Hello my wonderful football family, hope you’re all doing well… better than me anyway!
Jeeeeez, that 1-0 loss against Forest on Saturday really screwed my weekend.
However, unlike (what appears to be) most Chelsea fans, I still have faith in the ‘project’ and I can see things really materialising in a year or two. You see, I’ve been around since the dinosaurs, gone through thick and thin (mainly thin) over 50-plus seasons. I can wait, I’m not impatient, I can see the light…
It ends in defeat.#CheNot pic.twitter.com/9Wkk6nfAIm
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 2, 2023
However, it has to be said, the spending and strategy is a gamble to say the least. No new coach with 20 new players with an average age of under 22 is gonna succeed immediately. That’s a fact! The worry is (as against Forest) that the Blues kids look like they’re struggling against men. Just not enough experience.
You can sign all the elite young talent on the planet, with incredible individual stats, but as a collective, you have to have ‘leaders’ with Premier League time under their belts.
Watch every angle of @anthonyelanga's winner at Stamford Bridge ⤵️
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) September 5, 2023
One could argue that the greatest Man Utd sides were built on a bunch of youngsters but these were players who grew up together at the club. Similarly with Arsenal, who have been moulded and integrated over a few seasons.
Sticking with United and it’s all going pear-shaped, out of the three rounds of bidding, Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim and Ineos’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe emerged as the leading candidates to become the club’s new majority stakeholder.
Sheikh Jassim was only interested in a full takeover, while Ratcliffe was willing to keep the Glazer family on board with a reduced stake of around 20 percent… a possible deal that has infuriated fans who want to see the back of the Americans.
However, as it’s turned out, the greedy bastards look like they’re taking the club off the market!
They’re now gunning for an even higher price thanks to an uplift in TV revenues, the expansion of Fifa’s Club World Cup to 32 teams from 2025 and the 2026 World Cup, hosted in the USA, which will heighten the interest of American billionaires in football investments.
The Glazers think this may help them sell United for between £7billion and £10bn.
Back to football and apparently Spurs are gonna win the league! Slow down guys… very early days, however they are looking so much better, unshackled and playing with a digeridoo kinda swag.
As for their neighbours across North London… well, a big win on Sunday, I really enjoyed the game. Total dominance in the first half turned into a knife-edge thriller before the two late goals.
I really enjoyed Kai Havertz’s performance. Missed from six yards then made the terrible pass that led to United’s against-the-run-of-play goal. Otherwise his movement and passing game was probably a 4/10.
Mikel Arteta has really f****d himself over with his wish to buy the German. Has to play him, has to justify 65 million quid. Has to leave Leandro Trossard on the bench.
Will the Gunners be there in May for the challenge? Will City be the team to chase? With Erling Haaland banging in the goals (and being offered a mega 600k a week deal) I’d say they will be the side to beat. Arsenal? Expect a top four finish. (Shhhhhh, I can hear you Liverpool)
Unfortunately, just as we get going we have to stop for an international break.
For me personally… just glad to be able to watch the start of the Rugby World Cup this weekend instead of the sh!te served up at the Bridge!
Chat next week, up the Bokke, bye byeee.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za