Post your Chelsea team

[Hazardinho 88]

Buy Witsel

[Henry Mears 2]

[Melanicus 5,208]

Cech

Azpilicueta - Luiz - Papadopolous/Mangala - Cole/Baines

De Rossi

Ramires - Mata

Schurrle - Cavani/Lukaku - Hazard

[mediator 2,026]

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

Can someone please explain to me why Oscar is still being left out of the people's first 11? Please, anyone?

[Tomo 21,681]

Can someone please explain to me why Oscar is still being left out of the people's first 11? Please, anyone?

Because De Bruyne is the new flavour of the month that will take us to new dimension's

[Laoch20 22]

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Can someone please explain to me why Oscar is still being left out of the people's first 11? Please, anyone?

Pretty simple. We're likely going to play a 4-2-3-1 and Hazard and Mata both had excellent years which Oscar didn't and are definite starters which leaves one position (presumably on the right) open. We have Schurrle, De Bruyne, and Oscar for that position with Oscar being the least natural winger of the three. He's going to be a regular fixture and an important player for Chelsea, but if he's part of our best XI is certainly up for debate.

[Tomo 21,681]

The close season has a tendency to make a lot forget about just how much of a squad game football is these days.

The comments about Lukaku getting no game time if we get Cavani testament to that.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

The close season has a tendency to make a lot forget about just how much of a squad game football is these days.

The comments about Lukaku getting no game time if we get Cavani testament to that.

Not really. Because if we got Cavani, we'd have four strikers in what would likely be a one-striker system. We wouldn't be paying 50M or whatever for Cavani to play him part-time. He'd start about 45 games. That leaves 15 starts and sub appearances. Whoever the second striker is will get a lot of time, but after that, it will be minimal. In the past, managers including Mourinho have been able to get strikers more time by adapting systems but that would only work by giving less time for our attacking midfielders which is our strongest position. Do you really want to take of Schurrle or Oscar in order to shoe-horn in a second striker on the wing?

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

New signings:

GK - Backup to Cech, preferrably home-grown

LDM - Holding mid, De Rossi hopefully

RDM - Box-to-Box mid, Van Ginkel possibly

My rationale behind this formation and those players:

As you can see I have Oscar in the middle and slightly deeper than the other 2 "wingers". It's really a 4-2-1-3 with the "1" playing a little deeper than a CAM but with the LW/RW playing high up with the striker, essentially a 4-3-3 but I wanted to give Oscar or whoever else plays in the middle more freedom thanks to the assurance of 2 midfielders behind him.

This solves 2 major areas of concern for us. First, the lack of a player in the middle of the pitch to set the tempo and help control the game, second, someone who can link the midfield and attack so Hazard & co. don't have to drop too deep. Added bonus, is that you're finally playing Oscar in his best position.

The major weakness I see with is Mata on the RW as he will drift in and won't be able to provide adequate defensive cover. This is where the RDM (box-to-box) will help. Whenever Mata plays RW, he will undoubtedly come central, this is where Ramires will move wide to cover the flank or even overload it. Oscar will also play a part here because he can now cover the middle of the park if Ramires is on the right. Against weaker teams, instead of Ramires you let Oscar cover the right and let Ramires makes runs from deep through the centre. Mikel (LDM) will always be holding, so we'll always have one guy back for protection.

Against, weaker opposition, or when you need to score, I'd simply flip the midfield triangle leaving one holder and two attacking CMs. You can do this without making one substitution.

[Ollie 4,400]

Guessing with the players we have that 4-2-3-1 will be retained. Thinking this may happen.

[CFC-Lloydy 38]

Please delete, accidental duplicate post

[CFC-Lloydy 38]

GK - Cech

RB - Azpilicueta

CB - Ivanovic

CB - Terry

LB - Cole

CM - Ramires/KDB

CM - Lampard/Luiz/Van Ginkel

RW - Schurlle/Moses

CAM - Mata/Oscar

LW - Hazard

ST - Rooney or Cavani (hopefully) / Lukaku

[CFC-Lloydy 38]

Sorry Guys, please delete last few posts, computer went AWOL

[Cosmin 2,484]

Guessing with the players we have that 4-2-3-1 will be retained. Thinking this may happen.

I like this! Except for the fact that there's no Oscarito

[iceboy 992]

[Ollie 4,400]

Can someone please explain to me why Oscar is still being left out of the people's first 11? Please, anyone?

Because there's only 11 places.