Chelsea Transfers

[Clockwork 1,489]

2 hours ago, Pizy said:

I know @Vesper is really down on Koundé, but I think it’ll be a good buy. I also wavered a bit on him but seeing what Tuchel has done to all of our CB’s I trust that he’ll turn Koundé into a beast as well.

Hope he isn’t our only CB signing. Gvardiol has the look of a future world class player so I hope there’s truth there and we get him, too.

Koundé, Gvardiol, and Borna Sosa as our 3 defensive signings and we’ll have done EXTREMELY well. Three players who are excellent on the ball, super athletic and quick, and will allow us to play more exciting football.

Tuchel is doing wonders with CB  because Tuchel is playing with a back 5 and 2 defensive midfielders in front of them. It really is that simple, on other hand our attack would benefit with more attacking players on the pitch.

We are not competing against Pool and City over a 38 games season if we don’t change that.

[Superblue_1986 5,373]

7 minutes ago, Clockwork said:

Tuchel is doing wonders with CB  because Tuchel is playing with a back 5 and 2 defensive midfielders in front of them. It really is that simple, on other hand our attack would benefit with more attacking players on the pitch.

We are not competing against Pool and City over a 38 games season if we don’t change that.

No doubt the system is suited to our personnel and he deserves a lot of credit for that as I don't think many Chelsea fans saw our future post Lampard being a wing back formation.

Regarding the defensive and attacking player balance though, at our strongest our attacking players do become comparable because I'd argue Chilwell and James become as important as attacking outlets in our team very much in the same way Liverpool's attack would be viewed mainly as the front 3 and the full backs. The lack of athleticism and pace in Alonso and Azpi when Chilwell and James have been absent so much this season has no doubt been a huge blow to the balance in the team.

The biggest difference is could we sacrifice a defender for a midfielder. That depends on the centre backs in our team being able to play in a back 4 and potentially have to match up man to man at times. Until we bring new defenders in this summer, realistically we only have Thiago Silva with the experience and current ability to play in a back 4 and he's 38 in September.

I would like the potential to play 4-3-3, as I think as and when we move on from Jorginho and Kante, we have a crop of midfielders who are probably all suited in different circumstances and skill sets to play as 2 number 8's (I include the likes of Mount, Gallagher and RLC all in this bracket) and just need a true holding midfielder to sit behind them and screen the centre backs. 

Ultimately this is all going to boil down to Tuchel. He'll have somewhat of a fresh start this summer with some of the players leaving or likely to leave and I think he has the option to choose to go either way long term.

[Tomo 21,056]

38 minutes ago, Clockwork said:

Tuchel is doing wonders with CB  because Tuchel is playing with a back 5 and 2 defensive midfielders in front of them. It really is that simple, on other hand our attack would benefit with more attacking players on the pitch.

We are not competing against Pool and City over a 38 games season if we don’t change that.

It's hardly a flat back 5, at times we're playing RLC at wingback.

[MoroccanBlue 4,288]

Watching Matip last night has me convinced he is arguably the 2nd best CB in the league. 

Matter of fact, watching VVD, Matip, Konate, and Dias has me realise our CBs are genuinely no where near the best. The way all 4 of them cover space with their defensive awareness whilst still playing a very high line is exceptional. 

Rudiger and Christensen are going to get exposed I reckon. 

[DDA 8,063]

2 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Watching Matip last night has me convinced he is arguably the 2nd best CB in the league. 

Matter of fact, watching VVD, Matip, Konate, and Dias has me realise our CBs are genuinely no where near the best. The way all 4 of them cover space with their defensive awareness whilst still playing a very high line is exceptional. 

Rudiger and Christensen are going to get exposed I reckon. 

Rudiger has been massively overrated. If he plays in a back 4 at Mardrid which I think they most probably will... he is going to get exposed.

[Pizy 16,025]

48 minutes ago, DDA said:

Rudiger has been massively overrated. If he plays in a back 4 at Mardrid which I think they most probably will... he is going to get exposed.

Maybe against top teams in the CL. But Real Madrid dominate most of the time in La Liga so he’ll be a beast there.

Curious where he plays, though. Don’t Madrid fans really rate Militao? And then they have Alaba who they’re paying mega wages in the other Cb spot. So where does Toni start?

[Hashishi 27]

56 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Maybe against top teams in the CL. But Real Madrid dominate most of the time in La Liga so he’ll be a beast there.

Curious where he plays, though. Don’t Madrid fans really rate Militao? And then they have Alaba who they’re paying mega wages in the other Cb spot. So where does Toni start?

I have a sneaky suspicion they will play him at LB as he bounds forward and can always cover at CB

[MoroccanBlue 4,288]

2 hours ago, DDA said:

Rudiger has been massively overrated. If he plays in a back 4 at Mardrid which I think they most probably will... he is going to get exposed.

Matip dealt with counter attacks so easily. By himself. 

If Rudiger or anyone of our CBs are by themselves in a counter attack we'd be clenching our arseholes. 

[DDA 8,063]

1 hour ago, Pizy said:

Maybe against top teams in the CL. But Real Madrid dominate most of the time in La Liga so he’ll be a beast there.

Curious where he plays, though. Don’t Madrid fans really rate Militao? And then they have Alaba who they’re paying mega wages in the other Cb spot. So where does Toni start?

Think they got Rudi because of their lack in options if either Militao or Alaba were to be injured. To challenge on all fronts, you need top cover like Liverpool have right now.

[whats happening 1,203]

highly doubt they planned rudiger as a back up on a 300+k p/w wage....

[Vesper 23,968]

5 hours ago, Pizy said:

Don’t Madrid fans really rate Militao?

Militao is shit, so so many errors I have seen him make over the years

my fucking god, if we (just for example)

signed him and Kounde, I will lose my fucking mind

our two main CB's (after Thiago leaves, and barring a Colwell explosion) would be two players I do not rate and do not like

misery for me 

Edited May 19 by Vesper

[Vesper 23,968]

I cannot believe we are going to sign a fucking dwarf and possibly for 70m euros   

we are going to get flayed alive in the air

and he is rash, and not solid at times positionally, I saw people compare him to BARESI ffs

anyone who thinks that is on serious pills

[Blues Forever 1,031]

Personally i prefer Timber instead of Kounde. 

Edited May 19 by Blues Forever

[Clockwork 1,489]

20 hours ago, Superblue_1986 said:

No doubt the system is suited to our personnel and he deserves a lot of credit for that as I don't think many Chelsea fans saw our future post Lampard being a wing back formation.

Regarding the defensive and attacking player balance though, at our strongest our attacking players do become comparable because I'd argue Chilwell and James become as important as attacking outlets in our team very much in the same way Liverpool's attack would be viewed mainly as the front 3 and the full backs. The lack of athleticism and pace in Alonso and Azpi when Chilwell and James have been absent so much this season has no doubt been a huge blow to the balance in the team.

The biggest difference is could we sacrifice a defender for a midfielder. That depends on the centre backs in our team being able to play in a back 4 and potentially have to match up man to man at times. Until we bring new defenders in this summer, realistically we only have Thiago Silva with the experience and current ability to play in a back 4 and he's 38 in September.

I would like the potential to play 4-3-3, as I think as and when we move on from Jorginho and Kante, we have a crop of midfielders who are probably all suited in different circumstances and skill sets to play as 2 number 8's (I include the likes of Mount, Gallagher and RLC all in this bracket) and just need a true holding midfielder to sit behind them and screen the centre backs. 

Ultimately this is all going to boil down to Tuchel. He'll have somewhat of a fresh start this summer with some of the players leaving or likely to leave and I think he has the option to choose to go either way long term.

Why do we have to move away from Jorginho and Kante to play 4-3-3? Jorginho has played in that formation for the vast majority of his career. 
 

At this stage of their career they would benefit from that move, I am a  huge fan of 4-3-3, it is no coincidence that Barca dominated football with the same formation, Madrid dominance began when they played with 3 midfielders, and currently City and Pool are dominating the league with the same formation.

 

Edited May 19 by Clockwork

[Superblue_1986 5,373]

1 minute ago, Clockwork said:

Why do we have to move away from Jorginho and Kante to play 4-3-3? Jorginho has played in that formation for the vast majority of his career. 

Both have played there but I think they are both better suited to playing in a 2. If we were to trade in a defender for an extra midfielder or a more offensive minded player, I would prefer someone more mobile and athletic to screen the centre backs. Jorginho reads the game very well but if he's left exposed like he has been in the past before Tuchel, it can leave the team extremely open especially to being counter attacked.

[Blues Forever 1,031]

15 minutes ago, Superblue_1986 said:

Both have played there but I think they are both better suited to playing in a 2. If we were to trade in a defender for an extra midfielder or a more offensive minded player, I would prefer someone more mobile and athletic to screen the centre backs. Jorginho reads the game very well but if he's left exposed like he has been in the past before Tuchel, it can leave the team extremely open especially to being counter attacked.

Jorginho is more exposed in a double pivot, arguably his best performance came from a midfield three.  

 

[Superblue_1986 5,373]

8 minutes ago, Blues Forever said:

Jorginho is more exposed in a double pivot, arguably his best performance came from a midfield three.  

 

He's not as exposed in a double pivot in this system.

For me, especially in some of the bigger games, his best performances have been under Tuchel whilst at the club.

[Blues Forever 1,031]

20 minutes ago, Superblue_1986 said:

He's not as exposed in a double pivot in this system.

For me, especially in some of the bigger games, his best performances have been under Tuchel whilst at the club.

I say Jorginho performances with Italy during Euro was better than under Tuchel. He had more freedom and protected in a midfield three.

[Vesper 23,968]

Boubacar Kamara transfer news: Villa threaten rival by dwarfing their offer for departing star

https://www.teamtalk.com/aston-villa/boubacar-kamara-transfer-news-villa-threaten-rival-by-dwarving-their-offer-for-departing-star

Aston Villa have reportedly positioned themselves at the front of the queue to sign Boubacar Kamara by tabling a huge offer for the departing Marseille midfielder.

The 22-year-old star has been a regular in the Marseille side for the past four seasons, making 146 appearances during that time. But having rejected the offer of a new deal, he will likely leave as a free agent this summer.

That has, predictably, seen the former France U21 star linked with a plethora of clubs. Manchester United and Leeds were both among the eary suitors, but the pair have both eased away from a prospective deal for various reasons.

Newcastle are also seemingly among his suitors. However, the strongest Premier League interest has come from Aston Villa. To that end, Villa boss Steven Gerrard is reported to have watched the player in person with a potential swoop in mind.

However, they appeared to only be second favourites for his signature, with reports in Spain last week tipping Atletico Madrid to secure his signature.

Villa, though, are refusing to back down. As such AS claims the Midlands club are positioning themselves strongly in the chase.

They state Villa are a serious ‘threat’ to Atleti’s plans, having ‘put more money on the table’ for the player.

Whether that will be enough to tempt him to move to Villa Park, however, remains to be seen.

Atletico Madrid are currently third in LaLiga and are guaranteed a top four finish. And that will mean Kamara would have to turn his back on Champions League football were he to join Villa.

Villa ready to spend this summer

Gerrard has stressed though that he is keen to strengthen Villa’s spine this summer. To that end, the signing of Kamara would tick plenty of boxes for Villa.

“There are areas of the team where we are blessed and lucky to have some top talent. But there are also areas where we believe we can get stronger and better,” he said.

“I think the spine of the team needs some support.

“We have got enough volume here. We have got enough bodies here. I don’t need quantity. I am looking for upgrades in certain areas of the team, who will naturally make the squad better.”

Gerrard appeal may not be enough for Boubacar Kamara

Despite Gerrard’s best efforts, he may find himself missing out on a deal for Kamara.

The capture of a new tough-tackling midfielder is clearly high on Gerrard’s agenda. It’s for that reason why Villa are also being strongly linked with a move for Kalvin Phillips.

The Villa boss has a massive aura about him. And he’s the kind of manager who, as a player, you would want to play for.

And it’s clear that Aston Villa will be upwardly mobile under his management next season.

However, despite his charisma and the obvious appeal of the Premier League, Villa are unable to offer European football to would-be signings.

And not only can Atletico offer Kamara that, they are also able to challenge strongly for trophies too.

There may yet be a surprise with Boubacar Kamara opting for Villa if he feels his chances of playing are served better there.

However, Villa may need to re-visit other targets, such as Brighton’s Yves Bissouma, if they are to land that new central midfielder.

[Blues Forever 1,031]

It is true that Koulibaly likes Barcelona and is on their list, other clubs like Chelsea also interested in him. De Laurentiis doesn't want to lose Koulibaly for free and will ask around €30m - €40m.