You've also got to consider what any punishment is likely to be. Reduction in squad size for Europe. A transfer ban. A fine. They might just be willing to suck it up. Only a points reduction in the league or expulsion from Europe would really affect them.I would say it is likely more a case of them falling in to it because of Boehly’s erratic decision making in the first 12 months of ownership than a product of real strategic thinking, but they are deciding now to lean fully in to it as a—as you said—highly risky bet.
They've brought in Nkunku who's fairly prolific, but then he needed surgery. I'd be more worried about CB if I was a Chelsea fan. Still relying on a 39 year-old Thiago Silva ffs.The oddest thing about the Chelsea spending is they still look bang average and don’t even have a recognised centre forward or prolific goal scorer. I may be wrong but their squad looks light years behind ours.
Absolutely. That is why I think they are going with the “in for a penny, in for a pound” approach at this point.You've also got to consider what any punishment is likely to be. Reduction in squad size for Europe. A transfer ban. A fine. They might just be willing to suck it up. Only a points reduction in the league or expulsion from Europe would really affect them.
For the first half an hour against the dips they played with virtually no left sided defence and could easily have been three or four down, I was surprised to see Silva still there!They've brought in Nkunku who's fairly prolific, but then he needed surgery. I'd be more worried about CB if I was a Chelsea fan. Still relying on a 39 year-old Thiago Silva ffs.
Still relying on a 39 year-old Thiago Silva ffs.
I'd expect Poch to get the best out of some of their players though, and Chilwell and Cucarella are both players that have been great in the past. He got the best out of Danny Rose, so there's no reason he can't get Cucarella to remind everyone why they bought him in the first place.For the first half an hour against the dips they played with virtually no left sided defence and could easily have been three or four down, I was surprised to see Silva still there!
He'll do a job, sure. But you've spent €600m net, from a starting point of a team that finished 3rd. For that sort of money, you'd expect to have the core of a team that can be title challengers for the next 10 years. Yet arguably you're going to find yourself next summer looking for a world class CB (and having to sell before you can buy). That's assuming that his age doesn't catch up with him this season. Players of that sort of age aren't usually playing over 30 league games a season. Last season was ironically the first year that he managed over 30 games in the league since 2010.It's a fair point. However Thiago Silva is one of those rare players who manages to defy the normal constructs of age due to the ridiculous level of quality he has.
Imho he's in the conversation when best CBs of all time are debated.
Is it? If the buy Lavia to go with Fernandez and Caicedo,it’s a solid midfield, not particularly creative as far as I can see,Just bought Caicedo. That's a great midfield sorted for about a decade, I'd say.