Hello every one. Yes it has been quite an age since I last contributed here on vital but I have been stopping by periodically over the last year to just check in on you guys.
My heavy work load which essentially tripled with the recent change in the fed govt here in the states and then some recent medical challenges I have been battling with have made it impossible for me to be more vocal as last season unveiled itself and as we are now in the post season summer period.
I have noticed with interest the back and forth regarding our striker situation and have felt strongly enough about it to pen this from a recovery bed following recent orthopedic surgery (which BTW is no joke my blue brethren).
First thing..i know many on vital like to pride themselves in thinking Chelsea FC is “big” club..i have never been one to be drawn into that argument. Rest assured Chelsea is not and probably in our life time will not be one of the top tier football clubs in Europe not to mention the world. That distinction remains in my mind for the following; FC Barca, Real, FC Bayern , Juventus , and yes sadly ManU.
This does not depend on current form, recent trophy haul etc..it depends on accumulated history, lore, accumulated wealth and purchasing power, appeal to sponsors, players and managers of highest pedigree and tradition of the clubs involved. You may disagree with me and that is fine..this is my opinion but it it based on reality and it an important point because it colors how we should approach our search for a striker (S) in this window which is the most important piece we must sort out before this window closes.
I feel that Chelsea FC falls into the second tier of very good club teams who intermittently attempt to break into the top echeolon of club footie and I have no problem with my beloved club being in that tier along with clubs like Atletico, PSG, Maybe Monaco, Borussia Dortmund, yes Man City, and even the Gunners etc.
What is critical for clubs in this ” very good: category is to ensure they remain relevant, competitive and winning something on a consistent basis so as not to slip back into the category of merely good sides like the Liverpools, Spurs, the Romas, Napolis, Sevillasof the world etc .
For our unique situation at Chelsea FC we must also realize that the initial Roman Abrahamovic financial boon we enjoyed that catapulted us from category C to B status is over. If any of us is to be honest we know we cannot compete head on with the likes of City, PSG, Man U, Real, Barca or Bayern in any direct bidding war. Furthermore the fact that we have ahead of us the major capital project for expanding the Stamford bridge edifice over the next few years neccessarily means even more financial prudence for the next few years whether we like it or not.
With all this ground work laid let me now discuss my views on the great striker debate and where I think Chelsea should turn in this regard;
To start with I am one of those who subscribe to the fact that good strikers change games, teams and seasons. I feel we need 3 decent strikers in our first team for the season ahead and no Hazard is no striker end of story. We are now a side that no longer has the luxury of the consistent yearly double digit scoring output and consistent PK taking skills that the great Frank Lampard brought to our side..goals from our defense and mid field have dwindled as our last golden generation finally rode into the sunset so it is critical to have strikers who know the business of scoring goals and here variety and adequacy of numbers is an absolute necessity. Whether Conte decides on mainly 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 formations with a small sprinkling of the much maligned 4-2-3-1 considering the various competitions we are going to be competing in this season, if we have the ambition of winning some competitions, lifting some trophies and remaining relevant in our tier 2 status in international club footie we had better ensure that by the end of August 31 this year when the summer transfer window closes we have three half decent strikers on our books.
What are our options;
1. Michy Batshuayi; This guy needs to be kept and given a chance. His limitations are obvious but if there is one criminal offence Antonio conte is guilty of from last season it is how little true quality opportunities he gave this guy. He is a poacher..a unique sort of goal scorer ala Chicarito and the great Pippo Inzaghi..he is not going to link up play and wow you with flowering up field skills but when the ball is in the opponents 18 yard box and there is a melee players like him are crucial to have because they have a knack for ending up in the right place and getting the ball in the net. What conte must do is give him more true chances to contribute to the team with quality supporting cast not pointless mop up time minutes that frankly have little value for him as he will be trying to make the Belgium WC team for next summer.
2. Diego Costa; I wont waste time here..if I have time and strength I will write a little about how we should have better handled his situation but let me just say one of the signs of a top tier team is how they handle nut case players. Top tier teams always dictate the terms to such players and not the other way around. In this area City have got us well and truly beat. Go back and see how they handled Yaya Toure and Calitos Tevez when those guys tried to grow wings. Sometimes it is better to take a financial hit to make the stern point that no player is greater than the team (especially for a player that is no where close to the stratospheric levels of Messi or Ronaldo).
Essentially Costa is in our past. We need to move on and plan for this new season as though he does not exist..end of story.
3. PEA; This name has become more and more popular for the reason that his cost is more in the ball park we as a club are more comfortable working with. I would advise caution for several reasons. He will be away for extended periods for the ANC and though that had little impact on our legend Drogs there are other players like Saido Mane who when they get back from the ANC are simply not the same player for the rest of the season. Also PEA`s goal scoring prowess is based largely on speed and finesse. He is a very polished version of what Walcott would have been. The problems with that are that he is already 28..speed will necessarily diminish and may well plummet the moment he hits 30. One bad knee or ankle injury (and I know this now from painful personal experience) and his fountain of speed could dry up immediately. Also PEA has never seen the physicality nor speed of the BPL. He has played in ligue 1 and the Bundesliga..i am sorry those don`t prepare you for the pace and power of the BPL and his physique does not look cut out to thrive in the BPL nor to survive the wear and tear of a league with no holiday break to speak of. I would not spend the amounts been touted on him..the risks in my mind are too great but if we do then we absolutely must in addition get the player #4 I list below because PEA is not a complete striker..he brings no consistent aerial threat and little to no hold up play ability.
4. Fernando torres llorente; Not to be confused with El nino from our past. This is a guy that I really like and I think it is important we get as a third striker. Reasons; we can afford him..a half decent bid to Swansea made in time will get him. Conte has shown interest in him in the past. His age is such that he will not be a long term impediment to the possible ascencion of Tammy Abraham and future growth of Bats. What he does bring to the table though is high level experience..he has played in Serie A and La Liga and the BPL. He is excellent at hold up play and an absolute aerial terror. Further given the minutes and quality service he is still capable of scoring in double digits (10-15 goals in all competitions) over a season as he showed last season with Swansea. He would be an ideal archetypical back to goal center forward to play in two striker formations with either a poacher like Bats, a speed demon like PEA or a more complete package striker like my preferred no 1 target at the end of this list. For me after ensuring we secure Bats we need to get Fernando LLorente.
5. Romelu Lukaku; This boat has sailed already but just a word. Many here on vital find it fashionable to badmouth the guy because he chose ManU over us and also try to diminish his accomplishments thus far. I am not one of those. That we lost him to ManU despite being defending BPL champs and the way we lost him is part of what I mean when I say we are a tier 2 club while ManU despite all their recent travails are really a tier 1 club. We can shout and scream all we want but they showed the financial resolve and muscle that we lacked and that is why they got him and we don`t. It is also telling that while they would not exceed 75mill Euors in their bid for Alvaro Moratta they were willing to fork out a total of over 100mill pounds (when all the add ons, Rooney salary support etc are included) for Lukaku. Much as many here will be hoping out of spite that that the young man crashes at Manu but I wish him well. I have no doubt he will do well but the question will be how well. One thing he will have to deal which at ManU which he has never had to face up to so far though is cut throat competition. I hear that Zlatan will be getting another year contract and that guy once fit again is a freak of a nature who will be a thorn in Lukaku`s side, Then there is Marcus Rashford and lets not forget Anthony Martial if he does not get sold. Lukaku will need to hit the ground running quick and he will always have to watch his back at manU especially considering who the manager there is and what their history is. It will be an interesting side soap opera to watch this coming season.
6. Alvaro Moratta; It appears most here on Vital prefer this guy and always have even when we were still in the Lukaku sweep stakes. I am not interested and I frankly doubt this will happen anyway. Here are my thoughts. Real is a top tier club presently riding a crest of success like they have not seen In years. They have a very charismatic manager that so many of the top players want to play for. Moratta simply wants to be the designated successor to Ronaldo once CR7 finally hangs his boots up at Real. He may have considered a move to ManU as it is another top tier club but only with the intent of possibly returning to Real to claim that throne he feels is his. As recent comments show he certainly looks at a Chelsea move as step down and we as a club don`t need this kind of mind set from a player on whom we are planning to spend a fortune on. As long as Real dont go and buy Kylian Mbappe, Moratta knows the duel to be Ronaldo`s successor is between him and Bale. Given Bales injury record and the fact that he is a madridista, he must see his chances are not that bad. If I am to predict when all the dust is settled Moratta wont be going anywhere. Besides this he is another finesse based striker. All that flair and technique is all well and good for La Liga but I seriously fear that when he meets the reality of the pace, the power and officiating of the BPL this guy will crumple. Again as he has been a back up the last 3-4 yrs both at Juve and Real he has never really had to bear the load of being the main man and to carry that load for the first time in the BPL is asking a lot. Finally the price to get him..Real don`t need our money..even if we were ever to get this done rest assured it wont be for a penny less than they demanded from ManU who balked at their demand for ~ 90mill euros. This is not in my mind a smart investment of scarce funds on a player who even if he came will still have his heart in Madrid. If he did well with us in 2-3 years Real will come calling and get him back..if he flops we are stuck with fernando torres version 2.0. For me this is an absolute pass.
7. Kylian Mbappe; This young man is even on this list at all only based on the blazing season he had last year with Monaco. He is just 18 and already has declared he will only leave Monaco for Real to be Ronaldo`s heir apparent. I like the guys moxy but needless to say at the prices being quoted Chelsea need not even apply. There are only two teams even considering this; real (who need to get their annual galactico signing fix done) and PSG who have no financial restrictions and will be relishing the opportunity to undermine the only competition they have in ligue-A in the same fashion Bayern FC has done year after year to Borussia Dortmund (by poaching their only competitions best players). I don`t think any serious thinker is seriously considering us spending over 100 mill pounds for this young man who as talented and promising as he looks right now (and that is what it will cost to get this guy to move from Monaco) . Really after all the glamor and Glitz he is really a one season wonder. My verdict; pass please!!
8. This brings me to the final name on my list who I feel should be the one on whom we spend the big money to get a big money striker. Andrea Bellotti from Torino. It is true I have a bias and affection for Italian managers and players. Our club history shows that they have worked out very well for us. It is true I feel that the greatest Chelsea player ever is the Sicilain genius Gian Franco Zola and it is true that my favorite Chelsea manager is an Italian; Carlo Ancelloti followed by another Italian Gianlucca Vialli. Despite these obvious sources of bias there are some facts to bear in mind; Belloti is young..similar age to Lukaku and Moratta meaning an investment in him now has potential to be money very well spent over the next few years.
He of all the big names mentioned has the most complete striker profile. He is an aerial terror, an indefatigable hard worker, scorer with dexterity with both feet and like Diego costa is an absolute nuisance to opposing Center backs which occupies them and thus makes space and opportunities for our CAMS and wingers. Furthermore the mind set of Belotti is very different from that of players like PEA and Moratta who have sense of entitlement and are coming from footie royalty. I cannot emphasize how important this difference of mindset is to success. This guy will come with a point to prove and a chip on his shoulder and I suspect will have way more attachment and loyalty to our club than the other two who are essentially going to be paid mercenaries. Style and physique wise Belotti is built and designed for the rough and tumble BPL ..the other two guys certainly not so much. Finally while he has a release clause of 100m euros there is no other club interested in him right now beyond AC Milan who have reportedly bid ~ 50 mill euros. Torino are a smaller club in Italy..they ideally don`t want to sell their prized asset to a Serie A competitor, their owner has literally been inviting a bid from us and will clearly accept a decent offer well below the release clause amount if we were to show some ambition and actually make a bid rather than dawdling the way we did with the Lukaku situation.
Lets be clear this is not without risk..the saying goes; nothing ventured nothing gained. Yes Belotti has only had one break through season himself but he was productive (albeit not stellar) in his prior two seasons. The point is, I am willing to gamble that having this young man man work with Antonio Conte an Azzuri legend and a former National coach in the lead up for the World cup year where he will also be working with several other Italians in our technical crew will place Andrea in the best possible situation to thrive and grow. He will work his behind of and I think he will get better. Is there a risk? yes of course but the potential pay of is tremendous. Also rest assured if Belotti has another season like this last one at Torino we can essentially forget about getting him after that. We all know this story..once he has a second season of that level of productivitiy the tier 1 clubs or the tier 2 clubs with deep pockets ( City and PSG) will come calling and that will be the end of that. Are we going to be bold, are we going to dare to take a chance now when we have the window of opportunity?
By all means I would like to know hear your thoughts and views..i have not bothered to mention some other occasionally mentioned ancillary options simply because they are not worth the waste of time..like Alexis Sanchez (the gunners will never sell him to us at any prize and he is set on joining City anyway..we cannot afford his desired wages..lets stop wasting time on unattainable targets..we sat idely by when barca were hawking him and I was one of those who at the time said we should go for him as he was the closest thing to Suarez on the market but that boat has sailed and will never return). Also mention made of Moussa Dembele and the prize suggested is ludricous for a young man whose only claim to fame are goals scored in the one team SPL while we sold similar level talent in Traore and sent Abraham out on loan. Discussion of him as an option is pointless in my book. Harry Kane?? Get real folks..Levy would rather die of self immolation then sell Kane to us at any prize under any circumstance..he will probably sell him to Real at some point as Spurs are Real`s defacto feeder club but we should not bother even discussing this.
So there you have it. Have your say and KTBFFH.
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