DukesOfHazard

Agreed. To many times over the last fews years we have bought sub par players, with youth coming through and playing well that is more than enough to "fill the squad" the transfer market should be used to directy try and improve the matchday squad, not to just fill the squad.

Is it wrong to feel optimistic about getting something out of this game.....

I know there i a long way to go but you get help but get giddy at where we are sitting. Throw in the fact we've got here without are best defender and midfield . Oh and Ruben missing too!

I'd have said the same. Perhaps CHO needs a rest, bad injury to come back from but still would have much preferred Willian to drop out.

My stream was also gave the same view but I got the same impression

Gutted but there is an awful long way to go and we will improve drastically once we have Kante, Rudi, RLC, Reece and CHO back which should see us end the year fairly strong but if we get the ban reduced to one window i'd be saying we go all out for a top class CB! Rudi and Chistensen is our best partnership but Christensen is still a season or two off the finished article.

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum or there already is one but if anyone is interested in fantasy football some friends and I are doing the sky sports one for £10 and are more than happy for anyone to join, plus I could do with some more Chelsea fans with all the United scum in there. The pin is 8428235

Kante has reportedly been sent back to the UK to continue rehabilitation, surely not a good sign?

Kovacic after Lamps moulds him into a version of his younger self!

If CHO and Mount both sign new deals i think its actually been a good summer all things considered. Morata money will add to the Hazard money next summer and hopefully Frank/Petr will have clear targets in mind and any other deadwood will have been sold off and young guns filling their squad roles. I'm very excited for the season to kick and Wednesday to see who Frank starts with after 5 days with the team.

Given the fact that he was played on the left of Sarri's three and expected to produce in the final third as was Barkley who also pretty much failed in that respective i think he could play a role in Franks midfield three, with Kante holding and Ruben given the task of chipping in a few goals we could use his dribbling skills in the middle of the park. Plus he has a year of premier league football under his belt now.

He’s at 4/1 now and Frank back to 1/10. I’m sure our board can’t be this mad but if it turns out to be true I may be hibernating from football until Euro 2020! Edit. Frank now 1/8 ?

I’m one whose been waiting to see some youngsters come through, there’s just something about seeing them come through into the first team that’s so satisfying knowing you’ve grown your own. Plus it saves millions on garbage like Zappa and Drinkwater just to name a couple. Add in Frank at the helm who’ll command respect purely from his status and the feel good factor he’ll bring to the bridge makes me excited for the new season. Granted we may not challenge for major honours for a couple of seasons but we weren’t always title winners and I think people seem to forget that but if Frank gets time to settle in and get some youngsters through with Cech bridging the gap to the board we could finally get some stability and fingers crossed be back to the top of the pile within a few years.

On paper not that great but my god what a night that 11 gave us!!

Exactly! It is perhaps to soon but Derby's style changed for the better under Lampard and his use of youth is something we could do with, especially Mount who was very pleasing on the eye in the few games i saw. I think if expectations are lowered next season, which i'm sure they will be given the transfer ban, injuries and losing our best player then its a scenario where he cant fail, barring a Moruninho 15/16 meltdown. He will have a year to plan out transfer targets with an actual DOF (if Petr is back) and can intergrate our youth. What other managers are seriously going to look at us, i know we will always pay big wages and guarantee a big pay out when they are sacked but with a transfer ban, no Hazard and 3 of our most exciting prospects out with long term injuries why would they bother? Lampard would bring a feel good factor back to the bridge after a couple of seasons of ill feelings towards the last managers and it could be end up being like Pep or Zidane at worst it ends up going wrong but any manager coming in who cant make his signings could potentially back fire just as much unless we go back to the Jose/Antonio type managers which i for one would prefer a more attack minded coach.