For me it's the attacking aspect of the 4-2-4/4-4-2 that isn't suitable at present and is a worry. 

 

• We don't have a true LM (if Hazard does move central) or LB to attack/counter fluidly - at a minimum we need proper fullbacks in their true positions to overlap, cross, pass without needing to shift to their stronger foot, slow play down etc

 

What about Kenedy?

What about Kenedy?

 

True - he did slip my mind last night. If he can continue his development from what we saw last season, definitely. Have high hopes for this guy, if played at LM/LW or LWB in a 352. Brings that energy down the left flank that we've missed for years, brilliant with the ball, blistering pace, sharp left boot, and has defensive qualities to offer.

 

Haven't seen much of him throughout pre-season, though I have missed a fair bit on shoddy streams. Hoping Conte brings him through - looks like his type of player. Has he had any game-time? 

I feel if we fail to bring a LB in this window, Kennedy and Willian/Azpi/Juan as wingbacks may eventuate in a 352. 

 

                  Courtois

Ivanovic (Azpi?) - Terry (Zouma) - Cahill

Willian/Azpi - Kante - Fabregas - Kennedy

Hazard

Costa - Batshuaui

 

 

From my extensive Football Manager and FIFA 98-16 experience - this is the way to go.

 

If we had the right CBs at our disposal, something like this would be awesome:

 

Edited August 3, 20169 yr by joshd24

Has to be said that he doesn't seem to fancy Kenedy.

Played very little in preseason.

We are really resting our hopes on Kante integrating with the squad quickly and hitting the ground running - if not, imagine our midfield getting run-over again, now with one less midfielder/#10 dropping back.

 

In that same respect, every club is resting their hopes on a new signing being the answer for the position they were brought in for.

You can't do much more than have a problem with defensive midfield and answering that by buying the best defensive midfielder in the league.

In that same respect, every club is resting their hopes on a new signing being the answer for the position they were brought in for.

You can't do much more than have a problem with defensive midfield and answering that by buying the best defensive midfielder in the league.

 

Hmm, I agree to an extent. Smaller clubs, maybe, but the top PL and European teams would have enough talent in their squads to cover a position if a marquee signing wasn't to work out as planned. We don't have that luxury. We need Kante, but we also need depth... We've needed a true DM and midfield depth since the days of Maka, Ballack, Essien, Beletti, Lamps et al. 

 

City have signed Nolito, Gundogan, Sane - all top players, but still have experience depth in each of those positions in KdB, Toure, Fernandinho, Silva, Navas.

 

Juventus signing the likes of Pjanic while already possessing some of the best midfielders in Europe i.e Pogba, Marchisio, Pereyra, Khedira, Hernanes, Sandro.

 

Same again when you look at Bayern, Barca, Madrid etc. New signings, to improve the first team and/or provide depth - not resting their season's hopes on one signing in such an important position.

 

 

The Kante signing is absolutely crucial for us, and is his importance in midfield for the upcoming campaign is huge. We have an out-of-sorts Matic who may/may not regain form, a defensively-light Fabregas who needs true cover, a sluggish lamppost in Mikel, and unproven mids i.e RLC. If Kante doesn't work out or is seriously injured (touch wood), it'll be much the same as last season with our midfield getting steamrolled once again, and we'd be relying on the same personnel that took us to 10th to hold fort. We haven't made any new signings that that could change/make a difference in that area of the pitch either. We'd all be at the mercy of Conte's team management, tactics, ethos to get us through.

Edited August 3, 20169 yr by joshd24

Hmm, I agree to an extent. Smaller clubs, maybe, but the top PL and European teams would have enough talent in their squads to cover a position if a marquee signing wasn't to work out as planned. We don't have that luxury. We need Kante, but we also need depth... We've needed a true DM and midfield depth since the days of Maka, Ballack, Essien, Beletti, Lamps et al. 

 

City have signed Nolito, Gundogan, Sane - all top players, but still have experience depth in each of those positions in KdB, Toure, Fernandinho, Silva, Navas.

Alternatively Gundogan is recovering from a very bad injury, big risky signing. Nolito in my opinion will struggle like Navas has. Sane looks the mutts nuts though.

Toure is done, Silva struggled too last season, Navas is dogsh*t.

 

Juventus signing the likes of Pjanic while already possessing some of the best midfielders in Europe i.e Pogba, Marchisio, Pereyra, Khedira, Hernanes, Sandro.

Pogba is leaving. Khedira is a good player, but not a patch on what they have lost recently. No idea about the rest

 

We can look jealously on at other clubs signings, but they are at risk as much as us. No club has done incredible business in my opinion, especially our top clubs.

Edited August 3, 20169 yr by dkw

I agree that all the top sides in the league look to be a few pieces away from being a genuinely top side. Most if not all of them look to have a great deal of potential, but I would argue that there is currently no runaway top side, none look to be in the brilliant state we were in at the beginning of the 2014/15 season.

We can look jealously on at other clubs signings, but they are at risk as much as us. No club has done incredible business in my opinion, especially our top clubs.

 

Fair call... How can I be jealous when we just signed N'Golo fking Kante? It's a worry seeing City, United strengthening across the pitch, especially midfield, and even the likes of Spurs with a very solid squad overall.

 

I agree - any new signing is a risk, but I was trying to emphasise the importance of our Kante signing vs City's new transfers for example. The risk here is going into a season without adequate cover for Kante (or the midfield in general), not the signing itself.

 

The City players you mentioned - unproven in the PL, coming out of injury, bad form etc. - we don't know this for sure at present, but we do know they've brought in some talented players and added further depth to a strong current squad.

 

City have a balanced and functioning team who are definite title contenders (putting Pep aside for now...), new signings or not. They've added depth in areas that are not necessarily needed (yet) - their signings may work out, they may not, but they have options to switch between their current players and the new guys coming in. They're improving their overall squad, spreading the risk of a certain player(s) not performing, and have depth available to step in. 

Back to us and Kante - it's not the riskiness of the transfer, it's the overall importance of his role/presence in the team, and how vulnerable we will be if he were to be sidelined for a period/does not perform as hoped - i.e our eggs in one basket. We'd be back to last year's calamity of a midfield. I'm just a little worried we haven't strengthened our squad with another decent CM, a CB and LB, not even a rumour as of late... yet here we are reportedly bidding 65m on Lukaku.

 

When Utd sign Pogba, how can you say they haven't done incredible business? Barring the money they've spent. If we bought a centre half & a left back i'd say we'd be on par with them this transfer window.

after the match vs Milan, Don Antonio had this to say:

 

 '‘I think this match told me a lot - about the players who I will keep and who can go on loan or we can sell."

This match has secured oscars future for at least another season. Piss. Hopefully he gives Chalobah a go in the squad this season

Edited August 4, 20169 yr by timetowaste

Conte:

 

“I think this match told me a lot – about the players who keep and who can go on loan or we can sell. Today, it was important because I have a more clear idea than before.

 

“Now we go back to London and it’s important for me, for the club, to talk and take the decision about all the players. In this pre-season we work with 30 players, four goalkeepers and 26 players. A lot of players. Now remains one game against Werder Bremen and then we must take the decision.

 

“We hope to take the best decision for the club and the players also. The ideas are very clear, but it’s important for me to speak about this topic with the club.”

 

 

We're going to see a flurry of activity over the next two weeks now by the sounds of it. Expect to see the usual raft of players leaving on loan deals. 

 

Players I'm most curious about whether they stay or go are:

 

Remy

Oscar

Moses

Cuadrado 

Matic

Chalobah 

Kenedy

 

I think Aina and Mikel will stay as cover. 

 

Papy Djilobodji and Matt Miazga despite our current lake of depth in defence I think will both be sent out on loan this season. 

Conte:

“I think this match told me a lot – about the players who keep and who can go on loan or we can sell. Today, it was important because I have a more clear idea than before.

“Now we go back to London and it’s important for me, for the club, to talk and take the decision about all the players. In this pre-season we work with 30 players, four goalkeepers and 26 players. A lot of players. Now remains one game against Werder Bremen and then we must take the decision.

“We hope to take the best decision for the club and the players also. The ideas are very clear, but it’s important for me to speak about this topic with the club.”

We're going to see a flurry of activity over the next two weeks now by the sounds of it. Expect to see the usual raft of players leaving on loan deals.

Players I'm most curious about whether they stay or go are:

Remy

Oscar

Moses

Cuadrado

Matic

Chalobah

Kenedy

I think Aina and Mikel will stay as cover.

Papy Djilobodji and Matt Miazga despite our current lake of depth in defence I think will both be sent out on loan this season.

Chalobah and the special Juan have to stay

Just watching this Milan game.

Seriously why are the back four so deep! Even when we put a press on, if it beats the press then Cahill/terry are already running back. Surely we learnt from last year?! If the forwards/midfield goes....the CBs have to squeeze the space!!!

 

Conte:

 

“I think this match told me a lot – about the players who keep and who can go on loan or we can sell. Today, it was important because I have a more clear idea than before.

 

“Now we go back to London and it’s important for me, for the club, to talk and take the decision about all the players. In this pre-season we work with 30 players, four goalkeepers and 26 players. A lot of players. Now remains one game against Werder Bremen and then we must take the decision.

 

“We hope to take the best decision for the club and the players also. The ideas are very clear, but it’s important for me to speak about this topic with the club.”

 

 

We're going to see a flurry of activity over the next two weeks now by the sounds of it. Expect to see the usual raft of players leaving on loan deals. 

 

Players I'm most curious about whether they stay or go are:

 

Remy

Oscar

Moses

Cuadrado 

Matic

Chalobah 

Kenedy

 

I think Aina and Mikel will stay as cover. 

 

Papy Djilobodji and Matt Miazga despite our current lake of depth in defence I think will both be sent out on loan this season. 

 

 

Oh not another loan, why don't they just sell him.

Oh not another loan, why don't they just sell him.

Just not our style, look at Marin.

For some reason we just hold onto players even when it's clear they have no future at Chelsea.

Oh not another loan, why don't they just sell him.

Papy forms a good debate on here as to how good he is or isn't. If we sold him we'd have to have a rumour thread on will we buy him back.

Just not our style, look at Marin.

For some reason we just hold onto players even when it's clear they have no future at Chelsea.

Potential profit, all it takes is one good loan and their price skyrockets, Papy has another solid season out on loan, we might be able to wangle some decent dolla out of him. No point selling a player for next to nothing if their price could potentially go up.

Edited August 5, 20169 yr by Argo

^ Doesn't work like that in reality. We have had Moses & Marin (both over 23) on our books forever, their values are neither going up nor is anyone coming in for them. Makes sense to just get them off the books at this point. Can't make sense of our loan policy, and I don't see the point in loaning players over 23yrs.

nor is anyone coming in for them.

 

Makes sense to just get them off the books at this point.

 

Can't make sense of our loan policy, and I don't see the point in loaning players over 23yrs.

 

Loaning and getting fees from that makes it less costly than the alternative of buying out the players contract.

To sell a player a club has to be willing to buy them. Who exactly wants Papy? Especially for the price we'd probably charge and the wages they'd have to match.

So Baba and Pappy are the first casualties of the reign of Don Conte.

Speaks volumes to me that nearly all of last summers signings have already left.

Maybe the worst summer transfer window since Roman bought the club and to me the club are holding their hands up to this.

Encouraging that they appear to be letting Conte make changes and I think this latest move all but confirms that we should expect to see a defensive signing or two in the near future.

Jesus, the market is gone mad if we managed to get 8 million for Djoliboyo. Wish him all the best though, and delighted he'll be in the Prem so I can listen to Paul Merson trying to pronounce his name.

Who exactly wants Papy? Especially for the price we'd probably charge and the wages they'd have to match.

 

looks like you were wrong

Thats the end of that topic then