Chelsea no longer competing with the Manchester clubs. A lot of risk taken with our signings.

That was the statement made by respected pundit Gary Neville on the SkySports Debate show last night when both he and Jamie Carragher discussed our transfer window and the signings we have made since Antonio Conte arrived at the club. 

As with any defeat there is always talk of a crisis at Chelsea. However, this has moved onto a whole new level since our defeat to Bournemouth on Wednesday night and the subsequent comments made by Antonio Conte in his post-match press conference.

As you will know, Jamie Carragher has been saying all season that he believes that Conte will leave at the end of the season because there are too many issues there, that he is fed-up with the board missing out on key signings he wanted to make in the summer and because of his general demeanour.

Now it seems that Gary Neville has joined Carragher and also believes that Conte will leave but has also made two bold statements in the program aired last night.

Firstly, he claims that Chelsea cannot compete with the money being thrown around by the two Manchester sides these days and secondly, he also believes that the signings we have made ever since Antonio Conte arrived at the club could cause the next manager/head-coach serious issues when if expected by many (not Chelsea fans) that he Italian leaves. He said:

“Chelsea, historically, they're not in for the players City and United are in for now. You could move Chelsea into that next pack, because they're not competing with the Manchester clubs at this moment in time. 

I look at these signings, and I look at that transfer window, and I think that could take a couple of years to undo.

You look at those players, Giroud is there to play as a single striker, Zappacosta wing back, Marcos Alonso wing back, David Luiz one of a back three. You think, it's tailored to that three as a back. 
You have to unravel quite a lot system-wise, there's a lot of risk in those signings.”

Now in my opinion Gary Neville has a short memory because he only needs to look back at last season to see how far and beyond Chelsea under Antonio Conte that both Manchester sides were behind us. It’s taken huge, ridiculous investment from Manchester City to blow everyone away this season and as for Manchester United, another club who have spent big, we sit just three points behind despite the fact we are having a shit season!

We have to look at the bigger picture when it comes to signings and Alexis Sanchez is the perfect example. Why on earth would we agree to paying him £350,000 per week in wages when it would destabilise the situation with others players at the club looking for parity. United have taken that chance and fair play to them but what happens if they win absolutely nothing this season? Would the likes of Pogba, Lukaku and Sanchez face questions? Would Jose Mourinho?

I wrote THIS POST yesterday taking a look at our signings throughout the transfer windows of this season with a massive 40% of our squad being new arrivals plus the additional of Andreas Christensen being implanted (finally) into our first team.

OK, we are not paying stupid money compared to those two but what we ARE doing at the moment is building for the future, building a squad of young, exciting talent that will form the core of our team for the next five years. While doing that, despite the odd defeat here and there (which people have blown out of all proportion) we are still in the race to finish inside the top four which was our aim this season being back in the Champions League. We are right in the race for the top three places to see us qualify directly into the group stages next season.

As for Neville’s comments in relation to the signings we have made being Conte signings and geared to playing his formation, what else does he expect? It’s a ridiculous statement to make.

I have no doubt that Chelsea are behind Antonio Conte and so are the players. You only have to hear the comments made by Oliver Giroud on signing for Chelsea this week and the fact that Conte played a big part in that (more on that in another post) to understand the Italian is more focused than ever to get things right this season.

What do you the Chelsea or football fan reading this article think of Gary Neville’s comments? Do you agree with him or see things from a Chelsea perspective and hopefully agree with me?

Just to re-iterate that despite all the drama, all the speculation and the disappointing/shit season we are having, we are right in the race to finish second this season.

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