Dean

I think this is all still up in the air - we haven’t necessarily found our best formation/lineup. I’m not sure Lampard knows for sure what it is either. 4-3-3 looked better last game (admittedly against second-string Lille) and our problems didn’t stem from that. Other times 4-2-3-1 has looked better, but it’s still just too early. I don’t think Kova and Jorginho are mutually exclusive. You may be overthinking this.

He (Souness) does seem pretty rooted in a different era and desperate to portray himself as some sort of tough guy who’d have his way with Kova back in the day. As you say, he wouldn’t get near him.

True. But I think we may see other goal types in due course.

Same team as Tuesday

Unsalvageable

Good to see you got the memo

But from a realpolitik perspective they’d rather have a thaw and this is happening already in France and Germany. Just not in their interest, not good for business and a Johnson government would be more willing to have good relations I think than Macron or Merkel. I’m guessing Johnson and co readier than others to accept and turn a blind eye to foreign money that MIGHT be tarnished one way or the other, grant visas to billionaires (who will conveniently pass ‘Australian’ tests etc). either way, the relationship has probably seen its worst days. So if Roman does sell Chelsea it’s more likely to be for business than geopolitical reasons. I could be wrong of course. I thought he was going to sell amid the Ukraine and then Skripal fallout.

Yep. Sorry I don't think he is ever going to be top drawer. You can develop the technical ability of youngsters but you can never properly train attitude. He is a coaster for me. I don't think he has the desire or commitment to be a top class player. I’m seeing it the same way too but would love to be proven wrong. Attitude is huge. It’s the reason I REALLY don’t want us to sign certain players - e.g. Milinkovic-Savic. I don’t understand why fans gave CHO such a pass following the overtures to bayern munich last season.

The old timers shone for me - Azpi, Kante, Willian, Rudiger Front 3 picks itself until proven otherwise ditto midfield. Azpi at right back for now and James has to prove himself again. Emerson back at left. in short, this is probably our best 11 with a few marginals. Am even less convinced that CHO right now brings even a fraction of what Willian brings, let alone being good enough to start ahead of him. Want to be proven wrong but it’s not happening yet. Bats just not good enough. Badly need a decent backup striker. It’s no mean feat to get through the group of CL first time in. We don’t have a hope in hell of going far, but we could get some great games to watch and a great experience for the players.

Must stop those lapses jeez. Really should have been a 4-0er

Ha. Not a million miles away playing style-wise, for sure

Yeah terrible opposition needs to be factored in for sure but I am thinking this midfield three all need to play if fit so back to 4-3-3

There’s every possibility Roman wanted to sell but changed his mind. We also may get/ be getting a thaw in relations between UK and Russia, especially if Johnson wins a majority.

Erm.. A world class tough-tackling midfielder, a world class back 5, and keep the £500mn odd balance for other investments?

For what it’s worth: ‘A US financier who co-owns the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team has tabled a takeover offer to acquire London’s Chelsea Football Club from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, according to a person briefed on the matter. The offer by Todd Boehly, the former president of asset manager Guggenheim Partners, was made last month and fell short of the £3bn valuation that Mr Abramovich is believed to be seeking for the English Premier League club, this person said without specifying the exact price. The Wall Street Journal, which first reportedthe bid, said Mr Boehly’s offer had been rejected. Mr Boehly remains interested in pursuing a deal, the person added. Chelsea could not be reached for comment. A spokesperson for Mr Boehly declined to comment. The bid marks the latest example of US investors looking to acquire stakes in European football clubs. It comes several days after US private equity group Silver Lake took a $500m stake in City Football Group, the owner of Manchester City football club, in a deal that valued the company at $4.8bn. The Financial Times reported in August last year that Mr Abramovich appointed Raine, a US merchant bank, to conduct a “strategic review” of the London football club he purchased in 2003, after receiving multiple offers from potential buyers. One of those offers came from Silver Lake. Buyers had circled Chelsea last year as a possible acquisition target following an escalation in tensions between the UK and Russia following the poisoning of former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in March 2018. Subsequent to that Mr Abramovich took Israeli citizenship after his application for a UK investor visa was delayed. Chelsea then shelved plans for a new £500m stadium in west London, citing an unfavourable investment climate.’