I think the intent of us going in for Caicedo would still be him and an other midfielder interchanging the roles (depending on situation)with no specific DM as such. The midfield 4 at the center is broadly maintained , doesn’t matter the individual positions. Maybe it would mean the role interchange happening more with the right sided midfielder (Dom) as Caicedo has always been used more on the right side of the pitch.
There are a few personnel issues at Chelsea - Jackson cannot score, Sterling blows hot and cold at this stage in his career, the best thing about Mudryk is his terrible tattoos, and a long list of defenders none of whom are a patch on the 37 year old Silva. But their issues show that football is about far more than having good players. At this level you cannot exchange pieces to the degree they have an expect to get any coherence out of it and the schedule is simply too busy at this level, even for a club not in europe, to do much about that once the season has started other than playing through it
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That’s not exactly Chelsea so far this season.
That’s one moment on paper, but they also have players coming more centrally to compete numerically.
When they play with one proper winger, but with someone like Palmer on the side (inside right), then he comes inside a lot. Poch wants him to be the connector between the lines, he doesn’t hug the touchline.
When they play with two proper wingers (like so far Sterling and Mudryk), Jackson drops deeper, almost in line with the #10. Their average positions so far suggest that they try to play inside quite a bit.
Of course, starting from zero again, a new manager, so many new players, certain players missing, there are struggles.
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Don’t know, I think some fans have been reading too much into the “no DM’s” thing.
It’s no breaking news if certain teams at the top don’t have a pure destroyer anymore. You do need to offer enough qualities in both directions. Whether you have an Andrea Pirlo in front of the backline or a Momo Sissoko type of player in a double pivot.
You can be a quality defensive midfielder without being a pure destroyer and every team still needs to have enough of these qualities in the mixture of balance to compete and win at the highest level.
For me, it’s quite evident what we tried to do. If we got Caicedo, especially after Mac and Szobo were already signed, it’s clear where he would’ve been used primarily. Mostly behind them. I don’t think he would’ve rotated that much with other midfielders. It’s always easy for us outside to say “let them interchange”.
He’d have either Trent coming inside from the RB position or Mac dropping a bit deeper (deeper than Szobo, who would have the licence to be the most #10ish of the 3) to help him when we build up.
Different teams have also different problems and approaches to solving them.
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You probably want more for 115m mind.
I’m glad we didn’t sign him.
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Yeah, that’s a different topic. I was a bit surprised, can’t lie. Came as a shock, seemed pretty wild from us. Some events maybe weren’t all that predictable, that we would really get the money we got for Fabinho and Hendo. Otherwise, maybe we would’ve been in for some other #6 players who went earlier in the window. But for me at least, there’s no doubt who would’ve played where.
Yeah- we got both Mac and Dom for less than that.
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Endo €20m
Szobszolai €70m
Mac Allister €42m
Total €132m
Caicedo €116m
Lavia €62m
Total €178m
Gravenberch was 40m Euros as well so throw him and it is still less than those 2.
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“Yes, a diluted genius”. 
Not sure they’ll make it to 50 points if they carry like this.
Baldricks cunning plan
Gets funnier the more times I watch it
He actually got subbed off today due to “injury”
https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/1733923505660432564?t=pbfK1Ye-MFbBQIlIrSktMw&s=19
Surely Chelsea’s wreckless owners won’t let Poch spend more
Edit - Chelsea’s summer spending just for context;
- Caicedo - £115m
- Lavia - £55m
- Nkunku - £52m
- Palmer - £40m
- Disasi - £38m
- Jackson - £32m
- Sanchez - £25m
- Ugochukwu - £23m
- Washington - £14m
- Angelo - £12m
- Petrovic - £12m
And that’s all before you even start to add in Enzo, Mudryk, Sarr, Fofana, Chuckwuemeka, Gallagher, Stering, Broja etc etc.
Makes me wonder what Poch actually thinks he needs? Feel Klopp would be getting something out of all that talent. Poch’s a fraud.
Like he’s taking the piss
Maybe he will try to improve the squad by leaving
I didn’t realize Chelsea spent over 500 million pounds NET in 2023 (January transfers and summer transfers)…
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