Superblue

Everyone thought there would be a period of doom and pain after winning the Europa League, knowing we were losing Hazard and had to contend with a transfer ban and on paper, an ageing squad. 2 years later we were lifting the Champions League trophy. This club does have a tendency to bounce back in the face of adversity. The defence needs to be rebuilt but besides Rudiger, it's arguable that the other players leaving we should be looking at moving on and replacing anyway. Christensen leaving is more of a pain because of the sheer gutting of the defence, I certainly believe he's replaceable within the squad. The midfield and attack could largely be reshaped based on our outgoings this summer. There shouldn't be anything stopping us bringing in 5 - 6 players if we really wanted to. Especially when I can think of 3 players I'd happily take to the Bridge who are on free transfers this summer. We also have players coming back from loan spells who I'm sure Tuchel is keen to cast his eye over in pre season.

Not going to argue about our recruitment, in the main it's been poor. But I am optimistic about the new ownership and the future. In my opinion we have a top manager who seems settled and happy to be here and rebuild the club without unrealistic demands and constant controversy. For the time he's been here, he probably feels the best fit in terms of managers we've had under Roman's tenure with regards to a longer term as manager. We may never know exactly the whole Lukaku situation. In my opinion Tuchel was offered him and took it which I don't blame him for because he would have known going into this season with Werner and Havertz as our only striking options, his neck would have been on the chopping block if things didn't work out. After all, Chelsea is the ultimate big club, short term job despite the Champions League win in his back pocket. Moving forward, I think he'll be given time and resources to rebuild. He's made a good fist of it with like you said, what has been a pretty poorly put together squad through our recruitment in recent years. Without the influx of academy players both into the first team and sold, we'd be in a far worse position right now. But Tuchel will have the opportunity the likes of Klopp and Pep have had, to actually build the team properly in his own image. Do I think we're suddenly going to catch up City and Liverpool? No. But do I think we're suddenly going to start slipping down the table? Again, no.

I would assume he'll be ready for pre season if he's already outside doing some ball work on his own. I could be wrong but I think I read a while ago that what the club did delaying his surgery for the injury he had was a positive and should aid him in his recovery. Ultimately though we need a genuine option to compete with him, especially if Alonso moves on. I like the idea of Perisic on a free, it sounds an incredibly smart signing for the short term.

When you lose them it's so incredibly disappointing and you just wish you'd just might as well have been knocked out in an earlier round, especially in this marathon season we've had but finals are regularly about fine margins. We're in an era where there are begrudgingly two phenomenal English teams we're competing for trophies with. In the last 4 seasons we've lost 4 finals across each of them all on penalty shoot outs. It's the finest of margins. But I'd still every day of the week, rather we be reaching these finals and competing in them because there will be ones where those margins do go our way, none more bigger than the Champions League final last year. In a game of very few chances we took ours, City didn't. Keep knocking at the door. Bar this season's Champions League, Tuchel has taken us to every final possible in his tenure, it's an impressive feat which over time will help us collect trophies. The key now is replicating that into the league and getting a consistency across a full season, whilst also remaining competitive in the cup competitions.

I think he's almost certain to stay based off our new owners being American, he'll be a huge marketing tool for them across the pond. The biggest reason why I get so frustrated with Pulisic is because that stretch after lockdown he looked like an absolute world beater. He has it in him, he's just not consistent enough. I see a lot of people, especially on social media, bring up that some of our players need a run of games but ultimately most of them don't do enough to justify a run of games. At the moment we have an attack that is littered with good players who are all capable of producing but ultimately don't do it on a consistent basis. Pulisic, Havertz, Mount and CHO are all still young and very much in a bracket still where they could still develop that consistency and that's why I'd probably be more inclined to back retaining them then I would be Werner and Ziyech.

I hate superstitions. Probably because no matter how much I say it's bollocks, I'll still be superstitious when it comes to Chelsea. If he's at the last 2 home games, we need to win at least one of them and get that monkey off our back heading into next season that he's at least watched us win a game. Don't want a new owner being viewed as an unlucky charm.

Yesterday was ultimately disappointing, again. But on reflection, it's just further proof over these last 18 months under Tuchel we're right there with competing with the likes of City, Liverpool, Madrid. Our issue, and Tuchel has alluded to this a number of times, is the consistency and relentlessness to do it game after game 3 times a week and to also be able to grind out wins when not at 100%. We rarely manage to do this unfortunately and it is something that Tuchel needs to find a way of addressing. I hate comparing us to Liverpool in Klopp's early time there because it seems to be done so often, but they too were competing against the top teams without the consistency, and also reached a couple of cup finals (Europa League, Champions League, League Cup) before they found a way of getting over the line. We at least have some experience now of lifting a couple of trophies over the last 12 months, and it's just a bad break to be honest that we've had Liverpool in both cup finals this season. Assuming we get this last point (or Spurs or Arsenal drop) to confirm top 4, it'll be 3 years in a row we'll have achieved that. It doesn't sound much of an achievement but considering we only managed it once in the 3 years prior, it does show we've at least found a consistency to achieve that. Now the next step is gaining ground on City and Liverpool. Some of it will partly come down to experience, some of our younger players in our squad (especially in attack) are getting to an age now where they need to produce that consistency to take them to the next level. The likes of Mount, Pulisic and Havertz all show in patches their clear ability but they need to find a way to be producing 8/10 weekly instead of a few games of 6/10 then a couple of 9/10 performances. I still believe a 'game changer' in attack is needed and I'd still hang my hat on Dembele, especially on a free transfer.

What's wrong with him? (Genuine question as I've never seen him play)

He's also comfortable with both feet so would provide an option on both flanks potentially.

To be fair to him it looks like he's trying to diffuse a situation where his agent has spoken out. He's just got back into the team and he's actually played very well the last couple of games. He just needs to keep his head down and finish this season strong and everything can then be reviewed and resolved in the summer.

A lot of people would have looked at Silva in the same way given his age. He's always been a naturally fit, hard working player so would imagine fitness wouldn't be an issue even at this stage of his career. As I mentioned I haven't really seen enough of him the last year or two to know if he's still a good player but from what other's are saying on here and twitter, he seems to have been playing at an extremely high level still and reinvented himself in a wing back role.

I can't comment on Perisic now, I haven't seen anything really of him to know if he's shown signs of decline, but I've always been a fan of his. Not a world beater, but I always saw him as a bit of an attacking version of Azpilicueta - simply reliable, steady and consistent. The club may need to make a couple of clever and cost effective decisions in the market this summer to reshape the squad. If Perisic can still go, it might be a very solid short term option. I just don't know where he's at now.

Silva joined pre-Tuchel

If it was like £20m or maybe make a deal that involves sending Sarr their way with a bit of money I'd be all over that as he'd help cover for a lot of experience walking out the door this summer and immediately plug a need for a good couple of years. Anything much more than that though given his age and just a year on his contract and I wouldn't bother. We'd be better off seeing if he runs down his contract and take him on a free next summer to replace Silva for a couple of seasons.

Forget the goals, I will also give the devil his due, Lukaku looked much better against Wolves and better again tonight. Looking more like what we had the first few games of the season, hopefully he takes this confidence into the weekend.

BIG. THREE. POINTS.

Oh for sure they have to be at a certain level even to be squad players here. As I said, my preference for target in the wing back role would be Djed Spence who I think would be a cracking signing but I do see potential in Dest, particularly from his Ajax days. Maybe not so much as a full back because I think he has a lot to learn defensively but in a wing back role and comfortable to play either side I wouldn't be against it if it only involved for example trading him for Alonso. I think the risk/reward becomes far more attractive on his potential then. Regarding the wing backs, I would agree that the attackers need to do a lot more, but I think with Chilwell and James, you had two players that were quick and capable of getting up and down at will throughout a game and it made it incredibly difficult for teams to cope with. As a result of coming from deep and off the flank too they regularly became the 'spare man' in attack which seemed to present more opportunities to both. Alonso and Azpi in the same role is quite clearly a completely different prospect. I still don't think we'd be close to the top 2 even if Chilwell and James remained fit through the season but I think we'd be well clear comfortably in third and one way or another we need alternatives to both next season, whether that's in a full back or wing back role.

It depends what we're looking at. It's not just a case of bringing in first choice players this summer but our whole defence needs restructuring. James is arguably the only really reliable stand out to pin to but even he suffers from niggling injuries and needs managing. Beyond that we don't know how Chilwell will recover from injury, Silva will be 38, Sarr isn't good enough, Chalobah doesn't seem to carry much trust with Tuchel. One of the biggest things learnt this season is how important the wing backs have been in our attack when they're flying and how much of a struggle it's been when they're injured. I actually think there's potential in Dest as a wing back. His pace is a big attribute in his position, and I think he's a stronger attacker than he is a defender. I personally would love us to look at Djed Spence in the full back/wing back role and I don't think he'd be too pricey but ultimately we will need to look at maximising budgets this summer window because so much work is needed and if for example Dest was available as a straight swap for Alonso, I would take that all day as whilst you're gambling on him developing and improving I think the potential upside to the deal is in our favour. In all honesty though swap deals are very rare, so a swap deal involving four players seems very remote.

I wouldn't be against this. We're not likely to get much at all for Alonso and Azpi, both with only a year left on their contracts and at their age and the likelihood is Barca won't be prepared to pay anything whilst we could probably do with moving them on. Dest still has a lot of development and is raw but he is only 21 and I do see potential in him. His market value would probably be at the very least the equivalent of Alonso and Azpi combined and there's a lot of potential upside with him. Also let's not pretend that with the new ownership, there is added marketing potential with him being American. Don't really know too much about Neto but can only assume the club either has plans to move Kepa on, or Kepa himself is aware of interest and plans to move so replacing him with an experienced number two on the cheap is always the objective.

Ultimately now I couldn't really care less whether we get 3rd or 4th place as long as we're in top 4. Whilst we could just make things so much easier for ourselves with a win tonight, I'd happily see Arsenal take points off Spurs even if that means them leapfrogging us in doing so.

If we lose tonight and Spurs beat Arsenal then both have the chance to leapfrog us before the Leicester game. Whilst it would still be in our hands, the pressure would jump ten fold then. We have to get the win tonight and kill this whole situation off. Surely the players want a bit of form and confidence going into the cup final.

The release clause is always an over inflated joke for Barca and Madrid players ever since Barca lost Neymar over one. Disappointing to lose him but I wouldn't expect the club paying that sort of money to keep him to be honest. We move forwards without him. The key is getting the right replacement in. It doesn't even need to be someone that portrays Rudiger's characteristics. I'd be happy with a defender good on the ball but defensively solid and comfortable playing a 3 or 4 man defence.

Would he play regularly at Dortmund? If so, it could be a big win to loan him out there and hope he blows up before coming back. However with Alonso looking likely to move on and I would imagine, Emerson too, there is a possible opening there and whoever might be the backup left back/wing back will likely get good game time with Chilwell coming back from a long term injury. Of course the club may have someone in mind to buy but ultimately we likely can't buy for every position we need this summer.

The main reason for this is that the board are joined up with Pep in what they want to buy. They've bought into his philosophy and it's reaped dividends. Liverpool have the same under Klopp. These players are being bought to work in their systems and hence why more are successful than not. I always feel instead of a real plan in place, we like to buy the flavour of the month. Sometimes they work, like Kante, but a lot of the time they don't because they've either been bought off the back of one good season or no plan as to how they'll fit into what we already have. As a club, we would have been no worse off this season if we hadn't bought Lukaku and Saul and instead bought a couple of younger players with the view of planning ahead in mind (Tchouameni for example). What I hope from this summer onward is players are bought for Tuchel. I'm not saying Tuchel has the only say on transfers, there still needs to be a joined up approach, but players need buying that will fit his style and philosophy and he actually is happy to add them to his squad. We need to start building a team to sync together properly. If Tuchel didn't work out or moved on, then we bring in a manager that shares similar ideals who would be able to work effectively with the squad at their disposal. When Pep and Klopp do eventually move on, I fully expect City and Liverpool to bring in a manager that is similar to both and can continue the philosophy at the club's because they've been proven that they work.