Boston Blue

I mostly agree. Although the board would have/should have known that Conte quit Juve when he (allegedly) didn't like the transfer situation. It was presumably a topic of conversation for the interview. What I do agree with is that something soured Conte's attitude to make him go from one of the more enthusiastic managers to one of the most passive in a short amount of time. That was likely things that were promised to him and expectations that were not met. What I can't understand is that we have an owner and board that consistently seek out the best managers, yet do not back them to put them in position to be successful. If you want puppets and "yes" men, then hire them. We hire strong personalities who end up with huge expectations on their shoulders, then we give them players like Drinkwater and Zappacosta and think they will turn these guys into world class players.

I think the difference here is that Conte's attitude changed and he became a toxic force at the club. I think we'd have been better off letting him go earlier so that the negativity wasn't allowed to fester.

Exactly. If we make mistakes and have inconsistent results, I'd rather we be doing it with youth players who will learn and benefit from the experience.

I thing you'd be amazed how fast Ratcliffe would become a Chelsea fan...…..about a minute and a half after writing a £2 billion check.

Agree with Jack...…..They each bring different qualities. What I'd like is a hybrid of them both. The pace, defensive mentality, and work of Pedro with the trickery and ability to curl a shot like Willian.

I think this is (in part at least) a by product of Sarri having a preferred set lineup. The same 11-13 players know they are starting, and it doesn't matter how they perform, or what form they are in. They do not have a fear of being dropped. They don't play as if their first team place depends on it, because it doesn't. As a result, those players that would be pushing for a first team place get frustrated because it doesn't matter what they do in training, or how well they do when they get a chance to get in, they know Sarri is going right back to his preferred 11.

Sarri is not a reactive manager, he is a proactive manager. He wants the team to play his way, not adjust to the way the opponent plays. He's the opposite of Jose, who would devise a game plan to counter the particular opponent we were playing.

Sorry. Meant to qualify that statement as Academy kids we let go. I agree that Salah and KdB both have done well. Lukaku to some extent as well.

Not only does he know the Napoli players best, he knows they can play the football he wants. It's no surprise he wants them. As for Ratcliffe, he's been inside the Bridge, he knows the atmosphere. He's right in the middle of what supporters like, and what they don't like. He's into sport, so he's competitive. I think he'll want to win. And he can be in the UK which means he can pay attention. I know why Roman isn't at home matches, but the fact that he's not even been spotted at away Europa League games seems odd to me. This is his chance to watch the team live and show his support/interest.

I get that, and I know supporters of every team always over-rate their own prospects. And no player that we've let go has set the football word on fire. But...….Roman spent a ton of money upgrading the Academy. We have the largest number of players out on loan, conceivably to develop, than anyone. Our youth teams regularly win trophies, and our Academy players have been instrumental in England Youth Team successes. We are not competing on the open market for the best players, and with no CL games and managerial instability, we are not a preferred destination for players so our next stars have to come from somewhere. Youth players that have come through the ranks are more likely to have an emotional attachment and passion for the club, which is something we sorely lack in the first team right now.

No, we can't have it both ways, but we've consistently chosen only one way. Even when Jose was sacked, and we were in the bottom half with absolutely nothing left to play for, Hiddink could have played youth players with no risk. This would have allowed the club to see what they had for talent, and therefore, what positions they had covered and which ones needed strengthening. But even with nothing to play for, Hiddink did not integrate any youth.

I seem to remember that we regularly laughed at Arsenal for all their time of possession stats and pretty football without scoring much or winning anything. Sarri may have been brought in to change the playing philosophy, but he has mostly the same players, and he has the same board with the same transfer philosophy.

And since everyone keeps harping on the "he's never won anything....." criticism, he may be trying really, really hard to actually win something...…..

And as far as Sarri the coach is concerned, I don't think he has improved one single player in the squad. In fact, I think more players have regressed under him than have improved. Luiz, Alonso, Christensen (earlier in the season), Morata. Even Willian who clearly was unhappy under Conte has not come back. Kovacic and Barkley have been less than expected this season. The Hyphens (CHO & RLC) deserve more play time, yet Sarri continues to stick with the established starters. How is that supposed to motivate the established to players to maintain a high level, or motivate the non starters to perform well to try to take someone's starting spot? Sarri said he was concerned only to work with the players he had, but what work is he doing? I was all for Sarri bringing that Napoli style to The Bridge, and we all keep saying that he needs the right players to implement his ideas. So if he has the wrong players for his system, why does he keep trying to force the system onto players who can't play it?

The "leaky" defense can also be attributed to not having Kante as protection in front of them. I understand that Sarri does not use a defensive midfielder, but Kante prevented a lot of situations from getting to the defenders

I’m as disappointed as anyone regarding Conte’s change of attitude & mentality in his second season.

I thought one of the best quotes I read was when Conte was appointed and he said that the coach was a tailor and had to stitch together the parts he had. The first 3 or 4 games were underwhelming, he changed, and we took off from there. Jose was also a master of adapting and changing things when things weren't working. What I think frustrates us is that Sarri is not the one to adapt and change. He's looking for the players to do it. He's being stubborn and when things aren't working, he digs his heels in and continues to do the same things, but for some reason, expects a different result (the definition of insanity). A manager is supposed to figure out how to get the best out of his employees. When you manage people, you tell them what your expectations are for them, and you create an environment that helps them meet (or exceed) those expectations. If they don't, you figure out why, and correct it. If that still doesn't work, you find others who will. The other issue is that Sarri continues with the same players he accuses of being mentally weak, or those that don't move the ball as he wants. There's no consequence for not doing what he's asking.

Ha. I like this place already...….

We're moving the ball quickly, despite what seems like a slow pitch. Willian, RLC, CHO, Kante, Giroud look really lively.

Hello, Massachusetts based. Grew up as a GK and fell in love with Chelsea from watching Bonetti. Lived in UK in mid 1990's, go to the Bridge a few times then and on trips back after. Looking for some more intelligent, less reactive place to discuss the club than I am seeing on Twitter.