thevelourfog

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1898617/chelsea-womens-team-todd-boehly Reports now that the owners are seeking to divest a stake in the women's team. Could be 2+2 bollocks, but there is a pattern here and it is not a good one.

I'd settle for just not breaking Reece James before the weekend is out.

First sentence, I genuinely am not following what you are saying. Did Fordstam own Chelsea assets separately from owning Chelsea? Not my understanding but again, not claiming expertise. I haven't mentioned the hotels, never mind "pretended" anything about them.

I am not going to pretend to be any kind of financial expert but I am curious to know what the "interpretation", and relatedly what alternative interpretations, could be. To the lay person, the screenshots show ownership of a club asset being moved outside of the club. That would be, in very literal terms, an asset being stripped. Anyone who isn't a lay person here?

It's true that the owners at least intend to sell Cobham from the club to BlueCo, the screenshots make that quite clear. We're being asset stripped and there isn't two ways about it. BlueCo owning our assets isn't clever accounting (not least because it doesn't seem clear it will actually fall within the profit and sustainability rules), it's Clearlake protecting itself and throwing the club to the wolves. It is something to be very, very worried about.

Hugely compromising us as a long-term asset to temporarily manage a short-term problem entirely of their making. I'm sure it's actually "genius", though.

He's an infuriating watch, but that is because he's doing so much of his learning and developing right in front of us in senior games when it'd usually be done in youth games with basically no one watching. If next season is even half as big a step up, he'll be a superstar. The tough question for me is who do we bring in up front so that we're not reliant on Jackson without killing his momentum.

Couldn't watch live, from extended highlights broadly positive that we didn't crumble at 2-1 and eeked out a win from an at best so-so performance over 90 minutes. In a different season, I'd have a much more positive view of that, in this one it's hard to not look at how easily we concede and think "is that really going to be any better come August?". Lovely to see James back. I do think we're immediately at least 10 points better off if he can do 30 games next season.

I don't quite see it the same as @martin1905 but had a similar interpretation that Pochettino was being a bit barbed and sarcastic throughout. He also made a comment about being "very happy" to have fit players "in the last week of the season". I think he was directing any sarcasm at the journalists in the room rather than the owners, mind.

Still, we had won every European competition until this was introduced, something nice to rounding that out again. Think it would kill our league form next season, though.

Who the hell from?! I think we probably could have conned someone like West Ham out of a good £10-20m more than we have any hope of getting this summer. I'm genuinely fascinated to see who bites. Lots of noise today as well about us buying a mate for Mudryk.

My guess is that he's not going to be sacked and there's been no noise about that in the club, but that his agent's asked when contract negotiations start and been told ... they aren't. Would explain the slight sense of limbo. I don't see much point in sacking him now, but I also don't see any justification for extending his deal. I don't know how out of step I'd be with the club on that.

You're right, for some reason thought Luton played on Sunday. If they and Burnley both lose their 3pms, Forest are effectively safe (something like a 12 goal swing would be needed on the last day!).

An intriguing fixture for testing out the recent good results given Forest have everything to play for, and could potentially assure survival with a win. I think we'll have a much, much harder ride here.

But it is 5 PL starts this season Lewis Hall? I do take the point you're getting at, but think you're over-egging the pudding.

I've been very critical of Madueke, really hope the last two games are a sign of some lessons finally sticking because he will be two or three times the player and someone genuinely worth having about if so. West Ham gave up at 2-0 but still lovely to put them to the sword.

"This isn't fucking over", leaving Kingsmeadow now with Emma's words ringing. Honestly now think we'll batter Spurs and it'll be a straight shoot out on the last day.

Christ, was a kind of relief to know it was over! Need to properly batter Bristol now, 5+ goals, to go into the two tough last games with any real hope.

Makes a huge difference when teams don't take the open goal opportunities we give up, and when something bounces nicely for us in the oppo box. And I'm not doing us down, it really does make a huge difference to how we play. A really good half, the next and very big step is being good enough so that we don't need those bits of luck to be good.

Big ask with our injuries and the turnaround, and as improved as Thursday was on the usual standard we did still present the oppo with the typical two free hits at goal. Spurs just had the decency to miss. Would love another win but do expect a struggle.

Probably one for the injury thread, but at this point in the season I can't help but suspect that it isn't physical health that's made some players unavailable. Some are gone, want out or are being forced out imo, and Nkunku and Sterling are the two who jump out to me.

Big day of goodbyes at Kingsmeadow. Bit annoying the men and women are at home on the same day for it, and especially when the District line is being a pain. Still, will be able to say I've been to two games in one day.

There would really obviously be a deadline for mass production of the shirt to sell? That will be what we have missed. On the above point, can't imagine they are waiting to see if we make EL. It's just not prestigious enough to have much impact on what a sponsor will pay, and in any case you'd just negotiate a contract that covered both eventualities. They've fucked it, again.

A fit James is one of the top 2 or 3 players in his position in the world. There are dozens of Gallaghers available in terms of ability, just like this one will be when the transfer window opens. Love Gallagher, don't want him gone at all, but for me it's a no-brainer to risk James never staying fit given the pay off if he does ... In the hypothetical scenario where one has to go, that is.

Feels very much like someone who doesn't expect to still be here next season.