A couple of the rags (mail, mirror, etc) now claiming that Conte has been told he'll have little to spend and will have to make do with what he's got. That the team is lacking leadership not quality.

A couple of the rags (mail, mirror, etc) now claiming that Conte has been told he'll have little to spend and will have to make do with what he's got. That the team is lacking leadership not quality.

Hmm. Well maybe he gives the youth a chance. Although seems hard to believe an eccentric like conte would accept such terms.

I really doubt we'll be making top 4 with this squad next season. And I say this with pain in my heart because our goal should be PL champions, not scooping up arsenals prize. Last season the team over performed and we had an in form eden Hazard.

It's silly to say we don't lack quality.

There's every chance we'll struggle for a few seasons yet. The success of the last decade stemmed largely from a foundation of commited, ambitious young players.

We have a ridiculous supply of technically gifted footballers, but there isn't a natural leader among them, and the drive/ambition just isn't the same.

What few leaders we have in our team - Terry, Ivanovic, Cahill - are probably past their peak. And the 'stars' - Fabregas, Costa, Hazard - are often invisible in the big matches, and not nearly consistent enough.

Without the talented grafters who give everything despite this lack of leadership - Willian, Pedro, Azpi - we'd be in a worse position than we are now.

There's a lot of great talent in the academy, but they need time to grow into the roles, and mentors to guide them through.

It's not a quick fix in my opinion.

So...this is unfamilar territory. When was the last time our season finished this early? Has to be 2000/01, or mid 90s even. Next season starts now,  it's absolutely crucial that we give Traore/RLC/Kennedy actual starts from here to May. What else are we going to achieve? If Mikel and Matic start another game together I will genuinely not even bother watching, we'll learn nothing at all.

Poor season. The only way to improve is to see how good all our youngsters are.

Like the above post we will learn nothing if our regulars run out next week.

Most of the 11 out there today will want away anyway.

Hate to say it but we need a backbone and if jt goes i cant see anyone giving a toss.

I know its history but jt, lamps,big pete, drogs and ash would not have let this season happen.

We need these type of players, not journeymen and barca cast offs

Season is over. Need to really spend big now in summer with no champions league football.

I'm just astonished how we have ended being in this position after being champions last year with a league cup trophy.

It's really incredible to see this happen in less than 10 months

play the youngsters, play the youngsters, play the youngsters.

Really got to play some youngsters till the end of the season, no excuses unless Guus wants to keep protecting his draw record.

play the youngsters, play the youngsters, play the youngsters.

 

I agree, but even now i wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't happen. We have nothing to gain by playing the same players that have failed all season and we have nothing to lose by playing the youngsters. I say this, but i wouldn't be at all surprised if they still don't get game time though.

 

I would like to see Kenedy, Traore and Loftus-Cheek play every game for the rest of the season. Even if they don't play well every game, i would really like to see these players given the time and experience for the rest of the season. Let them show the club and the fans what they are capable of.

I agree, but even now i wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't happen. We have nothing to gain by playing the same players that have failed all season and we have nothing to lose by playing the youngsters. I say this, but i wouldn't be at all surprised if they still don't get game time though.

 

I would like to see Kenedy, Traore and Loftus-Cheek play every game for the rest of the season. Even if they don't play well every game, i would really like to see these players given the time and experience for the rest of the season. Let them show the club and the fans what they are capable of.

 

Bang on. We know what Mikel offers, we know he'll do a job but not offer much going forward. We know Oscar will blow hot for a game or two and then fade away for a month. We know Matic has a pathalogical fear of using his right foot.

 

We learn absolutely f**k all by putting RLC on for 10 minutes once every 2 months. He gets criticised for being too safe in his passing in what limited appearances he's made- surely if he was told that he had 9 games to show what he has, he might actually consider taking a risk or two. Even if RLC/Kennedy/Traore turn out to be duds (in the case of Traore I think he genuinely has something, the other 2 I'm undecided), surely that'll be something to gain? We have nothing to lose at this stage.

I still would like to see Willian in a 433 as a CM playing Ramires's old role just with more technical ability. If we are as close to securing Conte as reports suggest, get him to suggest some tactical systems we can trial run till the end of the season. 

Yeah, bring on the next season. I was looking forward to going to the Bridge to see the rest of the games, now I will think about it carefully and will depend on other plans and money. I also hope the youngsters get as many minutes of play as possible. In fact, they should have played in the FA given the joke it was.

Agreed. Start the new season now. Let's look at some of our youth and start begovic in goal.

Let's guus leave now and appoint our under 21 boss to see out the season.

My current team on Fifa would win the treble! 3-5-2

 

Courtois

Christensen - Zouma - Bonnuci

Aurier - Nainggolan - Vidal - A.Sandro

Hazard

Costa - Cavani

Looks like Diego could be leaving too. Media say he wants back to atletico who want him back.

We have already heard the same of hazard and real. Next up may be tibo.

Just how big a self generated war chest could conte have?

Tibo - 20m

Baba - 12m

Cahill - 8m

Mikel - 7m

Matic - 8m

Cesc- 20m

Pedro - 14m

Oscar - 18m

Remy - 8m

Costa - 32m

157m of guessed transfer deals. Highly unlikely all of those players leave, some will, most will not but an argument can be made for all to go.

And of course that is forgetting the highest possible sale

Hazard - 60m plus

Brings us to over 200m. Hope conte uses whatever funds he gets well.

Be nice to bring lukaku back.

Sell to China for double the price, but keep Hazard, Costa,Fabregas and Tibo.

Sell to China for double the price, but keep Hazard, Costa,Fabregas and Tibo.

That is a good plan if we can talk those players in to going to China. Oscar at 57mill stands out as a "Oh why could you not have gone" one.

I'm looking forward to next season already.

 

I'm really curious as to which players will leave. I would have thought I'd be worried about who leaves if we didn't get CL football, but it turns out I'm not that fussed. We need a bit of a shake up anyway.

 

I highly doubt the changes will wholesale anyway.

 

But I'm expecting a very different team dynamic come August.

lets hope Ake is in our squad next year !!!

lets hope Ake is in our squad next year !!!

 

I would prefer that he gets another year of loan experience under his belt, He is only now starting games for Watford, If he can go on to establish himself as the first choice in Watford and get regular 90 mins of action I can see him being really really good. Also we need to figure out the Rahman/Kennedy conundrum @ LB before taking in another LB into the squad.

I would prefer that he gets another year of loan experience under his belt, He is only now starting games for Watford, If he can go on to establish himself as the first choice in Watford and get regular 90 mins of action I can see him being really really good. Also we need to figure out the Rahman/Kennedy conundrum @ LB before taking in another LB into the squad.

That or make ake our left back next season. Cannot be worse than what we currently have.

I would prefer that he gets another year of loan experience under his belt, He is only now starting games for Watford, If he can go on to establish himself as the first choice in Watford and get regular 90 mins of action I can see him being really really good. Also we need to figure out the Rahman/Kennedy conundrum @ LB before taking in another LB into the squad.

 

Home grown and got 12 mths premiership experience under his belt, its now or never for Ake.

Half the fans spend their time desperate for us to play youth. But once things go tits up the remedy proposed is to go all Football Manager on the squad and buy fantastically foreign sounding names who are all world class and all obviously better than what we already have in the squad.

 

Im not saying the squad is perfect. The squad is unbalanced, We have spend millions on tricky AMs, only then to ask them to be workhorses and restrict their attacking instincts.  None of them offer width, and our fullback are playing out of position. We have spend millions on sub standard strikers who are unable to challenge our No1 for game time and BTW take up valuable game time that our youth players could have had. Last year we opted to bring back Didi and buy Remy than give game time to Lukaku. Do we need a third choice keeper who is 30+ years old? How about a third choice striker on 150k a week?

 

IMO we need to focus all our energies on 3-5 positions. A central defender to replace JT (who I would release) (Christiansen, Ivanovic). A box to box CM, if RLC isnt that. and Lukaku (I know, spend 60 mil on him and he's still worth it.) Bring Cuadrado and Musonda into the squad to offer genuine width and allow Traore to be our third choice striker. Look at our full back situation. playing players out of position should be rare, not 90% of our selections.

 

Tactically, stop playing Fibreglass in the pivot and play him at 10. Have a BtB to compliment Matic/Mikel. Decide whether Oscar is cutting it or whether we as a club have failed him by restricting his ability tactically. Ensure we play with some natural width, occasionally move to 2 up top and natural wingers, its called a plan B.

 

What Im proposing is not radical, its progressive and realistic. Buying 3 players who can add something to the first team, a trustable LB, a BtB Midfielder or CB (dependant on Chrisitansen/RLC) and Lukaku. I dont think a massive clearout is needed, but we have a small, unbalanced squad with key shortfalls in very important positions which need to be addressed. Hopefully we dont go all Wenger on them.

No point playing the youth just for the sake of it, result comes first. I'm happy to see the likes of Trarore, Keendy getting recognition, but they must earn their spot.  We need to get back into the CL next season, or we will be like liverpool, always expecting the next season. I think Shotgun is spot on, we need to fill the gaps in key positions, and spend big if we must. Few of the loan players should come back and add more depth. I can't believe we played with such a thin squad for the past 3 seasons. No firesale, we aren't going to get any stronger by selling off the first team and buy a complete new one!