Chelsea are just days away from their Club World Cup quarter final against Palmeiras, and everything is going really well.
The Blues are already deep into the tournament, and could easily make it to the final. Prize money is flowing in and the new players seem to be gelling with their teammates.
It’s not gone smoothly for everyone, however. One player who has not had the expected impact is Andrey Santos. The Brazilian was tipped to be one of the breakout stars of the tournament for the Blues after a brilliant season and a half on loan at Strasbourg, but in fact things have gone totally the other way.
He’s played just 22 minutes, and the levels to which he’s been ignored have people speculating about his future.
On TBR Football, chief correspondent Graeme Bailey painted a very negative picture.
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Santos future uncertain at best
“Chelsea are briefing that Santos is fully part of their plans — that was always the case. Obviously during the Club World Cup he hasn’t been massively involved, so let’s see how it goes.
“I think Chelsea are very open with what they want to do with him. As it stands, they are saying that he stays and is part of the first team squad, but could that change? Of course it could. This is Chelsea we’re talking about, and from that point of view, if you’re not hitting your straps then there won’t be a place for you in the squad.
“I think Santos is going to have to really impress and impress quickly otherwise there won’t be a future for him at Stamford Bridge.”
Santos dumping would be shocking but not unprecedented
It would seem insane to dump him so soon after a brilliant spell in France, and more shockingly without ever having given him a chance to start. But we’ve all seen the turnover of players under this ownership, and we wouldn’t be totally shocked.
There should be future for Santos, and no future for Mareska. He’s never going to be ready to win anything.
He’s already won something numbnuts
Replace the manager instead than letting go the future world class player in Santos . Santos he should given more playing time to adapt into the system than not playing . Lavia is injury prone despite he is good . Enzo Fernandez is been tapping up by Madrid so if the club let Santos go because of the Muppets manager coach this club will regret it . I hope Santos will stay and show to Muppet manager that he is a good player to rely on plus his still young and he needs to play in premier league . He needs regular playing time to adapt into the system . Sent back to Leicester that Muppet manager , his not good for the club . He couldn’t even beat Ipswich town and he was schooled by Felipe Luis how to manage and adjust the the tactics . I only like Chelsea FC but the Muppet manager never . He is a clown . If only Chelsea FC hire Enrique to manage the team, this team should be win the EPL and UCL . The owners has billions but scare of hiring elites manager coach . Look at now PSG , Liverpool . Maresca can’t even beat pep .
100% agree
there was a previous manager who used to discard players on a whim without a real trial: De Breune, Salah, rings a bell?
The word muppet came up a lot for a manager who made top 4 and won a trophy. Maybe there is a muppet in the room and it aint the manager
Meresca is a total waste of time the man is a complete clown all chelsea supporters can see it why can’t boeley and co see it.
1. Chelsea FC is definitely bigger for someone with the mind-set of Enzo Maresca
2. The Americans, Todd Boehy & co. are gradually turning the Club to a mediocre level, judging by the calibre and kind of players they keep recruiting
So unlike Chelsea!
I yearn for the Abramovich era
It’s now distressing watching our beloved Chelsea play a match. We always start with no hope until miracles begin to happen. The coach just throw in players, “you go and play” without looking at the opponent strength. This is how low our club has become. No winning mentality. We are always looking for inexperience teens to turn around forgetting that football is all about medals. How come we supporters can see we need a leader at the back and in front of the pack, yet the coach and management cannot see it? Look Barcelona with their old experience striker. Poor Chelsea indeed. Greetings to Abrahamovic.
The board and coach should be allowed to rebuild this team which the UK government and over Sabi media and analysts like some of you in the house destroyed the foundation by forcing out the Russian owner and then best football directors.
Incase you don’t know, Chelsea started again from the scratch and as far as I’m concerned, Chelsea is making progress. If you are a true Chelsea fan you should first observe, get your facts, know the reason for some of the things happening in the club. The board, the coach and the players are working together to bring Chelsea back to its standard.
Football is sport and it’s big business. It is easier to fall when you start from ” the top” and what starts “from scratch” can only grow to get to the top.
Remember, Manchester United was up there and today we all know how market. It took Liverpool many years to rebuild there team before coming back to winning ways. It took Pep. 3 years to rebuild Manchester City before getting to winning way.
Chelsea fans should allow this young team to grow and stop expecting magical route to be at the top.
So Mr “plummet”, you have a lot of learning to do. It’s better you shut up.
Maresca is naive and has been lucky. Sone of his selections are just weird and bewildering and proves he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. The players don’t necessarily understand or agree with his tactics. We cannot win anything by playing so slowly with lack of movement and imagination. At some point we will go through the same run as last season unless the players can it upon themselves to play differently
Oga you are saying a different thing which is correct but what we are demanding is for all those fantastic good players they bought last season play them so we can see their performance on the pitch. Paerz , Santos, and Estavo Williams. How can you build with what this coach is doing. Please let him play this guy is because of him that I’m watching this Chelsea this time if he had played him against Flamingo Chelsea wouldn’t have lost that match and at the same time the coach should be mindful of the way and manner he plays players off their positions now he’s asking James again to play against palmeiras in the midfield which he didn’t do well against Flamingo
this chlesea coach has to be clueless to not have the idea where to use such a player with great skill. he has proven in france he is top level and now give him a chance or change the coach
The way I see the situation is that, 1. The owners are business men, for them it’s like an interviewer saying,”Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?”. They’re not considering the present until the fans start to make noise. 2. Boehly & Co. want a coach not a true manager who has the final say on what players to buy and sell. In addition they have chosen to rid the club of experienced big earners in favour of young talents still learning their trade to balance the books. Their other balancing strategy is to sell academy graduates irrespective of importance or potential in favour of players with no experience of the English leagues. It’s unfair to the academy players and could also set back the growth of the players that are bought who, as young talents, need to be nurtured and allowed to mature, which is most easily done with an older player to learn from. 4. Maresca is still a work in progress himself, he’s not an experienced manager and quite honestly appears to have missed Peps adaptability lessons when it comes to changing tactics when things aren’t working. Last season he was lucky, if he doesn’t learn from that then it could be a very stressful season for all of us.
He only need time and a trust from both
The fan and the manager.We have seen how good he was on loan and why he is wanted by rival teams. Keep our good and young Santos. Thank you Moresca
From my humble observation this is my take.
1. Chelsea fans need not panic. Flamengo game was planned that way. Maresca lost on purpose to avoid the other side of the draw. He has so much trust in those players that against ES Tunis a decider the so called fringe players delivered yet against flamengo their was no effort.
2. Maresca is surely getting his spine cause he’s improved a number of players like Enzo, Colwill, Caicedo, Cucurella, even Sanchez
3. He’ll slowly integrate Santos, that’s how he dealt with Cucurella.
4. They are getting better upgrades in areas where we are still poor. Joao Pedro is way better than N.Jackson as Estevao is better than Madueke.
So guys relax. Maresca is human just like you. He can make mistakes in certain games and that can be said of any manager including pep. But of all the managers we’ve had since the Abramovich era Maresca has the best winning percentage even better than Thomas Tuchel.
Thank you