Looking at our starting line up I can see some major reivestment still needed for next season unless we are really going to trust our young players. especially Josh and Gael. Next season:

/ indicates possible options.

Cech

4 3 3

Ivan luiz terry cole

Mikel

Ramires Someone new/kakuta/

Someone new/Kalou/ Torres someone new

(We really are in need or some new attackers out wide for the 433, to create and cross the ball. I think our lack of an old fashioned winger has cost us dearly this year) Would love Nani tbh. Or Nasri.

Diamond

Cech

Ivan luiz terry cole

Mikel

Ramires Someone new

Someone new/kakuta/

Torress Someone new/Sturridge/Kalou/

Im just strictly speaking about our first team here, and not taking any changes of possible formation we could use into account. Malouda, Anelka(who will go to the MLS this summer) Drogba and Lampard need to be replaced with quality and not quantity in the summer. No repeats of this years week squad.

Essien has been too poor this season for me and either has to buck up his effort or be dropped. Kalou, whilst having improved, still flatters to decieve when he starts most of his games and needs to work on his finishing (although i would like to see him given a run of games as torres' strike partner in the diamond).

I think we need to trust the youth next year (at 20 and 18 (next year) Kakuta and Mceachren are old enough to start for me, if they show they are good enough. Also, Sturridge should be given a chance next year as Torres' partner in the diamond but he doesnt look suited to the 433) but we will still need at least one wide player imho, and also a new creative player in the centre. Sneidjer (sp?) Please roman!

To end on a bright note, If Bruma and PVA develop into good enough players for the starting eleven next year our defence looks set for the forseable future :)

Wooahh

I disagree with mass changes as a few small teaks is all that is required at the moment. We are crying out for new wingers because at present all we have is Malouda who's form has dipped to say the least. The defence won't change with PVA staying at the club to become Cole's understudy.

I think a few players will leave such as Ferriera, Zhirkov, Benayoun, Drogba and Anelka. altho it sounds like a lot only two of them are actually first team players. All we have missed this season is depth to our squad which we had last season from the likes of; Ballack, Joey and Deco.

Its had to guess what could happen in the summer as no one is sure to what Romans plans are. So I wouldn't be surprised is our starting line up was...

Cech,

Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole,

Essien,

Lamps, Ramires

Kalou, Torres, Malouda,

Subs; Hilario, Luiz, Mikel, Van Aanholt, Josh, Kakuta, Sturridge

I personally would love for us to try and sign Kaka hoping Mourinho is still there next season as he's not an admirer of Kaka and would fit into our squad perfectly and give is more creative choices in the last third of the pitch, something we don't have especially from Sundays viewing.

Wingers available;

Sanchez

Ribery

Mata

Neymar

Pato.. Just a few off the top of my head anyway.

im not sure benching luiz is the way to go, chelsea paid a lot of money for him, hes 23, hes quality . . . he should be ahead of alex

Edited February 9, 201115 yr by Lane

im not sure benching luiz is the way to go, chelsea paid a lot of money for him, hes 23, hes quality . . . he should be ahead of alex

He's also a new signing, comes from a different league, different country, different culture, doesn't know his new teammates, doesn't speak the language. It'll be wonderful if he hits the ground running, but he may take time to settle.

It’s hard to predict what our line up will be at the beginning of next season and even my preferred line up might not necessarily be the team I would want to see week in week out. It has to be horses for courses - ie. No need for a defensive midfielder in most home games.

As good as they have been for us and although they will no doubt still have good matches in the future, I would release both Drogba and Anelka. Would also release Paulo and Bosingwa and let the likes of Essien, Mikel, Lamps and Malouda know that they are battling for a starting 11 place same as everyone else and that no-one is an “untouchableâ€.

My preferred line up for August 2011 would be

......Cech

Ivan....Luiz.....JT.......Ash

Essien...Josh...Lamps.....Ramires

Sturridge / Aguerro?.......Torres

+

Keeper

Alex

Van Aanholt

Bruma

Mikel

Zirkhov (nearly forgot about him – maybe let him go if he’s not settled?)

Benayoun

Malouda

Kalou

Borini

Did I miss the 2010/11 season ? did we win anything ??

I know it's a bit grim this season but to start talking about 2011/12 now seems odd ? Plenty of football still to come for us . This really is a topic for the summer

it's a bit of pie in the sky topic alot of football left and no1 knows Romans, but anyway here's my ideal squad for next season:

4 3 3

cech

ivanovic luiz terry cole

essien

de rossi lampard

neymar torres hazard

delac

van der wiel

alex

bruma

van aahnolt

mceachran

ramires

mikel

kakuta

kalou

sturridge

lukaku

giving us a squad of 23 players, maybe loaning out a couple like bruma/kakuta/mceachran/sturridge. Also we'd be able to switch to a 4 4 2 comfortably, neymar, can both operate at the rip of the diamond.

Edited February 9, 201115 yr by big blue

Cesar

Alves - Luiz - Cahill - Evra

Robben-Schweinsteiger-Xavi

Ronaldo-Villa-Messi

Wouldn't bother with any of the crap we have at the moment.

Cesar

Alves - Luiz - Cahill - Evra

Robben-Schweinsteiger-Xavi

Ronaldo-Villa-Messi

Wouldn't bother with any of the crap we have at the moment.

Good line up but I think Luiz has stagnated a bit since hes been with us, I'd like to him sold and us break the bank for a skilful player to shine in a workmanlike side like that.

Cesar

Alves - Luiz - Cahill - Evra

Robben-Schweinsteiger-Xavi

Ronaldo-Villa-Messi

Wouldn't bother with any of the crap we have at the moment.

Robben? Whats he ever done for us. Swap him for Aguero`s child, his grandad is Maradona so he will be awesome.

Messi and Robben are too lightweight to make it in the Premiership. I'd much rather we went after Andy Reid.

Messi and Robben are too lightweight to make it in the Premiership. I'd much rather we went after Andy Reid.

He definitely can be keeper... He wouldn't need to move much.

We're talking about non-lightweight players here, right?

In which case in goal, it would have to be Andy "who ate all the pies" Goram.

Edited February 9, 201115 yr by Hutch

We're talking about non-lightweight players here, right?

In which case in goal, it would have to be Andy "who ate all the pies" Goram.

Don't be cruel, he was eating for two.

------------------------------cech

----luiz-------------- ivan--------- jt--------------------ashley

-----------------------------mikel---------------------------------

-------------------------ess--- lamps----------------------------

---------------------Kun---Torres--------Kakuta--------------

Don't be cruel, he was eating for two.

Magnificent.

We only need creative midfielder and winger.

------------------------------cech

----luiz-------------- ivan--------- jt--------------------ashley

-----------------------------mikel---------------------------------

-------------------------ess--- lamps----------------------------

---------------------Kun---Torres--------Kakuta--------------

No Ramires?

We only need creative midfielder and winger.

I agree.

We've already signed our defensive player, David Luiz and striker, Fernando Torres.

All we need to complete the jigsaw puzzle are a creative midfielder and winger.

The creative midfielders that come to mind are Kaka, Sneijder and Fabregas. Any one of those three would be acceptable to me. However, my preference would be Kaka.

For a natural right winger Alexis Sanchez would be my choice,

I agree.

We've already signed our defensive player, David Luiz and striker, Fernando Torres.

All we need to complete the jigsaw puzzle are a creative midfielder and winger.

The creative midfielders that come to mind are Kaka, Sneijder and Fabregas. Any one of those three would be acceptable to me. However, my preference would be Kaka.

For a natural right winger Alexis Sanchez would be my choice,

Creative midfielder - if Abramovich want to sign Fabregas, maybe to try, but only problem is that his buyout clausule is 60M, but Abramovich is Abramovich. And in my opion best player for us to sign is De Rossi. All around player, can play in every position in midfielder. 25 millions max.

Winger-30 mill maybe maximum to give.

And we are champions.

Edited February 9, 201115 yr by amART

Don't think de rossi will go for under 30m

30 millions is still better than 50.

Edited February 9, 201115 yr by amART

Crickey, silly season has started early hasn't it lads?!

How can judgments be made about these things when Torres and Luiz have played in a combined 2 games... At least give it a few games until we know how we're going to be accomodating their talents in teh team.

id very much like to see pastore in a chelsea shirt

I agree.

We've already signed our defensive player, David Luiz and striker, Fernando Torres.

All we need to complete the jigsaw puzzle are a creative midfielder and winger.

The creative midfielders that come to mind are Kaka, Sneijder and Fabregas. Any one of those three would be acceptable to me. However, my preference would be Kaka.

For a natural right winger Alexis Sanchez would be my choice,

Just acceptable? We are talking about 3 of the very best creative midfielders in the world, I'd say they're more than "acceptable". How about any of those three would be fantastic?

We aint playing football manager, signing one of those would be a massive massive coup.

Edited February 9, 201115 yr by GaryWalsh