He's a club legend as a player, but will he make it as a manager? So far I, and I am sure most fans like him. We've got our club back! Even the owner likes him. Fans and owner agree! It's Christmas, come on, let's celebrate a bit.. But will he win trophies? I think he's got good chance, and what I respect about him is that he is quick to make changes. Christensen looked weak when played recently, so he quickly dropped him. Hudson Odoi wasn't making much of an impact when starting so he was dropped to the bench. Imo, Lamps will play players based on merit, and that's it. Not football politics, or how much a player cost, etc. Going forward, the centre of defence needs attention. Ake / Zuma and Rudiger going forward? with Tomori pressing for a place. Christensen needs to be sold, and £35 million to the Bundesliga would be a good price. He doesn't have that warrior, JT mindset that Chelsea need, and never will imo. Up front, Zaha would be good, and at left back Chilwell, although Chilwell won't happen in January. Hudson Odoi might come good and is young, but at the moment he looks over hyped, and a player who doesn't come near to the grade at the moment. His final ball is poor, and he is incapable of beating a man to get to the byline. Thankfully Lamps is a manager who seems to recognise all of the above and will be quick to act. The future looks bright!
I think he’s doing well and quite a bit ahead of where he should be given the circumstances he started the job with. It’s easy for fans to get carried away with how we’re doing but I expect we will still have a couple of bad runs with the current squad and we just need to make sure we stay patient. For me we won’t challenge for the title until we’ve strengthened the defence and upgraded our striker. Tammy has done brilliantly so far and will be a good squad option but he’s never going to be a PL/CL winning striker, IMO. Of the players linked I’m really not keen on Zaha and don’t consider him as an upgrade. Chilwell would probably be an upgrade but for the fees being quoted I wouldn’t go near him either. He’d be a massive gamble considering how inexperienced he is at the highest level. Sancho and Werner I’d be very please to see though as well as a CB - although Ake doesn’t excite me either.
I think Zaha would be good, and he's played very well against Chelsea. The team needs players who can take on a man, and make something happen. Zaha can regularly do that, and Hudson Odoi isn't. I'm not convinced by Sancho, and the Bundesliga is not the PL. For England recently, he looked very ordinary. Possibly overrated and way overvalued. Werner I agree with, as Batshuayi once again is disappointing. Maybe it's an attitude problem, I don't know, and over at Liverpool despite not playing regularly, when he comes on Origi is very good. Squad summary: Defence - Andreas Christensen, sell 100%. He is no warrior and never will be. £35 million to the Bundesliga. Cahill was apparently heavily criticised by Sarri for saying he needed to muscle up, as players were just going through him. Cahill was 100% spot on if that rumour was true. Ake in? Maybe. The club definitely need another centre back and a left back, Tomori and James are definites for the future, but Tomori especially is not ready yet for a regular spot. James is closer though. Chilwell I agree may cost too much, but I do think he has the quality. Midfield. Great to see Loftus Cheek almost back. There was a question mark over him in the past for walking in games too much, but came on great when on loan to Palace. Barkley, a question mark for me, and again a possible attitude problem. He needs to give 100% for every minute in every game, and has rarely done that imo. He has the talent though, and maybe Lamps has to show his man management skills there and motivate him. Forwards. Pedro, sell 100%. He has lost the spark now and wants out imo. Giroud out, another player who wants to move on now imo. Also the pace that Lamps wants to play at doesn't suit him. Part of a swap deal for Zaha? In, as above, Zaha, and / or Werner. Players who can make something happen in tight games, as Hazard did. Hudson Odoi, probably loan out, as I can't see him suddenly stepping up. There is something seriously missing at the moment. If he gets loaned out to another PL club, I honestly don't think he will get regular paying time, and the German league again might be his ultimate destination. I know some people will disagree, and I am never taken in by hype. With transfer fees for some players such as Pedro, Alonso (not enough pace), Christensen and Giroud, Lamps should have a transfer kitty of £200 million +, and all of that will be needed.
In the same way we overprice Chilwell, you’re dreaming if you think you’ll get 35mill for Christensen from a Bundesliga side.
In today's football? Is Sancho worth £180 million? Christensen is well worth that in a league where he will probably thrive and has done before. He's just not cut out for the PL. Zidane's request for Sancho will cost 180 million Chelsea are smart and would probably want £25 mil up front with add ons taking a total fee to around £40 mil. If Hudson Odoi ends up in Germany whether on loan or otherwise, he's possibly another Sancho. I doubt another Salah, although you never know and the club have to be careful.
Wonder where you think the suitors will be digging that from? Bayern won't want him, Leipzig won't and Dortmund are far more sensible in their purchases and the rest don't have the money. I remember people thinking that Lookman would fetch a big fee cos he impressed there and the market was inflated. It ain't everywhere.
You sure? £35m could potentially be a bargain for the right club, IMO. He’d get in the Barcelona squad and playing that style he’d probably thrive and look a steel at that price.
If Barca wanted him, you'd get 35 mill. I don't think the sides in Germany that'd be interested would be spending that kind of money. If Bayern wanted him you could get that. Put it this way, only one team other than Bayern have spent that on any player and that was for Draxler to Wolfsburg for 38mill. Those two clubs aside he'd be any one else's record signing.
Christensen aside, was very impressed with Alonso in today's win against an in form Tottenham. A brilliant performance from the team, and brilliant choices by Frank. If Lamps is going to vary the formation etc, intelligently and play wing backs with a back 3 every now and then, Alonso has a place. With variety and not the boring same old, same old that eventually typified the Mourinho tenure(s), the future's bright!
You jesting me chick? Tammy has 12 goals in 19, a pro rata of 24 league goals per season. The kid gives his all for you, has a great attitude, and has everything required to be a top striker. If you sell him you'll regret it - much like when you sold Salah and De Bruyne. LOL - Chilwell is an outstanding talent and has been quality for Leicester. Of course he's relatively inexperienced but that's because of his age. Players like that you have to snap up or you miss out.
At the start of the season after that penalty miss, Abraham took a lot of stick, too much, and then proved a lot of doubters wrong. As of now, does anybody honestly see him as a number one striker at a top PL club? The best clubs have all ditched a big, slowish centre forward and gone for quick, fast, skilful options. Tammy Abraham is too slow, and that's a fact. It's not going to change. Liverpool had Crouch, and then Benteke. Look at them now, not a big strong centre forward in sight. City had Tevez, then Aguero and Jesus. Barcelona have never had a big centre forward and neither have Real. Man Utd signed Berbatov years ago, and he hardly played, opting instead for speed and skill. For some unknown reason, Chelsea have become obsessed with finding another Drogba, and it's never going to happen. He was a one off, the total PL striker. There's not going to be another JT or another Lampard for that matter either. Torres couldn't fill the boots, and neither could Morata. Costa did well, but didn't last long. Chelsea have to change their approach and stop their big, strong target man obsession. It belongs in the past. One relief is Hudson Odoi. He and Mount last night were outstanding with their quality crosses, as was James when he played last. The only problem is, Abraham is too slow to get on the end of them, and Batshuayi? Sell asap!
Kane has a lot more movement, although I admit that the system Chelsea play putting huge pressure on the lone striker, even he might struggle. It's time that Lampard did the brave thing and goes for very fast movement with a front 3, and ditches the lone striker role. No other top team uses that method and even at their best, Drogba and Costa found the system very hard. Drogba threatened to leave a few times before he eventually did, and Costa.. we all know the story. And both Costa and Drogba had a lot more variety to their movement and were a lot quicker and sharper than Tammy Abraham.
A good squad option doesn’t mean sell but still there’s not way Abraham is an elite striker or ever will be. I’d love to have him as a squad option though. For years now we’ve never rarely had a goal scoring we can bring off the bench and I think Tammy would be perfect for that role. We know he’s capable of scoring but he’s no where near good enough for the level we want to be playing at.
Does the absence of any transfers and now problems with the keeper mean that Lamps will be on his way in the summer? I think he is making some bad choices although has also made some very good ones. Reece James is going to be a huge player for the club, as is Mount and Hudson Odoi, although his finishing at the moment is very poor. He has stuck with the young ones, but I can't understand his position with Giroud. Top scorer last year in the Europa League, and would make a great contribution with clever finishes in the box at the moment, especially where Abraham and Batshuayi are struggling. On the backing for the manager in general, over at Inter Conte is getting every player he wants, so it can be done. Let's be honest, if Jurgen Klopp had been made Chelsea manager he would have been sacked a long time ago. Chelsea F.C. need new a new owner.
