16 Aug 2015 18:00:01
I'm hoping we won't play negative all season, last season was quite boring to watch. I miss Carlo!
{Ed018's Note - I don't think Chelsea have the players to play any other way. I certainly don't get the feeling that Willian, Oscar, Ramires, Cuadrado are gonna be out there scoring and creating goals. Carlo's team had players that knew how to score. Even Kalou was better offensively than the players I just named}
16 Aug 2015 18:15:09
Ed018: Sadly you are correct, we don't have the players. Willian works like a Trojan but all over pitch when his efforts should be up front, I am undecided with Oscar because he played pretty well last week, Ramires forget it and in a big match like this you have to bring Cuadrado on say it all. We miss a target man like Drogba and this tikki-takka football has been sussed as it was towards the end of last season and we have a short time to sort it out. Cynical I know but you have to wonder given the tetchy behaviour of Mourinho every week, if he is trying to emphasis to the hierarchy that they need to spend to compete.
16 Aug 2015 18:20:40
Oscar is good offensively. I agree about the rest, and I really wish Willian would at least try to beat his man every now and then. He's good technically and has some good acceleration but he just doesn't try.
16 Aug 2015 18:21:17
Ed018 please don't be negative. Mourinho said that Chelsea we reach form in September and don't forget we're in the third usually critical season.
{Ed018's Note - what was negative about what I said? Kalou has a better goal scoring record at Chelsea compared to Oscar or Willian. My point is we don't have the players to play attacking football because we lack goal scorers. So it's better to sit defensively and try to get a goal or two on the counter. And Carlo's team at Chelsea was way way better offensively it's not even up for debate}
16 Aug 2015 18:28:23
Agreed . a defender and an attacker is priority and mou is making his point to the board
16 Aug 2015 18:36:30
Quite agree ed.We played most of these teams twice last year, and the teams managers have had the summer period to think about how to play against us. The four players you mention are not going to score many, and with joses system will have a lot of defending to do.
That leaves Costa and hazard. Costa relies a lot on Hazard to create chances, so u mark Hazard out of the game and we are not going to score many, unless JT at a corner.
We have stood still, other teams have improved, and in addition know how to play against us. I said a few weeks ago we would be fighting to qualify for the champions league in 3rd or 4th place. I will now say we need at least 3 but probably 4 new players before the end of the window, simply to qualify for champions league next year.
Cahill is a good player, but several levels below a JT, iva is too slow now for a full back and other teams know that, Dave is played out of position and not playing to the level of last year, which leave JT, who was outstanding last year and held the defence together. However it was always a chance that he would drop a level because of his age ,and that may well have happened now.
We need another attacking threat other than hazard, another DM to play next to matic, and a new centre half, in addition to Baba. This just to make sure we Qualify for next years champions league.
Think city will easily win the league this year, especially if they get De Bruyn. But they have just gone out to buy players no matter what the cost.
Not sure what is going on behind the scenes but something is wrong, as Jose is not happy. Whether signings are in the pipeline, or we are not paying the necessary price for the players the manager wants, or it's the third year syndrome and the manager wants out. Only time will tell, but unless we get 3 or 4 new players we will struggle all season.
16 Aug 2015 18:40:04
I am not arguing with you. But we do have Costa, Hazard, Falcao, Willian, Cuadrado, Oscar, Remy. You can't say they are bad players.
I whould rather say it is a tactical issue.Also we started preseason two weeks later than Man.City.Why? Mourinho wanted to rest our players. He probably knows why.
{Ed018's Note - I didn't say they were bad players. Don't put words in my mouth.}
16 Aug 2015 18:41:02
Ed is right, we have no alternatives to get us goals, no frank lampard to bang in 20 a season from midfield anymore, we are being worked out far too easily, there's no surprise element on the bench, Niall Quinn = what a complete drip! Terry gets taken off at half time so that's the end of he's Chelsea career. ivanovic was the weakest link again this week! Agree or disagree he has to be replaced & we need another goal scorer from midfield
16 Aug 2015 19:11:56
I made the comment earlier and to an extent Sid endorsed it, something, and I mean more than the Doc incident, is bothering Mourinho. just signed a new contract but his whole demeanour has been confrontational with his constant jibs at Pellegrini and Wenger, post match interviews including todays when he says Chelsea were the better team! They scored twice more and we didn't and it would have been very hard to be much worse in the second half. Anyone else think something is irking him?
16 Aug 2015 19:21:31
I agree in away but the bit about Cahill is wrong he's rubbish anything quick and around his feet he's like a wheely bin watch him on the first goal. To me ivanovic must no he's not going to play anymore with the signing of Rahman which is correct he's not good enough end of a era for terry as well zouma should start with hopefully the signing of stones. Ramires should be sold tomorrow how can you play him instead of a player you have just bought for 30 million and you can't say to defend better because caudrado has played at right back and is faster. There something a miss at Stamford bridge
16 Aug 2015 20:29:38
Willian isn't even that good technically. Ivanovic on the ball where does Willian run? Towards ivanovic. When their is only one left back to beat yet he still doesn't run behind. Sick of him personally.
{Ed018's Note - oh no you are gonna offend everyone who says how good his work rate is}
16 Aug 2015 22:30:31
The issue you highlight Blueboy1 isn't a technical one but a tactical one. None of our AM's except perhaps Cuadrado or Moses are players that are going to run in behind a defence like Schurrle used to. Oscar, Willian and even Hazard are all No10's, which is why they're constantly moving towards the ball rather than running into space.
I get incredibly frustrated with Willian when he slows down play to pass rather than take on his man, but I have to wonder whether it's down to him or tactical instructions from JM. Let's face it, JM is not one who likes to take risks and so would rather players pass the ball than dribble and potentially lose possession. Hazard has the freedom to do so A) because he's one of the best at taking on a man and B) because he has a defensively solid fullback, in Azpi, behind him who will win the ball back. With a declining Ivanovic behind Willian, he's less likely to take risks with regards to possession.
Personally I think if Rahman hits the ground running, Zouma playing alongside Terry and we sign a more defensively sound CM, we'll see Willian allowed to solely focus on attack.