Socrates

I don't buy that the players weren't trying. It looked to me like they'd stuck to the manager's plan but lost faith in the tactics and were hoping for Conte to change things. Also, we looked mentally knackered from defending all game. No matter that we went into the game fresher, we were chasing shadows most of the game.

Disappointing to lose that as we were in control of the game until their equaliser. Don't know what happened after halftime as we looked tired and flat and let them back in. Was looking to Conte to stop the drift as we had lost our way. Instead he bizarrely takes off Hazard for Pedro, we concede and then he resorts to a bunch of panic subs. Conte didn’t do himself any favours today. We’ll be lucky to get top four now.

I'm rapidly losing faith. Thought he had a legitimate grievance last Summer over the Board's inept transfer activities, but he's played a poor hand pretty badly this season. Thought alienating Costa has proved a disaster. And he's failed to use the squad in the best way. His handling of Batshuayi has been petty, he's alienated Luiz, and he's failed to integrate Kenedy and Musonda into the first team. Some of his team selections and substitutions have been bizarre and his overly negative tactics have cost us big time. We're going to struggle to make it into the top four and he's lumbered with a mediocre squad that's partly of his own making given the players who he's alienated and forced out either to be sold or now loaned. Season is turning into a disaster. Conte isn't entirely to blame, but we know he's going to take the rap anyway. He's a goner.

Good player. Ridiculous that we've let Batshuayi leave though. What's wrong with having three strikers and let them compete?

Good luck to City. They see an opportunity to strengthen their squad and they do it, backing the manager. Really admire how they go about their business. We had an opportunity to buy Mahrez last Summer and we baulked at the 60m asking price. A bargain in the current market. Bet Leicester reckon he's worth a lot more now.

Unbelievable, if true. I have no idea who is responsible for transfer decisions at the club anymore. A headless chicken would make a better go of it.

I think this is terrible if true. The manager asks for another striker and they sign ANY striker. Literally. Just any bloody striker. To keep Conte quiet. If true, this is the Board trolling the manager. That's what the club has come down to.

Great free kick from Alonso. It was a long way out. Other than that, thought we struggled to break them down, played lots of intricate passes, and when we did break through our finishing was poor. Unless Bats is injured I can’t see the reason not to play the guy.

Shame this season is looking like a write off already. We should be building a side around Hazard instead of relying on him to salvage games for us. We really screwed up the last transfer window big time. It might haunt us for a long time.

You don't want to make Eden Hazard angry!

Really good performance. Kante's back and it made all the difference. Protected the back four and freed up Fabregas and Bakayoko to run the middle of the pitch. Should've won by more if our finishing wasn't so off. But boy can Morata head a ball. Big confidence boost after a bad week. Can we just wrap Kante in cotton wool for the rest of the season?

It's suicide to play Bakayoko and Fabregas as our midfield pairing. Bakayoko doesn't look fully fit and Fabregas isn't suited. I know Kante and Drinkwater were likely not ready, but did Conte really have no other options? Why persist with something that just doesn't work and will demoralize the team? It's just really poor management.

Well Conte really made a pig's ear out of that. Team selection and tactics were just nonsense. Playing Bakayoko wih Fabregas in midfield just about worked against Bournemouth. But Roma just walked through us again and our defence just crumbled under the pressure. Not sure what Conte is trying to prove. It's almost like he never saw the last game against Roma. Is he trying to get himself sacked?

Team selection was an accident waiting to happen. Bakayoko and Fabregas hasn't worked against midtable Premier opposition. Never mind against a quality side like Roma. Doesn't excuse the fact that our defending has been clownish and our finishing atrocious.

We got away with it last night. Problem is we don't have a functioning midfield. With Kante and Drinkwater out we were forced to play an unfit Bakayoko as holding midfielder with Luiz filling in ahead wih Fabregas. Not the best scenario. Let's face it, it was a patch-up job by Conte and we did well to score three and get away with a draw. You can put it down to bad luck that we should lose key players to injury but really the Board's assumption that 3 midfielders were enough for the season has been proved a disaster. The obsession with breaking even has undone us and this season looks like a missed opportunity. Pity.

If we sell Costa for 30m and Bats for 35m then we could put the money towards triggering Belotti's release clause. Belotti's a hell of a good player.

It's all part of a cunning plan... Don't ask me what though.

Thought he was a right back, but the footage of him doing the rounds has him playing on the left, as a right-footed left back, similar to Azpi.

I don't believe for a second that when Conte was discussing with the Board his preferred transfer targets for the Summer that the name of Danny Drinkwater passed his lips. Other than to say ‘who the f**k is Danny Drinkwater, Michael?’

Very worrying performance. We looked off the pace, and lacked creativity. Hard to believe we're going into a new season looking a lot weaker than last season. Really, without Costa and Hazard we lack any threat upfront. Hazard must be so pissed that he's going to have to carry this lot for another season.

Let's ask the manager who, let's face it, is the only person whose opinion matters: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/08/04/antonio-conte-warns-chelsea-squad-still-small-will-difficult/

Strange one. I'd have thought that central defence is the one area of the squad we're well covered. Unless we're looking at bringing him in as a long-term replacement for Cahill. But I thought Christensen and Zouma were lined up for that role. At this stage of the window I'd have thought our priorities lie elsewhere.

I think this window has been a bit of a shambles so we're going to need to sign anyone right now. Candreva is available so I guess he'll have to do.

I'm worried that the Board have failed to bring in cover for our wing backs. That the midfield looks dangerously thin. That we are over reliant on Hazard. That we have only two (unproven) strikers in our first team. Transfer window has been a farce till now. And we are now being linked to Danny Drinkwater. Instead of panicking on the last day of the window, we've started early.

Oh well.... http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-target-renato-sanches-struggles-as-liverpool-beat-bayern-a3601756.html