David Luiz has said that he was desperate to come back to Chelsea

This is why the deal is happening

Is this the same bloke that captained his team, too a 7-0 grubbing in the world cup in Brazil ?
sounds just wot you need ? ....... Codeblue will be over the moon !! * rolleyes *

I can believe we've been this stupid. And that's very sad

He will. Be a very useful player for Chelsea, lots of positives!

Yesterday was the difference between this window being a poor one for us and a decent one.

We have to accept that until Roman becomes as ruthless with the executive side of the business then he is with the management side of the football team getting our first choice targets (who have no transfer fee clause) is going to be almost impossible.

Due to the lack of options in certain positions in the squad if we had not got players in during this window we might has well saved time and sacked Conte now. Was the players we got in the level we needed? No of course not but that was not going to happen so we had to go to the next best thing and that is what we have done. Both of yesterday's buys was about right from a value POV and can play in the systems that Conte will more then likely use throughout the season.

Now it's up to the manager to do his job and coach these players to the standard he needs them to do. That is the difference between decent managers and great ones, a manager at this level is not here just to pick a team on match day and yell at the touch line. He has to not only coach young players to get them ready for the first team but also should improve the senior players as well.

Keepers : Courtois or Begovic

We are stronger now at CB than we were at the start of the window

Terry
Cahill
Luiz
Ivanovic
Zouma

for 2 positions

Azpi and Alonso as fullbacks, ivanovic covering

In DM we have a choice of

Kante
Mikel
Matic
Luiz
RLC

In AM we have a choice of

Hazard
Willian
Oscar
Fabregas
Moses
Pedro
Chalobah

And up top

Costa
Batshuayi

This team may not be perfect, but it gives us choices, and choices in formation too.

There is cover in all areas really, though im sure fabregas will be a false 9 at some points when costa gets sent off

Whilst I'm not exactly thrilled at Luiz returning I'll take it given that a couple of days ago I wasn't sure if we'd bring anyone in. Luiz and Alonso give us more options tactically as well as meaning we're no longer down to the barebones in defence, and I think with that I'm now more confident of a top 4 finish this season.

The signing of Luiz and Alonso (though i wish we had someone different to Alonso) have certainly increased our chances of a top 4 finish, so it has to go down as a good signing.

We know what we are getting with Luiz, but with the benefits of someone who

a) knows the club inside out
b) knows the PL inside out
c) is a winner, has won the PL, CL and uefa/ europa with us.
d) can score goals, both headers and free kicks - always handy
e) can be versatile and cover for kante or matic in midfield if necessary
f) actually looked like it mattered, and hated losing, last time he was here

Yes there are a few pro's for Luiz returning as you say. He never won the PL with us though, so that's unfinished business for him.

One thing he never had previously was a specialist DM as good as Kante playing in front of him. I also think he would work well if we switch to playing with 3 CB's - he'd have more cover for when he ventures up the pitch.

Conte likes three at the back - what 11 would he pick with that shape?

Luiz alongside any two from Cahill / Terry / Ivanovic / Zouma (when fit), Azpi and Alonso as wingbacks, Kante and Matic with either Oscar or Fabregas in CM, then Hazard playing just behind Costa? I would have thought Willian could operate as a wingback too.

We could see
Courtois

Cahill JT Luiz

Dave Alsonso

Kante Oscar Matic

Hazzard

Costa

When needed

...................Courtois
.....cahill.......terry.........luiz
azpi ......matic....oscar....kante.......Alonso
...........................hazard
...............costa


a 3-5-1-1 formation?

are azpi and alonso good enough for that?

Yes, like that. I don't know enough about Alonso. As for Azpi we'd have to try it out, but I also think Willian may be a potential option on that right side.

Interesting that despite many Chelsea fans seeing Willian as player of the season, albeit when many didn't perform, and as a very good player... Three of you wouldnt have him in the 1st choice starting line up.

IMHO he's nothign special, just was willing to try last season so he stood out

I like him. It's just finding a place for him in that particular formation that's the issue. If we play our usual 4-2-3-1 formation then he gets in.

well thats not me, i was just interested in the formation when conte could play three at the back!

for me personally, id play what we are used to, and willian is always in the team and play a 4-2-3-1

...................courtois
azpi.......cahill......terry ...... alonso
..............cante......matic
....willian........fabregas.....hazard
.......................costa

BUT i want to see a team with coata and batshuayi in, when playing weaker teams at the bridge: 4-4-2

...................courtois
azpi.......cahill......terry ...... alonso
willian..cante ....oscar.....hazard
..........batshuayi ...costa

or a 4-1-3-2

...................courtois
azpi.......cahill......terry ...... alonso
......................cante
......willian.....oscar.....hazard
..........batshuayi ...costa

If you judge him solely as a winger, he is nothing special. But he offers us so much more than that. Pressing, closing down, tracking back, Willian covers an enormous amount of ground in a game. It's only when he's missing that you realise how important he is to the team.
I think it would need to be a world class winger to replace him (Marco Reus for example)..Willian has seen off four or more would-be challengers already.

just compare willian to pedro

its a no brainer

I don't see us playing a 3-5-2 with the players avaiable. Alonso is an unknown quantity, but nothing in his CV suggests he can make the step-up to the quality we have become used to.
Terry, Cahill and Luiz playing a high line also wouldn't exactly fill me with confidence. Perhaps with Zouma back and fully recovered it might be different.
We also only have two strikers plus Solanke and RLC, even Batshuayi Is finding his way in the EPL but he's made a great start.

I'd stick with a 4-3-3, going to a 4-4-2/4-2-4 on occasion. To be honest, my starting XI for the next march would be the same as the Burnley game. It was the best we've played for a long time after all. I'd look to bring Luiz, Bats and Fabregas on at sometime, but at the moment if it ain't broke don't fix it.

I still think we are short up top, letting Remy leave seems like a mistake to me.

If Costa or Batshuyi get injured we are in trouble, and we would have to go with Hazard up top if they both got injured. 2 Strikers getting injured isn't too uncommon and could well happen. Although Falcao and Pato were flops they were atleast someone we could punt the ball too. Beyond these two we have not a lot.

I'd rather put mikel up front than pato or Falcao.

I think money went to a shared agent here :/

Let's not mention those two again. Pretend they never happened.

Footballing wise yes.

But the Falcao deal to chelsea was actually a scandal, as dodgy as they come.

Jose and Falco have the same agent, Jorge Mendes.

In his first spell with us, jose signed carvalho, ferreira, Tiago and Maniche, all Mendes.

Nice work for the pair of them

What a load of utter nonsense.

The only scandal is your comments due down to nothing more then your dislike of someone due to their current job.

its just more one eyed claptrap.

The agent concerned is one of the best agents in the business so will have a number of players on his books.

Also as you well know the manager at Chelsea only has a certain amount of say in who we bring in.