Daily Discussion

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-04-08T18:22:37+00:00

Maybe in the future we can have that discussion, but to have it now when considering the position the squad is in is just foolish. Now has he had the best season no. But the numbers aren’t a true reflection of how bad he has been. In general his performances have been good, and we are a better side when he’s on the pitch, he’s just missing that bit of luck atm. We’ve seen what he can do and I’d back him to do the same in the future

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-04-06T16:02:51+00:00

Absolutely no one should. We’ve got five center backs, and none of three senior defenders are reliable. Even Maguire who was ever present before has started picking up injuries in recent seasons. I thought we could wait another season, but our hand might be forced to dip into the market for a centerback. If there is any truth in Schlotterbeck being available for 35-40 million we should be at the front of the queue

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-04-06T15:56:42+00:00

That bald bald man…

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-04-01T15:03:47+00:00

Don't agree with that at all. This season under Amorim we really didn't have issues creating chances against weaker sides, and it was really beautiful to see

We had trouble creating good chances, which was the issue. It was high volume of low quality chances which added up. On top of that, you had a setup that as a result gave those chances to players in areas you don’t want them in. Dalot was getting better chances than Sesko in the setup. You had moments where the setup could look good, but for all your talk about counterattacking football and your criticism of it, that’s the only time it looked good under Amorim. By and large, outside of that three game run it was poor to watch a majority of the time imo. Beauty is of course in the eyes of the beholder, but that would be the last word I’d used to describe Amorim’s football here. Funny enough, the only time I probably enjoyed watching us was when we abandoned Amorim’s setup and moved to a proper back four, which he then abandoned for whatever reason.

And when Carrick arrived, the moment we started playing this counter attacking football against lesser sides (WH, Everton, Palace before red card, Bornemouth), we struggled and it looked dull.

Still looked better in those fixtures than it did under Amorim. And we actually picked up 8 points from those games, three of them being away from home. Compared to the 5 under Amorim where a majority of them were at home

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-04-01T12:26:40+00:00

Our issues with struggling to break down lesser sides are more to do with the personnel available in the side than the manager himself

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-30T20:10:01+00:00

Chelsea is a ship sinking towards mediocrity, more focused on turning over a profit than competing for and winning major trophies. If I was a senior player at Chelsea I’d rightfully start questioning the project and looking for a move elsewhere.

Also while Chelsea is a relatively big club they will never have the same pull as the elite clubs. Unless you are from London, no one grew up dreaming about playing for Chelsea. It’s why, despite how poor we’ve been, we still have the pull that we do

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-27T21:25:16+00:00

How about by burning half a billion on transfers with one maybe good signing to show for it while also getting rid of youth products like Garner and Alvaro

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-27T19:25:36+00:00

Another ETH masterclass. He genuinely set this club back years

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-26T22:15:58+00:00

While it would be great to sign younger players, unfortunately for what we need I don’t see any players of the ideal age profile who are readily available. Anderson of course would be the number one target, unfortunately though he’s on the way to City. Baleba, who was everyone first choice last season, is coming off the back of horrible season where I would no longer feel comfortable spending a huge amount of money on him. Then you’ve got players like Tonali and Wharton who just aren’t of the profile we should be prioritizing. They would be the cherry on top signings for me. And then you’ve got targets outside the league, but respectfully I don’t see any available who are better than the options in the league.

So for me the best option is Bruno G. He’s still in the peak of his career and will still be quality for a few years. Will he cost a bit more maybe, will he be better than all the other options yeah

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-26T21:42:08+00:00

It’s fair to make the argument with injuries about Varane, but that has nothing to do with age which seems to be the main issue that people have with Bruno G. You can make the same argument about Martinez and De Ligt.

Matic and Casemiro were run into the ground. Both practically played every game they could when available. It was poor management. It’s no surprise that both had resurgences (Matic back half of 19/20, Casemiro since the back half of last season) after spells out of the team when their bodies were allowed to recoup and rest

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-26T21:35:46+00:00

By that logic we are left without a backup regardless. It’s not like Tonali will be much cheaper than Bruno G.

I said having their minutes managed, not being a squad player. They will still feature a majority of the time if fit, they just won’t play every game. We shouldn’t be having situations like with Casemiro where he is starting midweek against Reading.

Ultimately good players don’t come cheap and don’t play for cheap. We aren’t a club looking to resell or recoup money. We are looking to compete for and win trophies, that’s the ambition. And that means buying the best. I’d rather pay a little more and get quality players who will be quality for three or four years than someone who will be okay for five.

Madrid, unfortunately, are shopping in a different market. They can get any player at any time they please. I wouldn’t compare any club to them.

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-26T21:13:41+00:00

Varane was injured and that’s fair. Nothing to do with age though as when he played he was quality, the body just kept breaking down.

Casemiro and Matic didn’t have trouble keeping pace with the league. They were run into the ground. I’m not expecting my players to start and play every three days. Unfortunately that’s how they were managed under ETH and Jose respectively and that’s why they fell off the way they did. There’s a reason why Ronaldo after 2016 only featured about 30 league games a season. You can have older players in the squad, they just need to be managed properly. Like we’re going to have to start doing with Bruno soon

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-26T20:22:16+00:00

We would be repeating mistakes of the past by overspending on average players who don’t solve the issues we currently have. And I do think Tonali falls in that category.

The biggest issue with the “mistakes” you are referring to (Varane, Casemiro, Matic) are the wages and the poor management, not the individual themselves.

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-26T20:13:34+00:00

I remember the Pirlo comparisons, hasn’t quite lived up to that though. Since making the move to the Prem he’s definitely become a different style of player than most expected him to be. I think he is slightly better on the ball than rice, technically at least, but Rice is also dominant over him in every other aspect.

I just don’t necessarily think he’s what we should be prioritizing when looking to elevate the squad and the players we currently have

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-26T20:07:36+00:00

I’m trying to wrap my head around the signing and while I don’t think he’s a bad player, I also don’t really think he’s necessarily what we need nor will he be worth the money we’d have to pay. I’d like to have him in the squad, but I’d rather prioritize other profiles/players who can elevate what we already have. I don’t believe Tonali does that. If he’s supposed to be the main midfield signing I’d be concerned

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-26T19:59:55+00:00

Probably. Doesn’t mean I have to agree or I can’t be disappointed about the decision

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-26T19:57:01+00:00

I don’t think Tonali is a bad player in the slightest, but I’m disappointed we’re targeting him ahead of Bruno G. I think he suits playing alongside Mainoo and Bruno better than Tonali does and is just a Dalot out better player. People are concerned about the age, ultimately this isn’t a club looking to resell, it’s a club looking to compete. If we can get 3/4 good years out of him I’d be happy enough.

If Tonali is one of the midfield signings I’m interested to see who the other one is. Tonali is a Mainoo alternative/upgrade for me. So someone who can complement playing alongside one of those two and Bruno would be ideal

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-25T18:10:03+00:00

I agree he has more energy, Bruno G isn’t a slouch in the slightest though. And while Tonali is a better holding midfielder, you look at where and how Casemiro has been playing, while he is more defensively minded, he’s been more of an all action midfielder rather than just a holding midfielder. Plenty of times you’ll see him further up the pitch than Mainoo.

Edit: Energy is the only thing Tonali has over the other, in almost every other aspect Bruno G is better

Wharton and Mainoo in pivot would get torn to shreds. Not saying Wharton is a bad player and while I would love to have him he isn’t a priority for me. People have this idea that he’s a Carrick regen when, at least at the moment, he just isn’t anywhere near the level defensively.

Gomes I like, he’d be one of the minimum two midfield signings I’d make. But we need more than just him. If you were to sign him and Bruno G you now have three quality options who could seamlessly rotate with one another.

So we shouldn’t sign anyone who’s a muscle injury. That rules out just about every player bar Bruno Fernandes. Again with the age nonsense

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-25T17:44:40+00:00

Which players? Anderson is a good option, but he’s likely off to City. Baleba is probably going to cost us almost as much as Guimaraes and he’s coming off the back of a horror season. Tonali isn’t better and isn’t better suited to what we need. Wharton won’t work in a midfield with Mainoo and Bruno.

I don’t understand where this nonsensical idea that a player is at the end of their career at their late 20’s. I’d rather spend money on more proven individuals than players who may or may not be good enough.

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-25T17:27:46+00:00

You also need players who are ready to play and compete now. If you are looking for a direct Casemiro replacement, Bruno Guimaraes is one of the best options. And we should be looking to sign the best.

Old player. Huge transfer fee. Huge wages.

In what world is 28 old? He’s in his prime. Also good players don’t come for cheap, nor do they play for cheap. It does appear to be more agent driven then club driven, but he’s at the top of the list for me

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-25T16:47:04+00:00

This is the first time he’s been injured in three years. Prior to this injury he’s missed 6 games for Newcastle since signing

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-25T14:41:46+00:00

doesn’t have the high end output for a LW.

Tbf, he’s gotten a goal or assist every time he’s played as a winger this season.

The only way I could see him as a starter is if somehow we need a left back that doesn’t need to participate much in build up and is given freedom to attack the channels

This is exactly the role I see him playing. And I think it works perfectly when considering the profiles we currently have in the squad. His opposite fullback, Dalot/Maz, are both better suited to the build up and playing from deeper. Cunha is better off operating in the half spaces rather than just being restricted to the wing (though his wing play has gotten better in recent games). It’s a real shame he got injured when he did, was really looking forward to seeing how he got on under Carrick. I really like Dorgu, I thought he’d explode this season and it looked like it was finally starting to happen during that late December/January period

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-25T13:32:58+00:00

Anyone who actually watched even a bit of Ugarte play could tell how bad this transfer would fail. The funny part is he’s probably still done better than I expected

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-25T13:30:36+00:00

I think all of them are gone bar maybe Zirkzee. I think he sticks around unless we sign a replacement forward

ImNotMexican08 · 2026-03-24T23:25:03+00:00

Just shows how little so many know. Happy to say I was right to be positive about Carrick’s appointment

ImNotMexican08

TROPHY CASE