Superblue

I dunno, winning the Europa League might be a nice little confidence booster when we go back into the Champions League the following season. Probably not the european trophy Roman was after but hey ho...

Yeah we want to be getting rid of our players who fall into this category, not add to them!

If we come knocking on Newcastle's door it's Cabaye we should go for, a far more cost effective purchase instead of Modric in the middle of the park. There are better options on the wing IMO, Junior Hoilett for one.

I don't think anyone can argue that big changes are required next season on and off the pitch, but I don't think many could have predicted the free fall of our beloved club this season. This may however be a blessing in disguise... Changes were required as long ago as 2009/10, but a double winning season seemingly justified the lack of changes in the club when merely it was papering over the cracks. Ancelotti apparently told Roman before joining the club that the club needed two players - Xabi Alonso and Franck Ribery as early as 2008/09. Basically a deep lying creative playmaker and a winger with pace and ability to take players on. Over 3 years later and we still have neither type of player in our squad. A champions league spot for next season may have encouraged the board to make only a couple of changes in the summer, but no champions league football will hopefully do the opposite and scare the board and Roman into making much more radical changes for the long term of the club. There will naturally be worries about spending too much money under the new FFP rules (even more so without the Champions League money train) but in all fairness, if the club doesn't have the calibre of players to break back into the top 4 then the FFP rules mean nothing anyway! But again this may be another blessing in disguise. The likes of Hazard, Cavani, etc may prove to be too expensive and less prepared to move to us without Champions League football. It will force the club to rethink their transfer policy of buying proven, established stars which has been more the case over the last few years than that of the policy when Abramovich first joined the club. In the beginning we looked to buy young talent, not yet established or proven at the top level, but having the potential to reach that level. Players who had not won trophies and had a hunger and desire to make things happen. Players like Duff, Joe Cole, Glen Johnson, Parker, SWP, Cech. We coupled that with buying players who had more experience, but were not proven at the very top level in one of the 'big 3' leagues. Players like Drogba, Essien and Kezman. And these players were added to those already at the club who were established at Chelsea but had not won trophies like Lampard, Terry and Gudjohnson. Some didn't work, but this policy as a whole was successful. This is the policy we should be looking to get working again. We already have a decent core of players at the club who will have a real desire to win trophies that they've yet to win in their Chelsea careers such as Mata, Cahill, David Luiz, Ramires, Romeu and Torres. We should now be looking to add to that with more players of this ilk. Let's take a punt on Junior Hoilett and Jordan Rhodes. Let's look at Tiote, Cabaye and Ba as opposed to Modric and Cavani for half or even a third of the price and lower wages. And if we are going to spend big money on some players let's spend it on young up and coming stars still to prove themselves not established ones for a quick fix and last pay day. There are players out there with good market value, and it's about time the club took a punt on a couple of these as opposed to thinking straight away at the £30-40m transfers. Also if we sell some of our players this summer then we'll still recoup decent money on some before it's too late and save on large wages. The likes of Essien and Ashley Cole are past their best but still hold good market value due to their reputations. Hopefully selling the likes of these players will raise £20-30m in income to offset against some of our purchases and the reductions in wages will serve well for the future of the club under the FFP. It's a big summer, the biggest in the last decade for this football club. And for the long term future it is imperative we get it right! :cfc:

I understand your point but I want the best team we can have to compete. If that includes English players then great but if it doesn't that doesn't bother me. Also you have to pay a premium for good English players in this country. I don't necessarily agree that we can relate to English players more. When you see the enthusiasm of a player like David Luiz or the length of service players like Cech and Drogba have given the club. Our most iconic figure in the history of our club is Italian, and Arsenal's in French.

Very good player, but personally I would prefer to buy Willian from Shakhtar. A few years younger, likely to be lower transfer fee and wages (I think in the summer he could be brought for in the region of £15-18m). The reason for my preference is that if we are going to try and play Mata off the front striker (say Torres), both he and Torres need space to work in. Playing players like Sturridge and Lavezzi can work in some games, but in tight games you need to stretch teams out and use the whole of the pitch which we don't always do. Wingers like Willian will do this and open up more space in the middle for Mata, whereas inside forwards will largely look to cut in, so teams can remain compact giving Mata no room to play.

Kalou and Malouda are in the same boat as Drogba in that they're likely to move on this summer so why play them? The difference between them and Drogba is that we don't have any other options to play players out wide whereas we have other options in Drogba's position which are to be the future of this club moving forward. Our best young wide prospects, Kakuta and De Bruyne, are both out on loan so in that position we unfortunately have to muddle through. Also players such as Malouda and Kalou are key to giving Mata a rest before we break the guy!

The club needs to plan for next season now. I know Robbie might not be here next season (and I don't expect him to be) but he could do a massive justice to this club by trying to bed in a team of players who will be here next season. Cech will remain in goal. Left back I was of the opinion Ashley Cole will stay at the club, but now I'm not entirely convinced. He'll have a year left on his contract and at 31 and on £120k per week this summer might be the best time to sell him and pocket a bit of money for him. Even at his age he's still highly thought of by Real Madrid and Barcelona, and we could still probably get somewhere between £8-10m for him. So give Bertrand some games, I'm not saying to play every game but at the very least the home premier league games will give him some good experience to push on with next season. Bosingwa will surely go in the summer so play Brana right back and Hutchinson his understudy. Have Hutch similar to Bertrand start a couple of games, maybe the ones before FA Cup and Champs League games to give Brana a rest. Continue to rotate Terry, Cahill and David Luiz at the back. It's good for all to get used to playing with each other because I'm quickly becoming comfortable with any pairing which bodes well for the future, where in the past we have over-relied on Terry playing through injuries which have at times caught up with him. PLAY ROMEU!!! What the hell has he done wrong to suddenly not be playing. It seems as soon as Essien returned, Romeu had to step aside. Fuck that mentality, it's the reason we're now in this mess that we have a bulk of a squad which has grown old and stale together. Ramires must move back into the centre, without him our midfield is slow and ponderous, severely lacking legs. Lampard cannot play every game anymore, like Essien he hasn't got the legs to drive the team on continuously. Mata needs a rest, we have relied on him all season and not only is it catching up with him but teams have realised that if they nulify him, we have nothing. And Torres must play from now on. We need to see if he is going to step up as our main striker next season. Ther's no point finding out in August as it may be too late by then and ruin next season. I don't see the point in playing Drogba if he isn't going to be here next season and we have other options for his position. Have Lukaku as Torres' understudy and give him playing time. We may find he's actually capable of stepping up next season before we spend £40m on a new striker and he falls into the abyss of multiple loan moves before being sold in 3-4 years time! For me we should play something like: 4-2-3-1 (with Mata) Cech Ivanovic/Hutchinson Cahill David Luiz/Terry Cole/Bertrand Mikel/Romeu Ramires Sturridge Mata Kalou/Malouda Torres/Lukaku 4-3-3 (without Mata) Cech Ivanovic/Hutchinson Cahill David Luiz/Terry Cole/Bertrand Romeu/Mikel Ramires/Essien Lampard/Meireles Sturridge Kalou/Malouda Torres/Lukaku

It's either that or change the shape of the team to a diamond, playing Mata in behind Torres and Sturridge/Lukaku.

For what RDM is trying to play for the rest of the season, Kalou is our best option for one of the wide berths. Mata in the middle behind Torres - Kalou and Sturridge on the flanks. Both can alternate so they play as inside forwards or wingers depending on how the game is panning out. Try to make the opposition think a bit more. That way Mata is in the middle but we still carry a threat around him. Ramires can then move back into the centre where is has excelled this season, not on the right wing alongside a more defensive minded player like Essien, Romeu or Mikel.

He needs help next season, other players technically on his wavelength. We need a player with the technical ability to open up teams from a deeper position meaning teams cannot sit back and just close down Mata to nulify us. We also need pace and quality out wide to stretch teams and open up the space for him in the middle.

I far from hate Lampard, but I don't see where he played well today. Games seem to bypass him much more often these days and he doesn't have the legs in the middle of the park anymore to play (1) at full intensity for 90 minutes and (2) play 2-3 games in a week. Case in point was against Man City in the 85th minute he didn't have the legs to track Nasri's run for the goal, he just watched him run in behind. I just feel when he plays with Essien in the midfield, what was once part of the strongest midfield in the league now makes us look ponderous and weak. Can he adapt his game to play a deeper role for us á la Scholes at United. Maybe? But could he do that deeper role any better than Mikel or Romeu, both of whom have many more years within them? And I can hazard a guess Scholes earns nowhere near the £150k per week Lampard earns at Chelsea. Mata was poor today, and he looks tired and in need of a rest. Problem is we have nobody else anywhere near his level of creativity in our squad.

Are you joking? I love Lamps, absolute legend, but he was abysmal - slow and off the pace, an unfortunate trend to his play this season. I don't doubt his commitment to the club but he hasn't got the legs anymore in a midfield which has always been built to accomodate his box to box runs. He's a shadow of the player 2 seasons ago and has been since he had that long stretch out injured last season unfortunately.

Bar Cech, Cahill and Terry, everyone was awful today...the day we desperately needed a win we play like that! Why does Drogba keep getting preferred to Torres? We can't keep waiting for him to have a bloody brilliant game one every ten matches and the rest playing abysmal in. But is it really surprising we played like this today...a lot of those players know they may not be there next season and they played like it - what do they care if the club isn't playing in the Champions League next season if they're not going to be here! We need to see if Torres can be our main striker for NEXT SEASON now, not in August otherwise we could have another barren season next time round! I can bet your bottom dollar the likes of Drogba, Lampard, etc will put a better shift in come the Champions League or FA Cup because they're trophies for this year to compete in...but do they deserve that right when producing gutless performances like the one today. And Mata has been brilliant this season, one of the few shining lights but he looks tired. When he's marked out of the game like today we have nothing within our squad to create anything, the little magician needs help badly next season!

No Champs League will definately mean no Mourinho or Guardiola. Let's get a manager with a track record of building teams. David Moyes would be a good bet, but I think the best manager for us would be either Fabio Capello or Louis Van Gaal. Both vastly experienced, both demand respect and a 'do it my way or out' mentality and both don't give a shit about reputations. The likes of Drogba wouldn't last 5 minutes!

My sentiments entirely. It makes it difficult for the club to keep some of the experienced players here because they're all on huge wages compared to what we are paying now to new signings (besides Torres). Eventually these younger players who continue to perform for the club will ask for wages to match the older players who's influence on the pitch will continue to wane. The only way the club can deal with the FFP is by streamlining the wage bill - this wouldn't be as big a problem as people think IF we didn't have 5 or 6 of the old guard on ridiculous wages!

Stink bombs and smoke grenades are completely different. Setting off a smoke grenade has caused the fire alarms to be set off, an evacuation of the building, and the likelihood of a call out of the fire services. It's just plain stupid. If they want something to do, how about going back onto the training pitch for another half hour to practice and bust an ass to improve themselves! I do understand your point though on Ashley Cole. The example must be set from top down, and unfortunately we've had our fair share of players over the recent few years who have brought negative publicity to themselves and the club.

Obviously pure speculation, but if it were to come to fruition... He is finally becoming a reliable DEFENDER, to complement his extraordinary technical and attacking abilities for a centre back. I would like to hope he stays at Chelsea for the next few years and the potential to form a solid partnership with Gary Cahill for the next 5+ years considering the age of both is very exciting. From what I understand he's also fallen in love with Chelsea and us as fans love him. £35m is a lot of money for a centre back and would represent a very good profit on the £21m we paid nearly 18 months ago. However I really believe he has the potential to be one of the, if not the best centre back in world football within 2-3 years. If Barcelona were willing to part with such money I would only sell if he expressed a wish to move to them. And then, I would want at least £30m plus a couple of their talented youngsters to sweeten any deal. But at least until the summer, pure speculation, and I will continue to enjoy David Luiz playing for our club!

What an idiot! For anybody questioning Chelsea's decision to sack him, ask yourselves no matter how young or old you are, if you were to set off a smoke grenade at your workplace for 'a laugh', would you expect not to be sacked. I know Chelsea, amongst other clubs receive a lot of flak for not enough youngsters coming through but you do have to question the attitude, application and desire of some young players nowadays. Particularly when a player like Mellis who has done nothing yet in his career, would have been earning somewhere between £5-10k per week.

Right winger (we don't have one of these)...check! Young, but good experience of first team football...check! Pace and ability to take players on...check! Proven in the Premiership...check! Homegrown (came through Blackburn's academy)...check! Cheap, both in transfer fee and wages...check! If his contract runs down in the summer he is a must!

Depends if you believe us or Barcelona because they seem to believe they have a buy back clause over the next two summers. I can understand Ramires can be sometimes a bit erratic with his passing or first touch, but he's probably second only to Yaya Toure for box to box midfielders in the premiership. And whereas Toure tends to tire late in games, Ramires just keeps on running!

Agreed, I wouldn't expect us to sell all three, but I could definately see Essien leaving, and depending on who we buy, possibly another. I would think currently that out of Mikel, Essien and Meireles that Mikel is the most likely to stay at the club.

Cheers mate, next article is on our wingers/attacking midifielders area so Kakuta will be included within that. What I was trying to focus on in this article was the midfield 2 or 3.

The first area of my analysis which does IMO need serious questions asked of. Current Squad 4-5 years ago we arguably had the best midfield in the world - Makelele, Essien, Ballack and Lampard. At the time Lampard and Essien were in their prime. Unfortunately they still make up what is probably considered part of our 'strongest' midfield selection. Frank Lampard is a legend, I don't think any Chelsea fan will argue against that, and he may well go down in time as our greatest ever player. But he is not the player he was a couple of seasons ago, and never will be again. He can however still do a job for the club - against Napoli he showed he can play a more disciplined deeper role and use his experience. I could see him being the club's version of Scholes or Giggs, but he cannot remain a guaranteed first choice for us to evolve as a club. If he is prepared to become a squad player within his later years, and accept wages symbolising his squad status then I would love to keep him and allow him to retire at the club. Essien, similarly has been immense over the years for Chelsea. Personally he has been my favourite player since he joined the club. However injuries have left him a shadow of that player I admired so much. He no longer has the legs to drive in the midfield, and although perhaps a better defensive mind, I would strongly argue that he is neither as mobile or as good on the ball as Mikel or Romeu as a defensive midfielder. As much as it pains me to say it, I don't envisage a role moving forward for Essien in the squad. One of the reasons we perhaps have not felt the loss of Essien now as opposed to a couple of years ago is the emergence and form of Ramires. Although a different style of player, more nimble and quick as opposed to Essien's power, his box to box running and midfield drive has made him one of the first names on the teamsheet. His importance is particularly noticeable in the final half hour of games when other players around him tire he seems to just get stronger! Mikel has had plenty of opportunities to cement a first team spot down at the club and has shown real good form at times, but has never kept a consistent level. However he is in a position where at 24/25, he is still young enough to be considered for the future, but holds a lot of experience on the big stage. I personally would prefer to see Romeu be given the opportunity to establish himself as first choice in the defensive midfield role, because I think he has massive potential. I believe in the games that Romeu played this season he was one of our standout performers, and is certainly one of our better younger players. The biggest problem I think in the case of Romeu is the buy back clause we agreed with Barcelona. Are we perhaps holding him back because we want to keep him for the long term? If that is the case then I would rather see him playing and we'll cross that road if Barca come calling, because I think the lad offers the team something. Raul Meireles has at times I feel had a lot of unfair criticism on these boards. I actually think he's a good player and offers a much more creative outlet than any of our other central midfielders. However he is lightweight at times and can allow games to bypass him. I think aswell that AVB's preference for playing him has created a negative vibe amongst fans for him and I can see him moving on in the summer now that AVB has left. Although I can see a future for him, I do also see him as a dispensable figure in the midfield, particularly if we are looking to buy a creative central midifelder. The Future Josh McEachran is obviously the stand out player in this regard. The worry is that we have been expecting him to breakthrough for the last two years. I personally think his role would be more suited further forward, and if we play a 4-2-3-1 next season I would like to see him as understudy to Mata in the central offensive 3, as a result hopefully getting 15-20 games next season and a few starts against lesser teams to give Mata a rest. Romeu at just 20 would also fall into this category and could IMO hold down a place in our side as the defensive midfielder for years to come. Possible Arrivals Such would depend perhaps on formation which will be key. I like Di Matteo using the 4-2-3-1 formation to get Mata into the centre where he should be playing. I have campaigned for this formation for a long time and with a summer buying the right players to accommodate this system we could get back on track next season. If this formation is to be kept I would love to see the midfield two being Romeu and Ramires. I feel Ramires running from deep will add an extra man in the attack and drive the team forward, whilst Romeu will add the disciplined defensive cover. I can understand a creative player in a deeper position being used á la Modric, but I really believe in the technical ability of Romeu to offer a link between defence and Mata. However I would like to see a more creative minded midfielder to bolster the squad but not Modric for £40m+. It's about time the club started bringing in their own players and making them stars again rather than spending vast sums on the already finished article. Possible Departures I think Essien should move on in the summer. The club needs to be rebuilt this summer, and may need substantial money to spend on players to do this. If we can offset such outlay on some player sales then we should do to continue moving towards FFP. Essien, given his reputation and still only 29, would still command a decent transfer fee across Europe (around £15m). Mikel and Meireles are I think in a position where they are both dispensable and would recoup decent money, but could still offer a role within the club. Lampard I would expect to stay with a year still left on his contract, and the question of whether he stays or moves may be more a question for next summer as opposed to this one.

Whatever we get we need some more scoring prowess in the final third. Unfortunately goalscorers come at a big price and may not always work...our club knows that only too well!