aka Dus

The only way a football club can market itself to any effective degree is by winning trophies.

This is what I am getting at - the difference between what is 'said' and what might actually happen. Now that the spectre of a lot of debt is front and centre, at least ordinary fans can start forming a reasonable opinion about it. Not so long ago, the place was all talk of all cash takeovers being done for prestige and investment in the 'DIC brand'.

Me too, if one takes the need for a new stadium as inevitable.

The point I think these papers are trying to make (apart from that they don't like Liverpool, naturally) is that in all probability DIC will be looking to make a profit from this in the end and that the deal will involve a huge amount of debt on the club. In advance of hard details of the offer I think this is a reasonable thing to say. Of course this could be hugely beneficial to the club, a necessary by product of a profit for DIC being success on the pitch (is there any other kind of success we fans should give a feck about?) for the team. But all this talk of all-cash takeovers, investing purely to build the DIC brand without any obvious profit motive etc should be put to bed I think. And in the end, when the bottom line is the most important criteria, we can but hope rather than expect that the traditions, ethos and character of the club will remain as we know it today.

Early kick offs f ck me off.

I still think we will have cause to a lot of what-iffing about the first couple of months, by the end of the season.

I believe everyones favourite OAP is very keen to put Mascherano back in the hypelight.

Maybe Rafa's rotation is set to be seen to pay dividends...

You made yourself clear you had seen the edit first time you posted. If you don't like that those of us who post more than 20 words per post occasionally go back and try make ourselves more clear, at least try keep the pedantic smugness in check, would you?

I'd rather see Chelsea win it 3 more times in a row than see those pricks win it once.

Pessimistic doesn't describe the point I am trying to make. But since we don't all have personal connections to DIC, trying to find some balance is hardly bizarre. I'm not going to take anyone's word for what's going to happen or how good or bad it will be, regardless of how well connected they claim to be. If you are so confident of the outcome, go publish something and put your name on it in the public domain instead of drip feeding a forum with half arsed information.

An octupus fired out of a cannon.

In tha vacuum of any concrete information, it's hardly surprising that people will scour the newspapers for information. Up to now, we have informed guess work to go on and as the financial implications of the deal are yet to be confirmed there is plenty of reason to want to hear as many different points of view as possible. Especially since we've dispensed with the idea that the deal will be all cash and especially as the club seems certain to shoulder a huge debt as part of this investement. I'm sure any other scenario was always pie in the sky but regardless of DIC's stated long term intentions and in the absense of any solid information to allow one to think for oneself, I guess the press and those who place themselves in a position to comment on the matter (like some people on here) will have to do.

Are you doing your trademark "I'm not commenting because other people have already made the point I would make if I bothered to post more than emoticons" thing again? How tiresome.

Seems to be reasonably credible. There bursts the idealists' balloons if so...

I am not at all offended. I just think it's utterly hilarious that they'll sing it with Rooney in the room. As Homer might say, it works on so many different levels.

He's Irish... (at least that's what he's decided to be) so the search for the Scottish piece of the jigsaw continues.

I find it a bit odd he would talk up Lyon like that too. Since they won't be meeting them this season I guess it won't matter.

It's probably the wind.

And he's wanted in sweden too, that's a fact. But once he's talking like he is, it's irrelevant.

Great news. I laughed when I read "persistent machine gun fire is bound to hit the target at some point." I hope Sami really said that rather than being Koogan's (very appreciated) translation.

Missing out three times? His luck's out then.

This content is not viewable to guests.

This content is not viewable to guests.

Regardless of source or the mockers, I think Paul is spot on. I reckon he is unhappy with a lot of things about Chelsea and England in general. Mainly his hands are tied in relation to the team: there are "untouchables" in the squad. He can never be fully respected because the media seem steadfastly anti-Chelsea and the "Titles for cash" managerial smear will never budge. The team is a machine not wholly of his desires or making, as he has little control over purchases and thus cannot create a Chelsea team he can call his own. Of course, he loves football and 'his' Chelsea players and this has probably kept his fire alight somewhat. The challenge of the dreaded/dreadful MU battalions may have given him some impetus to continue and leave his mark with a Title treble. Kenyon bows before the Roman, doing very little for millions. José in the end won't bend the knee and that should see him the door.