The Chelsea Thread

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Subtle said:
Said it before, will say it again: pick 2 of Oscar, Matic and Willian at most. All 3 of them on the pitch together at the same time with Kante fails on so many levels. No threat from deep, no threat from outside the box, no one to set the tempo, no one to get on the end of moves or pull fullbacks around to make space for Costa. Matic can create but he isn't a playmaker: it's a bonus, you can't rely on it. Ditto for Oscar. You can just put both centrebacks on Costa, double up on Hazard, press your midfielders forward and we can do absolutely nothing to stop them.

If you want to play an absolute wall in midfield then that's fine, but then you need to be playing Pedro or Moses or Traore (if he was here) on the wings to help with counters. I get that Willian gets the nod there to protect Brana but holy ****, if your ******* fullback needs protection week in, week out then something is wrong.

Hopefully this shambles is the wake up needed to move Brana to a bench role and Fabregas to the starting 11. Personally I like Matic in midfield and would like to see Oscar tried out wide (he has played there for us and for country before) in Willian's role instead.
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Agree with this completely. Something is terribly wrong if we need to compromise our attacking options to protect our full-back. Have to start both Alonso and Luiz in the next game. Ivanovic shifts to a back-up CB role.

I can live with playing Matic, Kante, Oscar and Willian together if you tell me it will guarentee a clean sheet and then praying to Jesus for a moment of magic from Costa or Hazard. I won't be happy with it but I can live with it. Right now, the clean sheets are not happening so really there is little point experimenting with this ultra-defensive midfield.

Throw in Fabregas alongside Matic and Kante. Put Moses on the right with Alonso in behind him. Luiz and Terry in the centre. If we need a goal, we have Batshuayi, Pedro and Willian to bring off the bench. If we need to shut up shop, we can take off Fabregas and Hazard for Oscar and Willian respectively. Most guys in a pub can make the selection.

Also wtf was Conte doing making a triple sub in the 83rd minute. If he did it 10 minutes earlier, we would probably have equalized and pressed for a winner. We had Liverpool on the run after we scored. Conte needs to own up to these mistakes instead of continously going on and on about how we finished 10th last season.
 
Alcaraz said:
... Also wtf was Conte doing making a triple sub in the 83rd minute. If he did it 10 minutes earlier, we would probably have equalized and pressed for a winner. We had Liverpool on the run after we scored. Conte needs to own up to these mistakes instead of continously going on and on about how we finished 10th last season.
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This could be a common theme with Conte. When he was at Juve he was (apparently) know for his late substitutions, that and the fact that his teams tend to perform better in the second-half to the first.

I wouldn't put too much blame on Conte. Yes, he should've made the substitutions earlier but the players should've turned up in the first-half. We didn't lose against 'pool because of Conte. Last night was a bit of a reality check imo.
 
Chelski Shogun said:
This could be a common theme with Conte. When he was at Juve he was (apparently) know for his late substitutions, that and the fact that his teams tend to perform better in the second-half to the first.

I wouldn't put too much blame on Conte. Yes, he should've made the substitutions earlier but the players should've turned up in the first-half. We didn't lose against 'pool because of Conte. Last night was a bit of a reality check imo.
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The performance was poor due to Conte's tactics as Subtle pointed out. With our overly defensive midfield, we simply could not transition from defense to attack smoothly. I agree that the first goal is down to the players. Complete brain fart. Second goal is a worldie and that happens every now and then.

It seems to me that Conte saw how our team was getting ripped through the middle last season with an out-of-form Matic and Fabregas in the pivot. So now he has tried to remedy that but has over compensated horribly with Kante, Oscar and Matic playing together. Hopefully this game shows the importance of playing Fabregas.

This is a very good squad. Not the player's fault successive managers keep mucking things up.
 
Also if you think about it, the only time we ever looked a threat is when Fabregas and Moses came on. Before that, we were appalling. Our goal really came out of nowhere. Blame lies with Conte for not switching things up fast enough. Shades of Mourinho stubborness there which cost us big time last season.
 
I honestly think it's all a bit of an exaggeration, yes Liverpool were overall better than you, but let's be real here, it was hardly complete & utter domination with attack after attack looking like it was going to be 5 or 6, you definitely didn't get raped the way United did in the first half against City, in fact the Pool rarely created clear-cut chances, which I was surprised about considering how fluent they've been this season. A defensive embarrassment from a set-piece and a wonder strike was the only thing that broke your lot down, dare I say Chelsea possibly had more or at least equal clear-cut chances (the one the springs to mind was a Costa chance to make it 2-2, but hit it straight at the keeper). You exposed their defensive frailty when you got the goal, and controlled the game from there on, but you'd have to be disappointed not to have tested their back four more after that, not getting Hazard more on the ball more, and I do agree the substitutes were introduced a good 10 minutes too late.

Liverpool deserved the win, a fantastic result for them, but I don't think this requires any panic or undoes any of the progress that Conte has made so far. Relax, I also think an away trip to the Emirates is the perfect fixture to follow this, if you stand up to be counted & get a result, it's the perfect morale booster.
 
Alcaraz said:
The performance was poor due to Conte's tactics as Subtle pointed out. With our overly defensive midfield, we simply could not transition from defense to attack smoothly. I agree that the first goal is down to the players. Complete brain fart. Second goal is a worldie and that happens every now and then.

It seems to me that Conte saw how our team was getting ripped through the middle last season with an out-of-form Matic and Fabregas in the pivot. So now he has tried to remedy that but has over compensated horribly with Kante, Oscar and Matic playing together. Hopefully this game shows the importance of playing Fabregas.

This is a very good squad. Not the player's fault successive managers keep mucking things up.
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Alcaraz said:
Also if you think about it, the only time we ever looked a threat is when Fabregas and Moses came on. Before that, we were appalling. Our goal really came out of nowhere. Blame lies with Conte for not switching things up fast enough. Shades of Mourinho stubborness there which cost us big time last season.
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We mustn't forget that this isn't Conte's squad. Now although he's inherited a good squad there's still some glaring holes in it, and the fact that we're still relying on John Terry says it all to be honest. However I agree that he should give Fabregas the chance to start in our midfield, it's obvious how important he is to us. But I'm sure Conte will find the right solution soon enough.

As for the 'Mourinho stubborness' I don't think it's that. He's just working with what he's got. I'm certain Alonso will come in against Leicester, and if he performs well that'll be the end for Brana at RB (which will alleviate a lot of our problems). It was just too big a risk to start both Alonso and Luiz against 'pool, and that same risk applies to Fabregas as well.
 
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Had to allow myself a day to compose myself because obviously i hate losing but losing to them...... at home is just the worst case scenario in my eyes!


I actually am going to take a swipe or two at our new head coach here because i think he respected Liverpool far too much. He stated after the game that he set us up to sit back and let Liverpool have the ball because he was worried if we had it they'd catch us on the counter attack. But we were at home and in decent form and we are ****** Chelsea FC not Hull!!! Liverpool should be coming to ours thinking about altering their game plan not the other way around. I'd also have to question him about waiting until the 83rd minute to make his first sub, yes we scored but our goal was out of nowhere not even deserved and we didn't look like scoring before or after that goal subs needed to happen far sooner!


Now to take aim at some of our "football" players, since Ashley Cole was released we have spent 55 million on left backs and let a decent enough club grown one in Bertrand go to try and yet we still have Ivanovic playing right back and a perfectly good right back at left back!!! I honestly cannot understand why Ivanovic keeps getting picked its actually mind boggling, he has zero pace, cannot pass, cross, tackle and his positional sense is actually quite hilarious. He's had a sensational Chelsea career but its unfortunately being tarnished greatly, the sooner Alonso gets a run in the side the better i'm hoping it starts Tuesday.


Now onto his International teammate Nemanja Matic, make no odds his exceptional assist yesterday should not paper over the cracks of what was an absolutely woeful performance...... AGAIN!!!! He for me does not and should not start, Kante is good enough especially at home to sit on his own we couldn't string any passes together last night and created nothing in hindsight Fabregas should have started. I also have to question the performance and overall forms of Cahill, Oscar and more worryingly Willian who i know is going through a tough time right now.


The two players who came out of the game with any credit what so ever for me was Costa mainly because of his goal and he kept battling but Luiz was impressive too something for him to build on. I also think we lack something behind Costa a proper #10 (yeah we used to have one in Mata, cheers Jose) so because we've loaned out all our #10 possibilities i'd like to see Hazard there which could see Moses start in his normal position (or Pedro if you like.........)


All in all i think Conte still has a lot to work on with this team and with himself but i think making changes to this side on a permanent basis would be a start and i hope Tuesday is the catalyst for that.


UTC!!!
 
CJACKO11 said:
Had to allow myself a day to compose myself because obviously i hate losing but losing to them...... at home is just the worst case scenario in my eyes!

.....

UTC!!!
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THIS is a man that understands Chelsea- L'pool.

FTC!!!

Love yer man. :P.
 
CJACKO11 said:
and it pains me to say that you totally deserved the 3 points, credit where its due.
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Ta la. Appreciated and gracious of yer. I know how hard praising Chelsea is the other way round however deserved.

Been quite bizarre reading a few posts saying Chelsea deserved the draw and there was little between the 2 sides.
Must of been watching a different game but everyone sees things differently I guess.
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
Ta la. Appreciated and gracious of yer. I know how hard praising Chelsea is the other way round however deserved.

Been quite bizarre reading a few posts saying Chelsea deserved the draw and there was little between the 2 sides.
Must of been watching a different game but everyone sees things differently I guess.
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A draw would have been hugely undeserved, we created nothing before or after we scored it was out of nowhere. Liverpool were not faultless but we were pathetically embarrassing.

Alcaraz said:
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists Kevin De Bruyne is first among equals after Lionel Messi* | Daily Mail Online

Cheers Mourinho
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Yeah cheers lad ay! Lukaku, Bertrand, De Bryune and Mata all "surplus" to requirements........
 
Tyton said:
De Bruyne at least made some sense.

Felipe Luis on the other hand...you could have had 5 years with two best full backs in the world, instead you have Azpilicueta played out of position and Ivanovic on the right. Unreal.
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Don't even get me started on that. We probably could have saved 20 points alone over the past year by having two competent full-backs.
 
yet at the time no 1 on here made out it was that big of a deal leting them go at the time
 
kitchin75 said:
yet at the time no 1 on here made out it was that big of a deal leting them go at the time
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Yeah well unfortunately as average football fans, we don't have much idea of how these players will develop. On the other hand, Mourinho who saw them day in and day out in training and is an experienced football manager surely could have seen how good those two players would become.

Hindsight is 20/20 agreed but to sell them and not put buy back clauses in their contract (Mourinho's decision btw) was madness and some of the blame surely lies with Mourinho. Also selling Mata while he was at Chelsea and now starting him every game. What was up with that?
 
kitchin75 said:
yet at the time no 1 on here made out it was that big of a deal leting them go at the time
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Because there were stories about both of them having attitude problems. And I bet I can guess who leaked them.
 
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