CONFIRMED Nathaniel Chalobah

[paultheroyal]

I don't understand this one. We've already got the strongest central midfielders in the championship..

not.sure.if.serious.

Guthrie, Williams, Norwood & Karacan is a very very strong midfield for the Championship, if we can ever get the balance and confidence right it should dominate most teams at this level. Left wing and upfront are our biggest problems, centreback & full backs less so, but certainly far more an issue than central midfield. The only midfield complaint we can have is that we don't really have a goalscorer there.

Guthrie unfit and unreliable.
Norwood inconsistent.
Williams not at the races yet.
Karacan not played yet and see above.

= not a very very strong midfield.

We are 18th not 8th.

I am sure Clarke is aware of our left midfield weakness and striker options and expect him to resolve this come end of transfer window.

[SCIAG]

We're 18th in the league.

Our midfield is being seriously over-rated here.

"Strongest" might not be accurate - unless we're talking in terms of depth, but given we can't stick all four senior midfielders on the pitch... - but it is much stronger than 18th would suggest, probably top four. Remember, three of our first four have been injured for most of the season, so we've had to stick the likes of Akpan, Obita and Taylor in there and use players who don't really suit each other together. And ofc we've been severely stretched in other positions.

Softly echo some of winch's thoughts on Williams. IMO he isn't what we need next to Norwood, Guthrie or Kuhl. However, he's clearly a good player, just compare him with Akpan. Hopefully Karacan comes in soon.

I do think Chalobah is a good player and I look forward to seeing him play, but we don't need him in midfield. He also hasn't really played in defence for a long time (rich Chelsea tradition of turning great centre backs into good midfielders, see Cork, Manicienne, now Ake) but I imagine he'd still be an upgrade on Hector and certainly Cooper. Look forward to him getting the most out of Norwood and making me eat my words.

[paultheroyal]

Genuinely excited and hopeful for the next 2 games.

[Ian Royal]

I don't rate DW as much as some on here. He always puts in plenty of effort, but for me he has to run 50% further in games due to permanently being out of position. He also doesn't show for the ball enough, and when he gets it rarely does anything spectacular. Still a decent squad player, and has the energy to make an impact off the bench, but Norwood puts him to shame on a regular basis in midfield so yeah I'd agree with the theory of him being overrated.

Chalobah should be a class above anything else we have in the middle going by previous form, and also offers an option at the back if needed.

We may have plenty of midfielders on the books, but if the chance comes to sign a player of this quality in what is a pivotal position then (finances permitting) you take it.

He strikes me as a player who needs exactly the right people around him to make him shine. Then he's great. With the wrong players he's ok. Bit like Harps, but totally different styles obvs.

[wingnut]

Got to say I'm agreeing with Paul here.
When Norwood first signed for us, we wondered what a central pairing of him with Williams would look like. Now we know.
Not much cop.
Easily overrun, not dominated a game yet and still not protecting the defence well enough.

So, I don't see an issue with improving that area at all, so here's hoping Chalobah can do this.

[Royal Ginger]

Perhaps this is a try before you buy deal for NC.

Supposedly on £35k per week with Chelsea. Could be a problem.

[SCIAG]

Perhaps this is a try before you buy deal for NC.

Supposedly on £35k per week with Chelsea. Could be a problem.

Whatever he's being paid on Football Manager is his correct wage. Their Chelsea researcher (Philip Rolfe, @chelsea_youth) is genuinely ITK.

Even if it isn't £35k, it is comfortably five digits and would make him our second highest earner (and if you disregarded Zingarevich signings, our highest earning employee ever).

[MmmMonsterMunch]

This is a cracking signing. The midfield has been powderpuff for far too long.

Just need a forward now & we should be in decent enough nick to finish mid lower table.

Cannot wait for the everything must go summer sale - we all used to dread it but I'm convinced most of us can't fcuking wait this time.

[Gilksy]

Very happy with this signing. Would be even happier if we could lose a Williams in the summer and keep Chalobah, reducing the wage bill with a young and promising talent, whilst bringing that wage bill down a bit further.

[Simon's Church]

Very happy with this signing. Would be even happier if we could lose a Williams in the summer and keep Chalobah, reducing the wage bill with a young and promising talent, whilst bringing that wage bill down a bit further.

That wouldn't really lower the wage bill though would it?

[loyalroyal4life]

I think it may allow norwood to venture forward more which he has not really done whilst playing with DW

Striker on loan and we should be good to stay up for rest of season

[Vision]

I'm always sympathetic to the view that I'd much rather we develop our own young players than other teams but I think people are seriously overestimating our midfield options at this moment in time and underestimating Chalobah's experience.

He's already made 56 starts at Championship level for sides in the top half of the table and has scored 8 times which is a significantly better strike record than any of our central midfielders. That's despite generally playing in a more defensive role. He's not a fledgeling youngster so isn't comparable to Kuhl or Tishbola really.

As for our current options. Akpan isn't back yet, Guthrie is coming back but i still feel there's an underlying issue there, anything we get from Karacan this season will be a bonus and nothing more. Norwood has been good in my opinion and Williams is just starting to get back to something like the player he was but as a partnership they're hardly pulling up trees.

We've signed a player who would get into most Championship teams and we have precious few of those if we're honest (McCleary and Feds the only other two really). It's only a loan but it's actually a far better calibre signing than anything i was expecting given how tight the finances are at the moment.

Can't see anything negative about it to be honest.

[Snowball]

I think it may allow norwood to venture forward more which he has not really done whilst playing with DW

Striker on loan and we should be good to stay up for rest of season

We are good to stay up for the rest of the season even if we lose all our games

[WoodleyRoyal]

I'm always sympathetic to the view that I'd much rather we develop our own young players than other teams but I think people are seriously overestimating our midfield options at this moment in time and underestimating Chalobah's experience.

He's already made 56 starts at Championship level for sides in the top half of the table and has scored 8 times which is a significantly better strike record than any of our central midfielders. That's despite generally playing in a more defensive role. He's not a fledgeling youngster so isn't comparable to Kuhl or Tishbola really.

As for our current options. Akpan isn't back yet, Guthrie is coming back but i still feel there's an underlying issue there, anything we get from Karacan this season will be a bonus and nothing more. Norwood has been good in my opinion and Williams is just starting to get back to something like the player he was but as a partnership they're hardly pulling up trees.

We've signed a player who would get into most Championship teams and we have precious few of those if we're honest (McCleary and Feds the only other two really). It's only a loan but it's actually a far better calibre signing than anything i was expecting given how tight the finances are at the moment.

Can't see anything negative about it to be honest.

+1 As always vision you are the voice of reason

[Sanguine]

Worth a note that Chalobah has also played 21 times for England U21s. Very good signing this.

[Snowball]

Just spent an enjoyable time browsing the web to find out more about this lad.

He looks like a special footballer. Been spoken of as (possibly) a Lampard replacement,
a John Terry replacement, and a future England Captain FFS!

Gets goals, too, not just the famous screamer.

I hope he comes straight into midfield, probably DM, something we badly need.

if we give him a chance straight away and he's as good as YouTube suggests
I can see us moving well up the table

[Gilksy]

Very happy with this signing. Would be even happier if we could lose a Williams in the summer and keep Chalobah, reducing the wage bill with a young and promising talent, whilst bringing that wage bill down a bit further.

That wouldn't really lower the wage bill though would it?

Well yeah it probably would, as Williams came in on AZ silly bugger wages, and newbie would be on a wage the club can manage long-term.

if we give him a chance straight away and he's as good as YouTube suggests
I can see us moving well up the table

Because a top-notch defensive midfielder will see us start scoring freely?

[Snowball]

If Chalobah does well and gets us up the table and next season looks promising,
maybe we can let Guthrie or Williams go and have Chalobah for a season's loan
on, say 20K a week, part-subsidised by Chelsea. We should afford that

[tidus_mi2]

Very happy with this signing. Would be even happier if we could lose a Williams in the summer and keep Chalobah, reducing the wage bill with a young and promising talent, whilst bringing that wage bill down a bit further.

That wouldn't really lower the wage bill though would it?

Well yeah it probably would, as Williams came in on AZ silly bugger wages, and newbie would be on a wage the club can manage long-term.

if we give him a chance straight away and he's as good as YouTube suggests
I can see us moving well up the table

Because a top-notch defensive midfielder will see us start scoring freely?

If as previously stated and the guy who does Chelsea's wage figures on Football Manager is accurate, the kid is on 35k/week, much higher than Williams.

[Snowball]

If a good DM means we concede half-a-goal a game less (on average)

and if that good DM who can also pass mens we get an extra 1-2 chances
a game

and if both the above raise team-spirit and morale

then, yes, I believe that the strikers and midfielders we have
will be enough to starting drawing games we might have lost
and turning draws into wins

And this guy scores goals too


I have a really good feeling about this.