Rivals Football - Chelsea FC

The club with the transfer ban did probably the best business in a window ever.

Pulisic, Reece James, Mount who made debuts.
Tammy and Tomari.
Even Zouma, Kovacic and Batshuayi are technically transfers too.

I can’t remember that many new players having a start like this.

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Guehi and gilmour have done quite well too in the limited minutes they've had.

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Think those two would benefit from decent loan spells and minutes. [^]

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I think what this season has shown is that the much maligned loan policy can actually work out well for both the club and players

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Also, Ampadu, T Chalobah, Conor Gallagher to add to the mix, RLC to come back, although I feel he will always be injury prone. I feel we need a CB, LB, another striker and a back-up keeper. Agree on Chilwell. (can't think of a Chelsea player I have disliked as much as Alonso)

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[^] We’re far from the finished article at the moment but the improvement has been so rapid, I’d rather we stick with what we’ve got in most areas and let them get experience and learn from it as a group, especially with players still to come back as you say. It’s really helped that many of the experienced players we have got, have stepped up as well.

I’ve liked Chilwell for a couple of years now and he seems to keep getting better. I think he’d suit this team very well, on and off the pitch. I appreciate the contribution Alonso has made to the club over the years but he often struggles in a back 4 with his lack of pace. It feels a lot safer & balanced with Emerson there.

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Apparently, they affectionately call us ‘lucky Chelsea’ in Italy, because whatever happens we somehow land on our feet!
Whilst I’d like to think it’s more than just luck, surely nobody expected us to be in this position at this stage of the season. I thought we’d be having the kind of start Spurs & Everton have had, personally.

I now look at this squad and I think even if the ban was lifted in January, I’m honestly struggling to see whether it’d be worth buying (though I would love to see Chilwell at left back)

[frank]

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We only should be going after superstars now..no point buying squad players (Drinkwater, Zappacosta et al) as these positions can be filled with the conveyor belt of youth we have coming through at the moment.

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Spot on.

Chilwell for Alonso would be superb.

As would sancho for pedro.

Then go and get a proper 2nd striker to compete with tammy and a top CB, then we have 2 players per position well covered for next season.

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Definitely agree with the sentiment, and I’d go a step further and say no superstars either. When you think of our best players in the Roman era, none of them arrived here as superstars but reached that level whilst at the club. Whereas whenever we’ve gone out and got players who became superstars elsewhere, be it Torres or Sheva, it’s never really worked out.
Could be argued that City and Liverpool have followed similar paths in recent years, and it’s paid off for them too.

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