With the injection of youth into our squad this season Lampard has done an exceptional job in coping with injuries to numerous key members of the starting 11 however with Kante coming back and Rudiger and RLC also fairly close to a return I was wondering what our strongest 11 is once everyone is fit and operating at optimum levels.

I personally think the Best 11 we could put out would be as follows:

Kepa

James

Zouma

Rudiger

Emerson

Kante

Jorginho

RLC

Willian

Pulisic

Tammy

RLC would need to alternate between 2 positions (Attacking Mid & Central mid) similar to Mount, in order to allow us to deviate between 4-2-3-1 & 4-3-3.

I seriously think that team alongside having Mount, Kova, CHO & Tomori on the bench our squad is right up there with Liverpool and City.

 

I can see our overall squad being up there with Liverpool, but City's are still ahead. Which is to nobody's surprise as they have just outspent everyone in that regard.

Id say our strongest lineup without injuries would be:

Kepa

RJ-Tomori-Rudiger-Emerson

Kovacic-Jorginho-Kante

Willian-Tammy-Pulisic

Mount has started a lot of games this season, but thats down to Kante and RLC both being injured,  if they were both fit I cant see Mount starting ahead of them. Id say RLC and Mount both actually play fairly similar roles, but RLC is ahead of him in almost every regard.

Also, Kovacic is arguably one of our best players, there is just no way I would drop him at this point. Him and Jorginho are on the same level for me.

9 minutes ago, DisposeOfDeadwood said:

I can see our overall squad being up there with Liverpool, but City's are still ahead. Which is to nobody's surprise as they have just outspent everyone in that regard.

Id say our strongest lineup without injuries would be:

Kepa

RJ-Tomori-Rudiger-Emerson

Kovacic-Jorginho-Kante

Willian-Tammy-Pulisic

Mount has started a lot of games this season, but thats down to Kante and RLC both being injured,  if they were both fit I cant see Mount starting ahead of them. Id say RLC and Mount both actually play fairly similar roles, but RLC is ahead of him in almost every regard.

Also, Kovacic is arguably one of our best players, there is just no way I would drop him at this point. Him and Jorginho are on the same level for me.

Kante would be picked ahead of kovacic. Meaning mount would be in the XI. 

RLC I think would compete with mount for that 3rd midfielder slot. Kovacic would rotate with kante and jorginho. 

41 minutes ago, DisposeOfDeadwood said:

I can see our overall squad being up there with Liverpool, but City's are still ahead. Which is to nobody's surprise as they have just outspent everyone in that regard.

Id say our strongest lineup without injuries would be:

Kepa

RJ-Tomori-Rudiger-Emerson

Kovacic-Jorginho-Kante

Willian-Tammy-Pulisic

Mount has started a lot of games this season, but thats down to Kante and RLC both being injured,  if they were both fit I cant see Mount starting ahead of them. Id say RLC and Mount both actually play fairly similar roles, but RLC is ahead of him in almost every regard.

Also, Kovacic is arguably one of our best players, there is just no way I would drop him at this point. Him and Jorginho are on the same level for me.

I agree about everything except the central midfield. In my opinion we need an attacking midfielder like Mount or RLC to balance it out, since Kovacic and Kante struggles when they have to find key passes & goals in the final third. There is also games where I would prefer Mounts superior workrate off the ball compared to RLC as well, I'm not sure we will see the same RLC after the injury either to be honest.

I think we are effectively playing a 4 -2-3-1 to be more offensive.

For me that means one of either Jorgy, Kante or Kovacic is likely to miss games.

Going on Strider’s premise that 4-2-3-1 

21 minutes ago, Strider6003 said:

I think we are effectively playing a 4 -2-3-1 to be more offensive.

For me that means one of either Jorgy, Kante or Kovacic is likely to miss games.

Which one? Do you see a role for Kante in the advanced 3? I’m wondering if he could be used there in a kind of advanced disrupter role, with Mount the sacrificial lamb (seems harsh). Or is that just a 4-3-3 in disguise?

1 hour ago, comtrend said:

I agree about everything except the central midfield. In my opinion we need an attacking midfielder like Mount or RLC to balance it out, since Kovacic and Kante struggles when they have to find key passes & goals in the final third. There is also games where I would prefer Mounts superior workrate off the ball compared to RLC as well, I'm not sure we will see the same RLC after the injury either to be honest.

I guess, but lets be honest in the past couple years Kante has been more than good enough at going forward! Though I do agree about RLC, and whether he'll be the same player once he's back fro injury

9 minutes ago, Dean said:

Going on Strider’s premise that 4-2-3-1 

Which one? Do you see a role for Kante in the advanced 3? I’m wondering if he could be used there in a kind of advanced disrupter role, with Mount the sacrificial lamb (seems harsh). Or is that just a 4-3-3 in disguise?

Currently think Jorginho and Kovacic, Kante could move forward though don't think that would happen unless there is an injury. 

Of course Frank for some games may want to move the midfield two around to freshen it up.

1 minute ago, Strider6003 said:

Currently think Jorginho and Kovacic, Kante could move forward though don't think that would happen unless there is an injury. 

Of course Frank for some games may want to move the midfield two around to freshen it up.

True. Kova is going to need a rest soon.

1 minute ago, Dean said:

True. Kova is going to need a rest soon.

And occasionally Jorginho looks frazzled too.

In a similar way to how we look better as a TEAM without Hazard, I think our best midfield might actually be without Kante ... in terms of how our team play, you need a proper attacking midfielder, which is one of RLC, Mount and Barkley. One of them has to play. For the other two, you're perming two from four out of Jorginho, Kovacic, Kante and Gilmour, and I think the understanding and technical ability between Jorginho and Kovacic is what tips the balance in their favour. Whichever way you look at it though, it's a nice problem to have !

Edited November 11, 20195 yr by Sexyfootball

1 hour ago, Sexyfootball said:

In a similar way to how we look better as a TEAM without Hazard, I think our best midfield might actually be without Kante ... in terms of how our team play, you need a proper attacking midfielder, which is one of RLC, Mount and Barkley. One of them has to play. For the other two, you're perming two from four out of Jorginho, Kovacic, Kante and Gilmour, and I think the understanding and technical ability between Jorginho and Kovacic is what tips the balance in their favour. Whichever way you look at it though, it's a nice problem to have !

I would disagree with that slightly, our best midfield definitely includes Kante, whether that is in a midfield 2 or 3.

32 minutes ago, Imran_CFC said:

I would disagree with that slightly, our best midfield definitely includes Kante, whether that is in a midfield 2 or 3.

Wouldn’t play Kante further upfront in a 2 though, it’s one thing leading the press & breaking up play but you need to be able to release it quickly once you get it. That he can’t do. If you are playing him in a 2, he has to sit in the 2.

I think by the end of the season (assuming transfer ban sticks) our starting XI will look like:

                                 Kepa

James      Tomori                     Zouma        Emerson

                                 Jorginho

                  Kante                     Mount

Pulisic                      Abraham                     Hudson-Odoi

 

One thing is going to be apparent is that there is going to be fierce competition for spots in the middle of our defense and in midfield. Tomori, Zouma, Christensen, Rudiger are all viable options at CB and you can also throw in Azpi if we play in a back 3.  In midfield, the likes of Jorginho and Kovacic are proving to be hard not to select with the way they have been playing. Then throw on top of that, Kante's return and I haven't even brought up Mount, Ruben, Barkley, and Gilmour. It is a good problem to have, up to seven players that can compete for 3 spots (well, it CAN be a good problem).

I would really like to see Chelsea go hard after Sancho this summer. With the way Willian has been playing, adding a singular winger and a LB should be enough to really make this squad even more competitive and dangerous. A winger group of CHO, Pulisic, Sancho and Willian is a solid group.

25 minutes ago, ducavis said:

Wouldn’t play Kante further upfront in a 2 though, it’s one thing leading the press & breaking up play but you need to be able to release it quickly once you get it. That he can’t do. If you are playing him in a 2, he has to sit in the 2.

Kante is the best Box to Box midfielder in the squad, there is no way he would be used in the sitting role

Sarri used both Jorginho and Kovacic in that deeper role over Kante, its not a case of Kante cant play that position its just that Kante is World Class in a more box to box role. Its a disservice to Kante to say that he only breaks up play and leads the press, his game is so well rounded now that he is truly one of a kind currently. We are fortunate that Kovacic and Jorginho have done a wonderful job whilst Kante has been out injured however I think people are forgetting how truly elite Kante is. 

Lamps is adapting the tactics to the opponents so it's difficult to say what our strongest lineup is, what we have is a squad that can easily adapt to a back 3, 4-3-3, 4-1-4-1, 4-2-3-1, or whatever formation gives us the best chance of winning. The balance we have in the squad is reflected by our league position. It's a big if but if we can sign Willian up to a new contract and find quality experienced replacements for Giroud, Pedro, and maybe Rudiger or Christensen I think we can challenge for the title next season.

Edited November 11, 20195 yr by the special one

Don't think there's such things as a best lineup under Frank. He will base his lineups on who's on form and what's working at any given time.

Frank knows our strongest team. He started it against Palace.

11 minutes ago, Davey Baby said:

Frank knows our strongest team. He started it against Palace.

I think you could swap in a couple of players (in the OP team) without the strength of the team suffering and for it to reflect the need. 

 

FULLBACKS

Azpi at left back with James at right when needing a bit more defensive solidity.

 

WINGS

Pulisic / Hudson Odoi... Not much between them at the moment. Willian gives that extra defensive workrate. 

 

CENTRAL DEFENCE

Zouma/Tomori/Rudiger/Christensen 

Not much between the four either with Tomori being the one with a little less maturity and experience but offering a ridiculous amount of pace.

 

CENTRE MID

Kovacic, Kante, Jorginho... Currently all should offer a very similar level of high quality as well in midfield.

 

ATTACKING MID

I think with Mount/Loftus-Cheek, the way Lampard wants to play with the high energy and pressing it suits Mount, but for me the out and out quality and ability and physical strength from Loftus-Cheek means I always like to.seem him on the pitch, personally. 

 

STRIKE

I don't think anyone will argue with Abraham first and Batshuayi second

Edited November 11, 20195 yr by GhostOfDembaBa

It's amazing how fast things have moved on in just a few months of football. Not only are more and more fans saying we're better without Hazard, but now even Kante's position in the starting eleven is being questioned. 

39 minutes ago, Dixons said:

It's amazing how fast things have moved on in just a few months of football. Not only are more and more fans saying we're better without Hazard, but now even Kante's position in the starting eleven is being questioned. 

Different brand of football these days more attacking and Kante's strength was closing down and intercepting.

He has also come up with a cracker of a goal now and then.

3 hours ago, Dixons said:

It's amazing how fast things have moved on in just a few months of football. Not only are more and more fans saying we're better without Hazard, but now even Kante's position in the starting eleven is being questioned. 

For me I saw enough encouragement under both Sarri and Conte that we could cope well without Hazard. All be it against poor opposition for the most part our win record and goal record without Hazard playing under both was actually very good.

Kante however is a complete different ballgame, I never in a million years thought we could have taken his abscense in our stride as seemlessy as we have.

4 hours ago, Davey Baby said:

Frank knows our strongest team. He started it against Palace.

I think the two players SFL has given media kudos to the most this season Davey is Jorginho and Willian. Understandable given how they have played.

He isn't gonna be leaving Jorginho out anytime soon.

Unless he is injured or banned.

17 hours ago, Imran_CFC said:

Kante is the best Box to Box midfielder in the squad, there is no way he would be used in the sitting role

Sarri used both Jorginho and Kovacic in that deeper role over Kante, its not a case of Kante cant play that position its just that Kante is World Class in a more box to box role. Its a disservice to Kante to say that he only breaks up play and leads the press, his game is so well rounded now that he is truly one of a kind currently. We are fortunate that Kovacic and Jorginho have done a wonderful job whilst Kante has been out injured however I think people are forgetting how truly elite Kante is. 

Well he played in the deeper role with Kovacic against Crystal Palace, with Mount further upfront. Kante playing as one of a disciplined 2 in a 4-2-3-1 doesn’t mean he can’t still play his B2B role, he will just be more disciplined as you can’t have him and Mount far up the pitch at the same time leaving Jorginho exposed.

Long term IMO it is Jorginho, one of Kovacic/Kante, and one of Mount/RLC/Barkley when everyone is fit if Lamps continues with his 4-2-3-1.