Who do Chelsea desperately need to buy in January?
With Chelsea’s recent dipping form and the need to catch up with league leaders Manchester City, some of the attention has turned to the Winter transfer window, which opens late next month. With the ongoing critisicms over the Blues’ defence, midfield and attack, let us take a peek into some areas which Villas-Boas might shore up.
DEFENCE:
A huge liability which has cost Chelsea many goals this season. John Terry’s slip before Robin van Persie’s goal during their 5-3 defeat against Arsenal and David Luiz’s gung-ho approach during the Liverpool game has shown that the Blues’ defence, though pretty star-studded, still has many weaknesses.
With Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanonic being the only defenders who have performed consistently, there is indeed a growing need to plug the leak at the heart of the defence. Chelsea could really do better with the signing of more consistent players, such as perhaps French star Phillippe Mexes or AC Milan’s Thiago Silva. Both are truly consistent performers, both at the club and international level. Although most reports reckon that Bolton’s Gary Cahill is a certain arrival, either in January or for free next summer.
MIDFIELD:
Chelsea’s midfield, I must admit, is truly one of the strongest in the Premier League. Boasting international stars like Wingers Juan Manuel Mata and Florent Malouda, alongside gifted Brazilian Ramires and talisman Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s midfield is truly all-rounded. The signing of Raul Meireles from Liverpool in August has also brought about creativity in the centre of the park. However, with the presense of the inconsistent Jon Obi Mikel and the ageing vice-captain Lampard, perhaps a signing or 2 will help in ensuring the continuity of quality?
Recent rumours has it that Chelsea have been linked with Lille’s talented midfielder Eden Hazard, who is also a target for Arsenal and Liverpool. The 20-year-old, who has produced consistent displays for both club and country (Belgium), is indeed a hot prospect although his price tag of 50 million euros have invited some critics calling him overrated. But still, if Roman Abramovich is willing to cough out the money, they will probably make a worthy investment that could last for a decade, given his young age.
ATTACK:
Needless to say, most of the recent hoo-ha have basically revolved around Fernando Torres. Brought at a hefty price of £50 million, he has definitely not met expectations and is still struggling to find the form that made him such a hit at Liverpool. Given Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka’s age, coupled with Torres’ poor form, the need for a prolific striker is definitely something Andre Villas-Boas has to look at during the January transfer window.
Thank goodness, youngster Daniel Sturridge has risen to the occasion and has made a couple of solid performances which have given the fans a glimpse of what he could be in the future. So has Romelu Lukaku, although he has yet to play a full game for the Blues. Perhaps having a classy Brazilian strike-partner like Robinho or Honorato Nilmar could be good for his development?
Are we anticipating an exciting winter transfer window here?
worst suggestions I ever heard in my life? why suggest Robinho and Mexes they are NOT world class and they just recently joined the AC Mila.
Our problem will be solved if we sign Cavani, Pereira, Cahill, and De Bruyne. We don’t need to sign a midfielder just do Silva with Mata and use Romeu and McEachran! I fucking hate AVB for overlooking McEachran. My team for January:
Cech
Ivanovic—Cahill—Terry—Cole
Mata——–Essien——-Lampard
De Bruyne—-Cavani—–Perreira
My team in the summer:
Courtois
Ivanovic—Cahill—Kalas—Perreira
Mata—McEachran–Essien—De Bruyne
———Sturridge-Cavani———–
petr chech spoke a lot recently; ‘we the players are to blame’;
i hardly have seen saves from him this season (except .. last wednesday a few, but he let in at least one);
any shot a bit more dangerous that is on target has been a goal this year (even the previous year he was nowhere great)!!
i am not happy with him! (against arsenal half goals could have been saved, nani’s at old trafford, etc, etc);
he gets the goal in, then he behaves as if nothing happened, as if it was destiny not blame!!!
i feel ashamed when i see he gets away with crime so often!
bring courtois in london and let him have a few games, and maybe make the switch ????
chelsea should not be about legends like drogba , chech etc, it is about silverware, be respected in europe & england, getting the CL win, etc;
** about the legends thingy .. i am still shocked at chelsea transferring lukaku in ‘only because’ he resembles the legend drogba .. lukaku’s legs cannot hold his own weight, he looks more like rolling .. and he is very slow, he showed nothing so far, for chelsea or belgium;
i cannot believe pundits saying he “showed glimpses”, of what??
get one more top striker, one more midfielder (a free kick taker one?? – chelsea has none, stop drogba taking them it is a bit silly), and sort out the defence .. by the way this is miles above me to understand what is happening in that area, but i do not feel bad because AVB himself has got no clues either about the defence problems with chelsea!!
@McBrizzy , like the buy’s exact people I’d like to see, but team should be,Cech
Ivanovic—Cahill—Terry—Cole
Mereiles/Ramires——–Essien——-Perreira
Sturridge—-Cavani—–Mata
Cole, perreira ( as he is a lwb not a full on winger) and mata on the left would be devestating all 3 very attacking and the defenciveness of perriera to track back wiv cole! Plus Cavani is a beast!
Wow….lack of understanding all together! firstly everyone has been below par… our midfield lack dynamic input that is required in this day and age. its basically still standing around the same base that was set out in 2004, where as united has gone out and built two different teams in that time. We need Essien back! but who is to say that he will perform….just look at last season. I believe no panic buys please! if Cahill is sorted out as a long term replacement for JT than yes, otherwise forget it! Only Ramires, Mata and Sturridge can hold their places on merit right now…rest have been PATHETIC!
Seniors cant adapt to the new system…than dont play them! for me its time to let go of drogba, Anelka, Mikel, Kalou, Bosingwa, Ferriera and Alex. And Coup some cash back and than buy accordingly. If you want to play attacking football and more fluent game than no point of getting big beefy guys who cant move.
De bruyne can be a brilliant signing but no point if you are still going to play Malouda and Other Oldies infront of him. Where is Kakuta, this is the guy because whom we had to face a transfer ban! and no chance for him to play… McEachran cannot get minutes, Lukaku cannot get playing time. The 50mill man who started to show some glimpses of his potential has been dropped to the bench in favour of a man who will not be around next year!
Finally it brings me to Mata! he is not a Winger…He is a frickin Genius! need to give him a free role…let him play! like Messi does at barca…anywhere and everywhere!
Cech
Ivanovic,Luiz,Terry,Cole
Ramires,Meireles
Sturridge,Mata,Malouda
Torres
Replace Malouda with time and look at future options for a good winger, De bruyne fits the bill. and Lets bring together young guys…Betrand,McEachran,Kakuta,Lukaku….they need time to play!!!
They say charity begins at home. Chelsea’s problems begin and end at the back. I mean from CECH. Imagine the nani goal,walcot,santos,van persie, leverkusen header, where he went for and left it half way. Just to name a VERY FEW. I can’t remember cech making great saves in games as hilario in his brief spell or turnbull in d everton game b4 he was let down by d defence4d red card. Chelsea seem to concede goals every 2 shots on target and cos it’s cech, i keep hearing “d keeper had no chance” says who? Huh? Bring back courtois we need agile keepers. United city and arsenal all have. Then d defence i don’t know wher to start cos ivanovic aside, they’re al crab. Ashley’s been playin too many games. We need to be resting him a bit. CAHILL will be gud as he has understandin wit d now underperforming terry. And will provide competition for luiz and alex. Then MIKEL, It baffles me how he gets games ahead of meireles and romeu or even benayoun b4 he left. Ramires can hold no.4 so some more creativity should be included. I don’t get it wit lamps either. Rest these guys. Now DROGBA. As much as i luv him, an off form torres is better. I mean, in d liverpool game aside the free kick he did nothin much of note. He’s not mobile enough to make runs wen mata or flop malouda are into crossing positions. HAZARD WE NEED BADLY. Or MAYBE Adam Johnson. Some wide players so that sturridge can really giv torres a rush for that center forward role. Thanks.
they need: Gary Cahill(very important),Neymar but they have competition from Real M. and Barca so then we need maybe,just maybe Robin van Persie and then Alvaro Pereira(very important) and one more very important,Mouthino or how I spell it!
to McBrizzy: we can t use Mata in midfield cause we don t have wing possisions there!!! think with your brain!
We need cavani
McBRIZZY u’re right,i think bringing Cahill,De bruyne and Peirera is d best tin to do…i also suggest Cech should rest and let AVB try Courtois for a while cuz dat will do and AVB i tink u re just getting it all wrong for u not to make use of Josh is a big mistake and letting van holt go on loan cuz dis guys re gud and pls make use of them cuz rite now CHELSEA SUCK LIKE HELL CONSIDING 17 GOALS IN 12 MATCHES…
very gud comments
Truly the worst suggestions mate…
for central defence I would go for Cahill or Subotic and Perreira as left back cover for Cole. In midfield we need to get rid of Mikel who is a liability and buy someone like M’Villa or Tiote. We desperately need a right winger like Krasic, a creative midfielder like Hazard, or Hamsik and after we dumb Drogda, Kalou and Anelka we should buy a striker like Cavani or Pato. With all these we can still play 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 with ease. Sell Alex,Bosingwa, Ferreira, Mikel, Kalou, Anelka, Drogba and drop JT and Lamps to the bench. Bring in Romeu and McEachran more often and I believe that after this years failure we’ll come back next year to compete for 4 competitions.
to be frank i dont like drogba and anelka now. i feel like Drogba become more selfish than a team player and iam very sad abt that.
And i think we should give more chance to josh. every time he plays he gives atleast minimum satisfaction. i wondered no comments abt bosingwa. i really dont know why we paid so much money to that fellow. it is always an head ache. I agree comments abt cech. and i think ramires is one of the best 3 player we have. he very gud
Our midfield is truly one of the best?
Firstly mata is a forward in our system
So our midfield is Mikel/Meirieles/Ramires/lampard on rotation
That is not a strong midfield when you compare it to
Nasri, Toure, Silva, Barry, Milner
Nani, Carrick, Cleverly, Anderson, Valenica
even
Walcott, Wilshere, Song, Arteta, Arshavin
And definitely way weaker than
Parker, Modric, Bale, Lennon
I think the main problem is in our midfield, I would like to see Meirieles start week in weak out and the others rotate, get Romeu in their too, and never play Mikel, he is an absolute disaster.
WE NEED CAHILL OR SAMBA, VAN DER WEIL, VAN PERSIE, WHT PREVENTS US FROM SIGNING TEVEZ; WE NID TEVEZ, MODRIC; PERRIRA; DE BEYNE. MIKEL; KALOU; ANELKA; FERRIREA; DROGBA;LUIZ SHLD BE BROUGH TO MIDFEILD;
i dont know why avb cant figure it out that romue is much beter than mikel,new signings i would love the folowing as lampard replacement. Mareck hamsk or peroti who plays at sevila and right winger atleast jesus navas or theo walcot / arda turan strikers cavan or adrian who plays for atletco madrid
Thank God we found out that is not avb problem,pls flush out these our old age players or beta still let them have 2nd half share of the games,january is fast approaching we will still end up pursueing every player but don’t buy,let’s get sewrious these time ist of january I want to see the likes of neymar,eden harzard,montinho or modric if possible,perirera,gregory van dal we’ll,and then cary cahiLl,that will solve our problem,pls sir abromovich support avb don’t sack him he’s not the course our age players are the cause,pls do give him like 200m to purchase once and for all,he is a great coach with tactis and bold and can comport himself pls
My chelsea new squad by january
Cech,
Gregory van dal we’ll,ivanovic,david luiz(cahill)perrera(asley cole)
Ramires,modric(montinho)mata
Harzard(studrige),torres(cavani),neymar.
Hahaahah then bench(mikel,essien,courtis,kalou,romue,josh,mereless.)With these squad I can be a terrific team. Pls torres will fit in better in these team
Team by Start of Next season:
GK:Courtois/Vorm
RB:Ivanovic/Van der wiel
CB:Alex /Cahill
CB:Terry
LB:Cole/Bertrand
CDM:Luiz/Merieles/Essien/Romeu
CAM:Lampard/Modric/Sneijder/Thiago Alcantra/De Bruyne/Lucas(Sao Paulo)
CAM:Ramires/ “…………………………….”
RW:Sturridge
ST:Torres/Lukaku
LW:Mata/Neymar/Adam Johnson/Hazard/Shaquiri
Based on what I’m seeing so far in this article. I agree with some of your opinions, but not others. In my opinion, I believe Chelsea should get Van der Wiel, Godin, Gotze and Jovetic. Then I’ll be able to change my formation to 4-3-1-2, where I can play Mata behind the 2 strikers and play Sturridge in his favorable striker position, where I feel he’ll be more effective. My starting 11 would be:
Cech
Ivanovic,Luiz,Terry/Godin,Cole
Ramires,Romeu,Gotze
Mata
Sturridge,Torres