Chelsea 14/15

I believe Ramires is only suited for a hybrid right sided midfielder role/right winger for example what he was for Benfica and RDM first season, the right sided counterpart of Angel Di Maria. That's because his best qualities are essentially pressing high and all over the pitch, offer costant runs in the counters or overlaps and cover to the fullback that pushes up and in a 2man pivot you can't do that, you have to be tactically disciplined and dictating the tempo of the game, he's not suited at all for a 2man midfield. A new midfielder is needed, Khedira is the obvious suggestion but wouldn't you think that he's a workhorse similar to Ramires? I think we need an all-round midfielder, MVG would've been ideal if he didn't injur himself last season and if he didn't fail his loan as he is not cutting it at Milan. Obviously Khedira would be okay as well as he is clearly better than good old Ramires and Mou knows how to bring his best but I'd consider other options as well.

New CB well yea, I think it's a priority now. Terry is ageing and Cahill is proving to have a similar scenario of Piqué, looking solid when his club legend and defense leader Puyol is next to him and looking shaky when he isn't next to him. Unless we plot an internal solution, for example I'd love to see Ivanovic as a CB or Kalas to make it, then we should go for a CB. Varane is possible as he's another Mou favourite and at Real it looks like that Pepe and Ramos can do as bad as they want and they won't be benched and would form a beast CB partnership with Zouma for the next 10 years.

Yes. Cuadrado and Thorgan in. Cuadrado should be the starter as I personally consider him to be as good as Hazard whereas Thorgan can give depth with Willy and IMO he has the potential to become fourth choice AM and probably even overtake Oscar.

A new RB? Well it's difficult, every football team in the world has 2 fullbacks for each side, a starter and a back-up. We had that with Bertrand and Cole on the left and Iva and Azpi on the right but given Azpi's flexibility and ambidextrousity when Cole didn't start on the left he did and Bertrand never played, that's why we don't have two fullbacks for each side. So if we buy another RB, who says that the same won't happen? When Ivanovic is injured/suspended Azpi would play on the right and Luis on the left and the new RB would never play. If we plot to move Ivanovic to the center alright, but otherwise I'm not so sure.

Since we have Mikel, I'd like to see a passing CM, MVG would be nice if he can get some game time at Milan. A better version of MVG would be ideal. Kovacic or Strootman would be ideal.

I agree, Cahill isn't good enough when not paired with JT. Varane is apparently available for 20m. We should jump on that.

Cuadrado, Oscar, Hazard, Willian, and Thorgan would be great depth and quality. Perhaps allow Boga to play on occasions too.

Only reason I say new RB is because it would give us unmatched depth, but it would be the last on the list.

Much more depth.

Varane is by far better than Cahill and Terry tbh. But yea, hopefully this humiliating loss is a wake-up-call for Mou to go in the direction you've suggested. I still think it's a disgrace and we lost a huge opportunity to confirm our supremacy in the FA Cup.

I know, I just did it that way so Cahill is still paired with Terry.

Yea, but tbh it's not like there was a lot of chances to do otherwise.

Costa has exceeded the most optimistic previsions so it's hard to just bench him for Remy and Drog, Schuerrle started the season as a starter but lost his starting spot due to bad performances, Salah shouldn't have been bought to begin with, Mikel and Ramires are good but Matic and Cesc offer something out of their world and we worsen a lot when they aren't playing, Luis and Zouma have played quite a bit considering that the back 4 is where you need more stability and less rotation.

Things will change when we'll bring Thorgan, Cuadrado and a new CM.

Chelsea are the only club to have spent over half of their matches in a winning position:
New study shows how long each Premier League side has spent winning, drawing and losing during matches this season, and the League-leaders have spent both the most time winning and the least time losing of any side in the top flight this term
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2933072/Chelsea-club-spent-half-matches-winning-position-Tottenham-comeback-kings.html

So I only just realised about an hour before kickoff today that our game against Everton is mid-week rather than next weekend

It is indeed.

Put my head down though and got the entire thread made in the 11 hours since

Shed wrote:Put my head down though and got the entire thread made in the 11 hours since

GOAT

Is that minutes on the lead of the table or minutes in the lead during the game?

In games.

Though so.

Yes, I should hope we've been leading the table for more than 19.53 hours Kickster......

I am tired ffs. It's not my day today...

Happens to the best of us, my dear


I should know, being as I am among that category