Can't avoid talking about it any longer, Spurs next.

Conte has clearly struggled this year, he's not enjoying himself and I think he'll happily move on in the summer. This has a 'mutual consent' parting written all over it.

I think we still have the makings of a good team with the squad we have but the signings of the last 12 months have largely been a failure. Rudiger and Morata are decent enough (and young enough to improve) but we've bought 3 midfielders and still not solved the issue of who plays there with Kante.

Not sure what the answer is. Its a very competitive league so any short comings are shown up pretty quickly (ditto Arsenal). Maybe now is the time to promote and push some of the youth rather than come up short trying to compete with the Mancs in the transfer market again. Might even find a gem or two like Spurs have with Alli and Kane.

 

Even as I type, I am starting to think that our problems go deeper than our on field form. As you and Bobby and Blueman have said collectively, is it the system, is it the Managers' attitude, the lack of depth or all of the above? We could try 2 up front, Luiz in midfield, Emerson and Callum Odei, but there is still no plan, no core ,no direction. Maybe we do need a complete clean out and a new Manager, but we've done that before and still end up in the same place. So do you agree that our situation can be broken down to 2 scenarios?
1. RA does his usual hire and fire and nothing changes except the names and faces.
2. RA decides to run the Club differently, loses the cronies, and embarks on building a modern successful Club.
Who will be the Manager in scenario 1? Another success from another Club? He's won things, get him in and he can win us things. Doesn't really matter, as the managers from the past have never been matched with the players they inherit, and never had an opportunity to do anything except bring in who is needed to win now. What will be the result? More of the same, boom and bust.
Scenario 2. Can RA change? I doubt it, Billionaires rarely accept that they are ever wrong. Look at Zuckerberg defending Facebook in the face of overwhelming negative evidence. And he makes RA look like a pauper. Does RA have the commitment to Chelsea to stay the distance that is now necessary? I hope so, but don't think so. With the time it will take to rebuild a new structure, the cost, the ongoing Stadium dramas, to say nothing of the Russian Oligarch inquisition that is to come, I think he might walk away. Without a new 65,000 ground we are financially ****ed and that is at least 3 years away, by which time Spurs, the Manchester Clubs and Liverpool will have left us in their wake.
Interesting times, and we are in deep ****, rudderless, clueless and directionless.
So much for philosophy, lets talk about the next game and who will play.

 

not so sure that the stadium issue is a massive thing. Yes more fans = more money but really the difference is around 20m a year i think?

I think more revenue nowadays is a global thing + prize money in terms of CL and PL. Agree though that RA might be sick of bank rolling us.

Either we need to become more dominant in midfield in terms of passing and dribbling, or we need more dominant wing backs (and by that, ones who can dribble and run past the opposition). As great as Alonso has been, for me, he's an upgraded paulo ferreira and he doesn't have the speed or strength to out muscle/out power past an opposition. On the opposite side Moses doesn't (or maybe commanded) go past his winger/run past his winger enough. The whole point of the 3 at the back and 2 Dms to me is that both FB just let rip and go for it.

Not sure how good emerson is but he had a good rep back in italy and for the inconsistency Zappa has, he always has a go and he's always taking on his man so would like to see them a bit more if we don't sort out our CM (kante is brilliant but he isn't a ball player/driivng midfielder and the less said about everyone else the better).

That or we switch back to 4 at the back so we have the extra man in midfield.

As for a wildcard striker who we could probably get in cheap who i think is really under the radar, i wouldn't mind us snapping up soloman rondon. Yea WBA are going down but the guys a beast with speed and power. Except for his finishing he has it all and tbh he was finishing beautifully in his first season until he got Pulissed

 

I suspect you've both got this the wrong way round

 

Personnel is no way as bad as you are making out.

Team spirit is also a crucial issue this calendar year.

We lack pace obviously, maybe Emerson and Hudson can help.

We need a new leader in defence unless someone can revive Luiz. Could Dave or rudi step up under a new coach.

And need a powerful box to box midfielder Essien style to play alongside Kante. Doesn’t look like Baka is that man. I think we need someone older with leadership qualities.

Up front unless Morata changes we need a mentally stronger striker.

Didier and Costa’s leadership skills are missed.

 

Not read all of this thread{too pissed off to bother},but thought both Hazard and Willian had poor games.
When that happens we can't beat anyone.......Spurs were the better team in the second half,having said that
our defending for all 3 goals was poor.

 

Are you real? Pool & Spuds had worse signings than we did. But Klopp and Poch managed way better.

Pool bought a Judas reject for peanuts.
Spuds bought few other rejects.
Cfc added more than Pool & Spuds put together, still Tony went out of his way to Fcuk up.

 

Aw ****, the idiots back.

 

Tbf mate you are the last one to ask about me being real.

 

Plastic Sherman who probably thinks London is in Indonesia.

 

No mate, compare our signings to Pool & Spuds then make your statement.
Our squad and signings were WAY better.

This is on Tony

 

Barkley, Drinkwater & Bakayoko compared to Davison Sanchez, Lucas Moura & Serge Aurier. You sir are a deluded Spastic.

 

Do you really believe that our signings improved our squad?

 

Exactly. The 3 midfielders we bought would not be an improvement on the one we sold to Utd if they all played and we had 13 men on the field.

 

Signings had 0 factor when Tony threw in the towel Day 1.

Effectively our squad & signings are /were better than Spuds or Pool.
Do you agree with that or not?

 

You sir are a total buffoon

 

Why did they let the twat back?

 

lol
Can't perma ban him for being an idiot, unfortunately. Well i could, but that would be a huge breach of site policy to be honest.
#corruptmod
Some people thought even a weeks ban was harsh
We are just going to have to put up with his spastication until the men in white coats take him away I am afraid.

 

And BTW, goes without saying that Stan is wrong.
Our signings were ****ing terrible, like I said the other day, of all the players we have signed in the last 12 months, the only one I would keep is Rudiger, the rest have been utter ****e.
Morata is a good player, but we do not play to his strengths, and he will not come good with us unless we completely change styles.
Bakayoko has been utter ****, that's been covered in numerous threads
Drinkwater is bland and mediocre as **** and is always injured.
Ditto with Barkley (plus he has a ****ing stinking attitude)
Zappacosta, is meh as ****. No where near the quality we should be looking for.

Players we lost, Costa, Matic, Terry, Ivanovic...........you really think we improved?

 

Hmmm, I just did, and it looks like one of Liverpools summer signings has been tearing **** up in the league and is currently the leagues top scorer.....you plank!