Will the Board get it right this summer?

[Superblue 6,372]

The club need to decide what they're going to do first with regards to the current crop of young talent we have. There is the potential there in my opinion to bring through a number of these and only leave us needing to buy a couple of top players to 'boost' the squad.

We have the likes of Ake, Christensen and Musonda on loan all impressing, Rahman is starting to get games and perform, Zouma pushed on this season before his injury and if he can make a full recovery will become a big player at the back for us. Then the likes of RLC, Kenedy and Traore have all impressed when given the chance.

When you take the above players into account, the club maybe needs a world class replacement for Terry and a very good striker to push Costa, with Traore supporting. I don't think major surgery is needed in midfield to be honest, the attacking contingent are amongst the best group around, Fabregas is looking back to his best and I'd rather not see RLC have his route into the first team blocked. If we buy a new midfielder it would have to be as a replacement for Mikel or Matic.

[Unionjack 7,531]

Personally I think we need a bloody good clear out. We got 3 defenders all past their sell by date and rge same amount that just arent good enough up field but peoples emotions get in the way of team selection.

I hope some of us are looking back at gow  we were extracting the urine when that north London club were penny pinhking with their transfers. If we are as pissed as we are just imagine how we look from the outside looking in. 

We really got no rights to slag off other clubs when we are acting like we are right now no matter how fun it is.

[Leif 6,006]

i'd hazard a guess that no other club has to discuss their board this much

[FabHazard 655]

I am seriously afraid of this club's future..like hiddink said the board needs to think carefully in summer.

We need to make some serious investments..we should not be frugal and opt for cheap replacements...we need to show that we are chelsea...that we can spend whatever it takes to get an elite player..i am tired of this FFP bullshit 

Proper ball playing CB and 2 world class CMs are a must!!

we need to keep diego at any cost.

The Board needs to get it absolutely right in the summer....we need to have a proper plan to get back into cl...we need to assure incoming players that we have a project to get back into cl...we need to show ambition..the whole club should fucking wake up...otherwise i am afraid we will end up like liverpool or spurs!

[Special Juan 28,140]

I would be a damn sight more confident if Guus stuck around to advise the board of actually what is needed. I do not feel anyone behind the scenes at this club has a clue what the team needs. Guus is a clever guy for me, he knows his shit and I would love for him to hang around after his tenure and advise these muppets what's needed.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

6 hours ago, Special Juan said:

I would be a damn sight more confident if Guus stuck around to advise the board of actually what is needed. I do not feel anyone behind the scenes at this club has a clue what the team needs. Guus is a clever guy for me, he knows his shit and I would love for him to hang around after his tenure and advise these muppets what's needed.

I don't like to read the board being described in those disrespectful terms. I know however that it reflects not just your opinion, but those of a sizeable percentage of Chelsea fans so I'll have to get used to it I suppose. I'm not defending what has been done, I'm as critical as anyone else of the player recruitment. It's just that I prefer to express myself using a different tone.

Guus will be sticking around in just such a role, That much can be divined from his statements spread over numerous press conferences. I get the feeling that he will be Roman's new Bobby Campbell.

[Eidur the Spider 4,515]

I have absolutely no idea if the board will get it right, their past dealings are such a mixed bag, but with the previous two windows so fresh in all of our minds it's difficult to be optimistic. The club need to figure out what they want to do, it's like they have tentatively got their feet in each camp of giving youth a go or spending lots of money. Both efforts have been half hearted and have been instrumental in leading us to this point. A real low. 

I assume Conte is the man and that's all done and dusted barring any announcements officially from the club, that's good, we've got that sorted and are ready to go. I hope for the life of me that Conte has already identified targets and we are willing to back him in the summer window to get the squad he wants. I'm sick of hearing the whole 'well our manager didn't want that player blah blah', it's ridiculous. 

Like Special Juan said and was absolutely spot on, Guus needs to stay on in an advisory role, you can tell he knows the summer is going to be a crossroads moment for the club he clearly has a lot of affection for. I hope the board will keep him on in some capacity, and that they actually listen to him rather than a bunch of 'yes men' who will say whatever's easiest. This club needs gutting. I think Guus would be more ruthless in his assessment behind closed doors where it should be, his handling of it media wise has been stellar. I hope the next manager will be the same. 

Transfer wise? I can see a fair few going. I think Hazard's position has become very difficult. Me personally I'd leave it up to the next manager to decide if he can get him firing again. If that's a no from Conte then get the most funds we can for him and reinvest it wisely (Not like Liverpool with the sale of Suarez). It's clear we need defensive reinforcements, and an overhaul of our strikers with these 'come to our club to get fit and have a holiday in London' (looking at you Falcao and Pato) have to stop, it's making us even more of a laughing stock and gives the fans no faith that the guys behind the transfers can turn this around. Like Guus has this season, have faith in youth that are good enough, RLC (sometimes needs a rocket up his arse, I'll admit), Kenedy and Traore have all shone at times and need to be brought through more during this transitional period. The midfield needs a bit more steel also. I'd keep Mikel (people will go mad here I'm sure), he is such a useful squad player, Matic has fallen from grace so far that I don't even recognise him, hopefully the new manager can put their arm around him and get him back. Fabregas is a player who needs a shield, switching to a 3 man midfield with two warriors either side is a must if we are keeping him.

Costa needs to stay, the man is a warrior and last night proved he's fighting for the club and the fans. Could be a leader for the next few years if he curbs his bastard tendencies. 

Apologies for the mini essay I just wanted to get these thoughts out of my head. Last nights game hurt. A lot. Hopefully we can turn it around and act swiftly this summer, I don't want another we've signed Michael Hector window. 

Oh and give JT a fucking contract.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

12 hours ago, FabHazard said:

I am seriously afraid of this club's future..like hiddink said the board needs to think carefully in summer.

We need to make some serious investments..we should not be frugal and opt for cheap replacements...we need to show that we are chelsea...that we can spend whatever it takes to get an elite player..i am tired of this FFP bullshit 

Proper ball playing CB and 2 world class CMs are a must!!

we need to keep diego at any cost.

The Board needs to get it absolutely right in the summer....we need to have a proper plan to get back into cl...we need to assure incoming players that we have a project to get back into cl...we need to show ambition..the whole club should fucking wake up...otherwise i am afraid we will end up like liverpool or spurs!

The ball playing CB I want is Bonucci but I don't agree with you about Diego. He's on my upgrade if possible list. It won't be easy to do but if there's a player available who can do what Diego does plus is better with the ball at his feet then I'd make the change. Meanwhile, back on topic...

I think the board may have made the same mistake the players seem to have done. Our squad was far from the best in the country last season but, for two reasons, board and players seem to have gotten it into their heads that they were. Those reasons were Jose and Mourhino. No Jose, no title last season yet the players, and some fans, seem to believe they had outgrown the man and his methods. We've seen the results and those results must have opened the eyes of the board. I think the people in charge will be an open book now and will listen hard to the advice Guus and the new manager will be pumping in.

If Guus and the new boss are on the same page then together they will be the focal point for the changes that are needed.

[Fulham Broadway 17,333]

Abramovich chooses the board, and Maria, Buckenalo etc choose the manager and have the final say over the selling, signing and loaning. Make of that what you will.

With the looming of the Ropey League it's vital for the club that we qualify for it and get a good run in it next season.

No CL football for our club is a massive body blow in our ability to attract the quality of players needed and we simply will not get the players we need. We will also end up paying over the odds for players of lower quality with no heart or balls. (See Man Utd & Liverpool in previous/current seasons). A number of the current players will be talking to their agents today about getting out of here as rats don't like to be on a sinking ship.

Oh, and John Terry needs to be given a contract extension!

[Spike 12,049]

John Terry needs to retire before his ability drops to humorous  levels. Whether that is now or in the future we'll never know but I'd hate for his final season to be an embarrassment.

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

Let Hiddink, Emenalo, and Conte run their shit, and kick everybody out of the room. 

We're not becoming another Liverpool. Got the utmost belief that that Trio of men can steer Chelsea on the right path to being legitimate UCL contenders in like 2/3 seasons. Focusing on technically adept players, and setting forth a plan to play 'winning football' above all else. 

For some reason I'm very very optimistic we'll come back stronger. 

Of course we'll never know what happens behind closed doors....but hopefully Guus/Emenalo/Conte are running the show. 

[The Mak 4,459]

Sell Hazard and Oscar for £100m+ so we can give Conte some sort of chance. I mean, the pair of them may as well not have been here this season anyway so if we can get anything around that figure we may call it a miracle. Let Conte go for who he wants, he's capable enough. He's surely not as brainless as going for Falcao or Cudrado.

Also, how anyone can have faith in Emenalo, a man who was coaching little girls before coming to Chelsea, is beyond me. He is one of the main culprits why the current squad has got to the state it's in. £28m pissed up a tree for Cudrado, £13m wasted on Salah, Luis bought for £16m+ etc. So much money wasted on shite or pointless players who never played.

[Blue Colored Sky 1,807]

To answer that question - yeah I have no doubt they will.

Antonio Conte is such a pain in the ass for the board. He is anything but yes man. He will complain and his voice will be heard. He won't be gentle and he will always demand his signings. And he has great barganing power at the moment. He's great man for the rebuilding side.

If Guus stays it will be even better. Even in 2009 Guus was saying that Chelsea need quality and he is saying the same every time now. That Chelsea need an upgrade. If he is to take any prominent role that has something to say, that's great for Chelsea.

Roman is still the same. He still demands the best, that's what Mourinho, Ancelotti and everyone was saying. And know he knows Chelsea need much more quality and probably have to overpay for this. The "Moneyball" approach was great to the point like this.

Chelsea pay the biggest wages in the league. Maybe they were too ambitious last summer going for unrealistic targets but they still want to commit huge money into this. And just think of all the players that can be sold and I don't even touch first team players (bar Oscar).

TBF I'm not worried at all just excited.

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

If we want to be a top team again they have to get it right, no papering over cracks buying cheap shit players. 

If we want to be scrapping it out for 4th then carry on the way we are 

[BXL70 396]

To me, there are two players in our squad who are at the level of the CL: Costa and Willian.

Are the signings of Falcao and Pato related to money laundering or so? I hope not but it is very suspicious.

[Fernando 6,585]

I don't have confidence in this club anymore till they clear out some of the dead wood in the upstairs department. 

If the appoint Fútbol man like hiddink, Drogba, Lampard and such then I can start to get excited again. 

Until then I expect failure from those running the club. 

[Pizy 18,952]

Papy, Falcao, Pato, Miazga, awawrding our worst defender a new contract and telling our biggest ever legend to fuck off.

And this is the lot we need to trust to rebuild our great club. Unless Roman digs deep into his pockets and allows Conte to do as he likes we're going to see many of these same bums starting for us week in and week out next season stealing a living. Except next season it may be without our two best attacking players in Hazard and Costa. And against Pep/Mou/Klopp/Poch/Wenger. 

[xPetrCechx 13,573]

[Laylabelle 9,536]

Probably not...they need to be realistic.we have a shit squad and it needs rebuilding and to so that need money and also time.Cant sack however we get when we hit a bad patch because that won't get us out the mess that's been quietly building up 

[bellion 170]

If being knocked out of all cup competitions and finishing in mid table does not convince the Board to shell out 100 million + quid to spend on quality players this summer, nothing will.

Conte or whoever the new manager in waiting is should absolutely refuse to sign a contract with the club if they don't receive an assurance from Roman that a huge transfer kitty is available and that's on TOP of any sales proceeds form players sold.

in short, I don't think the Board will change its penny-pinching ways, will refuse to provide an open cheque book to the new manager and sign more Papys with loose change and Falacao loanees.  

They might as well offer Sean Dyche of Burnley a contract - he's used to doing things on a tight Budget and he wouldn't mind the club being stuck in the lower half of the table which is where we will end up next season and beyond.