Lets do a game that should get the view of many of the Chelsea fans in the forum, lets piece together the 25 man squad for next season, I will start by placing the guys who are more than definitely going to be at the Bridge next season and then we can fill in the gaps Will edit the squad as we decide on the players Think we can go with 3 GKs, 8 DFs, 10 MFs, 4 STs based on our probable 1 up front strategy Goalkeepers 1 Petr Cech 2 3 Defenders 4 Cesar Azpilicueta 5 6 Branislav Ivanovic 7 Gary Cahill 8 9 John Terry 10 Ashley Cole 11 Ryan Bertrand Midfielders 12 John Obi Mikel 13 14 15 Ramires 16 Oscar 17 18 19 Juan Mata 20 21 Eden Hazard Strikers/Forwards 22 23 Demba Ba 24 25 So come on guys lets come together and pick our squad, bit by bit starting with : The Goalkeeper
Sentinement aside - Courtois is looking better than Cech already. However, he hasn't had Premier League playing time. It's a tough one - Cech for another season and then Courtois season after. One thing we know is we can't let Athletico have him for another season. Promote Blackman and then push Turnbull back for now.
Haha, Malouda is still at Chelsea! I'd loan Courtios to a premier league team to get him used to it then he'll be ready to fill Cechs boots.
Cech for another season, Courtois back in the Jan period and half a season. Luiz for mine looks like he should be midfield. His pace ,passing and defence can all be utilised better there, and he is still an absolutely excellent fill in in defence if necessary. Moses is a ready made wide front man. personally I have worries about JT and Cahill, both have been extremely ordinary of late, though there are reasons for JT. He will need to step up, and quickly, to keep his place in my opinion. It is now the time to seriously consider Lukaku, Piazon, McEachren, De Bruyne and Chalobah for promotion, they can't keep on running in the wilderness. We only need buy 2 players, a striker and more importantly a controlling midfielder.
Boy are we going to be low on English trained players. 3 short for the Prem and 4 short for Europe(if we get it!!!!!)
That's why some of the youth players have to step up into the main squad and probably why Turnball and not Hilario will be 3rd choice keeper next year (assuming Courtois comes).
My feelings are one more year for Cech, loan Courtois to West Ham for the season, that way he stays local and can be easily recalled if needed. turnbull is out of contract, as is Hilario so I dont know what the situation is, they must be preparing to bring Courtois back. 1 Cech 2 Courtois 3 Blackman or Walker The Defence Onto defence and my immediate signing to bring back would be Kenneth Omeruo, been able to get a great look at him playing for Nigeria in the Nations Cup, keeping captain Joseph Yobo out of the team. Marshalled Drogba out of the game on Sunday. Chelsea could not keep him due to work permit problems but with his extended starting berth in the national side he should be able to attain it. Im not sure exactly what is going to happen with Wallace, whether he comes into the squad or goes out on loan. Maybe we could bring Kalas back too as he has been paying at RB depite being a CB DEF: Azpi - Kalas - Omeruo - Cahill - Terry - Ivanovic - Cole - Bertrand with possibly Ake starting to get some games
I would have thought we would have offered Turnbull a contract if we wanted him to stay.He's free to talk to other clubs right now. Moses counts as Englished trained. Think he'll definitely be here. Can't see us selling Romeu.
I'll fill the gaps that I'd pick! Goalkeepers 1. Cech 2. Turnbull (English, and face it we're not going to get anyone else without splashing plus we have Courtois who I'd loan out again) 3. Blackman (good youth prospect, not sure why hasn't been given ANY game time in COC or something) Defenders 4 Cesar Azpilicueta 5 Chalobah (English, looks like an amazing prospect) 6 Branislav Ivanovic 7 Gary Cahill 8 Luke Shaw (from Southampton, great replacement for Ash) 9 John Terry 10 Ashley Cole 11 Ryan Bertrand Midfielders 12 John Obi Mikel 13 De Bruyne (looks quality, and we should really have kept him) 14 Lamps (obviously providing we offer him a new deal, which I hope we do) If not Lamps then I'd go for a Modric/Moutinho type player who can create from deep 15 Ramires 16 Oscar 17 McEachran (give the lad a chance) 18 Luiz (definitely see him as a midfield player who could be back up to our defence) 19 Juan Mata 20 (A proper right winger, Nani would be an amazing buy imo. Correct me if I'm wrong but his contract runs out very soon) 21 Eden Hazard Strikers/Forwards 22 Moses (I'd class as a forward) 23 Demba Ba 24 (Haven't the foggiest who but we NEED someone, Cavani maybe? Neymar as said in another thread?) 25 Islam Feruz (need to promote the youth a lot more and give this lad, who looks like he's going to be first class, a chance) This squad obviously providing we get Champ League. The likes of Romeu, Marin, Piazon, Kalas, Lukaku, loaned out to Premier League clubs. Don't see why we always shift them abroad where they won't get the PL experience they need.
Good shout all round but I think 3 left backs is unlikely. Shaw may be one for 18 months time of buy and loan back for a season. I also think Luiz (rightly or wrongly) will continue to be seen mainly as a C.B. However Chalobah and Luiz probably cover a C.B and Midfield position between them so all I'd change defence wise is a right back in for Shaw (maybe Wallace). In midfield assuming Lampard goes (travesty), we'd need 2 midfield players. A winger and deep lying midfielder IMO. Moutinho and William perhaps or one of Piazon/Marin with Moutinho? Perhaps even a cheeky bid for Hulk who isn't getting on at Zenit? Up front if Torres goes Neymar would be amazing but wont come till 2014 anyway. Falcao or Cavani for me or Levandowski (sic?).
Goalkeepers 1. Cech 2. Turnbull 3. Blackman Keep Turnbull as he's Homegrown and i wouldn't want Courtois sat on the bench every week so unless swapped with Cech i'd loan him out again. Defenders 4 Cesar Azpilicueta 5 Nathan Ake (Surprised he hasn't been played more this season, our best prospect IMO) 6 Branislav Ivanovic 7 Gary Cahill 8 Not sure, but with JT getting on and Luiz looking better when played in Midfield i think it might be time to look for a new Centre Half. 9 John Terry 10 Ashley Cole 11 Ryan Bertrand Midfielders 12 Ramires 13 Oscar 14 Hazard 15 Mata 16 Moses 17 Luiz 18 De Bruyne (versatile, can play wide and through the middle, should be in the squad now nevermind next season). 19 Lampard 20 Romeu 21 Modric/Fellaini/Witsel/Moutinho or any other Centre Mid who can control a game. 22 Mikel Strikers/Forwards 23 Demba Ba 24 Lukaku (Seen him play a number of times now and he'll shine for us next season if given the chance) 25 A new striker, world class one. Cavani/Falcao etc, the usual names. We need one. I'm not sure who's Homegrown at the club and i know it takes a few seasons to get that status but there are plenty homegrown in England.
Lewendowski! I knew I was thinking of someone. He'd be great to have, his contract expires next year too. As for William, I assume you mean Willian? If so he went to Anzi on deadline day for £30m
I guess probably not, no. But at the same time having just Falcao and Ba wouldn't be enough, it only takes a long term injury to one of them and we're left with only one other option. Although we only play with one striker i still think we need three in the squad.
The main thing for me is being able to change the formation at will, say to a front two so that having 3 strikers can work in the squad, that means buying a central midfielder that can both pass, get stuck in and is technically gifted, to me that spells out Fellaini. My Squad 1 Cech - 2 Courtois - 3 Blackman (HG) 4 Azpilicueta - 5 Terry (HG) - 6 Cahill (HG) - 7 Omeruo (HG) 8 - Ivanovic - 9 Cole - 10 Bertrand - 11 Ake (HG?) 12 Fellaini - 13 - Mikel - 14 Ramires - 15 Chalobah (HG) - 16 Luiz 17 Mata - 18 Oscar - 19 - Hazard - 20 Moses (HG) - 21 De Bruyne 22 Ba - 23 Lukaku - 24 Neymar - 25 Feruz (HG) Thats 8 homegrown with a few Im not sure on
Got nothing to do so here's my full, ideal squad - GK - Cech - Blackman - Walker LB - Cole - Shaw - Bertrand CB - Ivanovic - Cahill - Terry - Omuero RB - Wallace - Azpillicueta - Kalas CM - Lampard - Luiz - Ramires - Mikel - Romeu - Fellaini CAM - Mata - Hazard - Oscar - De Bruyne - Piazon - Moses - Piazon ST - Cavani - Ba - Feruz Obviously I have left out some notable players (McEachran, Lukaku etc) and that just means that I think they should remain on loan.
Default formation: 4-2-3-1 1. Cech 23. Courtios 22. Turnbull (Cech's form suffers from lack of competition - the challenge of Courtios would improve Cech and Turnbull) 28. Azpillicueta 15. Hutchinson (Bring Sam back into the squad, useful HG player, and ivanovic or Luiz can still provide able cover if sam does get injured again) 26. Terry 2. Ivanovic 24. Cahill 4. Luiz (also a regular DM option) 3. Cole 34. Bertrand 12. Mikel 6. Romeu 8. Lampard 5. McEachran (McEachran should be Lampard's understudy in his final year(s) just like Bertrand is benefitting from Cole) 7. Ramires 14. De Bruyne 21. Marin (one season is not enough to judge him on, there have been glimpses of quality, but team mates not on the same wavelength yet) 13. Moses 10. Mata 11. Oscar 17. E.hazard (7 Attacking Midfielders for 3 attacking positions, with plenty of flexibility - 3/4 #10's, 3 wingers, etc) 29. Ba 9. Torres 18. Lukaku (unlikely to play with more than one up front, so 3 strikers is enough, as Moses can also cover. these three would be in equal competition) Theres no need for us to go out and buy big, its about time we trusted in what we have. theres no one in that squad that i personally would sell, and its a young team, with plenty of flexibility. forget Falcao, neymar etc, and focus on developing our many youngsters into first team challengers. Chalobah, Clifford, Saville and Bamford should be our priority, with the intention of them being first team squad players in 3-5 years. I for one will be dissapointed if we go out and buy several big names yet again, especially with our manager turnover, all coming in with their different opinions, tactics and playing styles
