The Summer Transfer Window Thread 2014/15

[stokeriño]

If Lukaku does go, apparently preferring 30+ games per season at a non-CL team to 30+ games per season at a CL team (which is what even our second striker gets), simply because he can't bring himself to have *any* competition for a spot for which he would have to knuckle down and work, then...good riddance.

I don't think that's entirely fair, he would have now been behind Costa, Drogba and Torres, if he did somehow manage 30+ games the vast majority would be from the bench, and Mourinho doesn't seem to rate him too highly either.

Why would he be behind Drogba AND Torres if he were actually any good? I mean, Torres!

TORRES!

There are several players in our squad who haven't been first choice but have plugged away in training, taken their chances and got recognition for it (an example from the attacking ranks would be Schurrle). Lukaku has never displayed any inclination that he'd be willing to put in graft for anything.

[Jimmy]

Still gutted we weren't in for him. He's powerful, extremely good, and has an unbelievable scoring record for someone of his age. Race for top 4 just got even tighter. I have to say I had written Everton off because I didn't think they'd sign someone to score goals like Lukaku did last year. So yeah. From Chelsea's point of view, they basically got Costa in place of Lukaku, but I still think they're crazy to let him go.

[Baddar]

There's no way Lukaku would start ahead of Costa, unless he gets injured which, although admittedly likely, what's the point in taking that risk. He's young enough to get a massive move in the future.

[King Ellis]

Chelsea will be buying him back for 50m within 3 years.

[Arjen Robben]

If Lukaku does go, apparently preferring 30+ games per season at a non-CL team to 30+ games per season at a CL team (which is what even our second striker gets), simply because he can't bring himself to have *any* competition for a spot for which he would have to knuckle down and work, then...good riddance.

I don't think that's entirely fair, he would have now been behind Costa, Drogba and Torres, if he did somehow manage 30+ games the vast majority would be from the bench, and Mourinho doesn't seem to rate him too highly either.

Why would he be behind Drogba AND Torres if he were actually any good? I mean, Torres!

TORRES!

There are several players in our squad who haven't been first choice but have plugged away in training, taken their chances and got recognition for it (an example from the attacking ranks would be Schurrle). Lukaku has never displayed any inclination that he'd be willing to put in graft for anything.

Well in Schurrle's case he was least always in rotation, like I don't think he was ever out of the team very long was he? And he had more room for maneuver in terms of getting games as a midfielder. Lukaku is basically at the bottom of the list of a number of players fighting for one position. Costa's obviously first choice, then it seems like Drogba would probably be second choice since Jose knows him, knows how to use him and has a good relationship with him to know how to manage him, and then it's Torres or Lukaku but even then I think chances for a run in the team would be too limited whether he's 3rd of 4th choice.

I guess from his perspective he had a good loan spell with West Brom and then another good loan spell with Everton and he presumably saw that he was no closer to starting Chelsea now than he was when he first signed so he's joined a club where he's already been and has a good relationship with the manager and the club in general, it makes sense as a move for him. Like, you can say it's an unwillingness to fight for a place but really he was never likely to fight his way in to the team regardless.

[stokeriño]

There's no way Lukaku would start ahead of Costa, unless he gets injured which, although admittedly likely, what's the point in taking that risk. He's young enough to get a massive move in the future.

He wouldn't need to start ahead of Costa to get equivalent games that he would at Everton. As I say, as second striker he would virtually match it, as evidence from the past two seasons shows:

Chelsea striker appearances (all comps)

2013/14

1) Fernando Torres - 41 (23 start, 18 sub)

2) Samuel Eto'o - 35 (26 start, 9 sub)

3) Demba Ba - 29 (6 start, 23 sub)

Lukaku (Everton) - 33 (31 start, 2 sub)

2012/13

1) Fernando Torres - 62 (49 start, 13 sub)

2) Sturridge (pre-Jan) + Ba (post-Jan) - 34 (21 start, 13 sub)

Lukaku (West Brom) - 38 (23 start, 15 sub)

(Note that we only had two strikers at any one time in 2012/13, hence Torres playing two strikers' worth of games )

So he would be playing the same number of games anyway. Some of which in the Champions League. And don't tell me that he'd be behind Didier "20 minutes as target man when we're chasing a game ala Ba last year" Drogba and Fernando "lololol" Torres in the pecking order either. That's a nonsense.

[Jimmy]

I get the feeling that Jose letting him go out on loan, even if Lukaku asked for it, was him knowing that he wasn't that highly rated by Jose. You get the feeling he just didn't feel like someone believed in him at Chelsea, whereas Martinez clearly built a great relationship with him. I don't really buy this Lukaku wasn't willing to put the hard work in as such. It's pretty clear all he needs is a manager who is willing to put faith in him, and he scores a bunch of goals. And then he'll work fucking hard to stay there, because it's quite clear he's an ambitious and driven guy. The kind of ambition that meant he didn't want to fight for a place in a team when, at his age, he needed to be playing first team football to keep developing.

[stokeriño]

And then he'll work fucking hard to stay there, because it's quite clear he's an ambitious and driven guy. The kind of ambition that meant he didn't want to fight for a place in a team when, at his age, he needed to be playing first team football to keep developing.

I can be ambitious to get things handed to me too. My ambition for that is off the charts.

[Baddar]

Yeah, it does seem like Lukaku likes Martinez a lot.

[Jimmy]

And then he'll work fucking hard to stay there, because it's quite clear he's an ambitious and driven guy. The kind of ambition that meant he didn't want to fight for a place in a team when, at his age, he needed to be playing first team football to keep developing.

I can be ambitious to get things handed to me too. My ambition for that is off the charts.

What?

It was a world cup year. Guy wanted to be first choice for his country in the world cup at like 21 years old. A lot of people wouldn't actively ask to go out on loan in order to make sure that was much more possible, especially if that risked disappointing, or giving up the chance to make more of an impression on Mourinho.

[Jimmy]

DONE DEAL: Southampton have signed left-back Ryan Bertrand from Chelsea on a season-long loan. (Source: @SouthamptonFC)

[stokeriño]

And then he'll work fucking hard to stay there, because it's quite clear he's an ambitious and driven guy. The kind of ambition that meant he didn't want to fight for a place in a team when, at his age, he needed to be playing first team football to keep developing.

I can be ambitious to get things handed to me too. My ambition for that is off the charts.

What?

It was a world cup year. Guy wanted to be first choice for his country in the world cup at like 21 years old. A lot of people wouldn't actively ask to go out on loan in order to make sure that was much more possible, especially if that risked disappointing, or giving up the chance to make more of an impression on Mourinho.

You and I seem to be talking about two different levels of ambition.

I get the "I want to go to the World Cup!" ambition. But if he's supposed to be good enough for that, why is he not also (by default) good enough to prove himself on the Chelsea training ground? It's not like he had an invincible 30+ goal a season striker in front of him...

Trying to find an analogy to explain what I mean... It's a bit like a player (or team, or whatever) saying "I want to win the World Cup! ...But only if you put me straight into the finals. Fuck having to go through qualifiers". If you're good enough for the finals then the qualifiers won't be a problem! Hence, if you're good enough for Belgium, Lukaku, then you're good enough to beat Fernando Torres in training!

[Berober]

But... he was going to Liverpool...

[stokeriño]

DONE DEAL: Southampton have signed left-back Ryan Bertrand from Chelsea on a season-long loan. (Source: @SouthamptonFC)

HOLY HELL SOUTHAMPTON SIGNED SOMEBODY

...ON LOAN...

I got the impression that Bertrand was after a permanent deal somewhere, so sucks a bit for him in that regard. Still, a good start for Southampton if they're to now go and rebuild a squad (possibly whilst spending no money, if this loan is any indication ¬_¬).

[Jimmy]

And then he'll work fucking hard to stay there, because it's quite clear he's an ambitious and driven guy. The kind of ambition that meant he didn't want to fight for a place in a team when, at his age, he needed to be playing first team football to keep developing.

I can be ambitious to get things handed to me too. My ambition for that is off the charts.

What?

It was a world cup year. Guy wanted to be first choice for his country in the world cup at like 21 years old. A lot of people wouldn't actively ask to go out on loan in order to make sure that was much more possible, especially if that risked disappointing, or giving up the chance to make more of an impression on Mourinho.

You and I seem to be talking about two different levels of ambition.

I get the "I want to go to the World Cup!" ambition. But if he's supposed to be good enough for that, why is he not also (by default) good enough to prove himself on the Chelsea training ground? It's not like he had a 30+ goal a season striker in front of him...

Trying to find an analogy to explain what I mean... It's a bit like a player (or team, or whatever) saying "I want to win the World Cup! ...But only if you put me straight into the finals. Fuck having to go through qualifiers". If you're good enough for the finals then the qualifiers won't be a problem!

You gotta think, his main competition was Benteke, who was going to basically play every game for Villa. Signing Eto'o was a pretty poor sign for Lukaku, it meant there were four strikers going for one spot. Torres was always going to play a fair amount of games, as we Eto'o because he'd have been on quite big wages. My guess is if Jose had told him to stay when he'd have gone out on loan, he'd have proved himself. Seems to me like one of those things where he wanted to play first team football, so wanted to go out on loan, but really he just wanted Jose to tell him to stay. Just that kind of something that made him feel like he had a really good shot at being Chelsea's guy.

[stokeriño]

It's all a little bit funny, in hindsight, considering a) Benteke got injured anyway, and then b) Lukaku got himself hauled off for Origi in half the games he played...

[King Ellis]

Southampton are definitely going down if all they can muster up is an Aston Villa cast off!

[TCO]

Great signing for Everton. I'd take him over Diego Costa. You're basically trading a 21 year old who has been consistently good in the Premier League for a bit of a nutcase who had one good season in La Liga.

I see Lukaku's logic, why would he sit around and not be first choice at Chelsea with a manager who doesn't rate him, when he can go to Everton and develop quicker. Genuinely surprised somebody better didn't swoop in and steal him at that price, he's all the tools to be the best in the world in a few years.

[FLiam]

He'll be at City in a couple of seasons time.

[DavidMarrio]

DONE DEAL: Southampton have signed left-back Ryan Bertrand from Chelsea on a season-long loan. (Source: @SouthamptonFC)

We should send Southampton a fruit basket or something with the amount of times they've been helping us out this summer.