Chelsea 2017/18 thread - FA Cup Champs, League chumps

Why are you convinced Conte even has a say in transfers?

Dalglish wanted all those players. We are not sure Conte does. Maybe @duffer csn clarify who really signs the players at Chelsea? One of the reasons Conte isn’t happy is due to the transfers.

Chelsea head coaches don't sign players. It is known.
 
Why are you convinced Conte even has a say in transfers?

Dalglish wanted all those players. We are not sure Conte does. Maybe @duffer csn clarify who really signs the players at Chelsea? One of the reasons Conte isn’t happy is due to the transfers.

Then it's an even worse situation than Dalglish's.
 
Rodwell costed 15, and he is only 24. He was a pretty good buy for squad depth. However Caroll not so much, err untill we see what can he do under Conte.
 
Been like that for years and we've been very successful. When you go through "managers" as often as us, taking player recruitment out of their control does make sense.

I don't disagree with that at all. What I'm saying is: Carroll ffs?! I should be enjoying this but the pain we suffered after getting him is not something I would wish even on an enemy.
 
Who is wiggy? Conte? That's not a wig!

5 defenders? That's our normal formation. We've played 3 at the back for over a year now.
Exactly. 5 defenders and 2 DM is a typical Chelsea's formation however according to media they are playing some brilliant attacking football :D
 
Exactly. 5 defenders and 2 DM is a typical Chelsea's formation however according to media they are playing some brilliant attacking football :D

Could you link one article that's says we're playing brilliant attacking football? Just one will do.
 
You think he's been dropped this season?
Some on the caf last year were saying he might've finally turned the corner and become the player he was hyped to be then he tore his hamstring. He only returned to training less than a month ago from that injury. If I can play a bit of FM, I'd say RLC is going out on another loan and Barkley is going to play as a MF or as a forward in the 343, leaving the same 4 midfielders we have now. If Bakayoko doesn't pick it up in the next 12-18 months, Marina is going to be looking to maximize on his resale value. Fabregas is turning 31 this year but moves like he's 35. So the only sure things are Kante, Drinkwater, and Barkley as a last resort.

3511 is too defensive, you're right. But Conte's magic dust he sprinkled on some of the players last season (Moses, Alonso to a certain extent, Pedro, Willian) has worn off and they've reverted back to what we're used to seeing. Bakayoko looks fecking shite and Fabregas is good, just tired. Conte ran him into the ground with Bakayoko and Drinkwater both being injured/playing injured. I feel Musonda's injury was really ill-timed because he would've gotten minutes over Christmas. There were lots of rumors he was going to leave and then signed a contract extension and said his future was at Chelsea. Maybe the arrival of Barkley and health of Musonda will push Willian/Pedro's form and Conte flexibility with the 343.

I remember I went to Everton's forum, before Koeman is fired, every everton fans were questioning about what happen to Barkley, why is he not playing, and what happen to him now that "we" signed Siggy, Rooney & Klassen (3 players who play in his position), no injury news either. Remember that Koeman and also a lot of people criticised his performance last season.

If you sign him and planning to make him as your main player in XI then alright 15m is a good business, I'll give a big applause.
But if at the end of the day you signed him only as a backup player, I don't think it's a good business consider you have RLC a similar player for free who deserves his chance.
 
Bit rich of us United fans to berate Chelsea for signing Carroll when we’ve got Fellaini !

Just like Fellaini for us Carroll will have a worth to Chelsea. Not many teams will enjoy seeing him come off the bench with half hour to go. I think it’s a clever move when the top teams add these sort of players, they’re giving themselves options and an obvious plan B.

Good point, I'll be surprised if we do get him.
Part of me would like it for the face off when we go to Utd, Jose's big men against Conte's big men, with Caroll to come off the bench in injury time and score the winner with a towering header. :cool:
 
Exactly. 5 defenders and 2 DM is a typical Chelsea's formation however according to media they are playing some brilliant attacking football :D
I think you will find its 3 defenders and 2 CM
 
Our transfer planning is absolutely atrocious

The way I see it is that we've sold or loaned out the likes of RLC, Chalobah, Ake, Zouma, Ola Aina, Abraham to then spend almost 150 million on the likes of Drinkwater, Rudiger, Bakayoko and Zappacosta to replace those players. We could have kept our talented youngsters around and with us being in 4 competitions they would have seen plenty of game time and used that 150 million on 2-3 top class players who would have improved our first 11

Now we're looking to send Bats out on loan to sign Andy Carroll for over 20 million. Complete and utter stupidity

This.

As an outsider this is what everyone's thinking. It seems as though there is no real planning or structure behind anything. Quite bizarre considering the idea of having others managing transfers is to avoid this!
 
Chelsea can't be serious with the Carroll transfer, can they?

I think they don't want to sign a proper striker for huge money until they decide on their next manager -- assuming Conte is leaving at the end of the season. Carroll would basically be a stop-gap option. Still, when even Swansea bid for the likes of Gameiro, it is quite strange from Chelsea.

Will be hilarious to see Carroll score against Barca though. Or just take out Messi anyway.
 
I can be quite confident in saying conte has lost it. First Wenger, then mourinho, then VAR. Feels like he is trying to pick fights whenever he can. Not a happy man.
 
Perhaps someone could answer this question.

With Emenalo leaving for Monaco and Granovskaia taking over his duties, could this explain why our signings have been so strange?
 
Poor old Andy - he'll be all smiles at his Chelsea presentation, only to find they want him to prop up the new stadium as a support strut.
 
Bit rich of us United fans to berate Chelsea for signing Carroll when we’ve got Fellaini !

Just like Fellaini for us Carroll will have a worth to Chelsea. Not many teams will enjoy seeing him come off the bench with half hour to go. I think it’s a clever move when the top teams add these sort of players, they’re giving themselves options and an obvious plan B.
The point about having different option is never the problem. However, it's the narrative built by the media about Conte has very different approach to that of Mourinho. Mourinho was attacked by the media for using this tactic with Fellaini, Zlatan & Lukaku. It's clear to see Chelsea was looking for this type of strong tall target man since the summer with Lukaku, Llorente, now Carroll to be approached.

The double standard from the media is what other posters are saying. Chelsea didn't get their top priority in Lukaku and now the alternative in Morata is not in the best form they need a plan B in someone like Carroll. The media would still lap it up while if it's us, we would be laughed at.
 
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Shouldn't Chelsea be thinking about sorting out their Plan A before even looking at their Plan B?
 
The point about having different option is never the problem. However, it's the narrative built by the media about Conte has very different approach to that of Mourinho. Mourinho was attacked by the media for using this tactic with Fellaini, Zlatan & Lukaku. It's clear to see Chelsea was looking for this type of strong tall target man since the summer with Lukaku, Llorente, now Carroll to be approached.

The double standard from the media is what other posters are saying. Chelsea didn't get their top priority in Lukaku and now the alternative in Morata is not in the best form they need a plan B in someone like Carroll. The media would still lap it up while if it's us, we would be laughed at.

Conte's system has the wingbacks pushed high up and even the outside CB's in midfield position's while we attack, for reference look at Kante's goal vs you lot in the cup and see where Cahill and Azpi were. I admit we are not exactly Liverpool or City authentically but this narrative we are a counter attacking side was funnily enough started by Mou himself repeatedly peddling it last season.
 
Conte's system has the wingbacks pushed high up and even the outside CB's in midfield position's while we attack, for reference look at Kante's goal vs you lot in the cup and see where Cahill and Azpi were. I admit we are not exactly Liverpool or City authentically but this narrative we are a counter attacking side was funnily enough started by Mou himself repeatedly peddling it last season.
If Chelsea not counter attacking, transiting team, then what is it?
 
@J_Red 11

You are wrong on Barkley. He has had a real bad hamstring injury that is why he didn't play this season. Regarding his form last season, he was great and the 2nd best player in a team that only finished 6 points below Man United.
 
At the moment, we don’t seem to have much identity. Strikers too isolated for counter attacking football.
I am not talking about current form, but overall approach let's say at Chelsea best vs a possession based team. Would Chelsea go to to toe trying win possession battle or going with soak the pressure and exploit the space in behind?
 
Been like that for years and we've been very successful. When you go through "managers" as often as us, taking player recruitment out of their control does make sense.

Absolutely agree with this. Chelsea's methods might not be well appreciated but they did win 2 titles out of the last 3. I would call that effective. Every club has it's own way to achieve success I believe

The churn in managers could be another reason Chelsea's talented youth players don't often get promoted to first team.
 
Bit rich of us United fans to berate Chelsea for signing Carroll when we’ve got Fellaini !

Just like Fellaini for us Carroll will have a worth to Chelsea. Not many teams will enjoy seeing him come off the bench with half hour to go. I think it’s a clever move when the top teams add these sort of players, they’re giving themselves options and an obvious plan B.
Don't think so. A smoker, for example, could criticize others for smoking. He or she would be absolutely right, smoker or not smoker.

BTT, I do think signing Andy Carroll would be a very poor decision and a very questionable step, that would lead us nowhere. All I have seen from Carroll spells of 2-4 games where he was brilliant. The rest of his performances were well below par. And he would be still extremely expensive. Let's put it this way, he is hardly an inspiring signing.
 
5th consecutive draw, only three goals scored. No words from the press.
We lost to Bristol and drew three consecutive games, scoring five goals = boring Man United, Mourinho past it, bus parking, shit club etc.
 
They need Carroll in ASAP, Morata and Pedro red carded and miss their league game this weekend.
 
Don't think so. A smoker, for example, could criticize others for smoking. He or she would be absolutely right, smoker or not smoker.

BTT, I do think signing Andy Carroll would be a very poor decision and a very questionable step, that would lead us nowhere. All I have seen from Carroll spells of 2-4 games where he was brilliant. The rest of his performances were well below par. And he would be still extremely expensive. Let's put it this way, he is hardly an inspiring signing.
Spends more time injured than playing since 2013.
29 going on 30.
Only good in the air when he feels like it. On the ground, he uses his elbows more than his feet. Just ask the Liverpool fans here and in RAWK.
On 90,000 pounds per week. No wonder West Ham are willing to get shot of him.

To top it off, some deluded Chelsea fans suffering from an unnamed psychological condition is stating that this is a good signing.
 
Don't think so. A smoker, for example, could criticize others for smoking. He or she would be absolutely right, smoker or not smoker.

BTT, I do think signing Andy Carroll would be a very poor decision and a very questionable step, that would lead us nowhere. All I have seen from Carroll spells of 2-4 games where he was brilliant. The rest of his performances were well below par. And he would be still extremely expensive. Let's put it this way, he is hardly an inspiring signing.
You can argue the same for Paulinho but he has proven to be a great signing for Barca. Maybe Carroll provides something Conte needs in a striker?
 
Perhaps someone could answer this question.

With Emenalo leaving for Monaco and Granovskaia taking over his duties, could this explain why our signings have been so strange?
Do you know much about Granovskaia? Is he a surrealist?
 
@J_Red 11

You are wrong on Barkley. He has had a real bad hamstring injury that is why he didn't play this season. Regarding his form last season, he was great and the 2nd best player in a team that only finished 6 points below Man United.

It'll be interesting to see how he will become in Chelsea after the criticisms that he got last season.
 
Carroll could be out from anywhere from 4 week to 4 months if it requires surgery. I'm sure Marina and Roman are disappointed :lol:
 
Looks like we are very close to a deal for a LWB from roma, Emerson.

I can't say I know too much about him but what I am hearing is really positive, can anyone shed some light?