Its Metro and its Oscar.....that is a lose lose combination.

Pedro would make a better support striker than Hazard, instincts for scoring Pedro has with either foot.
Hazard better dribbling from wide areas.

comment by SWTN Biggish (U7916)
posted 1 minute ago
Its Metro and its Oscar.....that is a lose lose combination.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Its been reported not only by the Metro btw. And given that he has been training with Conte, its high likely that Conte is at least experimenting with it.

Whether or not he will use it is another story.

comment by Chelseamf™®© (U1677)
posted 1 minute ago
Pedro would make a better support striker than Hazard, instincts for scoring Pedro has with either foot.
Hazard better dribbling from wide areas.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pedro has played striker before and has really struggled. I agree he has better instincts for scoring, but his instincts come from making runs inside from the wing.

Also as good as Hazard is at playing out wide, I think his drifting around means we have less width.

Pedro knows the right movement to make off the ball in central areas approaching box, Hazard doesn't have the mentality or approach of a goalscoring striker which is a shame.

With current players:

Courtois
Ivan Zouma Terry Azpi
Kante Fabregas
Willian Bats Costa Hazatd

With potential signings:

Courtois
Ivan Zouma Koulibaly Azpi
Kante Fabregas
Willian Morata Costa Hazard

comment by Joaquin (U16342)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by SWTN Biggish (U7916)
posted 1 minute ago
Its Metro and its Oscar.....that is a lose lose combination.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Its been reported not only by the Metro btw. And given that he has been training with Conte, its high likely that Conte is at least experimenting with it.

Whether or not he will use it is another story.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
i just mean they are a bunch of losers....not that it isn't true

I'd also back Pedro to work his butt off (centre pressing) more than Hazard.

That's very attacking line up. I doubt it, Conte will be using it in the premier league.

Most likely formation that will be used 442

---------------------------Teebo------------------------

Brana-------------Cahill --- JT-----------------Azpi


Willian-----------Cesc------Kante-------------Hazard

----------------Batman ------Costa-----------------------

If we buy decent defenders, he may go with 352

--------------------------Teebo----------------------------

-------New Def----------Cahill------------Azpi-------


---------------------- Matic------------Kante-----------

Willian ------------------------Cesc-----------------------Hazard

----------------Costa---------------------Batman-----------------

424 442 4231 451 433 are all variants of each other really.

424 becomes 442 when defending.

comment by Chelseamf™®© (U1677)
posted 28 seconds ago
424 442 4231 451 433 are all variants of each other really.

424 becomes 442 when defending.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
True, quite flexible, but you have to have the playable that are adaptable for each of this formation.

Courtois
Aina Cahill Terry Azpi
Willian Fabregas Kante Hazard/Pedro
Costa Pedro/Hazard

Bench: Begovic, Baba, Ivanovic, Matic, Oscar, Batshauayi, Traore/Loftus-Cheek.

Perhaps Chalobah for one of Baba, Ivanovic, Matic on the bench.

Without any further signings can see that as a start for West Ham.


Cuadrado sold.
Moses loaned/sold.
Mikel will be at the Olympics.

I'd play Batshauayi upfront with Costa and have Pedro in the bench, coming off as a sub.

Aina is a bit inexperienced fro my liking, I would go with Ivanovic for now. That said we desperately need to add first teamers to that defence, it looks pretty poor going into the next season

Every player looks inexperienced until given experience, I would throw Aina in for the remainder of our pre season games and if he continues to impress start him against West Ham. If we can bring this kid through it'd be brilliant.

comment by Cuchillo (U20893)
posted 55 minutes ago
I'd play Batshauayi upfront with Costa and have Pedro in the bench, coming off as a sub.

Aina is a bit inexperienced fro my liking, I would go with Ivanovic for now. That said we desperately need to add first teamers to that defence, it looks pretty poor going into the next season
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cuchillo, this week I did reply on a couple of your messages, anyway ref Ivanovic, if we play him and as I said before it is a disaster, waiting to happen. in my opinion he has gone, nowhere near the player he was. I appreciate your opinion on Aina being too young, but I think at this stage I would prefer him or another RB being brought in. I also did say ealier this week, that rather than be looking to spend 60mil plus on Morata I would prefer we spent it on defenders.
The defence still looks very week to me.
Cahill has been a great servant and is a really steady defender but even he has slipped in last few months.
My opinion is if Zouma comes back through that bad injury, we need to build the team around him. Firstly though JT still has a big role to play.
But Zouma is the way forward, I hope and pray he comes back the same player, a little rough round the edges we know but with time and patience this guy will in my opinion become one of the finest defenders we have seen in many years at SB.

comment by Bridge of dreams (U8917)
posted 0 seconds ago
comment by Cuchillo (U20893)
posted 55 minutes ago
I'd play Batshauayi upfront with Costa and have Pedro in the bench, coming off as a sub.

Aina is a bit inexperienced fro my liking, I would go with Ivanovic for now. That said we desperately need to add first teamers to that defence, it looks pretty poor going into the next season
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cuchillo, this week I did reply on a couple of your messages, anyway ref Ivanovic, if we play him and as I said before it is a disaster, waiting to happen. in my opinion he has gone, nowhere near the player he was. I appreciate your opinion on Aina being too young, but I think at this stage I would prefer him or another RB being brought in. I also did say ealier this week, that rather than be looking to spend 60mil plus on Morata I would prefer we spent it on defenders.
The defence still looks very week to me.
Cahill has been a great servant and is a really steady defender but even he has slipped in last few months.
My opinion is if Zouma comes back through that bad injury, we need to build the team around him. Firstly though JT still has a big role to play.
But Zouma is the way forward, I hope and pray he comes back the same player, a little rough round the edges we know but with time and patience this guy will in my opinion become one of the finest defenders we have seen in many years at SB.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
sorry weak

If you ask I'd change the whole CB's (including Zouma) and buy a decent LB or RB.

I agree with Cahill too.He is nit my cup of tea. JT is too slow for the high line Conte wants to implement and have the flexibility to change formation.

Zouma is still a raw material, prone to mistakes, at times lapses contraction, but he makes up for it with his pace. I

Christensen is the real deal, shame he is still tied up in that 2 year loan deal. He's had 1 year of professional of football under his best at the highest level. Next year he'll be playing CL. Though, he is still young, you can tell, he looks very assured and composed in the ball. Excellent positional play. If he continues like this for another year, we have a real gem in our hands.

I still feel we need a solid defender this year.

Regarding Moarata. I think he is an exceptional talent, Spain's first choice striker, yet at only 23.

Conte needs to find a formation that fits Cesc in, I've said it a million times without him we lack so much creativity it's frightening. I think a midfield 3 of Kante, Cesc and Oscar could work, Kante sitting the deepest with Oscar's energy and Fabs creativity just infront.

The only way I can see a 424 work is if we sacrifice Willians attacking threat and get him to track back.

Agree with Cuchillo and Bridge of Dreams, the defence needs a lot of work on. None of the back four fills me with much confidence, and I think we partly set up the way did during the second half of our title winning season because the back four had some very serious cracks.

The issue we have is that we have a back four which is more confident when the team is sitting back to defend, than it is when we have the ball. Ivanovic, Terry and Cahill are so vulnerable to being countered, we really need some more quality in our back four.

I'm happy with the signings so far, and I would consider this transfer window a success with we bring in a quality defender.

Mail claimimg Ivanovic out for 3 weeks with shoulder injury.

Our defence is still a big issue. Out of the players fit to start the season - i.e. Terry, Ivanovic, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Aina, Baba, Papi and Hector - who would you actually feel confident playing as a first teamer.

To me, only Azpilicueta and Cahill (at a push) fit the bill. We are in dire need of another CB if we really want to challenge for the title.

I'd hate to see Kante and Fabregas together in a midfield 2. I still think what burned Matic out so completely was having to play alongside Fabregas and do all his defensive work for him as well as his own defensive duties. We cannot let that happen to Kante too.

Terry and Azpi for me are fine as starters, other two the problem.