10 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

Would be bad news for the likes of Sterling, Mudryk, Madueke etc who play on the wing, as there is no place for wingers in a 3 at the back system, as all the width comes form the wing backs. 

I imagine we'll see 4-2-3-1

Not necessarily. You wouldn't say the 3atb system we played under Conte harmed the output of our wide players, would you?

Maybe Hazard, Willian, and Pedro were more suited to tucking in?
I suppose it's hard to know if Mudryk and Madueke need to be out getting chalk on their boots or not at this early point in their Chelsea careers (I wont pretend I'd seen them play much prior to them signing, a few youtube clips notwithstanding). Sterling can definitely occupy more central spaces though, he's got the technical ability and the positional nous.

 

9 minutes ago, ducavis said:

Enzo isn’t a DM though so we will get hammered on the break. Felix has also been underwhelming and a smart board shouldn’t be sanctioning a £80m+ £200k/w deal for a player we don’t need. He isn’t a winger, and we already have enough of those. He operates in the same spaces as the £60m Nkunku, so signing him will just create a problem for any manager.

Squad building so far is strongly indicative of 4-2-3-1 as the default system. (big outlay on wingers and CAMs)

The only role for Nkunku/Felix in that is the centre of the 3, albeit Felix could also play the left role of the 3, but then there is no place for Mudryk ... I agree that common sense dictates Nkunku /Felix is an either/or scenario rather than both.

The only formation that shoe-horns both of them into the line up in their best position is 3-4-2-1, and they play as the 2, which would be at the expense of ALL the wingers, unless they are played at wing back (Potter has form with this with Trossard)  or as false #9.

Edited February 24, 20233 yr by Sexyfootball

1 minute ago, cfr95 said:

Not necessarily. You wouldn't say the 3atb system we played under Conte harmed the output of our wide players, would you?

Maybe Hazard, Willian, and Pedro were more suited to tucking in?
I suppose it's hard to know if Mudryk and Madueke need to be out getting chalk on their boots or not at this early point in their Chelsea careers (I wont pretend I'd seen them play much prior to them signing, a few youtube clips notwithstanding). Sterling can definitely occupy more central spaces though, he's got the technical ability and the positional nous.

 

If they play then where do Nkunku and Felix go ?

10 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

If they play then where do Nkunku and Felix go ?

I'm not convinced we'll end up with both Nkunku and Felix, I suspect Felix goes back to Atletico in the summer.

But even so, that's a fair point, and I don't have much of a rebuttal.
Even assuming Ziyech and Pulisic leave, we're left with at least 7 players vying for 3 spots (9 if Carney/Mount are to be deployed in the front 3, and I suppose 10 if Lukaku returns).

So I guess you're right, maybe that's too many players for not enough spots. I suppose I was focused on the system that I think suits our defenders and midfielders, rather than what would suit our attackers.

All conjecture right now. I think we are better equipped now to run this system vs 12 months ago. 

I think 5atb is now obviously the way to go. And there's no shame in that. But it does make the squad dynamics interesting. 

GK - Kepa / Mendy / Betinelli

Rwb - James / Gusto

RCB - Fofana / Chalobah

CB - Silva / Koulibaly

LCB - Badiashille / Colwill

LWB - Chilwell / Cucu

CM - Kova / Kante / Enzo / RLC

AMC/9 - Nkunku / Felix / Havertz / Gallagher

WideForward - Sterling / Mudryk / Madueke / Mount 

That's a squad of 25 with a view to being 5atb and I think it's 17 non home grown players - but I'm constantly confused with those rules. 

In my view we can't have more than 25 in the squad if we are going to be successful. So I'm interested to see how we set up next year. But from my glance, that squad is more than good enough to compete at the top level. 

 

 

Until we get better midfield players then I agree 5 at the back yet when say Enzo, Kovacic and Zakaria are fit we may want to change it and if that coincides with out wbs being injured it makes even more sense.

 

2 hours ago, bisright1 said:

I think 5atb is now obviously the way to go. And there's no shame in that. But it does make the squad dynamics interesting. 

GK - Kepa / Mendy / Betinelli

Rwb - James / Gusto

RCB - Fofana / Chalobah

CB - Silva / Koulibaly

LCB - Badiashille / Colwill

LWB - Chilwell / Cucu

CM - Kova / Kante / Enzo / RLC

AMC/9 - Nkunku / Felix / Havertz / Gallagher

WideForward - Sterling / Mudryk / Madueke / Mount 

That's a squad of 25 with a view to being 5atb and I think it's 17 non home grown players - but I'm constantly confused with those rules. 

In my view we can't have more than 25 in the squad if we are going to be successful. So I'm interested to see how we set up next year. But from my glance, that squad is more than good enough to compete at the top level. 

 

 

Three injury prone players in midfield. That's a concern. 

No natural goal scorers in attack either.