The Chelsea Thread

[Alc]

I think the main thing we should be looking at is that Chelsea never really deal with major injuries so maybe its something we are getting right and others are getting wrong.

Nonetheless Carl, our strength in depth is very worrying...

We have 2 strikers only and one of them is not even trusted by the manager to start a game. We have zero cover at wing-backs. I like Willian but can he effectively deputize for either Hazard or Pedro? I don't think so. Just does not have the quality.

Christensen coming back next season is huge. He will be like a new signing and slot seamlessly into the squad. Ake will have a bigger role to play especially because of his ability to play multiple positions. RLC and Zouma likely to head out on loan next season.

 

[Alc]

5 years ago maybe you could argue about Chelsea being lucky with injuries, but when Arsenal, Liverpool, CIty and United all go through injury crisis every year at some point, while Chelsea is always smoothly sailing, is it still luck? Either they have superior medical staff or they screen players better, and probably both of those things are true.

Been saying this for a while. The last proper injury crisis at Chelsea was back in 2010/11 season which probably cost Ancelloti a second title and his job. Never had one since. Our medical staff is surely doing something right. Our players recover very quickly from injuries as well.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

5 years ago maybe you could argue about Chelsea being lucky with injuries, but when Arsenal, Liverpool, CIty and United all go through injury crisis every year at some point, while Chelsea is always smoothly sailing, is it still luck? Either they have superior medical staff or they screen players better, and probably both of those things are true.

To an extent but you still need exceptionally good luck/ fortune, call it what you may, to get through a whole season with no major absentees.

To equate two key examples from my own club, Coutinho suffering a freak inury during a game getting his studs caught as he turned and missing a few months, the same as Mané missing the last 8 games down to another freak injury ..... you can't legislate for those and you are either lucky or unlucky to (not) get them.

 

[Alc]

To an extent but you still need exceptionally good luck/ fortune, call it what you may, to get through a whole season with no major absentees.

To equate two key examples from my own club, Coutinho suffering a freak inury during a game getting his studs caught as he turned and missing a few months, the same as Mané missing the last 8 games down to another freak injury ..... you can't legislate for those and you are either lucky or unlucky to (not) get them.

You have a legitimate point although the recovery rate for our injured players is fantastic as well.

 

[CJACKO11]

Nonetheless Carl, our strength in depth is very worrying...

We have 2 strikers only and one of them is not even trusted by the manager to start a game. We have zero cover at wing-backs. I like Willian but can he effectively deputize for either Hazard or Pedro? I don't think so. Just does not have the quality.

Christensen coming back next season is huge. He will be like a new signing and slot seamlessly into the squad. Ake will have a bigger role to play especially because of his ability to play multiple positions. RLC and Zouma likely to head out on loan next season.

Depth is something to think about 100% and Conte and Chelsea will already be planning without a doubt. I reckon 1-2 players back off loan into the squad and 3-5 big signings is my prediction bud

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

You have a legitimate point although the recovery rate for our injured players is fantastic as well.

No doubt and I wouldn't argue the medical/ sports science guys at Chelsea are top notch.

Even with everything taken into account though, Conte has still done an exceptional job of managing the hand he's been dealt regardless and getting the very maximum out of it through sheer hard work on the training ground and good coaching. It puts the constant narking and deflecting of his predecessor onto everyone bar himself into stark contrast.

 

[Tyton]

To an extent but you still need exceptionally good luck/ fortune, call it what you may, to get through a whole season with no major absentees.

To equate two key examples from my own club, Coutinho suffering a freak inury during a game getting his studs caught as he turned and missing a few months, the same as Mané missing the last 8 games down to another freak injury ..... you can't legislate for those and you are either lucky or unlucky to (not) get them.

Freak injuries can always happen, but they are more likely to happen if player is already fatigured or playing with a pre-existing condition.

I mean let's look at the numbers here, they've had significantly less injuries than other teams over 5 year period, while also rotating very little and usually sticking to the same core group of 14-15 players, throughout each of the those 5 seasons. Nobody has this much luck.

 

[Alc]

Freak injuries can always happen, but they are more likely to happen if player is already fatigured or playing with a pre-existing condition.

I mean let's look at the numbers here, they've had significantly less injuries than other teams over 5 year period, while also rotating very little and usually sticking to the same core group of 14-15 players, throughout each of the those 5 seasons. Nobody has this much luck.

Including 2012-13 season when Benitez used same group of 14-15 players to compete in Club world cup, league cup, FA Cup, Premiere League and Europa League finishing 3rd in the league and winning the Europa League. An astonishingly monumental achievement especially considering how tough Jose has found it to do the same despite having a bigger squad filled with his own players and an entire summer to work with them.

 

[Alc]

Look at the way Costa is celebrating. Can't believe he is ready to give all this up and go to China!

 

[wkdsoul]

Who did Conte want instead of Luis & Alonso? curious

 

[RhQQ]

Congratulations, well deserved. Ruthless and consistent throughout. Can't say I didn't call the serious title charge on this thread early days after the 3-4-3 switch Tbh it's not that big of a shock to me that you lot won the league though, yes the system tweak was a little master stroke, but it was pretty much the same core of players that walked the league 2 seasons ago under Jose + the best destroyer in the world in Kante in addition along with a couple others. Well capable of doing it, no European footy too.

Conte will no doubt strengthen in depth over the summer with perhaps a few XI additions. Congrats again & enjoy the feeling.

 

[Alc]

Who did Conte want instead of Luis & Alonso? curious

Koulibaly was the prime target for CB. Nainggolan for CM. Morata and Lukaku for ST. Don't think anyone really knows who was the prime target for thr FB positions.

 

[wkdsoul]

Koulibaly was the prime target for CB. Nainggolan for CM. Morata and Lukaku for ST. Don't think anyone really knows who was the prime target for thr FB positions.

Cheers Alc, been far too many rumours to remember last week, nevermind season start.

Nevermind injuries the man management job Conte has done after last year is 2nd to non. A mate went through it on another site..

Conte took over a team that were a total **** show, nowhere near the CL spots.


I don't really see the "top class talent" you're referring too. Lets look at some of his players before he arrived.


Courtois - underperforming, a lot of Chelsea fans still moaning that Cech was sold.
Alonso - best known here as a player who couldn't hack it at Sunderland.
Moses - doing nothing in his career, a bench warming winger.
Cahill - **** (and still is tbf)
Azpi - playing at right back.
Luiz - thought of as a total joke in this country.
Terry - end of his career and hasn't played this season so not really relevant.
Cesc - washed for years (barring his first 3-4 months at Chelsea), was terrible last season.
Matic - washed (only really had one good season anyway), was terrible last season.
Willian - poor for years, altho there was that spell when he was nailing free kicks on the reg.
Pedro - considered a flop signing.
Costa - was coming off a bang average second season at the club.
Hazard - a complete joke last season, although probably the first "top class talent" outfield player on this list.
Kante - the other "top class talent" on this list.

Conte has taken that group to a likely double, probably with 90+ points in the league as well.

Nearly all these players have either changed position, improved massively, or in a lot of cases performing better than any of us thought were possible.

 

[Alc]

Cheers Alc, been far too many rumours to remember last week, nevermind season start.

Nevermind injuries the man management job Conte has done after last year is 2nd to non. A mate went through it on another site..

I remember as well that he targetted Romagnoli and Marquinhos for the CB positions to no effect.

 

[zzeezzy]

That's inaccurate wkd, for a start to suggest Willian has been poor for years is rubbish, he was Chelseas best player in Joses last season and was great in the title winning season year before.

 

[Vanjagl]

I dont want to take anything from Chelsea, they fully deserved their title. But I have a feeling 5 or 10 years ago they wouldn't finish top 3 with this team. Quality in Premiership has decreased.

 

[RhQQ]

That's inaccurate wkd, for a start to suggest Willian has been poor for years is rubbish, he was Chelseas best player in Joses last season and was great in the title winning season year before.

I sure wouldn't mind that "washed" Fabregas at my club either XD So many of those descriptions extremely exaggerated

 

[wkdsoul]

That's inaccurate wkd, for a start to suggest Willian has been poor for years is rubbish, he was Chelseas best player in Joses last season and was great in the title winning season year before.

It was a chelsea fans view on his squad, you could prob argue a few but the point it still valid. Squad harmony and form was in the toilet when Jose left and Conte came in. To get from 10th to Winners by 10 points, and shuffle players into new roles/formation is ******* amazing in this day and age in the EPL

 

[zzeezzy]

It was a chelsea fans view on his squad, you could prob argue a few but the point it still valid. Squad harmony and form was in the toilet when Jose left and Conte came in. To get from 10th to Winners by 10 points, and shuffle players into new roles/formation is ******* amazing in this day and age in the EPL

I think the squad harmony was alright personally, they just had stopped playing for Jose because he had lost the dressing room for whatever reason.

I'd disagree with a lot of that guys description, he had a lot of quality at his disposal that rivals anything else in the league.

That's not downplaying Conte this season, but he hasn't done a miracle job some would make out, they were just champions the season before last with a similar squad that dominated the league. Add the improvement of Kante and co to that.

There were issues when he came in, but not big ones, the issue was more the harmony between manager (Mourinho) and squad than it was within the squad itself.

 

[wkdsoul]

Nah, to get the from the level they were at, to the level they were as an unknown it great work for me. Not like he had a few players in the dressing room that already knew him from other clubs or internationally either. Starting from scratch to Champions.

Hes done some great man management work in getting poor players (Moses/Alonso) into champions form for me, especially in this league.