Superblue

Exactly, our philosophy has been built on a strong, imposing team that can intimidate and bully opponents into submission. Rock solid defence, powerful midfielders and a battering ram striker, with a touch of class and creativity. And we proved over the last 13 years or so it was the best possible philosophy for us to adopt because we've been the most successful English team in this time and even the great Barcelona team were fearful of us. For me though that philosophy and style has become dated in a new era where teams are willing to attach and press teams higher and more aggressively. I don't think its a coincidence that we've struggled this season, as to have United (given the money they've spent, expectations and frankly drab and dire performances). Styles, tactics, etc go in and out of fashion through time. In that period most teams would operate with one striker and two wide men. Now 2 strikers can be far more common in a more traditional 4-4-2. And it does feel like we seem stuck in the past a little and need re-booting. Also as you alluded to the personnel we have now compared to back then makes our style even more difficult to work. The players we had at our best fitted like a glove - Cech, Terry, Carvalho, Cole, Makelele, Essien, Ballack, Lampard, Drogba. They were players that were vastly experienced and huge characters.

Yes and there have also been signs under Jose and Conte that they were given far more time and patience than any of the previous managers despite how bad this and Jose's last season have been. It would be interesting if Conte wasn't so combustible and confrontational if he would have survived beyond this season, which looks almost a certainty that he won't now given the whole atmosphere at the club.

If (and it's a big if) Chelsea make a decision in the summer to change their philosophy and commit to it which would be to promote a more attacking style of football, look to bring through a nucleus of young players who will hopefully grow together and form the next generation, and look to find better value in the transfer market that may not reap immediate dividends but longer term gains...then Jardim would make a lot of sense as he ticks those boxes. What he did last season with a young Monaco team playing fearless, aggressive, attacking football both domestically and in Europe was sensational and put many of their players on the map in world football. It was very similar to Klopp's young Dortmund team in my opinion beating off Bayern. Losing so many players was always going to have a huge effect on Monaco but he hasn't grumbled, got on with it, and they have still remained competitive and should finish a comfortable second this season so it is clear that he can re-generate the side to go again, which seems to have been our biggest problem in recent years. It will all boil down to exactly what Roman Abramovich wants for Chelsea moving forward because for me, we lack an identity at present which needs addressing as a matter of urgency.

Completely agree that tonight has cast a huge shadow on Conte. The way Liverpool played tonight completely showed up the way we played against City this season both home and away, and that Liverpool team tonight you cannot say is littered with all round better players than ours (although they clearly suit the system Klopp is utilising). There are a couple of potential arguments. The first is that this is clearly a team in Klopp's image and he has a big say over their signings, whereas we don't know just how much swing Conte has in this department. The other is if it was the other way round, would Klopp have had the time at Chelsea that he has had at Liverpool to build this team, bearing in mind that they still haven't won a trophy. I can't help but feel that there is a direct correlation between the pressure manager's are under here and the lack of young players coming through. However I still think overall this season has shown Conte in an extremely negative light and you're right, he does seem to be more similar to Mourinho then he would probably like to be. I do think that a different type of manager would be needed in a rebuild/longer term planning scenario, but the big question is whether the Board will give a manager time and patience to do so.

Extremely sad day as a Chelsea and football fan. Before my time, but my dad grew up supporting Chelsea in the 60's/70's and speaks fondly of Ray Wilkins. I didn't always agree with his punditry in recent years but what cannot be denied is that he was a Chelsea boy through and through, one of the few pro Chelsea pundits around. His success with Ancelotti as a coach here only further enhanced his status and the reaction to his death not just by Chelsea fans, but all manner of clubs, footballers, pundits, etc across England and further afield shows just what respect he had earned. Will be sorely missed.

I don't think people consider him a 'problem' (I certainly don't) and I've said a number of times I'd be more than happy with Hazard committing long term to Chelsea and us keeping him. But it has to be brought into question that in a period which has easily been the most important of our season with so many big games (and longer term ramifications for those results) he hasn't performed anyway near the level that he should be. That has been an issue because he is our most naturally gifted player and our most potent attacking threat when playing well. People are discussing stats and that's all fine and well, but I can see just watching the game that he isn't playing to his usual level. When he's playing well, he will go searching for space and the ball and will be far more direct in his general play and that hasn't been happening recently. People aren't saying let's get rid of him like with 75% of the other players pages but I think people are simply questioning his recent performances and why there are inconsistencies to his game where he can go a stretch of games not playing very well. Unfortunately it appears on this forum that this isn't possible.

Purely based on trophies I can't argue with you. Hazard was also injured in the Europa League final and missed it too. However those three years, Hazard has still produced a number of match winning performances in that time period prior to Costa and had a more than reasonable goal and assist output during that time. That extra longevity needs to be considered and whilst there may be this media flirting with Real Madrid that all the Belgian's seem to love to do, he has shown far more commitment than Costa who openly wanted to leave pretty much as soon as he walked through the door. But it is where a balance needs to be with regards to Hazard. He can't be blamed solely for not winning trophies in some of those seasons, otherwise it could be argued that Zola wasn't as much of a legend as he didn't win the major trophies that Hazard or Costa have and he is an obvious legend. He has at times had to play with a standard of players below his level and put in match winning performances to pull us through. But on the flip side he has to be questioned when he's not performing in important games where we've needed him to step up. That has been the case recently and rightfully should be questioned as a result. Has he checked out already? Is he playing within himself before the World Cup? Has he decided to not play for Conte anymore? Is he happy to see someone like Willian putting in some big performances lately and decided he doesn't need to step up as a result?

Agree, I think there is a huge element of sympathy for Conte with what happened in the summer. We made a complete dog's dinner of the transfer market and spent a lot of money on a lack of quality. I actually felt that our January signings weren't too bad given the circumstances and we didn't exactly pay silly money for any of them. Emerson and Barkley certainly were an eye towards the future and Giroud was a necessary short term purchase which we didn't get fleeced for. The fact is though that in 2018 we've taken 11 points from a possible 30. That is barely bottom six quality, and that has to be placed at Conte's door. He has failed to arrest the alarming form, pick the players up, change up tactics/personnel, etc.

I agree with a couple of the points but I do think that's going completely the other way now to be honest. Hazard has given much more of his career than Willian and Costa and as I was trying to make the point last night, he has been a big player for us and was very instrumental in the two recent title wins. His record holds up against most other Chelsea players and for me, he will go down as a legend. It's the constant barracking people receive on here if they openly criticise Hazard. For me, he does have issues with consistency because he can quite easily go a month or two with near constant unplayable performances, followed by a few weeks where he is quiet and anonymous at times. In recent weeks we've needed him more than ever and he's failed to step up and kick on and I do think that should leave him open to criticism and questions being asked. Having your Chelsea allegiance questioned or being labelled a 'casual fan' I think is quite frankly pathetic and out of order. Everybody who posts on this forum has something to say about Chelsea and are entitled to their opinion whether others agree or not. Despite what some would like to think, peoples opinions on any player are exactly that - opinions, not facts and should be treated as respectfully as possible as a result.

Conte still has the opportunity to leave behind some building blocks for next season and has shown that he is capable of making some big decisions (phasing out Terry, dropping Cahill). Emerson and Barkley need some games this season to build some confidence and momentum to take into next season. I'm sure I read when he first joined that Conte originally was looking at playing a 4-2-4 style formation. Why don't we try it, see which of these players already at the club could adapt back to a back 4, etc. Give Hudson-Odoi more game time to see if he could possibly be a squad option next season (and in doing so hopefully save us some money on a squad place with that money being available to use elsewhere) This season has been a monumental calamity, and Conte has to take his fair share of that blame but he can help us now start building towards next season.

I actually think that is is both. He is obviously hindered when we play defensively and I'll be one of the first to question our buys in recent seasons, but I also believe that Hazard doesn't have the ruthless mentality that separates the very good players from the truly great players. There have been games where things aren't happening for him and he gives off the impression that he accepts that too. As I've said multiple times (because I'm actually trying to work in between this) - he has been a fantastic servant to our club, and he is a wonderful player and one of the most naturally gifted that I've seen. I'm not knocking that and he can hold up his Chelsea record against the vast majority that have played here, but the biggest problem with this forum is that if anybody dares criticise him they never hear the end of it, and at the very least he must be open to criticism in recent weeks because his performances when we've needed him the most, have been nowhere near the standard he is capable of.

You're right, he has been our most consistent attacking player and I have actually put in my posts that he is our best player and most naturally gifted player by some distance. But being OUR most consistent attacking player does not mean that he doesn't suffer inconsistency, particularly when we will finish outside the top 4 twice in the last 3 seasons. The main thing I said in my first post before you jumped down my throat is that there are a number of big games I come away from wanting more from him and I stand by that. I didn't say every big game, but there have been more than enough. It is being highlighted recently too because we've had a boatload of big games in recent weeks and he's failed to step up when we've desperately needed him to. I can understand that he's played as a false 9 against Barca at home and City but he's played in a more favourable position against Barca away, United and Spurs and been poor in all of them. The problem is on this forum is that Hazard, for some, is immune to criticism. He's a brilliant player, I'm not saying he's rubbish but you rarely get a 6 or 7/10 performance with Hazard. He is either 8-9/10 or 4-5/10 and that includes his record in big games too.

I'm not comparing, I'm merely making a point with regards to your weak excuse that the Nou Camp is 'too hard' for Hazard to perform in. I haven't once said that Hazard never performs in big games, but you said in an earlier post that bar Drogba he is the best big game player we've ever had. He is way too inconsistent. For every excellent game, he has a very poor game against big teams and this isn't just over the last few weeks, this is throughout his Chelsea career. But apparently supporting Chelsea since the very early 90's I'm a 'casual fan' so my opinion isn't acceptable.

Is that not what you are doing also? He scored some goals last season against the big teams but we also had some poor results too which the stat you posted doesn't consider. That season we also lost at home to Liverpool, and away to Arsenal, Spurs and United, as well as the cup final to Arsenal. The United game sticks in my mind because he pretty much gave up early on when he was being marked closely. Recent games such as United and both games against Barcelona he has been out shined by Willian. You mention the Nou Camp game, but we had far more of the ball and attacking intent in that game then we have throughout the years playing there. Willian had no problem driving at their defence, who is not as naturally talented as Hazard, but Hazard didn't do anything. The best players go looking and make things happen. Hazard for me just does not have that mentality to be ruthless and selfish enough. He will be loved by Chelsea fan's regardless (as I said in previous post quite rightly do too) and he gives the impression that he is happy to be within that comfort zone. As I said previously, I like Hazard and appreciate the years he's given to Chelsea and the trophies he has helped win, but some are right he is painted on here like our greatest ever player and one of the very top players in the world, and for me he doesn't do enough to justify that. If he leaves we will miss him, I'm not deluded and my preference would be for him to stay. But the consensus on here is that we couldn't possibly replace him. In recent seasons we've carried on being successful despite having to replace Cech, Terry, Ashley Cole, Lampard and Drogba amongst others. Whether we change our formation/tactics to accommodate something different, directly buy a replacement or other players step up in his absence I think his output with regards to his goals and assists can be replaced.

I am hugely grateful for what Hazard has done at Chelsea and if he came out and said he was signing a new contract and wanted to stay with Chelsea for his best years, I'd be happy with that because currently he is our big name, focal attacking player who other teams will look at and feel they may need a plan to concentrate on him. But to say that Hazard has been a big game player for us is seriously pushing it in my opinion. Without going back properly, I am pretty certain I have come away from watching big games more often than not and thinking Hazard did not do enough, or impose himself on the game like you would expect him to. The PSG games, Barcelona games he didn't show up; we've lost a fair few games to the big teams over the last 2 seasons that I don't think he has performed in and he was anonymous in the FA Cup final last year too. He will go down as a legend of the club for what he has accomplished, and quite rightly, but he is still light years away from Lampard, Drogba and Zola in my opinion with regards to his status. And if he does leave in the summer, we may not find a player as naturally talented as Hazard and may need to change our game accordingly without him but I do think that there are players out there who have a more ruthless mentality to their game who could replace his goals and assists.

For me Christensen is extremely talented but still young and raw. Recent weeks have shown he needs time and patience like any young player because they will go through spells of inconsistent performances. Rudiger has steadily improved and probably been the only player we brought in the summer to take real credit. They have both shown more than enough to persevere with as they should both get better.

Nothing to do with logic. I said the board either need to strip it down and rebuild properly over the bext couple of seasons and likely lose a couple of our best players to boot who aren't prepared to lose a couple of seasons in transition or we spend some serious money buying 3 or 4 top drawer players to go along with the best players we already have to try and compete again. If we continue how we have been trying to plug gaps and band aid things we'll continue this gross inconsistency that has plagued us over the last 3-4 seasons.

Today mirrored the season as a whole. Decent at times but overall not good enough. Conte, like Jose imo, hasn't wantedto be here this season which has caused significant problems. It's also clear some of the signings he doesn't trust or believe in which cannot be good for morale and confidence. Big players i believe this season have failed to step up. Courtois and azpilicueta have both been below par at times, cahill has embarrassed as captain, luiz has been injury and error prone in equal measures. Pedro and hazard have both not reached last seasons performances and morata has just had a terrible spell. But the board have to finally start taking sone responsibility and decide what they want to do. If they don't want to compete in the transfer market anymore they have to have patience to rebuild over 2-3 seasons and likely lose the likes of hazard and courtois. If they want to compete again then we need 3 - 4 top drawer players and to make sure we also retain our best too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43601801 I know he divides opinion nowadays as a pundit, but he's Chelsea through and through and one of the best and most successful England players to come through our academy over the years. Thoughts and prayers with him, and hoping he pulls through this.

British papers are speculating Real will sell for around £75m in the summer, so basically what we paid for Bakayoko and Drinkwater. I'd like to hope if this is true, we're in for him. He would make a huge difference and offer a completely different dynamic within our squad.

If there is any chance of us buying Isco we should be all over it. He's the best option in my opinion that may be remotely available to give us creativity in the middle of our midfield. He should be top priority in the summer and would make a huge difference to our attacking output.

In my opinion he shouldn't have been sacked so quickly the first time. There were similar underlying problems with the board's trust and faith in managers back then because after winning the double, the club sacked Ray Wilkins on a whim which in my opinion completely undermined Ancelotti and they let a number of players leave at the start of the second season without replacing them and leaving Ancelotti to trust in youth with a paper thin squad. However I think the second spells of Mourinho and Hiddink show the pitfalls of a second stint, and I would like to see something different and fresh.

It makes you appreciate that we once had Makelele, Essien, Lampard, Ballack and Mikel all at the same time. Kante would have slotted seamlessly into that group.

I haven't seen anything of him, but his stats at PSV have been impressive and my understanding is that he is their captain despite being on loan so must be making some impression. I know the Dutch league isn't the strongest, but the likes of the French and Portuguese leagues are hardly pillars of strength. I think he's deserved a chance for next season, definitely some areas need strengthening and freshening up and we can't do all of that through buying new players so we will have to rely on trusting a couple of players coming back from loans.

The only time I feel he has gone against this notion during his Chelsea reigns is playing Zouma ahead of Cahill and I think again this was more necessity because our back line was lacking in raw pace to cover in behind which Zouma provided.