13 Jun 2020 08:15:24
ED001, What you make of Ben Chilwell . would like to know if he is a best upgrade out there for the price mentioned. we have 2 good LBs so do we need BC in your opnion.

what other options chelsea would consider and with the recent wise transfer business we have conducted . would chelsea pay over the odds for BC or rather look elsewhere.

{Ed001's Note - the talent is there, but his attitude has been horrible of late. He is skipping training sessions or turning up late, too much nightlife and not working hard enough in training. He probably needs a tougher hand than Rodgers, who is far too soft on players (which is why so many love him rather than because he is anything special as a coach), but I am not sure Lampard is that man. Certainly since he came in Barkley has reverted to type after a spell where he had knuckled down and behaved. That suggests he is not the man to deal with players with issues.

Personally I would stay pat as there are so few good left-backs out there. The only one I have seen, and that would at wing-back rather than full-back, is Gosens. He does look very good, but I have never seen him play full-back to know if he is capable of playing as well if his starting position is those few yards further back and he has less defensive cover. Often it can help an attacking full-back to have that deeper starting position. Far too many of them get forward too early and end up static waiting for the ball to come to them high up the pitch, rather than dropping back again if the ball doesn't come to them and waiting for the moment to make a run. Gosens has not looked static when I saw him and really does look good, but it is obviously with that extra cover giving him more freedom.

For Chelsea it is more about the likelihood of losing one, which is why they are looking to buy. If both stay I very much doubt there will be any brought in. It is certainly not the plan as I understand it.}

1.) 13 Jun 2020
13 Jun 2020 14:04:58
Great insights ed001 . As always . thank you

I for one hope we stay clear of BC if the attitude is an persistent issue and wait to get a LB more suitable and best for us.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}

2.) 13 Jun 2020
13 Jun 2020 17:18:22
Ed001, how do you find out about things like these?

"He is skipping training sessions or turning up late, too much nightlife and not working hard enough in training. "

You said similar things about Barkley and that turned out to be eventually correct.

{Ed001's Note - that's what I do mate, I find out these things. Though in Chilwell's case it was recently admitted by the club that he and Choudhory were dropped for a game after they both missed training. It was because it was not their first offences that they were dropped and publicly warned.}

3.) 13 Jun 2020
13 Jun 2020 18:56:57
Really, Choudhory? I had painted him as a well-behaved kid in my mind.

{Ed001's Note - he is still a kid though and they make mistakes.}

4.) 13 Jun 2020
13 Jun 2020 19:06:55
Surprises me that Lampard isn't tougher on players, he was certainly in Chelsea squads that wouldn't have dealt with these things as players. Maybe that's his expectations as a manager now, that the squad will deal with it.

{Ed001's Note - the modern way is to be softer, he might just believe in that.}

5.) 14 Jun 2020
14 Jun 2020 00:34:43
Have Chelsea previously expressed an interest in Gosen ed?

{Ed001's Note - I don't know to be honest. His rep or agent not sure which it is, has said there is interest from the Premier League but I am not sure if he meant Chelsea.}

6.) 14 Jun 2020
14 Jun 2020 06:18:55
Lampards second season will be his most difficult test . especially now that he has had money to spend.
ED001, how do you see FL fair in his second season at the helm . im sure he will have the added pressure of delivering success . what do you make of him thus far and do u think he has it in him to be a serial winner and bring trophies
does his palyer management style need to be more strict and ruthless?

Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - it is hard to say because most of his chances will depend on recruitment. Not just getting the right quality but the right type of player. Steering clear of the Barkleys and finding ones who will respond to the way Lampard manages will be key. I think Lampard will be fine but he is only going to be as good as the recruitment allows. You can't really be that strict with modern day players so the scouts will need to do their homework on potential signings and make sure they are the right fit off the pitch as well as on it.

I know I mention Barkley a lot but that is because he is the easy one to point to of a player that scouts should have spotted as a problem and warned against the signing. Someone has not done their homework there and that is either a learning curve or the people that thought he was a good idea should be replaced. If they didn't know about his off field issues then why didn't they? They were no secret at all. Chilwell is another one, his attitude is well known to have been growing as a problem, that is not a problem you want to be bringing to a new manager learning his trade at the top end. If Lampard was at say Leyton Orient, he could have learnt about man-management by dealing with problem players. But he is not and Chelsea aim to win trophies, they need to just get it right.}

7.) 14 Jun 2020
14 Jun 2020 11:19:15
Hi Ed, first time poster here. Just out of interest Ed what are Barkley’s off field issues? I know he is inconsistent and seems to lack confidence a lot of the time but I feel like I’m missing something I should know about him. Love reading everyone’s posts and opinions for the past few years by the way.

{Ed001's Note - he parties hard at times he shouldn't, as well as getting into trouble while drunk. A lot of stuff was covered up while he was at Everton, but he is still going back up to Liverpool to go on drunken nights out and making a complete fool of himself. For a while after he joined Chelsea he was behaving, but now he is slipping back into old ways. It is not the 1970s and 80s, where players could turn up to matches drunk and still put in performances for 20 years. Now the physical demands are much higher and you have to take care of yourself better. It's not like he can't do what he likes in 10 years time with millions in the bank is it? You can still go out and enjoy yourself, just don't get yourself into bother and do it at the right times.}

8.) 14 Jun 2020
14 Jun 2020 12:59:56
Thanks ED001, i always feel that chelsea are always one good coach and 2 singnings away from the title . (Conte / Jose)

i hope FL can do it and win us trophies.
We have had most of our transfer business spot on from a money making stand point in the last 2-3 years but we need to build a spine with a winning mentality . think we don't have that now.

We are missing a Leader . i feel that's a big one as no one stands out while CA is softly carrying on.

I feel its a proper rebuild that's needed with a strong Leader . a CB . and a GK
but i understand that wholesale changes would disrupt the balance in the team

ED001, what would you do as a chelsea manager?

{Ed001's Note - a centre back is clearly needed, but for me it is about getting the goalkeeper sorted. Start with a great keeper and work forward. A great keeper will help the defence out. If you are going to play like George Graham's Arsenal, for example, then you could have anyone in goal and it wouldn't matter. When you want to play a bit and hold a higher line the way Lampard does, then you need a top class keeper to work with. One that is good in the aspects you need, which is not Kepa, probably isn't Oblak either, as good as he is his kicking is awful.}

9.) 14 Jun 2020
14 Jun 2020 13:32:35
Are there any goalkeepers that you think would be suited in that case?
I think Ter Stegen would be the dream, but as nice as it would be, it would also be very unrealistic, I would imagine?

{Ed001's Note - Donnarumma or Onana maybe? Both more confident with the ball at their feet than Kepa.}

10.) 14 Jun 2020
14 Jun 2020 15:01:37
Onana has looked good against Chelsea, I think. Haven't seen too much from him apart from in the CL, and haven't seen much of Donnarumma either.
However, I think it's weird how Kepa's ability to pass the ball was mentioned as one of the reasons that we chose him in the media, yet it doesn't seem to show that often on the pitch. I think last season he made some really good passes, but it's been quite bad this season, sometimes even passing straight into the feet of the opponent.

{Ed001's Note - he just looks lacking in confidence to me, uncomfortable playing out from the back, rather than being unable to do it. A lack of confidence is not a good trait in a keeper.}