Diego Costa

[bababoom 4,478]

Cech

Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Cole/ New LB

Oscar/Willian, New CM, Matic, Hazard

Diego Costa, Lukaku

The most free-scoring teams of the past 3 seasons, us, Liverpool and Man City have done so playing with two strikers. Now that we have Matic at the base, a player who covers every blade of grass, an ever reliable defense and the prospect of having both Costa and Lukaku, this is an option Jose HAS to at least consider. Playing two strikers means you give the bus-parking teams that come to Stamford Bridge two monsters to think about. I can't see to many teams being able to shut-out both those players for 90 mins.

I'm very excited at the prospect of a flat 4-4-2 in home matches against lesser teams especially.

As you said, we could play that way against the smaller sides who park the bus, but against the big sides we need a two man midfield. Also Liverpool don't play in a 4-4-2, same with City. Suarez does a lot of the work while Sturridge stays forward, same with Aguero and Negredo. The good thing about this signing is that Costa can play as a second striker, he works extremely hard for the team, especially last season when he did all the dirty work for Falcao.

[toojunk 19]

What's this bullsh*t about Lukaku being included in the deal?

[Matterz 67]

What's this bullsh*t about Lukaku being included in the deal?

It's exactly that, 'Bullsh*t' and nothing more...Costa has a buyout clause, so there really is no reason why they would be 'negotiating'

[cadenza666 221]

Spurs DID agree a deal, Moutinho just didn't want to play for them

still believe it will happen mate,

but stranger shit has happened in the past aka Robinho and now we have PSG (who if they sell Cavani to United might go for him) and Monaco (cant see Berbatov being their long term striker and Falcao is just recovering from an ACL - recovery time, etc.)

From the Guardian -

"Costa, who shares his agent, Jorge Mendes, with Mourinho, will need some persuading to move to the Premier League but is expected to be swayed."

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/13/diego-costa-chelsea-transfer-atletico-madrid

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Cavani to United

Lol !

[cadenza666 221]

Lol !

just basing it on this in the Guardian, they will spend big, Cavani is clearly unhappy playing on the wing, FFP sanctions on PSG ! still unlikely

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/23/manchester-united-edinson-cavani-cesc-fabregas

[Severinb 309]

Hope we get him great player. Am I the only one who is worried about his temper. And the spitting in his hands an touching defenders faces with his spit hands wtf?!. Storys like that make me wonder if I really want him after my 2 years of hating suarez and acting like I dont want players like him at chelsea!

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

just basing it on this in the Guardian, they will spend big, Cavani is clearly unhappy playing on the wing, FFP sanctions on PSG ! still unlikely

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/23/manchester-united-edinson-cavani-cesc-fabregas

Champions League, sir. If he would like to get some playing time in his natural position and money doesn't matter for him, then surely he will choose club that qualified in Champions League at least, MU will be in the bottom of his list for sure.

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

Hope we get him great player. Am I the only one who is worried about his temper. And the spitting in his hands an touching defenders faces with his spit hands wtf?!. Storys like that make me wonder if I really want him after my 2 years of hating suarez and acting like I dont want players like him at chelsea!

One of those players that will win us games but possible lose us some by getting sent off

Jose is the right person to sort him out

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

*Double post*

[calculatingInfinity 1,467]

Champions League, sir. If he would like to get some playing time in his natural position and money doesn't matter for him, then surely he will choose club that qualified in Champions League at least, MU will be in the bottom of his list for sure.

Don't forget he was out telling Suarez, to leave Liverpool, saying a player of his class should play in Champions League. Can't see Cavani picking a club not in CL tbh, and there will be other clubs willing to pay for him.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Cech

Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Cole/ New LB

Oscar/Willian, New CM, Matic, Hazard

Diego Costa, Lukaku

The most free-scoring teams of the past 3 seasons, us, Liverpool and Man City have done so playing with two strikers. Now that we have Matic at the base, a player who covers every blade of grass, an ever reliable defense and the prospect of having both Costa and Lukaku, this is an option Jose HAS to at least consider. Playing two strikers means you give the bus-parking teams that come to Stamford Bridge two monsters to think about. I can't see to many teams being able to shut-out both those players for 90 mins.

I'm very excited at the prospect of a flat 4-4-2 in home matches against lesser teams especially.

I see that as a plan B.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Come to think about it, we never have a physical based type striker like Didier since he left right? That, actually what convince me about Costa. Maybe we are more used to play with the strong striker up front.

Lukaku.

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

----Lukaku---Costa-----

----------Hazard---------

----CM-----------Oscar

-----------Matic----------

Would be a deadly tactic against the lower clubs that sit back

[LAM09 6,840]

Rumours are, that we have offered Lukaku in part exchange for Costa. I am hoping that is just paper talk.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

The thing that is most promising about this transfer is that hes in a team currently not too dissimilar to our own. Atletico do not create too many chances, they counter attack like us. Their side is set up of a good back 5 and the rest of the team comes from that solid base. If hes scored 26 La Liga goals this year in that way, I see no reason why he can't come and be a beast here.

Not true. Chelsea create a shitload of chances that aren't taken.

Squawka(whether you deem it credible is up to you) have Chelsea ranked 2nd to Man City on chances created of the course of the season. Its broken down into two categories Key Pass / Assists

Man City generated 468 key passes and from them got 65 assisted goals.

Chelsea generated 465 key passes and from them got 41 assisted goals.

Liverpool generated 425 key passes and from them got 63 assisted goals.

By contrast Atletico generated 319 key passes and from them got 54 assisted goals. That is an astounding return from Atletico who I agree do not generate a lot of chances but are INCREDIBLY clinical when they are presented.

For me Diego doesn't have to be Suarez for us to be successful, all he has to do is score 20-25 goals and bury the opportunities created for him at a ratio of 3:1 I'd be elated if he can do that. We were 4 points shy of the title with possibly the worst strike force of all the top squads in Europe, we're not that far off and Costa will definitely help us get over the hump.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

----Lukaku---Costa-----

----------Hazard---------

----CM-----------Oscar

-----------Matic----------

Would be a deadly tactic against the lower clubs that sit back

Willian wouldn't be bad on that flank

[The Skipper 20,593]

Not true. Chelsea create a shitload of chances that aren't taken.

Squawka(whether you deem it credible is up to you) have Chelsea ranked 2nd to Man City on chances created of the course of the season. Its broken down into two categories Key Pass / Assists

Man City generated 468 key passes and from them got 65 assisted goals.

Chelsea generated 465 key passes and from them got 41 assisted goals.

Liverpool generated 425 key passes and from them got 63 assisted goals.

By contrast Atletico generated 319 key passes and from them got 54 assisted goals. That is an astounding return from Atletico who I agree do not generate a lot of chances but are INCREDIBLY clinical when they are presented.

For me Diego doesn't have to be Suarez for us to be successful, all he has to do is score 20-25 goals and bury the opportunities created for him at a ratio of 3:1 I'd be elated if he can do that. We were 4 points shy of the title with possibly the worst strike force of all the top squads in Europe, we're not that far off and Costa will definitely help us get over the hump.

Chances created definition (i.e. the most misleading stat ever):

Any pass that leads to a shot (no matter how speculative). That stat does certainly not mean we're creative enough. We've taken the most shots in the league on average - a lot of them are speculative long shots and not real quality chances.

You've got to be kidding yourself if you think that our play in general has been great this season and that we've created bucket loads of quality chances and that the only reason we haven't scored more is because we're missing someone clinical up front.