The Premier League is very almost back, and to be honest, I am actually feeling quite excited about that fact despite us still not having a complete squad yet and having such a poor season last season.
The Liverpool game is now right around the corner, but before that, we face Dortmund in our final first team friendly of the pre-season campaign, a campaign that has been very successful now.
The Blues play Dortmund in Soldier Field in Chicago at 1.30am UK time on Thursday morning.
I genuinely believe that if we sign the few players we still need in the door, then we can have a pretty good season and be up near the top four again. Don’t get me wrong, it will not be easy. But some of the players we have added and the energy of this new young squad that we have, as well as Pochettino’s coaching and tactics that we are already seeing positivity from, then I really think we can have a good season and maybe even pick up a domestic trophy.
Anyway, Dortmund next, and I would like to see us go for perhaps the nearest possible team that we are thinking about starting against Liverpool next weekend. Not for the full game of course, but for the start of the game at least. I think that would be wise.
So with that in mind, is this the Xl we might see start against Dortmund, and then again against Liverpool next weekend?
I am still hopeful that we might get Moises Caicedo done and in before Liverpool, at the very least.
Obviously Dortmund will provide us with a very tough test, so it will be an ideal chance to test what Pochettino feels is our best Xl.
Personally I’d not be starting Raheem Sterling in a Chelsea best Xl, or Kepa. But it looks like Pochettino might be, at least for now until another attacking midfielder arrives, and hopefully another good stopper.
The captaincy will be very interesting to see. It looks like it is going to be Thiago Silva and Reece James as the two choices, but it is unclear yet who will take the captaincy and who will take the vice.
To be honest even if it is Silva, you’d imagine that he won’t be playing too much and that would mean that James would largely be captain anyway. But I think for that reason and the fact Silva will be off next summer anyway, James should take the captains armband and Silva should be vice. There’s even a valid claim that Ben Chilwell should be vice, something that I’d also be all for.
We have injured players to come back in and also some young players to still make decisions on. But I think we are shaping up nicely and although it would have been ideal to have more of our main business done by now, we are still on our way to having a good squad. Let’s get a move on now with arrivals and get a couple more done before the Liverpool game.
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