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My initial hope was that Kenedy could be a good LWB along with Baba but its curious that Conte would send them both away knowing full well we only really had alonso/aina for LWB. Perhaps he could have a moses-esque resurgence and adapt to the role but he will have to really commit to getting back on D and reading the game. I was enthusiastic about his possibilities as a LWB now im a lot more hesitant.

If he is unhappy with the coach and he WANTS to come, reunited with Conte, reunited with Luiz, bigger league, London=Paris. Not worth 100 mill Pogba/Griezz money, I dont even know what amount could be offered due to the crazy transfer prices we just saw but if the player is motivated and we dont mess around and low ball it is a possibility. A man can dream. Maybe a cesc + cash deal works for them? Gets his wage off our bill, would destroy the french league, and be happy to move.

Watching PSG vs Arsenal and keeping my eye on Verratti, He has been all over from pressing the Arsenal CB's to dropping back and starting the attack. Makes me believe that he could partner with matic/kante in a 343 or make an absolutely killer trio in a 352 like @OneMoSalah said. Looking at average position on the field Hazard is higher up than costa already, I would assume Verratti would get the same freedom in the midfield and give us a little more creativity down the middle if need be. Would love to have him here. (I am very biased towards Italian players I will admit) Azpi Luiz Cahill Moses Kante Verratti Matic Alonso Costa Hazard

Im not so worried about burning them out, they only play 1 match a week so they are playing the minimum amount of games even with such a physically demanding style of play barring unforeseen injury this XI can play every game. That being said I am confident Willian/Bats can spell the front 3, Aina/Azpi can cover for the wing backs, Chalobah is our only backup to Matic/Kante which is our biggest problem (worst case scenario we can move Luiz up if we are bare bones) Lets not worry about what could happen down the line, lets focus on the game in front of us and hope we jump right back into form!

Same lineup as always for me. Dangerous trap game but I wouldn't doubt Contes ability to fire the boys up and keep them focused. TBO Azpi Luiz Cahill Moses Kante Matic Alonso Pedro Costa Hazard Feeling confident our pressure will fluster them into a mistake to get that important early goal.

Lets remember that Conte is a "Tailor" he likes to emphasize players strengths. Not buying a world class player due to fear of him not fitting in our current system is a slippery slope. Matic is back on form and he/kante have been making sweet music together in the middle of the park. That being said if we have a chance to get this guy we must go for it 100% He is tenacious enough to fit next to kante or matic and has the on ball skill we crave from our midfield. We see how amazing matic is playing in this system and getting assists...now lets imagine Verrati instead... We can play with 2/3 or all 3 if we want a different look. IF he wants to come we simply must buy him (in my opinion) moses kante verrati matic alonso Costa Hazard

I agree 100% @Unionjack I find myself saying at 70' min mark up 3-0 saying ok Batman time, sit costa he has done his job. I dont believe Bats was a Conte buy, think about the timing right? Conte was middle of euros fully focused on Italy. I think he can BECOME a conte guy but its going to take alot of time and hopefully he is working hard in training like Chalobah/Aina and giving Conte a thought that he deserves more playing time. One thing i do appreciate about Conte is when a player subs on i feel like Conte thinks he deserves the time, not just because he should. Sooner or later Batman will get a full game due to costa suspension and lets hope he can bag a goal or two, I really enjoy him

I agree it is a shame but we can't have it both ways. I view him as i would our youth players. Conte is here to get us back into the top 4, without CL or the meaningless cup games squad rotation is at a minimum, Also with the way Costa is firing goals and the system we have deployed he just doesn't have a spot (at the moment) Could Conte Sub him on more? Yes, I agree. But as long as we are winning and getting points on a weekly basis to achieve our end goal of CL qualification it is a slight i can overlook for the time being. I have high hopes for Batman, i think he will do well here but for this year and at this moment he just doesnt have a place no fault of his own just circumstance.

Maybe its a minor knock that just needs rest and a little rehab, Spain does have Morata on form so they might have said don't even take the chance. I am hopeful he will get back and be alright. I am confident in Bats playing against borough the focus for costa should be healthy for Tottenham.

Obviously I want Costa starting against borough however i am extremely curious to see how Bats plays with proper service and the starting XI behind him. If Costa can't go i feel confident in Bats playing well and maybe even scoring a goal. Lots of pace and strength, lets see if he has learned from costa in regards to positioning and strategic runs.

I don't know much about him truthfully. Seems he can be had for a relatively cheap price if reports are to be believed, At this stage whoever Conte wants I support haha

Yes i am aware, however it couldnt hurt to go back and put an offer in. If they say no then they say no but If Roma fail to qualify for CL as @the wes said I believe its possible, a very slim possibility but crazier things have happened.

This season has worked out perfectly for Conte. We are playing Marvelous and in the hunt for our CL spot. The players look to be enjoying working under him. Roman is happy. Conte didn't get his first targets in the transfer market and STILL made a team playing some of the best football we have seen in awhile. Roman has to be thinking, imagine we give this guy what he wants what he could build! A motivated russian billionaire chasing glory is the best asset for Conte. Also if i were a player that Conte wants how could you say no to joining his revolution. Wish List: Auba/Griezz/Dybala One of those 3 and we are really in business. Radja/B2B midfielder of some sort just in case something were to happen with Matic/Kante. LWB/RWB depth/backup. CB, I dont think we are going to get bonucci but he is obviously the gold standard or Romagnoli (i have a bias towards italian defenders) Forza Chelsea!

Might be time to bring this thread back. Radja would be absolutely perfect in our system, having Matic/Kante/Radja would be unbelievable for Conte. Maybe we can finally convince him to leave Roma! on a side note: what the hell do they put in the water at Roma! nobody ever wants to leave!

I think so, with the 343 or even the 352 with hazard and costa as the other two attackers it is clear Conte values fluidity in attack over set positions on the field. As we have seen with hazard he often times is further up the field than costa and has scored from all over the field. The reason i think pedro is excelling is because he reads the game so well and makes proper runs as he played in a fluid system at barca. Auba would be a dream for me as he has the killer speed and is such a clinical finisher. I dont view the front 3 as winger striker winger i view them all as attackers.

I always try to wait a little bit before i react to the weekends events as to control my emotions and focus on our actual goal. The way we are playing is absolutely ridiculously amazingly awesome at the moment. I hope we never come down, although we will at some point(maybe). That being said 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th doesnt matter to me as long as we are in one of those 4 positions. It is all well and good to be challenging for the prem title but lets not forget our main goal here is top 4 CL spot. Conte has worked a miracle so far, lets hope he gets another couple players he wants in the Jan window so we can continue to build momentum and make a splash in the summer. What player wouldnt want to come play for a coach like this? My goodness.

I disagree, ManU maybe not but Southampton at home and just came off a draw against City they were absolutely in form. Will you continue to say that until the team loses or if we beat Everton with a good display will that finally count as the "Big Test" Same lineup for me, Pedro over Willian again. I know pedro isnt the most well liked on here but he has been doing the job for me. He plays well with hazard/costa, makes smart runs and hustles on D. Should be another great game, Being at home and full of confidence lets hope we can get another W. I dream of another clean sheet.

No place for him in an XI with 3 at the back. He just doesnt have the wheels or comfort in the system or high line. That being said he does have a place in the squad, a very important place, hopefully he accepts it(i think he will) and makes his last year with the team beneficial for everyone. He can be extremely useful helping the youth and being a consummate professional. Whether he go to China or America I think as a player this has to be his last season at Chelsea. I would gladly hire him in a coaching/ambassador role next year however I think he will go to a smaller league and play a bit more before coming back.

Same as ManU for me, Pedro makes smart runs and seems to play well with Hazard/Costa. Bring Willian on in the 2nd half if we need him. Southampton is very tricky but I am expecting a hard fought victory. Conte will be back in the godfather suit, no more sweatshirt for him.

Disappointing to lose, but Conte was right we did learn a lot. We learned that Terry is too old to play in this system, his presence negatively affects Luiz and seeminly Cahill. Similar thoughts on the game as @El P. We learned that Chalobah has got the skills and temperament we need from a youth player to thrive. We learned that Azpi is clearly a CB in this system not a RWB, Aina isnt a LWB but might be a RWB. Oscar has lost confidence, therefore reverted back to the Oscar we all expected, No place for him here anymore. Willian wasn't great but im giving him the benefit of the doubt for this one. Bats was underwhelming but then again we were a mess behind him so I was disappointed but not lost hope. But we needed to learn all of this one way or another, I am glad we learned it in a relatively meaningless cup (although I would have enjoyed winning it, Trophies are Trophies)

first half thoughts: Terry: Looks very old, out of place in this formation. Luiz: made more mistakes in one half than in the last 3 games playing on the right, much more comfortable in the middle. Azpi: Not looking great in the Wing Back role, im surprised. Aina: doesnt look comfortable on the left, not keeping the width like Alonso does. Kante/Chalobah: both looks pretty good, given game time chalobah will blossom with this role Willian/Oscar: something looks off with both, neither looked great. Bats: not getting the service costa does, hasnt done much. Underwhelming first half, really shows how well the starting XI has taken to their positions. So much more fluid and aggressive. Everyone seems apprehensive and unsure. Lets hope we figure it out in the second half!

Begovic, Luiz, Terry, Cahill, Azpi, Kante, Chalobah, Aina, Willian, Bats, Oscar I think they will lineup 343: Luiz Terry Cahill Azpi Kante Chalobah Aina Willian Bats Oscar RLC didnt even make the bench.

Friend and I were talking and we just can not figure out what formation/who should play tonight. We both agree Chalobah, Bats, Terry should get time. I hope aina will find a role. Do we continue with 343/352? does he revert to 4 at the back for a game to keep us flexible? Do we go stronger team for reasons @Tomo mentioned above? does he rotate? I WANT ANSWERS! lol 4141: Aina Terry Cahill Azpi Mikel Willian Chalobah Oscar hazard bats 343: azpi Terry Luiz Aina Chalobah Oscar Alonso Willian Bats Hazard 352: Azpi Terry Luiz aina Chalobah Mikel Oscar Alonso Bats RLC

Would absolutely love him, but the question is why would he leave Juventus for us? If we trigger his clause and he wants to come i would be OVER the moon. Just hard to see him leaving Juve at the moment. @blues.bridge It is a great article and makes a lot of sense, just feels like Griezz can be convinced to leave atletico. But If we could have either and had to choose it would be extremely difficult to turn down Dybala

I think it will be a mix of 352/343 going forward depending on who we buy, Conte favours both systems so i dont think you can say he prefers the 352 over the 343, with our team the 343 just works better but the formation accomplishes what Conte deems important. As @Unionjack said its all fluid, Conte wants his players to understand his philosophy and make it work on the pitch. Also I don't understand the knock on Alonso/Moses? They have done exactly what they are supposed to do and with great effort, what more would you want from your wing backs in the situation @El P.? We havent let a goal in, and our attack has looked pretty great lately.