Pizy

Don't know how I feel right now with the preseason over and the PL looming. On one hand, several of our most important players look great. Hazard, Costa, and Kante looked awesome. Even Oscar has looked much improved as the summer went on. The players look like they're buying into Conte's methods. We actually press teams now. The attack looks like it has some patterns and neat interplay. But then I think of all the issues we still have and it makes me very worried about us. Every defender we have bar Azpi is shit. In every single match we played in preseason (even those against terrible or average opposition) we gift teams with ridiculous chances and look like a pub team trying to defend. Matic and Cesc are so extremely slow and unathletic which means we don't have a true, top class partner for Kante. All that talk and hype about Conte playing with two strikers and we didn't once see Costa and Batshuayi paired together. Bats didn't even start one game. Honestly, if we start the season with this exact team and don't make significant additions I think our ceiling will be around 5th-6th. And that's only if Hazard and Costa are at their best all season. The club have to wake up and fix this God awful defense or Conte doesn't stand a chance.

No post match comments from Conte? Maybe he can give us a fucking clue as to when we're signing some defenders. If we even will at all...

People criticizing Kante, really? He was excellent in the first half. Won the ball many times. When the sluggish Cesc came on and the already sluggish defenders started getting tired he wasn't as effective.

JT is done as a starter, imo. He can't keep up. Sad to see and sad to say. We cannot compete at the top level with both he and Cahill.

That was seriously about the 4th or 5th time I've seen JT dive in and completely scuff the tackle around our penalty area. Defense embarrased again.

We look unbelievable going forward but shambolic defensively. Hazard and Costa have been unstoppable. If we just make 2 more quality signings (CB & RB) we'll have a fantastic side. Title challengers.

This defense! My god!!!

CB's nowhere to be seen forcing Matic to make that tackle...

Two FANTASTIC goals already!

Maybe if Ivanovic gets burned for pace a few times today Conte will see what all of us have for the last year.

So much for everyone's hope of seeing a Costa & Batshuayi striker partnership. Looks like the same tired, lame formation as we've been using for years.

Surely a coach as intelligent and tactically astute as Conte realized these problems the second he started studying film. Yet no defenders have been signed with a week to go until the season starts.

If you would've told me the day after last season that we'd go a whole summer without a defensive signing and line up opening weekend the following season with the exact same abysmal back 4 I'd have laughed at you and said we have the most incompetent board in Europe. Yet here we are. Likely to line up with the same fucking terrible defense that embarrassed the club last season in just a few days time.

Death, taxes, and Chelsea bids being rejected in summer 2016. If the media is to be believed we've been rejected for Nainggolan, Andre Gomes, Koulibaly, Morata, Lukaku, and Mustafi. Getting a bit ridiculous.

Agree, I'd get rid of him for sure, but I think he's left a positive impression on Conte so far. Him saying "I saw after that match who is in my plans and who isn't," made me think that he liked what he saw from Oscar and not so much Cesc and Matic.

I think Conte will see Oscar as too useful with his ability to play multiple midfield positions to get rid of. Pedro on the other hand...

I saw this tweet yesterday saying Zidane wasn't pleased with him either. If we got rid of Cuadrado and/or Pedro I'd love Isco here. He could be fantastic again if he is actually played week in and week out as a regular.

Long as it's not to a rival and we get an adequate replacement I must say I won't miss his slow, lumbering self floating around the pitch like a cruise ship. Or the fact that he dwells on the ball for ages and needs to take about 3 touches minimum before passing.

True, and unfortunately that'll probably mean all three of Ivanovic, Cahill, and Terry starting.

One by one the mistakes of the last couple of transfer windows are being moved on. Falcao, Pato, Baba, and now Papy. Pedro next?

So fucking random! Watch him scyth a few of our players down when we play Sunderland and give anoth throat slit gesture to our fans.

Knew as soon he was appointed there that he would suddenly try to become the classy, high and mighty type. You can be sure he'll contradict many things he's said in the past over the coarse of the season.

Good. They both have their place. Against the strongest opposition I'm not sure it's a great idea to play with two strikers. Maybe if we had a better partner for Kante, but our current players would get overrun. We need to pack the midfield against teams like City, United, Spuds. Against lesser opposition we can play two up top.

But why would we have spent £33m on Michy and why would we want Lukaku for an astronomical amount if we're only playing with one striker at a time? That would be a whole lot of money in forwards riding the bench.

So people think after that one match Conte will abandon his two striker preference? Not so sure myself. His dilemma is just finding the best partner for Kante in the middle.