Moses will be our back up RW so no signing needed there. CB I can understand the reasoning in a signing there, then obviously the LB position. I think a CM would be an ideal signing that would be welcomed, but if it's one in one out, it doesn't look like anyone is going to be leaving.

Mikel, Ramires, Cuadrado, Moses for me all big question marks. We haven't done a thing to upgrade our backups...

But what do you do if marque players that would improve your weaknesses aren't available?

Id love to believe we tried. From the sign of things ot doesnt look it.

Moses will be our back up RW so no signing needed there. CB I can understand the reasoning in a signing there, then obviously the LB position. I think a CM would be an ideal signing that would be welcomed, but if it's one in one out, it doesn't look like anyone is going to be leaving.

Using that logic we already have Ramires and Mikel at CM, so no signing needed there either

Random and pretty irrelevant stat that might give some solace to those worry about the lack of spending.

Average net spend per position achieved in the BPL over the last 10 years
1st 

£17.57

2nd 

£36.20

3rd 

£26.80

6th 

£50.02

It seems we do better the less we spend but this is more likely to be showing to the less we spend the less we need to spend meaning the better the squad we have. 

Using that logic we already have Ramires and Mikel at CM, so no signing needed there either

Exactly no need to sign but some might think it would be nice to sign someone, I am sure though that if the club thought we needed strengthening they would have.

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. 

 

You keep talking about the top clubs and what they've done or haven't done, but what about the rest? We're not playing City, United or Arsenal every week of the season. The truth is, the PL tv deal gave all those clubs so much money they manage to buy the players they couldn't even dream about a few years ago. There will be more and more tough games this season because mid table clubs and even those normally closer to the relegation zone bought some fine players.

 

Swansea gave us a tough game even before the sending off. West Ham beat Arse away, United and Pool both spent plenty in the summer, but were both lucky to get three points in the end. We can fully expect to drop plenty of points along the way and not necessarily only against the top teams (which Jose normally deals well with, by the way) but rather against the clubs we'd expect to beat convincingly, because they spent and strengthened.

Edited August 10, 201510 yr by abramovich

It's true that the league has a whole has strengthened via the TV money. It's one reason I think Jose was right about the points total for the winners been lower this season.

You keep talking about the top clubs and what they've done or haven't done, but what about the rest? We're not playing City, United or Arsenal every week of the season. The truth is, the PL tv deal gave all those clubs so much money they manage to buy the players they couldn't even dream about a few years ago. There will be more and more tough games this season because mid table clubs and even those normally closer to the relegation zone bought some fine players.

Swansea gave us a tough game even before the sending off. West Ham beat Arse away, United and Pool both spent plenty in the summer, but were both lucky to get three points in the end. We can fully expect to drop plenty of points along the way and not necessarily only against the top teams (which Jose normally deals well with, by the way) but rather against the clubs we'd expect to beat convincingly, because they spent and strengthened.

If we was good enough to beat everyone else in the league before, we're good enough to do it again.

Just because Stoke have a couple of Barca cast offs in their ranks now doesn't mean we suddenly can't beat them.

The only real problem I see with the squad is in midfield. Cesc cannot play all the games and we have no backup for him. Mikel and Ramires proved to be inadequate replacements last season, I would have moved on at least one of them to improve the quality available and get some competition for Cesc.

In attack Falcao got Drogba's place. For a real upgrade we would need to sell Rémy and/or Cuadrado (unless Roman feels like spending big but it seems he's saving up for a new mother ship to host his helicopter collection) I think and I doubt we got any good offers. This also might mean a precious few opportunities for Traoré.

In defence it seems we switcher Luis for Baba and we still might get Stones. If not then it's the same possibility for Aina as for Traoré and we are 1-2 injuries away from defensive problems just like last season.

I don't necessarily think we've gone backwards. But I do think there have been players available that could have came in and improved the squad, and freshened things up a little.

I also don't get why we didn't plan to start the season in the best physical shape, why we are a week behind in terms of fitness is really strange, given that we 3 tricky fixtures to start the season.

I think it's going to be a tough season this year, I'm alot less confident we will win it compared to last year. When we have won the league in the past, we have always started brilliantly, but I can't see us having more than 5 points from the first 3 games.

We will hopefully tie up stones and rahman sooner rather than later. Il still be hoping we bring in another quality player in midfield, maybe axel witsel. As much as I'd love us to sign a right winger, I don't think there is anyone even on the radar, and it seems we are stuck with cuadrado and Moses as our impact players.

It's not all doom and gloom though, we still have the best starting 11, and the best manager in the league, but I can't see us getting past the last 8 in Europe, and it is going to come down to keeping most of that 11 fit for a whole year, if we are going to retain the title.

got to question timing of thread

 

window's still open, Baba looks like hes coming in, another offer for Stones this week

 

plus drawing the opening game after Tibbo's silly mistake is not really a full on crisis,  37 matches left

 

lets talk more in a few weeks time IF Chelsea are struggling to make the top 4

 

cus It might never happen

If we was good enough to beat everyone else in the league before, we're good enough to do it again.

Just because Stoke have a couple of Barca cast offs in their ranks now doesn't mean we suddenly can't beat them.

think part of the issue is that at the first time of asking, we came up short against a team we trounced comfortably last season.

think part of the issue is that at the first time of asking, we came up short against a team we trounced comfortably last season.

So every result should be the same as last season or better?

think part of the issue is that at the first time of asking, we came up short against a team we trounced comfortably last season.

I definitely get where you are coming from but we always have to agree that Courtois moment of madness changes the whole complexion and outcome of the game. Granted it's not a smashing of Swansea but still would have been 3 points.

So every result should be the same as last season or better?

eh?

you pointed out that other teams strengthening has no bearing on our ability to beat them.

ref: exhibit A - Saturday vs swans. we didn't beat them and by your logic, based on the aforementioned post, we should be in a position to.

simply pointing out the fact that other "lesser" teams are narrowing the gap, as acknowledged by our manager. games will be harder, so there is little or no point in simply using city or United's new signings as a comparative metric.

the whole thing needs to be looked at collectively. as I mentioned previously, its not simply about adding star signings to walk into the first team. ir is about adding competition, as mourinho said, to "support his way of working".

an attitude of "stoke have signed some barca cast offs so we will just roll up and tonk them as per usual" for me isnt a sustain approach to a successful title challenge.

we need some fresh blood, IMO

I definitely get where you are coming from but we always have to agree that Courtois moment of madness changes the whole complexion and outcome of the game. Granted it's not a smashing of Swansea but still would have been 3 points.

im not certain that it would have been mate. they were giving us a serious game up to the sending off...

im not certain that it would have been mate. they were giving us a serious game up to the sending off...

Fair point mate, fair point.

If we was good enough to beat everyone else in the league before, we're good enough to do it again.

Just because Stoke have a couple of Barca cast offs in their ranks now doesn't mean we suddenly can't beat them.

 

Can't believe you have used that logic FC. It doesn't work like that otherwise the same side would win the PL every season. You have to factor in players geeting older and losing form not to mention simple things like bad run of luck and more complex things like players mental state and finding it more difficult to retain a trophy than win it first time - which always seems to be the case.

 

I'll be made up if we can win back to back titles again but like others, I am far less confident we can do so with current players Mourinho is selecting.

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

 

In our case that's because we sacked Angelotti and brought in AVB and to be fair as soon as we offloaded that c**t we won the CL 

In our case that's because we sacked Angelotti and brought in AVB and to be fair as soon as we offloaded that c**t we won the CL

Nope Ancelotti was still in charge when we didn't retain the title. AVB came the season after, I'm talking about Champions nit retaining the title.

Can't believe you have used that logic FC. It doesn't work like that otherwise the same side would win the PL every season. You have to factor in players geeting older and losing form not to mention simple things like bad run of luck and more complex things like players mental state and finding it more difficult to retain a trophy than win it first time - which always seems to be the case.

 

I'll be made up if we can win back to back titles again but like others, I am far less confident we can do so with current players Mourinho is selecting.

Agreed mate. Thing to keep in mind it is an achievement to win a Premier league title but the majorly more impressive feat is to retain that sucker. That normally sorts the men from the boys and really is a crowning achievement IMO. Back to back is vastly superior to winning a league twice, shows your truly dominated for a period of time.

Id agree with those who say we have the best first XI and indeed we do, but therein lies our current problem I think.

How many of these players are being challenged for their positions? Our first XI picks itself and there is no competing for places.

Each and everyone of us could've predicted that starting XI on Saturday. Those players are comfortable and will soon be very tired. They've played every game ALL YEAR.

This will sting us, no way will be get as lucky with injuries again and I predict it will be the midfield that suffers.

Id agree with those who say we have the best first XI and indeed we do, but therein lies our current problem I think.

How many of these players are being challenged for their positions? Our first XI picks itself and there is no competing for places.

Each and everyone of us could've predicted that starting XI on Saturday. Those players are comfortable and will soon be very tired. They've played every game ALL YEAR.

This will sting us, no way will be get as lucky with injuries again and I predict it will be the midfield that suffers.

How is that any different from last season? The squad being the same cuts both ways.

How is that any different from last season? The squad being the same cuts both ways.

 

For me, it looks like this side peaked mid-way through last season and now they are struggling to get back to those levels. Can JT, Ivan, Azpi, Fabregas, Matic, Costa and Hazard all hit the heights they did last season and be as consistent? Maybe they can but the signs are they may not and then as bjd says, who do you call upon, especially with Mourinho's clear reluctance to make changes and rotate?

 

I was hoping we would integrate some of the youngsters but again, I can't see Mourinho placing too much faith in any of them so as much as I hate the idea of us splashing out big money, it looks like we will need at least a couple before the window shuts or I fear we will be playing catch-up.