http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foo...-daniel-levy-transfer-criticism-a3597151.html Some of these comments will have Tottenham fans salty as fuck though
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...io-Conte-playing-different-rules-Chelsea.html Some really good quotes from conte here on youth and basically showcasing that no big club in England will play youth unless things change
Why would it have us salty? I don't think you're going to find anyone arguing we're on the same level financially as Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and the Manchester clubs. At the end of the day, even with all of the added revenue from the new TV deals, we're a selling club. Sure, we'd all like more silverware, but the business model Levy runs is rock solid. Pretty much circles back to what I said above. If we were spending 100m+ during the summer like other clubs in the league, the pressure would be the same. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
there's some subtle messages to Spurs players that I wouldn't like if I were on your side....but what Conte said is mostly true. The pressure at Spurs is not the same as at Chelsea or Arsenal ect.
Tottenham have had a great run. Probably the best 3 year period in at least our lifetimes but have nothing to show for it. For a club that is consistently trying to grow and compete you guys will have to win something at some point but conte's point is that like Arsenal you guys don't have to win. The fans might want it but the board doesn't require it. Pressure at city and Chelsea and to a lesser extent united it crazy. I think conte was talking to the board saying "give me players or give me a year to blood youth without trophies but you can't have both" which I agree with him on. I thought Chelsea made a horrific mistake not blooding youth when 2015-16 was in the shitter. 10th v 13th who the fuck cares. Chelsea went on one of the greatest runs of youth trophies domestic and European in history. I understand conte's point but I felt the club really fucked up not forcing hiddink to play youth
It's nothing that hasn't been said before. This team is only going to be together for so much longer, so I would argue strongly that going out in the UCL group, or not qualifying is tragic. We simply can't compete for titles year in and year out because we're playing on a different field than the aforementioned clubs. Don't get me wrong, we need to win something - anything in the next 2-3 years. Talent like this at Spurs is generational.
A top 10 striker in the world came through the youth ranks and a top 20 at worst midfielder in the world cost £5m. I also really like Erikson. In this market that's £250m in talent. To be able to replicate that being as cheap as levy has been is impossible so I agree with you. FWIW I could see Kane staying. Deli seems like someone who will jump if Real Madrid come calling
Kane seems like a lifer. Dele is happy, but it'll be very hard to keep him away from the Spanish giants. I think there's a gentlemans agreement to keep the team intact through the opening of the new WHL. If we don't get UCL following that season, players will start to go. Just the way it is.
I checked the thread title no less than 5 times reading this page to check which team thread I was in...
What his Conte's deal with publicly treating his main striker like shit in the media? Poor Morata has already been dealing with being the whole Plan B label after the Lukaku thing. Fellating Harry Kane in the media will certainly help Alvaro settle in quickly.
Maybe he thinks that will fire him up. Maybe he is trying to take pressure off of him. Conte was brand new and still struggling with English a bit last summer and has that I won the league swag so he's been a lot more talkative this summer than he has been at any point in his Chelsea tenure.
No idea what we will do at wingback but you can tell conte is desperate for 2. Would like us to get toljan to rotate with moses at RWB. I hate discussing pipe dream signings but we need Alex Sandro
Look like shit again. Defense in shambles, no midfield, no wings. The announcer made a great point about Alonso and how he looked good last year with teams focusing so hard on hazard. Without that Alonso is meh going forward and opposing fullbacks aren't afraid to get forward with no hazard and Alonso has been terrible defensively. I don't feel like preseason results matter unless they are put in context. Did you play a strong team? Were you experimenting formations? Things like that. we have played strong sides with no youth and not subbing until late and our starters minus hazard and Pedro have looked terrible against teams with 3-5 backup players playing. Part of me thinks conte is channeling his inner mourinho this preseason. Complained about transfers all summer and now tanking preseason to make a point to the board.
3 most important affackers on the title winning team are not playing....Costa, Hazard and Pedro. Costa is leaving but Morata just got there. This doesn't seem nearly as bad 2015 where they lost to an MLS side and didn't win a game all of preseason.
Like I said I don't care about the results. The holes in the team that flaired up once teams got used to our 3 man defense are showing even more now that hazard can't cover up for Alonso and the forwards can't seem to find any space without hazard. I think a lot of us (myself included) don't realize how much hazard does to cover up for the deficiencies of others. Just becomes more obvious watching players like Alonso and Willian play without hazard.
Not saying we are in for a complete crap season like that. Just that we really haven't looked good. Most preseasons we have had starters only play 45-60 min. These last 2 games have had starters play big minutes in midfield and defense and look terrible. On the plus side I liked what I saw from musonda. Really wish he didn't get hurt and got the minutes boga got in the first 2 games. I also like rudiger. Hard not to look at his and see zouma with his size but he is so much better and more comfortable on the ball. He launched a few long passes on the money that Cahill and zouma are not capable of.
Team looks pedestrian without Hazard. Did the same when we finished 10th too. Pedro can somewhat make up for his loss, but we just don't have anyone right now who puts fear into a defense. Willian sits on the ball too much. Cesc drops dimes but teams can compact their defense till Eden is back. First month will probably be dicey but we will be ok if we make a couple more signings for the season.
Guess what Raven, I'm at Man City/Tottenham and they both look like shit, so shit the fuck up and wait for the games that matter.
Community shield is same as preseason. I will be officially concerned based on EPL results. Still have time for signings. We have 13 healthy first team players though and our one true game changer is coming off a bad ankle injury. Not sure how that doesnt concern some of you.
So let's talk about the elephant in the room. Our depth or lack of it in the midfield. Nate is gone. Matic is gone. Sounds like Baker is going out on loan. We probably need 2 mids as well as 1 wb and another wing?
Chalobah leaving still pisses me off. Also, Matic going to Man U and not Juve really sucks. He's like the last piece of the puzzle for them, don't feel good about making them stronger and weakening ourselves in one go.
These guys all wanted to leave. The youngsters want first team action that we can't promise them at the moment (rightly so), what are you going to do? We need some quality experienced players that can step in and hold their own and will be happy in that role. Tough to find.
I'm fine with selling him. Not a huge fan of it being to United. Hoping that fix our depth issues and soon.
I don't think one person is pissed matic is gone. I think people are pissed that we have lost Ramires, mikel, chalobah, Oscar and matic over the last year while loaning out RLC (6 total) and brought in kante and bakayako (2 total). I am not against any of those sales or purchases except the chalobah sale. I am against the fact that we are selling without buying or promoting youth to the point that we have the worst depth of any team in the premier league let alone one apparently challenging for a title. Good article on our lack of depth http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...er-Chelsea-short-Conte-let-17-players-go.html
I am arguably Kante's biggest fan in here. He should start every single game when fit. He should also have a backup. I don't think that line of thought is a knock on Kante at all.
I know...we need more depth. It's a tough spot to fill though because who wants to come in and be his backup?
You can always sell a new player on potentially moving to 4-3-3 or a 3-5-2 with the CMs or just find a guy who cares mostly about money. I would be ok with Lewis baker being the 4th CM but I'm not entirely convinced that Conte sees him as a CM. I think he might view baker as a better fit at inside forward.
I'd be happy with Drinkwater coming in as cover. He's decent at distributing the ball in that deep lying playmaker role, though I'm not sure how good he is defensively. We need some fucking bodies in the midfield, sign him up.
If anyone is looking for a good Chelsea trivia question, our longest serving player now that terry is gone is Matej delac. He has never played for the club as he's been loan army the whole time. Been at Chelsea since 2010
Anyone see anything confirming or denying buyback clauses with the ake, traore or chalobah deals? From what I can tell France doesn't allow buyback clauses but we have some sort of gentlemens agreement for traore. Ake seems to have one but chalobah doesn't. I know chalobah had only 1 year left on his contract but I feel like we sold him cheaply AND quickly to the point where we could have played hardball to get the clause inserted. Maybe it is there though. These clauses seem to have a ton of conflicting reports.
Buybacks are almost never public. Please just shut up and chill the fuck out, goddamn your whining and fretting is annoying.