Superblue

Yeah I'm aware of that, would just make more sense of Lampard here first else there will be the usual media bollocks around the club where it's a signing being forced upon Lampard before he's even arrived. The most logical sequence would be Cech, then Lampard, then Kovacic. Let's see what happens...

I would have thought the club would want to confirm Lampard before Kovacic, but I'd be amazed if he isn't in place ready for pre season which is what, Monday?

Not much, but I watched more than enough of him at Chelsea to know he will go down as one of the worst players I've seen in a Chelsea shirt, and that goes for the Pre-Roman years too. As I put on an earlier post, if we can sell Bakayoko and recoup as much of his fee as possible and it's being re-used on signing Kovacic I'm fine with that. I see Kovacic as a massive upgrade on Bakayoko for the points I've already made. In a team that will look to control games you need midfielders that can recycle the ball and are comfortable enough in possession under pressure with the ability and confidence to beat the press. This is all based on the assumption that Kovacic will compete with Jorginho and Kante for playing a deeper role. If he's used in an advanced role like Sarri did last season then I would then agree that it's a waste of money because his skill-set isn't suited for that role.

He's learned the midfield basics of being able to control and pass a football for starters. Bakayoko's season here showed how alarming his deficiencies are in the above when you're getting pressed and swarmed over. The Italian league is a much slower and less frenetic pace than the Premier League. It gives someone like Bakayoko far more time to be able to concentrate on getting those basics in his game correct. Jorginho is another proof of this and how difficult he found it to adapt to people either tactically taking him out of the game or pressing him high up the pitch. The difference is Jorginho is a far better player technically than Bakayoko to adapt to this given time, the results of which was a much higher level of performance in the last few weeks of the season. I would take Kovacic 100% of the time over taking a punt on Bakayoko again because technically he's just not good enough.

If anything happened to Jorginho and/or Kante, that "worst midfield phase" would look like world beaters compared to the likes of Bakayoko and Drinkwater we'd be forced to play.

I think this kid still has a way to go and develop (I would have been worried about him coming over here at his age currently) but the potential is clearly there. Big fee but it could be a masterstroke for Atletico to slot into the Griezmann role and for the lad I also think it is an excellent move going to an extremely stable club which will give him both the time and patience but also the platform to develop and realise the huge potential he has.

With Kovacic coming back, any idea where this leaves us with regards to non-homegrown spots in the squad? Pulisic will need to be registered in the Champions League (but not for the Premier League) as I understand so will effectively take Hazard's place, which means I'm guessing we'll have just Higuain's spot to fill for the Champions League and two spots available for the Premier League. It means there will have to be some players being moved on or not coming back from the likes of Zouma, Bakayoko, Batshuayi, Morata, etc.

Completely agree, he wasn't used effectively under Sarri last season because he's not an offensive midfielder. If Kovacic isn't brought then our backup options to Jorginho and Kante look to be Baka and Drinkwater, Mount and Barkley are too offensive minded to play those positions and RLC will be out for months. As @Tomo has said, a double pivot would likely bring out the best in him, we already know how good Kante is in a midfield 2 and I think Jorginho would also thrive in such a formation. If we can flip Bakayoko and it covers most or all of the Kovacic fee then that is a big upgrade in my opinion. The club could even try to get rid of both Bakayoko and Drinkwater and look to the academy for someone to be 4th choice for that midfield pivot too.

I don't think anybody is ignoring the risks involved in this, particularly his inexperience. I can't talk for others who want Lampard here but for me I feel he is the best choice for what the club needs at present. We no longer have the financial advantage we used to have over other teams which could mask over and write off transfer mistakes. Although we can still compete towards the top end of the market, many more teams can too and with the wicked inflation in transfer fees over the last couple of seasons the margin for error is much slimmer. The advantage we have over other teams is the quality of our academy. It's the best in the country and amongst the very best across the world, the proof is in the success at all youth levels. The last 12-18 months has started to show that there are opportunities out there, away from the big Premier League teams and we have to be careful that we don't start losing these talents. CHO wanted out last season, Castillo planned to leave this summer, Bulka has joined PSG. Talent is being lost because of a disconnect between first team and academy and the lack of a pathway. We have to start tapping into this properly because not only should it be making us much more money with players not quite good enough for Chelsea, but should be saving us millions in transfer fees to rebuild our squad. It's easy to write players off as not being good enough but Loftus-Cheek is an example of not writing players off too quickly. Many Chelsea fans didn't think he was good enough and his level was more of a mid table side like Palace. At the end of the season before his injury he had established himself as one of our most important players. Some young players just need a platform and a manager that believes in them. Not all players are going to work out, but some could prove to be a pleasantly surprising success. At the moment we have gaps in our first team, let alone our squad but what if somebody like Reece James or Castillo come through next season in the full back spots? What if CHO comes back from injury and takes over from Hazard? What if Abraham proves to be a striker who can score 15-20 goals in the league? I'm not expecting all of those things to happen but even if just one did, the club is set to save millions not having to spend big money in that position the following summer. It helps to refresh the squad with a young talent and on top of that the club continues to break the idea that there is no pathway to the first team at Chelsea. Even if some of these players prove not to be quite first choice quality but can establish themselves as good enough within the squad that too could be a huge bonus as it will mean the club no longer needs to spend big money on squad players (Zappacosta) and/or filling homegrown requirements (Drinkwater). This leaves a bigger budget to focus purely on top first choice quality and allows non-homegrown players to be of a higher quality too instead of simply squad filler. It's important not to ignore the role Jody Morris can play in this too. A team of somebody who knows these players better than anyone and has spent considerable time coaching them coupled with a manager prepared to give them chances should help with all of the above. We could have identified a safer, more experienced appointment but how prepared would they have been to look at the long term of the club and blood younger players or would they have simply placed their faith in the safe options already within the squad, leaving us in a position next summer to what we are now. I'm far more confident that Lampard will be prepared to build things in a slower, steadier way which creates an opportunity for younger players to come through.

Seems more than coincidental that this happens shortly after the reports filtering through that Castillo is now looking at signing a new deal.

He's apparently another that is in talks with the club, and hopefully more will follow. The other one which needs to be sorted out as soon as possible is of course CHO. It would be a big boost I think to see him commit long term and also look good at the club's end backing him to come back from his injury and establish himself. It would put all this speculation with Bayern to bed.

Rumours that Castillo could have had a turn around and will be signing a new contract with the club so maybe he is the one to go for the left back berth?

I've never known it very common for statements like Derby's to include assistants and coaching staff. That is usually almost taken for granted and I think Jody's return is a big and important aspect of Lamps return. There will still be some reservations for some young players and Lampard can't bring everybody through but I think for players like Dasilva if they believe the opportunity may be available they may regret for the rest of their careers not giving it a shot. Over four competitions and injuries/suspensions throughout the season, opportunities should arise even for backup players in the squad and its then up to those players to take them. I have read with regards to the training environment that Lampard developed at Derby that he expected and demanded 100% effort (which sounds exactly like how he would have applied himself in training) and wasn't afraid to reward players performing in training who may have been on the fringes. If he follows through with this, it shouldn't only be a carrot for the squad players but also push on and apply some pressure on first team players who perhaps haven't felt their positions and roles within the squad under much threat for some time. How exciting must this be for that core group of young talent to know amongst the first team setup next season will be people that know you and have even coached you and for some there could finally be a genuine pathway at the club?

I think if there is concrete interest there we should seriously consider selling, otherwise I can see a year or so from now him being another player a year older and not good enough but hard to shift due to a long contract on big wages. On the right flank Zappacosta is similar, we should try to sell him before his stock falls any lower. I watched Dasilva in the under 21's this summer and he is still raw defensively and size is a bit of a worry but his pace and athleticism looks excellent and I think he could offer a much more attack minded full back option in some games. Emerson and Azpi as our senior full back options and James and Dasilva as young, dynamic options I wouldn't be against next season.

Spurs have agreed £65m deal according to Sky Sports.

He's always looked a better player being able to cut in on his right foot as opposed to playing wide right cutting in on his weaker foot or attacking wide right. We're not going to get Hazard productivity out of him, but I do feel that he is likely to start the season wide left with CHO out injured, and I do think it will give him a new lease of life and he'll be a better and more effective player playing there. The way we're going to replace Hazard next season is by everyone stepping up and raising their games, not relying on one individual.

Scored a great goal today for Brazil.

Sounds sensible to me. He needs some time and experience to grow into the role and with that I would expect his level of influence to grow. It is actually an ideal time to bring him in without the ability to sign players for a season, it allows him to concentrate on other aspects of his job spec. Hopefully this isn't a false dawn but it does seem like the club are looking to put things in place to refresh and reboot the club somewhat and without the need to concentrate on buying players this summer it gives far more time to spend on this restructuring which for the long term could prove just as key as bringing new players in. It does look from the outside that the club are looking to put more emphasis into the academy and bringing through more of our own and having people like Cech and Makelele coming back to help concentrate on these transitions, with potentially Lamps and Jody within the coaching setup will only help matters. Like anything though it will take some time and patience. I would also expect Cech to become the public figurehead of the hierarchy. The person that will take interviews, etc. Not only will he be respected for his views as an ex-great player but it will also hopefully calm the hysteria around the club at times when things go a little rocky. It's been a big problem over the past couple of seasons that no one from the board comes out and speaks when sometimes its needed; a lot of the fan frustration can stem from this at times.

The high press, high intensity style is something I would like to see adopted. I do think this is where there will be a long term benefit to selling Hazard. The team has predominantly been set up to get as much out of him as our best player in the past and given him a less rigid role with regards to defensive contributions, but he's also never shown a great willingness to press in an intense manner either. It's why players like Willian and Oscar have been favoured in the past by managers, because it brings better balance to the team when one player is being given a much more attack minded role. That isn't knocking Hazard either because his ability warranted us doing so. However with Hazard gone, I think more flexibility can be brought into the team with regards to this style of play. Young players will bring that energy and willingness to press intensely, but we also have experienced players such as Kante, Willian and Pedro who should have the ability to play effectively in that way too. With Jorginho, although he's not an athlete in the sense that Kante is, he did play under Sarri at Napoli in that way pressing high and playing an intense and relentless brand of football. The experience of playing in that manner could be a bigger help than expected for Lampard. That part of his game also came out more in the last couple of months of the season too. Also it was obviously at the end of his career in a mediocre league, but Lampard did play with Pirlo so should have gained some idea of how a midfielder like that operates. He will have played against many teams in his career who had a player like this also. I'm sure he'll have an idea in mind, but I would be surprised given how thin and lacking in experience we are in the middle if Lampard didn't find a way to accommodate both Kante and Jorginho.

Apparently Lampard is currently on holiday so the lack of urgency from Chelsea's end to make their approach for him (although it could be argued is par for the course with us) makes sense to get everything sorted when he's back and the links with other candidates seem to have dried up entirely.

These sorts of rumours doing the rounds do seem to suggest that the club are looking at putting a longer term project in place. It will be intriguing to see if the board have the patience to follow through if this is the route they decide to take.

No one is expecting any of these to be automatic first choice starters. I think many hope that CHO can come back from injury and perform to make a position his own in the starting XI but to start with he'll likely be rotated with Pulisic, Pedro and Willian across two positions. James realistically should replace Zappacosta in the squad and over time go from backup to Azpi to replacing him as first choice. Mount and Abraham will be squad players too. However we are thin on midfield depth and up front we have no undisputed first choice so it's the perfect opportunity to integrate them into the squad. Tomori I probably would let go on loan again next season as we have better options and depth at centre back. It's hardly asking for much. CHO is already established within the first team squad from last season, Mount will be needed to replace Kovacic (and RLC is out long term) and Abraham will be needed to replace Higuain. So it is only James potentially coming in to properly replace a player already in the first team squad.

Every club wants their youth players to be starters, it's not just Chelsea but most people are realistic. Regarding CHO you are right, it's not like he is much better if at all compared to Willian and Pedro currently but we're talking about an 18 year old who's played about 20 games compared to 2 very experienced players coming towards the twilight of their careers. Without Hazard (who is the prime player in that position) we're now left with two young inexperienced players brimming with potential and two experienced professionals who are solid but not as good as they once were. We effectively need all of them next season to perform a role. The issue many people had last season was that Willian and Pedro were in poor form yet CHO still couldn't get any game time. Similar with RLC, although his season was "stop-start" due to niggling injuries, there were also stretches where he wasn't getting much game time despite Barkley and Kovacic not playing well. The problem is the culture created at Chelsea means that it's difficult to blame Sarri for not being willing to risk giving younger players opportunities. History would suggest he'd be at the club for a season or two and he would want personal glory in that time in the form of silverware. As you alluded to, CHO will be a project that takes time and patience and the likelihood will be he won't become the player the potential suggests for another couple of seasons. Sarri likely won't be here to reap those benefits so he's less likely to take the risks. This is where I believe Lampard will be beneficial because I feel his affinity with the club (and Jody Morris alongside him), coupled with what seems so far to be a willingness to trust younger players will mean he will be more willing to lay the groundwork for some of these youngsters, even in the risk that he may not be here himself to reap the rewards of them. As @Jason mentioned, the first stage is to integrate them within the first team squad initially. It's not a case of having a first choice XI where half of the team is academy trained (although would be fantastic), it's providing a pathway for these younger players to become squad players first and then develop within the club to hopefully become first choice one day. But if we can have 3, 4 or more academy players in the squad it will be just as important as 1 or 2 academy players in the first XI because it will save the club millions in transfer fees buying average players to fill out the squad (Drinkwater, Zappacosta, etc). This should allow the club to go into transfer windows being able to use a budget on no more than a couple of top players to improve the starting XI, not filling squad numbers. If we brought Christensen, CHO and RLC from other clubs you would likely be looking at the best part of £100-150m. It's a similar scene for some of those we're looking to integrate. Take Reece James, Mount and Abraham - all performed well last season and if all were owned by the clubs they were on loan at last season there would be teams in the Premier League eyeing them up and all would be worth millions. Without being able to buy this summer, it's a real opportunity to freshen up and re-energise our squad.

He already had a year, so it's essentially only a year extension. To be honest it's barely any different from Pedro getting a year extension last year right at the start of the season. It also makes sense that the club ties him down because they could easily sell him next summer once the ban is lifted and gain a fee as opposed to losing him for free. Or he may prove this coming season to be a good squad option and mentor to CHO and Pulisic and therefore keeping him around for another year may prove a good idea.

I can understand the apprehension of some over Lampard's lack of managerial experience but there are other areas of experience that can be tapped into as a player at the highest level. He played under a plethora of top managers, all with differing personalities, tactics, training drills and managerial styles - From Redknapp and Ranieri who shaped his development, to Mourinho who ingrained a winning mentality, to the likes of Hiddink and Ancelotti who were masters at managing big personalities and dressing rooms. He will have learned a huge amount, both positive and negative, from the experiences within his playing career. His experience at Chelsea also has to count for something. It's not as straightforward as 'he knows the club and the fans' it goes far deeper than that. He understands from experience the external, intense media scrutiny that surrounds this club because so little information is provided into the open for journalists, creating constant destabilising speculation. He's experienced first hand the hectic nature of this football club in general, seemingly spiralling from crisis to celebration, from disaster to delirium. He's experienced the build up to big games, cup finals, champions league games, etc, the dressing room environment before and after such games and the experience of both winning and losing in those situations. I'm fully aware that a top playing career doesn't translate to a top managerial career but there are experiences that a top player can call upon that can really help the cause. From the looks of things the other 'realistic' candidates available are the likes of Javi Gracia and Eddie Howe. The risk that they've never been involved in a big club environment, high pressure situations, etc makes them equally very risky appointments. I want to see Lampard come in here and be given the time to develop some very young and exciting talent the club has in its ranks and look to play a more dynamic and aggressive brand of football to what has been experienced this season. If he consolidated us comfortably within the top 6 challenging for the top 4 next season and we were playing some good football with young players breaking through the ranks I would be happy with this. It would be a sign of taking a step back to potentially take two or three steps forward. If the board would be happy with this, we can only speculate for now. If this is the moment the club realises a period of transition may be necessary for longer term success then that point must start somewhere.