Another wonderful signing by Chelsea

Football Club. Chelsea Football Club

feel like we are moving in the right

direction. We have been making great

decision after great decision and the

good times feel like they are coming

back. Helping me now dissect exactly

what is going on at Stamford Bridge. It

is the wonderful Matiz. Thank you so

much for joining me, mate.

>> It's a pleasure, man. Come on.

>> to talk Chelsea with you and it feels

like things are moving in the right

direction. Absolutely. Maximum Lacroix

is a Chelsea player.

>> Yeah. Like we've actually signed a

center back of age that can drink and

drive and has been playing in the

Premier League like for a couple of

seasons. That's actually got some sort

of reputation behind him. We don't have

to like Google to the nth degree who

this man is.

>> Yeah, yeah. This is I mean this is a

dream, you know? You know, if if you

were to ask me like the most basic

person, most basic football mind, what

would you like your club to do? I would

say like the strategy I would like us to

employ is really obvious. It's Premier

League proven, experience, leadership

qualities, in a dream world,

international experience. That's That's

what Chelsea has so lacked.

International experience, international

captains, somebody with Premier League

proven ability.

>> Yeah. And he's won some trophies as

well. Conference League, FA Cup, Crystal

Palace.

>> a huge part of a huge part of Crystal

Palace's best ever. In their in their

like Crystal Palace, I think it's fair

to say the last decade for Crystal

Palace is the best they've ever had.

Ever had it. Like I know they had good

times, Ian Wright and Mark Bright and

whatever else. But the past 10 years,

they never threatened with relegation

ever.

>> Yep.

>> They've won silverware for the first

time in their history and they followed

it up with European glory. Did they win

the Community Shield as well?

>> Yeah, they did.

>> So, three trophies.

>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, they did.

>> We'll give them that.

>> They did. And they're always top. And

they're always top. [laughter] No, it's

an amazing It's an amazing time at

Palace and I think Lacroix, along you

know, there's a lot of very good

players, but he is a stalwart of that

team.

>> Yeah.

>> And signing him, an international French

international, played at the World Cup,

this is just ideal. Do you think this is

now Do you think we can use this Lacroix

signing as as being almost symbolic for

a new Chelsea approach?

>> I'd like to think so. I think this is a

nice broma of like we've now signed

someone above 25 who there is still

resale value and whatnot, but it is a

player that is more experienced than

most. We usually go for your 20 to 23

year olds. They maybe haven't clocked up

the amount of seasons and minutes they

need to. This guy certainly hasn't. And

I remember, I don't know if you remember

when he was at Wolfsburg, he was highly

regarded, highly rated. He was like 18,

19 breaking through. And ever since

maybe 20 years old, he's been racking up

30 appearances a season at top five

league level. So, this is a player

that's experienced. My thing with him as

well is the fact that he kind of like

has a good blend of what we have but the

better attributes of each one. So, like

with Fofana, he's quick. So, Lacroix is

quick but Disasi wasn't quick. Disasi is

good in the air. Lacroix is good in the

air. So, we kind of like get a little

bit of everything that we need from all

the guys that we've already got but

haven't worked out for a multitude of

reasons.

>> it's fantastic. And do you know what you

said there? Like you you mentioned

sell-on value, which I find I find quite

a poisonous. I understand I understand

that it has to be considered and I also

understand that people with more

more

higher IQ

>> Not even that, but just a counting

brain.

They will always think about it. But

what I will always think about is just a

football team. Do you improve the

football team? So, is there a sell-on

value? I guess I should consider it. I

guess that people will always kind of

factor that in. But for me, it's do you

elevate the first team?

Does your arrival make Chelsea a better

first 11? And that's why when that Jose

Feliciano at Chelsea was talking about,

you know, for those who don't know, Jose

Feliciano is a co-owner of BlueCo,

therefore a co-owner of Chelsea. When he

was talking about improving the brand

almost irrespective of what happened on

the pitch.

>> Doesn't make sense.

>> That's why it was so painful to me cuz I

was like, "No, no."

When you sign footballers, you sign them

because they are

going to make your first team better.

That's like the least controversial

thing that's ever been said on this

channel. Sign him because you will be a

a football team. And it's also

absolutely impossible to improve the

brand and the team get worse.

>> Yeah.

>> Like no way are you going to get better

sponsorship deals, better commercial

deals.

>> finishing 12th, you're not

>> attract more fans from overseas to watch

the games. You may not be on TV less.

>> If you're not playing Champions League,

which means there's going to be less

opportunity for them to watch.

>> Mhm.

>> Be inspired and then support. So, it

just doesn't make sense on any any

level.

>> there is sell-on value, that's great cuz

the people that want that can be very

happy.

>> Yeah.

>> But more importantly, and certainly more

importantly to me cuz it's me.

>> Yeah.

>> I

>> can be happy.

>> Yeah.

>> Because Chelsea are now a better first

11. Whatever you thought Chelsea's

ambitions were at the Whatever you

thought Chelsea's ambitions were prior

to the Lacroix signing, they're now

slightly elevated.

>> Yeah, slightly elevated for sure.

>> Yeah.

>> We've got better.

>> He's a I think he's a good like seven

and a half out of 10 center back in most

areas. And hopefully at 26, I remember

when we signed Gary Cahill from Bolton,

we signed Rudiger from Roma.

>> He's not world class yet, Lacroix. He's

not elite, but I'm hoping he goes from

like very good to elite to world class

now he's coming into his prime. And he's

shown some consistency over the last

couple years. And I think this position

was probably maybe the most important

out of all the positions we needed to

sign based on the last couple of

seasons, the way we have been

defensively.

>> Especially if Especially if Alonso's

going to play three at the back.

>> This is the thing. So, I don't know what

he's going to do because in the I

thought three at the back as well. And

we've signed a lot of players that make

sense for a three at the back. We signed

a wing back from Serie A, we signed

Rodgers who's more of an inside 10, and

we signed a center back who's been

playing in the middle of a back three

for Crystal Palace. Um Guehi to the left

and Richards to the right. But then in

the in the friendlies that are not being

televised, the Bromley win and the

Crawley win, um we've been playing back

fours. I don't know if that's because

he's not got everybody available to him

yet and he's just doing it just kind of

cuz he wants to look at it or if it's

cuz he's actually going to do it. I

would feel a lot more comfortable with

Reece James in a back three on the right

side, Acheampong in a back three,

Lacroix in a back three. A lot of our

center backs or weak full back center

back options, I would want to see them

in a back three. And I'm not sure

especially with um the lack of wingers

that we have at of of of a high quality.

I wouldn't and and Hato at left back

doesn't really get

it. It just doesn't Cucurella leaving.

Yeah, just doesn't really make sense to

me.

>> Yeah, so what do you think it will be?

Do you think it Do you think it will be

a back three?

>> I hope it is, yeah. And I still believe

it will be just cuz of the signings

we're making that they've all played,

apart from Rodgers, they've all played

in back threes in back three systems.

And I think Rodgers suits a back three

really well with with him playing close

to Cole in a twin 10. So, I hope it's a

back three.

>> I think it might be a blend of both. So,

what do you think it would be? It would

be Laquois, Acheampong. Do you think

Acheampong is now starting?

>> Not as a starter. I think I think I

think our strongest back three is Reece

James. I think Reece James is better

than Fofana for me, for sure.

Reece James as a as a right side center

back in a three, yeah. It's past him

it's clear for Fofana as well. I think

right side center back Reece James,

Laquois in the middle, and Cole on the

left.

>> Yeah, solid.

>> Yeah. And then who are the who are the

two wing backs?

>> Um it could be the new signing.

>> Right. Pellistri.

>> Yeah, Pellistri could be him. Left side,

it couldn't be Hato. I think Neto is a

wing back. I think Neto is a wing back.

Like Neto, all he does is run in

straight lines and put the ball in the

box.

>> Okay, I've got a better I've got a

better idea. Well, in my opinion, I've

got a better idea. You tell me if it's

better.

>> Reece James goes to right back.

>> No, a wing back.

>> Wing back.

>> No, Reece James goes to wing back.

>> One game a week.

>> Less less arduous, less pressure. I

still think he'll break.

>> Reece James goes to wing back.

Who's going Who's going on the left?

>> We bring in John Stones.

>> [laughter]

>> That's what needs to happen.

>> John Stones can't play wing back.

>> No, no. We bring in John Stones as a So,

so James goes there.

>> Listen, I think I think we've been

linked with John Stones.

>> Yes, I know. And I'm just thinking,

please God, this is a tapping signing.

>> We've signed When we sign 30 plus,

especially on a free, Thiago Silva,

Michael Ballack, we do pretty well for

ourselves in this department. I wouldn't

mind.

>> Yeah, there's there's absolutely no

reason to not sign John Stones.

>> Yeah, I agree.

>> The other thing that I think he would

bring, which which I think is so

necessary at Chelsea for us to have any

genuine hope. I think this is so

important.

There was a lack of discipline, a lack

of leadership. Like and and I mean this

like this this discipline, it actually

was Maresca like Maresca was getting

sent off. Like Fofana is getting like

you get banned from driving right?

>> starting 11 of of red cards. I did one.

>> Yeah. Do you know what [laughter] I

mean? Like all of that. I feel like a

player like John Stones, John Stones has

been at the epicenter of probably the

greatest Premier League team, certainly

the most dominant Premier League team in

an era where they they won a treble,

they got 100 points. John Stones.

John Stones at the heart of that. You

bring in John Stones now, whatever you

think of

You know I didn't like Liam Rosenior and

and

but and you know I didn't like Graham

Potter but I didn't I also didn't like

the players

calling Graham Potter Harry Potter.

>> Yeah.

>> Calling Liam Rosenior as a substitute

teacher. I might do that. And people be

now saying this is Rory's really a

political

>> you're not playing.

>> I'm not I'm not I'm not an employee of

Chelsea. I'm not I'm not

>> You're not his You're not my manager.

>> You're not my manager. You're not my

gaffer.

>> No, if he was my manager I'd play with

respect.

>> yeah, exactly.

>> Whereas I feel like somebody like John

Stones

you can't do that. You can't He's He

played for Pep Guardiola. He played

alongside Kevin De Bruyne. He's just not

going to He's going to go like lads,

what? Are you professional footballers

and what do you want out of this? Or are

you just jokers earning a lot of money?

>> Yeah. And he's really good on the ball

which we're going to be playing out from

the back a lot.

>> Really? Well, okay. So I've talking I've

been talking there about [laughter] the

things that aren't even football

related.

He He'd actually become the best center

half at the club.

>> From a technical level, he he would be

the guy that would be leading that back

line. Cuz Colwill, as much as I do like

him from a leadership standpoint, he's

still very young and it would be so

beneficial to someone like Colwill to

continue his development having someone

like John Stones around the place as it

was when Thiago Silva was around the

place for Rudigers, Christensens, etc.

So it's just a win-win on all fronts.

The only thing is what wages would he

demand but I think he'd take probably

quite a bit off anyway considering he is

a free agent.

>> But I feel like we have so Yeah.

It's a great It's a It's quite

embarrassing for us really, but

to say it's kind of a great flourish to

his career to have the sign off of

Chelsea. You know in the way Ruud Gullit

Ruud Gullit was part of an AC Milan team

that beat Barcelona 4-0 in a European

Cup final when he won the Ballon d'Or.

Then he has his final hurrah at Chelsea.

Mark Hughes was winning league after

league doubles at Manchester United,

came to Chelsea as one of our best ever

center forwards. I genuinely believe

that.

It's horrible to be back in 1995.

[laughter]

That's where we are.

That's where we are. John Stones can

kind of have his final flourish, win a

cup, have a great time in London, and

have 2 years play for Chelsea and

>> People worry about like what's the

motivation to win for Chelsea, but I

think you just have to do a character

assessment. I think sometimes when you

get like an Aubameyang who already had

like disciplinary issues at Arsenal

already as a captain, that's probably

not wise. But John Stones is not going

to be like that in my opinion, you know

what I mean? So

>> I completely agree. Are you happy

overall with our business?

>> Um I am very happy because I didn't

expect it. I didn't know we had the

capital. Obviously we sold Santos, we

sold Cucurella, which is probably about

100 million, so we've now just

>> There's loads of money to make that.

>> Yeah, yeah. There's Bro, there's so many

players to sell.

My mate keeps going Look, I don't like

Enzo Fernández at all. I don't

I don't like did you

>> [laughter]

>> I really don't like but but like I'd

like him to leave Chelsea. But you know

if they decide that he is a very good

player, which he is.

>> Do you know what? There's no nobody's in

for him. That's the problem.

>> But equally, we don't have to if I want

him out of the club, but if they decide

that he is a best we have and we should

build a midfield around him.

We don't have to sell him. Like this

>> No, we

>> I feel like I could very easily make

Chelsea 200 million quid.

>> Same. Without any effort. I could I

could name about 15 players we need to

sell.

>> Yeah. And

>> [laughter]

>> And I think a lot of them you go you go

Okay, there's quite a lot of money

there. Like I don't I don't rate Liam

Delap, but Liam Delap is obviously worth

30 million quid, right? So there's

there's 30.

>> Yeah.

>> Like Nicolas Jackson, if they decide

he's not not not necessarily part of the

squad, Nicolas Jackson be worth 70?

>> Yeah, minimum 60 in this market.

>> even if you go and If you go and slap on

another 10 there.

>> There's another 10.

>> Like I feel like without You know if you

just went to me right Rory, make Chelsea

200 million quid.

>> Yeah.

>> I don't think I have to mention Enzo

Fernandez. I don't think I have to

mention anyone that's a star.

>> No, no, absolutely not. I mean I I was

going for our center backs. Now that we

have Lacroix, we've got a lot of center

backs. So we've got obviously Koulibaly,

Lacroix, um Ampadu,

Fofana, Tosin, Badiashile, Disasi,

Malang Sarr who came in from Strasbourg

in January. Then we've also got

Casadei, the Argentinian guy as well.

Havertz.

>> [laughter]

>> We've got so many Tosin. We've got so

many center backs, Rory. We've got like

12 center backs. And that's before I

even bring in Reece James that can play

>> Yeah, we need And now we've brought in

Lacroix.

>> [laughter]

>> Expectations are up. We don't need Yeah.

>> Benoit Badiashile never needs to play

for Chelsea.

>> Badiashile, yeah, yeah.

>> Never needs to play for Chelsea. Disasi

never needs to play for Chelsea ever

again. Trevoh Chalobah never needs to

play for Chelsea ever again. Because

we've signed a proven Premier League

Premier League winning footballer.

>> Yeah.

>> So footballer that wins in the Premier

League, wins silverware whilst being at

a Premier League club.

An international.

>> Mhm.

>> I think it's ideal.

>> 6 foot 4.

>> 6 foot 4.

>> Tall, strong, quick.

>> Absolutely buzzing.

>> Absolutely buzzing. More of the same,

mate.

>> Hopefully, yeah. Keep it going.

>> Fingers crossed, mate. Thank you so

much. Always a joy to talk football with

you, Matiz. And obviously, make sure

that you subscribe to Matiz's YouTube

channel. The link is in the description

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So make sure that you drop a sub over

there. Fantastic content waiting for

you. Uh huge news. Huge, huge news.

Lacroix is a Chelsea player. The

expectation at Stamford Bridge just went

up. Let us know your thoughts in the

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Ta-da.