Rival watch

Didn't do us much harm.

 

Karaoke? I bags first spot!

 

Why are there two Premier League games on tonight?
West Ham v Fulham is on Sky, but Cardiff v Watford isn't. Why's that a Friday game?

 

Yes but we were/are a team that's growing and improving. Looking at their team, there are significant issues...

Azpilucueta.....has looked poor back as a full back in a 4
Conte....has looked poor back as a full back in a 4
Zappacosta....just not good enough
Luiz....ageing, no good in a 4 and out of contract this summer
Cahill....done
Barkley....hasn't kicked on since his move. Glad we didn't sign him.
Kovacic...only a loaner and looks lost
Bakayoko....worse than useless
Jorginho...this season's Bakayoko?
Pedro....ageing and it shows
Willian....see Pedro
Higuain....see Pedro and Willian and only on loan
Batshuayi...he's on loan at Palace, says it all
Giroud....see Willian, Pedro, Higuain and out of contract in the summer

The whole thing needs a massive overhaul. I'd happily take Rudiger, Hazard and Kante. After that...? Not so much.

 

Put me down for 'Runaround Sue'.

 

The chances of the Chelsea transfer ban being place for next season are slim, they have 3 days to appeal and I am sure they will - the likelihood of FIFA completing the appeal process in the 4 months before the next window opens are next to zero.

 

They've appealed already...but buying 3 Window's signings in one go isn't going to be easy...especially if they don't have CL fooball to offer for the third time in 4 years.

That means chucking money at it whilst UEFA are going to be legislating against 'The Loan Shop'. Roman wants to sell, their buying policy has gone to **** and who is going to be manager is anyone's guess? There's a constant flow of problems and they're fire fighting on multiple fronts. It's all good.

 

No CL revenue is the primary pain point for them.
Everything else is just a bonus.

 

Because of the Rugby?

 

It's definitely affected the games that are being shown.
Those clashing with England's Six Nations matches have been very out of the ordinary.
Seems odd that they didn't factor that in or televise the Cardiff match, though.

 

It's a biggy, especially for 2 consecutive years. That will bite on TV revenues, sponsorships and matchday income. It caused Arsenal to have to completely re-model their squad and will hasten the departure of top wage earners.

However, once businesses are facing multiple major problems, the decision making tends to get iffy and mistakes are made. Chelsea have entered that space and it can be hard to turn round. That'll drive down the club's value and make it harder to sell for anywhere near what Roman wants. That could be the bonus - they get stuck with an increasingly disinterested absentee owner.

 

Sadly Arsenal only have a small trip to Rennes, but Chelsea have been drawn against Kiev!

 

Home to Wolves before the trip and at Boodison after.....there's definite opportunity for **** up in there.

 

There's plenty of potential for an ironic elimination, given longtime transfer target Clement Grenier plays for them, while Hatem Ben Arfa and former Watford loanee M'Baye Niang offer ready-made headlines (but not former Spammer Diafra Sakho, he's out on loan this season)

 

Niang's debut for Watford was a win at The Half-Emptyrates. Showed flashes of potential but never consistent enough.

 

He was an awesome prospect on FM12

...then again so were Yaya Sanogo and Soulemane Coulibaly

 

I think the Cardiff match is the more interesting. Should be a walk over for the Hackney Wick Hammers....if they are any good!

 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with 2 offences arising out of investigations relating to human trafficking of young people from far off lands.....I don't suppose that he'd be interested in buying Chelsea and turning a hobby into a business?

 

Oh great, the 1% of the world population that give a toss about the NFL will be banging on about this on social media for weeks...

 

Fulham lead