Chelsea - Expected Line-Up 15 Aug 2016

[FootballWriter2]

Report below written 1 August. Further updates to come in the run-up to Chelsea's opening match home to West Ham on Monday 15 Aug at 8pm.

Last Season Stats

A very disappointing 2015/2016 season for Chelsea. Starting the season as Champions and expected to kick on and have a good attempt at European silver wear that didn’t really materialise. With the ‘special one’ eventually having to bow out. In a difficult season both behind the scenes and on the pitch Chelsea struggled defensively for the first time under Jose Mourinho. Ultimately seeing Jose Mourinho replaced as manager by Guus Hiddink for the remainder of the season in December. Finishing 10th in the league and a total of 31 points behind league winners Leicester city and therefore failing to qualify for any European football this season is a poor season for a club given they were champions only the season before and the manager’s previous track record.

Manager

Former Italy and Juventus manager Antonio Conte took the reins of Chelsea after the European Championships in July 2016 but was appointed in April and has been working behind the scenes since then as Guus Hiddink completed his stint as caretaker manager. He has apparently been very vocal since coming to the club and is looking to imprint his style on the team as quickly as possible. Certainly at Juventus his tactics revolved around the traditional 3-5-2 formation where the midfield becomes a battle ground. Time will tell if he can impose those tactics on the players at his disposal at Chelsea. However, in preseason it appears that the team is lining up in a very British 4-4-2 or 4-2-4 formation. This may well suit the players he has inherited at Chelsea a little better.

Defence

Firstly, the goal keepers.

Thibaut Courtis – Last season’s number 1 and set to continue as the first choice. Played 30 games last season.

Asmir Begovic – Back up for Thibaut Courtis, but did play 25 games last season due to injury and suspension of Thibaut Courtis.

The Defenders include.

Cesar Azpilicueta – The versatile full back played 49 games last season. I would expect that trend to continue in the new season.

Gary Cahill – The England central defender had a poor season at the heart of central defence by Chelsea’s high standards with John Terry last season but will be looking to rectify it again this season. Played in 37 games last season.

Branislav Ivanovic – The full back come central defender seemed a little out of sorts last season but is usually a source of goals as well as solidity for fantasy football teams. Played in 43 games last year. Has a shoulder injury but is not thought to be too serious.

John Terry – Club captain John Terry has another year’s extension with Chelsea. Will the veteran be able to add to his total of 33 games played last season or will he be sidelined for younger legs?

Kurt Zouma – The young French defender seemed to be inching closer to a place in the starting eleven last term. But after a bad knee injury in February he has only just rejoined the team for training in July so the start of the season may have come too early for him.

Ola Aina – The young academy defender has come through the ranks well and will be looking to add first team experience as cover at full back.

Baba Rahman (Left club on loan 2 Aug) – The Ghanaian international will be hoping for more playing time at fullback. Made 23 appearances last season.

Matt Miazga – The young American central defender signed from New York Red Bulls last season. Made 2 appearances last season and will be looking to add to his experience in the coming season.

Midfielders

Eden Hazard – The midfielder come forward will be looking to increase last season’s stats of 6 goals and 7 assists in 43 games. From the start of last season, he performed poorly until near the end when he showed the kind of form that made him the top ranked player in many people’s fantasy football teams. That finishing good form continued into the Euros. The former Barclays player of the season might be in the goals once again if he is played in a more advanced central role as we have seen in some of the Chelsea friendlies so far.

Cesc Fabregas – The creative Spanish international will be looking to continue in central midfield with probably either new signing N’Golo Kante or Nemanja Matic to keep him company.

N’Golo Kante – The new signing from Leicester City will be looking to add some solidity to central midfield for Chelsea. He was an integral part of Leicester City title winning team last year playing nearly all the games but one.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek – The young English midfielder will be looking to add to his game time this year after playing 17games last season scoring 2 goals and making 2 assists.

Nemanja Matic – The Serbian central midfielder might have a battle on this season with new signing N’Golo Kante for one of those midfield births. Last season he played 43 games scoring 2 goals and making 2 assists.

John Mikel Obi – The Nigerian International midfielder did play in 33 games last season. But increased competition with the arrival of N’Golo Kante in central midfield may see John Mikel Obi Increasingly sidelined in the season to come.

Oscar – After an injury hit start to last season the Brazilian attacking midfielder will be looking to keep a grasp on his position in the team. Played in 40 games last season contributing 8 goals and 5 assists.

Pedro – The Spanish international midfielder come forward will also be looking to continue as a first choice in the team after playing 40 games, scoring 8 goals and 2 assists.

Willian – The young Brazilian midfielder will be looking to continue where he left off last season. After 49 games played and scoring 11 goals with 7 assists certainly stats wise he was one of Chelsea’s better performers in a poor season. He was last season’s players’ player and fans’ player of the season.

Bertrand Traore – The Burkina Faso International will be looking to add to his 16 games played last season where he played in a number of positions. He scored 4 goals, making 1 assist.

Kenedy – Another young Brazilian attacking midfielder who can play anywhere across the midfield. Will be looking to gain more first team experience this year after 14 games last season.

Forwards

Diego Costa – The Spanish international had a turbulent season. Playing 41 games and scoring 16 goals. Speculation is rife that he may move on. If the combative striker does stay he would surely be considered the first choice striker. He has a back problem at the moment and isn’t training but that shouldn’t rule him out for the start of the season.

Loic Remy – The French striker was very much a backup for Diego Costa last term. But also he wasn’t helped by a series on injuries throughout the season. Contributing in 20 games (but only starting in 6 of those) and scoring 3 goals.

Michy Batshuayi – The new signing from Marseille is a Belgian international that was part of the team at Euro 2016. Last season he scored 23 goals and made 10 assists.

Expected Line-ups

The key for Chelsea looks to be their formation which will probably dictate the players selected. At the moment I would expect a team similar to the below to start the season (Possible alternative player marked in brackets):

4-4-2 formation:

Goal Keeper: Thibaut Courtis

Defence: Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry, Cesar Azpilicueta

Midfield: Willian, N’Golo Kante (Nemanja Matic), Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard (Oscar)(Pedro)

Forward: Diego Costa, Michy Batshuayi (Eden Hazard)

Be it 4-4-2 or 4-2-4 most of the players will be similar to last season. They have been experimenting with Eden Hazard playing as a withdrawn forward and if that happens then it’s likely Oscar, Pedro and Willian will get their chance depending on form and injuries

Summary

Coming up to the beginning of the season there could be more additions to the Chelsea squad yet and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a new forward. But based on the current squad the pick of the players when fit would be Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas. Eden Hazard maybe pushed into a more advanced position allowing him more freedom. If Diego Costa does stay with the club, then he will score goals (along with the occasional red card). Cesc Fabregas will be the creator in midfield and usually thrives on that role. Chelsea can’t have as bad a season as the last one as they do have very good players and I would expect them to perform much better this season due to their extra motivation from last year’s disappointment and given they have no European commitments. It may well be that the defence that proved such a rock solid foundation in many recent seasons come back to the fore but the jury is still out on them. Michy Batshuayi will be one to watch if he can break into the team and get settled quickly.

[FootballWriter2]

Pre-season games:

16 July: Rapid Vienna 2-0 Chelsea (Vienna, Austria)

20 July: WAC RZ Pellets 0-3 Chelsea (Austria). Goals: Traore, Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah

27 July: Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool (USA). Goal: Cahill

30 July: Real Madrid 3-2 Chelsea (USA). Goals: Hazard 2

3 August: AC Milan (Minneapolis, USA)

7 August: Werder Bremen (Bremen, Germany)

[FootballWriter2]

Baba Rahman has made a season long loan switch to Schalke

[admin]

Chelsea's 1st 10 EPL fixtures:

Chelsea V West Ham
Mon 15 Aug 20:00
Watford V Chelsea
Sat 20 Aug 15:00
Chelsea V Burnley
Sat 27 Aug 15:00
Swansea V Chelsea
Sun 11 Sep 16:00
Chelsea V Liverpool
Fri 16 Sep 20:00
Arsenal V Chelsea
Sat 24 Sep 17:30
Hull V Chelsea
Sat 1 Oct 15:00
Chelsea V Leicester
Sat 15 Oct 15:00
Chelsea V Man Utd
Sat 22 Oct 15:00
Southampton V Chelsea
Sat 29 Oct 15:00

[FootballWriter2]

Jon Obi Mikel is playing for Nigeria at the Olympics. Will miss first couple of games.

[admin]

Good write-up on Chelsea's 4-2 win against Werder Bremen today:

http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-ne ... lsea-.html

Goals from Hazard, Oscar, Costa & sub Pedro. Back 4 were Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (went off late on) & Azpilicueta.

[admin]

So based on the above and comments on SkySports, I think the line-up on Monday could be:

Goal Keeper: Thibaut Courtis

Defence: Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry, Cesar Azpilicueta

Def Mid: N’Golo Kante, Nemanja Matic

Att Mid: Willian, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard

Forward: Diego Costa

Very close between Oscar and Fabregas as to who will start but if Oscar left out expect him to come on for one of the attacking midfielders or Matic in 2nd half. Michy Batshuayi to come on for Costa in 2nd half. Terry's position under threat from Zouma when he's back from injury in a few weeks.

[admin]

This is how they lined up:

T Courtois, G Cahill, B Ivanovic, C Azpilicueta yellow card, J Terry, E Hazard (V Moses, 85), Willian (Pedro yellow card, 80), Oscar (M Batshuayi, 85), N Matic yellow card, N Kante yellow card, D Costa yellow card

Subs not used: C Fabregas, A Begovic, Ola Aina, R Loftus-Cheek

Expected to be unchanged for the next match.