Superblue

In certain games, Mikel's slowing down of the pace of the game in the midfield is an asset. Benfica is a good example of this, and other away Champions League ties. In hostile atmosphere's he's good at taking the sting out of games. I agree at home against lesser teams his style can be a hindrance, but I think the club is better equiped if possessing a number of midfielders with different attributes to each other.

Agreed not been the greatest success, but I prefer an approach that involves a handful of people making such decisions as opposed to one person (the manager) making that decision. A number of the world's top coaches are not the greatest at identifying and buying players. I think it's also a strong reason why we always look abroad for new managers because a lot of them are used to this setup abroad. I cannot imagine people like David Moyes accepting such a setup.

Important we keep players fresh - Benfica is the more important game on Wednesday, but we could make changes and still win this game. Villa are looking very poor at the moment. Cech Bosingwa (no point pushing Ivanovic for this one if he isn't fully fit) Cahill David Luiz Bertrand Essien Lampard Kalou Malouda Sturridge Drogba (would prefer to see Lukaku but don't expect to) Very important to give Terry, Ashley Cole and Mata a rest. Should also keep Torres, Ramires and Mikel fresh for Benfica.

I believe Carlo was open to having Torres but didn't want him in January, he wanted to wait until the summer but Roman didn't. Carlo has openly admitted if he stayed at Chelsea he would have sold Drogba and put full confidence in Torres. Half way through a season however it just disrupted the team. As I said above, AVB openly admitted the Cahill and De Bruyne signings were not down to him, and was a 'collective decision' of the board and management (a diplomatic way of saying they were made by the powers above!) And we started lodging bids for Modric and were strongly linked with Mata before AVB joined. I'm not saying the manager has no say on transfers, but I think they are only a part of the decision making process. Similar to clubs on the continent, the manager is there to coach - identifies areas of the squad which require strengthening and the board goes out and gets players to fit the requirements. Chelsea operate in a similar fashion.

I think Mourinho got the exact players he wanted, and I think one of the reasons he left was because he began to have less say on transfers. Even AVB basically admitted Cahill and De Bruyne were more the choice of the club and not him. I am optimistic the right players will be brought in the summer. Where Dalglish has fallen down is his stubborness to buy British players, he's paid through the nose for players who are barely squad players within our national team. He could have signed better quality than Adam, Carroll, Downing and Henderson for a third of the outlay and everybody recognises that. And as a footnote, Robbie brought Odemwingie for West Brom for about £1m so his eye for a player I don't think can be that bad.

I don't think we operate in that way. It is not the manager's full decision in buying players. I believe he has a say in regards to we need a left winger or a right back and is part of the decision making process but there are others involved. Taking into consideration the general success or long term planning with a number of our recent signings, it gives me optimism that whoever is new manager, the club will buy well this summer. The manager is likely to have more say on who isn't regarded good enough at the club anymore and Robbie would be better placed than most to do this because he's worked with everyone for the last 12 months.

Paper talk today suggest Roman is warming to the idea of giving Robbie the job full time. Now I believe that if the club can't convince either Guardiola or Mourinho to join, which I don't think they will, then the job really is up for grabs. To me it depends on what the club is trying to achieve. If they want to rebuild the club quickly with minimal fuss then I think they should go for an experienced manager who has done such jobs in their career, like Van Gaal or Capello. The only problem with this route is that a manager in the twilight of their career will mean only a certain element of long term planning can be made, knowing that this manager will likely retire or need replacing within 2-3 years. I think the appointment of AVB actually works in Robbie's favour for the full time job. The club and Roman obviously made a decision to look at a long term project with a promising young manager to hopefully rebuild the club from top to bottom in mind. In hindsight AVB had certain failings, particularly man management skills, but I think the club have warmed to the idea of such a project if they can get the right young manager - and in that regard Robbie is in the driving seat. He comes across very well in interviews, instantly likeable, and the media reports that players didn't like him are obviously rubbish because his man management skills seem to be excellent (that or the players are excellent actors!) And to top it off his tactical decisions have been by and large very impressive, particularly in the Napoli and Benfica games. I also like the change he's made playing Mata in the centre because 4-3-3 has become too predictable for us in the last year or so. With more help in the attacking third next season, a 4-2-3-1 formation could really flourish. The other, in my opinion, big positives are that him and Eddie are loved at this club, which certainly would buy them time to try and rebuild things with us, the fans, who as a collective unit had obviously lost faith by the end with AVB. And the other positive is that he has been involved at the club for the last season, which will give him a good indication of who the club needs to get rid of in the summer and what the club needs to move forward. Too many summers a new manager has come in and it has given another season for players at the club who should have been shown the door 2-3 seasons ago.

I will try to create the striker and winger parts to my analysis tomorrow if possible, very busy at work at the moment though I wouldn't personally sell Mikel having thought about it. Firstly I think his form has seen an upturn recently and secondly I think given his useful blend of being a good age yet possessing a lot of experience playing at the highest level he could be an asset should the club as expected make a number of changes in the summer. I also think he can give more to the club long term than Essien can, yet Essien is likely to recoup the bigger transfer fee. My personal preference to buy is Cabaye. Javi Martinez is a good player, but Cabaye is already accustomed to the Premier League and I believe would be available for somewhere between £12-15m whereas Martinez is likely to cost £20-25m. If we are going to start playing 2 in midfield to allow Mata to continue playing in the centre next season (and IMO we should) then I don't see any other main signings here. If we were to sell Essien and perhaps Meireles, our midfield would still comprise of Cabaye, Mikel, Lampard and Ramires. Perhaps just to bulk up the squad we could add a fifth choice centre midfielder but in that case it would have to be someone young and not too expensive who can develop and play the odd games during the season. I don't see McEachran playing here if we play 2 in midfield. I see him as understudy for Mata's position as the central attacking midfielder.

Yep agree, defence next season should look like: RB - Ivanovic, Debuchy or Azpilicueta, Hutchinson LB - Baines, Bertrand CB - David Luiz, Cahill, Terry, Ivanovic with Chalobah, Ake, Kalas, Bruma all in reserve. Bruma and Kalas will almost certainly go out on loan again next season though.

The success of RDM's team against Benfica and the failure of AVB's team against Napoli hinged on one difference - Mikel. AVB didn't play a genuine holding player to protect the back 4, a decision made even more ludicrous given Napoli's abundance of attacking talent and the absence of our captain. RDM's midfield worked well because Meireles does provide energy and Mikel holds his position in front of the back 4 and is calm when in possession.

Yeah, just not on £40k pw. And I think he still has a couple of years left in him playing football at a high standard first, just not what we need looking ahead. But a fantastic servant of the club and showed all of his experience tonight, I feel much more comfortable with Paulo playing then I do Bosingwa!

Robbie got it SPOT ON tonight. David Luiz was unbelievable. It's a nice dilemna the club seems to have at the moment. I think Cahill and Luiz are the stand out centre backs ahead of Terry, but we are getting the clean sheets when Terry plays alongside one of them. It is certain now though that we no longer rely on Terry being fit every game. Big mention to Ferreira aswell tonight. He is a solid, reliable defender and made their most dangerous player Gaitan look pretty ordinary for large patches. Happy for Kalou scoring the goal. He gets bashed like crazy on these forums and somebody questioned what he did all game...he tracked back and worked bloody hard. At the end of the game their right back was whizzing past Sturridge the last few minutes, and considering Sturridge's pace he could have easily kept up with him but just coasted. This was why Kalou was preferred to Sturridge tonight and he put a shift in. Torres gives so much more than Drogba, end of. Top 4 is very slim now so let's concentrate on this and the FA Cup and start resting some players in the league. Ashley Cole and Terry could do with a rest, and Mata desperately needs a rest, he looks burnt out. Meireles or even Malouda can play the advanced midfielder role against Villa, or even revert to a deeper three in midfield.

I was thinking the same! The only change I may have had in there is Luiz right back and Cahill in the centre, but I can understand Ferreira over Bosingwa. I can also understand Lampard, Drogba and Essien playing, when are people going to wake up and realise they don't have the legs anymore! And Napoli aside their performances haven't warranted guaranteed places in the team. Really hope Torres scores tonight and ends the Drogba-Torres debate!

If Monaco had beaten Porto in the Champs League final all those years ago I think you would have seen Deschamps at the club instead of Mourinho. That final always felt like an audition for the Chelsea job.

Can't really understand the link with Blanc. Maybe I'm being naive but I don't understand what he has acheived which is so astoundingly great?! If we were going down that path i would have thought Deschamps would be a better bet.

I know from what people are saying it wasn't implied for the Benfica draw but Drogba's actions and gestures have just stoked this game up and motivated them more...at a time when we have returned to being slow and ponderous this is the last thing we need. Really hope Torres starts, he gives us so much more mobility up front.

Up until recently I would have been ok with us tying down Drogba for another year just to allow us to let Lukaku on loan for a season to a Premier League club, without signing a player to take his spot in the squad. ...But i don't think I could take another year of Drogba

Based on who I've watched live and I'm only 25, Desailly is the best defender we've ever had. The guy was unreal and that's even in what was considered his twilight years. I think you have to go for Terry alongside him because he has captained the club through the most successful period in it's history and I think coming through our youth system aswell lends a little weight to the decision. Right back I loved Petrescu, but I've gone for Steve Clarke. Solid, reliable and dependable. Left back close call, but I've plumped for Le Saux over Ashley Cole. Probably more a sentimental choice because I played left back through school and my local football team so admired Le Saux. Now I've filled out (ahem put some weight on) I'm better suited to centre back or defensive midfielder

Consider our squad now, and consider a possible squad like: GK - Cech, Hilario, Turnbull (with Courtois for the future). I would be inclined if Wigan were to go down to try and buy Al Habsi, a good goalkeeper to challenge Cech for the next couple of seasons whilst Courtois matures, and let Hilario then leave. If Wigan went down they'd be hard pressed to reject a bid in the region of £5m I reckon. LB - Baines, Bertrand RB - Debuchy/Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Hutchinson CB - Cahill, Terry, David Luiz, Ivanovic CM - Cabaye, Ramires, Romeu, Mikel, Lampard/Meireles AM - Mata, McEachran RW - Sturridge, Hoillett LW - Hazard/Hulk/Willian (somebody of that ilk), Kakuta, de Bruyne ST - Torres, Ba, Lukaku This is not unrealistic and beyond our means even if we didn't get top 4.

No in football manager I could get at least £15-20m from Man City from Ashley Cole, and £20+m for Essien from Real Madrid But I don't see why it should be hard. There should be no shortage of takers for Ashley Cole and Essien on the continent. Malouda is still part of the French squad and held in high esteem over there and surely someone will have Bosingwa. Maybe even Malouda could be used in part exchange to sweeten a deal for Hazard or likewise Meireles and/or Bosingwa in a deal for Hulk?!

Heard very good things about him. The problem is Brazilian football is currently one of the most expensive places to go shopping for players with little value in the market. Couple that with the risk they won't settle in Europe and there may be better options out there. Having said that I would love us to get Lucas Moura!

There is actually more to that interview where he emphasises on we weren't good enough earlier in the season dropping points. That to me is a bit of a veiled dig at the AVB regime and games in which some of the older experienced players weren't getting games. And if I were the likes of Cahill, David Luiz, Ramires or Mata then I would be unhappy with Lampard's questioning of the ability of the side because the reason we are not what we used to be is because none of the players have moved on or allowed an evolution of the club without throwing their toys out of the pram.

He's basically having a dig at the players who were playing in his place earlier in the season not doing the job. I think that's a little poor on his part. Granted we're nowhere near the team we used to be, but that isn't due to the players we have brought over the last couple of seasons...it's because of the older players, Lampard included, who refuse to accept that they aren't good enough anymore.

If the club were cute with their transfer dealings this summer you could vastly improve and rebuild the squad without paying £100-200m like the press feel we need to do to get back to challenging. Ashley Cole and Essien are no longer the players they once were (best in the world at what they did) but they still hold huge reputations across the continent, which counts in our favour. If we could offload them now we would get decent transfer fees still for them, allowing us to improve on the squad for very little outlay. Essien has always said he would like to play in Italy and the slower game would suit him now - we could still command a fee in the region of £12m for him. Similarly Ashley Cole has always been courted by Barca and Real Madrid and I think either would still take him given their left backs for £8-10m. We could then buy Cabaye from Newcastle and Baines from Everton for approx £30m combined. Kalou looks likely to leave on a free transfer but we could replace him with Hoilett on a free. Sell Malouda and Bosingwa for combined fees in the region of £8-10m and buy one of the right backs from France - Azpilicueta or Debuchy for £10-12m. Let Drogba leave and replace him with Demba Ba if his £7m release clause is true. And if Jordan Rhodes can be bought for £3-4m then snap him up to bolster our attack - even if we loaned him out first season. I think he had big potential and would be worth the punt. With Cabaye snapped up and moving Mata into the centre, one of Meireles or Lampard could leave. Meireles would hold the higher transfer fee but Lampard would see the higher saving in wages. Either way that should raise another £8m ish. That would vastly improve our squad, making it look younger, quicker and more vibrant for a net outlay somehwere in the region of £10-15m. A number of those players to leave aswell would be amongst the highest wage earners so in the long term large savings on wages should also be taken into account. If we were to then splash £25-30m on one player to top it off - an attacking player like Hazard, Hulk, Lucas Moura, Lavezzi, etc we would still have only spent net approx £50m which in todays market to reshape the squad isn't bad business! (I know these are rough ideas of transfer figures but I don't think they are unrealistic)

If we take money out of the equation (i.e. Roman is prepared to spend it) then I don't think anyone in their right mind would reject Ronaldo coming to us if he was prepared to leave Real and join us. He would easily be the best player and most potent attacking force in the world if a certain Lionel Messi wasn't about. I think he is the type of player who you don't need to build a team around, he will score goals whatever. But being realistic, I can't see us going for him. We may need to think outside the box a little this summer without Champions League football to offer. I would love us to buy Cabaye, I think he is exactly what we need and a cheaper alternative to Modric. I would have loved for us to move for Inler at Napoli because I think he would be a perfect fit too but with no Prem experience, 3 years older than Cabaye and likely to cost more, I would prefer to poach from Newcastle! We must sort out our attacking options aswell, particularly on the wings. Mata in the centre makes perfect sense but until we have the options out wide it will never be as successful as it should be.