Chelsea 2018/19 - 3rd and European Champions. Sarri, not sorry

Pete Dahh Sneak

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Mar 24, 2017
Messages
348
Supports
Chelsea
Higuain said he felt only Sarri wanted him so that is why he went to Milan where he felt more wanted. If Chelsea are making just one more signing then I think it'll be an attacker but they need to cut down their squad first. Currently they have 34 players needed to be registered (Abraham, Ampadu and Hudson-Odoi are fine).

Players that are pretty certain to be registered:
  1. Courtois
  2. Caballero
  3. Green (HG)
  4. Rudiger
  5. Christensen (HG)
  6. Luiz
  7. Cahill (HG)
  8. Alonso
  9. Emerson
  10. Azpilicueta
  11. Zappacosta
  12. Kante
  13. Jorginho
  14. Bakayoko
  15. Fabregas (HG)
  16. Moses (HG)
  17. Barkley (HG)
  18. Hazard
  19. Pedro
  20. Willian
  21. Morata
  22. Batshuayi (50/50, think he'll be off if Chelsea can sign another attacker)
  23. Giroud
Players that will probably be loaned out/sold who would need to be registered if they stayed:
  1. Zouma
  2. Kalas
  3. Hector (HG)
  4. Miazga
  5. Omeruo
  6. Aina (HG)
  7. Drinkwater (HG)
  8. Loftus-Cheek (HG, regular football)
  9. Musonda Jr (HG)
  10. Piazon (HG)
Injured:
  1. van Ginkel
I really do think the player numbers issue is why Chelsea haven't made more moves in the market.

Homegrown status is a big problem for Chelsea too. From the players I mentioned in the first list, Chelsea wouldn't be able to register any more unless they were homegrown too.

Makes sense for Chelsea to be linked with Pickford and Zaha. Would sort out their numbers for a bit but Green and Cahill won't be at Chelsea much longer so numbers will be an issue again unless the next set of Chelsea academy players push on like Ampadu, Hudson-Odoi and Christensen are doing.
I appreciate the break down of the squad, but I think you’re over complicating things. Giroud and Courtois seem to be on their way out and only 2 of the 10 you’ve listed would be registered, making it 25 with only 16 non-HG even if they don’t leave. Zouma wasn’t on the tour so he seems to be on his way out anyway. I do think that Zappacosta/Alonso are wasting spots when we have Aina and Da Silva waiting in the wings though.
 

bond19821982

Last Man Standing champion 2019/20
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Messages
10,427
Location
Nnc
Really looking forward to see how Sarri does. Excellent first team and a brilliant youth setup.

Really starting to like their business model as well. Sign players very young and sell them after some years and repeat the cycle. A new manager every 2 year is also very refreshing
 

JPRouve

can't stop thinking about balls - NOT deflategate
Scout
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
65,950
Location
France
There's too many "ifs" about us to be anywhere near favourites.

Skybet has the odds like this:

Man City 4/6
Liverpool 4/1
Man United 8/1
Chelsea and Spurs both 14/1

And it Sarri gets Bakayoko playing like a league winning midfielder, he deserves a nobel prize and knighthood as well as a winners medal.
Jardim made him look competent for six months, so it's possible. #keepfaith.
 

Klopper76

"Did you see Fabinho against Red Star & Cardiff?"
Joined
Dec 15, 2015
Messages
19,904
Location
Victoria, BC
Supports
Liverpool
Not sure if it’s been posted, but a nice moment between Jorginho and his mum.

 

The Hilton

Full Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2011
Messages
4,160
Hilariously bad at the back, and hard to see where the goals are going to come from too, at least based on today's evidence
 

Adisa

likes to take afvanadva wothowi doubt
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
50,401
Location
Birmingham
He has his work cut out.
They need time to settle and get used to the way he plays. Hazard and Kante will also help.
Boy do they need a striker. Worst £60m ever spent.
 

Tommy

bigot with fetish for footballers getting fingered
Joined
Aug 3, 2014
Messages
10,672
Location
Birmingham
Supports
Liverpool
Their midfield doesn't seem to stand a chance without Kante. Cesc looked woeful.
 

Kapardin

New Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2017
Messages
9,917
Location
Chennai, India
I don't envy Sarri.

- Players will struggle to adapt to his system.
- Impatient employers.
- Europa League. Sarri hardly rotates, he will need to change that.
- Reduced opportunities for the poor guy to smoke his worries away.
 

Lash

Full Member
Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
12,172
Location
Buckinghamshire
Supports
Millwall, Saint-Etienne
How off the pace does Barkley look. He looks like he needs another pre-season already.
 

ti vu

Full Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2015
Messages
12,799
Not sure if it’s been posted, but a nice moment between Jorginho and his mum.

Nobody regconize him though... :wenger:

It's tear of sorrow since she's Sarri him being forced to join Chelsea instead of St.Pep. At th moment Chelsea being dicked by St.Pep FC.
 

ivaldo

Mediocre Horse Whisperer, s'up wid chew?
Joined
Nov 15, 2012
Messages
28,699
Off the pace is an idiom, I'm struggling to see the Yoda turn of phrase whilst re-reading?
Ah, I read ‘Off the pace does Barkley look.’ Probably the lack of question mark that done me in.
 

FootballHQ

Full Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
18,284
Supports
Aston Villa
That wasnt anything like Sarri's at all.
They did try to play quick one touch from watching the first half. Did break through City a few times but obviously lacked an Aguero type striker upfront. Hazard should enjoy playing in this style though much more.
 

AshRK

Full Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2017
Messages
12,194
Location
Canada
Will Abramovic and the fans give Sari time to get things together to implement his strategy ?
Good question. Sarri's philosophy or for that matter any philosophy would take a year atleast. Chelsea and roman have always looked for instant success. Another season outside top 4 may not be tolerated by roman and sarri could be gone.
 

ti vu

Full Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2015
Messages
12,799
If they can't build momentum early in the league, it would be a tough year given they're in EL. Sarri is more about style than result which EL make it tough to focus on training. Drop out of EL and domestic Cups is not on the card given it's title challenging or even top 4 looks tough. Putting all the eggs in one basket is risky.
 

Van Piorsing

Lost his light sabre
Joined
Feb 10, 2006
Messages
22,546
Location
Polska
Kante's & Hazard's return should make other players (Cesc, Willian, Pedro) tick but Morata is probably still a serious worry. They'll need their poacher ready to score above 20 goals...

Barkley looks like he really should move his arse to a stronger club much earlier but I don't think Sarri will give up on trying to develop something out of him.
 

charlenefan

Far less insightful than the other Charley
Joined
Aug 17, 2005
Messages
33,052
I actually think Chelsea are worse off now than they were in May, a new manager trying to force a change of play with players not capable of doing it? At least under Conte they could play the way he wanted. Add in the fact that 2 of their best players want to leave, not looking good at all at the moment
 

Don Alfredo

Full Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2018
Messages
2,071
Supports
Germany
Kante's & Hazard's return should make other players (Cesc, Willian, Pedro) tick but Morata is probably still a serious worry. They'll need their poacher ready to score above 20 goals...

Barkley looks like he really should move his arse to a stronger club much earlier but I don't think Sarri will give up on trying to develop something out of him.
The offense will be fine. Morata can score the odd 15 goals and Utd did finish second last year with Lukaku just getting 16 league goals.

The hardest part to get right with these tiki taka sides are the defenders. They need to be good on the ball, fast and good at defending. Most defenders are only good at one or two of these things, but rarely at all three. It is the reason why Pep spend 500 trillion on defenders in two years.

Azpi is the only defender at Chelsea where there are no questions asked. The rest have to prove themselves in the Sarri system. Maybe Christensen steps up, I still have faith in the lad to become great one day.
 

Kentonio

Full Member
Scout
Joined
Dec 16, 2013
Messages
13,188
Location
Stamford Bridge
Supports
Chelsea
We’ll be fine. I have no worries after today. It’s just going to require some patience.
 

charlenefan

Far less insightful than the other Charley
Joined
Aug 17, 2005
Messages
33,052
We’ll be fine. I have no worries after today. It’s just going to require some patience.
Yeah because your owner has loads of that doesn't he

I can see this going the same way as the Scolari season unless Sarri managers to turn today's shitshow around drastically
 

Van Piorsing

Lost his light sabre
Joined
Feb 10, 2006
Messages
22,546
Location
Polska
The offense will be fine. Morata can score the odd 15 goals and Utd did finish second last year with Lukaku just getting 16 league goals.

The hardest part to get right with these tiki taka sides are the defenders. They need to be good on the ball, fast and good at defending. Most defenders are only good at one or two of these things, but rarely at all three. It is the reason why Pep spend 500 trillion on defenders in two years.

Azpi is the only defender at Chelsea where there are no questions asked. The rest have to prove themselves in the Sarri system. Maybe Christensen steps up, I still have faith in the lad to become great one day.
To be honest both Lukaku and Morata can improve their numbers and Conte was right to be a bit disappointed with Morata's output.

There are news that Sarri wants one more player... a modern defender perhaps ?
 

ErranMorad

New Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
1,575
Location
Here, there, everywhere...
To be honest both Lukaku and Morata can improve their numbers and Conte was right to be a bit disappointed with Morata's output.

There are news that Sarri wants one more player... a modern defender perhaps ?
My guess is that he would be looking at an attacking box to box midfielder to play the role that Hamsik played at Napoli. A Lampard/Gerrard/Pogba/Milinkovic-Savic kind of player.
 

AltiUn

likes playing with swords after fantasies
Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
23,642
I wouldn't take too much from this match, both teams were missing some important players, I expect we'd see a much more competitive game if both sides were at full strength.

Sarri has had a few weeks tops at Chelsea to get them playing the way he wants to, if Abramovich has a little patience, as paradoxical as that may be, then we could start to see them start picking up in November/December and possibly their best next year. It takes time to build a team and so far Sarri has one signing of his own, this isn't his team yet.