Should we put our faith in the youth?

[Stingray 9,441]

Also, this debate is based on the premise that Torres is goingto be gone. Is he? Do you know this?

If we were to get Cavani, still have Torres, Ba and get Lukaku back .... Well, whats the point of having young players on board anyway. This policy would be aftually very detrimental to Chelsea in the long run - and keep us into short term politics like we are now.

I do agree we need a good, no excellent striker to add depth to the team. Anything lower than Cavani quality is useless with our current team. So get Torres out, maybe even Ba, recall Lukaku and see if Feruz can make it to the bench.

Same for the cm position. KDB is more than ready for the CM. All the other pricey alternatives sound good (if it costs a lot, it must be good!!) but are a fallacy performance wise.

So, we HAVE amazing talent. Give it a chance, even though this year has made us so impatient, it is not worth sacrificing our future.

My two cents anyway.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Also, this debate is based on the premise that Torres is goingto be gone. Is he? Do you know this?

If we were to get Cavani, still have Torres, Ba and get Lukaku back .... Well, whats the point of having young players on board anyway. This policy would be aftually very detrimental to Chelsea in the long run - and keep us into short term politics like we are now.

I do agree we need a good, no excellent striker to add depth to the team. Anything lower than Cavani quality is useless with our current team. So get Torres out, maybe even Ba, recall Lukaku and see if Feruz can make it to the bench.

Same for the cm position. KDB is more than ready for the CM. All the other pricey alternatives sound good (if it costs a lot, it must be good!!) but are a fallacy performance wise.

So, we HAVE amazing talent. Give it a chance, even though this year has made us so impatient, it is not worth sacrificing our future.

My two cents anyway.

1) Feruz is not going to be on the team next year (except maybe in the way Ake is this year), He has played zero professional games. He's not even remotely ready for Chelsea. He's likely not even ready for a loan to a Premier League club.

2) Kevin De Bruyne is not ready to be our #1 CM. He's played exclusively as an attacking midfielder or a false 9 this season and mostly that or a winger last season as well and his game seems to be more suited for that position . It's possible, he can develop into a central midfielder as might Oscar (who I think is actually better suited there) but starting the season with someone who is not a central midfielder and has very little experience playing there as a starter is a massive risk and teams that plan on contending can't take risks like that in their starting XI.

3) We're all writing Torres off as gone but it's possible they won't be able to get rid of him which would very very bad for us in so many ways.

4) I don't think Ba and Lukaku is a good enough strike-force to win the Premier League (I'd rather see either as the #2 guy right now) but they're both too good to be a #3 striker as well.

[Stingray 9,441]

1) Feruz is not going to be on the team next year (except maybe in the way Ake is this year), He has played zero professional games. He's not even remotely ready for Chelsea. He's likely not even ready for a loan to a Premier League club.

2) Kevin De Bruyne is not ready to be our #1 CM. He's played exclusively as an attacking midfielder or a false 9 this season and mostly that or a winger last season as well and his game seems to be more suited for that position . It's possible, he can develop into a central midfielder as might Oscar (who I think is actually better suited there) but starting the season with someone who is not a central midfielder and has very little experience playing there as a starter is a massive risk and teams that plan on contending can't take risks like that in their starting XI.

3) We're all writing Torres off as gone but it's possible they won't be able to get rid of him which would very very bad for us in so many ways.

4) I don't think Ba and Lukaku is a good enough strike-force to win the Premier League (I'd rather see either as the #2 guy right now) but they're both too good to be a #3 striker as well.

1. I said SEE if he can make it to the bench.

2. You dont know that. Kevin HAS played as cm before and did really well. So that is conjecture.

3. Thats what I said. See my first sentence.

4. That is your opinion. They do make a lot of goals dont they. The taste of the pudding is in the eating. Still, as I said, Lukaku and Cavani is my dream combo.

Plz read my posts better before going all 1,2,3,4 on me :-)

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

1. I said SEE if he can make it to the bench.

2. You dont know that. Kevin HAS played as cm before and did really well. So that is conjecture.

3. Thats what I said. See my first sentence.

4. That is your opinion. They do make a lot of goals dont they. The taste of the pudding is in the eating. Still, as I said, Lukaku and Cavani is my dream combo.

Plz read my posts better before going all 1,2,3,4 on me :-)

1) There are a lot more theoretical tryouts than real ones in football. Rosters are pretty much set early and pre-season form doesn't change that. How much did our pre-season games change our roster or our lineup this season? The answer is none. It just doesn't work like that in football. The changes that get made in the roster are when someone is a sub is able to get a shot and show their quality and earn time. Feruz isn't even on the fringes. At best, he's our #4 striker right now. Feruz will be loaned out, probably to a Championship team.

2) KDB has rarely played CM and he certainly hasn't this year. The only games I can see his position from last year, he either played attacking midfield, winger or left midfield. He may have played CM with Genk a few times, but at that form, he wasn't good enough for Chelsea. The reason people are rightly excited by him is because of his form this year which has been as a very attacking player. The type of game he's playing this year is excellent for an attacking player, but it would be awful for a central midfielder. (Excellent in crossing, setting up chances, scoring, but a 76.7% passing percentage and poor defensive game). The idea that he will easily be able to play as a deep-lying midfielder is absurd. He might be able to play there but he might not.

3) I was agreeing with you.

4) Yes, it is my opinion which is why I said "I think" rather than a statement of fact.

[Stingray 9,441]

1) There are a lot more theoretical tryouts than real ones in football. Rosters are pretty much set early and pre-season form doesn't change that. How much did our pre-season games change our roster or our lineup this season? The answer is none. It just doesn't work like that in football. The changes that get made in the roster are when someone is a sub is able to get a shot and show their quality and earn time. Feruz isn't even on the fringes. At best, he's our #4 striker right now. Feruz will be loaned out, probably to a Championship team.

2) KDB has rarely played CM and he certainly hasn't this year. The only games I can see his position from last year, he either played attacking midfield, winger or left midfield. He may have played CM with Genk a few times, but at that form, he wasn't good enough for Chelsea. The reason people are rightly excited by him is because of his form this year which has been as a very attacking player. The type of game he's playing this year is excellent for an attacking player, but it would be awful for a central midfielder. (Excellent in crossing, setting up chances, scoring, but a 76.7% passing percentage and poor defensive game). The idea that he will easily be able to play as a deep-lying midfielder is absurd. He might be able to play there but he might not.

3) I was agreeing with you.

4) Yes, it is my opinion which is why I said "I think" rather than a statement of fact.

Fair enough :-)

[The only place to be 11,313]

Well apparently we're going to go after Falcao using Courtois as bait.

Great.

Put a high-priced striker in front of a young man who has done well, loves Chelsea but unfortunately won't sell as many shirts to people who couldn't find Stamford Bridge with Google fucking Maps helping them whilst also cashing in on someone who could live between the sticks for the next decade and a half.

Fucking ridiculous.

[The only place to be 11,313]

You didn't understand what I was saying (or I might have badly explained it).

What I was saying :

Manchester United 2012-13 : Van Persie (19), Rooney (11)

Manchester City 2011-12 : Aguero (23), Dzeko (14), Balotelli (13)

Manchester United 2010-11 : Berbatov (21), Own Goal (I don't remember the figure), Rooney (11), Hernandez (13)

Chelsea 2009-10 : Drogba (29), Anelka (11)

Manchester United 2008-09 : Rooney (12), Ronaldo (18), Tevez (5)

Manchester United 2007-08 : Ronaldo (31), Tevez (14), Rooney (13)

...

I was not talking about Chelsea when we had Mourinho. I was just looking at the five previous seasons (plus this one) to work out what was the current tendency in football. And from the stats, and my opinion, I can say that the striking force of the club which have recently won the Premier League has taken an important role in those victories — and this both regarding the goals scored and the work done (and I stress that I don't base my judgment solely on the goal record).

The same goes for the Liga. Though I don't really know for the Bundesliga and the Calcio.

And that is exactly the same for the Champions League. When Milan won in 2007, Kakà (who was played as a striker/Second striker), was instrumental in their victory (especially against United). And Super Pipo scored the two goals in the final. In 2008, the striking force Ronaldo/Tevez/Rooney was instrumental. In 2009, Eto'o was instrumental (in the CL and the league as well — he scored about 1/3 of Barcelona first goals). In 2010, Milito was instrumental (scored the two goals in the final). 2011, Messi was instrumental. 2012, Drogba was instrumental.

I am just saying that, to my understanding, the majority of the successful teams of the recent years had a powerful striking force. To my mind, a great striking force is required to be succesfull.

That's why I believe we shouldn't understimate the importance of the striking force. That's why I believe that it's presumptuous and unwise to give the key of our attack to "only" a kid — yes, ready or not, he is still a "kid" — and a stop-gap — yes, Ba is a stop-gap, but don't jump on me, I will explain latter why in my mind he is so, please.

Look, did you see what happens to Barça when Messi — for X ou Y reason — is not playing good ? The catalans struggle to score, they lack penetration, and they also have hard times to creat any goal-scoring chance. How many times this season Manchester United were saved by RvP ? How comes last year Arsenal managed to get the third spot ? The dutchman carried them there. How comes that ever sonce the summer 2010, we are in shambles ? Our striking force is average ! They aren't there to get in goals when it matters. They aren't there to cause havocs in defences, etc...

My point here, is that without a very good (not good, but very good) striking force, you will find it hard to lift some important trophies at the end of the season.

Not going to make a long post because I don't have time, but we don't have to do things the way other clubs do.

We have goals from around the front four like we did 8 years ago. Then our main contributor was Lamps, yet it worked. What Drogba did was bring other people into the game and made them better players and we can do that again. Hazard, Moses and even Oscar are capable of contributing goals whilst Lukaku has shown a knack of scoring goals too.

People keep saying we need a proven striker, and then thrown in names like Falcao and Cavani who ARE NOT proven in the Premier League. Yesterday Lukaku made Ashley Williams his bitch - this is a guy Arsenal are seriously looking at and who has been a form player all season.

Lukaku has done exactly what was asked of him and I don't see a single reason why he can't be our main guy next season. I want this guy to succeed, I'd be excited turning up to see him play every week because he loves this club like every single supporter in the ground does. He's stepped up and met every challenge thrown at him with an impeccable attitude and amazing results. He deserves a chance, he deserves us supporting him.

What he doesn't deserve is people saying he isn't good enough before he's had the chance to prove it. That's not supporting him.

[Santiago. 1,500]

Well apparently we're going to go after Falcao using Courtois as bait.

Great.

Put a high-priced striker in front of a young man who has done well, loves Chelsea but unfortunately won't sell as many shirts to people who couldn't find Stamford Bridge with Google fucking Maps helping them whilst also cashing in on someone who could live between the sticks for the next decade and a half.

Fucking ridiculous.

According to whom exactly?

[Styles 9,790]

Well apparently we're going to go after Falcao using Courtois as bait.

Great.

Put a high-priced striker in front of a young man who has done well, loves Chelsea but unfortunately won't sell as many shirts to people who couldn't find Stamford Bridge with Google fucking Maps helping them whilst also cashing in on someone who could live between the sticks for the next decade and a half.

Fucking ridiculous.

Sounds very much like the next manager has identified his main target. Guess the new man doesn't care much for the young players.

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

The answer is yes, we should, but the reality is that we won't.

[Santiago. 1,500]

Sounds very much like the next manager has identified his main target. Guess the new man doesn't care much for the young players.

Again, according to where?

[Mundaka 243]

The rumour:

http://www.elcentrocampista.com/2013/02/chelsea-closing-in-on-la-liga-star/

Courtois already made a statement about this rumour(Has been going on since our defeat vs Atl. Madrid):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/feedarticle/10661678

Anyways 47M + Courtois(70/80M?) vs Falcao whom we might not even need? Would be ridiculous considering fair play rules + we should strengthen CM first if anything, doubt much money will be left like that :/.