I've read and heard many people talking about how our squad is 'fantastic.'  

 

However sometimes i think that people make this claim without thinking about it too much.   Therefore i wanted to see what other posters thought about our squad.

 

For me this Chelsea squad is not as strong as people think it is.  We have a wonderful first team that i wouldn't change for any other.  It's the best in the league bar none, although Man city runs us close.  After that it gets a bit dicey. 

 

We have been incredibly fortunate with injuries (although i've heard our training methods decrease the propensity for injury) and thus Jose has been able to pretty much stick with the same first Xl every game.

 

However in games that we've rotated the players that have come in have flattered to deceive.  This could also be a topic for another discussion on Jose's lack of rotation leading to poor form/rust of fringe players.

 

Anyway apart from Cech, Zouma and Remy to a certain extent our other fringe players have really underperformed.  Remy is often not played in his true position to make way for an ageing Drogba who is just not playing that well.  Schurrle and Ramires have been dire and the team seems to play worse whenever Mikel is on the pitch.

 

If fabregas doesn't play there is no one to come in and dictate play and i think this team also lacks a dynamic box to box player to play on certain occasions (schneiderlin, sissoko, pogba)

 

I guess i just look at our bench and am uninspired by the choices.  There seems to be a lack of competition for places and we have nobody of real quality that can come on and make a difference.  

 

Anyway i'm rambling, what are your thoughts and how would you like to see us strengthen.

 

 

I'm starting to think the same. The starting XI is solid, we have a top class back-up in goal and I think Remy can be a great back-up striker but beyond that there are certainly holes in the squad.

 

Matic, Oscar and Fabregas are a great trio, and Mikel can come on and close a game off for us but we can't really afford to rest the starting three. Ramires coming back from injury might give us a bit more flexibility but we need more. Maybe in the future Ake and Loftus-Cheek can provide that but we're suffering for not developing someone like Chalobah sooner.

 

In defence I think we have probably the best full-back options going in terms of quality and versatility but we really need to start using Zouma more. The big concern is the long-term replacement for JT and that will cost money. I think that if our midfielders do their job then our defence is still one of the best around but it will need renovating sooner rather than later.

 

On the left wing, Hazard is Hazard. Could do with more consistency but he's a fantastic player. The issue for me is the right and that's an area where we've gone from having Willian, Schurrle and Salah as options to having only Willian and possibly either Oscar or Ramires with the seemingly inevitable imminent departures of Mohammed and Andre. We need to bring in someone like Cuadrado this window.

 

So I think you do have a point. At home we can maybe use Zouma and Ramires but away from home we really only have 13 players we can use, a similar situation to the 6 months Benitez was here when the starting XI could be predicted a month in advance. All I see us doing this window is selling Schurrle for a higher price than we'd receive in the Summer, loaning Salah and bringing in Cuadrado. If we can avoid injuries then that might be good enough until May. 

Edited January 27, 201511 yr by Blue Daze

.....

We have been incredibly fortunate with injuries (although i've heard our training methods decrease the propensity for injury) and thus Jose has been able to pretty much stick with the same first Xl every game.

 

However in games that we've rotated the players that have come in have flattered to deceive.  This could also be a topic for another discussion on Jose's lack of rotation leading to poor form/rust of fringe players....

 

 

I think that's an obvious hen or egg controvery. The way I see it, Mourinho hasn't shown enough confidence in squad players. And I am not talking about the youth players. He's benched Schürrle far too often,he should have given Remy more game time, he should have rested Hazard a bit more. I think compared to other squads that we have at least decent bench players, but they're getting no chance, so probably some of them might think that they can't prove it regardless of how they play. Jose got his favourite players and is pretty much ruthless if you aren't one of them. 

 

So with Schürrle, Remy, Luis, Ramires, Zouma we probably got one of the best benches in the PL. 

 

I'm starting to think the same. The starting XI is solid, we have a top class back-up in goal and I think Remy can be a great back-up striker but beyond that there are certainly holes in the squad.

 

Matic, Oscar and Fabregas are a great trio, and Mikel can come on and close a game off for us but we can't really afford to rest the starting three. Ramires coming back from injury might give us a bit more flexibility but we need more. Maybe in the future Ake and Loftus-Cheek can provide that but we're suffering for not developing someone like Chalobah sooner.

 

In defence I think we have probably the best full-back options going in terms of quality and versatility but we really need to start using Zouma more. The big concern is the long-term replacement for JT and that will cost money. I think that if our midfielders do their job then our defence is still one of the best around but it will need renovating sooner rather than later.

 

On the left wing, Hazard is Hazard. Could do with more consistency but he's a fantastic player. The issue for me is the right and that's an area where we've gone from having Willian, Schurrle and Salah as options to having only Willian and possibly either Oscar or Ramires with the seemingly inevitable imminent departures of Mohammed and Andre. We need to bring in someone like Cuadrado this window.

 

So I think you do have a point. At home we can maybe use Zouma and Ramires but away from home we really only have 13 players we can use, a similar situation to the 6 months Benitez was here when the starting XI could be predicted a month in advance. All I see us doing this window is selling Schurrle for a higher price than we'd receive in the Summer, loaning Salah and bringing in Cuadrado. If we can avoid injuries then that might be good enough until May. 

I would agree with you that we have a situation in the defense next season, if Zouma doesn't step up. Otherwise with Ivanovic's versatilty we're looking good there. 

As of now, we wouldn't need any new players. We should utilize the one we've got though differently. 

I think when you get past the amazing starting 11, its the weakest squad we have had since Roman took over.

Our depth is not really that great, especially compared to Cities.

 

 

We still need some areas strengthened, I think that's obvious and I'm sure a majority of the forum would agree.

 

I'm not sure we need Pogba or Reus but we certainly need to add more variety to the side which is why I really hope the Schurrle thing isn't true.

Our depth is not really that great, especially compared to Cities.

 

 

We still need some areas strengthened, I think that's obvious and I'm sure a majority of the forum would agree.

 

I'm not sure we need Pogba or Reus but we certainly need to add more variety to the side which is why I really hope the Schurrle thing isn't true.

Heres my take on the comparison of the two squads. Looks like I think, their strikers and defensive squad members are where they have better depth than us

 

Costa=Aguero

Hazard=Silva

Oscar>Nasri

Willian>Navas

Matic>Fernandinho

Fabregas=Toure

Dave > Kolorov

Terry=Kompany

Cahill=Demichelis(At the moment, Cahill has dipped, Demichelis has improved)

Ivan=Zabaleta (Maybe Zabaleta is better all round)

Courtois>Hart

 

Remy < Bony

Drogba < Dzeko (Just the age thing really, altho its close, which is ridiculous considering Drogba has one foot in retirement)

Schurrle > Jovetic (Neither have shone, still rather have Schurrle)

Salah < Lampard

Ramires<Milner (I think Milner just edges it)

Mikel=Fernando

Ake<Sagna (Unfair comparison, U21 player vs seasoned premier league player)

Zouma<Mangala (Unfair comparison as Zouma is still developing, the gap is closing rapidly though, Mangala has been far from impressive)

Felipe > Clichy

Cech>Caballero

Wow, you are looking though Blue-tinted glasses.  Kompany is better than Terry (you have to take in JT's age, sorry), Arguero is in a class by himself, Toure is the best player in the Premier league, Willian is not better than Navas (not even close), but Hazard is a good deal better than Silva.

Kompany is better than Terry.

 

Only if you're addicted to crack.

Wow, you are looking though Blue-tinted glasses.  Kompany is better than Terry (you have to take in JT's age, sorry), Arguero is in a class by himself, Toure is the best player in the Premier league, Willian is not better than Navas (not even close), but Hazard is a good deal better than Silva.

 

Disagree, I think Kompany is overrated. Terry's experience and leadership is invaluable. If you were going to create a joint squad though (4-2-3-1):

 

Courtois

 

Zabaleta

Kompany

Terry

Azpillicueta

 

Toure = Matic (I think Toure is probably the best midfielder in the world on his day, his consistency lets him down though which is the opposite of Matic)

Fabregas

 

Hazard

Aguero (playing just off Costa)

Silva

 

Costa

Wow, you are looking though Blue-tinted glasses.  Kompany is better than Terry (you have to take in JT's age, sorry), Arguero is in a class by himself, Toure is the best player in the Premier league, Willian is not better than Navas (not even close), but Hazard is a good deal better than Silva.

Don't agree with any of those sorry mate, I don't think I have been looking at it through blue tinted glasses. Age shouldnt come into, were comparing the quality of the squads this season. Future doesnt come into it. Kompany has been shocking this year, no where near his best. Aguero is class but so is Costa, Toure is one of the best players in the league, so is Fabregas, the impact they've had one their teams this season is comparable. I wouldnt swap Willian for Navas in a million years. I don't think Hazard is a good deal better than Silva, they're both brilliant players

I think the point 'no competition for places' is one well made, that for me is the problem.

Unless you are one of Jose's current batch of untouchables barring injury you wont get a game (or at least any meaningful one) and that has got to be dispiriting eventually to even the most loyal of squad players.

Personally i think Jose has used our 'squad' far too sparingly so far this season (in direct contradiction of what he said earlier this campaign) and started the same players week in and week out irrelevant of performance or tiredness.
Surely we have had games where some of the more experienced second string could have played ??  Where players could have been rested after 60 mins or so in games we had wrapped up ??
 

I wouldn't want to criticise Jose too much (if at all really) as we sit top of the league, last 16 of the CL and a home semi final cup decider tomorrow against the dippers...
But, the discussion is a valid one.

I think the point 'no competition for places' is one well made, that for me is the problem.

Unless you are one of Jose's current batch of untouchables barring injury you wont get a game (or at least any meaningful one) and that has got to be dispiriting eventually to even the most loyal of squad players.

Personally i think Jose has used our 'squad' far too sparingly so far this season (in direct contradiction of what he said earlier this campaign) and started the same players week in and week out irrelevant of performance or tiredness.

Surely we have had games where some of the more experienced second string could have played ??  Where players could have been rested after 60 mins or so in games we had wrapped up ??

 

I wouldn't want to criticise Jose too much (if at all really) as we sit top of the league, last 16 of the CL and a home semi final cup decider tomorrow against the dippers...

But, the discussion is a valid one.

Like Bradford?

Like Bradford?

Bradford game illustrates the problem quite well. If you go that road and barely use any squad players (not even in the League Cup), as Jose has done, you can't expect them to click suddenly when it matters. 

 

What ChelseaBlueBoy said, hits the nail on the head. I would expect that some squad players are dispirited by now because of their lack of opportunities. 

I knew someone would have to point out out that ONE game.. besides that was virtually a different team as opposed to the rotating of the squad on a regular basis !!

There have been many opportunities during the first half of the season to use Remy, Shurrle etc, earlier substitutions, Swansea for example.. (you see we can all pull one exception out of the hat ;))

I knew someone would have to point out out that ONE game.. besides that was virtually a different team as opposed to the rotating of the squad on a regular basis !!

There have been many opportunities during the first half of the season to use Remy, Shurrle etc, earlier substitutions, Swansea for example.. (you see we can all pull one exception out of the hat ;))

I wasn't being arsey, just pointing out that when he did do it, we got beat, badly, by a league 1 team. I don't think theres's a Chelsea fan in the country who doesn't think we should rotate more, but Jose must have his reasons for doing this as its so glaringly obvious.

I wasn't being arsey, just pointing out that when he did do it, we got beat, badly, by a league 1 team. I don't think theres's a Chelsea fan in the country who doesn't think we should rotate more, but Jose must have his reasons for doing this as its so glaringly obvious.

You can't throw in eight second string players in a team and hope they perform together. If José had rotated a bit more in the first half of the season, we could have played with a bit more first team regulars for the consistensy and obviously the quality against Bradford. We should have won that game nevertheless.

Edited January 27, 201511 yr by Noverca

I think the squad depth is fine but the players on the fringes just aren't performing to the levels capable of them.

Schurrle, Ramires and Remy have all had a disappointing season from an individual perspective.

I think if we sign a right winger by the end of the month we just need a quality central midfielder to rotate/be back up to Matic and Fabregas and we are looking pretty good.

Our first team is excellent on paper but our squad needs work. We need a CB, CM and a winger at the moment. In the summer we will need a striker if Drogba retires as well.

I hate the idea of buying 'squad' players, it generally means were buying a benchwarmer 'just in case'.

 

I would rather we went out and tried to purchase players who can really push to get in the first team, rather than warm a bench.

 

If we have to go and buy a back up for Matic, then lets go out and buy a player who can seriously compete for that position.

 

The only position we have any serious competition for is between the sticks.

Edited January 27, 201511 yr by coco

I hate the idea of buying 'squad' players, it generally means were buying a benchwarmer 'just in case'.

I would rather we went out and tried to purchase players who can really push to get in the first team, rather than warm a bench.

If we have to go and buy a back up for Matic, then lets go out and buy a player who can seriously compete for that position.

The only position we have any serious competition for is between the sticks.

That is the very problem, good competition costs more and this FFP bollocks seems to have really hurt our flexibility.

We have weakness in depth, simple as. We can't just go out and buy lots of top players though, so maybe we'll add another player or two in the summer. 

I think the squad depth is fine but the players on the fringes just aren't performing to the levels capable of them.

Schurrle, Ramires and Remy have all had a disappointing season from an individual perspective.

I think if we sign a right winger by the end of the month we just need a quality central midfielder to rotate/be back up to Matic and Fabregas and we are looking pretty good.

 

Schurrle and Remy are barely given a fair shot though. Just the odd game here and there against the minnows or 5 minutes at the end of a league game. Both are good enough to be playing more regularly in my opinion.

If they were impressing in training Jose would have given them more time.

If they were impressing in training Jose would have given them more time.

 

I really doubt that, it's just who he prefers.

I actually think our fringe players are good enough, they could be better but i think they are good.

 

Cech, Zouma, Luis have all done well. Ramires has been injured but fully fit i think he can do a job for us. Schurrle's illness seems to have completely messed him up this season but i think he is a decent player still. Remy is definitely good enough, the problem is though that he hasn't been given the games. Drogba still has something about him but Remy should be the 2nd choice striker.

 

Salah and Mikel are not good enough for us, if we could find good upgrades on them then our squad as a whole would look FAR better.