05 Feb 2024 05:47:25
I'm not sure this is allowed but because I can't sleep I have found myself reading several articles on several sites and news outlets.
There is one interesting article just out on WAGNH that I would recommend. It discusses the tactics of Poch amongst other things.
Stay safe guys.
05 Feb 2024 07:48:55
Tom, hope your recovery goes well mate, sending best wishes.
In regards to Poch’s tactics…half a season in and I still can’t see a consistent style of play. Lineups are odd, in game subs are odd, his post match words are odd.
Ultimately with such a young and inexperienced squad we should really have set the bar low in regards to expectations this season. However, we are Chelsea and we expect the highest standards as we have been accustomed to over the years. Times are a changing.
05 Feb 2024 17:13:31
I thought Chilwell had a shocker as well, Neto had him all afternoon. Colwill might just be our best shot for back four system. I often wondered the reason for the Southampton bloke, now I realise that caicedo will always use a shield beside him, he seems more kante than a Maka and can't hold the defensive midfield on it own. I think I'd question poch's ability to get a team out of this folks, it's scattergun at the moment.
06 Feb 2024 09:48:35
It does sseem scatergun oscarAY - as it seemed to be last season. As it is, we and Poch have had start over again with a vastly chganged squad full of youth and inexperience and (like last season too) large numbers of injuries to key players, and much forced as well as unforcede I (and not always comprehensible) rotation of players and positions. I had hoped, and still do though it is getting harder if es[pecially with last two games, that this would be a season where if it was unlikely we would get Chamions Leage and might also miss out on UEFA one, we would see gradually improved performances and results, but also that Poch/ management would learn who had what it takes and who didn't, plus additional needs, in terms of thus summer's transfer business.
When our hopes were up in the summer cos of v promising pre-season, most of those players were available and clearly much striking hope hinged on Jackson/ Nkunku pairing, and Mudryk seemed in better spirits with that. WE shouldn't forget also that we have had some pretty impressive performances against top teams before the Anfield debacle. As it is, we have one less point in the league this season than we did last one after Tuchel then Potter. But I still think that the aim overall has been to play a more exciting style of football that will in the end - and it took Pep and Klopp a few seasons between them to get there - that will eventually also gain gtreater consistency in terms of good results. Of course recruitment as well as coaching pretty key to whether this can work.
I said at start of the seasdon -and have repeated it a few times since - that I didn't know where we would end up in the league between 5th and 17th! Point is that whatever the manager/ management does now muct be about craeting something solid to build on next season, and at the moment it's hard to see much beyond fragility in all areas of the pitch. This has to change somewhow, and that means the players also taking greater responsibilty, starting wity a far better performance versus Villa and then beating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final. But few of us will be confident of either.
I thought that for the first time Poch looked really out of sorts after the Wolves game, almost dazed and confused. Silva's wife's comments, crowds booes, and way we caved in so easily and so soon after going one nil ahead - with a well crafted goal in which all our midfielders involved - seemed to have left him stunned and rambling a fair bit at the press conference. He has to pick himself as well as the players up now. We were rightly praising that performance v City, then went through what should have been a confidence building stretch of games wwhere we got good results, including the dempolition of Borough in the CC semi-final. Problem was that they were largely against 'lower' opposition. I have wondered whether all the speculation in transfer window just closed over whether CG was off to Spurs has affected him in the alst couple of games, or whether he just needs to score a goal at last to ghet going, or perhaps not be expected to be a kind of additoional striker/ attacker though. The shipping off of Broja to Fulham when we only have one other speialist striker in Jackson and didn't bring anyone else in evem on a loan seemed risky. Nkunku has a great record of scoring but not sure striker is his position, more of the mobile kind of attacker that has worked well for Klopp (but then he usually has three or four of them! ) . Broja had just begin tio show signs of improvement, though may well not have been the solution longer term. But we don't - yet at least - have the fluency and goal scoring confidence and efficiency among nearly enough of our attacking players. Nkunku possibly excepted when fit, Palmer perhaps another though he has missed a number of good chances too.
I fear another defeat tomorrwo night will deflate squad confidence and belief in the manager yet further. But I agree with Tom that to change our manager yet again at this stage in a season does not guarantee we will get better. But this a real test of the quality and resilience and commitment to fight for the club of Poch and the squad. And of us hurting fans' patience.
07 Feb 2024 10:12:53
Thanks for the excellent, well thought-out post JBS.
07 Feb 2024 14:11:14
Thanks RBD. Your positive comment on what became a bit of a long read appreciated as was coming from someone whose posts on this site have been good food for thought!