El P.

I was thinking a lot about what kind of players should we bring in. It's obvious that we need faster and better LWB (Sandro if possible), maybe RWB too, but it's way way harder decide what kind of players should we bring to improve our midfield and attack. First of all - I'm not at all fond of getting second striker to play alongside Morata. Why? First of all - we already have him. Tell me one good striker that can score better than Eden Hazard. We don't need anything more in that department. Morata will improve, his bond with Eden too. Getting second striker would also mean dropping Hazard deeper at midfield, and we don't want that. So I would leave that as it is. The player type I would like to bring is someone like James, Hamsik, KDB, David Silva, even Suso from Milan, he is only one that plays football in that squad. Someone creative, one that would drop deep in midfield if needed, but also with solid scoring abilities so he could chip in with some goals too. And yes, that would mean Fabregas on the bench, and by that - less creativity form the middle. Cesc is getting older, and he would be the best from the bench as super-sub in coming years. That brings me to my next point... New midfielder, if possible. Someone in the mold of Saul or Koke from Atletico. Even Rakitić would be good, maybe Andre Silva? You know, well balanced player that can be good tactically, but also provide something in attack. Like Drinkwater, only better. BUT, I know we've bought Bakayoko and Drinkwater and it would be hard to just buy another expensive midfielder. So that could be optional, let's say. It's easier to buy a new AMF and offload Willian/Pedro, than Baka/Drinky. So, I was thinking: ---------------- Courtois ----------------- --- Azpi ------- Christy -----Rudy ----- ----------------------------------------------- Moses/new RB --------------- new LB ------------ Saul -------- Kante --------- --------------- James --------------------- ----------------------------------------------- ------------------ Hazard ----------------- ------------ Morata ------------------------ - world class LWB, and maybe a better RWB - creative AMF - because let's face it, we will never buy some Verratti type and play him deep in midfield, we need creativity somewhere, someone with good passes - balanced CMF for the same reason, it's hard to find someone creative but also good tactically - that new creative AMF should be ok with scoring 10-15 goals per season, to help out Morata and Hazard

I agree, but there is hard any logic and "rules" in any of the Ballon d'Or ratings. Hazard deserves to be around 10th spot, if we consider not playing in Europe. Kante around 15th spot. My opinion.

We have Christensen, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Luiz and Cahill, and some of you still want this guy at the back three? Am I missing something? He is not strong, not so mobile, his defensive skills (positioning, blocking, sliding, marking) are also very very questionable. It's beyond me that anyone would want him at the back three.

I think they rated him so highly because he is playing at the top top level two seasons in the row. Also, no need to mention he've won the league two seasons in a row. Kante is somewhat trending in all those rankings, we saw it first at our club domestic rankings where he got all of the awards in front of Hazard who was at least at the same level last season as N'Golo, and now this. "Letc all vote for good guey Kante! He is such a good guey, plays zo good an' iz so noice!"

Hazard man, I love you, but why this obsession with Zinedine Zidane? Ok, as a player - totally understand. But to play under him? Why would anyone want to play under inexperienced manager who is jet to prove himself. Especially when you have Conte on the other side, who is everything opposite of Zidane. If he said - Real have great players, Madrid is fine city, but no... Zidane is great coach. Lord.

I totally agree. Abramovič is the man who should bring this team to the next level, not Conte.

Worst thing about whole situation with him is that we will not go for another central midfielder for years, we have Kante, Drinkwater and Bakayoko. Except maybe if some really good offer for him comes to our address, but somehow I doubt it.

I compared him some time ago to Chalobah, saying why didn't we try with him, he was free and homegrown, 'our kid'. Still think he is anything above Chalobah? Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk

Yeah, I meant that - it is good, but because of bad finishing it sucks and is inefficient. Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk

It's not about conversation rate, that number is ok. But you can't expect every single game him to get good cross so he can score a header, you know. All attacks are built mostly in hope for one thing - every action, almost every move from Fabregas and Hazard - to give your number 9 good ball so he could score, that's the plan A. And I don't mean cross from the wing, but that can be useful sometimes too, yes. But not as a main source of our scoring. Our plan A sucks, and because of that we must always look for alternatives, which is not good. I don't expect him to be next Shevchenko, or I don't know. I just want that part of his game to be a little better, it must be.

I think we all know this. It's just, he never really proved himself. If he had scored some good number of goals with his feet, no one would mention his tonight's miss. It's just game after game, him missing sitters.

Stop this ratings at the top of the page and give Hazard all points in every game that he plays. Sometimes we are here on forum to be happy, sometimes we are here to be sad and comfort each other. And as much as I hate repeating it again, it's really sad that we are gambling on Hazard leaving with this lousy squad. Really painful to watch. So efficient, so composed, so smart, so dangerous. If he decides to stay with us I would be happy like we've won the Premier league. Don't want to comment other attacking players at all. Fabregas was good. Football IQ is all, fuck tactics, stamina, strength and all other abilities. No IQ, no good football.

Next time Fabregas should aim at his head, there is no use of feeding him with balls like this. Goalkeeper actually spread his legs wide open, but Alvaro wasn't even looking at the keeper, he was just watching the ball and got keeper in his leg. Still hope that he can make it as a top striker, but that hope is really thin now.

Well, if Real spend 100 millions on Hazard, I'm sure they have at least 50-70 millions more to spend on some other players (especially on keeper, they are still not that expensive). And if they spend 180 millions on Hazard, than it's a different story. They earned some good money on Morata/James loan/Danilo.

I agree with you, but 100m for Hazard? Dembele's price was around 100, Pool could've sell Coutinho for about 150. If Neymar is 220, Hazard is at least worth 180millions.

Exactly. Real is gonna have a huge makeover in coming years. CR can't do it anymore, Benzema is declining, Bale is always injured. Modrić is 32, Kovačić in't anything near starting XI material for a club like RM. Ramos will get exposed more often with his brain farts as the rest of the squad is declining too. And no need to say that they have far the worst goalkeepers of all top clubs. Can't see them winning anything in upcoming years. Thing is, even if they bring Hazard, you think they could just say to Bale, Benzema or CR that they will no play anymore? Maybe, for 2 years, but not already. CR won ballon d'or last year, Bale is still 28 and his price was 100 mils. Benzema might be the first one to get benched, but then again, they have Isco too, who is top player. And it's question if you could just kick Banzema out of first XI and place CR as a lone striker. He never played that role for some significant period. Whole lot of mess going on in that club... Hazard would cost 200 millions, it's realistic. I don't see how could they risk BBC falling off with so much money on the stake.

IMO, Messi is still in his prime, only now he is playing in way way inferior Barcelona than from last decade, so he can't look like God with likes of Rakitic, Paulinho, Delofeu etc. alongside him... Still clearly the best player though. When he was in his "prime", he was better dribbler and quicker, now he is better FK taker and passer. He is just evolving, no way he is past his prime.

Things are going pretty well, considering our squad and that bad start to the season. Finally we saw Rudiger - Christensen - Azpi starting, and he played Drinkwater from the start instead of Bakayoko. Hope Rudiger will slowly fade out Cahill to the bench and hope Drinkwater will play from start until Bakayoko improves. Our last season first XI squad in fact is totally reshaped. No more Luiz, Matić, Pedro nor Diego Costa. Cahill and Rudiger sharing the spot. Fabregas starter. And it looks good. I am very pleased with his work. He may not be reacting very fast, but he always reacts, this game or another. We won't ever catch City, nor we need to. We've won title last year, let's keep on building! If we continue with improving, we'll have less work in the market.

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos broke record with 19th red card in La Liga. Good player, but average defender.

Yes, well, they are both on that level, close to each other I would say. But most of people doesn't even want to compare them, because IT'S NEYMAR, next football's Brazilian God. Hazard was our only consistently brilliant player in both of our titles, he was our main man. Two titles, in most demanding league in world, being main man. Naymar proved himself on some other ways, but they both are there, fighting for second spot behind Messi.

Maybe we don't have enough top players to play with him, but Eden Hazard somehow just fits in Chelsea, in this team and club. He seems really like at home here, it would be very unnatural to see him somewhere else.

Again, shocking against Morata. Ok, he falls too easy sometimes, but you cannot because of that never decide in his favor! Penalty and FK on 20 meters at last minutes...

Like others said, based on the form, our strongest XI. Cahill is actually in ok form too, but Rudy is becoming a beast. Drinky ahead of Baka any day. Zappa isn't anything special, Moses is just faster and stronger, it should be enough. (sorry for double post, wasn't on purpose)

Stop with those positive posts, mate...

Morata is doing fine today, just misses a bit of luck. Good chances.