Jase

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/aug/03/maurizio-sarri-guardiola-chelsea-manchester-city-community-shield

In this case, I'm not sure if the board can be blamed for not wanting to spend big on a striker on the wrong side of 30. Last January's reluctance to sign Dzeko should have served as a warning of sort. If anything and as always, it's the board incompetence in finding better alternatives that is the problem.

Jon Moss will be the referee for this match.

Azpi in latest club magazine...

Really? Emerson has even been given a proper go at left back. How can you tell exactly? Least if we play him there, we probably won't get exposed as much by one of the most basic things around - pace. The alternatives to Alonso aren't great but like we saw with Ivanovic, it's stupid if we continue with the same issues week in week out without trying something different, doing something to make sure we get less exposed defensively.

We bought Alonso on deadline day in 2016/17 season and that meant he missed the first 3 games of the season. He was an unused sub against Swansea and Liverpool before coming on at Arsenal, when Conte switched to the back 3 in the second half. 🙄

Alonso never played in a back 4 under Conte. Azpi started at LB before Alonso came in when Conte switched to the 3-4-3.

Still early days under Sarri but Alonso appears to be heading down the Ivanovic (in his latter years) route - a bad player, contributes nothing but gets picked for whatever reason to the detriment of the team.

This would be a vintage Chelsea signing.

On the edge of things. Looks fit and determined but not doing quite enough in making a difference in the final third.

A loan to Ligue 1? That's new.

Chelsea 0-2 Manchester City PRE/POST-MATCH DISCUSSION, LIVE CHAT AND ANALYSIS 2018/19 Community Shield 5th August, Sunday, 2018 Wembley Stadium 15:00 Kick Off (UK time)

1. Seven goals in last eight games, including the three pre-season friendlies so far. BIG concern. Morata at the front of it. 2. While we look much more positive going forward - hard not to be given how the dull the previous regimes ultimately were - we look like conceding every time when we have to defend. No cohesion in the pressing (yet, I hope) and keep getting exposed out wide. Wide players also forced to track all the way back (imagine Hazard and Alonso on the left flank!). 3. Speaking of Alonso, WHAT IS HE DOING AT LEFT BACK?! 4. Hudson-Odoi looks class. Obviously not the finished product yet but he's like a mini-Hazard.

He traveled with the squad to Dublin.

Just be prepared to be disappointed. Looking forward to us signing duds from Serie B on deadline day.