Tomo

Villa away bring a bogey ground is truly a thing if the past. 10 points in 5 games there in recent times has put pay to that, still saying Villa Park is a bogey ground is the equivalent off us still regarding White Hart Lane as a routine three points.

On current form no, but an on form Courtois is light years ahead of Begovic. Saying Asmir is level/better than Tibo is about as accurate as saying Remy is better than Costa.

My stance remains the same, it takes me a long time to give up on a aayer especially one with proven world class pedigree, said the same with Diego pre Christmas. Although having said that I wouldn't be averse to dropping him for a few games in normal circumstances but doing that now will probably only serve to send him to the exit door.

Because if all those players played instead of being happy their probably be groans because Miazga didnt start and Jake Clarke Salter didn't come on at 3-0. Where you here when we played Shrewsbury? Christensen, Ake and Zouma (who was " youth" at the time) got selected, in the threads after instead of being happy three teenagers got their chance it was "Jose hates youth, how dare he not play Baker and Brown".

One youngster doesn't play, moan. One youngster does play, moan more ain't

As Cesc and Ruben pivot would get destroyed defensively. As limited as Mikel is he does offer decent stability in that regard and let's be honest our defense need all the protection they can get right now. Having said that Rubens cameo should warrant him more time now, that what you have to do as a young player, make the most of what ever minutes you get.

Before Christmas De Gea was conceding from corners and letting in soft goal after soft goal, but he's not a Chelsea player so he's allowed a dip.

Id much rather a league with two or three outstanding teams, theirs a reason England teams have suffered in Europe since the league has become more "competitive".

Watching the Blackburn game, and my god the quality of possession and ball retention is simply Insane.

Hardly news, managers having complete control on transfers left the game with Ferguson, if just doesn't happen anymore, anywhere!!!!!

Quite honestly, in my view the desperation for Ivan to be dropped has led to Baba being overrated to even criminal levels, games he's been average-awful In i then come in here to things like "he done great, should play more" along them lines. Although I'd rather keep the squad together and add more first teamers, if someone offers us money back on Baba, id be inclined to want the club to take the money.

Maybe he said so to swerve other managers? Half the things Jose discussed tactically were fibs (Never play Luiz in midfield). Or he could 100%mean what he said and we will never play that formation for Chelsea, time will tell.

He would be left back for them too.

Unless the forward is a die hard Chelsea fan, the chances of the player in question staying 10 plus years is nil, only Terry is in the squad from 05/06, this long term thing is blown way out of proportion, I swear sometimes if we sign anyone over 26 the club is accused of being short-sighted. Willian has been here three years yet id say he been here long term.

But what if Conte goes two up top which he might? Costa and Ibra with Traore back up doesn't sound bad atall.

I heard a couple of rumours that he wanted to try it and bring Andreas and Cuadrado back for that reason, furthermore even if he never once uses it here, what's wrong with discussion it in a hypothetical sense? Transfers that never happen are discussed all the time, why can't the same be done for formations?

1. Villa are the worst team in the league. 2. Newcastlemay be down near the bottom but they won at White Hart Lane, drew at Old Trafford and outplayed Arsenal at The Emirates and were desperately unlucky to lose. While we should be beating Newcastle at home, as those results/performances above show it still ain't the type of team we can just best by turning up.

Of course, Lukaku could turn out to be the better striker out of him and Diego, but he isn't yet and that won't change just because he scores on a weekend Costa doesn't.

Or maybe they stand up to the challenge? Its easy to forget that these very player's worked hard to bring the league title home last season and you could argue for some (Hazard and Matic especially) the extra miles put in to doing that is the reason they were so exhausted coming into this season and therefore a shadow of themselves, I've been mentally exhausted and its so much worse than physical exhaustion, in fact it's dangerous as far as mental health goes, I had to relax and do literally nothing for two weeks before I felt anyway close to normal again. That's why I feel uneasy when I hear Drogba, Lamps, Ash would never let this happen or play like they ain't trying, in 10/11 and 11/12 (bar the late CL and FA runs) most of our squad were playing in first gear, go on the match threads in those two seasons and you will see many comments about how our players don't give a shit and are well fed with success since the double. That was a squad with all our famed leaders in bar Ballack, a squad that went from being villified for not caring to immortal (after Munich) in two months. I don't actually think Drogba, Lamps,Ash, Essien and Malouda etc didn't care, of course I don't but that's my point, there were times in those two seasons every player just mentioned was accused of downing tools, just like our current bunch now (like I alluded to, if you don't believe me, check out match threads on them two years), what I'm saying is the average Chelsea fan had to eat some humble pie with some players in that squad (especially Lamps) and same could happen here, the players showed last season they can knuckledown and bring home the bacon, and I can see Antonio getting good out of them.

I was just trying to be clever, meant nothing by it. Sometimes players just work in different environments, Cuadrado I think underestimated the PL when he arrived, he wanted more time on the ball than this league allowed and often got caught out, I did see glimpses of the talent he has and wouldnt be against seeing how he does under Conte. With Ruben I think there's more to the fitness/lazy off the ball thing than we think, Kennedy and Traore are starting to get significant minutes and with Ruben we still waiting.

Along with getting the title with Blackburn, Newcastle were often challenging top three with Shearer there, certainly top level.

We weren't to know we weren't going to use him, Traores development suddenly accelerating and him not progressing like we thought/hoped has put the skids on. Pato was a no lose signing really, the equivalent of putting one pound in a roulette machine, you could lose a pound, big deal, but you could end up with a high amount of cash, can only really win.

That will be the main question, the centre of the park will have three energetic midfielders in the side, so where will that leave the fullbacks and attacking mids in the system? Azpilicueta - Better going forward than given credit for, but enough for a wingback? I'm not sure, but with the system their will be a need for 5/6 centre half's and its a position I thought Cesar could actually excel in, maybe Antonio will play him there? Ivanovic - Back up centre back at best hopefully. Baba - He would be left wing back, don't think there's any room to maenovre with him, if he stays that is. Hazard -Not defensively strong enough for wingback, but if stay could be the one behind the striker, the two doesn't nessesirly have to be two out and out forwards. Willian - I would imagine he would be a right wing back, strong enough defensively and in that position their won't be a big demand for goals/assists (which isn't his strongest point despite his impressive tally this term), could be an even bigger making of him than this season has been. Pedro - He might be the one in trouble, although I think he can come good, I can't see any room for him in this system. Kenedy - He could be the biggest benefactor to a wingback system, my belief is that as a winger he lacks the close control and sharp decision making to be top bracket, but fullback he could be the real deal if he brushes up on his defending as when you go forward you aren't as closely marked in that position, wingback seems almost perfect for him. Oscar - Can't see Conte making him more than a squad player. Then there's the players in loan. Juan Cuadrado - If he returns would almost certainly be wing back. Nathan Ake - Could be an interesting player who will give us depth at wing back and CM. Also to touch up on the centre backs, we will need 5 maybe 6 centre backs if we are going three at the back, assuming Terry is still leaving we will have Cahill, Zouma and Miazga, one if which won't be fit for the start of the season. Rumours has it that Conte wants to recall Christensen and sign Bonnuci which would make 5, maybe my suggestion above of putting Cesar there to make it 6? Or Ivanovic will be the 6th with Cesar a wing back? Or maybe both with Miazga heading out on loan. Could be quite an exciting new direction if Conte goes down this route.

The January market is difficult, its not as easy as saying player x,y and z come on down. We didn't even create a space for Pato by player sales, he came in as a fourth forward, we literally couldn't lose and haven't.

What, he's scored? Fuck sake shows how clueless our board is, willian didnt score Saturday so Cuadrado has showed just how much we fucked up. And we got Kalou taking Hertha to a great season, and let's not mention Piazon, who scored against West Brom In the FA cup something Hazard has never done, fuck sake what could have been!!!!!!