Lineup for 2019/20 with the ban?

[Blue Armour 4,436]

13 hours ago, Superblue_1986 said:

I have to agree with @Tomo on this, our squad I don't believe is anywhere near as bad as everybody makes out and if we had a reliable striker I would be very confident of a comfortable third place finish, even without Hazard. We're not going to be challenging City and Liverpool next season but I don't see any reason why we can't still be competing for top 4 with the rest of the 'big 6'. Some areas could obviously be improved but with the exception of our strikers, the rest of our starting XI is on a par or better with what Spurs, United and Arsenal have.

We usually go with two strikers in the squad but this coming season I would definitely keep the three of Giroud, Batshuayi and Abraham and let them compete to see which is the best. The hope is Abraham or Batshuayi strike hot as I think both have that capability to be clinical if chances are created. Failing that we will need to find an effective way of playing through Giroud with players willing to run in behind him. There's a reason why players like playing with him because he's a great team player and I have hope that CHO and Pulisic in particular with their pace and youthful exuberance will be prepared to do this and hopefully cause team's lots of problems playing in such a direct manner.

In midfield, RLC is a big loss and if it was down to me, I would be inclined to tweak the formation next season to more of a 4-2-3-1 at least whilst RLC is out. Kante has proven time and again he's excellent in a midfield two and I think Jorginho would also benefit from Kante playing closer to him. It would also push a player further up pitch where we need more goalscorers and help solve the lack of depth in our midfield because the three behind the striker doesn't need to include a Barkley or Mount all the time, it could be made up of 3 of CHO, Pulisic, Willian and Pedro.

More than likely controversial but I would prefer to keep Drinkwater over Bakayoko, especially if we changed back to a 2 man midfield. Drinkwater reminds me of Cahill a little bit in that his qualities aren't top level but he is a solid and dependable player who could slot in and 'do a professional job' if called upon. I just have this thought in my head of a big game against City, Liverpool, Spurs, etc and the two options were Drinkwater or Bakayoko I would have more trust and faith in Drinkwater compared to Bakayoko who is woefully inconsistent and has alarming technical deficiencies to his game.

Central defence with Zouma coming back we actually have a very good group in there with different qualities. Full backs we can either stick or twist with Alonso and Zappacosta. I would be inclined to sell both if the right offers came in and place some faith in Reece James and Jay Dasilva. If we moan about Alonso's defensive qualities then Kenedy definitely is not the answer as a left back option.

 

So much this. If I wanted something out of the transfer window, that we couldn't manage with our reserves or our loan army, it would be a goal scoring CF. 

[1905didierblue 748]

Gk - Kepa, willy

Rb - azpi, James

Lb - Emerson, Jay da silva

CB - Luiz, rudiger, zouma, Andreas

Cm - Kante, jorginho, RLC, Barkley, baka, mount

Rw - Pedro, pulisic

Lw - willian, CHo

St - Tammy, michy, giroud 

Sell - Alonso, zappacosta, DD

Last chance for michy and baka to prove their worth

 

 

 

 

 

[Strike 7,474]

4 hours ago, Spike said:

Like everyone, I very much approve and enhoy Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi but to bank on them being starters with their injuries is naive. We aren't even garuanteed them returning to their best abiliites. 

Hey Spike

Also, with the transfer ban, there is no other option 

[Spike 12,049]

7 minutes ago, Strike said:

Hey Spike

Also, with the transfer ban, there is no other option 

Hey Strike

I don't disagree, but I think it is risky and threatening to their long terms careers if they are overplayed.

[Strike 7,474]

Just now, Spike said:

Hey Strike

I don't disagree, but I think it is risky and threatening to their long terms careers if they are overplayed.

Agree. Both are out till November and should be fully fit only next year. 

[communicate 2,703]

Puli - striker - willian 

Kova - kante

Jorginho/

Alonso/Emerson - Rudi - Christensen - azpi

Kepa

I think that is pretty much our starting 11 for next season. I don't see any changes from last season. I think the key is Kovacic. He has a chance to be a star for us. 

 

 

[MoroccanBlue 5,375]

1 hour ago, communicate said:

Puli - striker - willian 

Kova - kante

Jorginho/

Alonso/Emerson - Rudi - Christensen - azpi

Kepa

I think that is pretty much our starting 11 for next season. I don't see any changes from last season. I think the key is Kovacic. He has a chance to be a star for us. 

 

 

That is an incredibly redundant midfield, and since when did Willian get the nod over Pedro? 

 

 

[communicate 2,703]

7 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

That is an incredibly redundant midfield, and since when did Willian get the nod over Pedro? 

 

 

I don't understand what is the redundancy. 

A ball winner, a passer and a creator (what kova need to do for us) 

Last year with Hazard we have a wc creator. So our midfield does not need to create much but I don't know about Puli. So we need more, that is why Willian will probably play morebut I need to watch Puli game first. 

[1905didierblue 748]

1 hour ago, communicate said:

I don't understand what is the redundancy. 

A ball winner, a passer and a creator (what kova need to do for us) 

Last year with Hazard we have a wc creator. So our midfield does not need to create much but I don't know about Puli. So we need more, that is why Willian will probably play morebut I need to watch Puli game first. 

You are expecting kovacic to create? We just had a complete season of him creating nothing but shit and you want us to play the exact same 3 in the mid. I would put in mount instead of watching kovacic dribble past a player and then look haplessly about

[communicate 2,703]

11 hours ago, 1905didierblue said:

You are expecting kovacic to create? We just had a complete season of him creating nothing but shit and you want us to play the exact same 3 in the mid. I would put in mount instead of watching kovacic dribble past a player and then look haplessly about

Yup. Somebody need to do it for us. I have never watched Mason Mount to give opinion on this matter

[MoroccanBlue 5,375]

13 hours ago, communicate said:

I don't understand what is the redundancy. 

A ball winner, a passer and a creator (what kova need to do for us) 

Last year with Hazard we have a wc creator. So our midfield does not need to create much but I don't know about Puli. So we need more, that is why Willian will probably play morebut I need to watch Puli game first. 

That midfield has no creativity or end product bar the occasional Jorginho lobbed pass. 
 

[communicate 2,703]

12 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

That midfield has no creativity or end product bar the occasional Jorginho lobbed pass. 
 

I don't think we have any option. 

We have Bakayoko, Kante - two runner or box to box

Ruben - injured 

Barkley + kova, one has better physical attribute and the other is superior technically. 

Jorginho - ball mover 

That is all we have. We basically need a player to play between the lines that is going to be kova and Barkley role.