what i haven't heard many debating is why the Purse strings are being found to be excruciatingly hard to prise open, is Roman now not so easily parted with his wedge?, because surely we needed a Koke, Griezmann, Reus, pogba, et al, and we have so much money from The PL dividend, new sponsor, we need to maintain our strong grip of Top 2-3 every year, and that surely needs some speculating to accumulate our lofty perch...

what i haven't heard many debating is why the Purse strings are being found to be excruciatingly hard to prise open, is Roman now not so easily parted with his wedge?, because surely we needed a Koke, Griezmann, Reus, pogba, et al, and we have so much money from The PL dividend, new sponsor, we need to maintain our strong grip of Top 2-3 every year, and that surely needs some speculating to accumulate our lofty perch...

What if the club is worried about Jose's transfer record? Someone said he sold our Crown Jewels the previous transfer window, as things stand there is no Mata or De Bruyne to sell on for a profit. He bought in Salah in his first season; gave him a few opportunities and decides he doesn't fancy him anymore, Cuadrado might go the same way if someone is willing to loan him. Maybe questions are being asked and if De Bruyne ends up in City at over double the price we sold him after just a season, you bet someone is questioning his dealings.

But Roman has just ordained another 4 yrs for Jose.??

Maybe just maybe we are putting together a heart bustingly amazing bid for transfer deadline day that will catch everyone off guard. Imagine how amazing that would be?!

Disappointed that we haven't bought another attacker. Outside of Willian and Hazard,competition is virtually non existent. We know that Jose doesn't play players he doesn't trust so we need proper cover.

Pedro would be perfect and well priced.

Edited August 10, 201510 yr by JM7

Although it's needed,it's frustrating that we're spending £44m on two defenders (Stones and Rahman) when the team is crying out for creativity.

If the squad is the same barring younger players, hasnt our competition in the team gotten better from last year? I dont buy that as an excuse.

As for Jose and transfer prowess, thats laughable. As far as leaving the cupboard bare by selling Mata, KDB and Lukaku... what was he supposed to do? Sit them on the bench and wait another year? We made out on those transfers. Sure KDB had an amazing season after we sold him but are City now the shinning beacon of good transfer dealings? Is there any doubt theyre going to overpay?

Our first team is going to be set for the next half decade if we get Stones.

Edited August 10, 201510 yr by TheChelseaBlues

Although it's needed,it's frustrating that we're spending £44m on two defenders (Stones and Rahman) when the team is crying out for creativity.

I would hardly say a team containing player of the year Hazard, highest number of assists Fabregas is lacking creativity.

Oscar at 23 has put up better numbers than Lampard did at the same age and like Frank is only likely to improve with age.

You're indirectly proving his point though, suggesting our creativity is limited largely to two players. It's undoubtedly effective, but is it sustainable? If either of them are down with injury, we're screwed.

 

In saying that, if we look at 'room for improvement' among each players' performances over the course of a season, out of the top four it seems pretty likely that our key players will maintain their output from last season. It's about looking at each player's performances last season and asking how likely they are to sustain or improve on that this season.

 

If Oscar and Willian continue their improvement and Costa remains fit and in form for a whole season that's a huge bonus. I think it's fair to say that if everyone hits similar or improved numbers, we'll retain the title.

City's sheer depth in attack patches a lot of their weaknesses. They are relying on Toure to reach his previous levels however De Bruyne would be an excellent replacement. It will be a lot closer and they may pip us at the final hurdle.

 

Arsenal and Man Utd are about the same, if we were being kind.  If Sanchez doesn't hit the same numbers as last season then they will be fighting for 4th place. Like City, Utd's attack will patch their weaknesses as long as Mata and Rooney are fit.

 

 

In regards to fitness and injury- people are underrating the effect of losing Costa to injury. As I said earlier this title may well be decided by Costa's hamstring or Aguero's knee; whoever gets the most games will get the most goals for their team.

 

I notice a lot of people are complaining that fitness-wise we did not hit the ground running. It is s smart move by Jose and his team and a calculated risk that will pay off in the long run. Players need to be properly periodised to minimize the risk of injury. Having them hit the ground hard in August does nothing for them come February.

Last season we had 5 months where we looked electric and took all the early plaudits, but since Febuary we have looked oridnary.

 

The last 22 games of last season, we only won two of those games by more than 1 goal.

Last season we had 5 months where we looked electric and took all the early plaudits, but since Febuary we have looked oridnary.

The last 22 games of last season, we only won two of those games by more than 1 goal.

We have never looked likely to get that form back.

It's quite frustrating really

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.

You're right we won 09/10 United won the following, the one after we won the CL, my mistake

Last season we had 5 months where we looked electric and took all the early plaudits, but since Febuary we have looked oridnary.

 

The last 22 games of last season, we only won two of those games by more than 1 goal.

Yep and since febuary of last season we only lost 1 game and that was when we had already won the league- so if thats ordinary I'll take that all day long.

It is very hard to attract top talent to our team at the moment as our first team is very strong and there aren't many people out there that can displace them ...

Just because Jose insists on playing Willian and Oscar every week, it doesn't mean that we can't do better. Willian, for all his work rate, creates little and doesn't contribute enough goals. Oscar has still a lot to prove over a whole season.

I personally prefer Alexis Sanchez to either as a starter. Works hard, creative, assists, scores goals. Of course he's not available but I choose him as an example of the quality of player we should be looking for because I don't think Willian and Oscar are in the same class.

A creative midfielder that could also play in the hole and a right winger would have been ideal. We signed Mata on August 22nd and Willian on August 30th, so I really hope we've got a last minute transfer (not Rahman or Stones) coming through.

Maybe just maybe we are putting together a heart bustingly amazing bid for transfer deadline day that will catch everyone off guard. Imagine how amazing that would be?!

 

I wouldn't hold my breath. We're not known for that type of transfer business.

A creative midfielder that could also play in the hole and a right winger would have been ideal. We signed Mata on August 22nd and Willian on August 30th, so I really hope we've got a last minute transfer (not Rahman or Stones) coming through.

That may be wishful thinking!

You're right we won 09/10 United won the following, the one after we won the CL, my mistake

It's all good, time goes so fast it's bound to happen

Just because Jose insists on playing Willian and Oscar every week, it doesn't mean that we can't do better. Willian, for all his work rate, creates little and doesn't contribute enough goals. Oscar has still a lot to prove over a whole season.

I personally prefer Alexis Sanchez to either as a starter. Works hard, creative, assists, scores goals. Of course he's not available but I choose him as an example of the quality of player we should be looking for because I don't think Willian and Oscar are in the same 

Yes I too would love us to sign someone of Sanchez's ability or better but those are even harder to come by.

My point was that with our previous track record and current lack of rotation, potential squad players ( who would have to be of most teams first team quality) are unlikely to want to come here.

Potential starters should still want to sign but there aren't many potential starters out there.    

 

As a way of showing this lets go through wide players of Sanchez's ability or better and their availability. 

Rues? doesn't want to leave Dortmund might be able to be persuaded would be very expensive.

Neymar? no

Bale? unlikely

Greizmann? has a release clause so yes

Not sure he is as good as Sanchez and I don't think he is. Also goals in la liga isn't really a great indicator to what they will do in the prem and he seems to work best as a second striker which we do not use in our current system. Would Mourinho adapt to the player? unlikely he seems to bring in players that fit his particular mold. 

 

Pedro? apparently has a release clause but there has been a couple of contradicting statements to this so is likely to be avialable.

However with Neymars' recent illness and Barcas transfer embargo and inability to get an immediate replacement, are Barca really going to let him go?  

Again I don't think he is as good as Sanchez but does fit into the squad better than Griezmann 

 

Robben?Ribery? too old? injury prone?

 

Who else is there 

Sterling? just moved to City

Hulk? haven't had that rumour this year

... any suggestions? 

So Pedro in for Cuadrado out seems like a viable option to me but is it fair to Cuadrado who was considered by many to be better than Pedro when he came and clearly does have quality but doesn't seem up to it for Chelsea.

Is 6 months with what 100 minutes game time enough to judge a player as a right off?

  

Also will we as a club admit defeat and get rid of a player after 6 months especially one that cost £27m?

And does Moses deserve a shot? some people would say yes 

 

You're indirectly proving his point though, suggesting our creativity is limited largely to two players. It's undoubtedly effective, but is it sustainable? If either of them are down with injury, we're screwed.

 

Not really. 

 

How many teams have more than two main outlets of creativity in their team?

 

It's the way our side has been built. Oscar for example pulls defenders around the pitch with smart movement which opens up gaps for Hazard to run into or Fabregas to play through balls into. 

 

So Oscar isn't racking up assists but without that creative contribution of his movement we'd score less. 

 

You say if they get an injury we're in trouble but that's true of every team's best players... If Sanchez picks up an injury for Arsenal, they lose one of their biggest outlets. If Rooney is injured for United, they've lost their best goalscorer. 

 

If an injury does occur to your biggest outlets then you have compensate as best you can... Rather than Oscar opening space for others he has to become the outlet himself for example.

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 think this is the key point Nibs. Can the players who did well last year stay injury free and in as good a form? Almost certainly not.

That's the concern for me with not adding to the depth.

Yep and since febuary of last season we only lost 1 game and that was when we had already won the league- so if thats ordinary I'll take that all day long.

 

Forget the stats then, as we can see with our own eyes that our performances since Feb have been a lot less dynamic than the first 5 months of the season, thankfully our defending pulled us through the 2nd half of the season, we just simply lost our va va voom in attack.

See interesting if typically catty journalistic article.

http://www.espnfc.com/club/chelsea/363/blog/post/2557778/jose-mourinho-surliness-shows-chelsea-problems

I have thought for some time if the oil price was a lot higher there would be more money for CFC. Russian GDP is going backwards quite quickly and an ebbing tide beaches all boats

I think this is the key point Nibs. Can the players who did well last year stay injury free and in as good a form? Almost certainly not.

That's the concern for me with not adding to the depth.

 

Haven't seen you posting around here for a while Spiller!!

 

A season or two back I thought our squad looked so well balanced when we had the likes of Mata, Luiz, KDB, Schurrle as well as some very promising youngsters in the ranks - Ake, McEachran, Chalobah, Piazon & Boga (+ maybe a few more). Not saying any of the youngsters were ready to make the step up, but I thought they might get eased in gently and we still had a lot more creative options.

 

Now I know we got huge money for the likes of Mata, Luiz and Lukaku and I'm not saying it was a mistake to get rid - especially as we won the PL! BUT right now, we just seemed to have lost that squad balance and the options just aren't there. 

Yes I too would love us to sign someone of Sanchez's ability or better but those are even harder to come by.

My point was that with our previous track record and current lack of rotation, potential squad players ( who would have to be of most teams first team quality) are unlikely to want to come here.

Potential starters should still want to sign but there aren't many potential starters

Cuadrado was supposed to be the answer to all these problems but he didn't make the bench on Saturday, so I think that's pretty telling. I'm sure the idea preseason was to integrate Traore, or even Kenedy into the first team but that now seems unlikely. Moses looks like the only one who Jose feels can do a job and I'm sure that's why we haven't gone for anyone.

Of the alternatives it looks, as you say, that Griezmann and Reus are considered too expensive while Memphis Dupay went to Man United. There's also been mention of the Lyon winger Nabil Fekir or Felipe Anderson who our scouts have probably looked at but I've not seen enough of either to judge if they're an upgrade on what we have. I also think selling De Bruyne was a huge mistake. Pedro still remains a good option far as I can see.

Did I mention that selling De Bruyne was a huge mistake?

Edited August 11, 201510 yr by Socrates