Superblue

We won't truly know until something is made public. The thing with Chelsea is very little gets leaked out of the club, particularly at the board level. A couple of the journalists may have a little access to the playing staff and be fed information that the board may want to come out, but the access is limited at best and most of the 'reports' are pure speculation. For all we know, Roman may have been advised at present not to step foot in the UK. Perhaps he's simply making a stand. As important as the club is to all of us (and I think to Roman too), he does have far more important things going on currently in his life. Having said that, it hasn't stopped us spending big money out last summer on Jorginho and Kepa, Pulisic in January, rejecting big money bids for the likes of Hazard, CHO and Willian and then backing Sarri in January by bringing in Higuain. There are changes that need to be made because all is not right at the club currently, but most times its a case of "better the devil you know" and I would be far from quick to be calling for Roman to sell the club when you consider some of the possible alternatives we could end up with.

Our defending at set pieces is becoming nearly as worrying as our inability to convert chances.

I thought it was his best game in months.

Which position would he likely be suited to in our midfield make up? It may well be true, but our needs at full back in my opinion are more pressing than our needs in midfield, and for James his more realistic option at present to get a foothold within the squad and hopefully the first team is likely at right back. He may well be moved to a different position in the future (many players have changed roles as they've become older and more experienced) but I think the opportunity would be there. Our midfield could be improved but I don't look at it as one of the main issues to address as I don't view it as any worse than any of the other top teams bar City. A genuine goal scoring midfielder would be ideal but if we were getting the goals we should from our front three then the likes of Barkley, RLC and Kante chipping in with 5-10 throughout the season is sufficient enough. I don't know enough of this player to pass any judgements but even in the current market £35-40m is still a lot of money for a full back, particularly one still very unproven (remember Baba). We have a very promising academy player who can play that position and has had an excellent season out on loan. We have a number of other areas to address in the squad, and a striker and potential replacement for Hazard will cost an awful lot of money. I would just rather more pressing areas are addressed first and foremost.

https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/chelsea-frank-lampard-sarri-job-16197435 This sets out some of the points I've made about the positives of Lampard becoming manager. The biggest thing against Lampard is obviously experience. Having said that plenty of young, inexperienced managers have gone into high profile jobs and been successful (Guardiola, Zidane, even Mourinho)

You're right to say that the last 10-15 years this club has been built up by Roman and his money. Now the position we are in is we have failed to replace the world class players and leaders we once had in our dressing room and we have failed to successfully integrate academy players into the side. To top it off, there are now question marks over Roman's long term future, the market has gone hectic and FFP to consider and numerous other clubs are now matching our spending power, our 'foundations' which were once built are no longer sustainable. My point is it is difficult to argue given the success we've had even over the last couple of years, but the constant changing of managers/styles/player turnover is what has left us in the position we're in now where we have a group of players where some excel in certain styles and formations and some in others, and some just simply aren't good enough. The short term papering over the cracks is starting to catch up with us and what we need is someone that is prepared to rebuild this club properly not just trying to patch up problems. Lampard is significantly inexperienced, but look at how much Sarri has struggled with adapting to the Premier League, and countless other managers before him. Lampard's experience of English football and the Premier League in particular already gives him a step up in that regard. I am not expecting us to get a United 'Class of 92', that will probably never happen again. However, what the club need is a steady stream of academy players integrated into the squad. Right now currently, I would say that a case could be made for at least 5 or 6 to be within the squad at present in varying capacities of importance. If some like CHO and RLC develop to become first choice then great, but ultimately it is just as important to have a solid foundation of them amongst the squad even as squad players. Not only will it serve to improve the squad depth internally so less money is being wasted on crap players like Zappacosta, and fills out homegrown criteria so no more Drinkwater buys, but it also ensures there is a group of players within the club to ensure new players coming in understand the difficulties of the Premier League and the passion and responsibility that we as fans want to see them hold playing for Chelsea. If you want to use United still as an example, they relied on players like Wes Brown, Fletcher, Evans, O'Shea not as first choice world class players but as reliable squad players who could be trusted and understood the responsibilities of playing for the club. When we have managers lasting a season or two, they are not going to be interested in how the academy is doing. There's not enough time and too much pressure on them to deliver now, hence why the same 'experienced' players continue to stay and play under numerous managers. For me, Lampard would be someone I believe who would be prepared to invest time and take responsibility for playing younger players. Especially if he came back with Jody Morris who not only is the most experienced man dealing and managing with a number of these players over the last few years but would also potentially be the key middle man to bridge the gap between the first team and the academy. It also has to be considered that if we fail to make Champions League, I would assume Sarri will be sacked (based on reports in Italy he may even be wanting to return to manage there anyway) and we could still have the ban in place. How many managers would look at that position and view it as attractive? We would have a year right there of either the same squad this year minus Hazard (more than likely) or start integrating and trusting young players and for me that would be a suitable scenario for Lampard and possibly give him a year almost as a 'free hit' to see which of these players are capable of swimming or sinking. There's no magic wand or guarantees with anyone. I'm just not excited about the possibility of another manager coming in for a season or two stint prepared to hang his hat on the same group of experienced players who get another opportunity at the club.

I'm not using Solskjaer as an example, I'm simply giving an opinion that I believe he will make big decisions on rebuilding United and not be afraid to make those decisions because his affinity with the club, he'll want the right foundations at the club not just a quick fix and I also believe Lampard would be the same. Exactly what you said, we need to build a foundation at the club and for us to do this and try and grow and develop a nucleus of young players, I feel there would be more chance with somebody who knows the club and is prepared to show belief in the young players. It would be a risk, there's no doubt about that. However, the manager pool of proven, top class managers seems to diminish every time we need a new one and if Lampard was given the opportunity at a different rival club and did well then will we have missed the boat?

I do think some of the runs he makes and off the ball movement is very intelligent and high quality, and there is definitely a dis-connect there between him and the rest of the players keeping an eye out for his runs and finding him. In games like Burnley he is potentially a very good option when deeps sit deep defending, due to his movement around the box. In games like yesterday where teams play a higher defensive line he's not the right option because he doesn't have the pace to run in behind. We don't have a striker at present to be able to do that but at least with Giroud his hold up and link up play is usually on point and would allow the likes of Hazard and Willian to run in behind him who do have the pace to exploit. He also doesn't help himself. His hold up and link up play sometimes looks pretty good and at other times is atrocious. Same with his work rate and pressing, at times its done well and at other times its completely non-existent. If the club can overturn or defer the ban, then an elite striker must be number one priority in the summer.

I don't think Alonso played that bad either. First 20 minutes he looked poor like the entire defence but second half in particular we looked very solid for a change and I can't remember any real good chances United created in the second half of note. Alonso made a couple of decent interceptions at the back post and was disciplined which he usually isn't. His crossing is still woeful mind. He's not good enough and we need to upgrade but I'm not going to slate him for the sake of it when he's done ok today.

That is worded in a way to suggest that if we do have this ban in place next season then there is possibly a loophole to exploit with regards to players currently on loan. Very possibly because they are already registered with us, there is a potential loophole to be able to extend those loans (although if that was the case, I guess there would be consideration whether it would also work the other way around with regards to players we already have on loan). Not sold on Kovacic, but if we're in this mess next season being able to extend his loan will be helpful and £26m isn't a ridiculous figure. Last summer there was talk of Madrid wanting £50-60m for him.

Sarri or whichever manager it is needs to make the right decisions and I agree with you specifically with Sarri, he hasn't helped himself with some of his decision making and tactics. But my point more generally is that the club needs a proper rebuild not just attempts to paper over the cracks. That is something that could take time, possibly a lot of time. Look at Klopp with Liverpool for example, only last year he was scrapping for 4th place still and has only just addressed defensive and goalkeeping issues this year after 3 and 1/2 years leading up to this. I do think there is a genuine argument that Chelsea fans wouldn't have that level of patience, just as the board probably wouldn't. But we could easily fall into a trap like Arsenal and United have (and Liverpool before them), with poor long term planning (or no plan at all) if we don't address key failings within the club. Any manager that comes in will come across problems, especially trying to change the long term culture and philosophies at the club. I just believe that in a time like this the fans also need someone and something that they can get behind to get some momentum going, and someone who you know will bring some real passion and leadership to the table. I also believe that with regards to a rebuild, either a manager knows they'll be given sufficient time and resources by the board (like Klopp or Guardiola) - Our board have yet to prove they're willing to give time. Or you have a manager that is willing to come in and do it no matter the potential consequences or if they're still at the club to see it through. I do believe Lampard would fall into that category (in the same way that i feel Solskjaer would at United). He will want to see Chelsea successful whether he's the manager or not and I think would be more prepared to make the hard decisions for the greater good of the long term (for example more trust in a Reece James or CHO as opposed to feeling the pressure to play the experience in an Azpilicueta or Willian/Pedro over them regularly). The beauty of football is there are no guarantees, whether it be players or managers. Some that you think are a 'banker' can flop and those you don't expect much from can deliver way beyond your expectations and I just think at a time when Chelsea are no longer a ready-made squad and are instead a longer term rebuild project, the club should also perhaps be looking outside the box for what our manager should be to deliver on that.

Lampard for me. Firstly I think the available manager pool at present is possibly the weakest its been throughout Abramovich's tenure. Secondly, not that he's necessarily the best or proven, but because I believe he'd be the right fit to rebuild this squad. Firstly with the looming ban, and the overall crazy prices in the transfer market we need to start leaning on and trusting our academy far more. It doesn't need to be unearthing a Messi (or a John Terry) but we need to be able to use our annual budget on competing for elite players across the world. If that means concentrating all our efforts on no more than 2 or 3 players a season so be it. This can be achieved if a decent proportion of the squad depth and homegrown quotas are fulfilled by the academy. If any of these players are capable of stepping up to first choice then its an added bonus. I believe Lampard and Jody Morris back at the club would be the best option for the above. Jody Morris knows the players from the academy and their personalities and qualities to know which ones are good enough, and I believe Lampard has shown this season at Derby a willingness to put a lot of trust and faith in young players. Add to this somebody young enough to still relate well to these lads but also a phenomenal playing career for them to look up to. A lot has been made of the lack of leaders and how weak the dressing room has become, and having one of the old guard back will strengthen that even if only as a manager now. Having that experience back to rebuild that strength of resolve and character within the dressing room is another key. The final thing for me is the exact reason why Sarri I think will end up failing and others like this Ajax manager would be set up to fail and that's patience. We need a rebuild, and that won't be an overnight thing. It will take time and patience, not just at board level but amongst the fans too. The supporters have become accustomed to the board's level and patience and expectancy of success which I think makes it extremely difficult to see somebody be given time and patience to rebuild. I do think Lampard is one of the very few who would be afforded this luxury, particularly by the fans due to his status at the club. I also believe he's in a position whereby his legendary status at the club is set in stone and I don't believe could be tarnished should he struggle as a manager here. For Lampard it's not about boosting his CV in a short term stint like most managers looking at this job. This is his club and he would want it to be successful for the long term, with or without him in my opinion. That is why I think he would be more prepared to rebuild the squad properly, blood younger players more often and make those 'big decisions' because he would want the sound footings in place for this club as opposed to just a quick fix under pressure.

With this current group of players, take Hazard out of the team and it will make a huge difference in my opinion for the worse because we just don't have the all round quality at present. There is the possibility that a couple of players may "step up" in Hazard's absence. There is no doubts that when we're chasing a game or trying to find a winner that the team play almost on autopilot at times in getting the ball to Hazard and expecting him to do something. I think players like Barkley and RLC have the right mentality to try and take on more responsibility in driving the team forward should Hazard leave, but neither will replicate his output and raw stats (not to mention completely different roles within the team). Same with Willian, he may be improved in a regular role on the left and we may possibly get more out of him but it won't be anywhere near the level we have had from Hazard. The biggest issue to address is a striker. Hazard shouldn't be relied upon to be the main source of goals at the club, his goals should be a fine supporting act to a striker scoring 18-20 a season. We will not replace Hazard if we try to in my opinion. His skill set is extremely unique. What we can do is share his responsibilities out throughout the squad but we still need more quality overall for this.

How does the design process work with these, is it purely down to Nike (i.e. does the club have any say or influence over the designs and colours)? Either way, surely you would canvass opinion from supporters, those who you're hoping to buy the kits. Surely no one would have been sweet on this?!

This point is important. We can't have another transfer window like summer 2017. I think the key is our focus must be on first team quality, not squad filling. This is regardless of price. If we can find an Andy Robertson type player for £10m then fantastic. If that player however costs far more then that is what needs to be done. The squad can be filled out with academy players. Summer 2017, Aina could have been pushed into Zappacosta's spot and RLC into Drinkwater's spot. That would have saved us around £60m in transfer fees! If 2 or 3 more academy players can come into the squad in the summer, alongside CHO, RLC and Christensen, it freshens up the make up of the squad for free and boosts the club's academy profile and homegrown quota. This will allow us as you alluded to, focus on 3 or 4 key positions in our first team to improve and also not worry about homegrown levels. They can be the best players we can feasibly get hold of.

Wow, it looks even worse in this picture.

I really like Coutinho but I don't think he's worth the money being quoted. If we avoid the ban and we're prepared to go on an audacious spree then I'd be very happy for us to buy him because he's proven quality. However we have so many holes in our team at present, I think that £100m could be used far more productively to improve the overall quality of the squad as opposed to trying to find a replacement talisman for Hazard. For example Pepe and a new left back for that same money would be more preferable. Or if we're looking at Coutinho more for a central role, then Fekir I think would be a more cost effective option. At worst in the summer (assuming we can buy) we need to replace Hazard with a new wide player, a top quality left back and a top quality striker (I believe Reece James should be given an opportunity next year to compete with Azpi for right back). However we could also really do with upgrading David Luiz and Jorginho. Possibly a new goal scoring midfielder too although I've seen enough of RLC in the last couple of months to believe if he stays fit he could become an excellent player in that position for us. I just don't see Coutinho being a signing we desperately need to make unless we're prepared to be splashing out about £300m in the summer.

That's the worst kit I think I've ever seen in my life. If they can't think of anything good, just stick to something plain. I'd be amazed if anybody would be prepared to buy that thing.

I can understand the idea behind playing the false 9 against City and Liverpool, even if it didn't always work. However this United team are there for the taking and we need to have a go at them. Ashley Young in particular looks abysmal at present and if Hazard is on his game he should get a lot of joy up against him. The draw against Burnley has even more significance now because we could have lost this game and still been right in the hunt going into the last couple of games. However, it's in our hands with 3 games to go. Just the place we could have hoped to be in a month or two ago. Sarri needs to play our strongest possible team now for the remaining league and Europa League games, no need for any more rotation now.

Really disappointed for the lad when he was seemingly becoming first choice for us. It is an opportunity however for the club to stand by him through this and hopefully get him to commit to a new contract. I would however also agree with some that he hasn't played anywhere near as well the last couple of games compared to what he was like earlier in the season. The intensity of the Premier League is for the most part a standard up from the Europa League and it probably does justify Sarri's stance earlier in the season not to push the button with CHO so quickly in the league. However some of the posts on here are incredibly fickle. The kid is 18, he's not going to play well every game and every week. Inconsistency is part of the make up of younger players who will suffer blips and struggles in their early career - it's how they grow as footballers. The problem is the way the club is run, and as a result the fans have brought into the idea of instant success and papering over cracks to attempt to maintain high levels. The club and fans have a short patience - it applies to managers and a number of players who haven't been afforded the opportunity to completely settle at the club, the expectation is to hit the ground running or you're unlikely to survive long. If senior and experienced managers and players have suffered from this short term approach then what chance do young players have who need to be afforded even more time and patience to grow and blossom? For me the club needs to change its approach and build around a core of high quality academy talent that serve to boost the squad depth first and hopefully become first team regulars second. In doing so, the club can focus on a couple of high quality additions each season rather than trying to buy a handful of players, some expected to be starters, others as squad depth but ultimately poorer quality all around because our budget is stretched thinner. However in order for that to be a success the club and the fans must buy into younger players and afford them time and patience to grow and develop because it won't work without that support.

From what it appears he seems a likeable person away from matches which I think is far more important. I don't mind it in a game, I can't think of a recent or current elite level striker (Higuain may not be that anymore but he definitely has been) who doesn't have a 'twattish' part to their personality. I think if anything its what gives them an edge. I think a lot of it is pure frustration. Firstly he's playing to stay here longer than this summer which only adds to the current pressurised environment he's playing in at present. Higuain in the short time he has been here probably has the best movement off the ball I've seen in a Chelsea striker since Vialli. He's not got pace, but he seems to make and find space for himself. And if those runs are found, more often than not he can get a shot away and he is still an extremely good finisher he won't ever lose that part of his game. But our build up play is so slow and we have so many players holding on to the ball for far too long, he needs players around him to be more aware of his movements to find him quicker because we're not doing that enough at present. I think if I was him making those runs off the ball, and all I saw was near constant recycling of possession across the back line with a distinct lack of penetration in our play, I would get extremely frustrated also.

I always wondered if Batshuayi had been given a fair crack, especially after his short period at Dortmund. However since then it's become even more apparent how incredibly limited he is. I'd agree with your assessment on Tammy, he doesn't quite offer enough at present. However I do think his goal scoring record this season potentially justifies giving him a chance next season when we're so thin up top. Morata is easily our most talented striker but it just goes to show how important the right mentality, confidence, etc is needed to go with the technical ability. If his head isn't right, at times we might as well have been playing with 10 men and now he's settled and happy with Atletico I can only see this situation being worse if we brought him back. It's incredible that Giroud could find himself undisputed first choice next season but that's what we may have to prepare for. At least with Giroud you know what you will get and he will fight and give 100% every game. He's also an excellent link player and target man. We will need to rely on (1) wingers and midfielders running beyond him and getting goals, and (2) good crosses from wide positions and it could still work well. Unfortunately with the exception of Hazard's link up play with Giroud we currently don't do either of the above particularly well and will need to be worked on a lot this summer.

I don't see any positives to that if it were to happen. Morata clearly doesn't want to be here, hasn't settled in England and has such a fragile mentality. Bringing him back will do more harm to him as a player and if he's unmotivated and unhappy I can't see us getting much out of him. He's been a really poor signing and, like Bakayoko, we look to be in a position where we could get really lucky and potentially get our money back on him. He seems to be doing well enough at Atletico that they will likely look to buy him inside his loan period so I think we should just leave him there and hopefully recoup on him in the coming season. If the ban stands we will be in a pretty rough position but I would take Giroud over Morata every day of the week.

I don't believe he is good enough to justify the "circus like" baggage that comes with him. He's a pure goal poacher which is great if the team is built in this way to supply him, because he is a very good finisher. My biggest worry even more than the baggage (I think we can all excuse this if somebody is performing for the club), is just how good is Italian football at present to judge if they'll be a success in England. On top of Sarri struggling to get his style working well over here compared to in Italy, Jorginho has also struggled with the frenetic pace and power of English football, as to has Higuain. Even more alarmingly is that Bakayoko looks like a world beater over there, and struggled to control a football over here. You only also had to see Juventus Tuesday night be ran all over the pitch by a vibrant, positive Ajax side. I think Italian football is much slower than English football in particular and I would worry about Icardi, who doesn't have breathtaking pace anyway, being able to cope with the demands and intensity over here to be a success.

I haven't seen an awful lot of Pepe but his goal scoring record has been very good. If to try and compare him to someone, would it be fair to say he has similarities to Mane, albeit on the opposite wing? I wouldn't be against this as we need more goals in our team. To be honest if we get a transfer window, selling Hazard and Willian and using the funds (and likely a little more on top) to buy a left back, Pepe, striker and promote Reece James and despite losing our best player I think we would be a far better balanced team.