.

 

We paid £97m for Lukaku , how did that work out for you?

[Lump Of Celery]

5 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

We paid £97m for Lukaku , how did that work out for you?

Was just about to comment on the irony in BB's post

[Sciatika]

Actually, it was probably more like £125m for Lukaku when you add in things like agents fees, transaction costs, potential addons and and so on.

[boratsbrother]

18 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

We paid £97m for Lukaku , how did that work out for you?

That was just another example of our board paying massively over the odds for a player who is way below elite level and I said so when we bought him. 

This fee for a spioling midfielder who's had one good season for Brighton is beyond ridiculous and another example of transfer fees spiriling completely put of control and we have very much played our part in being responsible for this madness.

[Mark Kelly]

Just now, boratsbrother said:

That was just another example of our board paying massively over the odds for a player who is way below elite level and I said so when we bought him. 

This fee for a spioling midfielder who's had one good season for Brighton is beyond ridiculous and another example of transfer fees spiriling completely put of control and we have very much played our part in being responsible for this madness.

It's nothing to do with the fee these days , we paid the money because if we didn't Liverpool would and we wanted him.

A million pounds is more money than the average Joe will see in a lifetime but if we went out and bought our players at £1m each we'd be playing in division 2 

[paulw66]

56 minutes ago, Bob Singleton said:

I loved Zola as a player, but did his 25 shirt deserve to be permanently "retired" over and above Terry's 26 (which clearly hasn't been retired), Lampard's 8, Drogba's 11, Cech's 1, Hazard's 10?

As @paulw66 said, it's been 20 years since the little maestro left. I think that gap in no-one using the number is a suitable 'honour' in itself. 
 

This. I almost listed some of those you mentioned. 

30 minutes ago, boratsbrother said:

An insane and obscene fee for a player who is little more than a very good athletic spoiler of a footballer. Just 2 years ago,  for this kind of price you'd get a genuine elite striker who'd win big games against the big teams and bang in 25 + goals a season or a midfielder who creates and scores goals for fun. Those are the level of players where huge money should be spent on  and by  stretch of the  imagination Caicedo is nowhere near that level of player.

 

And Enzo is rubbish.

 

Yawn. 

[Miguelito07]

3 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

 we'd be playing in division 2 

ahhhhhhh - those were the days 😉

Edited August 15, 2023 by Miguelito07

[Holymoly]

Loving the media wave that was begun by Ally McCoist this morning at 6am suggesting that the reason Caicedo and Lavia chose Chelsea over Liverpool was because we are the bigger club in the eyes of the younger players. Add to that the thought that perhaps the Klopp era is closer to its end than its beginning unlike Pochettino (hopefully). I'm sure by this evening however Liverpool will be wheeling out its decrepit big guns to explain the "history" and how it trumps the last 25 years.

[Sleeping Dave]

1 hour ago, Mark Kelly said:

We paid £97m for Lukaku , how did that work out for you?

Just because you pay world class fees for average players doesn’t mean they’ll transform into world class players. I wish it was so, but it isn’t. So… 

[boratsbrother]

32 minutes ago, Sleeping Dave said:

Just because you pay world class fees for average players doesn’t mean they’ll transform into world class players. I wish it was so, but it isn’t. So… 

To be fair, the board have done a lot of good transfer business lately paying sensible prices for a lot of players and doing well to get the money back on the likes of Havertz and KK. However, in the last half a dozen years we have been absolutely rinsed by paying ridiculous prces for the likes of Kepa, Lukaku, Cucu, W Forfana, Mudryk and now Caicedo. Half a billion on six players with not a single one  anywhere near to being a game changing player.😭

Edited August 15, 2023 by boratsbrother

[Mark Kelly]

Just now, boratsbrother said:

To be fair, the board have done a lot of good transfer business lately paying sensible prices for a lot of players and doing well to get the money back on the likes of Havertz and KK. However, in the last half a dozen years we have been absolutely rinsed by paying ridiculous prces for the likes of Kepa, Lukaku, Cucu, W Forfana, Mudryk and now Caicedo. Half a billion on six players with not a single one  anywhere near to being a game changing player.😭

I agree with a lot of that however Caicedo is literally a game changing player as his signing means we can change the way we're playing and get Enzo the jewel in our crown nearer the opposition goal .

I also think we will see a Mudryk much nearer to his best this season under a proper coach and not a sightseer .

[Sleeping Dave]

24 minutes ago, boratsbrother said:

To be fair, the board have done a lot of good transfer business lately paying sensible prices for a lot of players and doing well to get the money back on the likes of Havertz and KK. However, in the last half a dozen years we have been absolutely rinsed by paying ridiculous prces for the likes of Kepa, Lukaku, Cucu, W Forfana, Mudryk and now Caicedo. Half a billion on six players with not a single one  anywhere near to being a game changing player.😭

They have. Absolutely, credit to them. 

However, in your list I identify three game-changing players - Kepa, Cucurella and Fofana. Unfortunately the changes they contribute with isn’t in our favour… 

On another note, Kepa hopes that Real will keep on for next season as well. Lends a huge boost to the theory that he’s played his last game for us and that he knows it. 

[boratsbrother]

6 hours ago, Mark Kelly said:

I agree with a lot of that however Caicedo is literally a game changing player as his signing means we can change the way we're playing and get Enzo the jewel in our crown nearer the opposition goal .

I also think we will see a Mudryk much nearer to his best this season under a proper coach and not a sightseer .

Though hugely overpriced I think Caicedo will do a decent job for the team, but I fear Mudryk won't make it with us. For me he lacks composure at the crucial moments, has an erratic touch and looks like one of those players who's feet move quicker than his football brain.

 

[xceleryx]

5 hours ago, boratsbrother said:

Though hugely overpriced I think Caicedo will do a decent job for the team, but I fear Mudryk won't make it with us. For me he lacks composure at the crucial moments, has an erratic touch and looks like one of those players who's feet move quicker than his football brain.

Mudryk is a bit more unconventional because he's a bit older than some of the other young players we've signed but has less football experience to his name. There's raw ability there, game changing ability at that IMO, but he is still rough around the edges. Having seen a little bit of him at Shaktar in the CL he's certainly capable of being a good player, in ways he reminds me a little bit of early days Salah. Exciting at Basel, struggled here with limited opportunities but eventually found his footing after a couple years in Serie A before joining Liverpool.

I wouldn't be surprised if Mudryk takes a bit longer to truly establish himself and do hope we show patience, the kid is genuinely exciting when in full flight. 

[Bison]

3 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Mudryk is a bit more unconventional because he's a bit older than some of the other young players we've signed but has less football experience to his name. There's raw ability there, game changing ability at that IMO, but he is still rough around the edges. Having seen a little bit of him at Shaktar in the CL he's certainly capable of being a good player, in ways he reminds me a little bit of early days Salah. Exciting at Basel, struggled here with limited opportunities but eventually found his footing after a couple years in Serie A before joining Liverpool.

I wouldn't be surprised if Mudryk takes a bit longer to truly establish himself and do hope we show patience, the kid is genuinely exciting when in full flight. 

Sounds like Mudryk could have done with a loan this season to refine his game. 

[xceleryx]

2 hours ago, Bison said:

Sounds like Mudryk could have done with a loan this season to refine his game. 

Or he could just stay here and play with a team that's got plenty of others in and around the same boat.

[Bison]

1 hour ago, xceleryx said:

Or he could just stay here and play with a team that's got plenty of others in and around the same boat.

Bit concerning that Poch is willing to use Chilwell as a LW ahead of Mudryk. Says an awful lot about the confidence he has in him.

[Dale86]

17 minutes ago, Bison said:

Bit concerning that Poch is willing to use Chilwell as a LW ahead of Mudryk. Says an awful lot about the confidence he has in him.

Weren't James and Chilwell deployed as Wing Backs (with licence to get into advanced positions frequently) at the weekend, rather than out and out Wingers, due to the 3-5-2 setup and their fantastic mixture of defensive and attacking talent?

Edited August 16, 2023 by Dale86
Added the question mark

[ROTG]

2 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Or he could just stay here and play with a team that's got plenty of others in and around the same boat.

Going to be interesting to see how many games/minutes 80m worth of talent get you in a 38-game season "maybe 45 games if you count the cups." 

[Bob Singleton]

Not officially announced yet, but already for sale in the club shop...

[Bison]

5 hours ago, Dale86 said:

Weren't James and Chilwell deployed as Wing Backs (with licence to get into advanced positions frequently) at the weekend, rather than out and out Wingers, due to the 3-5-2 setup and their fantastic mixture of defensive and attacking talent?

No, Poch said after the game it was a back 4 with Colwill playibg LB and Chilwell as a winger. 

Edited August 16, 2023 by Bison

[Dale86]

6 hours ago, Bison said:

No, Poch said after the game it was a back 4 with Colwill playibg LB and Chilwell as a winger. 

Ah okay. 

I'm quietly confident Mudryk will get his chances throughout the season. One game may be a bit early to be worrying about a lack of confidence in any of our players from Poch!

[kev61]

9 hours ago, Bison said:

No, Poch said after the game it was a back 4 with Colwill playibg LB and Chilwell as a winger. 

Well if he said that I would worry.We certainly didn't look we were playing with a back 4 and Chilwell is not a winger.

James and Chilwell are wingbacks all day long.It is any wonder they have looked a bit out of sorts recently.

Mudryk is a winger all day long.I can't think who is an out and out and winger on the right side - Sterling could do that role and maybe chuck.

I have faith in Poch putting  round pegs in round holes, it really isn't that difficult.

[kev61]

23 hours ago, Bison said:

Sounds like Mudryk could have done with a loan this season to refine his game. 

If he can't refine his game with us what chances are he will refine his game with any other team?.

[kev61]

6 hours ago, Dale86 said:

Ah okay. 

I'm quietly confident Mudryk will get his chances throughout the season.

If he doesn't who was the genius that bought him in the first place at that price?