22 Feb 2021 02:35:23
Although there has been a ton of moaning on the site over the past couple days I haven't seen one topic addressed that I thought played a huge role. We set up with a back 3 of Rudiger, Zouma, and Dave with Kante and Kovacic in front of them. As a result our ball progression into forward areas was outrageously slow. This system relies on the three CB's massively in various manners. The outside CB's are relied upon to be the free man as opponents traditionally don't defend them so they need to carry the ball forward from deep when invited and provide an outlet once deep in the attacking third which I think they did. The middle CB is responsible for ball progression whether that's playing it short into the CM's or looking to hit diagonals to our attacking group. I thought Zouma struggled with that but in fairness he's never really had those characteristics in his repertoire so it's hard to expect him to all of the sudden be capable when he's been out of the side. As far as our CM's go, one is primarily responsible for providing a point of reference for the entire team in order to circulate, advance, or switch the attacking play. Jorginho does this really well as his lack of mobility naturally suits him to sit in the pocket and distribute (Matic role under Conte) . Kante and Kovacic both have many qualities but neither are suited to that and I passively wonder how Billy Gilmour would've done in that role. All that said I understand that the sheer volume of games makes injuries and rotation issues inevitable but I do think it's odd that both Christensen and Jorginho missed this past game.
{Ed0666's Note - Are you allergic to paragraphs mate?
22 Feb 2021 08:56:07
I thought this platform was for Chelsea fans to discuss the club in all aspects warts and all. But there seems to be an inference that some of us bang on negatively about everything just because we lose a game of football without really saying what we do want. I may be getting a little thin skinned in my old age but I am getting the impression I am one of the posters being accused of banging on. Let’s get one thing straight regarding results. I never once complained during the bad run under Lampard, and I never once crowed how brilliant Chelsea were during the unbeaten run. But I tell you what I did think, I was delighted with the clubs general direction, YA boys getting a chance, and my young countryman Billy Gilmour getting a game it was just Brilliant. And all valid, even on the losing run, which was a hellish run of fixtures in the darkest of winter. It was refreshing to see the removal of the over the hill gang who had not or could no longer deliver the big trophies for the club, all this changing and being replaced with a plan that looked to set decent foundations for a decade. Under Frank off the books went Zappacosta, Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Morata, Moses, and out of the team went Alonso, Rudiger, Kepa, Emerson and in part Jorginho and Azpi were being phased. I agreed with every one of those decisions. I also agreed with the identification of Declan Rice as a key signing moving forward. I wanted this player at Chelsea. Everything fitted. The boy is a great player, a LEADER, an experienced PL player, supremely fit, a tough tackler, and importantly a Chelsea fan, a player desperate to play for the club, I believe his father is a season ticket holder. m? But no that won’t be happening. Instead the boy will go to United or Liverpool. Chelsea are wrong on this. and it hurts.
On a post the other day on here someone stated Rice wasn’t worth £80m more like £40m. That is £16m less than slug slow weak as water Jorginho! I mean come on. Anyway that is all water under the bridge. What we have now is a new coach doing the same stuff as before. He double subbed one of our 20 year old protégés something he would never have done to a cash signed player. I thought it was an alarming decision, imo TT hasn’t done enough in football to be pulling that kind of stunt. The j Kay manager to do that at Chelsea was that clown Sarri, and guess who he done it to? YA player CHO. We now have the three over the hill players back in the first team who will let us down m. I guarantee you, not because they are bad people but because they do not have the right stuff to move the club forward. It’s over for them at SB. I can take Chelsea dropping off m, if I can see what is being built, but at this point Chelsea are back in the groove ofsacking coaches propped up by a scattergun approach to recruitment. I don’t think that approach will have the same success as it did in the first decade of RA’s ownership. I hope I am wrong.
22 Feb 2021 09:39:37
Tk; Thank you. I think your post makes a tonne of sense. You’ve clearly seen what I observed in our game against Southampton. If we played that Southampton with Jorginho and Kovacic in the CM and Christensen (instead of Zouma) like we did against Newcastle, we would have won that Southampton game very easily. I tried to stress on similar points some days back but it was overtaken by by some posters arguing on how good Kante stats was in the game against Southampton.
I think a good attack starts from the transition of play in the midfield and we never had that good transition with Kovacic and Kante playing together (against Southampton), I still maintain that a CM duo of Jorginho and Kovacic gives us the best transition of play in our midfield (at the moment) and will serve our attack better. I think Kante has to re-adapt his game a little bit to form a good partnership with Kovacic cos at the moment, a CM duo of Kante and Kovacic isn’t and hasn’t been working.
22 Feb 2021 10:25:13
Stephen60, you're right about one thing: you are one of the posters 'being accused of banging on'! Lol.
22 Feb 2021 10:38:30
Great analysis Stephen.
I don't have a problem with TT, I just can't see where we are headed. We seem to be gathering talents and hoping it would work.
It's not basketball that you just put a few stars in and they win everything.
22 Feb 2021 10:56:04
Obinna, I agree with you about our CM set up. Leaving aside Silva I do not rate our CBs. Playing Zouma and/ or Rudiger really slows us up. I would pick Christensen above the other two because he is mobile and can carry the ball into midfield quickly.
22 Feb 2021 12:33:03
Stephen, I’m happy for you to bang about any subject you like mate.
I may not agree with everything you post but I always find them interesting and it’s good to have lots of alternative views on this site.
I think on the CH point raised generally. I think both Rudiger and Zouma will be leaving the club in the summer but doesn’t necessarily mean we are got to splash the cash in a replacement.
I also think we be saying goodbye to at least one CM player and again it doesn’t mean will be in the market for a replacement.
I think Giroud or Tammy will leave in the summer and I do think we will be looking to sign a top 25/ 30 goals a season striker.
22 Feb 2021 12:41:57
It goes against what quite a few believe to be the case but if we are going to play in the way TT has set us up we need a ball playing CB and Jorghino to be in the side.
Kurt and Kante despite his hard work didn't help the continuity of our play against the Saints.
I hasten to add I am a fan of both players but not in a 343/ 352 formation.
Same applies to Chilwell who is better suited to four at the back.
It's a tricky situation for the manager to deal with half way through a season.
22 Feb 2021 13:37:39
Stephen you need to get over Frank he’s gone and I doubt whether he was responsible for getting rid of Zappacosta etc I think that was down to the board- don’t worry about him he’s sitting on his arse pulling in 75K a week.
You may be right about over-the- hill players but you have an inflated perception about the abilities of our academy players. How many, if any, would get into Man City, Liverpool, Man Utd or Leicester? These are the teams we are chasing.
22 Feb 2021 13:59:57
Tom I hope you are right about Zouma and Rudiger leaving in the summer.
22 Feb 2021 15:01:44
Good debate. Love it. I’m actually a fan of Zouma. Imo Chelsea can have a problem defending set piece play and scoring from set play without Zouma in the team. However he needs Silva to boost his confidence in possession, but all the CBs at Chelsea pass the ball better when Thiago is in the team next to them! Silva is that good. Sorry, I don’t like Rudiger, I think he cheats. To me he is not a team player, and he always appears agitated and close to imploding rather than being relaxed and focused as an experienced international should be. I put Alonso in that same bracket, he cheats, he doesn’t work hard enough and always looks to shirk V the really good teams or when things are not going well. Neither are Chelsea class. Antonio got a great season out of Alonso and Moses in 2017, the club should have cashed in on that. Christiansen is good and dare I say it the opposite of Rudiger to an extent, can be too relaxed and lacks that wee bit of nastiness but he is a good footballer. And is worthy of being at Chelsea, but with his style of play in the PL I think in the long he will be sold but I can see Andreas ending up at somewhere like Bayern! He is very much their style if player. For Atleti away, I would go 4-1-4-1. Mendy, Azpi, Zouma, Silva, Chillwell, Kante, James, Kova, Jorginho, Mount, Abraham. I think the challenge will come in the 2nd leg in this one, when Chelsea may well need to make the running, do Chelsea have the grit?
22 Feb 2021 15:33:44
As I’ve said before if Zouma needs babysitting by Silva he shouldn’t be in the team. Abraham will get eaten alive by the Atlectico defenders, I’d rather play my Mum up front.
22 Feb 2021 16:01:05
No disrespect to you mum Jimbo but I will stick with Tammy. Not that it matters because my guess is he won’t be starting anyway.
22 Feb 2021 16:07:45
😂. Harsh Jimbo, but I get your thought process. I struggle to see Chelsea scoring from open play. A Corner and header from a CB, a free kick, or possibly a trip in the box on the marauding Mount for a pen.
22 Feb 2021 16:20:38
Tom I’ve spoken to my Mum and she accepts that Tammy should play in her place as she has missed training because her walking frame was in for repairs.
22 Feb 2021 16:48:19
Feel for your poor old mum Jimbo. When it’s fixed can she let Alonso give it a spin?
22 Feb 2021 19:34:13
Tom it’s funny how we all take a dislike to certain players, I don’t mind Alonso he has certain attributes as well as weaknesses. Anyone who has read my posts knows mine. I am still unsure about Chilwell he started well then faded and now is not getting into the team because of our formation. That said, I don’t see why he couldn’t adapt to play at wingback.
22 Feb 2021 20:21:46
Very true Jimbo, we all have players we dislike and like.
I’m obviously not a fan of Alonso. On the occasions he hasn’t put the minimum effort to defend, I literally feel physically sick, because that should be the minimum requirement.
The other player I’m not a fan of is Rudiger. Sometimes I think he hasn’t got a clue where he is in the box. Good defenders for me have a natural instinct and for me he is all over the place. I think a poster once said “he requires a sat navâ€.
I will support both when they play and under TT they are both playing ok but it’s just an accident waiting to happen for me I’m afraid.
22 Feb 2021 21:33:12
Tom I certainly agree with you about Rudiger but Zouma is no better.
22 Feb 2021 21:43:50
That’s why I’ve said in a previous post that I believe two CH’s will be leaving in the next window.