!Hazard!

I doubt it since they just bought Frenkie de Jong and they've got their midfield more than stacked as it is

Well Sarri has been saying this since day 1 hence why he's playing Jorginho there

Hudson-Higuain-Pedro Hazard Jorginho-Kante Emerson-Luiz-Rudiger-Zappa PLS Sarri. See the light already. It's not like this 4-3-3 is his number one formation through his career. He came to Napoli with his Empoli 4-3-1-2 and tried to force it only to realize that he didn't have the players to execute that formation. He should have realized by now that he doesn't have the players to execute 4-3-3 at Chelsea and finally try something different with different players. Sigh

This is starting to look like a pattern. The plan probably is: German clubs hoarding English players and then selling them back to England few years later for huge profits after Brexit has inflated the prices of English players even more.

In hindsight it could be said that oh boy did we fuck this up. This kid is quickly becoming a superstar. He has everything in his game to become one of the best players in the Premier League. Are there any young players out there that are similar to him in terms of technique, vision, workrate etc? To me it seems that player like Bernardo Silva would fit our team perfectly

What I don't understand is why 100% of the media and pundits solely focus on Jorginho and Kante as if their positions and performances the only problem in this team. Makes me wonder if they even watch the games at all. Rarely have they mentioned that BOTH of our fullbacks are simply not good enough for this football. Watching Lyon-Barca match right now and both of those teams have a set of modern attacking fullbacks. They look like they are from another planet in comparison to Azpi and Alonso

The mistakes he has made this season (mainly combination of butterfingers and weak wrists) are perfectly normal for a goalkeeper of his age. Yeah he was bought for a world record fee but doesn't change the biological fact that he's only 24 years old. In goalkeeping terms he's still a teenager. If those mistakes do not disappear from his game within the next 3-4 seasons then we might have a problem but currently I'm not too worried about Kepa.

Absolutely right. He has everything to become absolutely world class player if only he was utilized in a deeper midfield position. It's funny and sad how we've been crying for players like Jorginho and Kovacic who can link defense and midfield for entire decade and now when we finally have them it's the attacking midfield (as well as other positions) that has become the problem instead.

I really don't understand Sarri. I want to believe in his project and I think the board were in this for the long-term as well. However, his in game management (or lack thereof) and lack of rotation is making him indefensible. I believe that the most of the fans and the board would be willing to stick with him for at least another season if he at least tried different formations like 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-1-2 which are familiar to him and he tried different players and gave more chances to the likes of CHO. He has done himself no favours with this constant favouritism of certain players and a very rigid formation. The man has been digging his grave from the beginning and it has been very sad to see. In my opinion he could have become the first trophyless coach in the Roman era to avoid sacking at the end of a season if he just tried something different. Somehow he has managed to screw up this opportunity to build his own project at Chelsea. I do wonder if a longer pre-season would have helped him to assess the squad better and realize that players like Alonso and Azpilicueta simply cannot play his football and thus he would have either requested transfers or tried other players (like Aina, James or Baba) in those roles from the beginning. Maybe, maybe not.

Regardless of who's the manager, CHO will not be starting games on a weekly basis as long as players like Hazard, Willian and Pedro are in the squad. People who think a new manager will just come in and start playing some 18 year old ahead of those experienced internationals are deluded.

Playing at home, 2 down against United in the FA Cup. Where's the fight ffs

I'm afraid this is the beginning of the end for Sarri era. Next we'll appoint a counter attacking manager who puts some paints over the cracks, wins a trophy only to end up sacked because the same team downs tools yet again. It really is a never ending cycle at Chelsea

Lost of bunch of records under Mourinho and Conte as well. Common denominator is this squad e. oops too late

Is Kante playing more defensive today or am I seeing things

Young escaped red card in CL last week and now this lol

Two good chances for Higuain. Surely he will score the next one

Why is he so in love with such mediocre players? Alonso can't even play Sarri's football (frankly he can't play football at all) but Sarri keeps choosing him week in week out. This is madness!!!

Christ Almighty what the hell is he thinking. Alonso playing LB, Kovacic playing attacking midfield, Kante too attacking, Azpilicueta as RB yet again, Jorginho playing his second game in five days, no CHO. For fuck sake Sarri wake up

He was outstanding in that away game against Bayern earlier in the season. During post-match interviews Van Gaal (who usually doesn't praise anyone) gave his performance a perfect 10 and told him that he was amazing. And he really was, Bayern players were chasing his shadow all evening. We would become so much more effective in the offensive phase if we had a player of his attacking quality playing that Kante role

'Bale had told us "I am not coming to join you guys... I go to bed at 11"': goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois reveals 'the golfer' Gareth is an outcast in the Real Madrid squad https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6714357/Thibaut-Courtois-reveals-Gareth-Bale-outcast-Real-Madrid-squad.html This guy just can't stop talking. Any normal person would know that this kind of stuff stays in the dressing room

I'd really like to see us collectively press high like a proper possession team for once. United defenders and central midfielders are in general quite poor on the ball so if there's one top6 that can be easily killed with aggressive pressing its them

Big fucking YES to this one! I've been a fan of him for a while and been dreaming about him joining us. It won't cheap though as he's by far the best player in Eredivisie. Hardworking, more dynamic version of Mesut Ozil is how many people like to describe him and I think that's pretty accurate. In fact, he's so hardworking that I could see him playing that Kante role. He does have a bit of reputation for being a diva though but maybe that's also down to him being so much better than most players in that league.

Put Kante in CDM instead of Jorginho. So how would that midfield look like exactly? Barkley-Kovacic Kante That midfield cannot score or create. It would be horrid going forward. Far too defensive for a possession team. Kante needs to be playing in a midfield two like he has always been playing. Hazard Kante-Kovacic That could work. But if Sarri would finally play midfield two then I don't see any reason to drop Jorginho, our most creative central midfielder. Kante-Jorginho pivot must be tried because it could be the solution to that whole midfield dilemma. Hazard Kante-Jorginho Now that's the midfield I want to see.

Higuain Hudson-Hazard-Pedro Jorginho-Kante Emerson-Luiz-Rudiger-Zappa Kepa Fuck me we really need new fullbacks immediately. Alongside getting a new striker should have been the priority in January Nevertheless, 4-2-3-1 should be the way to go until the end of the season. It could possibly solve three problems 1) The whole Hudson-Odoi thing, this would give him more chances for game time since Hazard is not playing LW 2) Lack of creativity and goals from Barkley/Loftus/Kovacic and midfield in general 3) The never-ending Jorginho-Kante dilemma I mean Sarri is very much familiar with this formation so it's not like he would have to re-invent his football philosophy.

Bring in a coach whos greatest quality is his man management skills but who doesn't speak a word of English. I'm sure that would end well...