9 hours ago, Drogba1 said:

Wouldn't make any sense to sell Trev, he's a more than capable back up to Fofana, and still has room for improvement.

There is genuinely something going on behind the scenes with Chalobah. Just randomly dropped when he really hasn't put a foot wrong. 

I think he's gone personally. It'll likely be Fofana, Silva, Koulibaly for RCB. 

1 minute ago, Sconnie Blue said:

There is genuinely something going on behind the scenes with Chalobah. Just randomly dropped when he really hasn't put a foot wrong. 

I think he's gone personally. It'll likely be Fofana, Silva, Koulibaly for RCB. 

Reminding me of Lampard and Tomori for sure. Hopefully Potter isn't stupid enough to sell him. Fofana, Silva and Badiashile should be our starting back 3, with Colwill, Koulibaly and Chalobah as cover. How can we sell Chalobah instead of Azpillicueta?

1 minute ago, Drogba1 said:

How can we sell Chalobah instead of Azpillicueta?

Think Dave's gone too. 

 

34 minutes ago, Drogba1 said:

Reminding me of Lampard and Tomori for sure. Hopefully Potter isn't stupid enough to sell him. Fofana, Silva and Badiashile should be our starting back 3, with Colwill, Koulibaly and Chalobah as cover. How can we sell Chalobah instead of Azpillicueta?

Yes it does remind me as well of Lamps with Tomori. Why I expect Trev to be sold.

We may hold on to Gallagher for 1 more season if the around 50mill for Mase and 25mill for Trev is enough to offset our seasons FFP. Others will go as well but we may have a hard time getting buyers for Ziyech, CHO and Pulisic.

Chalobah reminds me of Cahill in a sense of far from a bad player but also far from the best we'll ever have.

The stars alligned for Cahill due to Luiz never getting over his erraticness, Jose returning to play a style that suits him and the CB market being pretty weak back then, Chalobah is directly up against an elite prospect in Fofana and a still highly performing Silva.

If back 3 is back for good he's still very much got a place as a rotation player but if back 4 is the plan I can't see where he fits.

I really hope we build for a back 3. We look awful playing 4-2-31, there's a reason hardly any team uses it anymore, it's not 2015. Potter's success at Brighton came from playing a 3-4-3 possession game, Tuchel won the Champions League playing a 3-4-3, why on earth should we build for a 4-2-3-1?

Mount & Chelsea have been some way apart on terms. #CFC have made multiple offers that Mount has turned down. Chelsea value Mount, but any agreement must be in keeping with the new incentive-driven wage structure, including decreases for lack of #UCL. As reported, #LFC interest… https://t.co/ROLFndU3u8

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) March 10, 2023

2 hours ago, Drogba1 said:

I really hope we build for a back 3. We look awful playing 4-2-31, there's a reason hardly any team uses it anymore, it's not 2015. Potter's success at Brighton came from playing a 3-4-3 possession game, Tuchel won the Champions League playing a 3-4-3, why on earth should we build for a 4-2-3-1?

Most top teams have 4 at the back these days ... Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Benfica, Napoli ... etc etc 

40 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Most top teams have 4 at the back these days ... Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Benfica, Napoli ... etc etc 

I think the focus should be on positioning rather the formation itself. When you analyze it those teams hardly ever attack with more players than we do in a back 3. 

Issue for us is we are very dependent on our wingbacks' attacking instincts. We need more players like Chilwell and James for this to be a sustainable thing. 

55 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Most top teams have 4 at the back these days ... Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Benfica, Napoli ... etc etc 

They almost exclusively use 4-3-3, and when the DM drops back and the full backs press up it essentially becomes 3-4-3 anyway. 

3 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

Most top teams have 4 at the back these days ... Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Benfica, Napoli ... etc etc 

We shouldn't be comparing ourselves to other teams though or trying to be like them. History has shown that when we try to turn into other teams (a la AVB coming in to try and play attractive football) we end up failing or getting worse. In the last decade, all our trophies were won using a back 3, why change something that wasn't broken? Not to mention our success over the last 20 years has always had to do with us standing out from other teams. Chelsea FC has never been a team that conforms to the "norm".

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I think the focus should be on positioning rather the formation itself. When you analyze it those teams hardly ever attack with more players than we do in a back 3. 

Issue for us is we are very dependent on our wingbacks' attacking instincts. We need more players like Chilwell and James for this to be a sustainable thing. 

IMO that should be the solution rather than just abandoning the 3-4-3.

9 minutes ago, Frankie8Lampard said:

We shouldn't be comparing ourselves to other teams though or trying to be like them. History has shown that when we try to turn into other teams (a la AVB coming in to try and play attractive football) we end up failing or getting worse. In the last decade, all our trophies were won using a back 3, why change something that wasn't broken? Not to mention our success over the last 20 years has always had to do with us standing out from other teams. Chelsea FC has never been a team that conforms to the "norm".

The best team we ever had played 4-3-3 though, didn't it ? 

You can debate whether that team was 2004/5 or 2009/10 mind you 🙂 

5 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Mount & Chelsea have been some way apart on terms. #CFC have made multiple offers that Mount has turned down. Chelsea value Mount, but any agreement must be in keeping with the new incentive-driven wage structure, including decreases for lack of #UCL. As reported, #LFC interest… https://t.co/ROLFndU3u8

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) March 10, 2023

I guess at this stage, it really boils down to wether Mount want to stay here or not.

I got to be honest, I’ll be truly gutted if he goes. I’ve always seen him as Chelsea through and through but if he can’t reach an agreement then what do we know?

The longer he lets this go on for the worse it looks for him. He need to sort it out ASAP.

2 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

The best team we ever had played 4-3-3 though, didn't it ? 

You can debate whether that team was 2004/5 or 2009/10 mind you 🙂 

I agree those were our best teams but they were also different squads under managers that play differently and also in completely different eras. Our team has more or less been playing the same way for the last 5+ years just and has played best when it had a back three. Potter, Tuchel and Frank all tried 4 at the back at some point and it didn't work well for them.

Edited March 11, 20233 yr by Frankie8Lampard

This account is a mason Mount fan account. Figured everyone needs to know that but of information. 

I will be sad and unhappy if we sell Mason Mount. My support of Chelsea, however, will not waiver. I may pout though and no one can stop me 

29 minutes ago, chiefBlueCFC said:

I will be sad and unhappy if we sell Mason Mount. My support of Chelsea, however, will not waiver. I may pout though and no one can stop me 

Fair mate, end of the day Mase will decide what he wants, and that is looking like it may not be Chelsea.

8 hours ago, Frankie8Lampard said:

IMO that should be the solution rather than just abandoning the 3-4-3.

Where can you find wb that is as good as James n Chilwell? 

8 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

The best team we ever had played 4-3-3 though, didn't it ? 

You can debate whether that team was 2004/5 or 2009/10 mind you 🙂 

I am not overly concerned which system is the best because it is more important to play a system that get the best out of of your player rather than playing the best system but it does not suit your player. 

 

 

I want Mase to stay, as he has been a cracking player for us. But sentiment aside, he has done little over the past year to justify a spot in the team. Doesn't offer enough of an end product to justify top wages, and isn't delivering consistently enough to be a core foundation of the team. A decent squad player, but I guess he won't want that. 

It has been the same for England if we are honest. Got a place in the team through hard graft - but performances for the national team rarely justified a place in the first 11, and he subsequently lost his starting spot. 

55 minutes ago, nonotnowjim said:

I want Mase to stay, as he has been a cracking player for us. But sentiment aside, he has done little over the past year to justify a spot in the team. Doesn't offer enough of an end product to justify top wages, and isn't delivering consistently enough to be a core foundation of the team. A decent squad player, but I guess he won't want that. 

It has been the same for England if we are honest. Got a place in the team through hard graft - but performances for the national team rarely justified a place in the first 11, and he subsequently lost his starting spot. 

I don't think any of our attacker has done anything to justify their spot in this team and that include Felix. 

 

22 hours ago, Bob stark said:

I don't think any of our attacker has done anything to justify their spot in this team and that include Felix. 

Doesn’t matter what others are or are not doing. Mase needs to earn a new contract based on merit - not on the perceived failings of others

3 minutes ago, nonotnowjim said:

Doesn’t matter what others are or are not doing. Mase needs to earn a new contract based on merit - not on the perceived failings of others

He's been unlucky.

Remember when it was a common opinion that all of our summer recruitments was sh*t? There was no end to how much Tuchel had set us back with that "absymal" window. Turns out that if you introduce a sound system and put players in their ideal positions everyone will look a whole lot better.

We shouldn't judge Mount on his performances for Potter until now. Maybe things are turning around a bit now but it's been a terrible mess until now and everyone have suffered. Imagine losing Mount to Liverpool and he kicks on again? Don't think Boehly & Potter are going to hear the end of that one...