And, we’re off.......2018/2019

Orikoru

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France won the World Cup in spite of Giroud, not because of him.
I don't fully agree with that. They played their first game without him and looked disjointed, with him back in the side it just worked. Griezmann seems to like playing off of him, in the same way Hazard earlier this season says he links up with him well. Yes, Giroud doesn't finish enough chances, put he normally performs a good role for the team. He's the French Heskey, he just needs his Michael Owen to play with him.

Higuain has been a great striker in his career, but having got most of his goals in Italy, it might be a tough step up for him to come and play in the Premier League at the age of 31. We shall see. Admittedly I said the same about Zlatan when he went to United at 35 and he smashed it, but Higuain isn't exactly Zlatan. :D
 

Bunkermagnet

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Higuain has been a great striker in his career, but having got most of his goals in Italy, it might be a tough step up for him to come and play in the Premier League at the age of 31. We shall see. Admittedly I said the same about Zlatan when he went to United at 35 and he smashed it, but Higuain isn't exactly Zlatan. :D
A quality striker doens't lose the ability to find the net, he only loses his legs a little.
 

Liverbirdie

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Higuain may be the key to Chelsea at least finding the right formation and tactics, if hes played as an out and out striker.

If he scored 2 in 5 for the rest of the season, but the team reverted to a 4-2-3-1 (for intance), with Kante as one of the two, willian and Pedro out wide and Hazard given a floating role, it could see Chelsea go from strength to strength.

Some people will just focus on goals and assists, but hey ho, the story is written for them then.

Then again, he could be like another Morientes, Shevchenko who cant step up to the pace of the prem, and bomb. Only on loan though, so not to big a gamble IMHO.
 

Lord Tyrion

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He is supposedly on wages of £275k per week. I know football has lost the plot in terms of money but it is an eye watering amount for a bloke many are worried will not be able to cope with the pace of the PL at this time in his career. As LB says, only on loan, not a gamble but Chelsea will have paid a loan fee, no doubt the agent gets a chunk and he gets over £1m per month. Nothing in the grand scheme of things, but still................o_O
 

Orikoru

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Higuain may be the key to Chelsea at least finding the right formation and tactics, if hes played as an out and out striker.

If he scored 2 in 5 for the rest of the season, but the team reverted to a 4-2-3-1 (for intance), with Kante as one of the two, willian and Pedro out wide and Hazard given a floating role, it could see Chelsea go from strength to strength.

Some people will just focus on goals and assists, but hey ho, the story is written for them then.

Then again, he could be like another Morientes, Shevchenko who cant step up to the pace of the prem, and bomb. Only on loan though, so not to big a gamble IMHO.
Sarri has already shown that he's completely stubborn and inflexible with the formation. The 4-3-3 will continue, but Higuain will allow Hazard to move back to the left, so his performances will probably improve anyway, and having an actual number 9 as a focal point should help the team as well. Giroud never scored but at least Hazard played better from the left when he was in the side.
 

fundy

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Strikes me as a decent deal, a club desperate for a central striker pick up a loan deal for a pretty prolific striker across some of the main European leagues. He may be getting closer to the end of his career but if its 6 or 18 mths think he'll be a decent stop gap at worst (have always wanted him at Arsenal when linked in the past). Cant be any worse than them wasting Hazard oop every game. Lets hope they dont stumble across Liverbirdies post and get Kante in the right role too though!
 

Liverbirdie

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He is supposedly on wages of £275k per week. I know football has lost the plot in terms of money but it is an eye watering amount for a bloke many are worried will not be able to cope with the pace of the PL at this time in his career. As LB says, only on loan, not a gamble but Chelsea will have paid a loan fee, no doubt the agent gets a chunk and he gets over £1m per month. Nothing in the grand scheme of things, but still................o_O

5 million wages over 5 months will pay for itself if they get a top 4 spot.

I'd say the bigger risk would be the "Spurs risk".....sorry, the do nothing option.:)
 

Lord Tyrion

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5 million wages over 5 months will pay for itself if they get a top 4 spot.

I'd say the bigger risk would be the "Spurs risk".....sorry, the do nothing option.:)
You are right, although it wont be just £5m by the time all other figures are taken into account, it's just when you write the figures down the numbers are scary. Equally, the money that comes in from the CL is equally scary so it's a risk / reward situation. At the moment Chelsea are taking on the water, Spurs are laying up. Who gets the birdie? :unsure:
 

Jensen

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You are right, although it wont be just £5m by the time all other figures are taken into account, it's just when you write the figures down the numbers are scary. Equally, the money that comes in from the CL is equally scary so it's a risk / reward situation. At the moment Chelsea are taking on the water, Spurs are laying up. Who gets the birdie? :unsure:

Spurs, when Chelsea shank it into the water
 

Orikoru

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Sadly I'm not confident tonight. I don't think 1-0 aggregate will be enough, and we'll struggle to add to it with our lack of attacking options. At least our defence is mostly fit - best hope is a nil nil draw I reckon. I imagine he'll have to play the back five as per the Fulham game, with Dier and Winks in front of them since those guys are the only fit options there, so that's a pretty defensive line-up. An attack of Eriksen, Lamela and either Llorente or Lucas if he's fit. No pace in the side at all if he isn't.
 

Bunkermagnet

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Sadly I'm not confident tonight. I don't think 1-0 aggregate will be enough, and we'll struggle to add to it with our lack of attacking options. At least our defence is mostly fit - best hope is a nil nil draw I reckon. I imagine he'll have to play the back five as per the Fulham game, with Dier and Winks in front of them since those guys are the only fit options there, so that's a pretty defensive line-up. An attack of Eriksen, Lamela and either Llorente or Lucas if he's fit. No pace in the side at all if he isn't.
Oops:)
 
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Anyone have thoughts on that tackle on hazard (the one from behind)?
 

Lord Tyrion

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Henry sacked from Monaco. Odd appointment, predictable result.
Can we now replay all the interviews his previous colleagues gave where they stated, without question, what a success he would be? I know he still could be at a different club but the attitude of everyone that he was guaranteed to succeed because 'he was Henry ' was pure arrogance. Management is tough, history shows that.
 
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Henry sacked from Monaco. Odd appointment, predictable result.

They haven’t “sacked” him yet just suspended him 😉😂 - I’m not sure what they expected - the team has been ripped apart over the last 18 months with nearly 10 first team players gone and all the top ones - Mbappe , Lemar , Silva , Moutinho , Fabinho , Balde , Mendy , Bakayoko.

They are rebuilding again and have more young players coming through but what do they expect a new manager to do after 12 games
 
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