Martin Samuel: Chelsea have gone backwards by not recruiting... that's why Jose's fuming

“It did not take Saturday’s draw with Swansea for Jose Mourinho to know Chelsea have a difficult season ahead. He has been hinting at that for weeks now, dropping little messages of dissatisfaction into his briefings, chipping away at the idea that his team is unassailable and does not require improvement.

“Chelsea have stood still this summer and, as Mourinho acknowledged, that means they have gone backwards, because others around them have upgraded.

“Are Chelsea better in defence? No. Midfield? No? Attack? No. The team that started on Saturday could have been put out any weekend last season. Only Radamel Falcao’s arrival as a late substitute was new, and he is still in recovery from a lost year at Manchester United.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3191455/Chelsea-gone-backwards-not-recruiting-s-Jose-s-fuming.html

That's a quality article from Samuel, hard to argue with anything he wrote. I'm still completely baffled by how incompetent we have been this summer.

Edited August 10, 201510 yr by abramovich

The 'squad'  might have needed a couple of players but the first team itself really wasn't going to change apart from Terry being in an out of the line up; it was built for the long term not as a one season wonder...I can see at least two players being brought into the 'squad' before the end of the window.....there again Samuel didn't exactly tell you that we have the best line up anyway.. so why would you want to change that? We won the league by 8 points and really it should have been more except we took our foot off the gas.  The boys are still shaking off the last rust from the summer break, so I will expect to see a continual improvement over the next 3 or 4 games then it will be 'normal service resumed'.  

Valid point by the writer, but it's difficult to get players that will walk straight into the starting 11.  I'm sure we have made enquires about the likes of Bale and Pogba, but couldn't make it happen. I would welcome to the likes of Pedro, but is he a definite upgrade to Willian? It's still to be seen. I don't have a problem if Jose wants a stable team for this season, not every season is a transition one. We dropped 2 points, let's not go overboard.

I don't really like Martin Samuel but he has made some good points. I'm not annoyed that we haven't improved our first 11, we are champions and i think our first 11 is fine as it is. But us not going out to add depth is frustrating. I don't think we are better than last season, at this moment, i think we are worse.

 

Our replacement for Cech is Begovic. Fantastic goalkeeper replaced with another fantastic goalkeeper. No problems there, but i think Cech is the better keeper, so we are weaker in that area ( it was inevitable that Cech would leave though and i am very happy we now have Begovic, so it would be nitpicking to complain about this one )

 

Drogba has gone and has been replaced with Falcao. Although i think Drogba is pretty much done now, i think he would still be a better option than Falcao who has looked finished for over a year now. So we are weaker up front too.

 

Then there is Luis leaving and no replacement coming in yet. Whoever we bring won't be as good because i think Luis is one of the best full backs on the planet. I think the guy is top class and it's a huge shame that we have lost him. So now we are weaker at LB too.

 

The centre of midfield needs improvement. Mikel and Ramires, for me, are not good enough backup's to Matic and Fabregas. I personally think we should have gone for 1 or 2 center midfielders. Probably one because i think RLC should get his chance this year.

 

The wing positions could also do with improving. Hazard is the only one who can be relied on to score goals and assist, this really isn't good enough. Willian has improved over the last 6 months but he still lacks end product and creativity. Then there is Cuadrado and Moses, are they really good enough for us ? Moses is ok but i'm not sure he can score plenty of goals and assist. We have wasted so much money on wingers in the last 2 years. We should have spent more wisely and tried to get a top quality winger.

 

Our biggest target of the season is John Stones, and although i want him, he isn't the player we desperately need to sign. The squad looks very thin right now and i don't think our squad players are anywhere near as good as our first 11. There is a lack of competition and i think the first 11 picks itself way too easily.

Edited August 10, 201510 yr by Scott Harris

The 'squad'  might have needed a couple of players but the first team itself really wasn't going to change apart from Terry being in an out of the line up; it was built for the long term not as a one season wonder...I can see at least two players being brought into the 'squad' before the end of the window.....there again Samuel didn't exactly tell you that we have the best line up anyway.. so why would you want to change that? We won the league by 8 points and really it should have been more except we took our foot off the gas.  The boys are still shaking off the last rust from the summer break, so I will expect to see a continual improvement over the next 3 or 4 games then it will be 'normal service resumed'.  

 

It would be nice if that was true, but it simply isn't. We have room for improvement and Mourinho also knows it. Our midfield with Matic and Fabregas has been found out, look at how Swansea exposed us. Now imagine an actual decent club doing it... Disaster waiting to happen. With the way we are setup now, clubs can just play their football around Matic because at the moment he is running everywhere covering for Fabregas. And of course our right wing is still  a joke. Willian is our best player for that position, how sad is that? Apart from working hard he offers very little. Against Swansea, he was sleeping and played Gomis onside.

 

The rest of our first team is fine, but certain areas sure could use some competition.

Kneejerk thread leading on from a Daily Mail article.....lol

Kneejerk thread leading on from a Daily Mail article.....lol

Exactly. If we beat City then DM and Martin Samuels will be hailing us champions elect again!

I don't think we've gone backwards but we have very much stood still, history has proven you have to make changes in order to keep up. Looking back over the PL years, Man U stood still in 1995 and lost the title to Blackburn, they did almost win the title by recruiting Andy Cole but it was to late. 1998 Arsenal stood still and Man U took the title from them. Infact I think it's only that United side from 99-2001 where the team pretty much stayed the same and won 3 league titles in a row. However, they paid the price in 2002 when even though they'd sign RVN and Veron there team struggled as they fifth improve other areas efficiently i.e. CB. Again the Arsenal team that win the title in 2002 lost the title in 2003 without recruitment. United then lost the title the following year, admittedly to an unbeaten Arsenal team plus a new Chelsea. I could go on but I won't.

I don't think we've gone backwards but we have very much stood still, history has proven you have to make changes in order to keep up. 

 

This x a million.

 

We'll still win the EPL this season, or run pretty damn close, but it was a missed opportunity to build something to take the club towards European greatness.

This x a million.

We'll still win the EPL this season, or run pretty damn close, but it was a missed opportunity to build something to take the club towards European greatness.

I have to admit though I would love to win a title the way United did in 96 or Arsenal in 98 when you're chasing the title.

I do agree though that we have missed the chance to do something great in Europe.

Totally agree with that article. Our players are a year older and whilst that benefits a lot of the squad, there's players like Ivanovic who is rapidly slowing down as years pass by.

I'm positive we will sign a left back as Jose keeps identifying this.

I'm slightly worried about this season ahead more than I have been under Jose.

The beginning of the article Samuel asks:

 

"Are Chelsea better in defence? No. Midfield? No? Attack? No."

 

Well let's do the same for our title rivals.

 

Are Arsenal better in defence? New goalkeeper with a questionable debut but okay yes. Midfield? No? Attack? No.

 

Are Manchester City better in defence? No. Midfield? No? Attack? Sterlings an improvement on Navas but does he radically transform their attacking options? I don't think so. 

 

Are Manchester United better in defence? No. In fact they look set to lose their best defensive asset, De Gea to Real Madrid. Midfield? Yes, assuming Schweinsteiger adapts to the league and can stay injury free. Attack? No. they've only got Rooney as a recognised centre forward and sold their star signing for a £14m loss. 

 

Taking a step back and looking at what where our rivals are at, is it really all doom and gloom for Chelsea, certainly not. 

The beginning of the article Samuel asks:

 

"Are Chelsea better in defence? No. Midfield? No? Attack? No."

 

Well let's do the same for our title rivals.

 

Are Arsenal better in defence? New goalkeeper with a questionable debut but okay yes. Midfield? No? Attack? No.

 

Are Manchester City better in defence? No. Midfield? No? Attack? Sterlings an improvement on Navas but does he radically transform their attacking options? I don't think so. 

 

Are Manchester United better in defence? No. In fact they look set to lose their best defensive asset, De Gea to Real Madrid. Midfield? Yes, assuming Schweinsteiger adapts to the league and can stay injury free. Attack? No. they've only got Rooney as a recognised centre forward and sold their star signing for a £14m loss. 

 

Taking a step back and looking at what where our rivals are at, is it really all doom and gloom for Chelsea, certainly not. 

 

Great point - well made.

The beginning of the article Samuel asks:

 

"Are Chelsea better in defence? No. Midfield? No? Attack? No."

 

Well let's do the same for our title rivals.

 

Are Arsenal better in defence? New goalkeeper with a questionable debut but okay yes. Midfield? No? Attack? No.

 

Are Manchester City better in defence? No. Midfield? No? Attack? Sterlings an improvement on Navas but does he radically transform their attacking options? I don't think so. 

 

Are Manchester United better in defence? No. In fact they look set to lose their best defensive asset, De Gea to Real Madrid. Midfield? Yes, assuming Schweinsteiger adapts to the league and can stay injury free. Attack? No. they've only got Rooney as a recognised centre forward and sold their star signing for a £14m loss. 

 

Taking a step back and looking at what where our rivals are at, is it really all doom and gloom for Chelsea, certainly not. 

 

Seems to me like you are downplaying our opponents because it fits your argument.

 

Have they improved? Yes they have. At the moment, i don't think they have done enough to close the gap, but there are still plenty of things to come. Arsenal is reportedly moving in for Benzema. Man City is closing in on De Bruyne. I think if they get those targets, they instantly become a whole lot more dangerous.

 

Also something you forget: we aren't just competing in the Premier League. We are one of the biggest clubs in Europe, we have to think what we can do to close the gap between ourselves and our European competitors as well. At the moment, we haven't done anything to make us a better team, yet we only reached the round of 16 in the Champions League.

Edited August 10, 201510 yr by BuBbA

The beginning of the article Samuel asks:

 

"Are Chelsea better in defence? No. Midfield? No? Attack? No."

 

Well let's do the same for our title rivals.

 

Are Arsenal better in defence? New goalkeeper with a questionable debut but okay yes. Midfield? No? Attack? No.

 

Are Manchester City better in defence? No. Midfield? No? Attack? Sterlings an improvement on Navas but does he radically transform their attacking options? I don't think so. 

 

Are Manchester United better in defence? No. In fact they look set to lose their best defensive asset, De Gea to Real Madrid. Midfield? Yes, assuming Schweinsteiger adapts to the league and can stay injury free. Attack? No. they've only got Rooney as a recognised centre forward and sold their star signing for a £14m loss. 

 

Taking a step back and looking at what where our rivals are at, is it really all doom and gloom for Chelsea, certainly not. 

 

 

Why should we care about what our rivals do or don't do? We should be concerned with our own team. The squad has obvious limitations and even the first eleven need improvement, yet none of those flaws have been addressed. Any long term injury or loss of form to one of our key players and we're in serious trouble because the bench is miles behind in terms of quality. I can understand the difficulty of getting the Bales and Pogbas of the world, but does it mean we shouldn't sign anybody at all?

Edited August 10, 201510 yr by abramovich

Seems to me like you are downplaying our opponents because it fits your argument.

 

Have they improved? Yes they have. At the moment, i don't think they have done enough to close the gap, but there are still plenty of things to come. Arsenal is reportedly moving in for Benzema. Man City is closing in on De Bruyne. I think if they get those targets, they instantly become a whole lot more dangerous.

 

So we're taking about theoretical signings based on media speculation?

 

In which case we could apply the same logic to Chelsea... But let's not, take the teams at face value as they are right now. 

 

How much am I downplaying our rivals? We finished 8 points clear of Manchester City last season, not forgetting that we dropped 4 points having already secured the title. 

 

Is Sterling worth an extra 8 points to them? In my opinion, their midfield is lacking depth, Milner was a huge loss to them and I Delph is no replacement for him. Toure's form has been patchy for the last two years... How likely at 32 years old is he to recapture his best form?

 

We were told Cech was worth an extra 10 points plus to Arsenal... After one game he's cost them 3 points. They're relying on Coquelin to replicate his good form in the 2nd part of last season at the age of 24 having previously done nothing of note. 

 

And Manchester United have padded out their midfield but still don't have a quality centre back and a distinct lack of leadership there. I'd be very surprised if Rooney can manage 50+ games this season being their only striking option so are they going to rely on the untested Depay to lead the line for them? 

So the best team in the country in May is now sh*te in August?

 

It's a fast changing world out there....

It’s been proven time and time again that if you sit still after winning the title it’s near impossible to retain it the next year in the EPL.

We have more financial clout than we have ever had before with the record sponsorship and TV deals this summer yet we have not added anything significant to improve on our squad from last season…we have even let our backup left back leave without having a replacement lined up which is just bizarre IMO.

We could all see last season our first 11 was the best in the league but after the new year we looked tired, jaded and a little unbalanced. Our blistering start to the season made sure that those things didn’t really have much of an impact in terms of the league but it was a telling factor in Europe where we limped out to PSG.

I have no idea if the stadium plans are impacting our spending but it looks increasingly possible given the way we are going about this transfer window because we know FFP is a farce and no one is taking it seriously anymore.

To me it’s looking like the Man City situation a few seasons ago, they built a really strong side but let it go stale without adding top quality to the squad and ultimately they were left wanting when others around them brought in the correct players.

Why should we care about what our rivals do or don't do? We should be concerned with our own team. The squad has obvious limitations and even the first eleven need improvement, yet none of those flaws have been addressed. Any long term injury or loss of form to one of our key players and we're in serious trouble because the bench is miles behind in terms of quality. I can understand the difficulty of getting the Bales and Pogbas of the world, but does it mean we shouldn't sign anybody at all?

 

Of course you should concern yourselves with your rivals, you're directly competing against them, everything they do or don't do directly impacts on us. 

 

How many big name players have made moves this summer within Europe as a whole? Di Maria is the only real one that springs to mind. If the top players aren't available what can you do... You can sign players doing well in their respective leagues but surely the Cuadrado failure is a warning enough that a big price tag is no promise of success. So if the Griezmann's, Koke's, Rues' and Pogba's are as unobtainable as the Eiffel Tower who do you sign? 

 

Says a lot to me when we're being linked with the likes of Danny Rose and Charlie Austin and Manchester City are signing players of Delph's caliber. 

 

So if we can't improve the starting XI we can address the lack of depth we had last season, we're looking to expand the number of defensive options we had last year by signing an additional centre back who can also play full back if required. RLC has been added to the central midfield options and Moses and Traore give us more depth and stylistic options in attack. 

If only we made signings that could make as positive an impact as Arsenal's did yesterday.

So the best team in the country in May is now sh*te in August?

It's a fast changing world out there....

Thing is though we've seen teams win the title and be poor the season after.

Blackburn in 95/96

Man Utd in 2001/02

Arsenal in 2004/05

Chelsea in 2010/11

Man Utd in 2013/14

I don't think people are saying we're sh*te but the fact we haven't strengthened is a mistake of many Champions of the past.

It’s been proven time and time again that if you sit still after winning the title it’s near impossible to retain it the next year in the EPL.

We have more financial clout than we have ever had before with the record sponsorship and TV deals this summer yet we have not added anything significant to improve on our squad from last season…we have even let our backup left back leave without having a replacement lined up which is just bizarre IMO.

We could all see last season our first 11 was the best in the league but after the new year we looked tired, jaded and a little unbalanced. Our blistering start to the season made sure that those things didn’t really have much of an impact in terms of the league but it was a telling factor in Europe where we limped out to PSG.

I have no idea if the stadium plans are impacting our spending but it looks increasingly possible given the way we are going about this transfer window because we know FFP is a farce and no one is taking it seriously anymore.

To me it’s looking like the Man City situation a few seasons ago, they built a really strong side but let it go stale without adding top quality to the squad and ultimately they were left wanting when others around them brought in the correct players.

Great post.

Only thing I hope is that if we do struggle this season that we'll address it in January and not wait until next Summer. I still think we'll win some silverware (not sure why but I feel we'll definitely win the FA Cup) and it may possibly be the PL but I don't feel that confident in this season because it reminds me to much of past Champions like I listed above.

Edited August 10, 201510 yr by Bobbywoodhogan

So the best team in the country in May is now sh*te in August?

 

It's a fast changing world out there....

 

Who said our team is sh*te? Jesus christ, stop exaggerating everything. You are allowed to be critical you know, you don't have to just sit back and approve everything.

If we don't recruit anyone then I expect Mourinho to involve some of the young players. 

The problem is though that I can see Mourinho sticking with the "old" guard and not changing it even if we continue to struggle. 

When's the last time we didn't win on the opening day?