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Message: [QUOTE="IthacaMatt, post: 3032831, member: 405"] I'm torn about selling Hazard. I almost don't mind seeing him go, to be honest. He was terrible in the dressing room, he has been lobbying for this transfer publicly for two years, and by quitting on the team, he got 2 coaches fired - Mourinho and Conte. This season was his best season by far. He did help bring 2 Premier League titles in his 6 years, so that's pretty good, but he still under-achieved, in my book. Chelsea is only a couple players away from being elite again, even without Hazard. If they could get Mauro Icardi out of Italy, who they have been tracking since they dumped Diego Costa, that would be great. Icardi is still only 26 and he has some nastiness and physicality about his game that I think would translate very well to England. I think we also need a young right back, because Azpilicueta is losing some pace, and he has become a bit of a liability defensively. In a few games down the stretch, I saw Chelsea give up a couple headers at the back post on his side because he allowed himself to be sucked in too centrally. That happens when a player starts to lose his quickness; he plays deeper, he plays closer to the goal, he doesn't play way out on the wing, where he can be isolated one-on-one. Otherwise, I think Chelsea is in great shape. Kepa is a fine young goal keeper. In central defense you have Tony Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, David Luiz and Kurt Zouma (loan). You've got Emerson and Marcos Alonso on the left wing. We can bring back Victor Moses, who could get a new chance at right back or right wingback under a new manager. We've got a couple youngsters who might deserve a shot here, like Trevor Chalobah or Ola Aina. I saw that we still own Kenedy, too. Whoever the new coach is when Sarri departs for Juve, I just hope we bring back everyone for camp so the coach can get a look at them all. In central midfield, we have Jorginho, who people love to hate, but he's like a poor man's Cesc Fabregas. Doesn't generate quite as many assists, but also not quite as bad defensively, and he keeps the ball moving. I would take a second look at a bunch of people in midfield - Izzy Brown, Danilo Pantic, Charly Musonda, Lewis Baker or Mario Pasalic. Bakayoko could even come back for a second shot as a holding midfielder, because honestly, Kovacic gives us very little in that position. I think Ross Barkley is going to get some run next year, too. Up front, it looks like we should start with Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham. Let Higuain go; he didn't fit the squad very well, and he was the one having arguments with everyone down the stretch of the season. He shouldn't be here next year. If they can't buy a new center forward like Icardi because of their transfer ban, then I guess you bring Michy back as the third center. That's their weak spot for now, but Giroud did win the Golden Boot for the Europa League. If you made him your number 1 guy, I would bet that he gets you 15 goals in the Premier League. Then use Abraham as your number 2, and I could see 10 more goals from him. He did get 26 in the Championship last year. I think they will have plenty of attacking talent. Even if you don't add anyone new, you have Willian, Pedro, Hudson-Odoi, and Christian Pulisic on the wings or in the 10 spot. That's not bad. And you will have Loftus-Cheek making the driving runs from midfield. This could still be a very good team next year without anyone else, if you just bring back a bunch of loanees, and find 3 or 4 who can fill out the squad next year. It would take 2 or 3 signings for them to challenge for top spot in the league. [/QUOTE]

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