Superblue

It appears it is just a matter of whether he believes there is a pathway to the first team here. I don't think he's making demands about being a first choice starter, etc. I am hoping that the club sit down with him and ask him to give til the end of the season. If he performs like he did today, and given our stretched options across the front line he should be given far more games in the second half of the season. Even opportunities off the bench for the last half hour, etc. I still believe his preference would be to stay here and play for Chelsea so long as he is given chances.

CHO is doing what he needs to do here. I am hoping we'll look back on this day in months to come viewing it as the breakout performance for him and hopefully a run that forces himself into the team and keeps him away from Bayern.

Great goal, class from CHO. And give the devil his due, Morata's run was excellent and a tidy finish.

13 shots in that first half. It's not like we're passing the ball sideways constantly and creating nothing, but we are just not converting things at present.

I think we've actually moved the ball around pretty well and certainly for the first half hour absolutely dominated them. We've had some clear chances too - penalty and Morata's header in particular. We just cannot finish chances. I can remember in Conte's first season how clinical we were. I don't think we created any more chances than we do now, possibly even less so but we were ruthless when we got chances.

Hazard is on. Really necessary? Could we not have brought Moses on.

I guess in this case three wrong's make a right?!

I think he's an able squad player, and I still think we got a great deal for him at £15m when you consider what the going rate is in the market now. You're right though, probably doesn't have enough there to ever establish himself as first choice.

I don't think Christensen will accept a backup role for too much longer but to be fair Rudiger and Luiz have been pretty good and consistent this season. Luiz has his moments but his ability on the ball also makes a massive difference with how Sarri wants to play. However, as of now Luiz could be out at the end of the season so it would be worth Christensen biding his time to see if he can take that spot for the future. I think Ampadu will accept it for now so long as chances are provided to him moving forward. I actually think he could do a reasonable job at full back or in midfield too which should give him further playing opportunities. You're bang on about paying big money on backup players. The summer signings and that of Pulisic would suggest we're looking at buying less players at more premium prices hopefully moving forward but you never know at Chelsea. In a way getting a transfer ban would probably have a short term effect on the club but would possibly help it long term as the only way the club could freshen up the squad is with a couple of the younger lads coming in. The situation isn't as drastic as it was a few years ago. RLC and Christensen are full squad members now and CHO and Ampadu despite their ages are on the fringes. What it needs is one of these players really kicking on and stamping themselves as a proper first team starter as opposed to a squad player. I think that would help shake this tag directed at the club about no youth players since Terry coming through and I think more would follow through once one or two have.

It should also be noted that today is a huge opportunity for some of these players. Christensen has been moaning a bit this season, the jury is out on Alonso with people wanting to see more of Emerson, CHO, Ampadu get chances, more game time for Barkley and RLC. It isn't just on Sarri, some of these players need to step up and make big cases for more first team chances in the second half of the season. They can't rely on other players in their position playing poorly, they need to rely on their own talent and performances breaking down these doors and barriers. They're all capable (apart from maybe Caballero and Zappacosta)! And I hope Zola's comments yesterday light a fire under Morata. Zola is spot on, you're the club record signing and supposed to be first choice striker at Chelsea so start acting like it and stop hiding. Because we need him to start stepping up now more than ever.

Drinkwater hasn't played yet this season. I'd like to think that replacements aren't needed for Moses and Cahill. They're both fourth choice and surely therefore the games that they play are better served being used by Ampadu and CHO. Fabregas is the one that probably will need replacing in some way.

Agree, but hopefully this is Sarri showing he realises he has made a few mistakes with not rotating enough. The likes of Guardiola and Klopp made a number of mistakes early on here in England but learnt and adapted to it, hopefully Sarri is to.

If some of these moves are being fast tracked due to a pending transfer ban then at least the club is being proactive and making some signings in anticipation of this. A couple of new signings for next season and the huge amount of players that can be called upon currently out on loan (a couple more than capable of breaking into our current squad) will keep things freshened up next season. But if a transfer ban is happening, the priority must be to sort out a top striker long term.

Massive rotation needed in this one, even if it leads to our undoing. We can't fight on all fronts in the second half of the season if Sarri only puts trust in about 15 players. The whole back 4 can be rotated at present with Zappacosta, Christensen, Ampadu and Emerson. Fabregas can play deep and I think if he is leaving after this game, make him captain and give him a send off that he deserves to get, I'd be inclined to give Drinkwater a run out too just to be able to rest some of the players. Barkley, RLC, CHO can all play if fit enough to do, Hazard needs a rest. Then I guess Morata will have to play up front.

Fekir I guess would be the obvious one of that ilk. I think if we had a couple of players supporting the striker with 10-15 goals a season, then the striker probably only needs 15-20 himself. The problem we have is our strikers don't score and we don't generate nearly enough goals out wide with the exception of Hazard.

Given the prices in the market currently (you only have to consider Bayern offering £30m + for CHO who whilst we can see is a talent, on the outside looking in has only played about half a dozen first team games), £36m would be exceptional business. There has to be a question mark over him as Holland isn't the strongest league, but he also performed well in the World Cup and looks like he has all the characteristics to take his game to another level at a bigger club in a stronger league.

Yeah I agree, I'd take the risk and keep him here. Someone is still likely to come in the summer for him if we still can't convince him to stay. Hopefully all he needs is an opportunity and he'll take it a little bit like RLC has done. It's a shame he has been injured recently because he would have got quite a decent amount of game time in our first team over Xmas. Hopefully he's fit enough to play in the cup this weekend and we can go from there.

I understand he feels the need to play first team football, but surely coming through our academy the dream would be to play first team football for us. If we're willing to give him the foundation to play first team football elsewhere for a period of time, you'd like to think he would be happy to get that and still have the chance to come back here and force his way in when he is more ready to do so.

I don't understand why there can't be a compromise. CHO signs a new contract, but is allowed to move on loan for the rest of the season or even for the next 18 months to develop and come back to us a better player ready for regular first team football.

I don't think he means direct replacement, he probably means if we're planning to spend that sort of money on a player it'll be funded by selling Hazard. I don't for one minute want us to sell Hazard, but if we did I would be inclined to spend more on a top striker and less on a replacement in the LW position. If we tried to directly replace Hazard I think it will be impossible for the player coming in to live up to the expectations we'd place on them given Hazard's contribution in his time here.

I suppose if a realistic striker target isn't available in January, an alternative option could be to buy a winger and use Hazard predominantly in the false 9 position. There's still no guarantees either that we'll start next season with Hazard and CHO so it would give us the chance to get someone in and give them time to settle before next season. From what I've seen I do like Lozano. He offers serious pace, a direct approach and an eye for goal.

Agree, but there's no guarantees how much influence the director of football has either. Is it possible that Emenalo left for that reason? The key power at the club besides Roman is Marina and that will not change regardless of who we bring in anywhere across the food chain.

There are no doubt some issues under Sarri at the moment. The reluctance to rotate, and trust other players (especially some of the younger lads) is frustrating. I'm not sure I agree completely with the lack of a plan B. City don't have a plan B offensively but they are far better at their plan A. They also have a lot more options to choose from, rotate, bring off the bench. Sarri showed at home to City that he is prepared to change to get the result when playing a team on paper stronger than us. But we shouldn't be needing a plan B at home to the likes of Leicester and Southampton, and I don't see much he can change from an attacking perspective when we have no alternatives on the bench at present. Where I do pity Sarri and feel he was dealt a harsh hand was the pre-season. From the delay being able to get him in, to going on tour and then our players being drip-fed back from the world cup, it was always going to be an uphill task to get him in and have good time to train and work with our players, and time to identify where we could potentially improve with transfers. Conte at least had no european football so had much more time to work on his tactics and philosophy. Sarri hasn't had any proper time since he arrived which was criminally not considered enough by the board when trying to change our style of play so drastically with a set of players who for some, had played the last 5 years under Mourinho and Conte. I do think he needs time, and deserves a proper summer with the ability to get rid of a couple and bring a couple of players in more suited to his needs, and work tactically with some of these players. But for him to get that, he also needs to make a couple of changes himself.

Has he actually said this? I haven't heard the presser but from what I've read he made comment that he didn't know the transfer was even happening yesterday but a month ago he was asked his opinion on Pulisic and he gave a positive response.

The faith in Alonso is the biggest killer at the moment. Emerson is no world beater but he's quicker and he'll make the run Hazard needs which is on his outside, giving him the option to either release or cut inside. Alonso doesn't offer this, he immediately looks to go inside which is what Hazard's preference is, closing the space up even more. If he does go on the outside he's no threat because he doesn't have the pace to threaten on the overlap.