Options in our attack ?

[Badboy 1,526]

I really think we need more forward thinking players we simply don't have enough. Man utd and Man City have a lot of options in forward areas, we simply don't have that luxury. To win the league you need a strong squad and we have lacked a decent pure left winger since Robben and we have not had a good Pure right winger since god knows when and its worrying. Lukaku might be 2 years away from making a big impact, Sturridge is ready which is good, Torres has hit some kind of form but that is not enough. Sturridge and Lukaku are strikers lets not turn them into sub standard wingers. We need 2 quick young wide players and a 23-26 year old striker with good European pedigree. Then we need to add Josh into that midfield.

[Badboy 1,526]

Man Utd and Man city will probably out score us this season because of the options they have. We have gone through a transitional period for too long and we have not been brave enough to get rid of old liabilities. John Terry has been a liability for too long and if he was not English people would want him out. We could get much better then Anelka in the market today, a younger striker with something to prove. Lampard does not have the effect on games he used to have and we need a midfielder who can keep us ticking because we have lacked cohesion in midfield since Ranieri we have just hided it fantastically well. Drogba is like Lampard he is coming to the end too which is sad and i think we would be better off if we offered him to Lille for Hazard. I simply don't think we did enough in the summer which is sad.

[NoFear 23]

we definitely need 1 more ball-handler... a la Silva, Mata who can run with the ball and keep possession in tight spaces... such players are at a premium though and only a few exist in lower leagues.. Hazard, Goetze, Marin.. etc..

Also, would love to see a genuine crosser on the right wing.. Krasic would have been good, but hes 27 already.. need to look at some one younger..

[Naked Mole Rat 437]

I have a question for everyone here. Do you think we absolutely need classic wingers? We did have the best season in terms of goal-scoring a couple years ago when both Malouda and Anelka converged towards middle.

[Madmax 9,219]

It's about balance really. On paper you see Torres, Drogba, Sturridge, Anelka, Lukaku, Kalou, Mata and Malouda and you go - "that's a lot of options''. Mere numbers isn't good enough obviously, there are too many competing for a striking role, not enough for the wider areas. Not one is an out-and-out winger who can stretch play and create spaces for the forward thinking midfielders to run into. We've been banging on about a genuine right winger for two years now, yet still stuck with Anelka and Kalou.

I look forward to the day we move beyond trying to fit square pegs in round holes.

[MetsajCFC 1,255]

I have a question for everyone here. Do you think we absolutely need classic wingers? We did have the best season in terms of goal-scoring a couple years ago when both Malouda and Anelka converged towards middle.

I do think we need atleast one winger. Would give us so many more options to play around with formations if there's need for that. And like someone brought up it'd be stupid to turn player like Lukaku into a winger. I can see Sturridge playing a winger role because he is quick, likes to dribble and has a great shot on him.

[TacticalBlues 2,817]

David Silva was such a miss, I remember how he said he'd love to play for us etc.

[termninja 5,290]

The type of player I'd really like to us to buy is one like Nani or Hulk. One that can terrorize defenders, shoot from distance and get assists also. Mata is great player, but he likes to roam all over around and play more like Silva. We are good with strikers but our right wing is weak. Anelka is alright, but he's not a right winger. Sturridge is yet to convince me on that position and Kalou...no comment.

Still, it's tough to find a player like that, but I hope we do. For the style of football AVB wants to play that kind of a player is a must.

[Kieran. 6,317]

Sturridge is overrated and probably isn't the answer at RW...but maybe he'll prove me wrong. He's a selfish player who takes Malouda-like shots and isn't a great crosser.

Wingers shouldn't be selfish and he has to learn that if wants to succeed at Chelsea. Unless we used him as our CF...then he has every right to be selfish.

[Kojo 4,676]

I don't think striker is the problem, do we need another winger?, definitely!, we could do with a very good crosser, we don't have that, Mata is a free role player, which is good because we need the creativity, but right wing we only have that option to cut in since all our wingers are left footed, besides Anelka, but he's all round. I think we need a right winger who is constant down that flank and puts good crosses into the box, United have 3 of them, and Valencia is a brilliant crosser, he can just stand there and cross them in and almost all of them are effective, brilliant player he is. City don't play too much with wingers but they have the likes of Adam Johnson who can cut in or cross, brilliant player he is.

I think that's all we could do with, i would prefare an experienced one however, De Bruyne is very young, brilliant player but might be a bit too young.

[Sheva. 5,373]

1 proper winger who can play on both wings please.

[Badboy 1,526]

Sloth we need a another striker because we lack a second striker who can give us a bit of variation if we want. We need a cannon ball, Rooney Tevez Hulk Suarez that type of forward, someone who is content with running with the ball in central area's and taking a long shot and chasing defenders to get the crowd going. We have too many number 9's we need a second striker. This thread is all about our options because that is what we need, we need to have different players in different situations. Anelka and Torres are too similar in style Drogba and Lukaku are too similar Sturridge is a player who i think will end up like Torres. Adrian Mutu was a player who i really liked because he was that type of forward.

[strong centreback 157]

We need another creative ball player ala mata who can play down the right, as another option for the more stubborn defences we are likely to come up against this season.

[Badboy 1,526]

[

It's about balance really. On paper you see Torres, Drogba, Sturridge, Anelka, Lukaku, Kalou, Mata and Malouda and you go - "that's a lot of options''. Mere numbers isn't good enough obviously, there are too many competing for a striking role, not enough for the wider areas. Not one is an out-and-out winger who can stretch play and create spaces for the forward thinking midfielders to run into. We've been banging on about a genuine right winger for two years now, yet still stuck with Anelka and Kalou.

I look forward to the day we move beyond trying to fit square pegs in round holes.

We have done this for far too long and it annoys me. Players like Anelka Kalou and now shockingly Lukaku are being used in that role when that is not were they should be playing. Anelka is a striker, Lukaku is a young unpolished target man with poor control but with desire and an ability to head the ball. Kalou is a glorified goal hanger with limited ability and a complete liability in that role. So we need to sort this out once and for all !

[Kieran. 6,317]

damn...my african daniel sturridge is disappointing so far on the right...

maybe he needs time to adapt, cool!!

[Badboy 1,526]

damn...my african daniel sturridge is disappointing so far on the right...

maybe he needs time to adapt, cool!!

He ain't a winger mate, just the same shit of putting the big names in the team instead of working out a formula. The fact that managers hardly get a second season at this club anymore unless they win the European cup kind of forces managers to go for broke instead of working out a footballing philosophy. WE ARE THE ONLY MAJOR CLUB IN EUROPE WITHOUT A FOOTBALLING PHILOSOPHY, WE NO LONGER PLAY A DIRECT STYLE OF FOOTBALL AND WE DON'T HAVE THE CREATIVITY TO PLAY A MORE EXPANSIVE BRAND OF FOOTBALL. If villas boas is our man then we need to back him otherwise another manager will come in and the same shit again.

[zolayes 14,489]

If we are going to play 4 3 3 we need wingers.

[Badboy 1,526]

I severely regret us winning the league in 2009-20010 because that earned a number of players an extra few years when in reality we won it by one point and Drogba effectively won it with an offside goal at old Trafford. We need to sort ourselves out because other teams are catching us and City in my opinion have caught us. Roman needs to know that managers should have the mandate to manage. Carlo did not want Torres it was clear, Mourinho did not want Ballack or Sheva, Roman has been acting like a cancer for a few years now.

[termninja 5,290]

The type of player I'd really like to us to buy is one like Nani or Hulk. One that can terrorize defenders, shoot from distance and get assists also. Mata is great player, but he likes to roam all over around and play more like Silva. We are good with strikers but our right wing is weak. Anelka is alright, but he's not a right winger. Sturridge is yet to convince me on that position and Kalou...no comment.

Still, it's tough to find a player like that, but I hope we do. For the style of football AVB wants to play that kind of a player is a must.

I also forgot to say that for a player like that we should pay whatever the price is. Along with a playmaker it is a missing link for our club and it needs to be a top top quality. Hulk(absolutely perfect for our right wing), Hazard and Neymar come to my mind.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

WE ARE THE ONLY MAJOR CLUB IN EUROPE WITHOUT A FOOTBALLING PHILOSOPHY, WE NO LONGER PLAY A DIRECT STYLE OF FOOTBALL AND WE DON'T HAVE THE CREATIVITY TO PLAY A MORE EXPANSIVE BRAND OF FOOTBALL. If villas boas is our man then we need to back him otherwise another manager will come in and the same shit again.

Very, very, true!

Villas-Boas does have a great philosophy. One look at some of his interviews will give a good insight for anyone with moderate football knowledge. But like you said, he must be given enough time and resources, by our infamous board, to do so!

Guardiola managed to do this very thing in a season. He was very fortunate to have such quality players with him and AVB did it with Porto. We don't have so much quality in this squad atm, but we do have a manager who's buying the right players to fill in before the haulage. Mata & Miereles the most influential right now.