Chelsea Legend 11

We don't need a lot. We have loads of creation and no end product. Between Oscar, Willian, Hazard, Salah, Schurrle we should have enough to create scoring if you have a striker capable of finishing. Were we not 4pts off the title and a game from the finals in Europe with no striker and a banged up Hazard?

No you don't get my sentiment. Drogba initially said no until he met with Jose, he had no idea what we were trying to build here.

I don't think I'm overestimating it at all. We created a lot of goalscoring opportunities that never quite got finished. We had the capability to be a very good team even with the same philosophy that has been implemented. A striker is the number one need after that a deeper CM who can play in the pivot next to Matic. Do you think Jose changed his style because we didn't attack well or because the way we were playing left us exposed at the back? I think it was because we were leaking too many goals to shit teams. I think what's happening here is you think I don't want a player like Modric, Rakitic, Kroos or Oscar to play in the deep mid, I do! I just don't see any of those players as viable options in Jose's system. I know what you think but never before has Jose played a traditional 10 in the holding role. Beyond that the tweak I've seen in Jose's tactics from years past is the pace. When we're at our best we are winning the ball high up the pitch with pressure from every member of the team. With Cesc in that system we lose pace and also ball winning ability. Jose needs people who work hard on both sides of the ball to get it back and to keep it. Ramires is the closest thing we have to the type of player Jose needs in the centre of the pitch next to Matic. He is fast, wins the ball, breaks up counters and is capable to run down attackers should we lose the ball, what he can't do is recycle possession and pick a pass. And no I'm not saying Jose wants more power than finesse, what I'm saying is we need a guy capable of providing both. Versatility. Someone like Michael Ballack is a Jose Mourinho type player, Essien in his prime. I can't see Jose switching this need because he knows when he gets it his sides are nearly unbeatable. Jose is a very rigid manager and having someone like Cesc who likes to get forward and doesn't really possess defensive awareness or is capable to snuff out danger would drive him mad. I'm only going on what I've seen, if you think Jose is ready to change you're more than entitled to your opinion I just won't be endorsing it. Oscar would make more sense in the pivot if we were looking to go that route because he can win balls and can pick a pass. Jose won't play him there because he's lightweight.

Dude I would LOVE to see more attacking football from Chelsea, I just don't think Jose will change to deliver that. When I said someone understands football I meant understands what type of set up works best for a Mourinho team to function at its full capacity.

Oh my word, you actually believe this thing has legs? Dude Cesc has never been considered any sort of defender, the teams he's played for have never required he play any sort of defense, and definitely not the type of defense Jose would demand of someone in that position. You keep ignoring one key factor... 4-3-3 is COMPLETELY different to 4-2-3-1!! what you ask of a CM in 4-3-3 is not the same as what is required in 4-2-3-1. When Cesc played in England, Arsenal mainly played 4-3-3 and 4-4-1-1 with Cesc in a free role behind the striker. If he went to Utd? Dude you're dutch you should know Van Gaal, what formation does he prefer? You can't see Cesc in a midfield three under Van Gaal? You can't see Cesc replacing Nasri and moving Silva to the left flank? Its obvious to me even Arsenal provide more of a role for Cesc than we can the way they used Arteta who was a 10 in the holding role is perfectly consistent with how Arsene would use Cesc... The difference is how the manager views the role, not what we think would be best for Chelsea. The way Jose sets up is different to that of any other team, much more rigid. You mention Frank in the deeper position, did you see Frank get forward at all this year? he stayed home a HELLUVA lot, same can be said for Ramires! Frank is/was a box to box midfielder, capable of getting forward and holding his own defensively, that's why he was more suited to Jose's 4-2-3-1 than say someone like Mikel. Ramires best represents the type of player Jose would like next to Matic but his technique is subpar. Face it guys what you want Chelsea to play like is in contrast to the way Jose sets his team out to do. We press high up the pitch and try to win the ball in advanced areas, or we sit deep and wait to hit the team on the counter. You think Cesc is the type of player capable of playing with the defensive discipline needed to feature regularly for Jose in the pivot??? Dude... In all of the big games he played Luiz, a CB by trade in the holding role. With Jose, good defense leads to good offense, not the other way around. Again, you are talking about different footballing philosophies!!! You say Jupp Heynekes and I say JOSE MOURINHO! They do not read from the same playbook and have different ways of achieving what it is they want accomplished!! Why is that so hard for you guy to understand? It has nothing to do with whether or we think Cesc will accept that role(he wouldn't)or even whether or not that role would even work! It has everything to do with how Jose sets up a team and what types of players he wants in those roles. As I've said many times what you guys want from Chelsea and what Jose wants may be similar in terms of the end product which is trophies but how a team gets there is in stark contrast. Jose won't abandon the football that has made him so successful at this stage in his career and putting someone like Cesc in that holding role is a complete 180 turn from what I've know of Jose since 2004.

Where's your evidence? Listen I know what you guys wanna see from Chelsea next year I just don't believe what you guys envision and what Jose envisions is quite the same! He played David Luiz in the pivot next to Matic last year, had he really wanted to play a more forward thinking player in that role why didn't he play Oscar there? This is what I think you guys want but I personally think Jose wants this,

Someone understands football here.

But under Jose you do need someone who can at least hold his own defending and to be honest with you, Skipper, Cesc ain't the one. Nor do I think he will accept playing in a deeper role just so he can play for Chelsea... You guys are dreaming man, he's in the prime of his career, why would he come here and accept playing a new role when he can play his desired role elsewhere???! You really think Jose is going to change his philosophy at this stage in his career and play someone who can't defend in one of two defensive midfield roles? What you need to understand is 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 have entirely different roles for the midfielders, its not as simple as saying "well in 4-3-3 he wasn't the most forward so he can play 4-2-3-1 for Chelsea" every formation has its own set of rules and under Jose's those rules are VERY strict, some would say restrictive! Pogba is a Jose type player, a guy that can seamlessly play in a variety of roles, that's why he's so valuable.

No what's bizarre is you think a player like Cesc, who you think is a WC midfielder is going to come to Chelsea and play defensive midfielder for us because we have a need there. On top of that he's gonna abandon the hatred he has for Jose and the style of play and just miraculously change his entire footballing style in the prime of his career to play under Jose's boring style... LOL You guys need to have a couple cups of coffee and wake up. If Cesc comes here its to play as our 10 and it means someone is on the outs, Oscar. Pogba is a box to box midfielder capable of playing in an advanced role as well as a holding role. Anyone with half a footballing brain can see that he is this type of player.

Not really... You don't spend 30m on a player and hope he can adapt to a role he's never played before. Furthermore what makes you think Cesc even wants to play in that position? Square peg, meet Round hole.

What does that matter? it matters what WE think! You admit he's a fucking cunt yet you want him in that beautiful royal blue kit? I think you guys need to cool off on the 'win at all costs mentality' Cesc is not Chelsea and never will be.

I'm not gonna keep saying the same shit over and over again... You guys clearly don't see the difference between a pivot player and a CM in Jose's set up. Cesc is a CM in a 4-3-3 or 3-4-3, Jose's favoured formation is 4-2-3-1. Where does Cesc fit into that?

Because they're cunts too!! Wow!

you guys really want Cesc? I guess we're desperate! Besides don't arsenal have first right of refusal should he return to the Prem? Surprised so many here want a wanker to put on the Chelsea kit.

Sabatini on Benatia: "He is not for sale. Mehdi has been influenced by his agent. Anyone who wants Benatia will have to pay €61m (£49.6m)."

What are you talking about?? Its about FIT! Where would you play Koke? I know exactly where Pogba fits on our current squad.

Only name I don't see a need for. I was surprised myself! That site usually write trash. Guess Pogba brings out the best in everyone. Can we please get this done?

Someone's been reading my posts http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2074523-chelsea-fc-is-paul-pogba-the-answer-to-the-blues-midfield-issues?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Again that is largely dependent on what role you envision for the player. I think Pogba would be way more influential in the Pivot than Koke would which is why I would sooner pay 50m for him than Koke. Koke is further along in his development but his skill set does not lend itself to box to box role. Koke's game is similar to Lavezzi's of you ask me and Pogba is similar to Yaya

I would take him at Chelsea in a heartbeat.

He's basically further developed but not in the role we would use Pogba in.

But he is?

Dude you're living in a dream world if you think Mourinho is gonna pay 50m to Atletico for Koke to play him out of position. Chelsea play 4-2-3-1 not 4-4-2 or 4-3-3(on occasion sure) We have Oscar, Hazard, Schurrle, Moses, Salah, Willian and Marin under contract mainly because we play 4-2-3-1 we aren't going to abandon that philosophy to accommodate Koke... He hasn't played in the pivot and likely can't, I don't care how many more years he's had at the top flight, Pogba is BY FAR a much better fit to the way WE want to play and the positional need WE have. I don't get why people here want to spend loads of cash on one player to play him out of position or worse to change the philosophy of the team! IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN PEOPLE, TOO MUCH INVESTMENT HAS GONE INTO MAKING THIS TEAM WHAT IT IS NOW. Can we start working within the framework of the club at present and stop making these ridiculous claims that don't work with the personnel we've accumulated? If you want to have a no.10 play in the pivot what you're saying is you want Chelsea FC to fire Jose Mourinho.

Not for 37m when we had Willian and Hazard who can ALSO play there.

Does Jose Mourinho guarantee playing time to anyone? An 18 yr old LB will not be the exception.