quickpassnmove

I wanted Strootman before he moved to Roma. I doubt Roma will sell anyone worth keeping with their Champions League and new stadium plans (if they have their heads on straight).

Maybe you and I haven't discussed this yet, but Chelsea's CMs for next season are: Matic, vanGinkel, and Ramires (with Oscar as a possible backup player). I am assuming that Chelsea will not play ONLY 4231 next season and should have 5 or 6 possible players for the CM positions. I propose one top central midfielder and one excellent squad player or player with a lot of potential. I don't see anyone capable in the reserves, nor any of the loanees. Chelsea have been running BEHIND their needs in central midfield for seasons. It's time to get ahead and make sure there's quality and depth. One CM this summer doesn't cut it.

I'm hoping some here have players to add to my list of central midfielders above. I think Chelsea need to sign TWO CMs in the summer and consider their options from their reserves and loanees for depth.

A short list of central midfielders for this summer's window. Please add your own. 1. Allan Marques Loureiro, tireless, flexible Brazilian central midfielder who can also play fullback. leader. http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/allan/profil/spieler_126422.html 2. Axel Witsel complete center midfielder. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/443764/Axel-Witsel-reveals-desire-to-move-to-Manchester-United-or-Chelsea 3. Ivan Rakitić, captain, leader, two good feet. 4. Mateo Kovačić http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/mateo-kovacic/profil/spieler_51471.html 5. Younes Belhanda a center midfielder, not just a good attacker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Hi4yEbikQY 6. I want to ask if anyone thinks Adam Maher can be a viable center midfielder for the Premier League. He seems strong to me and he easily has as much skill as someone like Modric, who was mentioned above in this thread. Or, maybe he's a Ramires with much more skill and better decisions. 7. Fabian Delph has also been on my mind for the past 16 months. English player not with a top club, not old but probably capable of being a top player.

I'm glad some here can stomach watching Internazionale play. I don't have a preference between Rakitic and Kovacic because I've seen neither play enough to know.

I don't think Mourinho has trouble seeing the deficiency in center midfield. Matic showed up and immediately became the best center midfielder at Chelsea. I don't think this ineptitude will be on display much longer. It's been how many months since Ballack left and how many months and months since we had Makelele? (yes, I count the months, not the years). Should be buying two good center midfielders and/or promoting someone able--but it's hard to know who would be promoted to the 1st team. Count MIkel, Luiz, Lampard out of the equation whether or not they all leave; none of them are capable of being the starting center midfielders Chelsea need to compete at the top level of club competitions.

90+ minutes of Motta domination today.

David Luiz is in the frying pan. Good luck with that.

Costa, R. Rodriguez, and Rakitic in, Luiz, Ba, Mikel, etc. OUT sounds like a good start for the transfers. the rest would be depth (for center midfield)

We will still have Salah.

I bloody HATE any squad being built around this player. If he cannot tackle well, nor hold up the ball, he's not doing enough for me. If he can do those things, I approve of this kind of number 10. But someone needs to be a real centre midfielder and someone needs to be a real winger. For me, Chelsea should be able to play 4231, 433, and a 3rd formation effectively. No squad should be dependent upon solely the 4231 formation and dependent upon some advanced, central midfielder behind the striker. drives me nuts seeing this same shape and movement time and time again. just not enough. It is OK to utilize this 4231 formation, but this number 10 player does not deserve as much spotlight, glory, nor status in the world of football when strategy involves him dribbling in front of defenders too often. I am admittedly not Lampard's biggest fan, but I will say that it's been foolish that Chelsea have adopted the 4231 formation and stuck with it so frequently while it has not suited Frank during this last years with the club. Point is, the center midfielders and the CF in a 4-3-3 can be just as effective as a 'number 10' in the hole.

ISO of true CF, true CMs, and true wingers.

Every time I see rumours about this guy leaving, all I can think is: "Hurry up and sell him before the World Cup, Chelsea!"

Let's see: Lukaku can return to Chelsea, play/train with D. Drogba, play with Eto'o and, again, play for his favorite boyhood club under Jose. I'm thinking he gets some time to prove himself at SB and he will come back. Forget the rumours. It's just going to be up to him to improve his play in front of opposition centre backs. Didier should coach him. If he still looks like he'd rather be playing RW after a period of time back with Chelsea, I'm thinking he either becomes a RW or he gets sold.

Except he's not worth that much. If Costa comes, we know already what will happen. Lukaku still does not have great balance and ball control with his back up against center backs.

Ricardo Rodriguez looks like the player Chelsea should buy for fullback. Having Iva, Wallace, Azpi, and Rodriguez as options sounds good to me. That would mean Chelsea have the option of playing an attacking fullback on either side (Rodriguez or Wallace) and two strong defensive fullbacks in Azpi and Iva. I don't see Shaw being the attacking player Ricardo already is regardless of his young age. Figure out another way fill positions with homegrown talent. I don't know where.

His hold-up play was improved at the beginning of this season but it's hard to see him improved overall since then. The best we can say is that he is healthy. He should have put that shot in the net. It was also on his left foot.

I cannot say enough how grateful I am that CFC have an excellent fullback who is a quick, strong and under 25. So happy Cesar is with us and continues to do so well. Waiting for Wallace and I'm not sure whether Luke Shaw is the best choice for us.

I would like to see Eto'o and Salah play up top together with Chelsea in a 4-4-2. I guess CM would be Ramires and Matic. Maybe vanGinkel we will see VanGinkel back(?) or no risk taken with his knee this season?

Awesome goal, Willian. thank you.

Does anyone else here despise this ref as much as me? Every week this guy is a vexing jerk.

Well, there you go: the final piece of the puzzle once a buyer has been found. Quick cash gets his signature and him out of London. Hopefully a good compromise can be found and hopefully this is the final over-priced, aged flop that Chelsea buy. Don't think Roman Abramovich and company can afford another mistake like this massive January 2011 F..k-up, unless it's just dandy dropping down into mediocrity on another stupid investment in the future. Chelsea WILL improve with Torres, Luiz, Mikel, Lampard (Moses, Mata, Marin, Ba, Cole) gone from the payroll. Ready to do a victory dance.

Nothing Jose can do about the January 2011 albatross for the moment.

Well, let's make the other changes and use what we already have before investing more money there. I wanted someone like Yarmolenko last summer (who is ~188cm) but Chelsea got Schuerrle and Willian. I think Yarmolenko offers something that no one else can offer in our squad. But I am not advocating that a new winger should be a high priority after the choices of last summer; work with what we have in attacking midfield or forget the "AM" and just use a 4-3-3.

why talk about Marco Reus or any new attacking midfielder when Chelsea clearly need real centre midfielders, a top striker, and some fullbacks that can contribute to an attack? Marco Reus isn't going to add something dramatically different to Chelsea even IF a new attacking midfielder were badly needed. If after addressing these priorities and putting it all together for 6 to 9 months you still want something different, a big, agile winger would add a dimension to the attack. For a few moments in this season, we saw some link-up play between Eto'o, Hazard, Schuerrle. If CFC had a top striker for every matchday and attacking fullbacks (as you mentioned) along with smooth operators in center midfield (Matic being the only one right now), the attacking midfielders we already have would be able to do more. There's no reason to spend more money on the 4231 formation's attacking midfielders before the other positions are fixed with new players. That's why it's strange you're talking about this.