Superblue

So the club should have offered a contract to him when we had no new manager in place? And even since Conte has been appointed, I would imagine there has been dialogue between Conte and Terry, the club and Conte, the club and Terry even though nothing concrete has happened. I would also not blame the club for testing the water on possible transfer options, meticulously planning towards next season (because lets be honest we need to!) before they made a firm offer. Bearing in mind also that Terry has now had five months himself too. If he was told concrete no chance he quite probably would've made up his mind on a next move now. That he hasn't would also suggest that behind the scenes there has been some dialogue and a little light for Terry even if nothing concrete. And a significant pay cut would be reasonable IMO, he's 36 and definitely his best days are gone, days that got him wages at that level in the first place. Don't get me wrong because I love Terry and everything he's done for the club. But people are quick to forget he put Chelsea over a barrel a few years back when City wanted him and got the big pay rise. Now the shoe is on the other foot, Chelsea cannot justify paying him IMO anything over £80k a week. Its how people like Cahill get contracts for £100k per week!

You're contradicting yourself though because on one instance you're complaining that the offer the club has made isn't genuine or sincere, but on the other hand you're saying being given lower wages or reduced role isn't the point. But what else is going to make the offer seem like a throwaway offer that isn't genuine. If it's about making the contract offer public, people have panned the club both supporters and the media for being too private and not making any public announcements about Terry's future. Now they have, they're getting moaned at again. They can't win with this unless Terry accepts their offer.

How do we know that this is an insincere offer, because for now no one knows the details of the deal. And if it is reduced wages and a reduced role, what is wrong with this? Are you telling me that a 36 year old John Terry is who we should build our defence around? And for the last decade he has been paid as one of, if not our best paid player, he cannot justify those wages going forward. United's players like Scholes and Giggs took similar deals year on year, well paid but not one of the top earners and limited roles. Is Terry above a deal like this?

The fans have forced the issue here with this. The club probably feel the need to do so to prevent any problems both at the POTY evening and the Leicester game. Also bearing in mind, JT was quick enough to make it public that he would be leaving. I'm in two minds about this. There is the argument of keeping a leader of the group, and someone who truly understands the club. However I feel this season must be an end of an era and to make a real fresh start now is the time for the old guard to go.

Willian has been comfortably player of the season this year, simply based on his performances in the first half of the season when matches meant something. Whether he can push on from this year remains to be seen. When Hazard is on his game, Willian can't touch that impact but it doesn't mean that he isn't first team quality or good enough. From what I remember he was an important cog in the all round shape and structure of the team that pissed the league last season so I think to say he isn't good enough for Chelsea is very harsh. He might not have the natural talent of Hazard and Oscar and like, but he has a far better mental toughness and fight about him and you need the right blend of both in your squad. There are far more problematic areas to sort out in our squad than Willian's position. With regards to Copa America and Olympics it is what it is unfortunately. Pisses me off that Neymar got picked for only one and that is what they should have done with any of the players but oh well. Hopefully this means giving someone else (maybe Cuadrado) a run of games at the start of the season to get up and running and when Willian comes back it'll be a nice problem to have!

I do worry how easily he is knocked off the ball. Willian and Hazard, and even Oscar are far stronger and that is my biggest worry with him. For me, next season I would only want to see either him or Cuadrado not both in the squad. Kenedy and Traore have to be given ample game time to continue developing and neither will if we have 4 internationals out wide and no european football to play.

He's a good player but not a good defender. We need a top DEFENDER to lead our backline if Terry leaves. Also assuming that Zouma recovers back to his full capability, he should become first choice again. He'll continue to need a more experienced partner over the next couple of seasons to aid his development.

People who didn't expect or see this season coming have been burying their heads in the sand. This season has been teased since the days of Scolari. We've had plenty of seasons since then just like this one, only to manage to pull it back someway (qualify for/win the champions league, win the FA Cup, win the Europa League). It can be reasonably argued that those previous seasons were recovered by big performances from some of the club's legends, and that is a big reason why they are as such. However, it can be argued just as much that change has been needed for years and the reason why it hasn't ever been followed through is these same players have resisted it. It's pretty common knowledge that the likes of Cech, Ballack and Drogba fell out with Scolari, and Lampard and Ashley Cole likewise with AVB. It's partly why I'm not completely against Terry leaving. He will always be a legend here, one of the very best, but no player will last forever and I do get the feeling that the club will never fully embrace change until all of the old guard are gone. I see lots of clubs now playing with so much intensity, closing down all across the pitch, with pace and a fearless attitude and then I watch us playing at times such a cautious, pedestrian way. It has worked for us over the last decade but football evolves and we must too. Until we do this, the board and the club as a whole cannot be truly assessed...

We should revert back to 4-3-3 and build the team around Fabregas. There are few deep playmakers of his ability and instead of playing to his strengths we expect him to dictate our play and put in a huge defensive shift. If he plays, we don't need a number 10 to create. 2 mobile, busy midfielders alongside him would give him greater freedom to control the game for us and create chances. I would love RLC to be one of those players and I think he has the potential to be. I think the other we would need to bring in.

The club need to decide what they're going to do first with regards to the current crop of young talent we have. There is the potential there in my opinion to bring through a number of these and only leave us needing to buy a couple of top players to 'boost' the squad. We have the likes of Ake, Christensen and Musonda on loan all impressing, Rahman is starting to get games and perform, Zouma pushed on this season before his injury and if he can make a full recovery will become a big player at the back for us. Then the likes of RLC, Kenedy and Traore have all impressed when given the chance. When you take the above players into account, the club maybe needs a world class replacement for Terry and a very good striker to push Costa, with Traore supporting. I don't think major surgery is needed in midfield to be honest, the attacking contingent are amongst the best group around, Fabregas is looking back to his best and I'd rather not see RLC have his route into the first team blocked. If we buy a new midfielder it would have to be as a replacement for Mikel or Matic.

Any streams?

Agree with this. Begovic has plenty of years left in him to move to a club where he plays week in week out. He can afford to give a couple of years to have a go at playing for a top club as that chance may never come again.

I'm pleased with this. I've seen more than enough since he's been here that he's worth giving a chance too with a proper pre season under his belt.

I really rate Charlie Austin, he's massively underrated technically, holds the ball up well, works hard leading the line. Above everything though is that he's scored goals everywhere and every standard he's played at. Every time he's stepped up to the next level he's still banged goals in. There is a huge step up from QPR to ourselves, but I do think for somewhere between £10-15m he's well worth the punt. I don't really want to see Remy leave as he's looked pretty good when he's played but if he does want to leave and we got Falcao and Charlie Austin instead of Remy and Drogba, our strikers are much stronger than last season.

There is an argument there however regarding arsenal's injury record in general, not just diaby (as bad and extreme as his has been). Would be interesting to see if anybody taking a punt on him gets him in a fitter state than arsenal could.

Just done his greatest #1to11 on Fantasy Football Club. GK Cech RB Ivanovic LB Cole CB Terry CB Ferdinand DM Makelele CM Gerrard RM Silva LM Hazard ST Aguero ST Drogba Can't really begrudge him having Aguero and Silva in his team as they are by miles the best two players at Man City. He did give an honorary mention to Zola too but he only played with him at the end of his career. Also made a comment about the dressing room saying Ivanovic's arse being so big and solid you could balance your pint on it!

Not convinced by Falcao after this season but it is an improvement on Drogba for our trio of strikers and the fact is when Costa is fit he's first choice and plays.

Jose's just trolled the fuck out of the other teams at the Player of the Year awards...fucking legend!

I think Matic might get player's player of the season. It's generally someone less heralded (like Dave last season) so I think him or possibly Willian. It will either be a toss up between JT or Hazard for player of the year, and I think it will end up being Hazard.

Are the same people critical of Lampard going to turn on Cech if he moves to Arsenal or United? What about if Drogba signs for another prem team? I know what Lampard said, but things in life change and don't always take the path you plan. It made complete sense that Lampard find a team to play football with when he left Chelsea otherwise he would have kicked his heels for months waiting for the MLS season which would have ruined him at his age. Seeing as he signed for New York City, Man City took the opportunity they were presented with and given their UEFA sanctions they needed more homegrown players. I didn't like seeing Lampard in a City shirt, but I love looking back at old Chelsea footage of him scoring critical goals and helping us win trophies. It's pathetic if people cannot forgive someone who literally gave everything to our football club. And I mean literally because he wasn't the most technically gifted player but drove himself to be, alongside Drogba, our most potent weapon in the most successful era of this club.

His injury record over the last couple of years is a big worry because there is no doubt it has contributed to a decline in his productivity recently. We saw how big a problem that was with Torres and it could so easily have ended up costing us this season with Costa. I can understand the thought process behind buying him or Toure (experience in Europe, short term so not to stunt RLC's development) but I would prefer to see someone much more athletic alongside Matic next season in the big games. Thinking Essien in his prime, or Ramires with a football brain.

If Cech wants to stay in England, selling to United is the lesser of two evile as he's a replacement for De Gea but hardly an upgrade to improve them. He'd be a huge upgrade for Arsenal though.

I really rate Grieszmann, but you're comparing somebody who has had one year at Atletico playing at the highest level and valued at about £40m, to Pedro who has played for years as an integral part of his club and national team winning multiple titles and the pressure of huge matches for £15m.

The most important transfer work has been done in the past two seasons and with some of the moves that Jose, Emenalo, etc have done I have full confidence that we'll get things right this summer too. Two players I think would offer massive value are James Milner and Luiz Adriano. Milner has arguably been City's best player this season, so will no doubt weaken their squad. With Jose's preference for working with a smaller squad too, his versatility would be invaluable. Add to that he's homegrown and seeing as we don't fill our quota, I think to get him on a free would be great business. Luiz Adriano's contract at Shakhtar runs out in December which is awkward, but again would represent great business if he can be signed on a free in January, or a nominal fee can be agreed with Shakhtar. He scores goals, has good experience in the Champions League and I think would be a great challenger to Diego Costa for the striker spot. He's also more reliable than Remy from an injury point of view which takes less burden off the rest of the team. With two top strikers at the club, it would also give us the chance to perhaps bring Bamford back as our third striker. With a couple of really good signings like above to strengthen our squad for little cost, it would allow us to spend more money on one or two players who could improve the starting XI. For me if the rumours are true, I would take somebody like Bale as our big signing. He would add goals, directness, pace (particularly given the way we counter attack) and we would have somebody who could genuinely take the burden off Hazard to create and score when the team is struggling. And having Hazard and Bale flanking Costa would scare the shite out of everybody in the Premier League.

It's a cup final - it's all about winning it, I'm not bothered if we ruin it as a potentially great, flowing, attacking game. This will either be a complete masterstroke or a fucking disaster!