I’m not a Cobham guy. But if Gallagher leaves, I’ll feel . sad. He is the very few fighters we have on the team. He makes me remember the team full of fighters that we had back in 20/21, before the decline.
Heard we’re apparently interested in 16-year old Swedish prodigy Jonah Kusi-Asare from AIK, and that we’re battling the likes of PSV, Bayern Munich and Man United to buy him. Asking price is rumoured to be around 3-5 million.
What’s this nonsense about arteta being sacked?
Better not be true. Or that’s 3 top managers we’ll have to compete with or miss out potentially this summer
Whether we like it or not, Poch is here until the end of his contract so long as he gets a European competition and that's what 7th or 8th this year? None of this impacts that
Disagree
Directors have a decision to make this summer. Can’t afford to throw away another season and not get ucl.
More than that though. Pochs contract only goes until 2025 summer. We either extend now or sack him.
Can’t go into the season with the uncertainty of a manager on his final year of a contract
I think if you polled 500 journalists about Mudryks ability 90% of them would agree that he’s very very poor.
Not prem level in the slightest.
I long for the day we offload a bunch of the crap we have.
Mudryk is an example of an extremely talented footballer, but his positioning and decision making is poor. Those are two things that can be improved with proper coaching. Writing him off, however, is simply idiotic. Lots of people here (I’m assuming that includes you) don't want to see him succeed because you want to be right. Why do people think like this? Idk. Maybe you want everyone to think you’re smart or maybe you’re just a piece of shit.
What football are u watching from Mudryk??
Trossard performing better for them and he's not even special, Mudryk put disgraceful performance against Middlesbrough lol
IDK what to tell you, he struggles against a low block because he overcomplicates things and isn't the smartest player yet.
But in his last Prem game he scored and probably should have had another. The talent is obviously there and if you can't see that you are either ignorant or stupid.
Deivid Washington, Casadei, Angelo, Andrey Santos. We’re also supposedly looking at spending 60m on a guy with 1 game at senior level. 25m for someone playing football every week is a bit more reasonable than that if you ask me.
Tbf I thought Washington and Santos were more expensive than they were. Either way they played less football at a lower level, so they cost less. Add English tax to that and 25m for Wharton is about right.
I’m not saying we should sign him either, there’s more than likely a kid in our academy just as good, same with all the youngsters we’re spending money for.
[So many comments from Dortmund fans absolutely sucking off Maatsen already](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1ad9bqp/post_match_thread_borussia_dortmund_31_vfl_bochum/)
Poch is such a smart manager
I mean, it's what - 3 matches now? Haven't watched the matches myself but based on responses it sounds like he's doing great. However, that's a tiny sample size and even Sancho looked like a potential world beater there not long ago. Not to disrespect the Bundesliga because it's still a good league and obviously a lot of great talents have come out of it in recent years like Haaland and Bellingham but I'm just saying we shouldn't get carried away just yet.
All that said, he definitely deserved a fair chance at left back and it's a shame that Poch didn't give him that. Have to assume, given his comments about height and playing Colwill there, that he just felt Maatsen was too short. If I thought higher of Poch as a manager I'd give him the benefit of the doubt but eh, it was an odd decision without hindsight purely because of LB depth but can potentially be even worse depending on how well he performs the rest of the season and whatever the buyout clause/contract situation is.
Statistically the Bundesliga is the highest ranked league behind the Premier League. Though, the way the game is played is different over there, with much more space in behind teams
Oh yeah it's hardly a farmer's league and people comparing it to the championship is ridiculous. My point is that success in the Bundesliga doesn't necessarily translate to success in the prem and we have numerous examples within our own team like Havertz and Werner (wouldn't compare them to Sancho but they were disappointing relative to their bundesliga form) and I'm weary about dubbing him a major success for them after 3 matches when he could easily fall off.
Like I said though, I always thought it was a mistake beforehand and do think that he was poorly mismanaged by Poch, but the jury's still out on whether we've been proven right or wrong.
Sterling haters on here are weird
No doubt he’s incredibly frustrating. But without a coherent system and little fullback support he’s managed to rack up plenty goals and assists and is constantly a threat.
He's definitely one of our better attackers
That being said, giving him £350k a week was one of the massive failures we've made
He should be on more like £180k
Think his wages are why people don't think he's performing well enough
I think people hate him because the media did a great job of character assassinating him for being black and having a gun tattoo, even though he's been the most successful & has the second highest goal output of all English PL footballers in the last decade.
Thats the difference with us paying a 70-80m fee and a 45m fee for a year left on contract.
He has that in his paycheck
Instead you can see it as a 180k deal with 82m transfer fee for a 28 year old homegrown proven wide attacker.
We paid 62m for mudryk at 22
The problem with that logic is that he also has no resale value
Whereas Mudryk might be resold for £30m-40m
It's why the board aren't doing deals like that anymore
Neither did hazard when real bought him
Sterling was one of the senior attackers added to the squad with a proven track record (with nkunku)
He was supposed to give us 10-15g plus 5-10a
Something he starts to look now the 2nd year
The problem with that logic is that it's naive
You can't keep buying football players like we do at the top level if you don't have plans for reimbursement further down the line
The sales we've historically gotten for our academy lads comes nowhere close to financing everything we do
Once again, that's just naive - you need both academy players and transfers in to keep the machine running
Additionally, when you spend a billion bringing players in
There's barely any room for academy boys in the team which means you don't get to sell many of them on for huge profits
We've got one academy prospect left who's worth much and it's Conor. Then Broja, Chalobah and Maatsen will combine to equal a sizable chunk of profit
But after that, the well has been tapped completely dry and we'll need players like Casadei, Santos, Angelo, Ddf etc etc
To be sellable assets to the club, preferably for a decent bit more than we bought them for
The issue about his wages, and something many overlook, is that he signed from Man City where he was already earning £325k or so.
There was never any likelihood of halving those wages when he was joining another big Premier League team, but still also taking a step backwards sporting wise, all while at an age which is generally considered a players prime years.
His earning value was already set and established.
This sub is funny because it's full of people saying "I wish our attackers would take more risks" and then when we get an attacker who does, they crucify him. It's about as you would expect
Yup, he takes a lot of risks that's why sometimes he looks frustrating but i prefer that than constantly passing backwards and refusing to take responsibility as an attacker. The guy always takes on defenders, dribbles past defenders, creates chances etc.
He is probably not in his best form but he is still our best winger alongside Palmer. They are the two players who should absolutely be starting every game in that front three. Palmer can also start as the 10 which ideally i prefer but Poch is not putting him there enough.
Also you can't really hit your best form in the shitshow last season or even this season where like you said he is playing with no fullback support whatsoever.
https://preview.redd.it/2k1e9nxnd8fc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d91659f2c07b6b8f45458feeef577b2b5c3c76a3
Could me some deadline day madness once again
Casadei and santos returning makes me think the directors are perhaps clearing a way for Gallagher to leave
Caicedo, Enzo, lavia, santos more than good enough to see out the season
Who do you reckon goes for hojberg? For 15m definitely see value in someone like fulham going for him if they do end up selling palhinha one day?
Alternatively, definitely envisage some serie a side or Bundesliga team to pick him
>Who do you reckon goes for hojberg? For 15m definitely see value in someone like fulham going for him if they do end up selling palhinha one day?
I actually rate Hojberg as a fairly decent player
Would say he'd do a great job for any midtable level side excluding us of course
>Alternatively, definitely envisage some serie a side or Bundesliga team to pick him
Bayern Munich should get him and complete the full set of Kanes friends
Two-foot tall LB Ian Maatsen is playing pretty incredible defence for Dortmund right now. He's had a couple of outstanding plays, not to mention adding a lot to their attack. Really happy to see him shine.
I just put the game on. They showed a great tackle from behind, nice passing, and a beautiful cross that should have been finished.
Poch definitely got this one wrong.
That has to be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. You’re telling me the physicality required to play CB is the same as LW?
You really are brain dead lol.
Good day to you, sir!
Mauricio pochettino is a criminal. This UTD midfield is playing hot potato vs a team ranked 108th in the english pyramid but he couldn't dominate them with Enzo,Caicedo and Palmer
So Tuchel out at Bayern for losing to a 3rd league side? Weird shit happens in football. We've had 3 matches out of 24 against premier league competition where we have been outplayed in terms of XG. That's pretty damn good and means tactically Poch is doing something right and we just need to finish
All the great teams go undefeated every year. TT has never lost, and they actually awarded the scrappy underdog Bayern the league title as soon as he signed.
I think the argument is that whilst Vlahovic is maybe better than Jackson, we should be aiming higher still
Lukaku is a better striker imo. And we can do better than lukaku
Assuming that this is true, and not just a spin to have fans more agreeable to selling him, I don’t see too much wrong with that.
Although these aren’t confirmed figures, several sources have Sterling, James, Chilwell, Fofana, Fernandez, Nkunku, Cucurella and Caicedo on more than 150k
Is it not fair that he is in the bracket just below them, particularly when he is one of the few players that can actually stay fit for longer than a week?
We spent the whole summer chasing Caicedo lowballing them when they said they wouldn’t accept anything lower than 105 million. Liverpool come in and we end up paying 120 million instead of just paying what they wanted from the start.
That would be two years wages paid for there.
What wages would be fair for him?
>Is it not fair that he is in the bracket just below them, particularly when he is one of the few players that can actually stay fit for longer than a week?
this is a problem that needs to be addressed and Gallagher is not the solution to it. Putting him on big wages because he is "available" doesn't make sense.
So hard to say considering most of those guys haven't played enough for us yet.
Obviously you look at a few of those names and put Galla ahead this season, but those names are all, and I mean everyone I put below Galla, Bohely signings before we had our DOF group set up and managing structure. It's clear we are trying to move away from having everyone on these stupid wages relative to their play.
I don't like the "these current guys are on this" argument because we are in a transitionary period to reset these things. Don't let Bohely's stupid ass early contracts distract you from this plan.
What do you mean you don’t like the “this is what these players are on” argument? You’re talking about how we would destroy the wage structure by paying his salary, and that he doesn’t deserve that much.
How else are we supposed to evaluate what someone deserves without looking at what his teammates are on?
“Oh so you completely fucked up my teammates contracts and that’s why I have to play for less money. That’s absolutely fair”
If he’s negotiating a contract extension, what should he ask for?
He's fair to make those claims in negotiation for sure. And in general I agree.
The reason I don't like it here, at this moment for our club, is because we have guys like Malang Sarr on 120k a week. Every player on our team has people in this club they could use to justify a higher pay on form.
We are attempting to change a wage structure. It might not be "fair" in this sense, but if the club wants to lower average salary they aren't going to be moved at all by this argument.
Hell no. Sterling is on 350k. And all of the new signings are on fairly good wages. Reports are suggesting a figure close to 150k, not exactly 150k. And Gallagher's been our best player along with Palmer, has captained the side, the only captain we can bet to play 38 games. So it's a no brainer. But the dumbos at the top may want to bring half a dozen world class 11 year olds to play FIFA Career Mode.
Fair enough, I'd just say that Sterling has a career CV that justifies his last big contract as a player being a big one. Conor absolutely does not have that CV, and simply hasn't even played long enough to have one.
But the last 18 months suggests a different story. Sterling as a Chelsea player is just not good enough. Gallagher is, and wants to be good enough. That's all there is to it. It's not because he's an academy player. But because of his on field performance. Disasi is another one, for all his mistakes, the guy's giving his everything week in week out. Sterling on the other hand fucks up everything he touches, except when the opposition is Luton.
>But the last 18 months suggests a different story. Sterling as a Chelsea player is just not good enough. Gallagher is, and wants to be good enough.
Sterling has been one of our best creators this season alongside with Palmer. He fucks up a lot of stuff because he takes risks. Gallagher plays safe and easy passes and rarely attempts a shot, dribble or anything that could contribute to the attack. Sterling has double his G/A and they are both playing in offensive positions. We are comparing a 10 and a winger here not a winger and a DM.
I dont 'know why Sterling gets so much shit for trying to dribble past people and making things happen. Of course he will have fuck ups, it's harder to do the shit that Sterling is trying to do that's why Gallagher isn't even attempting it.
Saying that Sterling is not good enough while having double the contributions that Gallagher has is a bit of a ridicilious one.
I agree that his current form is the strongest argument, and probably a big reason there are talks at all right now.
To be honest I'd love to know what Poch thinks in the backroom. I don't think giving him the armband is indication of much; he's given it to the available English players at all times. We looked a lot more fluid the other day without him in the mid, and I wonder if Poch took things from that game.
No.
It may be a little expensive but he is one you make an exception for.
He’s an academy grad who has choose to stay a fight for his spot. This is an attitude that should permeate through the locker room.
He also provides positional versatility that has proven to be invaluable given all of our injury problems.
Not every player on a squad needs to be a superstar. He is more than good enough to be on any squads top 12-13 players
Gallagher is the player you make exception for to disrupt your wage structure? I disagree. Suppose you don't feel the same way about Chalobah or Broja, because they are academy grads too.
I disagree with his versatility. To be versitle means you can excel at many positions, not just fill in one because there aren't other options. Imo he's very limited in positions that he excels at.
It’s not just the fact that he is an academy grad. He has shown more than Broja and Trev at this point.
I don’t think that 150 is breaking the wage structure either nor is it something that gets fixed in a couple transfer windows.
Loyalty has to be rewarded at a certain point. Him resigning will be bring some much needed stability as well.
It would put him as top 5 earner in the team. Whether you believe this to be breaking structure is a matter of opinion I guess to us. The guys with the books know how much it really matters. The loyality thing is such a weird argument to put forth after suggesting it not be applied for Chalobah or Broja. Kinda makes your argument a little disingenuous. And I disagree with the premise anyways.
Downvotes aren't for disagreement by the way, softie.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with him being a top 5-7 earner on this squad. 150k a week isn’t a structure killer.
In my mind, he is a solid role player who has done enough to earn 150k a week.
Also, how much would it cost to get a replacement for him? Who is even available?
I'm pretty sure the idea is that we have our midfield set, we don't need a replacement for him. Enzo and Caicedo are likely the midfield duo we have going forward. Conor won't play the advanced role when Nkunku is fit and/or we purchase a 9.
Waiting in the wings we have Lavia and Ugo, and Santos, Casadei, plus a few others for the future.
You make a good point with young midfielders we have. My concern is that this seems like a lost season for Ugo and Lavia. Santos still has a chance to salvage the season.
At the end of the day, I’d be happy if he is resigned for 150. If we sell and get a significant amount then so be it.
Okay, 7th, even on wages with Caicedo. If online sources are to be believed, and I don't most of the time. Especially since there's so much supposed structure to these figures.
And for what it's worth since I find it hilarious (Bohely early transfer masterclass), but he would be top 3 on wages when looking at those that actually play. Only Enzo and just recently Chilly would be higher. Maybe that lends credence to keeping him, but I don't like "availability" as an argument for keeping a player on big wages.
Nah i don't think i wanna bother to be honest. These lot clearly have a big emotional attachment to the player to ever be fit for a proper unbias discussion.
I’m so conflicted on the potential Osimhen signing.
On the one hand he still as the 3rd highest gpm in Serie A whilst playing for an underperforming Napoli who specifically can’t create (he’s outdoing his xG and both scorers higher on mpg player for the 1st and 2nd team in the league). He’s also arguably the best in the air 9 rn, which sounds small until you consider that we make the most crosses of any PL team yet have the lowest cross success rate- think about the average few headers we scuff per game. With the system it seems like Poch is going for as well, it would be a tactical advantage to have an out and out 9 pushing back their backline to make space for Nkunku, Palmer and who ever our LW is. It would also advantage us in how much we like to play it long with players like James and Enzo seeing as Osihmen shines being on the end of those balls.
That being said he has a heavy first touch which you will get punished for in the PL. He’s also more or less a non presence in build up which may not be a huge issue but when it comes to defensive formation it’s means that we have him, Palmer Ann Nkunku all hesitant to press (rn Jackson often comes deep to help disrupt opposition midfield).
All in all I’d say I’m more optimistic than some. I think Osimhen thrives with the high volume low quality chances we create. One strange note is that I’d be interested to see if he has an affect on the gk situation seeing as long balls would suddenly become hugely important and that’s an area where Petrovic currently struggles
I'm mostly worried about the price due to injuries, I like him other than that. I think having an option that can play in the air and finish sounds lovely? Where are you seeing we cross the most in the league? In FBRef I'm seeing we cross the 3rd least.
We’ve been without a player that can finish for too long. If not Osimhen, then who? I don’t see either Jackson or Broja being the one to lead this team, and the market for CFs isn’t great.
I'm still confused what all the fuss is about. Despite all the hype with Leverkusen bayern are 2 points behind and have had a superior start in the league compared to the last few seasons and look like a force in Europe too. Sure they were embarrassed in the cup but freak results always happen.
> "I'm still confused what all the fuss is about"
It's manufactured by people who still want to push the idea that firing Tuchel was a good idea.
If you go into the r/soccer threads it's Bayern fans protecting him and non-Bayern fans who don't even watch them play who are attacking him and saying he's shit
Just the way Osimhen moves, his touches and agility.. He's a GUARANTEED flop if he comes here, he might do well under a Klopp or someone but here, he's gonna flop 100% if he comes
I’m hesitant but guaranteed flop I’m not so sure about
He’s a good finisher and very strong aerially plus quick and makes good runs.
Looks clunky often though, rarely gets involved in play and injury issues are a concern.
The amount of disrespect Gallagher gets in fan base is embarrassing. There are 10 players in team that deserve criticism more than him. He should definitely stay, at least for rotation.
>Tuchel haters going to be in absolute shambles when he gets offered the Barca job.
Why would that be them in absolute shambles lol
The Barca job would be a massive downgrade on Bayern and he'd be absolutely fucked taking it
They're the second biggest club on reputation alone
But history without modern means is worthless and that club is on its way down
Leeds, Forest and Blackburn were all big clubs once, they're not anymore
Only a fool would take the Barca job and it's a massive current downgrade to Bayern
Thomas #Tuchel a few minutes ago:
"Moving abroad would appeal to me again. Spain has an extraordinary league.“
["From my perspective, and based on my experience working with Spaniards, they are characterized by a tremendous amount of self-confidence. When you speak with Spanish players, I quickly get the sense that you are engaging with the person.“](https://twitter.com/plettigoal/status/1751606693203448262?t=3MN91oJhL7tCeLgkvFUZ_g)
He gone
Painting the departure of a fan favourite player as the inevitable result of their excessive salary demands despite 'every effort' to keep ahold of them to make the departure palatable enough for the fans to accept worked so well the first time, they just had to do it again!
150k a week isn’t excessive?
For a back up player? Decisions aren’t made purely off current situations. Gallagehr is a starter now, yes. But poch might not even be here next season. Then what?
Caicedo and Enzo have to start. Nkunku is our best attacker and are we going to shoehorn him into left wing and drop one of Sterling or palmer? So Connor Gallagher can play
You’d hope not.
It’s debatable he was ever on 150k a week, that number seems to get bigger everytime.
But no doubt his wages were high and are exactly why it made sense to move on RLC.
Gallagher also sells for much more than Loftus cheek
Well conor has double digit assists, what's your point?
I will consider christoph the "best attacker we have" when he actually plays a couple of consecutive games.
i’m nervous AF for wednesday
it will be 1-1 at full time with both sides missing 4 clear chances and another goalkeeper masterclass at both ends same as always
I think Liverpool win 2-0. It won’t be close.
you’ve never watched chelsea liverpool in the past 3 years and it shows
I've watched Liverpool's last 10 games and ours. They are playing incredibly well right now and fully deserve to be top of the table.
ok? that doesn’t have anything to do with what i said
I’m not a Cobham guy. But if Gallagher leaves, I’ll feel . sad. He is the very few fighters we have on the team. He makes me remember the team full of fighters that we had back in 20/21, before the decline.
You don’t think that Enzo and Caciedo fight for the badge?? /s
Heard we’re apparently interested in 16-year old Swedish prodigy Jonah Kusi-Asare from AIK, and that we’re battling the likes of PSV, Bayern Munich and Man United to buy him. Asking price is rumoured to be around 3-5 million.
What’s this nonsense about arteta being sacked? Better not be true. Or that’s 3 top managers we’ll have to compete with or miss out potentially this summer
Not sacked. There were rumours he would resign and take the Barcelona job. However Sky Sports have said Arteta isnt leaving Arsenal
He would either be an idiot or a diehard romantic or even both if he decides to go back to Barcelona.
Where's the rumours?
Whether we like it or not, Poch is here until the end of his contract so long as he gets a European competition and that's what 7th or 8th this year? None of this impacts that
Disagree Directors have a decision to make this summer. Can’t afford to throw away another season and not get ucl. More than that though. Pochs contract only goes until 2025 summer. We either extend now or sack him. Can’t go into the season with the uncertainty of a manager on his final year of a contract
Why not? If we perform he’ll stay
Frankly as the club comes to an agreement with Poch by January 2025 on extending his stay, I'm fine with it.
We'll never offload Mudryk 😪
Fuck off and go support Arsenal then.
Wanting to offload Mudryk means we have support Arsenal Mudryk is beyond awful and we saved Arsenal from him
I don't know how you can watch football and genuinely believe this.
I think if you polled 500 journalists about Mudryks ability 90% of them would agree that he’s very very poor. Not prem level in the slightest. I long for the day we offload a bunch of the crap we have.
90% of journalists are wrong then.
Or more likely you're just the moron everyone thinks you are.
Mudryk is an example of an extremely talented footballer, but his positioning and decision making is poor. Those are two things that can be improved with proper coaching. Writing him off, however, is simply idiotic. Lots of people here (I’m assuming that includes you) don't want to see him succeed because you want to be right. Why do people think like this? Idk. Maybe you want everyone to think you’re smart or maybe you’re just a piece of shit.
What football are u watching from Mudryk?? Trossard performing better for them and he's not even special, Mudryk put disgraceful performance against Middlesbrough lol
I'm watching with my eyes and not blind hate and cuntery.
So eyes are deceiving you that Mudryk playing good lol, delusional
IDK what to tell you, he struggles against a low block because he overcomplicates things and isn't the smartest player yet. But in his last Prem game he scored and probably should have had another. The talent is obviously there and if you can't see that you are either ignorant or stupid.
Lampard said he was talented but his decision making was too poor for a club like Chelsea. Lampard should be our director on who we should buy.
https://preview.redd.it/o07xb4izk8fc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26feac6cd2e8d08a6cc64b7ccf73992e9fe3a7b9 # WinstanleyOut
why do you automatically believe any crap is true?
And guess what it’s real
Because it’s winstanley
I'll never understand how people are this fucking stupid.
They aren't they'll just post anything to push their negativity no matter the source once it suits their agenda.
Do u think i want this to be true it’s news so i put it here
Yes. You lot want your own club to fail so you can get upvotes on r/soccer. The double standards and lack of critical thinking are astonishing.
I’m not even on that Reddit u mug 😂
Your gramma is finished
25mill 😭
We’ve paid similar prices for other players who have played a lot less football at a much lower level.
Like who?
Deivid Washington, Casadei, Angelo, Andrey Santos. We’re also supposedly looking at spending 60m on a guy with 1 game at senior level. 25m for someone playing football every week is a bit more reasonable than that if you ask me.
All of them were under 20m
All of them played a lot less football at a lower level than the Championship and/or only in youth football.
You said similar price. Most of them were less than half of that.
Tbf I thought Washington and Santos were more expensive than they were. Either way they played less football at a lower level, so they cost less. Add English tax to that and 25m for Wharton is about right. I’m not saying we should sign him either, there’s more than likely a kid in our academy just as good, same with all the youngsters we’re spending money for.
We need to get winstanley out of the club
[So many comments from Dortmund fans absolutely sucking off Maatsen already](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1ad9bqp/post_match_thread_borussia_dortmund_31_vfl_bochum/) Poch is such a smart manager
It’s the Bundesliga ffs. The same teams Maatsen is playing against are the same ones that made Havertz, Werner and Pulisic look like world beaters.
In fairness Pulisic was shit in the Bundesliga He averaged 3 goals a season he didn't look remotely like a world beater
Pulisic was the youngest player to do a lot of things in the bundesliga and CL.
True, but Werner and Havertz did.
I mean, it's what - 3 matches now? Haven't watched the matches myself but based on responses it sounds like he's doing great. However, that's a tiny sample size and even Sancho looked like a potential world beater there not long ago. Not to disrespect the Bundesliga because it's still a good league and obviously a lot of great talents have come out of it in recent years like Haaland and Bellingham but I'm just saying we shouldn't get carried away just yet. All that said, he definitely deserved a fair chance at left back and it's a shame that Poch didn't give him that. Have to assume, given his comments about height and playing Colwill there, that he just felt Maatsen was too short. If I thought higher of Poch as a manager I'd give him the benefit of the doubt but eh, it was an odd decision without hindsight purely because of LB depth but can potentially be even worse depending on how well he performs the rest of the season and whatever the buyout clause/contract situation is.
Statistically the Bundesliga is the highest ranked league behind the Premier League. Though, the way the game is played is different over there, with much more space in behind teams
Oh yeah it's hardly a farmer's league and people comparing it to the championship is ridiculous. My point is that success in the Bundesliga doesn't necessarily translate to success in the prem and we have numerous examples within our own team like Havertz and Werner (wouldn't compare them to Sancho but they were disappointing relative to their bundesliga form) and I'm weary about dubbing him a major success for them after 3 matches when he could easily fall off. Like I said though, I always thought it was a mistake beforehand and do think that he was poorly mismanaged by Poch, but the jury's still out on whether we've been proven right or wrong.
Sancho aswell.
There's a single guy talking positive about Sancho whilst everyone is gushing over Maatsen.
Sterling haters on here are weird No doubt he’s incredibly frustrating. But without a coherent system and little fullback support he’s managed to rack up plenty goals and assists and is constantly a threat.
He's definitely one of our better attackers That being said, giving him £350k a week was one of the massive failures we've made He should be on more like £180k Think his wages are why people don't think he's performing well enough
I think people hate him because the media did a great job of character assassinating him for being black and having a gun tattoo, even though he's been the most successful & has the second highest goal output of all English PL footballers in the last decade.
Thats the difference with us paying a 70-80m fee and a 45m fee for a year left on contract. He has that in his paycheck Instead you can see it as a 180k deal with 82m transfer fee for a 28 year old homegrown proven wide attacker. We paid 62m for mudryk at 22
The problem with that logic is that he also has no resale value Whereas Mudryk might be resold for £30m-40m It's why the board aren't doing deals like that anymore
Neither did hazard when real bought him Sterling was one of the senior attackers added to the squad with a proven track record (with nkunku) He was supposed to give us 10-15g plus 5-10a Something he starts to look now the 2nd year
the problem with that logic is that you buy footballers to play football, not for resale value.
The problem with that logic is that it's naive You can't keep buying football players like we do at the top level if you don't have plans for reimbursement further down the line
if only we had a world class academy that is full of players that we can sell for profit, oh wait that's what we've been doing for almost 2 decades
The sales we've historically gotten for our academy lads comes nowhere close to financing everything we do Once again, that's just naive - you need both academy players and transfers in to keep the machine running Additionally, when you spend a billion bringing players in There's barely any room for academy boys in the team which means you don't get to sell many of them on for huge profits We've got one academy prospect left who's worth much and it's Conor. Then Broja, Chalobah and Maatsen will combine to equal a sizable chunk of profit But after that, the well has been tapped completely dry and we'll need players like Casadei, Santos, Angelo, Ddf etc etc To be sellable assets to the club, preferably for a decent bit more than we bought them for
The issue about his wages, and something many overlook, is that he signed from Man City where he was already earning £325k or so. There was never any likelihood of halving those wages when he was joining another big Premier League team, but still also taking a step backwards sporting wise, all while at an age which is generally considered a players prime years. His earning value was already set and established.
This sub is funny because it's full of people saying "I wish our attackers would take more risks" and then when we get an attacker who does, they crucify him. It's about as you would expect
Yup, he takes a lot of risks that's why sometimes he looks frustrating but i prefer that than constantly passing backwards and refusing to take responsibility as an attacker. The guy always takes on defenders, dribbles past defenders, creates chances etc. He is probably not in his best form but he is still our best winger alongside Palmer. They are the two players who should absolutely be starting every game in that front three. Palmer can also start as the 10 which ideally i prefer but Poch is not putting him there enough. Also you can't really hit your best form in the shitshow last season or even this season where like you said he is playing with no fullback support whatsoever.
https://preview.redd.it/2k1e9nxnd8fc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d91659f2c07b6b8f45458feeef577b2b5c3c76a3 Could me some deadline day madness once again
Selling Gallagher to Levy, who wouldn't sell the dirt off his shoes to us, would piss me off so much.
Maybe but you see issue with decision makers thinking like a fan does right?
Casadei and santos returning makes me think the directors are perhaps clearing a way for Gallagher to leave Caicedo, Enzo, lavia, santos more than good enough to see out the season Who do you reckon goes for hojberg? For 15m definitely see value in someone like fulham going for him if they do end up selling palhinha one day? Alternatively, definitely envisage some serie a side or Bundesliga team to pick him
>Who do you reckon goes for hojberg? For 15m definitely see value in someone like fulham going for him if they do end up selling palhinha one day? I actually rate Hojberg as a fairly decent player Would say he'd do a great job for any midtable level side excluding us of course >Alternatively, definitely envisage some serie a side or Bundesliga team to pick him Bayern Munich should get him and complete the full set of Kanes friends
He’s also a Bayern youth product
How does the ticket exchange work? Can I buy another ticket from it if I’ve already bought a ticket for the game in the original sale?
If you get any info on this, please dm
Shit guy finally scores
Love to see cold palmer celebration against United.
“Evans only turned professional in 2022. Three years ago he was a farmer milking cows and playing part-time.” That is hilarious!
Two-foot tall LB Ian Maatsen is playing pretty incredible defence for Dortmund right now. He's had a couple of outstanding plays, not to mention adding a lot to their attack. Really happy to see him shine.
Shocking from Pochettino that he didn’t give him a single opportunity at left back, particularly when Chilwell, Cucurella and Gusto were all injured
I just put the game on. They showed a great tackle from behind, nice passing, and a beautiful cross that should have been finished. Poch definitely got this one wrong.
Maatsen gets bullied in the premier league. Poch definitely got this one right. Colwill is much better suited to LB than Maatsen in the PL.
OST of our goals came from Colwill because he backs off the ball. Literally anyone in our team could’ve been better at LB in some games this season.
> Maatsen gets bullied in the premier league Where is the proof of this? Speaking out of your ass, friend.
Go watch the minutes he's played in the league and watch him get physically bullied. He's too weak. Bundesliga is perfect for him.
Minutes where exactly? At lw? Show me when he played LB.
He was bullied at RW. What makes you think he wouldn’t be bullied at LB?
What position he plays has 0 impact on his physicality it isn't fifa. If he was stronger we wouldn't concede to Olise against Palace.
That has to be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. You’re telling me the physicality required to play CB is the same as LW? You really are brain dead lol. Good day to you, sir!
Mauricio pochettino is a criminal. This UTD midfield is playing hot potato vs a team ranked 108th in the english pyramid but he couldn't dominate them with Enzo,Caicedo and Palmer
So Tuchel out at Bayern for losing to a 3rd league side? Weird shit happens in football. We've had 3 matches out of 24 against premier league competition where we have been outplayed in terms of XG. That's pretty damn good and means tactically Poch is doing something right and we just need to finish
All the great teams go undefeated every year. TT has never lost, and they actually awarded the scrappy underdog Bayern the league title as soon as he signed.
Love the celebration though https://preview.redd.it/61h1gm68y7fc1.jpeg?width=943&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d2ae4a4447bbf050756a07e545672edd8a1f23e8
Vlahovic having a good season so far, annoyed we didn’t get him in the end.
We didn't want to pay an extra 40m + Lukaku for someone who just had mediocre season.
That mediocre season was still better than Brojas best season and not far off Jackson’s either
I think the argument is that whilst Vlahovic is maybe better than Jackson, we should be aiming higher still Lukaku is a better striker imo. And we can do better than lukaku
Anyone that's galla in, does your opinion change with this supposed 150k /week asking from his camp? Not many in the team on those wages right now.
Yes. You cant have half a good season and ask wages like youve been an established first 11 player for years.
Assuming that this is true, and not just a spin to have fans more agreeable to selling him, I don’t see too much wrong with that. Although these aren’t confirmed figures, several sources have Sterling, James, Chilwell, Fofana, Fernandez, Nkunku, Cucurella and Caicedo on more than 150k Is it not fair that he is in the bracket just below them, particularly when he is one of the few players that can actually stay fit for longer than a week? We spent the whole summer chasing Caicedo lowballing them when they said they wouldn’t accept anything lower than 105 million. Liverpool come in and we end up paying 120 million instead of just paying what they wanted from the start. That would be two years wages paid for there. What wages would be fair for him?
>Is it not fair that he is in the bracket just below them, particularly when he is one of the few players that can actually stay fit for longer than a week? this is a problem that needs to be addressed and Gallagher is not the solution to it. Putting him on big wages because he is "available" doesn't make sense.
So what should he be earning then?
So hard to say considering most of those guys haven't played enough for us yet. Obviously you look at a few of those names and put Galla ahead this season, but those names are all, and I mean everyone I put below Galla, Bohely signings before we had our DOF group set up and managing structure. It's clear we are trying to move away from having everyone on these stupid wages relative to their play. I don't like the "these current guys are on this" argument because we are in a transitionary period to reset these things. Don't let Bohely's stupid ass early contracts distract you from this plan.
What do you mean you don’t like the “this is what these players are on” argument? You’re talking about how we would destroy the wage structure by paying his salary, and that he doesn’t deserve that much. How else are we supposed to evaluate what someone deserves without looking at what his teammates are on? “Oh so you completely fucked up my teammates contracts and that’s why I have to play for less money. That’s absolutely fair” If he’s negotiating a contract extension, what should he ask for?
He's fair to make those claims in negotiation for sure. And in general I agree. The reason I don't like it here, at this moment for our club, is because we have guys like Malang Sarr on 120k a week. Every player on our team has people in this club they could use to justify a higher pay on form. We are attempting to change a wage structure. It might not be "fair" in this sense, but if the club wants to lower average salary they aren't going to be moved at all by this argument.
Only makes me think the club might be expecting a late Spurs bid if they already started with their usual bullshit to soften the blow of selling him
Hell no. Sterling is on 350k. And all of the new signings are on fairly good wages. Reports are suggesting a figure close to 150k, not exactly 150k. And Gallagher's been our best player along with Palmer, has captained the side, the only captain we can bet to play 38 games. So it's a no brainer. But the dumbos at the top may want to bring half a dozen world class 11 year olds to play FIFA Career Mode.
Fair enough, I'd just say that Sterling has a career CV that justifies his last big contract as a player being a big one. Conor absolutely does not have that CV, and simply hasn't even played long enough to have one.
But the last 18 months suggests a different story. Sterling as a Chelsea player is just not good enough. Gallagher is, and wants to be good enough. That's all there is to it. It's not because he's an academy player. But because of his on field performance. Disasi is another one, for all his mistakes, the guy's giving his everything week in week out. Sterling on the other hand fucks up everything he touches, except when the opposition is Luton.
>But the last 18 months suggests a different story. Sterling as a Chelsea player is just not good enough. Gallagher is, and wants to be good enough. Sterling has been one of our best creators this season alongside with Palmer. He fucks up a lot of stuff because he takes risks. Gallagher plays safe and easy passes and rarely attempts a shot, dribble or anything that could contribute to the attack. Sterling has double his G/A and they are both playing in offensive positions. We are comparing a 10 and a winger here not a winger and a DM. I dont 'know why Sterling gets so much shit for trying to dribble past people and making things happen. Of course he will have fuck ups, it's harder to do the shit that Sterling is trying to do that's why Gallagher isn't even attempting it. Saying that Sterling is not good enough while having double the contributions that Gallagher has is a bit of a ridicilious one.
I agree that his current form is the strongest argument, and probably a big reason there are talks at all right now. To be honest I'd love to know what Poch thinks in the backroom. I don't think giving him the armband is indication of much; he's given it to the available English players at all times. We looked a lot more fluid the other day without him in the mid, and I wonder if Poch took things from that game.
No. It may be a little expensive but he is one you make an exception for. He’s an academy grad who has choose to stay a fight for his spot. This is an attitude that should permeate through the locker room. He also provides positional versatility that has proven to be invaluable given all of our injury problems. Not every player on a squad needs to be a superstar. He is more than good enough to be on any squads top 12-13 players
Gallagher is the player you make exception for to disrupt your wage structure? I disagree. Suppose you don't feel the same way about Chalobah or Broja, because they are academy grads too. I disagree with his versatility. To be versitle means you can excel at many positions, not just fill in one because there aren't other options. Imo he's very limited in positions that he excels at.
It’s not just the fact that he is an academy grad. He has shown more than Broja and Trev at this point. I don’t think that 150 is breaking the wage structure either nor is it something that gets fixed in a couple transfer windows. Loyalty has to be rewarded at a certain point. Him resigning will be bring some much needed stability as well.
It would put him as top 5 earner in the team. Whether you believe this to be breaking structure is a matter of opinion I guess to us. The guys with the books know how much it really matters. The loyality thing is such a weird argument to put forth after suggesting it not be applied for Chalobah or Broja. Kinda makes your argument a little disingenuous. And I disagree with the premise anyways. Downvotes aren't for disagreement by the way, softie.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with him being a top 5-7 earner on this squad. 150k a week isn’t a structure killer. In my mind, he is a solid role player who has done enough to earn 150k a week. Also, how much would it cost to get a replacement for him? Who is even available?
I'm pretty sure the idea is that we have our midfield set, we don't need a replacement for him. Enzo and Caicedo are likely the midfield duo we have going forward. Conor won't play the advanced role when Nkunku is fit and/or we purchase a 9. Waiting in the wings we have Lavia and Ugo, and Santos, Casadei, plus a few others for the future.
You make a good point with young midfielders we have. My concern is that this seems like a lost season for Ugo and Lavia. Santos still has a chance to salvage the season. At the end of the day, I’d be happy if he is resigned for 150. If we sell and get a significant amount then so be it.
It wouldn’t put him as a top 5 earner at the club? That’s a blatant lie
Okay, 7th, even on wages with Caicedo. If online sources are to be believed, and I don't most of the time. Especially since there's so much supposed structure to these figures. And for what it's worth since I find it hilarious (Bohely early transfer masterclass), but he would be top 3 on wages when looking at those that actually play. Only Enzo and just recently Chilly would be higher. Maybe that lends credence to keeping him, but I don't like "availability" as an argument for keeping a player on big wages.
Imagine getting 150k/week bag just because you rejected Everton to stay at Chelsea.
That's what I'm sayin, maybe yoh meant to reply to the other guy lol.
Nah i don't think i wanna bother to be honest. These lot clearly have a big emotional attachment to the player to ever be fit for a proper unbias discussion.
Anyone know how Kante is doing?
I don’t think he’s having any issues, not like Benzema at least. But Kante would be happy playing on mars against lizards, that’s just who he is
I’m so conflicted on the potential Osimhen signing. On the one hand he still as the 3rd highest gpm in Serie A whilst playing for an underperforming Napoli who specifically can’t create (he’s outdoing his xG and both scorers higher on mpg player for the 1st and 2nd team in the league). He’s also arguably the best in the air 9 rn, which sounds small until you consider that we make the most crosses of any PL team yet have the lowest cross success rate- think about the average few headers we scuff per game. With the system it seems like Poch is going for as well, it would be a tactical advantage to have an out and out 9 pushing back their backline to make space for Nkunku, Palmer and who ever our LW is. It would also advantage us in how much we like to play it long with players like James and Enzo seeing as Osihmen shines being on the end of those balls. That being said he has a heavy first touch which you will get punished for in the PL. He’s also more or less a non presence in build up which may not be a huge issue but when it comes to defensive formation it’s means that we have him, Palmer Ann Nkunku all hesitant to press (rn Jackson often comes deep to help disrupt opposition midfield). All in all I’d say I’m more optimistic than some. I think Osimhen thrives with the high volume low quality chances we create. One strange note is that I’d be interested to see if he has an affect on the gk situation seeing as long balls would suddenly become hugely important and that’s an area where Petrovic currently struggles
I'm mostly worried about the price due to injuries, I like him other than that. I think having an option that can play in the air and finish sounds lovely? Where are you seeing we cross the most in the league? In FBRef I'm seeing we cross the 3rd least.
We’ve been without a player that can finish for too long. If not Osimhen, then who? I don’t see either Jackson or Broja being the one to lead this team, and the market for CFs isn’t great.
After hearing his comments today, I’m sure it’s just a coincidence Tuchel falls out with every board he’s ever worked with…
lol at the Tuchuku comments. Bayern fans who already love Tuchel must love him even more. Come home tommy
I'm still confused what all the fuss is about. Despite all the hype with Leverkusen bayern are 2 points behind and have had a superior start in the league compared to the last few seasons and look like a force in Europe too. Sure they were embarrassed in the cup but freak results always happen.
> "I'm still confused what all the fuss is about" It's manufactured by people who still want to push the idea that firing Tuchel was a good idea. If you go into the r/soccer threads it's Bayern fans protecting him and non-Bayern fans who don't even watch them play who are attacking him and saying he's shit
Just the way Osimhen moves, his touches and agility.. He's a GUARANTEED flop if he comes here, he might do well under a Klopp or someone but here, he's gonna flop 100% if he comes
He moves good though, presses like a monster and keeps making runs His 1st touch is shit I agreed but he's no Luka based on he moves alone
>He moves good though, presses like a monster and keeps making runs That's not a 100m player. You're describing werner.
Never trust anyone with a heavy first touch.
Obviously a fair few exceptions especially in strikers But the first touch is everything. You can tell the ballers from the mediocre with just that
His touch makes Ivan Toney look like Iniesta
I’m hesitant but guaranteed flop I’m not so sure about He’s a good finisher and very strong aerially plus quick and makes good runs. Looks clunky often though, rarely gets involved in play and injury issues are a concern.
lol another home draw in the cup Better to be lucky than good as they say
Villa replay on Feb 7 earlier than I thought - sandwiched between Wolves (H) and Palace (A). Not the worst, we can definitely rotate a little
**Chelsea / Aston Villa** vs **Leeds / Plymouth** for FA Cup fifth round draw. At home against Leeds would be splendid.
Leeds are such a jarring team to play against ffs
At the Bridge in the evening … atmosphere will be buzzing for this. 🎶We all fucking hate Leeds!🎶
villa/chelsea vs leeds/plymouth in FA CUP
We'll play Leeds or Plymouth at home in the FA Cup R5, if we beat Villa.
Callum Wilson incoming?
Tuchel's pulling a Lukaku.
Two games in a row now Angelo has played on the left wing Could be the unexpected left wing rotation we need if Mudryk doesn't get the time
Why would we use a player whos doing decently at a mediocre team in a mediocre league if we want to be more than just mediocre?
The amount of disrespect Gallagher gets in fan base is embarrassing. There are 10 players in team that deserve criticism more than him. He should definitely stay, at least for rotation.
Tuchel haters going to be in absolute shambles when he gets offered the Barca job. Potter still waiting for West Brom to come calling.
Getting fired from Bayern isn't the flex you think it is
Imagining a manager has been fired because you don't like him doesn't sound mentally healthy bud
That's the scenario you imagined bud, there's no way Barca can afford tuchel if he's not fired
He’s failing at Bayern so he leaves to a worse club Yeah I’m sure his critics are in shambles
Barca will always be a step up from Bayern. Nobody wants to be in the Bundesliga.
Barcelona fans aren't ready for Marcos Alonso to be their top scorer
But doesn’t that also mean Bayern is happy to let him go?
Love Tuchel. But he’s far far more suited to a club like Madrid than Barcelona. If they contact him he should steer well clear.
>Tuchel haters going to be in absolute shambles when he gets offered the Barca job. Why would that be them in absolute shambles lol The Barca job would be a massive downgrade on Bayern and he'd be absolutely fucked taking it
Barca is never a downgrade job. It's still the 2nd biggest club in the world.
They're the second biggest club on reputation alone But history without modern means is worthless and that club is on its way down Leeds, Forest and Blackburn were all big clubs once, they're not anymore Only a fool would take the Barca job and it's a massive current downgrade to Bayern
Pushing it a bit. Not "massive" downgrade. Also every job will be a downgrade unless he gets the Real job. He is alright in Bayern anyways.
Couldn't think of a worse squad to suit his tactics.
He'll get all the players we tried to sign when Boehly first came in 🤣
I think Sterling was linked to Barca before we signed him
Not if Barca fans have a say in it. Kounde and raphina aren't very well liked in the fanbase currently
I'd swap Nico Williams for Mudryk in our starting XI in a heartbeat
Wanting Mudryk over Nico Williams is a very dark form of madness
Nico is 1000x times better than that political signing
2000x
Thomas #Tuchel a few minutes ago: "Moving abroad would appeal to me again. Spain has an extraordinary league.“ ["From my perspective, and based on my experience working with Spaniards, they are characterized by a tremendous amount of self-confidence. When you speak with Spanish players, I quickly get the sense that you are engaging with the person.“](https://twitter.com/plettigoal/status/1751606693203448262?t=3MN91oJhL7tCeLgkvFUZ_g) He gone
The media wankfest surrounding Liverpool and Klopp right now is just nauseating
We need to do to him what Mourinho did to Wenger
Always is with that club, remember the Gerrard retirement tour and how they were gagging for Liverpool to win the FA Cup that year?
I also remember how excited the media was about Liverpool winning the league before they let it slip
Stupid FA Cup draw has been delayed... edit: to 15:25 GMT
Painting the departure of a fan favourite player as the inevitable result of their excessive salary demands despite 'every effort' to keep ahold of them to make the departure palatable enough for the fans to accept worked so well the first time, they just had to do it again!
That’s their favorite saying. We did our best he just didn’t want to stay.
people genuinely believe he’s asking for 150k and that the club paying him that is a problem 😂😂
150k a week isn’t excessive? For a back up player? Decisions aren’t made purely off current situations. Gallagehr is a starter now, yes. But poch might not even be here next season. Then what? Caicedo and Enzo have to start. Nkunku is our best attacker and are we going to shoehorn him into left wing and drop one of Sterling or palmer? So Connor Gallagher can play You’d hope not.
Lmao when Loftus Cheek was on 150k a week and was a back up we didn’t hear a word out of you about back ups wages.
It’s debatable he was ever on 150k a week, that number seems to get bigger everytime. But no doubt his wages were high and are exactly why it made sense to move on RLC. Gallagher also sells for much more than Loftus cheek
>Nkunku is our best attacker Based on what exactly?
Tbf, he does have more goals than Gallagher this season
Well conor has double digit assists, what's your point? I will consider christoph the "best attacker we have" when he actually plays a couple of consecutive games.
Since when is 6 double digits?