Straight Outta Cobham: The Athletic FC's Chelsea show

It’s three years since a Chelsea great passed away which means it’s only right for a Straight Outta Cobham special.Gianluca Vialli joined Chelsea as a player in 1996 and went on to become one of the club’s most significant figures of the pre-Abramovich era.He helped the Blues win the FA Cup in 1997, before taking over as manager the following season and winning both the League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup.In this special episode, Matt Davies-Adams, Simon Johnson and Sam Parkin are joined by Luca Dal Monte, a close childhood friend of Vialli’s and author of the new book “The Gentleman: Gianluca Vialli and How He Changed English Football Forever”.Produced by Xavi Bird.

Xabi Alonso has made his first official signing as Chelsea manager and Real Madrid have got the Straight Outta Cobham team scratching their heads again.Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Liam Twomey and Cerys Jones to discuss Marco Palestra’s arrival from Atalanta. What might it mean for both Reece James and Malo Gusto?Will Enzo Fernandez still be Palestra’s teammate at the start of the season? Real Madrid make an official statement saying they have "no intention" of trying to sign the Blues midfielder this summer, but is there still more to come?Plus, the team go through the final element of our summer squad audit: wingers and number 10s. Will not going to the World Cup be a good thing for Cole Palmer? And is Garnacho potentially on his way out?Produced by Xavi Bird

Enzo Maresca is officially the new Manchester City manager and, while the rest of the football community pretends to be shocked, Chelsea release a blistering statement about how disappointed they are in their “former head coach”.Matt Davies-Adams, Cerys Jones and Sam Parkin react to another tumultuous couple of days at Stamford Bridge, and discuss where this all leaves the club now everything is fully in the open.Meanwhile, there’s plenty of transfer news with the Blues closing in on Atalanta full back Marco Palestra, whilst also having bid for Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka rejected.All this plus the conclusion to our squad audit where the team discuss who, apart from Joao Pedro, should be playing up front for Chelsea next season.Produced by Lucy Oliva and Xavi Bird.

It’s part three of the Straight Outta Cobham team’s summer squad review and it’s time to sort out who on earth’s going to be playing in midfield for the Blues next season.Enzo Fernandez is the main name on the lips of Matt Davies-Adams, Simon Johnson and Cerys Jones. Is he off to Real Madrid? And if so, is it going to take all summer to happen?Might a disappointing World Cup for Ecuador be a good thing for Moises Caicedo? What does the future hold for Andrey Santos and will Romeo Lavia ever complete 90 minutes in a Chelsea shirt?The team also look into the fixture schedule for next season and discuss the compensation situation that’s complicated Enzo Maresca’s inevitable switch to become Manchester City manager.Produced by Lucy Oliva & Xavi Bird.

Marc Cucurella is on his way to Real Madrid and he’s timed it perfectly just ahead of the Straight Outta Cobham team’s review of Chelsea’s defensive unit.Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Liam Twomey and Sam Parkin to discuss what the Spaniard's exit might mean for the rest of the squad. Is Jorrel Hato the main benefiter at left back?How might Xabi Alonso get the best out of captain Reece James next season? Will it be with a back three? And might that be good news for Malo Gusto?The team also look into the many options at centre back, who they think should stay and go, and also who they might like to see arrive in the transfer window.Produced by Lucy Oliva and Xavi Bird

The summer is here and it’s squad review time for the Straight Outta Cobham team.Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Liam Twomey and Cerys Jones to discuss all things goalkeepers. Has it been the weakest position during the BlueCo era? And how might they go about fixing it?Will Robert Sanchez still be between the sticks next season or is Mike Penders the answer? It’s not going to be either Filip Jorgensen or Gaga Slonina… they’re both on their way out. Might there be incomings in their place?The team are also joined by special guest Rupert Cane, author of “Behind the Bench: The untold stories of Chelsea’s third-choice goalkeepers”, who tells us about the unique perspective of one of football’s strangest roles.You can buy a copy and donate to Rupert’s Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/behindthebench/behind-the-bench/descriptionAll this, plus the latest on Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez.Produced by Xavi Bird and Lucy Oliva.