2019/20 Rivals - Chelsea

CM10

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Chelsea nearly got sucked into the relegation battle around Christmas last time Hazard didn't turn up for the season :smirk:

In all seriousness though, I think a lot will hinge on who they replace Sarri with. Hudson-Odoi aside, their attacking options look pretty bleak. The transfer ban could work to Chelsea's advantage insofar as it might actually force them to use some of their homegrown/loan players who are usually ignored but it's a big job for anyone who takes it on. They barely stumbled to a Champions League place with Hazard in the side so it's hard to imagine what they'll be like without him.
 

Dumbstar

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Agree with the youth point. That is a huge unknown. Chelsea may hit the jackpot by playing 6 or 7 youth players (minus Cho) in their starting XI, specially if they get a manager that can tap that potential. Chelsea could finish anywhere from 4th to 12th. :eek:
 

Mark_Barca

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I think people will be in for a shock on how Chelsea cope without Hazard. They became predictable at times with him.

22 games last year where Hazard did not start. 19 wins and 3 draws. Yeah 3 or so games he came on and had an impact but they coped fine without him mainly. In fact they scored 31 goals in the 10 games he didn't feature.

I think Willian, Pedro, Pulisic and CHO will be enough in the wide areas and not only chip in to cover the lose of productivity but make them less predictable and produce more varied plays. Someone will step up and convert the penalties Hazard took albeit maybe not scoring 95% of them.

They were not getting near the title with or without him.
 

Makelele

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I think people will be in for a shock on how Chelsea cope without Hazard. They became predictable at times with him.

22 games last year where Hazard did not start. 19 wins and 3 draws. Yeah 3 or so games he came on and had an impact but they coped fine without him mainly. In fact they scored 31 goals in the 10 games he didn't feature.

I think Willian, Pedro, Pulisic and CHO will be enough in the wide areas and not only chip in to cover the lose of productivity but make them less predictable and produce more varied plays. Someone will step up and convert the penalties Hazard took albeit maybe not scoring 95% of them.

They were not getting near the title with or without him.
People forget football is a team game. Bigger players than Hazard have gone and teams have coped. A classic example is Zidane at Juventus.
 

Josep Dowling

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We are in a bad position but Chelsea losing Hazard is massive. They can’t even spend themselves out of the situation.

Sarri wants to leave so they are looking for a new manager. It’s actually crazy how far Chelsea, United and Arsenal have slumped in just a few years.

Hopefully one of those 3 sides can get themselves sorted out. I can’t deal with just Liverpool and City fighting it out for the title over the next 10 years.
 

MagicKarpet

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What is there for all to see? That the single properly creative player in their midfield and attack is leaving? He was IMO the best player in the league over the past 7 years since he joined - and Chelsea's play entirely revolved around him. Do you think they'll improve with Hazard gone and essentially being replaced by Pulisic? An attack of Willian (average), pedro (average), giroud, higuain, Hudson odoi and Pulisic really isnt very good. Hudson Odoi is exciting but very young so you cant have big expectations. Pulisic is decent, but nothing special and he'll have to adapt to the prem. Giroud is what he is. Higuain is far past it, not very good these days. Their midfield has little to no creativity as well. You need goals to win games, and they are losing their pretty much only creative force who was also their top scorer. Replacing that with nobody can't go well.
Right they lost Hazard granted and will struggle to replace him no doubt and that will send them backwards however I still put their squad over Utd's simply because they have better players in every department.

The only players that would walk into Chelsea's 11 unarguably as of now are DDG and Pogba, the rest no.

Also if they stay away from Lampard there's some experienced names on their managerial wishlist who by all accounts are better managers than Solskjaer.
 

Welby5

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We are in a bad position but Chelsea losing Hazard is massive. They can’t even spend themselves out of the situation.

Sarri wants to leave so they are looking for a new manager. It’s actually crazy how far Chelsea, United and Arsenal have slumped in just a few years.

Hopefully one of those 3 sides can get themselves sorted out. I can’t deal with just Liverpool and City fighting it out for the title over the next 10 years.
Utd and Chelsea have been in decline for more than a few years. 6 years for Utd. Though Chelsea have won two titles in the last 5 years, they've not been anywhere near the level of the peaktime era of Cech, A Cole, Terry, Lampard and Drogba. That team was remarkably consistent year after year, starting every season as one of the favs for the league and CL. Same with the peak era of Utd.
 

dove

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Worst predicament to be in. Lose your best player that you are unable to go out there and replace him unless that transfer ban gets lifted which I doubt it will.
We did it voluntarily in 2009.
 

Kag

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No manager. Best player (Hazard) gone. Striking options as bad as they’ve been in possibly thirty years.

There’s always a chance that their younger players make a breakthrough and they build on that, but this is Chelsea we’re talking about. I’d be seriously worried if I were a Chelsea supporter. They won’t be starting the upcoming season as well as they started the last one either.

Oh, they can’t buy anybody either...
 

izec

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They will fight for top 4 with us and Arsenal. Spurs, Pool and City will be ahead of us. They will be weaker than this season. Unless they work some magic, i see them at our level.

The 3 clubs need to look behind rather than forward, at Wolves, Everton and Leicester waiting to catch up to the top 6
 

Synco

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It's real bad luck for Chelsea that Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek are missing for months with the same freak injury, now that they need difference makers more than ever. RLC was already becoming one last season, and CHO showed plenty of potential as well. I hope they can fully recover and continue their development unhindered.
 

bosnian_red

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Right they lost Hazard granted and will struggle to replace him no doubt and that will send them backwards however I still put their squad over Utd's simply because they have better players in every department.

The only players that would walk into Chelsea's 11 unarguably as of now are DDG and Pogba, the rest no.

Also if they stay away from Lampard there's some experienced names on their managerial wishlist who by all accounts are better managers than Solskjaer.
Without Hazard there, De Gea in goal, Shaw gets in ahead of anyone they use at left back, Lindelof partners one of their CBs, Pogba in midfield, Martial and Rashford both get in ahead of their new left wing (whoever it is) and higuain/giroud. Or put Lukaku up top and Rashford wide left. 6 players either way pretty unquestionably. The bigger thing though is that the way the team is balanced. Chelsea just straight up don't have goalscoring options nor do they have creative options anymore. Uniteds squad isnt perfect, but it's not like we've been far away from the top 4. We had a disastrous season, and still almost made top 4, and outplayed Chelsea on all 3 occasions (under both managers).

You're massively overrating the rest of their players if you think they're comfortably ahead of United without Hazard... They only finished 6 points ahead with Hazard, and that's with United sropping 5 points to already relegated sides because they stopped caring and didn't have a chance anymore. Also you're massively underplaying the influence Hazard had on that side. Give them a few years and theyll be fine. But this season even if they could spend, they'd struggle. With no spending, I dont even have them in the top 6. 7th or 8th is where I think they finish with no spending. We'll see though.
 

bosnian_red

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People forget football is a team game. Bigger players than Hazard have gone and teams have coped. A classic example is Zidane at Juventus.
They recover but they feel the impact short term unquestionably. See Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Ronaldo at United as well, though it was somewhat different. Fergie was a genius who still grounded out points and challenged for everything, but the overall team unquestionably dropped a level when he left.

Also you have to look at the supporting staff. How do they play. Chelsea the last few years have been very reliant on Hazard for any bit of creativity or goalscoring. Barca will be the same if Messi left tomorrow. They have great players but they are pretty much nothing without Messi so they'd have a few years of transition til they recover.
 

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Losing their best and talismanic player, losing a highly regarded coach and not being able to buy any players this summer. I have never seen such a triple whammy in all my years of watching football. And yet there are one or two Chelsea fans here who still think the club will finish in the top 4 - you're having a laugh here. Chelsea will definitely be OUT of the top 6 and it really is their board's fault.
 

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If the transfer bans sticks, Batshuayi, Abraham, Reece James, Mason Mount, Bakayoko, Musonda and Clarke-Slater.
So hang on this great Baka form for Milan and they don't want to sign him full time...;) Chelsea are still well stocked in CM so still reckon you'd cash in if someone else bids.

First two will certainly be on the bench and get starts when Giroud is tired, I read Reece James picked up an injury for England? Clarke Slater never did much on loan at lower league clubs he's been at (seems he really struggled at Sunderland) so would be amazed if he gets games and Musonda looked really good a while ago but progress out on loan seems to have stalled in last 2 years.

It's really interesting with Chelsea, still have a solid core of 13-15 decent enough players if not match winners and never seems a club that gets big injury crisis so I think for a year they'll be competitive and actually interesting to see how they develop some of those fringe players e.g. would they play them away to Man. City or would they go safe with likes of Willian.
 

shiranaiotoko

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Definitely out of top 4, unless Spurs or Arsenal are going to have terrible season.
 
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KennyBurner

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Chelsea did very well with that hazard transfer to madrid. !30 million for a player with 1 year left on their contract? Splendid!

However with the transfer ban and hazard gone they might not finish top 8. They also have some serious injuries. RLC is out for a while when he was just doing so well toward the end of the season. We might not have to worry about come august.
 

Dancfc

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Chelsea did very well with that hazard transfer to madrid. !30 million for a player with 1 year left on their contract? Splendid!

However with the transfer ban and hazard gone they might not finish top 8. They also have some serious injuries. RLC is out for a while when he was just doing so well toward the end of the season. We might not have to worry about come august.
Now while I'm expecting a tough season, not even top 8? Come on be serious. Even our current side without Hazard is better than some of the shit United, Liverpool and Spurs teams that have been wielded out at various points this decade, none of which dropped from top 8.
 

Dancfc

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Losing their best and talismanic player, losing a highly regarded coach and not being able to buy any players this summer. I have never seen such a triple whammy in all my years of watching football.
Arsenal 2011. Lost Cesc, Nasri and started the season with an all time humiliation.
 

KennyBurner

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Now while I'm expecting a tough season, not even top 8? Come on be serious. Even our current side without Hazard is better than some of the shit United, Liverpool and Spurs teams that have been wielded out at various points this decade, none of which dropped from top 8.
Don’t think you really understand how impactful hazard was this season. Also your argument is pretty bad given the league is a lot better now than it was back then. You guys have a ban currently and Sarri’s current style doesn’t see you produce many chances. I just don’t see how you finish above 8th place. Your squad is just not as good as you think without hazard.

Whenever I do watch you guys I’m reminded of our squad under van gaal. Plenty possession with close no penetration. Now that hazard is gone where do the created chances come from. Pulisic?
 

Mb194dc

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Lolz thread.

We don't even have manager confirmed yet or any idea how we're going play and with which 11. We could also change owner, not probable,but it's certainly possible.

We could finish 1 - 10 or even fluke the CL again who knows.

If whoever comes is rubbish, they'll be sacked by Christmas and new manager again...
 

Dancfc

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Don’t think you really understand how impactful hazard was this season. Also your argument is pretty bad given the league is a lot better now than it was back then. You guys have a ban currently and Sarri’s current style doesn’t see you produce many chances. I just don’t see how you finish above 8th place. Your squad is just not as good as you think without hazard.

Whenever I do watch you guys I’m reminded of our squad under van gaal. Plenty possession with close no penetration. Now that hazard is gone where do the created chances come from. Pulisic?
The top six are better but are the rest?

Leicester, West Ham, Everton, Watford currently aren't better than the Everton 13/14, West Ham circa 14-16, Saints under Poch and Koeman, Newcastle 11/12,could even argue Palace of the 2015 calender year is better than them.

We are still pretty good on midfield and defense (bar the Bournemouth and City games our defensive record was pretty good and now we have one of the best young defenders coming in the squad) and a keeper who's probably the 4th best in the league, well 3rd on current form.

We tend to rely a lot on Hazard when he plays, the team tend to look for him to do something and make things happen and hide behind him, when he doesn't play they tend to take more responsibility themselves (our best moments of Sarri ball came when he hasn't played bar the Europa final) and our results without him under both Sarri and Conte have been pretty decent, not to mention players like Kepa, Jorginho, Kante, Christensen are almost certainly going to be a lot better next season which will go a decent way to making up for the loss of Eden's influence, especially in Jorginho's case as him on his game means we control the midfield.

If we can somehow get this ban suspended and get in a Pepe or a Neres i wouldn'ta be surprised if we improved as a unit despite Eden being better than both on his own.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he won't be a big loss if we can't replace him, he will, but such a loss that we will dive to midtable? Not a chance.
 

dove

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Lolz thread.

We don't even have manager confirmed yet or any idea how we're going play and with which 11. We could also change owner, not probable,but it's certainly possible.

We could finish 1 - 10 or even fluke the CL again who knows.

If whoever comes is rubbish, they'll be sacked by Christmas and new manager again...
I think you forgot about the transfer ban. If it stays, new owner won't be able to do anything and new manager, whoever he is, surely won't do better than 3rd with your current squad without Hazard.
 

Welby5

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The only players that would walk into Chelsea's 11 unarguably as of now are DDG and Pogba, the rest no.
Yes to Pogba, but no way would I take DDG over Kepa!
Kepa is never going to be in the class of Cech, but I'd take him any day over calamity Dave!
 

flappyjay

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People forget football is a team game. Bigger players than Hazard have gone and teams have coped. A classic example is Zidane at Juventus.
But those teams were not facing a transfer ban. If chelsea avoid the ban and get a proper striker they will be fine for top 4
 

ZolaWasMagic

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We wont finish top 8? That is absolutely nonsense. Of course we will. People seem to be forgetting we have very good players in our squad even without Hazard. We have won plenty games without him in the past.

I am keen to see what loanees come back into the squad, as well as a few youth players. Although some are getting carried away with how many youth they expect to see; I suspect it will be 4 or 5 at most. I really do not think Clarke-Salter or Tomori will be in the squad, especially the former. Mount could be, aswell as Abraham and James. But abraham seems like one of those strikers who scores for fun in Championship, but will only get you a handful in the prem. Swansea he was garbage, but then again so were they. Although if Villa do bid £25m, I could see us selling him

If the ban is in place all window, which i am not so sure it will, our starting 11 on opening day will be same as you'd expect just Hazard for Pulisic. Barkley for Kovacic. There isn't going to be a plethora of youth, or a load of returning loanees involved in the starting 11. They'll come back to bulk up the numbers i think, but the starting 11 will generally stay the same.
 

MagicKarpet

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Yes to Pogba, but no way would I take DDG over Kepa!
Kepa is never going to be in the class of Cech, but I'd take him any day over calamity Dave!
DDG has has 1 bad season but he's been the best keeper in this league over a long period, Kepa is levels below DDG.
 

Kentonio

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Losing their best and talismanic player, losing a highly regarded coach and not being able to buy any players this summer. I have never seen such a triple whammy in all my years of watching football. And yet there are one or two Chelsea fans here who still think the club will finish in the top 4 - you're having a laugh here. Chelsea will definitely be OUT of the top 6 and it really is their board's fault.
Definitely out of the top 6? You’re funny. :D
 

Dancfc

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DDG has has 1 bad season but he's been the best keeper in this league over a long period, Kepa is levels below DDG.
The DDG of his best yes, but it remains to be seen whether last season is 1 bad season or his new level.
 

Mb194dc

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I think you forgot about the transfer ban. If it stays, new owner won't be able to do anything and new manager, whoever he is, surely won't do better than 3rd with your current squad without Hazard.
Near certain ban will hold. Don't see at as an issue. Our squad + bring back from loan, and home developed options are massive. Personally I want them to play. Spanking money on Coutinho / Bale or others would be worst thing we can do.

How manager puts 11 out and with what tactics and formation from the 40+ players available is key for us.
 

golden_blunder

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If Lampard comes in, I expect a slower rebuild with kids ala Ole at United.
However if it’s another ‘big’ name or even Jose back for another stint (wouldn’t rule it out) they’ll chuck money around
 

Makelele

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Remember Chelsea have Willian, Pedro, CHO and Pulisic in the areas Hazard plays. That is a group of players that will put up a fight with any of the top clubs in Europe in those positions.

The areas Chelsea HAVE to address is striker and full back. GK, CB, CM, Wing positions is of good quality.

Problem is that the market for forwards is lacking.
 

CHKBC

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Definitely out of the top 6? You’re funny. :D
Nothing funny about it. Chelsea finished in 10th position not too long ago and with the crisis at the club now, I won’t rule out a repeat.
 

TheeAma12

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Look at it this way guys, we either have a horrible season or go on to win the UCL. It's the Chelsea way the more chaos there is, we just seem to win.

In more serious note though, i do predict a slow start to the season but once RLC,CHO,Pulisic gets up and running then depending on who is the manager we can still make a strong finish We have Michy Tammy Giroud between them they must can score some goals. It's gonna take a massive effort and everyone to raise their game.
 

Dancfc

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Nothing funny about it. Chelsea finished in 10th position not too long ago and with the crisis at the club now, I won’t rule out a repeat.
The 10th was a massive one off due to a variety of factors, mainly a squad that been mentally ran to the ground and back.

Won't happen again at Chelsea or any to club.
 

MagicKarpet

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The DDG of his best yes, but it remains to be seen whether last season is 1 bad season or his new level.
Why would 1 bad season mean he's fallen off especially since he's been one of the best keepers in the world over a consistent period, that doesn't make any sense?

When Hazard was poor in 2015/16 did you think that that was his 'new level'

Besides if you consider Kepa to have had a good season he's gonna need another few to be considered the same level as DDG
 

Dancfc

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Why would 1 bad season mean he's fallen off especially since he's been one of the best keepers in the world over a consistent period, that doesn't make any sense?

When Hazard was poor in 2015/16 did you think that that was his 'new level'

Besides if you consider Kepa to have had a good season he's gonna need another few to be considered the same level as DDG
Because often it's end up being more than just one bad season, especially with players that rely on athletic attributes like DDG does.

Sanchez, Torres, Essien a few examples of players who went from one of the best in the league to really really shit almost overnight, so it's not really a stretch to wonder if similar is happening to DDG.