CurlyHairLikeLuiz

Azpi-Terry-Varane-Luis would be utterly insane. We should do it asap, along with khedira and reus a team like that would be unstoppable. Cech Azpi-Terry-Varane-Luis Matic Khedira Reus-Cesc-Hazard Costa

Ticket sales are irrelevant, the stadium is already at maximum capacity already. Plus...we've already got too many bloody tourists in the stands... ugh. Hopefully the barca 'I'm only here for Messi' brigade can actually sing... We'd still get £50m easily in shirt sales, though, and if Adidas help out with, say, £100m, we're actually not too far away. Sell Schurrle and Ivanovic and maybe we might get there!

Terry's statue would be epic

Are they the sacred shorts?

Mikel Mikel Mikel Mikel Mikel Mikel Mikel Mikel Mikel Mikel Mikel?

Azpi Zouma Terry Luis Matic Cesc Oscar Messi Hazard Costa Might as well get Reus while we're at it... REUS - MESSI - HAZARD PLEEEEEEEASE

Sky says his assistant has been sacked too.

Oh yeah and why the fuck did Salah not play? The guy needs game time god damnit!

Khedira?

No youth apart from an Ake cameo.... Well done Zouma! Hope you're in the side for Newcastle.

Big P returns to goal! (because Courtois did his fingers in, right?)

Lol could we get her thrown in as mascot in the contract?

Not in my eyes. If it's true that Juve want him, we should use him as leverage and get Pogba.

I agree with your post but I have to say I like Oscar playing. He's such a good potential. Don't forget, our AMs don't really have positions. Wingers drift to each other's sides, #10s swap with wingers, etc. Personally I think that just talking of the firt team, Reus is more important, because our wingers are useless (unless Salah proves us otherwise in the coming games) while Oscar does offer creativity and offensive play. Plus, I quite like Fabregas in the pivot. Getting Khedira as well would be my pref, because then in bigger games we can move Cesc up and bench Oscar - he is still young, after all, and in smaller games rest either Matic or Cesc. After getting Reus, we can bench Ivan because we simply will need a much more defending full back there because imagine Reus will not track back like Willian does, and we already have one too. Luis on the left, then we can rotate Iva and Cahill on the CB spot, while playing Zouma in small games. I'm almost certainly sure we're not gonna get Reus, though, and I think Chelsea doesn't want Khedira, so basically it's fantasy, unfortunately. Who knows, Jose might surprise me. We do criticise Jose for lack of rotation, but in attacking and midfield positions at least, it's because the rest of the team is simply sub par.

How about that update?

Sacrilege! You forgot Terry.

The only problem with that lineup is that it puts immense pressure on Matic, against bigger sides he would need more support. Also, Ivan can't cross for shit and his offensive play amounts to aimless long balls into the box. Put Hazard on the left where he is best, Willian on the right and Oscar in the middle with Cesc for your lineup to have a chance of working.

banter

I'd rather foreign first division but I suppose he'll get most time at a team like Boro.

Firstly, very nice layout on the post! If this is for 2015/16 though, Drogba will probably be in a coaching role by then. Have been saying Remy should be playing on the wing for a while now, but imo, I don't think Cahill is the weakest link in our defence. Yet. He is an average defender, but Ivanovic is truly rubbish at it. Our starting lineup for 2015/16 should be (with your signings). I still think Reus should be joint #1 priority with Khedira though, sell Schurrle, and if Salah doesn't perform we should loan him out - he's still a young fella, needs game time to continue him improvement. One of Ivanovic and Cahill should go, my personal choice would be Ivanovic, considering we have an excellent full back with the name Ryan Bertrand being farmed out atm, but I know his fate is sealed, he will leave at the end of the season for So'ton. Even so, Cahill is as far as I know a better CB than him anyway, but if Berty leaves then we'll have to sign a backup CB/RB. Iva is not good enough. Oh yeah, and we should keep Kalas here next year, if we have Varane then Terry playing every match is no longer as necessary, and Cahill, Kalas, Zouma and one of Terry and Varane can play in smaller games, with both in bigger ones. Also, I think Cech should get more game time. Maybe Courtois for the prem and Cech for cup ties? Courtois Azpi - Varane - Terry - Luis Khedira - Matic Reus - Cesc - Hazard Costa Bench: Cech, Cahill/Kalas/Zouma, Bertrand, Gundogan (he can replace any one of the two in the pivot, right?), Oscar, Willian, Remy, Kramarik.

What I'd like to see: Cech Azpi Zouma Terry Luis Ake - Mikel Schurrle - RLC - Salah Remy Bench: Courtois, Christensen, Iva, Matic, Oscar, Willian, Drogba. Giving Cesc a rest is more difficult than I thought. If RLC can play in the pivot then move him there, put Oscar in #10, and if we need to sub him off, Remy can fall back and Drog can come on. Starting Drogba or Remy in this match doesn't really matter in this match, but since Remy deserves game time, I chose him.

Exactly. You can't judge him legitimately in a 10 minute sub cameo. Personally he is the only one of our 3 wingers who hasn't been given a reasonable chance to prove himself. He needs a 5 game run. If he's still awful after that then maybe you have a point and a loan would be good for him.

Salah hasn't been given time to show his strengths. 1 game is not enough for match fitness.

Reus on the wing with Khedira in the pivot and Cesc in #10 is very realistic indeed. Not the most favoured option but it's both the most realistic and the most cost effective. Also, isn't there some Barcelona contract rebel we were linked with?