Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea. 4.30 Sunday 19th September. EPL

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Chelsea were in debt because they had rebuilt three quarters of the stadium.
Ken Bates knew exactly what him and the club were doing with their long-term plan - They were so broke they didn't even have a training ground or own the stadium. So, they had to get money in to invest in the team and attracted big name players long before RA arrived. Rebuild the slum stadium. Win trophies and make them ripe for a big takeover.
For sure it was a gamble, but it was one they had to take and it paid off. A case of speculating to accumilate.

Not at all like City, who were mid table shite, broke and had their stadium and everything handed on a plate to them having done zilch to deserve it.
Ok, not sure I agree as most I've seen was they were up shit creak prior to RA take over. but the point stands that they didn't overtake us prior to spending cash they were spending when they started winning pre RA.
 
So my thoughts on yesterday……



1) Whilst I understand the utter despondency around here, I thought it was a massive step up from the Palace game. At least we came out with the right attitude and if we approached the palace game like we did the first half, we would have won. Nice to see more ball players in the XI and a more front-foot game plan.

2) But we were woeful 2nd half. The way heads just went after that goal was inexcusable. It’s a reflection of where we are as a club right now. We clearly felt we punched above our weight in the first half and as soon as we conceded it became clear we didn’t think we could win the game.


3) Whilst I was happy to see Nuno put a more attacking XI on the pitch, the one annoyance was not having a more attacking wide player going at Alonso. He’s good going forward, but can be pretty woeful defensively. We should have put Son out there to have a real go at him one-on-one.


4) Having said that, I did understand the rationale of playing Son on the shoulder. I believe this team has a big issue with Harry Kane now. It’s clear he’s unmotivated, but even beyond that his lack of mobility really makes it tough for us to ever turn a team and get behind them. Kane would thrive in a team like City that completely control MF and don’t need him as an outlet. For us, as soon as we come under pressure it feels like our only option is to bang it long to Kane, who rarely wins headers or hold the ball up these days. His inability to pose any sort of threat in behind allows the defenders to press up and squeeze us tight. That’s an issue. Whilst he’s never been blessed with pace, he feels slower and more immobile than ever to me. A big mistake not selling him.


5) I thought the back 4 had the bones of a promising future for us. Romero and Royal looked good to me bearing in mind their lack of PL experience. I feel like with a season under his belt Reggie should be giving us more though, especially with the attacking billing he had. He lacks a lot of composure.


6) Does this team have a fitness issue? Ndom and GLC looked done at HT, Son always gets leggy after 70 mins and Kane looked like a 35 year old. We really need to raise the fitness level of this side. I want us back in the top 5 running sides in the league.


7) GLC is a worry. I’ve always supported him as he clearly has some talent, but it’s getting harder and harder to understand what he is and what he’s good at. He absolutely isn’t an AM. He doesn’t offer the assists or goals to be one, but as a CM gives away sloppy fouls and lacks defensive nous. I’d still love to see a proper 433 with him and Ndom either side of PEH but my patience is wearing thin with him.


8) I didn’t want Nuno and I’m so very far from convinced he adds anything to us. The stats and data floating around is damning, we have been a really bad side this season and lack anything coming close to an identity or tactical setup. I’m concerned.


9) We’re a long way behind Chelsea, that much is clear. Sadly that isn’t the measure for us at this moment in time. What we need to do is continue to setup and play as we did in the first half yesterday, and we’ll beat the Palaces of this world and start to accumulate points. It feels like it’s going to be a tough season, I’m ok with that it we can see reasons for optimism. They’re not there yet. Next weekend will be a real litmus test for just how much we need to worry right now.
 
Ok, not sure I agree as most I've seen was they were up shit creak prior to RA take over. but the point stands that they didn't overtake us prior to spending cash they were spending when they started winning pre RA.

So it's not ok for them to spend money and win, but it was always ok for us to spend more than them in the 3 decades before. Our wins when we spent more were more valid than theirs, right?
 
So my thoughts on yesterday……


9) We’re a long way behind Chelsea, that much is clear. Sadly that isn’t the measure for us at this moment in time. What we need to do is continue to setup and play as we did in the first half yesterday, and we’ll beat the Palaces of this world and start to accumulate points. It feels like it’s going to be a tough season, I’m ok with that it we can see reasons for optimism. They’re not there yet. Next weekend will be a real litmus test for just how much we need to worry right now.

Some good points, but sadly on this one I don't see it being so simple. Chelsea were open and allowed us to play the way we did in the first half, lesser teams will play more compact and harder to break through. This the the problem that has beset us since 2018, breaking down a packed defence.
 
Matt1882
So it's not ok for them to spend money and win, but it was always ok for us to spend more than them in the 3 decades before. Our wins when we spent more were more valid than theirs, right?
They surpassed us BEFORE abramovic.
They were playing with the likes of Ruud Gullit, Vilali, Zola, JFH while we had the likes of Chris Armstrong, Gary Doherty and plebs like Christian Gross in charge.
That all took place before they started buying success.
This statements incorrect, get over your bias and anger and stop replying to me unless you think they were not spending big pre RA
 
"That all took place before they started buying success"

Do you even understand what point you're trying to make?

You just don't accept Chelsea are beyond us and have been for a long time. You try to find reasons for it, but there isn't any other than they had ambition when we didn't.
 
Levy wouldn't allow Conte to bring his own team in at the expense of those already at the club, ergo he values his own judgement over the serial winner, pretty simple working out.

You're the one who mentioned £200m, I don't believe that figure has ever been specifically quoted anywhere, all I said was reasonable backing.

I don't care if he'd have walked after one season, Nuno won't be here more than that, probably much less I'd wager if I were a betting man, so we might as well have had a decent shot at making it a successful one.
Yup. It would have ended in tears, but the foreplay would have been exciting if nothing else.

We are a hot mess at the moment. I see some clinging to the first half as a platform to build on, but weren't we saying that after the display against City?

I said during the tw that now was the time to gamble, speculate to accumulate as I seriously doubt that we'll ever have so few competitors for signatures. I liked the acquisitions of Gil, Sarr and Romero, all very smart signings, but for the immediate to mid term, we shit the bed.

It was me who postulated that we should have spent circa £200M to bring in proper quality. As Chelsea have shown, the manager is largely irrelevant to who you buy. Their £200+ was spent when Lampard was incumbent, Tuchel has taken on the same team, added a better striker, and now I honestly believe they are Champions elect, even at this early stage. They have squad depth to match City and, as they demonstrated last season, they have their number.

One big outlay, which I truly believe we could have managed quite easily with the revenue streams we will have coming, would have set us up for the next few years, with no more than 1, maybe 2, signings per season following that to keep freshening the squad.

I've defended Levy/Enic in the past, but said at the end of last season that if they didn't have a window that showed clear intent to challenge, then I'd be joining the ranks calling for a change at the top.

Well the only intent I saw was to carry on with more of the same. So, if I'm feeling this way after staunchly defending them for years, then they truly are done.

Unfortunately, who can afford to buy us? Who would be willing to shell out £2Bn, to then have to fork out hundreds of millions more to make us competitive? It won't be a Yank, there's no one in Europe, I doubt there's anyone in China interested, and what Arab state is going to pay £2Bn to a Jewish owner? That hatred runs too deep. I'm utterly convinced that is the reason why we got offered a pittance for Kane and he was tapped up, it's an Arab trying to get one over on a Jew.

I was a ST holder all through the 90's and early 2000's and never felt the apathy towards this club that I am currently feeling. I guess that's down to the fact that we never expected anything other than a relegation fight back then. But we had our hopes and expectations raised considerably by building up a club and team that was on the cusp, only to be let down.

So yeah, I'm done defending them, looking for the Silver lining, waiting for Enic to make that final push. It's really not coming.

But then neither is that new owner, so we're stuck in limbo watching our rivals widen the gap we spent so long closing.

Happy fucking Birthday me!
 
I don't know, I'm not all that bothered about Sunday games.
I got home at 9pm last night and that was basically the end of my weekend. That's what I personally hate about Sunday games
...at least you get to enjoy Saturdays with a Sunday game....
had yesterday been SaTURDay, then Sunday would've been ruined into the bargain!

I don't mind the Sunday games that much, as Saturday becomes a kind of 'Christmas Eve' where you can watch all the other games/results come in (except the Arse one, obviously) without having the pressure of worrying about your own game first!

Last Saturday at Palace was WAY worse, as it then managed to screw up the ENTIRE weekend... at least last night we would have got home, moaned a bit, go to bed. End of weekend!
 
Do you even understand what point you're trying to make?

You just don't accept Chelsea are beyond us and have been for a long time. You try to find reasons for it, but there isn't any other than they had ambition when we didn't.
I've said they are beyond us, I have said they got there while spending loads of money while you said

"That all took place before they started buying success"

You are wrong and for whatever reason keep on trying to make me say something I hadn't. Let go of your bias and anger.
 
I've said they are beyond us, I have said they got there while spending loads of money while you said

"That all took place before they started buying success"

You are wrong and for whatever reason keep on trying to make me say something I hadn't. Let go of your bias and anger.

Harding, the only other financial backer invested a grand total of £26.5m
£7.5 on the stadium
£16.5m to buy stamford bridge freehold
And a ew million on players.
He died in 1996, which is, IMO. just before their actual upturn.

So they didn't have a sugar daddy spending loads of money.
We tried to buy Zola before them and decided he wouldn't cut it in the league.
Most of their players were attainable. Vialli and Gullit were free transfers. JFH cost a few million more than Rebrov years after Rebrov. Zola was £4.5m - less than most of our signings of the era. Di Matteo £4.95m

These were all players we could have afforded easily. They weren't blowing anyone out of the water.
I'd say Leeds and Newcastle were still massively outspending them then. And Liverpool as well as United and Woolwich.
 
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