Pizy

He's seriously underrated when it comes to technique. He has the reputation of just being a destroyer with limited footballing ability, but I'd say that better describes Matic. Kante is a fantastic footballer.

Gee, would you look at that! We looked miles better when athletic midfielders came in! Did you see how intensely we pressed them? They couldn't deal with it. That wasn't possible with Cesc and Matic because they're as slow as molasses. Kante is a bit special, isn't he? Immedietly looked at home breaking up play in our midfield. He also pinged a few Scholes-esque cross field passes. Hazard is back, folks! Last thing, if we add a top class CB and perhaps a great fullback we can be a great team. Conte just has to find out who the best partner for Kante is. Chalobah has looked better than anyone else in there.

This is comical! We need an entirely new defense and midfield. This is unbelievably SHIT!

I hate to say this, but we're shit. This average group of no-names can pass it around and keep the ball better than us. And outside of Moses and Traore this is looking likely to be our starting XI. Seriously, that looked like last season's Chelsea. Ultra slow midfield, the entire defense getting destroyed by a simple through ball or ball over the top, and strikers getting almost no service. We looked in that half like we did under Mourinho when it got really bad. Players can't string multiple passes together and keep simple possession. It's just one poor pass and Milan have it back. Matic looks simply terrible. Sluggish, terrible touch, slow on the ball. Willian looks off, Diego looks off, and Cesc looks as slow as ever.

Defense a shambles in the first minute

What the...why isn't Bats getting starts?

All I ask for tonight is for us to impose ourselves on Milan. Play with the ball on the ground, no Courtois launching it, no long balls. Attractive, controlled football. We have miles better talent than they have so we should be taking the initiative and playing our game. No counter attacking, defensive bullshit. One of the biggest criticisms of Mourinho on the pitch in his second stint was that we couldn't assert ourselves most of the time. We made it too easy for opponents to play against us. Hope Conte changes that.

City were already miles better than us and unlike Chelsea aren't fighting to get back into the CL yet they've just made their sixth signing. United are on the verge of making their fourth signing with Pogba. The team that most needed new players have signed...two. None in a couple of weeks now. With the preseason nearly over. Not one player in the most crucial position. Let's just say that I'm getting a tad nervous. Not shitting it yet, but nervous.

Watch him sign Koulibaly. Even though they've already got Smalling and Bailly.

One is a CB coming off a terrible season and the other is a 20 goal a season striker. Not really comparable at all.

I want Lukaku!

Man, we might see the first TalkChelsea crash from server overload in years if this move happens. It'll be hilarious. I miss those days.

Mate, we've known for ages that we've needed to completely overhaul the defense. During last season we knew Cahill was shit, JT is over the hill, and Zouma wouldn't be ready for the start of the season. We knew Baba was subpar. None of the big clubs are after Koulibaly. Everton are supposedly our only competition. We're prepared to spend £33m on Michy and maybe £60m+ on Lukaku. Strikers were probably 4th on the list of priorities according to most Chelsea fans. At the same time the club apparently scoffs at the asking prices for Stones, Koulibaly, Bonucci, etc. when a top class CB is the biggest must-have for us. You tell me it's a competitive market and yes, I agree. We can't bully teams any longer and steal everyone's best players, but when we really, really need a specific player we should just pay whatever necessary to land them. Mourhino felt he absolutely needed Pogba- done, £100m, paid whatever it took. City feel they need Stones to play the Guardiola way- they'll pay the £50m. Chelsea 100% need a world class CB and have known so for months, if not a year. Are our negotiators just that poor? They really going to leave it until the deadline?

Even if we sold him I couldn't get excited like some of you until I know whether he's being replaced or not. Knowing us, we'd sell him and just consider RLC his replacement and not sign another midfielder.

We probably should have made two big CB signings nice and early to have a full preseason and mesh with the team. Instead, the PL kicks off in two weeks, we've signed no CB's, all links to any CB's have gone completely silent, and if we do eventually sign one they'll have one preseason match at most to get up to speed. Brilliant stuff from whoever is dealing with our transfers. We better get used to the idea of Cahill and JT being the starting CB pairing for probably the first couple of matches of the new season. Payet should be licking his chops.

Still head scratching that we'd be after Lukaku whilst keeping Costa.

Once we see him rampage through a few defenses and bully teams like Arsenal people will come around on him. Lukaku occupying multiple defenders will also help the likes of Hazard and Michy work their magic. Plus he's actually a threat in the air unlike Diego.

I wonder who it is in the Chelsea hierarchy who loves these Brazilian youngsters. It's getting silly now!

Guess I'm one of the only ones here who wants Lukaku back now. Warming to it more and more. Thing is, we'd still need another striker if we essentially swap Lukaku for Costa. Assuming we're keeping Remy (been zero indication or links away that I've seen). Unless Conte feels completely confident in Traore.

Don't jinx it. They'd have one hell of a team, indeed. Mahrez would be perfect for the way Arsenal play.

With the likes of Ivanovic, Oscar, Mikel, Remy, and Cuadrado I never figured Baba would be the first to go. I thought for sure that Conte would give him a legit chance. Not that I'm complaining as he looked in over his head at times. There's clearly talent there. Maybe he'll have a successful loan and come back better.

He's an unmovable anchor. Just like Mikel. Nothing will come of it.

Looked good for Germnay this summer. I know that's a small sample size, but he's got to be starting for the world champs for a reason, yes? Although it's a bit strange that no other big club has snapped him up yet.

He really is a special talent. When he builds up chemistry with his teammates through playing regularly he can develop into a star. I sort of hope that no matter who we bring in up top, Michy is the partner for them and isn't benched. His technique and explosiveness can cause teams fits.

Please sign Jonas Hector! Perfect modern fullback. I see Liverpool are sniffing around him. We should hurry up and snatch him.