Kinda wish the preseason tour was cancelled. Conte doesn't officially come on board till after the Euros anyway. Then about a month until EPL season starts. Just seems like a short amount of time to get tactics/message across
I think there will be solid investment and squad turnover as well I think the target next season is clearly 4th. We need to get back into the champions league. If we can start off and be 3rd-6th around December I think we get there. Squad should start to gel going into the new year and the lack of European commitment should help us stay fresh. I agree though that he US tour might be pushing it. I would be less concerned if I trusted our board and transfer people but they have proved inept. Hopefully conte has given them his targets and they are already working on it. Also wouldn't hurt if our Chinese friends overpaid for 1 or 2 more players like they did for Ramires
I have no clue what the squad will look like next year. Seems like a lot of big names are in flux in addition to the new manager. It will be interesting for sure.
Seems like conte will prioritize the midfield. Would be nice if we did away with the #10. I don't watch enough serie A to know everything about conte but from what I have read he mostly uses two up top in either 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. I don't like 3-5-2 and don't think we have the personnel for it so I wouldn't be shocked if we went 4-4-2. Only issue is hazard either plays off the forward in a 4-4-1-1 or he is gone. I can't see him excelling as a winger in a more traditional 4-4-2. Mahrez does alright for Leicester but he plays more defense than hazard, Leicester don't have cesc in the midfield, we don't have Kante who is basically makalele and does the defensive work of two men. Pogba is the dream but would be nice to grab Vidal. Either way it is obvious we need more energy in the midfield. Basically we need ramires' work rate on a midfielder who is technically sound and understands the game Also if he is playing 2 up top we will need 3 forwards and maybe 4. Tough to have that much turnover but remy, falcao and pato are most likely gone and Costa is apparently mad at the FA for always suspending him and wants out. If we play two forwards and keep only Traore that might mean a need for a load of new signings
I will be moderately surprised if Ricardo Rodriguez isn't at or near the top of Guardiola's wish list for this summer. Seems like a perfect fit. Very dangerous with free kicks.
Not sure why this is posted in the Chelsea thread but I am a fan of his. I would certainly not be upset if that happened
Fuck I don't know how that happened either. When I saw that I had been quoted in this thread that I haven't posted in for months I was terrified that it was a bump to show something I said that came back to bite me in the ass. Apologies to the Chelsea lot.
Wouldn't shock me if we went after him. We could play cesc next to him and I wouldn't be afraid of cesc defense
I will absolutely revoke that apology if my nightmare scenario of Lukaku returning to Chelsea comes true. Everton is like his modestly attractive second wife that treats him right and wouldn't dream of ever cheating on him. Chelsea is like his gorgeous first wife that didn't treat him right and will always be on the lookout for a striker to cheat on him with. The first wife will probably get her way I've pretty much accepted that he's leaving but am hoping he's going to PSG who Everton have zero chance of playing unless it's a preseason friendly.
Do any of you know if Hazard is well liked by the rest of the team? I'm sure they liked him last year when he was consistently great but I'm guessing things aren't the same this season. I remember when he was playing for Lille that he rubbed a lot of his teammates the wrong way because even early in the Ligue 1 season he would talk to the media about which Premier League team he would be playing for the following year.
obviously hope he comes back, was pretty disappointed when we pushed him out regarding Hazard, no idea but it wouldn't surprise me if half our team hated each-other given how this year went
I know it needs to happen but every time I think about blowing up the team, I get nervous and excited at the same time. Sending off Hazard and Costa? Nervous. Bringing back Lukaku and signing Pogba ? Excited.
Yeah will be interesting for sure... could go a lot of ways. Like RavenNole has been saying though, our last couple transfer windows do not inspire a lot of confidence that we are going to pull off the rebuild right. Hopefully Conte has a plan he can execute.
Back 4 are terrible, Fabregas has been shit most of the half, and Pato horribly missed his only chance of the half.
I was sleeping off my hangover and im glad I didn't watch. Can someone explain to me what oscar brings to the table though? He has decent stats every year but they are horribly misleading. seems to me like every 10 games he has one decent game, one incredible game where he runs the show and 8 shitty games If china wants him and they are paying good money they can have him
I think everyone is in favor of selling Oscar if a Chinese club comes in with a massive bid like before. Without Champions League we're gonna have to shell out a lot for quality players and there's zero reason to believe the club can find a bargain.
@Matt_Law_DT @JakeFCohen mourinho told the Chelsea board to keep him but player pushed for move and club fancied the cash https://twitter.com/Matt_Law_DT/status/719984391896883201
apparently ngolo Kante is available for £20m this summer. Some are saying there is a release clause. We need to be all over that and offer him all the rubles
Talk about an unheralded guy, he's been playing like Makalele since last season. And he seems to absolutely destroy teams when they play other title challengers.
mikel has been AWFUL. Ivanovic and Cahill should be backups. Azpi just isnt good as a RB. Baba is terrible. Willian is a solid 3rd player in the attacking 3 but just doesnt do enough unless he is playing with a stud like on form hazard. Pedro is meh. Costa is trying but the midfield isnt good enough. RLC has looked solid though
he is but moreso for what he has done before this game. Looking good against Ivanovic and Cahill doesnt prove much. Looking good against PSG does
Yeah more about how good he's been all season for us. The attack with him vs without him is night and day. Much like what the back line with and without Kompany has been like most the season. Belgium
RLC needs to drop back and play deeper. Pedro was probably our best player today. Zabaleta should have been sent off. We are pure shit. Hate this group right now. They just don't give a shit.
If Mikel plays the next game he must have some kinda incredible blackmail over Hiddink. Gotta love the consistency of taking off Miazga for his fuckup last week and not Mikel this week.
Or Cahill. I don't know why these managers keep picking these shitty "experienced" players who fucking suck yet a young Player has to be perfect or he is benched indefinitely. Then people wonder why young players can't play well under that kind of pressure