The past players and staff thread

[xceleryx]

Thought this would be a good little spot to share news, discussion, and anything else relating to all past players and staff. 

[Bob Singleton]

60 yesterday!!!

[JaneB]

And still got it 😍

[xceleryx]

 

[chrisb]

On 29/01/2023 at 08:58, xceleryx said:

 

And lost his first game in charge. Who’d be a manager! 

[My Blood Is Blue]

Sadly, former Chelsea player Christian Atsu is missing after the earthquakes in Turkey in Syria.

Hopefully he is found safe soon.

Awful seeing what is happening over there at the moment.

[Mark Kelly]

9 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Sadly, former Chelsea player Christian Atsu is missing after the earthquakes in Turkey in Syria.

Hopefully he is found safe soon.

Awful seeing what is happening over there at the moment.

I saw some footage and it was absolutely horrendous, hope anyone with any family out there is Ok thinking especially of @CarefreeMuratcan

[Bob Singleton]

Good news; Atsu has been found alive, but injured

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11719853/Former-Newcastle-star-Christian-Atsu-alive-rubble-destroyed-building-Turkey-earthquake.html

[CarefreeMuratcan]

13 hours ago, Mark Kelly said:

I saw some footage and it was absolutely horrendous, hope anyone with any family out there is Ok thinking especially of @CarefreeMuratcan

Thank you for your kind words.

I have no links to the region the earthquake has hit. If a big earthquake hits Turkey and it is felt in neighbouring European countries, then that has hit a region where my family and friends live and would include places where I have regularly gone throughout my life. But this part of Turkey is like a foreign country to me, indeed the predominant ethnic groups in the region are Kurds and Arabs (not just Syrian refugees, but native Turkish Arabs). 

Of course despite that, it's very upsetting as Turkey is a country and diaspora where your fellow Turks (of all ethnicities) feel like extended family members, the sense of civic national identity in Turkey is very strong. Turkey is an earthquake country, but does not have the same mentality towards public safety awareness and building regulations as say a World leading earthquake country like Japan does. 

So as well as being sad and feeling the tragedy, I have a very rational mentality to it. The officials and administrators of the country have a lot to answer for (and so the does the population for not holding them enough to account on this matter) and our constant fear that one day Istanbul will get hit by something like this continues unabated. If Istanbul gets a quake like this, the country will be finished. It's a city of 20-25 million, living very densely populated with the same kind of rubbish building regulations being widespread. This should serve as a warning to the government and people. This kind of earthquake can happen across most of Turkey. 

[jasonb]

Atsu has been found and rescued with injuries:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/64552881

 

 

[thevelourfog]

Jody Morris sacked 18 games into his managerial career at Swindon Town. 

[xceleryx]

6 hours ago, thevelourfog said:

Jody Morris sacked 18 games into his managerial career at Swindon Town. 

Seems like quite an unpopular move based on the reaction of Swindon's supporters.

[xceleryx]

Hope those that've complained about us selling Tomori took note vs Inter Milan over both legs. 

While he may have garnered a bit of hype in Italy since joining AC Milan, he's not that particularly special either.

[Bob Singleton]

13 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Hope those that've complained about us selling Tomori took note vs Inter Milan over both legs. 

While he may have garnered a bit of hype in Italy since joining AC Milan, he's not that particularly special either.

He looked OK but nothing more.  Neither he nor Guehi  are of the level we require, and Colwill already seems at a higher level than either of them. We got good money for them, and I wish them well (except when they face Chelsea).

[Backbiter]

33 minutes ago, Bob Singleton said:

He looked OK but nothing more.  Neither he nor Guehi  are of the level we require, and Colwill already seems at a higher level than either of them. We got good money for them, and I wish them well (except when they face Chelsea).

I agree. Couldn't believe it when Hargreaves singled him out as being brilliant last night.

[ROTG]

53 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Hope those that've complained about us selling Tomori took note vs Inter Milan over both legs. 

While he may have garnered a bit of hype in Italy since joining AC Milan, he's not that particularly special either.

Not really the truth is it? Just a bit of sledging  

Tomori was sold for £31m because he wanted to leave and would not renew his contract, which in most people’s eyes was good because business by the club.

Poor business by the club was the paying £60m for an average left back, which some on this forum believed was the best bit of business since sliced bread, because of his one season at a mediocre PL team. 
 

It’s a funny old game on how people interpret things  

 

[Mark Kelly]

22 minutes ago, ROTG said:

Poor business by the club was the paying £60m for an average left back, which some on this forum believed was the best bit of business since sliced bread, because of his one season at a mediocre PL team. 
 

Nobody thinks this lol, all anyone said  was they can see why he was bought as he was player of the year at Brighton and City were reportedly interested  , he's a far better player than he's shown us so far that's for certain , whether he demonstrates that elsewhere is now down to the board.

[xceleryx]

10 hours ago, ROTG said:

Not really the truth is it? Just a bit of sledging  

Tomori was sold for £31m because he wanted to leave and would not renew his contract, which in most people’s eyes was good because business by the club.

And yet there's still people out there that bring it up as an "error" in judgement. 

10 hours ago, ROTG said:

Poor business by the club was the paying £60m for an average left back, which some on this forum believed was the best bit of business since sliced bread, because of his one season at a mediocre PL team. 

It’s a funny old game on how people interpret things  

Completely unrelated to the original statement, but good to see you managed to find a way to bring it up to satisfy your TB Sports Department addiction. 

Why not bring up the £60m spent on Pulisic? The £40m on Bakayoko? How about the £35m on Drinkwater? Or do they not count because it was under your more favoured RA Sports Department? 

Anyway, it's all unrelated to my initial Tomori comment anyway.

[ROTG]

6 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Why not bring up the  The £40m on Bakayoko? How about the £35m on Drinkwater? Or do they not count because it was under your more favoured RA Sports Department? 

I could have however, they did not impact the team performance and cast aside very quickly with income coming from loan fees and wages to offset the initial outlay.

As for Tomori he transferred to Milan and won Siere A in his first full season playing 31 games for them, remind me again what has Cucurella done at Chelsea in his first season?

[Bob Singleton]

I know he always promised to return, but I genuinely hope he just retires gracefully. Injuries have taken a toll. We definitely got his best years.
 

 

[Ham]

Escalated quite quickly

 

 

[Bob Singleton]

7 minutes ago, Ham said:

Escalated quite quickly

 

Indeed!!! 😱

[chrisb]

It never really worked out for him at RM with the injuries and the *ahem* putting on a bit of timber during the summers. I do feel sorry for him in that respect as he was upfront about it being his dream to play for them. Could have been a Ballon’dor winner if he’d stayed with us! 

Definitely played his best football wearing our shirt.

[Mark Kelly]

Come home Eden, Poch will get you lean again! 

[My Blood Is Blue]

Such a shame to see how wrong it’s gone for Hazard over there, in hindsight, he may wish he never made the move or at least got himself out earlier and come home.