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

I think people make too much of his title win last season. Don't get me wrong, it was a great achievement, but he did it with a strong and excellent team that should have been contending for the title anyway. Some people have been making out as if he did a Leicester and won something unthinkable, but we're talking about a team that had won the title under Mourinho just two seasons before and had some really excellent players.

Again I don't want to downplay his great first season, but he did not inherit trash, and he has been supported pretty well by the club. It's only the insanity of City that is suddenly making half our fans think the club aren't investing. Its not realistic to expect the club to build half a new team to every managers particular desires. What if they did and then he fecks off after 2 seasons? Do we replace them all again?

Both your board and manager are to blamed.

Costa wanted to stay but Conte wanted him to leave after the 20 league goals he scored for Conte. Bakayoko was Conte's signing.

Board to blamed because they can't give him the players he wanted. He wanted Lukaku to replace Costa, he got Morata. He wanted Bonucci, he got Luiz or Rudiger instead. He wanted Alex Sandro, he got Zappacosta and Emerson. He wanted to keep Matic, he got Drinkwater.
 
I neither regularly demand managers heads nor demand more trophies. I'm done with Conte at the moment because he seems to be acting in a petulant way that doesn't help our situation and certainly isn't bringing out the best in the players at a time when we have several vital players due for contract renewal.

Having the manager publicly asking the board to support him, is utterly ridiculous and disrespectful to the club. If he wants public support he should be approaching the board behind closed doors and discussing the matter, not trying to put them on the spot in the media. He deserves to be sacked for that alone.
He’s earned the right to ask for whatever he wants. The expectations on Conte is that he gets the club to win trophies with a pitifully Low net transfer spend and with the board buying a bunch of average players. All ambitious managers will be demanding of their Boards and if you want to sack them, just hire the likes of Ancelotti who will keep quiet and be content. Anyone who needs to get lost is the Board and if Roman continues to live in delusion of trying to win without huge investments, then he should sell the club.
 
He’s earned the right to ask for whatever he wants. The expectations on Conte is that he gets the club to win trophies with a pitifully Low net transfer spend and with the board buying a bunch of average players. All ambitious managers will be demanding of their Boards and if you want to sack them, just hire the likes of Ancelotti who will keep quiet and be content. Anyone who needs to get lost is the Board and if Roman continues to live in delusion of trying to win without huge investments, then he should sell the club.

The lack of self awareness here is staggering. Conte has earned the right? After one season at the club? Have you forgotten already that if it wasn't for Roman we might not even HAVE a club? And what is this about net spending? We sold an average Matic and a disruptive Costa and brought in a hugely talented and much wanted striker in Morata, a superb defender in Rudiger (and the club's youth policy finally paying fruit with Christiansen) and Bakayoko who despite having a dire start to his Chelsea career was highly rated and promising. Since when was it a thing that a title winning club didn't have to just strength, but apparently are supposed to spend an additional 100m+ a year? How exactly is that sustainable? How exactly does that help with our new stadium plans?
 
The lack of self awareness here is staggering. Conte has earned the right? After one season at the club? Have you forgotten already that if it wasn't for Roman we might not even HAVE a club? And what is this about net spending? We sold an average Matic and a disruptive Costa and brought in a hugely talented and much wanted striker in Morata, a superb defender in Rudiger (and the club's youth policy finally paying fruit with Christiansen) and Bakayoko who despite having a dire start to his Chelsea career was highly rated and promising. Since when was it a thing that a title winning club didn't have to just strength, but apparently are supposed to spend an additional 100m+ a year? How exactly is that sustainable? How exactly does that help with our new stadium plans?
Eh?

I just Googled this, I never knew things were that bad back then. You learn something new every day.
 
Eh?

I just Googled this, I never knew things were that bad back then. You learn something new every day.

It was bad enough that for quite a while I'd look at the sports news dreading perhaps seeing a story that we'd gone into receivership. Ken Bates did some good stuff for the club (despite being a mental old bastard), but by the time Roman arrived out of the blue we were still in serious, serious trouble.
 
It was bad enough that for quite a while I'd look at the sports news dreading perhaps seeing a story that we'd gone into receivership. Ken Bates did some good stuff for the club (despite being a mental old bastard), but by the time Roman arrived out of the blue we were still in serious, serious trouble.
I remember there being an issue a long time before that and Matthew Harding being a potential saviour way back when, but I thought all that had been resolved by the time Abramovich arrived.
 
Looks like Conte does intend or want to stay by his words. Not sure why he says he would sign a contract extension if not.
 
Looks like Conte does intend or want to stay by his words. Not sure why he says he would sign a contract extension if not.
But he said he first wants a statement backing him.
Don't know but to me, it sounds like a game of poker, not simply an expression he is happy and wants to stay.
We both know Chelsea aren't releasing any statement.
 
Conte wants a public vote of faith?
Who would tell him that it is not a democracy over there?
 
Having the manager publicly asking the board to support him, is utterly ridiculous and disrespectful to the club. If he wants public support he should be approaching the board behind closed doors and discussing the matter, not trying to put them on the spot in the media. He deserves to be sacked for that alone.

He deserves to be sacked for publicly stating he wants support from the owner? How dramatic are you? He's been rumored to be facing the sack since before the season started. It's taken him this long to actually show signs of worry.

I think people make too much of his title win last season. Don't get me wrong, it was a great achievement, but he did it with a strong and excellent team that should have been contending for the title anyway. Some people have been making out as if he did a Leicester and won something unthinkable, but we're talking about a team that had won the title under Mourinho just two seasons before and had some really excellent players.

Again I don't want to downplay his great first season, but he did not inherit trash, and he has been supported pretty well by the club. It's only the insanity of City that is suddenly making half our fans think the club aren't investing. Its not realistic to expect the club to build half a new team to every managers particular desires. What if they did and then he fecks off after 2 seasons? Do we replace them all again?

A strong and excellent team, yet everyone in the world had us fighting for top 4, you're conveniently forgetting that. He did it with a team featuring Gary Cahill, Marcos Alonso, Victor Moses, Pedro, Willian, and Matic. He also made David Luiz look GREAT. All of those names = AVERAGE. All of them should've been replaced in the summer, only Matic and Cahill were. He inherited a club in shambles which still had some trash in it. It was evident how well of a coach he is, given we had the second most points ever and the most wins ever.

Since when was it a thing that a title winning club didn't have to just strength, but apparently are supposed to spend an additional 100m+ a year? How exactly is that sustainable? How exactly does that help with our new stadium plans?

Did you not see the squad last year? It was obvious we needed to strengthen in many areas - we didn't.
 
There were three real reasons why Chelsea won the title last year. They had a settled squad with few injuries to major players, great team belief & morale, & most important which many people don't give credit to, the fact was like Leicester only had to play one game a week for most of the season, due to not being in Europe. On top of this they still had a top quality side inherited from Mourinho.
 
How can a team that was so good last season, turn shit in half a year?
Pretty much the same players, and same manager.
Must be something we don't see, players unhappy with manager, or something like that.
They have a good squad, in my opinion.
 
How can a team that was so good last season, turn shit in half a year?
Pretty much the same players, and same manager.
Must be something we don't see, players unhappy with manager, or something like that.
They have a good squad, in my opinion.
Same what happened in the last Jose season?
 
The spine of the first team was strong. Still is. But they've made bad transfer decisions, coupled with not actually strengthening their squad.

Conte'll walk in May. And the cycle begins again.
 
The spine of the first team was strong. Still is. But they've made bad transfer decisions, coupled with not actually strengthening their squad.

Conte'll walk in May. And the cycle begins again.

They have strengthened their squad, in my opinion, but not the starting 11.
But i have a feeling there's something more.
 
How can a team that was so good last season, turn shit in half a year?
Pretty much the same players, and same manager.
Must be something we don't see, players unhappy with manager, or something like that.
They have a good squad, in my opinion.


They do it every time, it cost Jose his job and ultimately it will cost Conte his too.

They piss the league then seem to have a poor summer, they never capitalize on what they have and the players always seem disinterested.
 
It was bad enough that for quite a while I'd look at the sports news dreading perhaps seeing a story that we'd gone into receivership. Ken Bates did some good stuff for the club (despite being a mental old bastard), but by the time Roman arrived out of the blue we were still in serious, serious trouble.


Ken Bates. I forgot about him

And for his next trick he went to Leeds.
Any Leeds fans care to comment.
 
Now they will get a new manager and everything will be fixed for them
 
They really gonna sack him you think?

Seems a bit weird to not wait until the end of the season.
 
Truth is they have not invested well at all. Since Roman took over they had one second season that matched their first and that was Mourinho’s second year.

Sir Alex always said the second year as Champions was always tougher than the first. Team wants to beat you more, play harder, tackle stronger. It’s no coincidence there hasn’t been a back to back Premier League for a quite a few seasons now.
 
Can also see Conte walking away given his body language today.
 
Conte's definitely a goner now. Hiddink in until the end of the season?