The Conte Thread

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

22 hours ago, Peace. said:

Tomo, in normal times I would be agreed with you — yet we are not in normal times.

In our back four, out of four players, three have to be benched and one needs to be changed of position. Then we have Zouma but we do not even know what will happen when he comes back ; he suffered a serious injury. We are well placed to understand the implication of the injury he suffered : Essien had the same and it has ruined him. Moreover Zouma's playing style is based upon athleticism and he is not very good technically... Thus his future is a big question mark. Outside of these five players (for four positions !!!), we have an army of youngsters that will probably see little playing time.

The problem with our current back-four is that it is anti-modern and cannot cope with current football. All of them are not good with the ball at their feet, and the trio Terry-Cahill-Ivanovic are slow, unagile and immobile and they cannot defend on one on one situation nor exercise a pressing game. For these reasons they hinder both our defence and our attack.

And for me, the most alarming observation is that Terry-Cahill-Ivanovic are not average — they are bad. Not only they are bad and are anti-modern, but their dynamism is very bad as they are on the decline (and the three of them have had a very, very bad season last year). We are in a situation where even an average defender — as long as he is mobile, can pass the ball and defend on one on one — would be more valuable for our team as he would improve, even marginally, our defence and our attack.

If were in 2012 and we were thinking of renewing our defence, okay we could be nitpicking as we still would have a "few years" in front of us. But we are not in a situation where we can allow ourselves to be demanding like a Sissi. We have three position to renew for Christ's sake ; so while we are trying to get a great defender, we should buy one who is average/good and that can be expandable when we will get better defenders. You gave us example where we waited till the end of the transfer window to get good players — but do you remember Modric ? There too we were nitpicking and we eventually ended buying in panic, on the deadline day, Meireles... Thus, should we eventually buy an average player, at least we should buy him in the right time so he can be introduced in the team before the season starts, and more importantly, before the possibilities are narrowed down to panic purchases.

I hear where you're coming from but paying high prices for garbage players is even a further step back than working with what it is we have. I agree we have A LOT of concerns in the back but if we go out and buy someone like Lindelof and he comes here and is nowhere near the answer we have an even bigger problem; that being we've brought in a failure and now have exposed ourselves as even more desperate than previously thought. That will make our selections for the next one less than obvious since the choices are so small. Conte has been preaching this the entire preseason we have to take the right decision and not just any decision... I agree with this wholeheartedly, we cannot make a mistake here, we do not have champions league football and cannot afford to be wrong if you think FFP is a real thing. 

Its a glaring hole but I don't think any defender will make us significantly better.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

2 minutes ago, Jason said:

Be patient? THREE months into the summer transfer window and we're still looking for a defender! It's unforgivable and who exactly are we even looking at anyway? We've seen so many players being mentioned but not one seems to be a proper target. Never mind getting the right player, we will soon be in the getting any player period, if not already.

You make it sound like there are a wealth of quality defenders out there. The truth is there are only a handful that will markedly improve our defense, teams know this and aren't about to surrender a defender when its clear every team needs one.

[Jase 43,479]

Just now, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

You make it sound like there are a wealth of quality defenders out there. The truth is there are only a handful that will markedly improve our defense, teams know this and aren't about to surrender a defender when its clear every team needs one.

Given the state of our defenders, think any one would have improved our defence!

It's quite unforgivable really. The transfer window has been opened for months and we still have not signed any defender. Heck never mind this transfer window, if Conte and/or the board has been watching the team carefully, they should know our defence has been on the decline since a year ago and should have been started scouting, searching for defenders, proper defenders. But no. We ended up buying some duds last season and till now, we're still finding the right players. Reinforcements should have been identified long ago and bought early on. It should have been our main priority this summer but we ended up wasting plenty of time on getting players further up the field. We shouldn't be waiting till the very end to sign players for an area we desperately need to improve.

[Pizy 18,891]

2 minutes ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

You make it sound like there are a wealth of quality defenders out there. The truth is there are only a handful that will markedly improve our defense, teams know this and aren't about to surrender a defender when its clear every team needs one.

Bonucci, Mustafi, Koulibaly, Manolas, Stones, Marquinos...any of these CB's would be an instant upgrade. Are all of them "available?" Maybe not, but we need to at least throw huge offers at their clubs and make them say no.

Pogba wasn't available. Mkhitaryan wasn't available. Sterling wasn't available. No top players are unless you make their clubs an offer they can't refuse. Why have we not done that to bring in a CB which is the most important area that needed reinforcement?

Being patient and "waiting for the right players" is what we were told last summer and look what happened.

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, Pizy said:

Bonucci, Mustafi, Koulibaly, Manolas, Stones, Marquinos...any of these CB's would be an instant upgrade. Are all of them "available?" Maybe not, but we need to at least throw huge offers at their clubs and make them say no.

Adding to that, with the new TV deal money and the inflated transfer market, the chances of getting a good player by paying a small fee are low these days. Gotta pay big money to get the good ones.

[King11Didier 916]

I don't think we can be patioent any more. The board and the whole club made a big mistake with this transfer window. The aim was to stength our defence and the progress so far is 0%. That's more than disappointing. Even the kids on the street knew that our defence is shit and we have to buy players in that area. The pre-season is over and we should've bought a defender even before the start of it, because he has to adapt to his teammates in defence, don't expect some CB to come and to have good chemistry with his partners, that's not a ST where you get balls and make them in goals, it's more complicated and it needs time to build a strong partnership.
The whole point on this transfer window is missed. It's clear that Napoli don't want to sell Koulibaly easy, but that's why you should have plan B and even plan C. We were thinking of even signing 2 new CB's and now the season starts in 7 days and we will start with the same defence which made us finish on 10th position. I'm really pissed off with our board and we should bring some new faces there, I have a feeling that people there are working more against the club than for it. But at the end of the day it will be the manager who will get the stick for the bad situation and it won't be deserved.
The situation is really bad, but I just hope it won't get worse. 3 weeks which will show if people in the board still care for the club or not.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

Given the state of our defenders, think any one would have improved our defence!

It's quite unforgivable really. The transfer window has been opened for months and we still have not signed any defender. Heck never mind this transfer window, if Conte and/or the board has been watching the team carefully, they should know our defence has been on the decline since a year ago and should have been started scouting, searching for defenders, proper defenders. But no. We ended up buying some duds last season and till now, we're still finding the right players. Reinforcements should have been identified long ago and bought early on. It should have been our main priority this summer but we ended up wasting plenty of time on getting players further up the field. We shouldn't be waiting till the very end to sign players for an area we desperately need to improve.

See this is where we will always be at odds. So if we go out and buy Djilobodji are we a better team than we were previously? Not any defender improves us, we need a BOSS and the BOSSES are in shortage in world football. Juventus don't need to sell Bonucci and clearly don't want to. Koulibaly might go if he submits a transfer request otherwise why is Napoli gonna sell? 

How do you know the reinforcements haven't been identified? Its not as easy as going to the grocery store and picking defenders off the shelf.

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

See this is where we will always be at odds. So if we go out and buy Djilobodji are we a better team than we were previously? Not any defender improves us, we need a BOSS and the BOSSES are in shortage in world football. Juventus don't need to sell Bonucci and clearly don't want to. Koulibaly might go if he submits a transfer request otherwise why is Napoli gonna sell? 

How do you know the reinforcements haven't been identified? Its not as easy as going to the grocery store and picking defenders off the shelf.

If reinforcements have been identified, we wouldn't be taking a scattered brain approach in the transfer market right now.

[Tautvix 1,321]

1 minute ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

See this is where we will always be at odds. So if we go out and buy Djilobodji are we a better team than we were previously? Not any defender improves us, we need a BOSS and the BOSSES are in shortage in world football. Juventus don't need to sell Bonucci and clearly don't want to. Koulibaly might go if he submits a transfer request otherwise why is Napoli gonna sell? 

How do you know the reinforcements haven't been identified? Its not as easy as going to the grocery store and picking defenders off the shelf.

Jose and Manutd had their targets early and they brought them on before the season even started. This is why they are gonna win EPL. While we will just keep asking that we need defenders.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

7 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Bonucci, Mustafi, Koulibaly, Manolas, Stones, Marquinos...any of these CB's would be an instant upgrade. Are all of them "available?" Maybe not, but we need to at least throw huge offers at their clubs and make them say no.

Pogba wasn't available. Mkhitaryan wasn't available. Sterling wasn't available. No top players are unless you make their clubs an offer they can't refuse. Why have we not done that to bring in a CB which is the most important area that needed reinforcement?

Being patient and "waiting for the right players" is what we were told last summer and look what happened.

Those are the names we've been linked with and of the 6 you've mentioned, in my estimation only Bonucci, Koulibaly and maybe Manolas make us better. Pogba was available, Mkhitarian was available, Sterling was available. Now name me a CB that is available and will make us significantly better? 

[Tautvix 1,321]

Just now, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

Those are the names we've been linked with and of the 6 you've mentioned, in my estimation only Bonucci, Koulibaly and maybe Manolas make us better. Pogba was available, Mkhitarian was available, Sterling was available. Now name me a CB that is available and will make us significantly better? 

Every player becomes available when you pay the price other club wants. Pogba wasn't also available for us last season? Obviously he wasn't since we refused to pay the money Juve wanted. But football changed now a lot of you need to pay a lot for great players. We cannot buy Djilobodji for 2m and expect him to be the new John Terry..

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

8 minutes ago, Jason said:

Adding to that, with the new TV deal money and the inflated transfer market, the chances of getting a good player by paying a small fee are low these days. Gotta pay big money to get the good ones.

Yes and we clearly aren't in a financial position to spend 80m on one defender. We have money but if you believe FFP is real we clearly can't spend crazy money and comply, especially with no champions league football.

2 minutes ago, Tautvix said:

Jose and Manutd had their targets early and they brought them on before the season even started. This is why they are gonna win EPL. While we will just keep asking that we need defenders.

Man Utd have limitless funds at their disposal. 

[Pizy 18,891]

1 minute ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

Those are the names we've been linked with and of the 6 you've mentioned, in my estimation only Bonucci, Koulibaly and maybe Manolas make us better. Pogba was available, Mkhitarian was available, Sterling was available. Now name me a CB that is available and will make us significantly better? 

They weren't available. Pogba, Mkhitaryan, and Sterling's clubs all wanted to keep their players. You think Juventus or Dortmund wanted to sell their best players? Hell no! They just received offers that were impossible to turn down.

Every single one of those CB's I named could be had with the possible exception of Bonucci. And every single one of them is miles better than Terry and Cahill. 

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

4 minutes ago, Jason said:

If reinforcements have been identified, we wouldn't be taking a scattered brain approach in the transfer market right now.

Explain what this means. 

What is scatter brained about not getting what you have targeted?

[lucio 5,418]

9 minutes ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

See this is where we will always be at odds. So if we go out and buy Djilobodji are we a better team than we were previously? Not any defender improves us, we need a BOSS and the BOSSES are in shortage in world football. Juventus don't need to sell Bonucci and clearly don't want to. Koulibaly might go if he submits a transfer request otherwise why is Napoli gonna sell? 

How do you know the reinforcements haven't been identified? Its not as easy as going to the grocery store and picking defenders off the shelf.

If our current options are hill and ivan ,then even the lesser targets like de vrij and lindelof would comfortably improve us