03 Jul 2022 18:36:52
Seeing as this is a rumour forum……

Fabrizio Romano has been quoted today, saying FDJ to United is “absolutely on” despite what negative spin has been quoted about the move this last week.

{Ed014's Note - a Chelsea poster has just asked ed02 if they have any interest, might be worth checking out their rumour page and see if he’s replied yet. I held it back for him earlier.

1.) 03 Jul 2022
03 Jul 2022 19:23:04
was that the one in the discussion page?

2.) 03 Jul 2022
03 Jul 2022 19:30:11
ED014,

Are you happy with Arsenal's transfer activity during the transfer window?

{Ed014's Note - no mate I’m not.

3.) 03 Jul 2022
03 Jul 2022 19:53:01
We need to move away from de Jong. He’s not interested.

4.) 03 Jul 2022
03 Jul 2022 21:17:07
Ed014,

At least Arsenal have signed players. It might be Utd and Arsenal fighting over 5th place this season.

{Ed014's Note - we have mate but we need more and it doesn’t look like Xhaka is going anywhere which is a massive disappointment.

I don’t like us being linked with Martinez either when we have Saliba with rumours the club would let him go, mental!

Would really have liked to see Potter in instead of Arteta too.

That’s a big might too mate. Your coach has his work cut out that’s for sure.

5.) 03 Jul 2022
03 Jul 2022 21:28:05
Is feeling more and more that it’ll be 2-3 players maximum and work with what he has at Utd with an emphasis on coaching the current crop and integrating the promising youth team. Fine by me if it means we don’t buy overpaid and average players or 33+ year old looking for final pay cheques.

6.) 03 Jul 2022
03 Jul 2022 21:51:34
Ed002’s response was to read the posts ?.

{Ed014's Note - ???brilliant!

7.) 03 Jul 2022
03 Jul 2022 22:02:19
ED014,

I'm an optimist. Fortunately for EtH he has had a few players leave which might make things easier for him.

I was hoping this ridiculous Barcelona rumours regarding Maguire were true.

Although Chelsea don't look in great shape, having lost a few players this summer. They need to strengthen, although they are in a far better position than Utd.

Honestly it is hard to call at the moment. Once the transfer window closes, it will make things clearer.

Potter is a great manager, he might end up taking over from Southgate.

Finally Saliba, he looks a top player from the highlights I've seen. Like Utd, Arsenal aren't run well and we equally share frustrations ove rhow the clubs are run.

{Ed014's Note - as much as our respective clubs love trying to knock all the optimism out of us we somehow manage to retain some of it mate.

I certainly don’t see any change in the top four but think 1st and 2nd will swap as will 3rd and 4th this season.

It’s a big ask for ETH and I think moving Ronaldo on will make sense but it still won’t be easy for, he seems a really decent coach but it’s a new league with some major opposition and a squad that needs a lot of work.

Potter would be wasted in the England job for me though mate.

The Saliba situation drives me nuts!

8.) 04 Jul 2022
03 Jul 2022 23:28:15
ED014,

I thought Spurs would have jumped at the chance eof appointing him the manager before Conte. Perhaps, as he isn't a household name, he never gets the recognition he deserves or the chance at a bug club. Although I think he will leave Brighton this season.

For EtH, there are still a few players that need moving on. I'm not fussed over Ronaldo. If he doesn't want to be here, then he must go. ETH needs players who are willing to fight and try and get back in the CL.

I think EtH will need at least 2 years to transform the club. Moving players on, who are on big wages will remain an obstacle.

{Ed014's Note - me too and was glad they didn’t but Conte isn’t a poor choice.

Hopefully if he moves it’s because Arteta has!

I can’t imagine things won’t look better from the off if he instills his style of play but it’s just the lack of quality that will initially let him down but he sure can’t be any worse than that hapless clown OGS.

9.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 09:15:57
Personally I think only City and Liverpool are guaranteed top four and they will be the top two teams again next season. It's just a question of who finishes top and who gets second.

Certainly at this moment in time Chelsea and Spurs looks strongest to finish 3rd and 4th.

However, Spurs are a Conte implosion away from dropping off the radar again. The guy is a great manager without a shadow of a doubt, but I don't think there is a more temperamental manager in the EPL. He's the kind of character that if Levy gives him a funny look he'll just resign.

If Spurs continue with what looks to be excellent recruitment, they all assimilate well with the existing players, and Conte doesn't throw a wobbly then Spurs should make top four. However, grasping defeat from the jaws of victory is a typically Spursy thing to do, so I don't have them as a shoe-in.

Chelsea seems to be making some strange moves in the market currently. Half their defence have left yet they seem to want to sign nothing but wingers and forwards. There is obviously time in the window yet to sign a couple of CB's that they need, otherwise they will be overly reliant on the soon to be 38 year old legs of Thiago Silva.

While the depth at wingback is a concern, they will lose Alonso and Azpiliqueta this summer, so who covers James and Chilwell when they need a rest or if they are injured/ suspended next season?

I also feel they need a CM. Kante is struggling to stay fit which leaves Barkley and Loftus-Cheek as the only real rotation options to Jorginho and Kovacic. Both of whom have picked up niggling injuries themselves throughout last season.

Gallagher looks a great player for them, but playing him with more defensive responsibility in the midfielder two could restrict some of his best abilities (breaking forward, shooting and creating chances in the final third) . It'll be interesting to see how he fits into this Chelsea team and if he does and thrives he could be a big player for them.

Raphinha and Sterling improve their wide options, but do both start ahead of Mount? While Werner as the only alternative to Havertz through the middle doesn't look good enough.

On the surface they seem to have a decent squad, but scratch a little deeper and there are clear issues or at least potential issues for Tuchel next season.

Speaking of Tuchel, can anyone say he has improved Chelsea? He had a great impact when he first joined that carried them to a UCL win. Yet personally I feel like Chelsea have regressed under him. They spent over 100m on Lukaku last summer only to send him back to Inter this summer for an 8m loan fee.

While they seem to be insistent this summer at chasing wide players when they have serious issues in defence. Will they make the right signings this year or repeat mistakes like last summer?

I wouldn't be surprised if Tuchel is sacked by Christmas, then their season would very much depend on who they get in to replace him.

Lots of upheaval behind the scenes with Abramovic leaving and several key people being replaced. How quickly the new regime settles and gets a grasp of everything will be key in how Chelsea perform next season.

Personally I think they are most at risk of dropping out of the top four.

I'd be stunned if BOTH Conte and Tuchel make it to the end of the season.

So I think there will be opportunities for both United and Arsenal to make a push and claim a top four place. Yet both clubs have a lot to do to elevate themselves to a good enough standard to make that push. Yet I think for both United and Arsenal fans there is plenty of reason to go into the season full of hope.

10.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 09:31:32
Ed014,

I agree, hapless ole the clown, but he left the rest of the circus behind haha.

{Ed014's Note - he sure did mate, how he got away with for so long was incredible.

11.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 12:10:52
Ed014, is the saliba issue not more about Saliba wanting to leave? That's what I gathered from ed002s posts. He wants to go. Cracking player.

{Ed014's Note - Partly but the club are open to him leaving which is down to that idiot Arteta biting off his nose to spite his face!

No manager in their right mind would let a player of that potential leave.

12.) 04 Jul 2022
04 Jul 2022 17:50:55
Chelsea fan here in peace. Shappy, I think that summary is pretty spot on to be honest. I'm not a massive fan of what appears to be Tuchel's main style of play. I suppose you can't blame Chelsea managers of the past for being somewhat conservative given the previous owners' trigger finger, but we'll wait to see whether this season brings new impetus. The signings the club are being linked with now Tuchel has more input (if the media are to be believed) are indeed strange and a bit worrying, as is the fact that we seem prepared to let young talents like Maatsen and Colwill leave (see Guehi and Tomori last season) . I remember it taking Klopp a reasonably long time to get Liverpool going when he first arrived – three seasons before they started really improving, as I remember, while still being a bit of a joke for the first two, though I could be wrong on that – so there's that balance to consider. I hope the new owners are more prepared to give a coach time to imprint a style than Abramovich was; at the same time that could go the other way, a la OGS where a limited coach continues to be given too long. Tuchel did win the CL, so that counts for something, but he came in midseason, and sometimes that switch of coach can be misleading (it seems as though sometimes the move from one style to another can really benefit the players for one season or so, almost as though the combination of two coach's philosophies initially works – I'm thinking Ranieri taking over from Pearson) .

I think you lot have been very smart in snapping up Eriksen. Wonderful signing, that. I'm very interested to see how you do this year under ETH. Next year seems more realistic for making a push back towards the real heights though. Spurs are making some real moves in the transfer market, so Levi clearly understands he's under pressure to keep Conte happy. It's the one thing that does keep Conte happy. Probably my favourite Chelsea manager of the Abramovich era, apart from Ancelotti. It could all end in tears but it's massive fun on the way. They could be real challengers this year – probably for third place and a cup rather than the league. Or they could absolutely derail. I don't think Arsenal have enough defensively to be in there, but if they hadn't had that shocking run at the start of last season. letting Saliba go just seems nuts. Wonder if Chelsea have enquired after him. All in all it's to be a very interesting season, but probably not in terms of challenging for the PL from either of our clubs!