Certainly should do better this summer than last year. 

Usually we have a sh*t summer after winning the league, so I imagine this summer we’ll make better signings. I hope so anyway.

I haven't seen anyone else post this yet, but it's certainly a worth a read in the context of our squad:

https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2018/5/13/17349932/conte-isnt-blameless-but-the-problem-at-chelsea-started-before-he-arrived

This is a squad devoid of characters. Of players who seem to turn up when it suits, are easily discouraged or who moan and blame others when it doesnt go their way.

Frankly in my mind we should rebuild our squad based on elite mentality. 

Forget pretty tippy tappy rubbish we need to build a squad around some fighters and leaders. It's a shame we can't get Simeone in to oversee it.

 

I think I'm one of the few who actually thinks our squad is pretty good. I'd be fine with something like..

Out:

• Cahill
• Pedro
• Fabregas (breaks my heart to say it but time is cruel to players)
• Zappacosta
• Drinkwater

Borderline:

• Bakayoko - horrific first season, but young enough to keep around for pre-season and see if there's a big improvement. As long as he's not an automatic first team starter I don't see what we have to lose really.
• Luiz - Been injured all season, but could still be a great leader in the dressing room and maybe come back strong.

Controversial want to keeps:

• Morata - I'm convinced this lad is going to be superb, and I'm kind of shocked people are writing him off after his first season in England. He was devastating on arrival and until he picked up a back injury which has apparently continued to be a problem every since.
• Barkley - Hasn't really had a chance yet what with the injuries, and the price was a ridiculous steal. Showed some flashes against Newcastle of the player he can be. Would definitely want him around for next season to see what he can do for us.

Bring back:

• Kenedy - I'm going to be so angry if we sell this kid, I'm a huge fan and it would be dumb to let him go.
• RLC - At his age he's going to make it now or he's not. Let's stop dicking around and bring him home. If he's not ready to fight for a place then sell him with a buyback.
• Zouma - I'm ridiculously excited at the idea of having him, Christiansen, Azpi and Rudiger as our CB options, that's an outrageously good backline mix.
• Batshuayi - Had a stupidly good loan, time to see if he can fulfil those bags of potential Pat Nevin was so sure he had.

Buy:

• I have a lot of time for Moses, but we need a great RB/RWB option. 
• Powerful CM along the lines of a Nainggolan. I'd love RLC to become that player, but we can't risk going into the season hoping either him and Baka will step up. Either splash the cash and get an awesome younger guy, in which case clear out Bakayoko, or bring in a great player near the end of his career (Nainggolan) to smooth us through the transition.
• One more wide option. Pedro is past it, and although Kenedy could be a nice option there, going in with just Hazard and Willian is too limited. Get someone top class.

That's my 2 pence worth anyway. :)

 

6 minutes ago, Spiller86 said:

I haven't seen anyone else post this yet, but it's certainly a worth a read in the context of our squad:

https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2018/5/13/17349932/conte-isnt-blameless-but-the-problem-at-chelsea-started-before-he-arrived

This is a squad devoid of characters. Of players who seem to turn up when it suits, are easily discouraged or who moan and blame others when it doesnt go their way.

Frankly in my mind we should rebuild our squad based on elite mentality. 

Forget pretty tippy tappy rubbish we need to build a squad around some fighters and leaders. It's a shame we can't get Simeone in to oversee it.

 

What players would you want to see come in that have elite mentality? 

What could simeone do, that mourinho and conte couldn't? 

I think simeone is a great manager, but I wouldn't want to see his team play every week. 

I agree we need more leadership, but you can have fight and leadership, and still play entertaining football. 

Obviously entertaining football is subjective, but id rather watch a jupp heyneckes team, than a diego simeone team any day of the week.

I'm not saying I have players in mind I'm saying it needs to be a big factor in recruitment. 

We've seen this season with Bakayoko and Morata that a lack of resilience or periods without confidence have derailed their seasons. That can be observed by scouts.

On Simeone, he has created a team that play agressive, disciplined football with counter pressing. His teams defend deep but they are active at trying to win the ball back and create opportunities. I'd watch that any day. He has also build a very tight culture at the club. That is part of what appeals to me about Sergio Conceicao as well.

A second recruitment suggestion is to not buy players coming off major injuries to save a few bob. Drinkwater, Barkley, Bakayoko and Emerson were all coming back from long term issues when they joined. Only Emerson has started semi decently.

 

12 minutes ago, Spiller86 said:

I'm not saying I have players in mind I'm saying it needs to be a big factor in recruitment. 

We've seen this season with Bakayoko and Morata that a lack of resilience or periods without confidence have derailed their seasons. That can be observed by scouts.

On Simeone, he has created a team that play agressive, disciplined football with counter pressing. His teams defend deep but they are active at trying to win the ball back and create opportunities. I'd watch that any day. He has also build a very tight culture at the club. That is part of what appeals to me about Sergio Conceicao as well.

A second recruitment suggestion is to not buy players coming off major injuries to save a few bob. Drinkwater, Barkley, Bakayoko and Emerson were all coming back from long term issues when they joined. Only Emerson has started semi decently.

 

I do like the culture and togetherness simeone has built at Atlético, although I think him being a former player, with an already strong bond with club, has made that possible. I don't see him being able to achieve that here. 

I think leadership is something that players grow into when they have been at the club a while. Cech, Lamps, Drogba, Cole, and ivanovic, became leaders in the dressing room with experience. 

It's difficult to see where the next crop come from, as the 'changing of the guard' was a bit of a shambles, with only Azpiliucueta looking to have both the ability and the leadership to carry us forward. 

Courtois and Hazard could both take more responsibility, and if they both commit long term, then maybe they will step up.

Hopefully Rudiger, kante, or one of the youth players step up in the next couple of seasons aswell.

 

 

Sadly guys like Terry, Lampard, Cole, Drogba are in short supply and would no doubt be out of reach for us now in this climate.

Of that mentality I can only really think of Dave and Kante in our squad and I'm struggling after that to think of anyone. We were extremely blessed we had a core of winners who dug deep when required for so long but now we are seeing how hard it is to try to bring that back to our squad.

Manager wise we tried the motivational winner in Conte but when he didn't get backed he turned out to be a petulant child. Jose ran our squad into the ground and fractions started...

With our board we will need a tailor made manager who will not throw a strop when he doesn't get the elite players he craves and is professional enough to knuckle down and build a promising yet winning team. Not an easy thing to do

Need characters and leadership, I don't think under JT, the kind of sh1t we saw against Newcastle would be allowed by the captain on the field. We don't have a real leader out there, with all due respect to Cahill and Azpi. As fas as the squad goes, wouldn't get my hope up, sign a Mahraz or Maritial for under50 is just day dreaming in this market. Let's hope we are smart enough to buy then sell this time around.

8 minutes ago, big blue said:

I do like the culture and togetherness simeone has built at Atlético, although I think him being a former player, with an already strong bond with club, has made that possible. I don't see him being able to achieve that here. 

I think leadership is something that players grow into when they have been at the club a while. Cech, Lamps, Drogba, Cole, and ivanovic, became leaders in the dressing room with experience. 

It's difficult to see where the next crop come from, as the 'changing of the guard' was a bit of a shambles, with only Azpiliucueta looking to have both the ability and the leadership to carry us forward. 

Courtois and Hazard could both take more responsibility, and if they both commit long term, then maybe they will step up.

Hopefully Rudiger, kante, or one of the youth players step up in the next couple of seasons aswell.

For me it isn't about 'leadership' as such but about some key personality attributes such as resilience, courage and commitment. Those are things that can be observed and measured. Given the amount of sports psych work that goes on I imagine it wouldn't be hard to get a sense of a players mentality.

For me that should play a key role in who we recruit and who we don't. When you start with those things as a base then naturally a determined and resilient culture emerges over time. Then you have leaders all across the pitch not just your captain and a couple of others.

1 hour ago, icecoolguy22 said:

Need characters and leadership, I don't think under JT, the kind of sh1t we saw against Newcastle would be allowed by the captain on the field. We don't have a real leader out there, with all due respect to Cahill and Azpi. As fas as the squad goes, wouldn't get my hope up, sign a Mahraz or Maritial for under50 is just day dreaming in this market. Let's hope we are smart enough to buy then sell this time around.

This leadership / character thing is massive. We are now struggling having lost all ours, just how Arsenal struggled after they lost Adams, Keown, Dixon, Vierra & Co.

But then you spoilt it by mentioning Mahrez! If ever there was a luxury player who goes missing all too often, there is your prime example. Folk moan about Hazard not always turning up - he's Kante compared to Mahrez. We DO need more creative players to take some of the pressure of Hazard but Mahrez is one I would leave well alone.

 

Next season could be a good chance to develop a new backbone in the team.

Last season it was Costa, Kante, Matic, David Luiz but only Kante is still playing.

Perhaps we can develop Christensen into a world class centre half, with Rudiger become a main stay in the team. A new midfielder to make the spot his own next to Kante, and hopefully a new striker too or Morata sorting himself out. We are desperate for leaders.

19 hours ago, Bobbywoodhogan said:

What frustrates me is we hadn’t learned a single lesson from the other post title winning seasons, 10-11 and 15-16. Its just baffling.

Well, we kind of did, but made different poor decisions in other windows.

2010 we decided to go on a youth project where we let go off experienced players for youth one's (if anyone hasn't learned anything from that it's us judging by the "let this player go/don't sign this player when we have this youth player" post's that float around forums), unfortunately however we picked youth players who weren't and still aren't good enough. The ironic thing is had we done that last summer we might have had some degree of success as our current bunch are light years ahead of the 2010 lot.

2015 we spent most of the summer chasing the impossible (Stones and Pogba) when perfectly acceptable options like Alderweireld and Witsel were available. However even a perfect window wouldn't have prevented the sh*t that followed, we were up sh*t creek before pre season even began.

2017 we had the right idea but went about it in the wrong way. Our depth has been poor pretty much ever since the 2010 youth experiment and one thing it did serve was boost the squad depth, for eg, as poor as Zappacosta has been we can rest Moses and retain the balance for a back 3, where-as last season it meant we had to put Azpi RWB and draft a barely fit Zouma in at CB and it caused mayhem.

We should have signed better players but it isn't debatable that depth needed improving big time.

Edited May 14, 20188 yr by Argo

Yeah, at least we do have depth now so we don’t need to worry about signing a squad filler anymore.

Now it’ll be direct replacements, to improve the squad. Drinkwater, Zappacosta, Pedro I’d like to see being replaced.

All seems a bit futile and pointless to list a squad for next season without knowing who the coach is going to be and how he wants us to play. I do think we need a bit of grit from somewhere. Down the years we have had players who wouldn't let opponents take liberties but I don't see one player in the current squad. Perhaps Drinkwater could be that player, but he's top of my list to let go. Oh how we could do with another JT - unfortunately they broke the mould. Don't see Zouma as the answer - just don't think he's good enough unfortunately and has just been part of a Stoke defence that conceded more goals than anyone and got relegated.

 

 

1 minute ago, Nibs said:

All seems a bit futile and pointless to list a squad for next season without knowing who the coach is going to be and how he wants us to play. I do think we need a bit of grit from somewhere. Down the years we have had players who wouldn't let opponents take liberties but I don't see one player in the current squad. Perhaps Drinkwater could be that player, but he's top of my list to let go. Oh how we could do with another JT - unfortunately they broke the mould. Don't see Zouma as the answer - just don't think he's good enough unfortunately and has just been part of a Stoke defence that conceded more goals than anyone and got relegated.

?  

?  

Zouma's a nice lad but horrendously overrated, personally i wouldn't swap any of our current defenders for him and that's includes Cahill.

44 minutes ago, Argo said:

Zouma's a nice lad but horrendously overrated, personally i wouldn't swap any of our current defenders for him and that's includes Cahill.

Nice new profile pic. 

I actually think our current squad isn't that bad... it just doesn't fit to the 5ATB-formation and/or the current defensive-minded tactic in my opinion.

Just take a look at that and tell me what you think about it:

 

 

---------------------------------Morata---------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hazard------------------------Mahrez-------------------------Willian

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------Kanté--------------Thiago Alcantara--------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alonso----------David Luiz---------Christensen--------Azpilicueta

------------------------------Courtois----------------------------------

 

or with other signings...

 

---------------------------------Morata---------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Willian-------------------------Hazard---------------------------Zaha

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------Kanté-----------------Pjanic------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alonso----------David Luiz---------Christensen--------Azpilicueta

------------------------------Courtois----------------------------------

 

This is what I call a good looking offense! Not like "oh my god, a 5-3-2 with just Giroud and Hazard on top" again.

 

Rüdigers performances are currently better than Christensens but I can definitely see him getting an absolute machine in that back four.

 

Okay, seeing Dave back at right back again isn't exactly what we all were looking for but I don't really wanna see Zappacosta there... and who can you buy?

I actually wouldn't mind that back four:

Alonso----------David Luiz---------Azpilicueta--------Aina

I haven't watched Aina all season long but isn't he playing quite good for Hull? A team that isn't even really that good in the Championship...

I would definitely give him a try, much better than spending another 30 million on a player like Zappacosta.

 

 

I'm 100% planning with Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a rotation player on that CDM spot next to Kanté.

Based on the current game/opponent situation you can decide between him and Fabregas.

Drinkwater is just someone I would easily kick out of the squad for Loftus-Cheek, still don't know why we bought him to be honest..

 

Another major signing should be a backup for Kanté. I mean... I don't really have to say anything about Bakayoko, right?

I don't know exactly who this could be but I think someone like Gueye or Doucouré should be fine?!

 

Morata is still my top number 9! The second half of the season was pretty much terrible for him but he wasn't that bad at the beginning.

I think a overall more dominant and offensive tactic would suit him better with all those skillful players behind him rotating (Hazard, Mahrez, Willian)

And Giroud as a backup is pretty much perfect!

 

The 3 attacking midfielders for me are Hazard, Mahrez and Willian.

If we could get both Mahrez and Zaha would be amazing! 

So the 3 rotation players are Musonda, Barkley and Zaha.

 

The 2 defensive midfielders would be Kanté and Thiago Alcantara.

Kanté is obvious and besides him we just need someone who is world class if you want to compete in the title race.

Thiago is a great passer and dribbler and does the defensive work quite well... Is it even possible to do that worse than Bakayoko or Fabregas?

And there would be so much more good things to say about Thiago...    -> Fabregas isn't getting younger and his performances weren't good this season.

 

Yea.. that is still quite a lot of money for just a few changes but I think you just have to spend that nowadays if you want to compete for the title.

And imagine if we wouldn't have spend so much money for average players like Drinkwater and Zappacosta who you barely have seen this season!

You could also include Giroud, Barkley and Emerson but I think these could at least be important for the future.

Bakayoko seemed to be a good signing at first, but who could have known that he is that terrible!?

 

 

That's it for now... just my thoughts. Could be quite a confusing post but I just wrote what came to my mind.

Please let me know what you think about it!

Edited May 14, 20188 yr by BlueLion1905

On 14/05/2018 at 16:43, Argo said:

Zouma's a nice lad but horrendously overrated, personally i wouldn't swap any of our current defenders for him and that's includes Cahill.

It's like i keep saying, if he wasn't already our player, you would never hear a Chelsea fan say "we should sign that Kurt Zouma lad from relegated Stoke"

Mount, Hudson-Odoi and Mceachran all look like they will be elite world class players. We have to play them.

47 minutes ago, MasonMountXI said:

Mount, Hudson-Odoi and Mceachran all look like they will be elite world class players. We have to play them.

FLASHBACKS!!! FLASHBACKS!!!

11 minutes ago, Kentonio said:

FLASHBACKS!!! FLASHBACKS!!!

Yeah I know. I think George is better than Josh was at the same age. 

3 minutes ago, MasonMountXI said:

Yeah I know. I think George is better than Josh was at the same age. 

Let's hope he stays away from the Corrie girls. :)

On 14/05/2018 at 16:43, Argo said:

Zouma's a nice lad but horrendously overrated

Not according to the stats, though I know stats aren’t everything.

11 hours ago, MasonMountXI said:

Mount, Hudson-Odoi and Mceachran all look like they will be elite world class players. We have to play them.

They’re all very talented, McEachran is one of the standout players at youth level, I’d at least include him in the squad as under 21. Josh was far too light weight and George is already tougher and more physical at 17. 

Edited May 16, 20188 yr by Floyd25

I don't think we will see huge amount of change to the squad, and personally I don't think we need it, a change in style, tempo and formation however is very much needed. 

With that in mind I'd go back to 4-3-3 powerhouse of old and I think it bring out the best in what we have. 

With Europa League football we have a lot more opportunity to play fringe players so I would bring back a few loanees in Abraham, Loftus-Cheek, Mount and Zouma, and then depending on the availability of a top class midfielder Pasalic or Van Ginkel.

GK: Courtois, Caballero

I'm happy keeping Courtois, however if Real do come in for him and he is pushing for a move signing someone like Donnaruma wouldn't go amiss.
No movement

LB/RB: Alonso, Azpi, Emerson, Zappacosta, James(HG)

Alonso is a very classy LB whilst he does lack a little bit of pace I do think it will be very hard to find an upgrade for him and given the switch to 4-3-3 Azpi would be my starting RB. Zappacosta and Emerson have looked like capable back ups so would also keep them in the squad. Not sure where Moses fits in a 4-3-3.

CB: Rudiger, Christensen(HG), Zouma, Cahill(HG), Ampadu(HG)

Rudiger and Christensen have impressed me this year so they would be my starting pair, I'd bring Zouma back so that really only leaves 1 spot for Cahill and Luiz, either is fine we me but I imagine Luiz is the one more likely to go. Also wouldn't mind seeing a Maguire or Mawson bought in for Zouma.

CM: Fabregas(HG), Kante, Bakayoko, Loftus-Cheek(HG), Zakaria, VanGinkel, Mount(HG)

I think having 3 in midfield will bring the best out of both Bakayoko and Fabregas and I don't see us going big on a midfielder. Loftus-Cheek is almost a must to bring back and Mount deserves a chance too. Having that I'd be very happy if we spent big on someone like Milinkovic-Savic but I just don't see the club breaking the bank this summer, maybe Vidal might be more viable given his age and Bayern depth in that position. If  we can get a top midfielder they would shoot into the team ahead of Bakayoko and VanGinkel would drop out. We also don't really have any Kante cover in the squad Zakaria seems a similar type of player and won't be too hefty in price.

LW/RW: Hazard, Zaha(HG), Pedro, Martial, Hudson-Odoi(HG)

Big changes here and whilst I love Willian there has been a of smoke in the press about him leaving and its something I can see the club allowing given his value is only likely to drop. Pace and directness is a must I think and Zaha and Martial and fit the bill and have been rumoured.    

ST: Morata, Giroud, Abraham(HG)

Giroud has looked good since arriving and I'd like to give Morata another shot he looked good at the start of the year and there does seem to be a lot of good facets of his game. Would also like to see Abraham back and tried out in the cups.

I think this would bring a bit more Chelsea back into the club whilst still keeping us competitive on a very limited budget whilst I don't think it will bring us up to City's level it is hard to defend a title as we all know.  

Staff: Hire Lamps in some form of capacity even if its as a part time coach, and if JT like wise.

In (£115-195m)
Martial (Swap +£30m)
Zaha (£60m)
Zakaria (£25m)
?Milinkovic-Savic (£80m)

Out (£120-135m)
Willian (Swap)
Batsuayi (£30m)
Drinkwater (£20m)
Pasalic (£5m)
Luiz (£20m)
Moses (£15m)
?VanGinkel (£15m)
Loanees over 22 (£30m)