Transfer Talk Topic

[east lower]

2 hours ago, Sleeping Dave said:

Bolton is a place god forgot. One of the worst towns I've ever been to in any country. Horrible. Only thing going for it is the league we won there. Hull is a proper shithole as well, much like Blackpool. 

Other places I wouldn't be proud to call home is Swindon and Bradford. Quite liked Sunderland actually. I think all othe rplaces I mentioned above are far worse. 

I spent a good few months working in the North West 20 odd years ago and I found Bolton and Blackburn folk mostly quite friendly sorts.  It was the time when they were selling the old two-up, two-down terrace houses (straight into the living room off the street, and a small back yard) for less than £2k each. Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler bought streets at a time. Workington  is a place you only want to go to once.

10 years later they were selling for £60k, another trick missed (for me).

Swindon -Absolutely. Good fish and chips in Hull, that redeems it a fair bit, but I can see why people think that it’s not so great.

Got to go a long way to get worse than Merthyr these days, my Grandads town. 

 

[east lower]

Well, as predicted and no particular surprise:

 

[Sleeping Dave]

3 minutes ago, east lower said:

Well, as predicted and no particular surprise:

 

No surprise there. There simlpy isn't a role for him in the way that Maresca wants to play. 

Now, whether we will regret that or not is a completely different matter. I'm sure @Bison will be happy though! Only half the squad left to sell;) Personally I'm worried we will regret this should Marseca pack his bags by December. But what a turn-around for Cucurella. 12 months ago widely laughed off as a fraud. Now seemingly dead cert to be our LB1.

[east lower]

6 minutes ago, Sleeping Dave said:

No surprise there. There simlpy isn't a role for him in the way that Maresca wants to play. 

Now, whether we will regret that or not is a completely different matter. I'm sure @Bison will be happy though! Only half the squad left to sell;) Personally I'm worried we will regret this should Marseca pack his bags by December. But what a turn-around for Cucurella. 12 months ago widely laughed off as a fraud. Now seemingly dead cert to be our LB1.

Only surprise is that Maresca seems to have said it, can’t help the fee we’ll get. 
 

Might be Maresca’s first visit to the naughty step!

[Lump Of Celery]

I think it may be two separate comments cobbled together for a story and not specifically about Chilwell. Has been worded quite differently in a few articles.

Pretty sure I read this comment a few days ago -

"With Chilly it's quite clear, I love the way he trains, I love the way he is but the problem is that he struggles with us a little bit to find his best position"

and then these new comments have been tacked on to them -

"This morning we had 22 players training and if you ask all of them they will say they want to play against Manchester City on Sunday."

"When you train every day and not get any minutes it is not good for them or for me and I need to make a decision.

"Probably it is better to leave and go and get minutes. The transfer window is open so we will see what will happen."

[Chelsea_Matt]

1 hour ago, east lower said:

Well, as predicted and no particular surprise:

 

😔😔😔😔😔😔 love Chilly. 

As for the northern hellhole town debate, Warrington gets my vote; full of scousers and one of the most depressing places in the Milky Way . 🤪🤣🤣

Edited August 16 by Chelsea_Matt

[xceleryx]

6 hours ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

We had to pay him wages too you know. I don’t know man. I just don’t like this model. But that’s just me. 💀💀💀🎯

Generally when players get loaned out their wages get covered by the team taking them on, or at the least a % of it. The benefit of a lot of these players being on low wages, like in this instance, means there's a good chance Lyon covered it all and thus it cost us nothing, 

That 4.5m or so now raised lets us essentially cover the first year of book value on a £20m transfer for instance. 

Do this several times over each year and you get the drift. 

Of course, you're within your right to not like the model but it's merely expanding upon what we were already doing under Roman when we used to abuse the loan system.

[xceleryx]

1 hour ago, Lump Of Celery said:

I think it may be two separate comments cobbled together for a story and not specifically about Chilwell. Has been worded quite differently in a few articles.

Pretty sure I read this comment a few days ago -

"With Chilly it's quite clear, I love the way he trains, I love the way he is but the problem is that he struggles with us a little bit to find his best position"

and then these new comments have been tacked on to them -

"This morning we had 22 players training and if you ask all of them they will say they want to play against Manchester City on Sunday."

"When you train every day and not get any minutes it is not good for them or for me and I need to make a decision.

"Probably it is better to leave and go and get minutes. The transfer window is open so we will see what will happen."

As usual sensationalised headlines for clicks that warp the actual comments made. 

[xceleryx]

1 hour ago, Sleeping Dave said:

No surprise there. There simlpy isn't a role for him in the way that Maresca wants to play. 

Now, whether we will regret that or not is a completely different matter. I'm sure @Bison will be happy though! Only half the squad left to sell;) Personally I'm worried we will regret this should Marseca pack his bags by December. But what a turn-around for Cucurella. 12 months ago widely laughed off as a fraud. Now seemingly dead cert to be our LB1.

You'd have to think Chilly's future was in the air regardless. He's missed a lot of football the last few years, there's still plenty of question marks on whether he's capable of staying fit moving forward, and when he did return last season his performances were pretty rough. He'll be 28 in December, a decision was likely always on the horizon. 

Will be sad to see him go, if that does indeed happen, as I do like him and think he's a good player when in full flight. 

Props to my boy Cucurella though. 

[Original 21]

Can’t blame us for trying…

[DannyLB]

Rather keep Sterling and it’s not even close. 

[Bison]

11 hours ago, paulw66 said:

I mean..........there's also football skill at play here

I wouldn't say the clubs we're competing with are particularly more physical in midfield either. 

Skill is at play but you have to earn the right to play first. When teams make it physical and the refs let things go against us as they do I don't think that midfield survives. I'm doing Caicedo a disservice here because I rate him but the other three give me very little hope.

I'd also say having Enzo in a two (as you suggest is the plan) puts us at a huge disadvantage.

10 hours ago, NoblyBobly said:

…but be honest , your garst would be flabbered if we had a decent season. Do have any positives moving forward?

Oh for sure. There's rumours of a transfer ban so we've got that to look forward to. Hopefully it's a lengthy one.

6 hours ago, Sleeping Dave said:

No surprise there. There simlpy isn't a role for him in the way that Maresca wants to play. 

Now, whether we will regret that or not is a completely different matter. I'm sure @Bison will be happy though! Only half the squad left to sell;) Personally I'm worried we will regret this should Marseca pack his bags by December. But what a turn-around for Cucurella. 12 months ago widely laughed off as a fraud. Now seemingly dead cert to be our LB1.

Maresca wanting Chilwell gone has reminded me of this picture:

[Chelsea_Matt]

5 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Generally when players get loaned out their wages get covered by the team taking them on, or at the least a % of it. The benefit of a lot of these players being on low wages, like in this instance, means there's a good chance Lyon covered it all and thus it cost us nothing, 

That 4.5m or so now raised lets us essentially cover the first year of book value on a £20m transfer for instance. 

Do this several times over each year and you get the drift. 

Of course, you're within your right to not like the model but it's merely expanding upon what we were already doing under Roman when we used to abuse the loan system.

Expanding is one thing but this is batshit crazy and ruins even further (if possible) what was once the identity of the club. But hey that’s just me. 🎯💀🤪

And apart from anything else, these people may be intelligent  but they know nothing about football.

I wouldn’t trust them to run a pie contest. 🥧⛔️

[thevelourfog]

6 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Of course, you're within your right to not like the model but it's merely expanding upon what we were already doing under Roman when we used to abuse the loan system.

No. This would be expanding on what we had stopped doing several years before Abramovich sold the club, because it wasn't working and the loan regulations had changed. 

It isn't a continuation of something in place. It's the reviving of something that had been stopped.

[Max Fowler]

I hope it's late enough in the transfer window now to pass comment.

I've been somewhat pleased, even surprised, that we've brought in some semblance of experience, but for me this window would only be a partial success if we landed someone like Osimhen as rumoured (despite his injuries).

I've always asked for top level players who clearly improve the starting XI. KDH is a good player but doesn't really do that - I am happy that we bought a player "for the manager" but KDH is a bit of a Ross Barkley - not truly top level.

We've completely failed at upgrading in key positions - GK, CB, and CF. Our centre-backs are a joke at this point and Maresca's defensive frailties, that Leicester fans know all too well, will very likely be badly exposed.

I like Neto but it's another seriously injury prone player to add to Nkunku, James, and W. Fofana. Watch and don't complain when these players are out for long stretches of the season because their record is obvious.

Forcing Gallagher out, and to a lesser extent Chalaboh, has been a disgrace. PR disaster for the club and the fans will be ready to pounce. Connor is not perfect but we're going to badly miss his tenacity in midfield.

The chaos around his move and the weird decision to bring back Felix reflects terribly on the strategy. We look like we are preparing for an imminent transfer ban and yet there is little method to the madness we are seeing.

We will get rid of plenty of players and are turning over youth for profit - fine. But we haven't addressed key positions with clear upgrades - exactly what you need to do to make a step up (see Arsenal, etc. of recent years.)

Finally, Maresca has not impressed me at all on the pitch or off it, excuses, arrogance and little charisma. I believe it's going to be a disaster under him and actually he's the worst signing we've made. Back to the drawing board.

As was mentioned on the Overlap the other day, previously there was trends of clubs going after coaches who had worked with SAF, Jose etc. when they were on top. Carlos Queiroz went to Real Madrid as one example.

Just because he worked with Pep doesn't mean he's going to cut it. I look at a guy who is pretending to be the real deal, backed by new manager PR, but the fact Leicester fans don't really care that he left tells a thousand words.

[Chelsea_Matt]

37 minutes ago, Max Fowler said:

I hope it's late enough in the transfer window now to pass comment.

Max!!! You’re back!!!

Edited August 17 by Michael Tucker
The endless emojis

[east lower]

7 hours ago, Original 21 said:

Can’t blame us for trying…

The Chiesa of 4 years ago, absolutely but not today’s version.

[east lower]

8 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Generally when players get loaned out their wages get covered by the team taking them on, or at the least a % of it. The benefit of a lot of these players being on low wages, like in this instance, means there's a good chance Lyon covered it all and thus it cost us nothing, 

That 4.5m or so now raised lets us essentially cover the first year of book value on a £20m transfer for instance. 

Do this several times over each year and you get the drift. 

Of course, you're within your right to not like the model but it's merely expanding upon what we were already doing under Roman when we used to abuse the loan system.

I’d be very surprised if we broke even on the whole deal, with fees, wages, legals etc. 

They can play around with the rules and use clever tricks with accounting to balance PSR, but the bottom line will always be Profit & Loss, plus the balance sheet. 
 

This mob are a Private Equity firm, they exist to make a ROI, I cannot see past them selling it on to do that. Most of them do this by the time 5 years has passed by and that’s what I believe their target is.

BUT……….They are miles off track in doing so, double that period and they may have a hope but what we’ve seen thus far offers me no confidence. Their appointment of Winstanley and Lawrence is disastrous thus far, but as a new seasons sun is just peaking above the horizon, hope (it used to be expectation) is still there. 

I ducked out of the centre-half thing you did, but I will say I’m expecting no better than last year in the league. There’s nothing I’ve seen thus far that shows we will be better than Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, and perhaps competing with Spuds, Villa, Newcastle, Man Utd for that fourth spot. West Ham are dark horses this season, got a decent coach and have bought smart. Spuds signing of Odobert yesterday looks a decent punt too.

There’s a reality that has to dawn on those managing the football fates at our club and it ain’t dawning on them yet (and I doubt it will this season). It’s about picking players that suit the bill and suit the league. And if you have a problem child or two and you’ve tried to solve it by changing things around them and it still doesn’t work then you get shot if the problem, no matter the cost. You don’t let the minority negatively effect the majority, doomed to fail if you do that.
 

 

Edited August 17 by east lower

[xceleryx]

2 hours ago, thevelourfog said:

No. This would be expanding on what we had stopped doing several years before Abramovich sold the club, because it wasn't working and the loan regulations had changed. 

It isn't a continuation of something in place. It's the reviving of something that had been stopped.

So expanding on something we previously did, got it. 

[Bison]

Attacking midfielders: Palmer, Nkunku, Sterling, Neto, Madueke and Mudryk. 

Total investment in those six players is approximately 300m. Six players presumably for the 3 positions behind the striker. You would think that's enough, no?

So where does Felix come into the picture? A player we did not want it seems until a deal for another completely different profile of player fell through. Is it just a case of we have to give Atletico money just like we had to give Aston Villa 19m for a nobody so they could sign Maatsen? Even offloading Sterling seems to involve taking back another player they presumably had no interest in otherwise.

[xceleryx]

2 hours ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

Expanding is one thing but this is batshit crazy and ruins even further (if possible) what was once the identity of the club. But hey that’s just me. 🎯💀🤪

And apart from anything else, these people may be intelligent  but they know nothing about football.

I wouldn’t trust them to run a pie contest. 🥧⛔️

The clubs identity was always going to change once Roman sold up, as he was one of the few remaining fan based owners of old. If it wasn't to be Clearlake it would've been someone else putting their stamp and methods on the club. 

I don't agree with everything that's taken place since, but it is what it is at the same time. I'd rather have this timeline than to not have a club left at all, or have owners like the Glazers, etc. But that's just me. 

[east lower]

1 minute ago, Bison said:

Attacking midfielders: Palmer, Nkunku, Sterling, Neto, Madueke and Mudryk. 

Total investment in those six players is approximately 300m. Six players presumably for the 3 positions behind the striker. You would think that's enough, no?

So where does Felix come into the picture? A player we did not want it seems until a deal for another completely different profile of player fell through. Is it just a case of we have to give Atletico money just like we had to give Aston Villa 19m for a nobody so they could sign Maatsen? Even offloading Sterling seems to involve taking back another player they presumably had no interest in otherwise.

What’s going on is fairly transparent. Look at who owns what in the PL primarily and then elsewhere. 

Let’s say that certain ownership is assisting other ownership that have similar backgrounds.

[Bison]

1 minute ago, east lower said:

What’s going on is fairly transparent. Look at who owns what in the PL primarily and then elsewhere. 

Let’s say that certain ownership is assisting other ownership that have similar backgrounds.

How do Felix and Kellyman help us on the field?

[east lower]

15 minutes ago, Bison said:

How do Felix and Kellyman help us on the field?

The Villa transactions were quite clearly a case of ‘you scratch my back, etc’. 

The powers that be appear to be having to sell him for one of, or a combination of the below:

1. Completely desperate to realise the transfer fee for Conor Gallagher to balance their own massive balls-ups

or

2. Something he’s done has got their panties in such a twist, that he’s got to be sold and they’ve lost objectivity 

And Kellyman will probably not see a first team game this season or many next, Felix is a deal to get Gallagher gone abroad. Sad thing is they must really rate Gallagher as they’re doing all they can to not sell him to a PL rival.

Edited August 17 by east lower

[Morgs]

I'll have a little bet that Chilwell outlasts Maresca at the club. Both be gone by end of Jan.