The Fat Waiters FC

First topic message reminder :

Brief:

Team Wilshere
Marky
Zebs
Hero - CAPTAIN
Gregers
Afro

The second task - DEADLINE 2359 ON THURSDAY 29 NOVEMBER - is as follows:

You are Rafael Benitez, recently appointed as Interim Chelsea Manager. You want the job on a full-time basis. To get the job, your mandate from the owner is this - win the league, get to at least the semi-final of the Champions League, and win the FC Cup like last year. In order to do this, you can buy/sell as many players as you want in the January transfer window. In addition to funds raised, Abramovich has given you £50m to spend.

So that's it - win stuff, spend some money to do so. What I want from you is the detailed plans you would put together - from now until Christmas how you'll set up, who you'll buy in January, and how your team will set up from then until the end of the season.

Hero, you are the Captain of Team Wilshere, and Trebs, you are the Captain of Team Scholes. Please ask questions if you need any clarity.

Lord Azzy Mahmood

It was just for the CL game and my main thinking for that side was it is a game that Chelsea must win and then, if they can get a cricket score, it removes the impact of the other game being a draw. Therefore, go out with the aim of getting bundle of goals.

Perhaps a team that can be more conservative at first, and if they can get an early lead, then throw a bit more caution to the wind as the game goes on.

For the league games, I would definately have Mikel in there, and then in Jan, look at a new DM

I also wanted to try and get the best from Torres, and the best I have seen of him was in that partnership with Gerrard - so I am trying to replicate that.

-------------------Cech-----------------
---------Ivanovic - Terry - Luiz-----------
Azpilicueta----------------------------Cole
-------Mikel/Romeu-------Oscar/Ramires-----
-----Hazard -------------------- Mata----
------------------ Torres ---------------

That could in theory work for the last cl game. At the end of the day for that game alone we'll need goals to create pressure in the Juve/SD game.

I don't think GD is the main issue. I think Chelsea need Shakhtar to beat Juventus because if they draw, and Chelsea win, Chelsea and Juventus would be on the same points but Juventus above Chelsea on the head to head record. Chelsea could win 1-0 or 10-0, but if Juventus draw Chelsea are out. At least that's how I think it is.

Ah right, I didn't realise that. Ignore what I said before then.

So we need to bribe Juventus for it to be in our own hands

SD will beat Juve, therefore we need to make sure we win.

I'd look into the possibility of recalling Courtois in January as well, I think Cech needs the pressure of him challenging to bring him back into top form.

What's the head to head Chelsea v Shakhtar?

Qualification to the knockout stage is no longer in Chelsea's hands following Tuesday's 3-0 defeat by Juventus.

Chelsea are third with seven points, two behind Juventus and three behind leaders Shakhtar Donetsk , who have already qualified after a 5-2 win against Nordsjaelland .

If Shakhtar draw with Juventus in their final group game, Chelsea are out, no matter what they do against Nordsjaelland at Stamford Bridge. Their only hope is if Juventus lose and they beat Nordsjaelland

Gregers wrote:SD will beat Juve, therefore we need to make sure we win.

You right. We need to not worry about the other game and just put out the best team to ensure we win the game.

We can't influence anything else

Shakhtar beat Chelsea 2-1 in Donetsk
Chelsea beat Shakhtar 3-2 in London

Shakhtar lead the head to head on away goals. Really.

Give me good old fashioned goal difference every day of the week.

Away goals and head to head in a league format.

So far then we're looking at:

Damiao
One of Capoue/Bender/Medel coming in

A big marquee signing of Fellaini, Hummels or Falcao

Courtois back from Atletico to challenge Cech for number 1 status.

Still think we could do with buying another good central midfielder to cope with injuries?

What about bringing Demba Ba in for £7 million in Jan?

Good shout, would be a very good squad player for £7m.

Full current Chelsea squad and TM values;

GK:
Petr Cech £22m
Ross Turnbull £1.3m
Hilario £450k

DF:
David Luiz £20m
Gary Cahill £14.5m
John Terry £15.5m
Ashley Cole £11m
Ryan Bertrand £2.2m
Branislav Ivanovic £18.5m
Paulo Ferreira £875k
Cesar Azpilicueta £7.9m

MF:
Oriol Romeu £7m
John Obi Mikel £16.5m
Ramires £26.5m
Frank Lampard 4.8m
Oscar £28m
Eden Hazard £35m
Marko Marin £11m
Florent Malouda £4.8m
Juan Mata £33.5m
Victor Moses £13m

FW:
Daniel Sturridge £14m
Fernando Torres £31m


For sale (IMO):
Turnbull, Hilario, Ferreira, Mikel, Malouda, Sturridge.
These 6 raise a TM total of: £37.925m, which leaves a transfer kitty of just under £88m if we include the £50m we're given.

That would leave a squad of;

GK:
Petr Cech £22m

DF:
David Luiz £20m
Gary Cahill £14.5m
John Terry £15.5m
Ashley Cole £11m
Ryan Bertrand £2.2m
Branislav Ivanovic £18.5m
Cesar Azpilicueta £7.9m

MF:
Oriol Romeu £7m
Ramires £26.5m
Frank Lampard 4.8m
Oscar £28m
Eden Hazard £35m
Marko Marin £11m
Juan Mata £33.5m
Victor Moses £13m

FW:
Fernando Torres £31m

And the best part of £88m to fund a new striker, a new defensive midfielder and wherever else needs improving. As Gregers pointed out before, would be worth paying to bring Thibaut Courtois back from his loan at Atletico Madrid, as cover/competition for Cech. Competition for Cech forces him to raise his game, and Courtois would be ready to step in as number 1 if Cech can't perform.

The more and more I think of it, Fellaini would be a great signing for them. You watch them and they have plenty of skill, plenty of drive. But they really lack a physical presence in the middle.

Capoue, Medel, Bender are good defensive players, but they don't have the presence of Fellaini. Problem will be that I would not expect Everton to sell him for less than £25m

Also on Courtois, seems that a recall is possible

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/archive/14908515/chelsea-ponder-recalling-courtois-atletico-madrid/

With Everton we could chuck something their way as a sweetner, they've stated an extra keeper to push Howard so Turnbull or Hilario could do that, Mikel or Malouda may also be willing to go there for the games.

Would Mikel + Turnbull + cash = Fellaini?

Mikel possibly, but would he go to Everton. I think he would target a CL team.

Hilario would be a no, whilst I also think they would be looking at someone to eventually take over Howard.

The one possibly is Sturridge. I know Moyes has enquired about him on loan before

So Turnbull + Sturridge + 8m perhaps?

I don't think they would be interested in Turnbull.

Sturridge plus cash, or even Sturridge + Mikel + cash if you think Mikel would be interested

Sturridge + £10 million would do ti for Fellaini I think. Immediate replacement for Sturridge in Demba Ba for £7 million. Courtois bought back from Athletico.

So far then we have:

In:

Courtois: Freebie as recalled
Demba Ba: 7m
Fellaini: Sturridge + 10m

Out

Sturridge: PX to Everton
Also available: Turnbull, Hilario, Ferreira, Mikel, Malouda

Available budget: 33m
Still required: Falcao

Hilario for me should stay, he's training as a gk coach at Chelsea. Ferreira would be expensive to replace and he seams perfectly happy being a complete back up for rb/cb/lb.

Turnball to Middlesborough
Mikel to Italy?
Malouda to Lille/PSG

Lucas Biglia just jumped into my mind as a cheap(ish) back up to Fellaini in the center of the park

Didn't think to mention Lucas Piazon, he'll be worth a few quid if we want to sell him.

Would Moutinho be available?

Moutinho - Fellaini
Ramires - Mata - Hazard

Looks pretty good

I think I'd be tempted with Oscar ahead of Moutinho in that role, if Fellaini is in there too

Oscar in Europe, Moutinho in the prem?

How much would Moutinho cost compared to, say Biglia?

What about Huntelaar, his price is meant to be around the 6-7m mark.

Great shout on Huntelaar. Him and Demba ba for13 million is a steel.

Moutinho would be 20 million ish, maybe offload malouda in the deal?

I assume Huntelaar is cup tied mind. So for CL we could only have one of ba or falcao and would be restricting our striker options.

Another striker option is van wolfswinkel

Instead of falcao we could get cavani or neymar?

Huntelaar would be a great striker to have even just for prem games

Mind blank. Are Napoli in CL this year?

Nope they're Europa league, Cavani would probably be cheaper than falcao as well

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2231109/Arsene-Wenger-ready-spend-30million-Edinson-Cavani.html

£30 million for Cavani could be a better deal than 45 for Falcao

And with Cavani we could keep Torres happy as well

Azpillicueta - Terry - Ivanovic - Cole
Ramires - Fellaini - Mata
Hazard - Torres - Cavani

In 4-3-3 works well. Then Cavani could be up front by himself if Torres still isn't firing. Or even 4-4-2

Aspilliceuta - Terry - Ivanovic - Cole
Hazard - Fellaini - Ramires - Mata
Torres - Cavani

I think to get the best out of Torres you could play Torres at LW in a 4-3-3 with Hazard/Mata RW and a Cavani/Falcao down the middle. Torres starting wide could rejuvinate his career like it did for Thierry Henry.

Torres is struggling in his natural position. Sticking him out wide I think would be a mistake. For me, you either try to get him playing in th formation that Liverpool used him in with a Gerrard type playing off him, or you cash in on him

Abramo will not sell Torres, Mata in behind him?

Have we decided on signings. If so I'll get some tactics drafted tomorrow for different scenarios to discuss with zidane

I think what we have said over the last few days applies, maybe Hero as captain needs to finalise a list.

£18 million, ideally to get in another central midfielder (Paulinho?) and maybe another defender.

Defence wise what about Alderweid from Ajax, we're getting back Courtouis, already have Hazard and a couple more Belgians in the squad.

And on that note recall Lukaku.

Would we get Paulinho and Alderweireld for £18m?

And we should also consider there could be fees for recalling Lukaku and Courtois.

Lukaku is a free recall (it has been widely reported as being part of the deal). Courtois I'm not sure on.

There is plenty of talk about Chelsea recalling courtois so it must be part of the deal. Whether there is a fee we'd need to find out, as Marky says

I can't seem to find an article with a fee mentioned, if we keep back a couple of mill just in case?

Maybe worth saying in the sumbission that we have reserved £2m in case recalling Courtois costs a fee, but Gregers to find the link that says recalling Lukaku wont cost.

Bad news on Paulinho: http://www.examiner.com/article/chelsea-losing-race-to-sign-corinthians-ace-paulinho-january
And Alderweireld wont be cheap: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2227629/Tottenham-Newcastle-spend-big-sign-Toby-Alderweireld.html

In:
Courtois: Recalled for £2m
Lukaku: Recalled for free
Demba Ba: £7m from Newcastle
Fellaini: Sturridge + £10m
Cavani: £30m from Napoli

Out:
Sturridge: PX to Everton
Malouda to Marseille £5m
Mikel to AC Milan £10m

Remaining funds £16m