@journalism_rp He was excellent under Pochettino too and then went and won a Euros under a completely different manager. That is not manager dependency. That is a player who needed stability, which this club has consistently failed to provide.
Erratic since Christmas partly because the club sacked the manager he thrived under mid-season. Cucurella himself said it. On Hato being a ready replacement, let's see that proven first before using it to justify losing a player of this quality. Not every sale is good business.
A good fee for a player who has had erratic performances since Christmas and signalled his intent to not stay. Chelsea also already have a good replacement ready in Jorrel Hato. Also wasn't really obvious where he fitted in around Xabi Alonso's plans. As for the player, Marc Cucurella's done well after a shaky start at Chelsea and is a very much a Jose Mourinho style defender. Being an ex-Barcelona youngster and La Masia graduate going to Real Madrid is always a brave move, do wonder if it means Alvaro Carreras will be sold.
Over €50m total package means Chelsea will likely also book a profit on the player. Overall, business that suits all parties.
What frustrates me as a Chelsea fan is how the club controls the narrative through friendly journalists. Every dodgy decision gets a convenient spin in the media within hours. Real journalism at football clubs is almost dead. Very few writers actually say what they think anymore.
Cucurella had a difficult start at Chelsea due to what he was going through personally. Fans and pundits wrote him off. He kept his head down, worked in silence, and became one of the best left backs in the league. And this club has sold him.
🚨 Real Madrid reach agreement with Chelsea to sign Marc Cucurella. 27yo left-back joins #RMFC from #CFC for €60m - €55m fixed + €5m bonuses. Spain international’s deal done at rapid speed & now on to paperwork stage @TheAthleticFC after @FabrizioRomano https://t.co/Otq9CUKH6q
And we've sold him to Real Madrid right as Alonso arrives, reportedly already short of experienced players. I don't believe this is Alonso approved. But if it is, I've lost faith in this project before it's even started. This club never learns.
@Matt_Law_DT@cfcwonitall Agree on him being one of BlueCo's best signings. But the timing being right? We are losing a top quality experienced left back who wanted to leave because this club couldn't give him a stable project. That's not good timing, that's a failure to convince a player worth keeping.
@ChelseaFC No point blaming the ref. The rot starts at the top. A rookie manager in an FA Cup Final, sporting directors who've overseen this disaster still in their jobs, and another season of embarrassment for Chelsea. BlueCo has broken this club. #CFC#BlueCoOut@NotAProjectCFC#FACup
Completely unacceptable performance by Chelsea. Embarrassing. No organisation, no heart, no fight, no pride, no leadership, no goal threat. It’s like they’ve given up at Brighton. Just because they’re near the beach doesn’t mean they’re allowed to be on it. Shameless performance. No wonder the fans are furious. These aren’t useless players, they’re internationals, which makes their abject showing at the Amex even worse. Overpaid underperformers.
Liam Rosenior will probably pay the price for this string of shameful displays and results, he’s out of his depth, but he’s the symptom of the malaise at Chelsea, not the cause. Club needs some grown-ups, experienced football people in the boardroom, in the recruitment department and in the dressing-room. Chelsea are such a contrast to Brighton & Hove Albion, who are so well-run on and off the field. BlueCo has to look, listen and learn. Because Boehly and Eghbali are currently overseeing a self-inflicted shambles. #CFC
@ChelseaFC The saddest part? The squad isn't even the main problem.
Palmer. Estevao. Caicedo. Fernandez. That's talent.
But no top manager will thrive when the directors are pulling the strings from above.
Fix the structure. Or nothing changes. Ever. #CFC
@ChelseaFC Tuchel. Pochettino. Maresca.
What do they all have in common? They had opinions. They pushed back. They didn't just nod along.
So they were shown the door.
BlueCo don't want a manager. They want a yes man. And Chelsea fans are the ones paying for it every single week.
Hopefully Maresca learns from this and handles rotations with more care going forward. Not saying we’re in a title race, but we do need to show clear improvement from last season, especially during the December fixture rush. #CFC
Not pleased with the team selection tonight. Two natural RBs on the bench but Chalobah starting there makes no sense. Rotation is fine, but this one feels like it’s backfiring so far. #CFC