09 Apr 2017 21:08:46
Big big wins against City and Bournemouth following the Palace defeat. Conte and the players are really focused. See this through and add maybe 3 or 4 players in the summer and we can challenge on all fronts next Season. Don't hear much from the early season neg's anymore! Glass always half full.
10 Apr 2017 11:53:10
I hope we give some of the youngsters some playing time. Its all well and good buying ready made players but we don't want to block the youth development. There has to be a balance, but in Conte I trust!
10 Apr 2017 12:53:53
Couldn't agree more there's no point having the best youth team about if we don't use them. Id take fourth happily for a few years to start intergrating some youth as long when or if it happens everyone is realistic about the expectations
Think a lf cb is a must this summer i like cahill but it really unbalances the team when he has to come inside all the time.
10 Apr 2017 14:42:05
Why would Chelsea ever settle for 4th place Danny? We are a club owned by a serial winner, a club managed by a Coach who would never ever settle for 4th place just to bring in some young prospects. We are a top top table club hence why it is difficult to make the matchday 18 never mind the starting 11. Do you really think our top players would hang around knowing the club's ambition was to finish 4th in order to blood some youngsters? They want the world's best in the squad to challenge the Barca's and Madrids of this world. If, and it is a big if, the young players are good enough they will go on loan, improve and come back ready as happened with Coutouis who replaced a legend of a keeper in Cech. Christensen might be the next one to break through and then Tammy if he has another good season on loan.
10 Apr 2017 14:58:00
It's hard with youngsters because the choice the manager has is, shall he weaken the starting 11 to play younger players who may or may not turn out good enough, for example rlc he's a good young player, but if he starts instead of hazard, Willian or Pedro the team will be weaker because he isn't as good as them players, he could get to there level, flip a coin basically, so it has to be a time and a place for bedding youngsters, i. e. Calling cup games, early round of fa cup and when we are 3 -0 up with half hour to go, but again if we start 4/ 5 of them at once we would be a lot weaker, and with the managers job being on the line, it's a huge difference between wing the under 18 fa cup and playing a premiership game week in week out, huge catch 22, I would say our loan system would work if we loaned them out until they are ready to come back and improve our team, instead of being Nathan ake and just sitting on the bench, he should of stayed at Bournemouth, this year and next season, get 3 full seasons under his belt then come back 23 years old ready to play week in week out, same with christenson.
10 Apr 2017 16:46:05
As I say we have to trust Conte and I except Roman wants continued success but there is nothing like having one, two or if lucky three home grown players in the first team. Of course they have deserve their place but we have to give them a chance or we end up having to buy them back like Bertrand. Remember we didn't give Lukaku a chance but having said that, from what I gather about his arrogant personality that's not surprising!
10 Apr 2017 20:22:17
Really valid point g8 just doesn't seem they'll ever get the chance if we're not more open to intergrating them and lowering expectations ever so slightly and another good point as well cat but is the carling cup fa cup really gunna show us how good they are especially when the games are so far between Klopp for example is not afraid to throw them in as this something when managers arrive they state what they like to do? Does anyone know if conte has ever been one for bringing youth through?
10 Apr 2017 20:43:54
yeah let's settle for 4th place and while we are at it let's change our name to Arsenal!
10 Apr 2017 21:42:55
Let's never settle for anything other than winning the league. I have faith in the youngsters and I'm sure more than one will be in the starting eleven next year.