ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - Chelsea- New Season, Not So New Chelsea

Posted by David Kyle on 08/01/2010

Chelsea fell to a second successive friendly defeat on Friday, not particularly scary news considering the team who lost to Ajax was mostly young and today's defeated team consisted of players playing their first game since the World Cup.

The worrying part is that to retain the title we surely need to strengthen in certain parts where we we're perhaps lacking last season - added to the fact that our ageing squad is yet another year older.

Fernando Hw Mch 2 Join CFC? ©AP-Photos

The release of a few players and signing of Yossi Benayoun is surely not enough to compete for another year - although we do undeniably have some interesting talent coming through the ranks, many aren't ready for the travails of a full Premier League season just yet.

So what do we need?

Looking at the past two friendlies it is a bit alarming that our goalkeeping backup is not good enough. Two games and two basic errors of judgements in friendlies can be forgotten and forgiven, but if a lapse of judgement was too happen in the league with it now being so tight it could be very costly.

Midfield is looking slightly weaker with the loss of Cole, Ballack and Belletti. The return of Essien however is worth a £50m signing in itself and there is no doubt that Benayoun has bundles of talent and is a worthy addition to the lineup. The worry is that we are slightly lacking in creativity - it is unfortunate that the Aguero rumours haven't really turned into reality. Somebody along those lines would be a perfect fit and a great outlet to a strong attack. Neymar may well be the man/teen to take on this job and looking at the footage on YouTube he looks like hot property.

Defensively it appears that we may be losing Carvalho, something I touched upon in my last post, to be replaced by David Luiz of Benfica. Hopefully if this is the case he can fill those exceptional boots, Ricky has been an exceptional player and was worth every penny of his £20.5m transfer fee from Porto. It is also worth pointing out that Alex is still a Chelsea player and Jeffrey Bruma has just become a Dutch first team player, surely a sign that he is ready for some sort of role this season.

On the back of a very successful season for our youth team who have just added the Milk Cup to their trophy haul we do indeed have some interesting talent coming through. None for me more exciting than Gael Kakuta - who has just earned himself an U-19 Euro Championships Winners Medal. We caught a glimpse of him against Wolves in the league last season, and think he may be featured a bit more this season, perhaps only in cup competition but in some form.

Good to be back, excited for the Community Shield next week and hopefully this we will have some transfer news to comment on.

Keep the blue flag flying high.

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Comments

Posted by jason doyle on 08/01/2010

we really do need to bolster our midfield....but with creative midfielders we have essien,mikel and matic i think we will sign ramires but hes also a holder mainly but with him in the defensive role he can free essiens creative side more and visa versa but it is very disappointing that the aguero talk came to nothing we'll have to wait and see but don't hold your breath as C.A is a fan of ageing footie stars (getting the best out of them) so being a year older won't bother him was shocked at
ballacks release but i'm a fan of benyoun so over to you yossi.......

Posted by SUNNY ONYEKA on 08/01/2010

neymar may be very good in that possition.i will very glad if NEYMAY will be among the blue player. THANKS

Posted by Ronald Keller on 08/01/2010

What a load of garbage. After 2 months, all of a sudden, these guys aren't good enough? Please.. get a grip, would you? Its pre-season. How did ESPN allow a JCL such as yourself the space to post this non-sense is beyond me.

Posted by jerrald on 08/02/2010

Alves is CSKA Moscow, don't think he'll be joining up. Bos Man is back, we got the best LB in the world. Even if Ricci goes, we have Brana, Alex, JT, and Bruma/Hutch/Mancienne to fill in. Strikers are set, midfield is set, no real need for another. Remember, there is the new homegrown rule this season, so every new signing we make more than likely means we have to cut one more (if Carlo is to include youth in the squad like he has said).

Posted by David Kyle on 08/02/2010

Ronald,

My point is that throughout this season at some point or other our players will be yet another year older. It is a well known fact that players deteriorate with age.

I'm not entirely sure what I need to get a grip on, I already dismissed the importance of friendlies. Unfortunately though ESPN also afford you the space to spout incorrect nonsense below my postings.

Posted by xuan phuc on 08/02/2010

that's right. We need some good players soon.
phuc- vietnam

Posted by CFC Blue on 08/02/2010

We surely need oz'il to bloster our attack....and perhaps Torres if he like to come to the bridge..this surely turn chelsea to a CL winning side..

Posted by Chelsea No.1 on 08/02/2010

I think we defo need another keeper..agenso of Athletico Madrid is only 20 and got loads of potential and could challenge Cech..We should invest in another defender and am hoping David Luiz is a Chelsea player as he is the next Lucio..in midfield i tihnk we need 2 players as we have released 3..Ramires and Ozil cut the bill for me especially as Ozil is avaialable for 12m...one season at Chelsea he could be worth 30m. Also another striker bcoz we cant rely on a near 34 yr old Drogba n near 33 yr old Anelka..to get us the treble they dont have the legs any more..so Aguero and Neymar should be bought..along with the youth squad up n comin along with these new signings if could be made a reality..anm certain well win Champions League for first time..Ancelotti needs to stop being stubborn and dip into the market

Posted by Chris on 08/02/2010

Yes, i totally agree with you, Chelsea do need to get midfielders! in my opinion Mesut Ozil would make a great fit for the club because of his swagger he brings to the pitch. But the thing the media says about the club's aging players is just harsh because i have confidence that Terry, Lampard, Drogba, Anelka, Malouda, etc still have alot of talent for years to come and the media will be sorry when they retain the title at the end of the season.

Posted by geoff on 08/02/2010

I have total trust in the management at Chelsea dont worry we will have another great season and will be challenging on all fronts.

Posted by Sunny on 08/02/2010

Just the one or two signings are needed, probably a player like Neymar to link the midfield to the frontline. We won't be needing the likes of Ramires, as we have Essien and Mikel, so I'd say spend on some young english targets, to bolster the youth squad

Posted by deda on 08/02/2010

i think chelsea need 2 buy a player like GYAN we all saw him in world cup

Posted by Trevor McGuire on 08/02/2010

Haha well said Dave!

Losing Carvalho will be sad, seeing as many of us associate him with such a bright era for the club, but before his recent renaissance I was expecting Alex to soon move past him. As last season proved, we have a very versatile squad on our hands here. If we need Ivanovic to deputize as a center-back, with Ramieres at the club Essien could even go back to where he was a few seasons ago and play full-back, assuming defense becomes the squad's weak point.

The academy is bursting with talent. I'd like to see Neymar and Ramieres signed, but even if we only get one of the two, our youngsters are up to the challenge. True, our old guard are another year past the peak, but players like Kakuta, Bruma, and Mancienne are another year closer to theirs!

Posted by Pasha on 08/02/2010

I would love to see Chelsea step up and go get Mesut Ozil instead of Ramieres. Nothing against Ramieres but we have a load of players in that position already. We have Essien (which will act almost like a new signing), Mikel (improving), and the youngster Matic.

Where we really lack depth is in creativity. While Lampard is a 20 goal a year player, he isn't Wesley Sneijder either by all means. He doesn't have that creative, all around passing ability. Lampard is fantastic at being in the right place at the right time but we need MORE than that, specially now that the squad is getting older and older.

Mesut Ozil is a really unique player. He had 24 assists and 11 goals in 46 appearances! Also keep in mind the boy is only 21 years old and he's achieving an assist EVERY OTHER game! Ozil is a natural playmaker, with uncommon precision in his crosses and trademark through-balls. In my book, he is one of the best passers in the game and would add a new dimension to an Aging Chelsea team.

Posted by Randy on 08/02/2010

Aguero said some months back that he was relishing the chance to play with Drogba,Lampard and co. Why not go for him , chelsea.Nilmar,Ramires is a must for chelsea.We have used the same squad of players for the past 3 seasons and chelsea could not even qualify for the quarter finals of the champions league. Chelsea need to act quickly on these players or else they cannot compete with Barcelona and Madrid now that Mourinho is with them.

Posted by AKINTADE DAVID on 08/03/2010

Yeah,I think we haven't start the season yet,all what those guys are doin are just still fooling around.well to me we need a Ramires in the midfield and we also need some that like Aguero as well I pray we get them for the season.

Posted by Eyo emmanuel on 08/03/2010

Drogba, anelka, malouda etc. Are getting older so i need to see the young stars from the accedemy havin more games wit this i believe they ill pick up n play wit pride

Posted by Neil on 08/04/2010

i think that the blues should aquire ramires because he is a great play maker in the midfield and they should forget about torres cuz i jus dont see him fitting at chelsea plus chelsea got loads of young talent like kalou and kakuta that could be even better than torres in a few years to come.

Posted by nick Effiong on 08/04/2010

i think we just need the right minds to make things happen @ CFC. if we have to compete for the CL lets go for the best minds.

Posted by sarvaan on 08/04/2010

i think blues should buy jose baxter (everton player)because he is the future star striker like rooney in manu or blues can buy arsenal striker vela or pato(ac milan) these three players are the future strikers & they are young too... blues should buy fabio(man u)or rafeal(man u) or gai assulin (barcelona)or ozil(w bremen) because they are the best midfeiders in future,they too young... i giving this suggestion because blues star players are getting older ......

Posted by Paul on 08/04/2010

Going against conventional wisdom, I think the out of favor Miroslav Klose would be a great addition. He is an out and out poacher and with good service, there are few better at finding the back of the net. With all of the additional competitions and Drogba missing out on the first 3 CL games, someone like the German striker would be ideal.

I am not only concerned about the backup keepers, but by Cech as well. Fortunately, the first five fixtures are not daunting.

Posted by akah stephen on 08/05/2010

Please let us look for another attacking midfielder. in case of ingury.

Posted by Mike on 08/05/2010

ok so today chelsea and benfica agree for 22mil on Rami. This will free up essien into an attacking role. i remember a few years back when essien would make runs it was beautiful to watch. We cant forget yossi. i have never seen that guy stop running and his determination to win will hopefully have an impact on the other 10 blues on the field. much agreed with comments above, when you win a title and you lose 3 key players, you cant win another title when every contender is getting better. We have the ok to spend money, and if we want to finally be the best club in europe, its time invest that in the Ozils and Agueros

Posted by kabi on 08/05/2010

pls give out A.col and go 4 another.

Posted by PhiL on 08/06/2010

Perhaps we can go for Man City, Craig Bellamy as backup striker. he's technically good and fast like Tevez. He should be available with cheap price due to his age. In midfield, i think Ozil is worth to buy and in defend, why not go for young Brazilian RB Marcelo of Real.

Posted by U Obi on 08/06/2010

The goalie dept is a bit of a worry with both hilario and turnbull looking like comedians at times. Midfield could use an Ozil but given he's only 2yrs older than Kakuta, such a signing will block the frenchman's progress. Ramires serves as cover for Essien and Mikel and will increase the overall energy and pace of the midfield. The strikeforce does need help given only Drogba & Anelka are the only reliable forwards. Thus only one more signing, Neymar, is needed to kill 2 birds with one stone: depth at forward & creativity.

Posted by Abrah on 08/07/2010

Yesd we do need a creative force in the middle of the field. With the talk of Nilmar, Aguero, Ozil, I think any of these would be really a good addition to this position. Also we have to utilise our young lads, this somehow will encourage them. Remember the likes of JT and the way he refused live CFC at the age of 19. So these young lads need to be introduced into the Senior team one at a time. But we are still a strong team and every team will be looking to be beat us.

Posted by Seun Olla-Daniells on 08/09/2010

Please bring Sergio Aguero to Stamford Bridge. I can't afford to have an heartbreak...lol

Posted by moja on 08/10/2010

iam a chelsea fan in nigeria. please the goalkeeper should better than what he has done during the pre season friendlies.Anelka is too slow on ball, he should be a beat faster as.the players should be ready to beat last season number of goal so as to create unbeaten record.I will be very happy if Chelsea win the carling cup, FA cup, League title and the champion league. Wish you all the best this season

Posted by emeka on 08/10/2010

we need more three players to support the defance and attack.i know we will get over this season again.

Posted by puru jain on 08/12/2010

well i would say Ageuro and Neymar would be a lovely addition and a compulsary, because its true that Anelka and Drogba are aging. Drogba has also declared that he will be going back to Ivory Coast to complete the rest of his career. I beleive Ramires is already a Chelsea player. We must forget about Torres, because he is injury prone, we all saw that in the WC.We surely need someone like Ozil,creative.-Puru Jain (India)

Posted by Richard on 08/12/2010

i strongly believe we need to strengthen our attacking option with both a first class striker and an attacking midfielder. Surely C.A sholud stop being arrogant and should appreciate that there so many games and two and half strikers in Drodba, Anelka & kalou will burn out before the end on the season. he also need to compare with the likes Man utd and man city -i look at the two clubs as the main competetitor for nrst season and their have around 6-7 strikers. wat is Carlo planning to do in case of injuries to Anelka and Drodba?. Carlo, should appreciate that Chelsea does not entertain failures, if he doest not deliver a trophy he will be out next before he knows- carlo this is not Milan and the ball is in your hands

Posted by Bosita on 08/13/2010

I believe the addition of Ozil and Neymar Will cap it up for Us. Another problematic area that may arise after the exit of Ricci is the apparent lack of depth in the right back position as Ivanovic may be forced to play as center back leaving ferreira as the only experienced but erratic right back with Bosingwa yet to recover from a long injury break.Addition of a defender will be very much welcome as Essien will be free to play in an advanced midfield position he excels in.

Posted by vishnu on 08/13/2010

i'm chelsea fan from malaysia.....for forward i would say podolski,neymar and lukaku will be a great addition to chelsea... because drogba and anelka are getting older.... for midfield ozil and javi martinez(atletico bilbao) will be lovely addition.... and for defend cristian zapata,david luiz,pichu atienza..... chelsea must strengthen the squad.......

Posted by Ali on 08/17/2010

For me Chelsea need a backup GK. This is the very important to assist Cech. We can see the the current GK was not good enough during friendly and Community shield.
Hopefully C.A take note about this problem.

Other position we just need the young talent to backup the ageing squad like drogba, lampard etc.

Posted by Mohd Farid Bin Abu Bakar on 09/21/2010

Aloha.......I'm a Chelsea FC fan from Malaysia. I think Chelsea should invest in buying young and talented player. At their age, we can buy them cheaper. After 2 or 3 years training with youth/reserved team, they should be ready for the first team challenge. Sent the scout all over the world especially in Argentina, Mexico, Spain, France, Holland & Portugal. In recent years, this countries always produced a wonderkid players. Let us support our team. Hope Chelsea will win the UEFA Champions League!!

-Farid-

Posted by tadesse ayalew on 10/31/2010

I am Chelsea fan from Ethiopia.place by a new midfielder.

Posted by tadesse ayalew on 10/31/2010

I am Chelsea fan from Ethiopia.place by a new midfielder.

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