Fan view

Defending title will be a big ask

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARTER EE

Carter Ee, 34, IT professional President,
Official Chelsea FC Supporters Club Singapore

Q Which player in the squad is critical to this season's success and why?
A With Eden Hazard missing the start of the season (due to ankle surgery), much will depend on our Players' Player of the Year, N'Golo Kante. But my pick would be for Cesar Azpilicueta, our unsung hero who has consistently been putting in top performances for the past couple of seasons.

Q Would you prefer to win the English Premier League (EPL) or Champions League this season?
A I would have to choose to win the EPL again. There hasn't been a back-to-back winner since Manchester United in 2009 - and for good reason, as the league has become increasingly more competitive over the past decade or so. The Champions League would be a very nice trophy to fight for, but I feel we would have to work on our squad depth before pursuing it. Maybe it will take another season for the squad to mature together before challenging for "Ol' Big Ears" again.

Q The Premier League has reached its 25th season. What was your favourite moment in the last 25 years?
A When we won our first EPL title in 2005, it finally felt like it was the beginning of a new era of success for the club. We played with a swagger befitting of champions, amid all the criticism about the influx of cash from our new Russian owner (Roman Abramovich) and eventually bossed our way to the top.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 12, 2017, with the headline Defending title will be a big ask. Subscribe