31 Jul 2021 20:04:34
So Fabrizio Romano reckons Koundé is going to be our only signing for a fee this window.
Disappointing if true, but I suppose we have to seriously consider this possibility.
As a result, which 3 loan players from last season would you add to the squad? For me, it's Malang Sarr, RLC and Broja.


1.) 31 Jul 2021
31 Jul 2021 20:52:45
Non-Penalty Goals vs Expected goals for the PL since Tuchel arrived:

-Chelsea: 20:29.3 | Difference: -9.28
Rank in PL: 20th
(Below all relegated teams such as Fulham, Sheffield Utd and West Brom, for context)

Compared to the winners
-Manchester City: 50:34.6 Difference: +15.40
Rank in PL: 1st
(A team about to acquire Jack Grealish in PL record deal and Harry Kane, potentially, for another record deal)

I do not mean to be overly negative here, but being pragmatic, the club can have no complaints come next Christmas if they are nowhere near competing for the PL. Tuchel cannot turn water in to wine again and if the reports of no signing beyond Kounde are true; despite a month being left in the window; words are not sufficient to express my disappointment.

An elite level striker (Either Haaland, Lukaku, Kane or Lewandowski) was needed. The club need one more than any other team in Europe, despite the incredible, albeit unexpected, CL win. If all are out of reach; expectations of competing for all major honours again next season need to be recalibrated.

Despite a month being left, the reality is that it is less than two weeks to the super cup. Time is running out and whilst it’s important to be calm, it is not looking promising in the area of the squad which requires strengthening the most.


2.) 31 Jul 2021
31 Jul 2021 21:16:49
I’m sure we will be announcing a signing next week and maybe two more will follow very soon after that.

Let’s all be patient and trust that the club is doing everything it can to sign quality players.


3.) 31 Jul 2021
31 Jul 2021 22:39:17
RJ28P You are a troll and not welcome on here, go get yourself a girlfriend or boyfriend and stop pestering us and the hard working EDs. grow up.


4.) 31 Jul 2021
31 Jul 2021 23:37:01
Careful BlueDay1, you'll be told you are trolling because you are being honest in admitting not everything is perfect.

{Ed0666's Note - you’re getting grief because you’re having a tantrum and acting like a diva. You’re gonna sign Kounde one of the best 3 centre backs that are moving in Europe I’m my opinion (The other two being Alaba and Toress) and I’m sure working on other deals that may or may not come to fruition. Even if you don’t sign anyone apart from Kounde you have an outrageous squad that is very capable of winning. Believe me Kounde is an extraordinary player who will elevate you markedly.


5.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 02:34:35
Ed0666, let me give you an extended answer to prove I am not trolling as I keep being accused of.
I agree we have a fantastic squad and a world class manager. We are European Champions which is an immense albeit unexpected achievement this season. I have not said at any point I don't think that. However, I think it is legitimately fair to say that in the past season, the biggest barriers to CFC challenging for the Premier League title has not been lack of defensive stability, nor has it been actual creativity. It has been taking chances.
Our chance creation and xG has been on the level of Manchester City, our conversion rate has not. You can attribute this to a number of factors: the blunt truth is that there is no consistently reliable finisher in the squad at this moment in time. Will Kai Havertz be that man? Possibly, but I think relying on him in that regard stifles his creative abilities. Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech and Pulisic all are not this type of player. Werner's on a crisis of confidence and form in front of goal. Resultantly, in my view, Chelsea needed to go out this window and bring in a striker who can lead the line as well as finish consistently. The best Chelsea sides in PL era have had that sort of centre forward: Hasselbaink, Drogba, Diego Costa. I'd even throw Giroud in that list too.
The obvious names for this are Erling HÃ¥land, Romelu Lukaku, Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski. I think it's fair to say the latter two will not happen and if Kane does leave, it will be to Manchester City. The former feels like this summer's Jadon Sancho. Chelsea are expecting a discount which will not come and as the days tick by, this becomes more clear. For Lukaku, the player seems settled in Italy and he has quashed any notion of leaving, so this appears unlikely too. Are there less obvious names? Yes, but they'd be more of a gamble, something I don't think Chelsea can really afford considering how well that has paid off in the recent years.
A similar debate can be made about the midfield: how many times have Chelsea looked weak and exposed when Kanté is missing, injured or suspended? Kovacic and Jorginho are brilliant technical players but again the best Chelsea sides in Premier League era had a Makelele, Essien, Matic foil on the midfield. We should currently have one still: he's captaining West Ham instead. It's pretty clear they are in a poor financial position, that the player wants a return to Chelsea and that a deal is plausible. I would have been jumping on this if I had been in charge, especially as Tuchel likes the player too. I am not saying Jules Koundé isn't a great player. He's brilliant too and certainly is a top young central defender. However given that we've just won the UCL mainly on defensive solidity, this to me was the least critical position this summer for the reasons explained above.
In regards to sales. Tuchel clearly doesn't think that Abraham is the man and his authority must be absolute. There is clearly interest in the player. Chelsea appear to be pricing him out with unrealistic valuations. There are a number of other names this appears to apply to: Alonso, Zappacosta, Kenedy, Bakayoko, Emerson to name a few. We need to accept that a number of these players have been poor signings and have no chance of enhancing the current squad as they are not good enough in Tuchel's view. They also deserve to focus on their careers rather than being frozen out or stuck in loan limbo again. I fear the latter is more likely, meaning this same conversation will role around next summer too.
I'll finish by saying although Thomas Tuchel has signed a new deal, he has previously left two clubs because of reasons relating to transfers. We've seen this same stubborn attitude towards buying and selling wreck the 3rd year of Jose's 1st and 2nd spell, as well as Conté's 2nd year. He has been abundantly clear last year about the need for additional options in the midfield and about the need for a striker. Fail to provide these and a poor start to the season and the British media rumour mill will start to churn, which is never a good thing.
I hope you now appreciate I am not trolling; I am just concerned I have seen this script before and last time it ended in Bakayoko, Morata, Zappacosta and Drinkwater, none of whom have been a success. I agree there is still time to rectify this and I hope the club do, but with 2 weeks until our first match (and it being another chance at silverware), I would have hoped we'd have made our major acquisitions beforehand to have time for them to adjust to our style of play and environment beforehand.

{Ed0666's Note - you’re in a healthy shaped financially, you’re an allure for any player in world football. I appreciate you’re exspansive response and the time and effort you took in writing it but if you know that you need a DM and a striker don’t you think Maria and Tuchel know this? The club will make signings and quality ones as Chelsea invariably do but you throwing you’re toys out of the pram isn’t gonna help any. The transfer window doesent shut for a while be patient and I’m sure you’re patience will be rewarded. And if it isn’t and that’s a big IF don’t discount Werner finishing off those chances you speak of. He’s had a year of premiership experience under his belt, the confidence of winning a massive massive trophy and let’s face it he can’t carry on missing sitters. You’ll be ok. At least you’re not signing Bowen line we may be. Have a super Sunday mate.


6.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 05:58:45
Thanks ed0666 for spending time to respond … it’s been long that we have heard from you here. Hope all is well.

I truly hope we don’t let city run away with it even thought they may have signed jack and Harry.

RJ28P you’ve made your point which I’m sure is known by all… how about just waiting to see how things unfold .

KTBFFH.

{Ed0666's Note - no worries fella I haven’t been around on the Chelsea page much because I was fighting fires on the Liverpool and Everton pages 😂

I’m not so sure city will run away with it as Everton have signed Townsend lol. No seriously I think Chelsea have an excellent chance and I’m sure you’ll reinforce with some humdinger transfers of which kounde will be one. If anyone is short it’s Liverpool. I’d like a midfielder and a pack wide forward but I appreciate we have restrictions financially so maybe a couple of out before we bring 1 or 2 in.


7.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 00:44:17
Keep the the moaning about lack of signings until after the window has closed please. Even if we don’t sign anyone by the Super Cup, so what, we will still win it. Calm down.


8.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 06:16:39
RJ28P, I think you're looking at it a little one dimensionally; as if this coming season is our last.

It would appear Lukaku isn't available, same goes for Lewandowski and Kane just isn't going to move between Spurs and Chelsea. Then we have Haaland who, at an all round huge price there remains a chance we could sign. But, as top strikers go, it's Haaland or bust.

We aren't going to spend for the sake of it. A half decent option, like a Ings, will still carry a big fee, and won't be much better than what we have. Isn't it better to keep our powder dry for a year, if we can't get the players we want?

Like I said the other day, this is the start for this squad of players. The core of this squad could be together for the next decade, we need to think long-term, not just about what we'll win next season.


9.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 07:15:13
J that's fine in theory - but if we have a poor season, the likes of Bayern will look at Havertz etc. and think we can take them back. Then you suddenly you end up with a lot of gaps very quickly. Plus next season all of Kanté, Kovacic and Jorginho will be approaching or be 30+.
Jimbo, Dareryk- Fine, I'll just stop posting until August 31st and then I'll assess the situation. I do, however, think constantly labelling me as a troll is unfair.
Ed066, your comments on Bowen are harsh. He's an utter workhorse, has an eye for goal that gets sacrificed in WHU's less expansive system. He'd get at least 10-15 goals in Liverpool's side as a rotation option. And as an added bonus, it means you might finally give up on Adama. Plus he is homegrown which helps squadbuilding. What is not to like?

{Ed0666's Note - if he was signing for Chelsea would you be happy? He’s ok but a downgrade on what we have and for that kind of money of money we should be signing a player of equivalent ability. I get he’s pacy, can play on both flanks and scores a goal and he’s got more to his game than traore and if he does sign I’ll support him as he’ll be a red. I truly hope he proves me wrong.


10.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 08:23:18
RJ

We'll look forward to your post on the 31st at 11pm (not before) .

I genuinely hope that you feel better about the future then.


11.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 09:31:33
RJ28P, nowhere has Fabrizio said that. Go on, prove mr wrong.


12.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 12:59:00
Half bread is better than chin-chin; let’s sign the Jules Kounde first before talking of other ‘big transfers’.


13.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 13:13:02
RJ28p I think you definitely have a point, but it's too early to be critical. Once the window is over, you're responses will be more than fair and I agree with them. Chelsea simply cannot rest on there laurels once again.


14.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 14:41:13
We can not afford to sell Abraham.


15.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 13:50:48
On last season’s performances I’m not a fan of Ziyech but him CHO and Pusilic would be in my squad all day long over Bowen.


16.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 18:33:29
RJ
I have just caught up with posts. I want to make it clear that I expressed an opinion that we should wait until the transfer window ends before we make judgements. : not that you should not continue to post and I certainly did not accuse you of being a troll. If we do not make any significant signings, I too will be disappointed and I am sure there will be a lot of discussion on this site. Let’s hope for the best.