bluecueball

Kepa Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger, Alonso Kante, Jorginho, Barkley Willian, Morata, Pedro

Alisson Azpilicueta - Rugani - Christensen - Alonso Kante - Jorginho - Golovin Bailey - Higuain - Hazard

Hazard would go for £100m tops. Only 2 years left on contract

Exactly. I’m become a bit more philosophical in recent years and, really, I will always enjoy following us no matter how good the side is. It’s a joy to watch the likes of Hazard, but ultimately no player is bigger than the club and if he wants to go then we should let him. I only want players who want to play for us. I mean, If we go and sign Dybala and Insigne and play them off Higuain is anyone going to be complaining?

Losing Hazard would be like losing Zola or Robben. Hard to imagine life without them but then you always find someone just as good, or ‘different’ good. at the moment, if Hazard isn’t firing we look quite an ordinary team. Perhaps it will free us up to be a bit more versatile?

Really good thoughts there. I agree that that is our approach - it's XI + bench + any reserves. If you look at our strategy from a board perspective I think it's to do with this (in theory): Fill the side with top international players who demand to play every week - this gives you arguably the most driven and 'self-managed' players available. That helps you attract top managers, particularly if you change them often. Changing the managers often keeps the pressure on to win. Players stay happy because they're played regularly and can build cohesion / understanding with the same teammates. Not my way of doing things but my opinion of what the board think.

On pure ability, I'd say Crespo is our most talented centre forward (certainly that I've seen - although my dad says Osgood was better...). Drogba sits at #1 through his legacy, sheer iron will and the fact that Crespo never hit full stride with us. Another highlight in terms of legacy was Vialli, who helped us transition from also-rans to contenders - but just wasn't consistent enough. Costa is similar to Drogba - had he had the inclination I think he could have had a similar impact to Didi but his head is just not screwed on right. But as paulw66 says, his goalscoring record is scarily good and he deserves a place somewhere in our top 5.

Snort

Any Smashing Pumpkins fans in here? Absolutely loved Zeitgeist although it was critically panned (10 years old now!) but just got Spotify and discovered it's not on there :(

I mean they consistently leak stuff to their tame journos like matt law to frame nsrratives. This reads exactly like one of those pieces, and paints conte as useless at negs. When they sack him in 6 months, all of these pieces that built a narrative will seem like they had no option but to sack him. But if we win they won't need to sack him but we won't remember the negative stories or just chalk it up to paper talk.

Point is I think the club briefed the Telegraph with that story - regardless of whether it's true or false - and that says to me that they're looking to weaken his position.

Genuinely concerned Conte could walk. Telegraph just published a CFC press release stating that the board kept Conte out of the Barkley negotiations because he failed to convince Ox to come. If I was Conte I would have tendered my resignation immediately upon reading that.

Surely it'd be alright for Qarabag at the bridge?

Plot thickens... Costa included in our squad?