1 minute ago, Zola said:

I think we need 2 or 3 top players to keep the title, teams will work us out more next season and will be better prepared. 

We need to keep them guessing

Yeah. I do find it interesting that Gullit and Terry both said we will be bringing in 4 or 5 huge players to keep us on top of things which I'm pretty excited about.

When Rudd said it he said it would be our biggest window since 2004/ 05 which made me think he might know something and Terry yesterday just confirmed it with his comments. We are IMO going to spend huge this summer to make sure it's not another repeat of 2015 

I wouldn't be unduly concerned ... we were 14-1 THIS SEASON after the Arsenal away game ... :)

 

I think a fiver on Jose being the first managerial sacking for 2017/18 would be a better bet than United winning the title ... !

38 minutes ago, Chelsbear said:

Yeah. I do find it interesting that Gullit and Terry both said we will be bringing in 4 or 5 huge players to keep us on top of things which I'm pretty excited about.

When Rudd said it he said it would be our biggest window since 2004/ 05 which made me think he might know something and Terry yesterday just confirmed it with his comments. We are IMO going to spend huge this summer to make sure it's not another repeat of 2015 

 

I didnt see that! Do you have a link ? Its a bold statement to make, if this is the case I hope we have made decent progress already, otherwise we are showing our hand a bit carelessly 

10 minutes ago, Zola said:

 

I didnt see that! Do you have a link ? Its a bold statement to make, if this is the case I hope we have made decent progress already, otherwise we are showing our hand a bit carelessly 

It was during the sky celebrations yesterday. Found the below quotes 

“I’m sure the owner will sit down with the manager and discuss that.

“I’d be surprised if there were not at least five or six big players coming in the summer.”

the Ruud one was after a game and was posted on here somewhere.  Also Matt Law posted this last month #cfc already planning summer spending spree to avoid another post-title implosion | @Matt_Law_DT reports

Edited May 22, 20179 yr by Chelsbear

Don't want to be favorites, want to be Champions.

 

Oh wait,

 

WE ARE!

21 hours ago, dynamite said:

Odds for next season.

 

https://www.skybet.com/football/premier-league

 

I just don't understand it. How can they have United favourites over us when they finished 24 POINTS behind, unbelievable.

TBH I don't mind if  the bookies make CFC the underdogs. As long as I have been a CFC fan, The Blues wear that mantle very well. Don't believe me, ask those peeps from Barcelona.

Happy for United and City to be favourites again. It worked for us last year.

15 hours ago, Blue Exile said:

Way too much emphasis on us having CL football back on our plate, lots of people predicting a big backward step.

You'd have thought we'd never played in Europe before!

Exactly. We have been out of Europe for 1 SEASON !!! 

If anything, it's the other English clubs that people should be questioning. Can Tottenham, City and Liverpool handle Premier League football and the Champions League? All of them have shown that they can't in recent years. Tottenham couldn't cope with the League and the Champions League. This season they would leave players out of important Champions League games just so they wouldn't be burnt out in the next league game. Things only started to properly click for them when they were out of Europe altogether. City have dropped points at crucial times when the games come thick and fast in recent years. Then there is Liverpool, their last 5 seasons playing in Europe they have ended the season outside of the top 4.

If people think we can't cope with both competitions, then what makes them believe the other challengers can ?

15 hours ago, Blue Exile said:

Way too much emphasis on us having CL football back on our plate, lots of people predicting a big backward step.

You'd have thought we'd never played in Europe before!

Playing in Europe has been used as an excuse by the managers who failed to win the title...rather convenient to blame it on something else rather than their own deficiencies or just the reality that chelsea were better than them this season

34 minutes ago, The Brit said:

Playing in Europe has been used as an excuse by the managers who failed to win the title...rather convenient to blame it on something else rather than their own deficiencies or just the reality that chelsea were better than them this season

There's no doubt that not playing in Europe helps your domestic season, only someone really biased would say otherwise. One game a week and you can prepare all week for that game. Less chance of injuries etc.

I don't think anyone is predicting a backwards step but for me personally I find it really interesting and exciting. Chelsea will no doubt improve the whole squad and defiantly in the wingbacks so Pedro isn't second choice. We all know Conte isn't silly and Chelsea and Conte have both been in this situation before.

Mourinho managed to get 95 points and get to the semi final of the champions league in 05. That's also winning the league cup which he took very serious, to get to a semi final and win the league is very difficult. I rate that Chelsea team the best in the prem, better than Utds treble winning team that needed a lot of luck in both cup competitions and Chelsea could of quite easily won the league that year.

An advantage yes, but decisive? No. Conte took over a club in disarray, finished 10th last season and also couldn't start work till after the euros...klopp, poch and Wenger had big advantage over him in that sense...even Jose and pep had longer to prepare for their jobs at Utd and city..clubs have been able to do well in Europe and the title race the same season in the past...like I said, it's been used as an excuse to use by managers to deflect away from the fact they have not been good enough...

Edited May 22, 20179 yr by The Brit

On 5/21/2017 at 19:38, dynamite said:

Odds for next season.

 

https://www.skybet.com/football/premier-league

 

I just don't understand it. How can they have United favourites over us when they finished 24 POINTS behind, unbelievable.

Because its likely they're gonna spend hundreds of millions again most likely. The funny thing is, even with all that money spent I have a feeling they will still be sh*te hahaha

On 22/05/2017 at 14:37, Blue Exile said:

Way too much emphasis on us having CL football back on our plate, lots of people predicting a big backward step.

You'd have thought we'd never played in Europe before!

Agreed. Everyone forgets literally every season in the Premier League, apart from the past two, has seen a team with European football win the league. This is also the first time we've won the title without Europe. Even before this season, people were saying with Champions League Leicester will struggle. It was certainly not the reason. Since Shakespeare took over, the Foxes sprang to life, including in Europe. Yes, it does have an effect...but I certainly don't think it has ever cost a team the title. Personally, I believe the Europa League would be a bigger obstacle for a title charge.

I understand the logic as Mourinho has won the league title in his second season at every club he's been at, but then again, Conte has won the league title every season he's managed a club in the top flight. One of those runs will end next season and I hope it will be Mourinho's. I don't mind not being the favourites. Especially if we end up being champions again.

 

On 5/21/2017 at 13:42, Nibs said:

Because they will spend another sh*t-load of money on major signings and they may well not have CL football as a distraction.

Even if they lose the EL final to Ajax, they still won the League Cup. Which is an automatic EL qualification for next season. So they'll still have Europe next year one way or the other.

4 hours ago, Barrettinator said:

Even if they lose the EL final to Ajax, they still won the League Cup. Which is an automatic EL qualification for next season. So they'll still have Europe next year one way or the other.

...and they came 6th. So they have it for that reason too.