The Chief

[dww]

Not sure that is the case anymore. Rafa had a big moan about how long negotiations took in the summer and it seems like G&H took that on board and our business was much quicker this year. We pretty much had everyone on board b4 preseason training did we not?

Mind you thinking back, maybe we missed out on Malouda because of that, I think that is what triggered Rafa's moan. TBH I think we did better getting babel instead.

But like I say, the club is aware of that and I don't think it will be an issue going forward.

The Malouda/Babel thing is interesting. I think Malouda would have improved us more this season but Babel has a lot more potential to go on and become really top class.

We seemed to negotiate long and hard for Torres, but I guess at that level of investment it will always be that way.

I'm surprised by Maestro's comment that we have the money as I would have thought we would have waited for the debt refinancing before we could be sure of being able to do any big transfer business.

[El Jefecito]

The Malouda/Babel thing is interesting. I think Malouda would have improved us more this season but Babel has a lot more potential to go on and become really top class.

We seemed to negotiate long and hard for Torres, but I guess at that level of investment it will always be that way.

I'm surprised by Maestro's comment that we have the money as I would have thought we would have waited for the debt refinancing before we could be sure of being able to do any big transfer business.

I thought that too, but he has been pretty non-descript for Chelsea.

It seems to have worked out that Babel was the better option for both short-term and the long-term (which was not in doubt).

[dww]

I thought that too, but he has been pretty non-descript for Chelsea.

It seems to have worked out that Babel was the better option for both short-term and the long-term (which was not in doubt).

I'm not sure I think that Malouda makes more intelligent runs to join the front man from the wing. He hasn't been great but I think his style would have fitted more naturally into our team pattern. Having said that he has been very in and out at Chelsea and has been a disappointment.

If Babel can show more of the instincts he showed against Besiktas but starting from wider areas then we will definitely have come of the best. I think it has been hard for him to settle with the absence/poor form of some of our more established players.

[El Jefecito]

I'm not sure I think that Malouda makes more intelligent runs to join the front man from the wing. He hasn't been great but I think his style would have fitted more naturally into our team pattern. Having said that he has been very in and out at Chelsea and has been a disappointment.

If Babel can show more of the instincts he showed against Besiktas but starting from wider areas then we will definitely have come of the best. I think it has been hard for him to settle with the absence/poor form of some of our more established players.

TBH I refuse to judge Babel until his second season.

[dww]

TBH I refuse to judge Babel until his second season.

I tend to want to do that with everyone. This season though I kind of feel the need to pick which players are worth defending when they come in for the inevitable barrage of criticism on here.

[El Jefecito]

I tend to want to do that with everyone. This season though I kind of feel the need to pick which players are worth defending when they come in for the inevitable barrage of criticism on here.

Based on yesterday, I'm sure Babel and the crow (you are #2 after all) are on your list.

[willa1975]

Mascherano's a hell of a player. Needs to be signed, for sure. We're not going to find a better holding midfielder anytime soon. I think it's a bit premature to call him the best in the world at that position, but he definitely has the potential to be.

If we do sign him to a long-term deal, we'd better sell Momo while we can get some money for him. He's going to be the odd man out, especially if Lucas comes along as hoped for. Both Mascherano and Lucas have more of an upside than Momo who, unfortunately, seems to have gotten as good as he's going to be. Nobody's got an engine like Momo, but Mascherano's got a good enough positional sense that he doesn't need to do as much running as Momo does. Also, it befuddles me that Momo gets forward as much as he does when he has neither the dribbling ability, vision, passing or shooting ability to offer anything of value in the final third. Is this by design? Anyway, I like Momo, I really do. Works his socks off for the team, and just seems like a good fellow. We simply owe him the respect of sending him to a club where he'll play, especially as he's a young lad with so much of his career still ahead of him.

With respect to playing him and Alonso together, why not? I know it's only one match and it was only Derby, but Alonso did a much better job getting forward, and I think Masch's presence had something to do with that. Mascherano's tidy enough in possession and has a good enough positional sense that whoever is partnering him in midfield can feel secure getting forward.

I'll be gutted if he doesn't stay...

[El Jefecito]

Let's face it. It's between Lucas and Momo. From what I've seen so far Lucas is going to win that battle!!!!

I love Momo, but in the long term Lucas just has so much to his game, that I can't see Momo competing.

[Maestro]

Don't think his source comes into it. To me we have El Jefecito tied up until the end of the season. Given we have first option, we don't need to do anything until his loan agreement runs out, and for the reasons I outlined earlier we WILL sign him up.

Believe me, you are wrong to be so confident - we have one player on our hands who is furious at the club at present and is considering all of his options for the future. And I've been told this on very good authority.

[Kaip]

Believe me, you are wrong to be so confident - we have one player on our hands who is furious at the club at present and is considering all of his options for the future. And I've been told this on very good authority.

It's got that bad then

[AFII]

Believe me, you are wrong to be so confident - we have one player on our hands who is furious at the club at present and is considering all of his options for the future. And I've been told this on very good authority.

If Parry ****s this one up then he should be sacked

[fred_plasticine]

we can't sign him up permanently before januray anyway, can we?

[AFII]

we can't sign him up permanently before januray anyway, can we?

We can sign him up whenever we want to do it.

[fred_plasticine]

We can sign him up whenever we want to do it.

you sure about that? i thought loan arrangements in the prem can only be made permanent during the transfer window ...

[einar]

Believe me, you are wrong to be so confident - we have one player on our hands who is furious at the club at present and is considering all of his options for the future. And I've been told this on very good authority.

Who?