I think all of us are in agreement that apart from a new, more creative central midfielder, we also need another wide player to add some extra zest into the attack.

The label 'winger' is now much more ambiguous than ever before, especially with the continental influence of managers. Having a unorthodox winger is as a part of Chelsea's history; Petrescu, Wise, Robben, Parker, Tiago and er...Hasselbaink. Someone else pointed out that Gronkjaer was the last successful orthodox winger we had.

We all know what the wide forward can do. Cuts inside, and wreaks havoc from a central position. Hulk is precisely this kind of player, and a very good one to boot. Malouda can do the same on the left-hand side, and Kalou and Sturridge to some extent.

There is somewhat of an obsession with "proper" wingers at the moment. The guy with electric speed who can stretch the field with it and put in a good cross, the kind of player almost native to English football.

Which kind do we need?

We need wingers - people who can take the ball past players to the byline and create chances for the strikers.

Not so much wide forwards like malouda who try to score themselves all the time.

Also, we need for both wings, not just 1.

left sturridge is good on right

wut?

we need winger who is very skillfuly but play with a group not with himself .

some one like bale .. lucas..... aguero....

Ideally, we could have someone who's capable of putting in a quality cross with at least one foot, and shoot with both...but that seems to be a pipe dream. Or at least, it seems overly difficult to do regularly.

We need a left and right winger in the mould of Nani and Valencia.....

Valencia is pants. And Nani is overrated.

Robben/Duff is the kind of player we need. Hell, I'd even say resign Robben if we could egt him for a reasonable price.

Again, look for a bargain from Madrid. If they make either di Maria or Ozil available then snap them up. Maybe even put in a cheeky bid.

Apart from that I can only think of unproven yet promising wingers like Mata etc who would be a decent shout.

Boring answer, but it really depends on who we have at right back next year.

Our left side is very strong and we have a glut of capable and proven players who can slot in as a left-sided forward (Malouda, Zhirkov, Kakuta, Sturridge, Kalou). They're able to cut inside and attack the centre of defence because Ashley Cole is one of the best attacking full-backs around and provides width by overlapping with the left-sided attacker.

As for the right side it depends. If we are going to persist with Ivanovic then we need someone who can provide the attacking width we need on that side, but if we are going to sign Van der Wiel or give Bosingwa another go then we can make our attack more narrow as the full-back will give us the width.

That said, we don't currently have an option to provide consistent right-sided width in attack, so it is probably worth signing an orthodox right-winger just to round out our squad.

Right winger for me. Someone like Alexis Sanchez would have been ideal. Neymar is a left forward/winger, he'd be a cracking signing, but like Plok said, our left side is pretty jam packed with players. Of Neymar's quality, no, but there are so many players there we need a right winger who will hug the touchline, unlike the way Anelka drifts into central defensive midfield!

Hell, I'd even say resign Robben if we could egt him for a reasonable price.

i thought you said we need a winger whos gonna be creating chances . . . robben is one of the most selfish players in todays football

i thought you said we need a winger whos gonna be creating chances . . . robben is one of the most selfish players in todays football

...what? When he was at Chelsea, he created chance after chance, destroyed full backs, and now he's even better, AND he has a fantastic shot on him. He's one of the best players in the world today if you ask me, would pay more than we paid for Torres for him.

Milos Krasic from Juventus? Besides Alexi Sanchez probly the most dominant attacking threat from midfield in Serea A last season.

Eden Hazzard from Lille is also an extremely gifted winger/attacking mid who plays exactly the same way as Sanchez.

And since we observe the Russian League alot I wouldnt mind having a look at Zoran Tosic (CSKA) for a left winger spot. Absoloutely bagging in the goals since he left Man Utd, and destroyed Australia in his last international friendly.

Im so nostalgic for the days of Robben/Duff/Cole :(

Edited June 23, 201113 yr by njegos

Ideally, we could have someone who's capable of putting in a quality cross with at least one foot, and shoot with both...but that seems to be a pipe dream. Or at least, it seems overly difficult to do regularly.

Like Neymar, then? Can shoot with either foot (but his right is stronger) and can put in a decent cross. Whilst he generally plays on the left so that he can cut in and shoot with his preferred right foot, I think he'd be a beast on the right and better placed to knock some crosses in.

Thinking about it, if we assume that Drogba is going to be a bit-part player next season, do we have a striker that would particularly benefit from having crosses floated in? We'd probably have more use for someone that cuts in if we're going to be playing with Sturridge or Torres.

...what? When he was at Chelsea, he created chance after chance, destroyed full backs, and now he's even better, AND he has a fantastic shot on him. He's one of the best players in the world today if you ask me, would pay more than we paid for Torres for him.

i never said he wasnt good, just that hes ridiculously selfish, which he most definitely is

can't be any more selfish than Malouda. And he's much more talented than Malouda as well.

Hazard is someone I've seen quite a few times and he does look good. I'm just a little worried he could be a Malouda type player. Bags of potential but can blow hot and cold.

However, he has been impressive whenever I've seen him, but he's also mainly playing on the left.

Again, look for a bargain from Madrid. If they make either di Maria or Ozil available then snap them up. Maybe even put in a cheeky bid.

Apart from that I can only think of unproven yet promising wingers like Mata etc who would be a decent shout.

Juan mata is hardly an unproven player, he does have a world cup title to his name. Would be a fantastic signing for us as he is a great player. A player who is unproven is that would be worth a punt is eden hazard, seen very very little of him play but from what i have read about him could turn into quite the player

We need wingers like the days of Duff, Robben and Cole.

Someone else pointed out that Gronkjaer was the last successful orthodox winger we had.

That would be stretching the meaning of the word successful.

And is 'orthodox' a euphemism for 'has the crossing ability of a jellyfish'?

He did score a great goal for us, though, so my memories aren't all bad.

He did score a great goal for us, though, so my memories aren't all bad.

Didn't he score a similar one soon after, when some were saying the first was a fluke. I can't really remember.

Edited June 24, 201113 yr by footballoholic

The one against Monaco is probably the "fluke" one.

He scored a few quality goals for us though. Liverpool at home, Man Utd away stand out as well.

That would be stretching the meaning of the word successful.

And is 'orthodox' a euphemism for 'has the crossing ability of a jellyfish'?

He did score a great goal for us, though, so my memories aren't all bad.

He scored for us in a CL semifinal and was a reasonably regular player in the team that qualified for the CL, including crossing for the goal that put us into the competition and scoring the goal that clinched it beyond doubt. I wouldn't have him in my all-time Chelsea XI - hell, I'm not sure I'd pick him in our all-time eleven best wingers - but I think he wound up being worth the money and time we spent on him.

I think all of us are in agreement that apart from a new, more creative central midfielder, we also need another wide player to add some extra zest into the attack.

I am certainly in agreement with that.

For a side with our aspirations, we have pretty poor options on the flanks.

They basically amount to Zhirkov, Malouda and Kalou, with the possible addition of Sturridge, who apparently played well for the U21s coming in from a right position.

I am assuming Kakuta is not ready.

I do not want to see Anelka "occupying" the right hand side of our attack ever again. In fact, I do not want to see Anelka play for Chelsea ever again.

As for Ramires, what a special player he is, destined to become a Chelsea legend. We do not want to see him occupying the right, as he did occassionally last season.

Even Duff in his present incarnation, on the right for Fulham, in the latter stages of his career and having suffered numerous injuries, is a better option than anything we can put on the right.

How did it come to this?

Utd already have Nani and Valencia (not the best not the worst) and they have just added Young to the mix, who is a good player, and now Liverpool are supposedly buying Downing. I'm surprised we are not in for these players. They are English for a start, thus help us fill our quota, and they are proven. Some will scoff at the suggestion of Downing, but I've seen him at the Bridge a few times and always been impressed. Pace and control on the flank is something we lack. Dalglish and Fergie aren't stupid, they know what they are doing. Sure, it would be great to have a world-class winger, but we don't, let's at least inject some genuine width, pace, and attacking menace. If we are relying on Malouda and Kalou I fear for us. Malouda can be great but he can also be woeful, and Kalou doesn't have the requisite control and awareness, even if he does often serve a purpose. Frankly, neither player offers any kind of thrill. I want to see a wide player at Chelsea who can beat a man at pace and go for the jugular, not pussyfoot about and flatter to decieve. We're crying out for a winger, and they seem to be in short supply, so if the best among them aren't available or are beyond our reach, let's at least acquire someone who fits the brief. Currently, Ashley Cole is the only Chelsea player who gets to the byline.

Edited June 25, 201113 yr by Davey Baby