Realistically what can Frank change in the January window? There is rarely any real quality available and despite a bright start to the season its Quality we need and im afraid in a few positions.

Someone who is creative and who can run the game from midfield, who that might be I don't know but its what we need, at he moment all our midfielders are too similar.

A central defender who dominates in the air and Bullies players. We're far too nice at present.

A replacement for Hazard, in Games like today's and against West Ham he was the difference and often the saviour. We have quality in his position but they are still learning, and im afraid Willian and Pedro no longer give us anything.

A dominant Keeper, someone who rules the six yard box and can compliment the style that Frank is trying to endorse, Playing from the back. Sell Kepa, he's simply not good enough.

That's just for starters and not achievable in this Window. We all knew it was going to be a tough season and the start we made has lured many of us into a false sense of security.

Im not saying a few poor results changes everything but we are a work in progress and disappointing results like today's are something we are going to have to take on the chin.

I think we all agree that if anyone would have offered us fourth at Christmas at the start of the season we would have bit their hand off despite our poor recent run.

Not necessarily in the next window, but i think we are at least 4 players short from having a team capable of challenging for titles, possibly 5 depending on how kepa does. 

Left back- Telles, Grimaldo, Chilwell.

Centre back - Skriniar, Dias, Romagnoli

Creative midfielder - Fernandes, Havertz, Saul

Prolific Winger - Sancho, Dembele, Ziyech.

 

Edited December 14, 20196 yr by big blue

10 hours ago, big blue said:

Not necessarily in the next window, but i think we are at least 4 players short from having a team capable of challenging for titles, possibly 5 depending on how kepa does. 

Left back- Telles, Grimaldo, Chilwell.

Centre back - Skriniar, Dias, Romagnoli

Creative midfielder - Fernandes, Havertz, Saul

Prolific Winger - Sancho, Dembele, Ziyech.

 

I like Saul Niguez, Box to Box and makes the same sort of runs as Frank did, will he offer enough Creativity?

1 hour ago, Osgoodwasgood said:

I like Saul Niguez, Box to Box and makes the same sort of runs as Frank did, will he offer enough Creativity?

Not too sure tbh, He woudnt be a traditional 10 thats for sure. 

Fantastic player though, and capable of some wonderful things in the final 3rd.

25 minutes ago, big blue said:

Not too sure tbh, He woudnt be a traditional 10 thats for sure. 

Fantastic player though, and capable of some wonderful things in the final 3rd.

I would rather us spend 70-80m on him than get stung by Palace for Zaha

Skriniar, Saul and Sancho, Thats 200m right there. Its what we need though. Romagnoli would be too expensive imo

 

They say you should never go back, but I wonder what a Kante/Hazard straight swap might do for us ...

7 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

They say you should never go back, but I wonder what a Kante/Hazard straight swap might do for us ...

It’d make us worse imo. Kante is invaluable.

Having said that though I think we need another midfielder, if RLC is going to be out for the season (He won’t be fully fit in time)

But I think we really should focus on the full backs, that’d transform our game. If we sign 3 players I’d like to see 2 full backs and a winger.

2 full backs probably isn’t realistic, but it’s what we need imo. A young exciting left back, and an experienced right back (Paving the way for James in a year or two.)

2 minutes ago, dansubrosa said:

It’d make us worse imo. Kante is invaluable.

On paper, you'd certainly think so, but we are won 3 drawn 1 lost 4 with Kante as a starter in PL games this year ... maybe he isn't as invaluable as we'd all think ?

 

1 hour ago, Sexyfootball said:

On paper, you'd certainly think so, but we are won 3 drawn 1 lost 4 with Kante as a starter in PL games this year ... maybe he isn't as invaluable as we'd all think ?

 

I dont think he's fit personally. He's not the same player that we've been used to, he's had that niggling injury and i just think he needs a prolonged rest to enable him to get back to full fitness. He's the last of our midfielders that i would sell. Invaluable.

2 hours ago, Osgoodwasgood said:

Skriniar, Saul and Sancho, Thats 200m right there. Its what we need though. Romagnoli would be too expensive imo

 

Realistically we should be spending about 200 million. I don't think we will though, but we should at least spend a 100 mill in January at least. 

3 minutes ago, Slojo said:

Realistically we should be spending about 200 million. I don't think we will though, but we should at least spend a 100 mill in January at least. 

We should only be spending if we're buying quality. If quality is not available then we should wait. January is notorious for poor purchases, lets face it, who wants to lose their best players halfway through a campaign?

I heard Jeremy Boga has been doing well in Italy. Wonder if we have a buy back clause with him?

1 hour ago, CFCholland said:

I heard Jeremy Boga has been doing well in Italy. Wonder if we have a buy back clause with him?

Apparently we do,and Barcelona are interested in him

Is there nobody on here who thinks: maybe let’s not spend anything in the January transfer window and see what these young players and Lampard are really made of? During the summer many were clamouring for Lampard and for giving the young players a chance, even if that meant a poor season or even longer. We hit a rough patch for a few weeks and we should just give up on them?

Anyone think Richarlison would be a better buy than Zaha and certainly give us better value?

Not sure how much it would cost to prise him away from Everton but I do rate him and at 22 he will keep on improving. Maybe let them have Pedro and Barkley back as part of the deal.

13 minutes ago, Dean said:

Is there nobody on here who thinks: maybe let’s not spend anything in the January transfer window and see what these young players and Lampard are really made of? During the summer many were clamouring for Lampard and for giving the young players a chance, even if that meant a poor season or even longer. We hit a rough patch for a few weeks and we should just give up on them?

If we cannot sign REAL quality in January then I would rather keep the money in the bank until the Summer.

BUT I do think it would be a big gamble to see if the kids can play through the bad patch and ride it out. I would look to offload the older players who don't have a future and aren't in Lamps plans and try and sign a few QUALITY players who we know will have a positive impact and it's down to Lamps and Jody to rest / rotate the youngsters as they see fit.

4 hours ago, dansubrosa said:

It’d make us worse imo. Kante is invaluable.

I never thought I'd say this but are we actually better balanced and pull off our progressive style of football better without Kante playing?

Out of the games I look at as a blueprint to where i hope we end up when we peak (Brighton at home, Ajax away, Watford away) he hasn't played in any of them.

I don't want him sold but the midfield combination I've enjoyed the most this season is Jorginho, Kovacic and Mount.

38 minutes ago, Nibs said:

If we cannot sign REAL quality in January then I would rather keep the money in the bank until the Summer.

BUT I do think it would be a big gamble to see if the kids can play through the bad patch and ride it out. I would look to offload the older players who don't have a future and aren't in Lamps plans and try and sign a few QUALITY players who we know will have a positive impact and it's down to Lamps and Jody to rest / rotate the youngsters as they see fit.

Is it really a gamble though? It’s not like we’re going to get relegated or anything, and we’re not going to get close to winning the CL. Presumably the gamble you have in mind is not finishing 4th? But buying a couple of players won’t guarantee 4th place either. so, at least from an owner’s perspective, spending big in January is a bigger gamble than not spending?

The other point I’m getting at is this - why is everyone so quick to point their fingers at the players,  but not at SFL? Ask yourselves this: is our current team good enough to win against West Ham and Bournemouth at home? If the answer is ‘yes’, then logically Lampard is the problem, not the players? And rather than spending 200 mn on new players, we should be sacking Lampard and getting a new manager?

Let me be clear - I don’t think we should be doing that at all. I don’t think we should be doing either. The reason people were ready to cut both SFL and the team some slack was they were young and lacked experience. Well - that is still valid. They have a lot to learn. If you’re still willing to cut SFL slack, you should be willing to give the players a chance too.

Football is often illogical and more complicated than ‘if we lose 2 consecutive games at home to worse teams than us, we must replace the team and/or the manager.’ Form comes and goes over the course of a season, teams click and then fall out of sync, then click again. Last season, we hit a rough patch and everyone called for Sarri’s head. He fixed it, with no help mind you from the January transfer window - Higuain! If everyone thinks a) SFL is better than Sarri, and b) our squad is better than e.g. West Ham, Bournemouth, and indeed most teams in the league, why not have faith that SFL will turn our season back around with our current squad?

 

4 hours ago, Argo said:

I never thought I'd say this but are we actually better balanced and pull off our progressive style of football better without Kante playing?

Out of the games I look at as a blueprint to where i hope we end up when we peak (Brighton at home, Ajax away, Watford away) he hasn't played in any of them.

I don't want him sold but the midfield combination I've enjoyed the most this season is Jorginho, Kovacic and Mount.

Possibly bs but-

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7793271/NGolo-Kante-wants-leave-Chelsea-end-season.html

3 hours ago, Kev56 said:

Possibly bs but-

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7793271/NGolo-Kante-wants-leave-Chelsea-end-season.html

Don't let GO15, read this, he's been recently banging on about his worth to the team. If say we went for Niguez, he's basically like Kovacic, Kante is a bit of an everywhere MF, not a CAM, def not a winger, to good to just play in front of the back 4, so really is an enigma in our progressive team?

Most important imo is Frank is supported in getting the type of players in he wants. Regardless of whether we agree with them or not.

If anything the ban has been a blessing in forcing him to deal only with the squad he inherited and the young players he picked to add to it. No pressure for his signings to justify themselves right away.

Being the intelligent bloke he is I would hope that is enough time to say who fits with his philosophy and who does not. It appears the likes of Pedro, Giroud and Alonso have all been cut, others may well be added to the list soon.

Hopefully he gets the players he wants in and they work out well.

Based on him not wanting to use the above and Batman being poor I would say it looks like a left back, a wide player and a striker would be top of his list to replace those he does not wish to use.

12 hours ago, Kev56 said:

Possibly bs but-

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7793271/NGolo-Kante-wants-leave-Chelsea-end-season.html

Had discussion on train home on Saturday and I was told I was clueless, but I will stick by it, we get offer £100 mil plus got to seriously consider it, in my view he won't be getting any better, and personally seen a slight decline over last couple of seasons, I don't want him sold but he's definately not un sellable like he would of been two years ago.

Atleti putting Saul in the window for 85m according to the Telegraph. A left footed versatile midfielder who always turns up on the big nights. I'd have him in a heartbeat at that price. Real leader.

19 hours ago, Dean said:

Is there nobody on here who thinks: maybe let’s not spend anything in the January transfer window and see what these young players and Lampard are really made of? During the summer many were clamouring for Lampard and for giving the young players a chance, even if that meant a poor season or even longer. We hit a rough patch for a few weeks and we should just give up on them?

Absolutely not. The youngsters have done a great job and January is not a great time to be buying, rarely any real quality available. We have shown some frailties in recent weeks, but not necessarily from the younger players. I just feel we lack a bit of creativity and need some more aerial dominance in the side for set pieces at both ends of the pitch. Whether we can rectify that in this window remains to be seen but i dont want to see us waste money, id rather us wait and compliment the positives in the current side with decent signings in the summer.