quickpassnmove

Hazard needs options because he's very frequently doubled, but also he needs to lay it off more often when he can. I think he's not getting enough options, getting isolated on the flank so often. It's unusual to see Eden laying the ball off and cutting inside the right back before the centre back or CM can close him down. Something needs to change there.

Really happy we got that win. nice work, Blues. only disappointment for me was not being able to create more attack from the left side with Hazard, Essien, and Azpi. would have been nice to see some quick support to prevent the double defenders on Hazard. happens all the time.

Centre midfield will be the reason why Chelsea don't qualify for Champions League next season. It all started with re-signing Lampard and continued with not signing another experienced player in the summer, then over-using Lampard as a starter. The fact is, Chelsea's attack has been slowed in previous seasons by its centre midfield --and NOT because of Ramires. I was hoping that Roy Hodgson would give Fabian Delph a chance in center midfield because it might mean that Lampard doesn't go to Brazil and that he's not coming into training with bright eyes ready to be Jose's starter this season--but I guess that's a dream. Third season running where Chelsea are desperate to make the top four and I don't think the Blues will cut it this season.

Essien - Cahill/other - Terry - Azpi Ramires--Mikel--deBruyne Willian Eto'o Schuerrle or: Azpi - CB Terry - Bertrand Ramires------Essien------deBruyne Willian Eto'o Schuerrle subs: Lampard, Torres, def, def, Mikel, GK, Hazard

I would like to know what some of you think about the topic center midfield at Chelsea. Specifically, I look at the prospect of Chelsea buying a top center midfielder in the January window and I cannot understand why any top center midfielder would want to come to Chelsea during a World Cup year given Chelsea's reputation or recent history of playing Frank Lampard in center midfield. Why would anyone WANT to come to Chelsea this January? Chelsea are stumbling, still slow in attack and I suspect that something is at play between Lampard and Mourinho (and the World Cup year). Something stinks (and has been stinking for x-number of seasons now). I would like to know what top player is foolish enough to come to Chelsea in January during a WC year given what has occurred so far this season. Chelsea can promise something, but who would believe a representative of CFC at this point? How about this prediction? Either get another center midfielder in or forget about qualifying for next season's Champions League. Or: Did re-signing Frank Lampard last summer portend the 3rd straight season wherein Chelsea struggle to qualify for the Champions League? Third time is a charm? Needed to fail terribly before moving onward?

Would be nice to also keep Kevin de Bruyne at Chelsea for the future even if he gets loaned-out in January. In the meantime, someone at Chelsea could be thinking that Rakitic could become Chelsea's Pirlo. That's a nice thought anyway.

Chelsea playing more 4-3-3 in the future with Rakitic joining CM and taking the free-kicks and corners. Not a bad idea but Rakitic is most comfortable on the right side where Ramires tends to be. I think Ramires will be the one to slide over toward the left or center. I'm still finding it difficult to understand why Chelsea kept both Lampard and Mikel last summer while someone like L. Gustavo was ready to move or Paulinho was considered. Maybe Mata will become the pawn to get a better center midfielder, but I don't see why PSG would want Mata given Pastore, Lavezzi, Moura, Rabiot, & Cavani, can all play Mata's position behind Ibra. Rakitic is somewhat of an all-around midfield player--which is good, but Chelsea will still be missing a ballwinner and long-passer. As someone mentioned before, that player might not be easy to find for the moment.

Matic, Pogba, De Rossi, Witsel, Imbula, Paulinho, Schneiderlin, etc. etc. It would be nice to get someone in January. It would have been nice last summer. It would have great two summers ago, three summers... and I've been repeating myself on various web forums for over 3 years now while Ramires runs his ass off for this club and people like Mikel still can't figure out how to play well enough, Lampard slows down and is asked to play where he should not, Oscar is played as an "attacking midfielder" (but was a flourishing center midfielder in Porto Alegre). At this point, I would be very happy to see Loftus-Cheek or some reserve player in matches if Essien isn't about to start in the league. It's odd the Essien hasn't been given a start for Ivanovic. It's strange we've seen Lampard start so much. Every year something is not right at Chelsea but things don't change. Is this the club with tonnes of money and no answers? Surely someone has a clue and will get it done before we're all dead.

no one needs to get worked-up at this point. I mean why does this or any other performance that displays the typical Chelsea of the past 5 years get ANYONE worked-up? point is, there have been inadequate players and lack of quality and speed in certain areas for quite some time--all of this, mind you, long before Torres arrived for 50 million. What club in Europe has spent so much money as Chelsea and still have only one standout player in centre midfield (I love Ramires and think it's criminal Chelsea don't have someone of equal quality to play with him) and have taken so long to find wingers that their best-ever striker has already ended his career at the club (after winning the club the Champions League Final no less)? I've been irritated by Chelsea decisions for over 5 years; today is just another day. Here's my final word: Chelsea need to get coherent, get quality in all positions by the time Lukaku is ready to play again in Chelsea blue next season. Even if Chelsea blow their top four finish this season, the club need to get it right before next season or just continue this endless inept style of play, aka. the Big Blue Constipated Roman Machine. How Chelsea continue to look bad in the future? dumping another manager while having Lukaku return to carry another slow, inept Chelsea squad just like Drogba did. If Chelsea completely fall out of it this season, last summer's obvious mistake of re-signing Frank and not getting more quality for CM might FINALLY become apparent after how many seasons of this horrible Chelsea attack.

I missed the match but heard on the radio that Chelsea played horribly. Now, I've come home and seen that LAMPARD started away at Basel. 2+2=4? anyway, Chelsea were nowhere near confident coming into the match and the lineup was not correct. no surprise with this club.

good to win but that's the side with no striker, plus the benefit of our PK. next.

I like Rabiot, but my first priority a transfer in at CM would be someone with more experience in the top tier. Chelsea just bought vanGinkel; Rabiot is at a similar level of experience albeit with a bigger club. Rabiot is not really underrated in Paris by fans, but he doesn't get playtime because of Matuidi, Motta, Carlo's urge to play Verratti last season, Lucas, and--could be argued--Pastore (depending on how he is used). admittedly, I have not seen Rabiot play enough and it was only pre-season 2012 when I first watched him. I'm surprised to find out that he used to play with Manchester City reserves/youth. if I were to guess why he doesn't get more opportunities at PSG, I would say it's that Rabiot doesn't have the attacking prowess nor speed of play (or trickery) that makes a difference in the manager's eye. BTW, I know the Rabiot is an interesting prospect for the future but someone running a story with Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea connected with Rabiot sounds like more like a story of "watching him" as his contract runs down. Rabiot isn't going to make a huge difference now for Chelsea and probably wouldn't get any playtime at Arsenal nor Tottenham anytime soon.

Letting Matic go to Benfica is looking worse by the hour. anyone think a reserves player will get a chance soon?

interesting player. Do you think Eremenko would be better in a 4-3-3 or in a club that have openings among the attacking midfielder positions?

fixed it for you.

it's a response to the national conversation about the state of football in England.

IMO, the top priorities in transfers should be CM and fullback. there's nothing wrong with using Torres, Eto'o, and Ba (or whoever comes to replace to BA?) until summertime. better to spend on TWO CMs and a fullback. Shaw is right up there on the list, for sure.

IDK what the rules are, but it seems to me that an English club would be better-served by loaning a young U.K. player out to a Dutch, Spanish, or Brazilian club in order for them to develop some mentality and skills they would otherwise not likely ever develop in the U.K. All this talk about "changing" and adapting to the times in England and I just don't see how. Are English people going to suddenly change within their own country? even start eating yogurt, fresh fruit, pasta, veggies, seafood, less fried food and snacks? laughing.

Considering it's WC year, I would not go to Chelsea if I were Jackson unless there were some assurance that Chelsea are getting new center midfielders now who will be used in the starting XI --nevermind the thought of getting a chance to start myself.

You win the internet.

As for today's headlines topics, definitely a good time for Lampard to be dumped out of England before WC, but will Hodgson make the correct choice? Ravel Morrison and Fabian Delph would be better than Frank for England in Brazil.

Jack Cork is mentioned therein and I feel it's a reminder (Cork being a regular with Southampton) that something has not been right at Chelsea Football Club regarding who gets a chance in center midfield, on the 1st team. Sorry, but I'm willing to say that some players (Mikel and Lampard) should have been given less time on the pitch long before just the current season or last season.

I posited months ago, on another online Chelsea forum that Schneiderlin (along with players like Diame, James McCarthy, and possibly Wanyama, Capoue (Capoue has not impressed me on the national team and elsewhere however) give Chelsea some viable, cheaper midfield solutions to ongoing problems. Schneiderlin and Diame have been perfect candidates, Diame being a more established player in the Premier League (who, again, in case some of you didn't know, went to West Ham on a FREE TRANSFER in summer 2012 at a time when Chelsea badly needed to improve their center midfield). Of course, my suggestions were derided by more than a few, going back to summer 2012 and forward to the beginning of this calendar year when I began talking-up Schneiderlin (or sometime last Fall or Winter). A little more on Southampton: I don't think that ANY Premier League side has a stronger core in their two centre backs and two center midfielders (Lovren, Fonte, Wanyama, Schneiderlin). ManCity SHOULD, but haven't quite gotten it done yet. And I also have to say that these 4 players are solid in playing old-fashioned football while the centre backs are adequately comfortable playing with the ball at their feet. I like that Pochettino has kept this core intact most minutes of this season while experimenting with the other players in the formation (of course Shaw and Clyne are in if healthy). Southampton's only shortcoming this season has been setting up quality chances and finishing while it's been a bit of a luxury having the defensive core healthy. It still seems like Southampton need at least one top wide attacking player, but their core is good along with how Pochettino is managing the team. When that core is injured or compromised, they will need more scoring or more of an edge with their attacking wide players IMO.

I doubt there's one person here who doesn't like Axel Witsel. The silly part of the Chelsea story for two or three seasons now is that CFC would have been served well by getting a bargain player like M. Diame--a perfect upgrade for what Chelsea have been trying to do with the 4231 formation, but have so far completely failed to do. how much longer are we going to watch the Chelsea attack get mired in center midfield and the fullback areas? Schuerrle, Willian, and Eto'o are READY to make something HAPPEN with this squad's attack, but they don't have the support and passing required from deeper in the formation.

The future looks to bring outgoing for: Lampard, Mata, deBruyne, Ba, maybe Cole. Chelsea needed more center midfielders last summer and the summer before (and the summer before that); they've gotten just one, who is now injured. Should buy one, and either buy a 2nd or promote someone like Loftus-Cheek. I am curious who is better or has more potential: Shaw or vanAanholt? I feel confident that Wallace will be good enough to contend for the starting XI ITF. As for striker, I hardly care. The relevant question for the present is whether Chelsea have enough ability at striker to make the top 4 in the League; everything else this season should be geared toward moving on, not dwelling on the past--including ousting old players who can't keep up the tempo of play and possibly changing the formation.