- Jul 15, 2013
- 31,544
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Moving this to here so as to not drag this one off topic https://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/index.php?threads/realistic-expectations-for-2020-21.142507/page-22
I can - it's just 2020's version of 2013's summer transfer window.
Sign a load of names that Football Manager fanboys can touch their genitals over, act dumbfounded when all the young players who worked theirs off in the previous season get miffed that their progression is now blocked by new signings, wonder why there's suddenly no squad cohesion, and then sit back and watch it unfold as an inexperience manager fails to control the friction.
Every season one team has a go at fantasy football and, more often than not, it ends in tears.
This is their senior squad:
Goalkeepers
Kepa / Caballero
Defenders
Miazga / Rudiger / Alonso / Christensen / Zouma / James / Azpilcueta / Tomori / Emersen Palmeri / Clarke-Salter / Baba Rahman / Ampadu / Zappacosta
Midfielders
Kante / Barkley / Loftus-Cheek / Ziyech / Jorginho / Bakayoko / Kovacic / Mount / Gilmour / Drinkwater / Van Ginkel
Forwards
Werner / Abraham / Giroud / Hudson-Odoi / Batshuayi / Piazon / Musonda / Kenedy / Pulisic
So, basically, they are stacking their team where they don't need it.
Granted they are going to be selling some players but...
Looking at the above, do they? People complain that we struggle to get rid of deadwood but look at that squad!
Drinkwater: Paid £35m (plus contract) and he's played 23 games for them in 3 years
Kepa: Supposedly £71.6m and he's considered their weakest link
Caballero: People say they'd be "terrified" with Hart in goal, but Caballero is the backup to their liability and he's hardly reliable himself
Kenedy: Still knocking around after 5 seasons.
Van Ginkel: 28 in December and he's played 4 games for them in 7 seasons
Bakayoko: Cost £40m and he's played 43 games in 3 seasons
Zappacosta: Cost nearly £30m 3 seasons ago and was basically a conte buy that's not been fancied since.
Batshuayi: Another £33m or so that they clearly can't move on.
Rahman: Paid somewhere between £14m and £22m for him 5 years ago and he's not been wanted
Piazon: Paid about £10m for him years ago and have basiaclly never used him (27 in January)
That's just a cursory glance - just imagine what wages all these £30m players they have knocking about unused are drawing.
Even trimming their squad to a realistic level (ignoring the obvious deadwood):
Goalkeepers
Kepa / Caballero
Defenders
Usual Chelsea: Rudiger / Alonso / Christensen / Zouma / Azpilcueta / Emersen Palmeri
Frank's Youth: Clarke-Salter / Ampadu / James / Tomori / Miazga
Deadwood: Zappacosta / Baba Rahman
Midfielders
Usual Chelsea: Kante / Barkley / Ziyech / Jorginho / Kovacic
Frank's Youth: Loftus-Cheek / Mount / Gilmour
Deadwood: Drinkwater / Van Ginkel / Bakayoko
Forwards
Usual Chelsea: Werner / Giroud / Pulisic
Frank's Youth: Hudson-Odoi / Abraham
Deadwood: Batshuayi / Musonda / Piazon / Kenedy
So basically, it seems like there is a clear problem in that they have at least 9 'first team' players to move on, have bought an entire team that is the 'Chelsea of years gone by' (e.g. star names), but that has blocked off their 'future' players like Hudson-Odoi, Abraham, RLC, Mount, Gilmour, James, Tomori etc.
That's important because they were part of the success of last season, so it looks like Lampard has an impossible job keeping all the players happy.
Beyond all that, let's believe they are looking to bring in Havertz, Chilwell and Silva. It's madness. They will still need to sort out a goalkeeper or two, as well!
Logically everything you’ve said makes perfect sense. However, this is Chelsea, they seem to thrive on the chaos. How many managers have they had in the last ten years? Yet they still consistently succeed. They have a strategy of throwing enough money at the squad and hoping it works (sadly it generally does) they’ll then balance the books by exploiting the loan system.
Logic doesn’t apply to the financially doped sides like Chelsea and City.
Who needs a consistent transfer strategy when you can just cheat?