Chelsea Banter Archive March 24 2012

24 Mar 2012 22:34:41
..................Cech.................

... ? ... Luiz ... Terry ... Cole ...

......... Ramires ... ? ...............

................. Mata .................

... Sturridge ... Torres ... ? ......


Next year this would be my realistic starting 11.

RB - We desperately need a new RB - Montoya of Barcelona looks like a very good prospect as does Cesar Azpilicueta. My personal preference would be Kyle Walker, how realistic that is i dont no.

CM - We lack so much creativity, playing Mata will help but he also needs a CM behind him to link up the play and link up attacks and my choice would be Mario Gotze, quick, young, skillful and has a good assist ratio, also hes been playing in the Bundesliga which is the most similair style of league that compares to the Premier League. If not Gotze, Thiago of Barcelona or Cristian Erikson of Ajax.

LW - Quiet simply we dont have a LW atm, Malouda is useless and i have never been a fan of Kalou, Di Maria is my preference, Hazard has shown his true colours and maturity level of l8 so he wouldnt be my first choice. Also i would love a £15m bid for Adam Johnson, wasted at City and would really bring something to this team.


Sales -

Bosingwa, Drogba, Mikel, Kalou, Malouda, Miereles.

I would also sell Ivanovic due to the fact we have Todd Kane and Sam Hutchinson in the reserves playing well and ready to challenge for a bench spot next year and Cahill and Chabolah as our back up CB, i cant see Ivanovic wanting to be on the bench for 75% of the games unless injuries strike.

I would also accept an offer for Essien if it was around the £15m mark, we could invest that money back into the summer transfers and also promote some youngsters through to the 1st tea.

Example Bench - Turnbull, Cahill, Bertrand, McEachran, Romeu, Kakuta, Lukaku.

Players such as Piazon and Chabolah could be brought into the 1st team for lower end cup matches.

PB

Agree with most but wouldn't sell ivanovic and the bench is too young. Trout

Good analysis PB. As always agree.

Shak. Forgot to sign off

M8 i was like wooooooooo No dont sell Ivanovic but he is probably our 4th choice CB nect season and would be our 2nd choice RB, will he accept that? That was the point i was trying to make.

I also agree the bench is to young and im sure we will sign more than 3 players but i didnt want to make it to unrealistic and im sure probably not all 6 of the players i highlighted for sale will all actually go.

PB

Good post as usual PB, my only query is who else would you have as a bench player. This bench would be far to young and inexperience and if something happened to one of the starting 11 we would be in strife.

Melbourne CFC

I wouldn't play sturridge out wide. Keep him as back up for Torres if anything. I would keep Cech, terry, cahill, luiz, ivanovic, Ramirez, Romeu, lampard, mata, Torres, lukaku, mceachran, piazon. We need right and left back. Right and left wingers, holding midfielder, cam, maybe a striker

24 Mar 2012 21:10:32
It is opportunistic and somewhat fantasy, but my ideql squad would be:

Cech
VDW-Luiz-Terry-Baines
Ramires-Felaini
Modric
Studge-Torres-Mata

JG

Fellaini. Do me a favour.
What would he bring to the party?
He's a poor mans mikel , that's how much I don't rate him.
Cfcmatt

How can u leave out Cahill? He's been immense since he's come in. Future Chelsea captain in my opinion. Also, as much as I'd love sturridge to succeed, I think his game as far too one dimensional. I think kaloushould have got at least 20 minutes today, I struggle to see the difference between the two.

NP

NP

'Ideal sqaud' and Felaini in the same post, come on JG lift your game mate.

Melbourne CFC

Ok, look I can do better:

Casillas
Ramos-Thiago Silva-Luiz-Coentrao
XabiAlonso-Fabregas
Messi-Cavani-Higuain-Cristiano Ronaldo


Does that apply the ideal squad mark?

Do you agree that we need a proper, no a great holding midfielder? If so look who is realistic. We wont get Xabi, nor Mascherano, we don't go into bidding wars so don't expect M'Villa. So who would be an upgrade over Essien and Mikel and be available at reasonable price. Reasonable is of course irrelevant, but still something that the cloub would be comfortable in investing. That means the player has to be realatively young to sign a five year contract and have his best carrer years in that time frame.

Please do your best with suggestions. I rate Fellaini highly. Above Tiote, for sure.

I personally feel Romeu will be able to do the job from next season onwards. If the board is not as convinced then I would go ALL OUT for Martinez probably just over your 'reasonable mark' but would be well worth it.

Fellaini is way down the list for me. If Martinez isn't an option than a cheeky bid for Khedira would certainly suffice. I see your logic mate because Fellaini has PL experience but I assure you if we buy him it is the first step to following Liverpool down the table.

Melbourne CFC

24 Mar 2012 19:32:03
what a strike by Crouch tonight against the citizens ,, you've got to see it :)

24 Mar 2012 19:08:16
Funny how Optimism turns to pessimism within two bad results. I mean seriously, do you think that we will win every game ?, I say funny, it's actually astonishing ! Bring on benfica :)


Jm10

It is not the fact we have had two poor results, it is the manner of the performances and the consequences for this season and next. No top 4 no champions league-fewer top class managers and players will want to join us!

24 Mar 2012 18:50:44
we deffinently need 3 positions filled during the summer....

A right back- van der weil, cesar azpillcueta

attacking mid- modric, lucas moura, jovetic, sneijder, gotze, hamsik

winger-hazard, di maria, gaitan, munian, hoilett, hulk, robben, lavezzi, affelay, bale, ocampos.

and........

possibly a new forward if torres and drogba dont step their s**t up...

CALI

I would go for :
- Azpillecueta
- Rodwell ( for the future )
- Lucas
- Lavezzi
- Soldado or Falcao

24 Mar 2012 18:42:54
Cahill,a defender was our best player in a game we had to win. and that speaks volumes about the performances of other players.What a midfield we have got!Except Mata no one knows how to pass and I mean no one.Ramires is never going to be a world class midfielder . He cannot pass ,has the poorest touch of any midfielder in the top 7 teams.Same goes for Sturridge .They have loads of pace but no touch or imagination.Essien and Lampard are past it.Why was our best player in recent games Torres on the bench and came on in the 76th minute in a game we had to win;it just defies belief.
Why the defensive strategy in last two games, games we had to win.Are we practicing for the Champions League?N

Because he cant score goals,all the effort and determination in the world doesnt hide the fact that Torres is not a goalscorer,needs replacing.

He just scored numb nuts

What match you been watching bud,0-0 final score,dear o dear.

I'm sorry but Sturridge has a phenomenal first touch, his technique is not the issue.

Blue25

24 Mar 2012 17:54:06
For our remaining games i would start torres for all league and FA cup games and start drogba only for our champions league games because as i have said before drogba looks only interested in winning the champions league.personally after today i've lost a little bit of optimism for this season,i just hope major changes are made in the summer for both playing and management personnel.

aL

24 Mar 2012 17:00:43
The club must be preparing for next year knowing there wont be any Champions league football and making plans how to get back in we seriously need 3-4 top quality signings how will not getting into the Champions league effect plans ED? {Ed002's Note - I did not realise the club were out of the Champions League next season.}

Yeah we're in 5th place, playing rubbish and nothing short of a miracle will get us anywhere near CL's. chelsea are club in denial. time to face facts. we sacked the most exciting manager in europe and have a tired over the hill team of cry babies. get real ED {Ed001's Note - perhaps it is you that needs to get real, you do realise that you didn't lose today right?}

Actually we did lose today, we needed nothing short of a win.

24 Mar 2012 15:54:39
no ambition no idea no passion no urgency and definatley NO Champions league football next season....i bet Benfica are shaking in there boots NOT.....and if and only if we get thro i dread to think what Barca will do to us...

Why dont we play like we did against napoli or valencia, we only seem intrestest weh were about 2 go out of a competition, thn we show determination , today and man city lacked all of wt u sed above

24 Mar 2012 15:41:18
In the last three games whilst Torres has been on the pitch we have scored 6 goals and whilst

Drogba has been on the pitch we have scored 1. I rest my case

24 Mar 2012 15:00:30
I thought today was a disgrace.

For all the talk of finishing fourth, we played with no heart and no ambition. The sooner the summer comes and we can clear out the better because the lack of cut and thrust was lamentable.

Also, RDM got key decision wrong today IMO. The substitutions to try and freshen things up were all too late.

I support the team through thick and thin, but when they do not appear to try it is very frustrating. Tottenham came to the Bridge after a bad run of results and were there to be broken down. Congratulations to them as throughout that second half they looked the better team.

If / when we finish in the Europa league places this season, I think we will look back on today as a defining moment.

Rant over.

AM

The quicker the season ends and the quicker we get out of this mysery and join the Europa league the better. New players required all over the field barring a few.

What I do not get is why would di Matteo put torres on and then play him wide he needs to be willing to change theformation and really go at them in a game we really had to win

Nova

24 Mar 2012 12:47:14
Why o why has he dropped David luiz? Bosingwa starting vs bale is suicide.
Oh my god this is guna be a painful watch.
Cfcmatt.

Can only think he is bein rested for Benfica game.

CT13

This is just as important as Tuesday's game.
Play your best team in each game.
Luiz is only what 22, he doesn't need resting.
Cfcmatt.

24 Mar 2012 11:53:26
I would like to ask your opinions on the following transfers if we fail to qualify for Europe.

I'll leave the European clubs out the picture and just concentrate on PL alone. Lets look at Everton in the first place. Two of their players would be in Chelseas's starting lineup every week: Baines and Felaini. Cole is declining, got huge contract is old enough to shop for one last big contract and could have a go at Barca, whk are in need of a left back. Surely Baines would add to the squad and be an adequate replacement. Felaini. Just think of the hype we will attract while having him and Luiz in our lineup. Now that would rock. Felaini is better than Obi and Essien in his form of a few seasons past. He is belgian and with Courtois, deBruyne and Lukaku, fits right in. Is tall and commanding in midfield, dangerous at set pieces and would add physical presence.

I am confident neither would be complaining over CL places. Arsenal got Arteta for some 8 million. We never get bargains, but we might snatch them at reasonable price.

Their two youngsters in Rodwell and Barkley are a special case and under proper guidance could become world class. I wish we got them both. It would make so much more sense than having the likes of Obi or Meireles in the team. Of course they are prospects and might be regular contributors alongside proper amount of veteran leadership, but i never said we should get rid of the likes of Lamps, JT or Cech.

Newcastle have a really good team and bidding the release clause of Ba at 10 million is a no brainer to me. A good striker with bags of speed and good finishing for this money is a bargain. I prefer Felaini to Tiote, but he is also a good player and has proven to be a good EPL midfielder.

Spurs: i highlt doubt we will do any business with them anytime soon and Modric and Bale are out of the question, but if we lodged a proper bid for Walker? No bs. Some serious money if we believe in him? Say 20 million? What would they say?

Random: Junior Hoilett. I will not start over. Nuff said. Sessagnon would be an upgrade over Kalou and Malouda. And if we don't get world beater, we should at least try for proven EPL talent.

JG

Your suggestions and ideas welcome.

I personally think cole gets a lot of unfair criticism. He does a hell of a lot of work up and down the left, more than his fair share with mata not tied to the left side. In terms of a rb, if you're talking about spending serious dough there are plenty of better options than Walker about. Micah Richards and VDW are 2 without even thinking about it (and vdw would be a lot more reasonably priced)

Blue John {Ed002's Note - The issue with Van Der Wiel is that he wants to move to Valencia. Azpilicueta remains the most likely.}

I think play to lose and drop out the top 8 so we dont gt europa league spot

24 Mar 2012 09:34:24
Billy Clifford signed a new four year deal in September last year, he is a highly rated attacking right back who doesn’t seem to get a look in. I don’t understand the reluctance from Chelsea to put players under the age of 21 into our starting line up?

Man Utd have had injury problems over the past few years which have caused Alex Ferguson many a problem however he is, and always has been, willing to trust the youth coming through the club and put them into games; nine times out of ten they produce for him too. When Chelsea have similar problems they resort to, what seems like, any solution other than playing youngsters; people playing out of position etc.

I said yesterday that Bosingwa will get skinned by Bale for the full 90mins if he starts, this is a statement I stand by because, lets face it, Bosingwa is that bad. Lets not take anything away from Bale though, on his day he can skin anyone; love him or hate him, love Spurs or hate Spurs…fact is he can be a world beater. I am fed up with Bosingwa because he gets skinned by every left sided player he comes up against, he is supposed to be an international defender and he gets the basics wrong.

If young Billy Clifford or Sam Hutchinson faced the same conundrum of Bale and had a bad game then the fans wouldn’t be as scathing. John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole etc. all have one thing in common…they were given the opportunity to prove their worth when they were young. I would much rather see a youngster have a difficult debut than Bosingwa have another poor / lazy game.

13

24 Mar 2012 06:13:42
Can anyone explain why we havent offered Gianfranco Zola our greatest ever player at least a coaching role, with the exceptional crop of youngsters at the moment surely this would be a good idea.