05 Aug 2024 19:12:17
Here's what I think the problem currently is with Chelsea, after three games in preseason. Not saying I'm right, just what my eyes are telling me.
The whole benefit, if there is one, of inverting your fullback into midfield is predicated on the idea that you will quickly win the ball back from the opposition in the middle of the park. The theory is that if you have you fullback there you maintain numbers in front of the defence and you can leave your midfielders further up the pitch. You can then quickly pass the ball forwards to them and outnumber the opposition in the final third of the pitch.
The only way the above can work is if your forwards are incredibly aggressive at pressing, working in tandem and intensely to force the opposition defenders into making a rushed or risky pass forwards, that your midfield can easily deal with.
From what I have seen, the pressing has been half-hearted, with no real intelligence to it and to be honest I don't think the players look fit enough. If the press doesn't function properly it leads to a whole host of downstream issues. Primarily, once the opposition get the ball in midfield they are looking at a fullback cosplaying as a midfielder, and a gaping whole where the fullback would normally be. The ball is played into that space and suddenly you have a winger isolating a centre back 1v1 in the channels, which is the last thing you want.
So for me, the defensive issues are not really down to the defenders. They are being sold short by the forwards and the effects are just being felt downstream.
Palmer does nothing defensively, which is fine because he scores goals. But I don't think things are suddenly going to improve just by adding him to the team. Also, as I have said ad nauseum, the vaunted £270m midfield trio simply do not complement one another. No goals, no assists, no headers, no defensive screening.
And I don't know if anyone clocked it, but Colwill at LB, Enzo in the 10, Mudryk hooked. The exact same things Poch was getting pelters for. Maybe the squad is just imbalanced, and this is what has to be done to cover its flaws?
05 Aug 2024 19:55:03
Enjoyed your post RBD.
And from my understanding of EM style you are correct with the inverted full back. But also keeping possession of the ball is a priority. If we have the ball, they can't score.
The question is do you think the tactical style can be implemented in 2 weeks. Or do you give it time.
In my opinion it takes time and won't be perfect for awhile. We will concede goals from stupid positions trying to play out. But it's the type of football I like to see so am happy to give it time. Do I get angry at conceding goals yes I do. But it's not the end of the world let's just see progression.
05 Aug 2024 20:42:43
As far as tactics are concerned and the so called “inverted” FB, I will give it at least 10 games before I praise or start being critical.
I assume the £270m much vaunted midfield is Enzo, Caicedo and Lavia? I would be surprised if they had played more than 100mins together last season. So, again I will give that trio some time.
05 Aug 2024 22:24:11
By selling Gallagher we remove his ball winning ability from midfield.
06 Aug 2024 00:16:11
I wonder what ed001 thinks of enzo? I've been very very unimpressed and to me just looks like a poor man's jorginho, which isn't saying much.
But I agree RBD about the imbalance. Very pricey midfeild and the player were shipping out was the best among them last year.
{Ed001's Note - he doesn't really impress me any time I have seen him without Florentino Luis alongside him. I am not sure he is physically up to the demands placed on him on in the Prem, added to being used in a completely different way since joining Chelsea. He needs a free role alongside a destroyer, which I assume was the thinking behind the recruitment of Caicedo. Which to me is a worry, as a player who costs so much and is on such big money should not need that to function effectively. Not unless they add a massive upgrade to the team, which he does not seem to do.
In fact, I struggle to see what he really does add. He goes missing too easily, he doesn't score many, isn't particularly creative, his range of passing is not top class, his vision is, like his passing, good but not great. In fact overall I would say that about him - good but not great. Physically, mentally and tactically he is good but there is nothing outstanding there. For me, from what I saw of him before his injury, a fit and firing Lavia is a far better option for that role in the team.}
06 Aug 2024 05:40:23
Out of ALL our midfield players Enzo is the one that worries me most but I’m putting his last season down to his hernia because it works for my biased opinion.
{Ed001's Note - you could well be right, carrying an injury would definitely hamper him.}
06 Aug 2024 07:15:17
Ed001 thanls for your comments. Would yoy have picked a midfield of Caicedo, Gallagher and Lavia rather than Caicedo, Enzo and Lavia or preferred someone else?
{Ed001's Note - it depends on who the someone else is and who it was facing. There are times you could swap out on of them for Palmer, Chuckie or similar, but I have to say I wouldn't have Enzo in there as things stand. He was a rush buy to show the new ownership meant business and rush buys tend to be mistakes in all walks of life. But he is still young and there is scope for him to grow into the player you need. I personally would have let him go this summer though, rather than Gallagher. Sometimes you have to take a loss on sales to just get a player who isn't suited away. It shouldn't be all about profit margins.}
06 Aug 2024 07:28:52
Many thanks for this quick and full response Ed001 appreciated. I thought we started to improve considerably last season when Caicedo found confidence and form paired with the mobility and ball winning physicality of CG. With Lavia passing ability and reading of game ahead of them added we might have been even better. But do take earlier point that that if Enzo carrying an injury and that now repaired he can get better and more mobile when properly fit.
{Ed001's Note - I am not sure he is much more mobile when fully fit though. Not from what I saw of him. I think that is why no one really noticed he was carrying a problem, as he was not affected noticeably by it in terms of mobility. It has always been the issue with him joining the Prem, a bit like Jorginho he just lacks the mobility to get about the pitch.}
06 Aug 2024 09:06:30
Finchy, for sure it takes time to implement any kind of style and I wouldn't expect it to be the finished article during preseason.
However, I think the main issues that were there with his Leicester team are already showing up with us. Very slow and ponderous possession when a team is willing to sit deep. A dogmatic adherence to short passing in midfield even when outnumbered (see the goals conceded v City) - just hoof it long if you have to, variety is the spice of life! Being caught with 6 or 7 players upfield, I thought this system was about attacking and defending with 5?
Even if you ignore all of that as growing pains, as a general point I would say if a system takes players away from their most effective position and/ or puts them in positions they are uncomfortable then it's just bad coaching. I also want to see good football, but I want us to win more. If we keep conceding stupid goals in pursuit of the first then you aren't going to get the latter.
I'm not really sure about your point on progress either - ignoring preseason fitness v end of season fitness, would this team beat the team we had at the end of last season?
I will say though, that I think when it works it will look really good. My fear is that it will not be consistent and we will waste time clinging to these glimmers of promise instead of playing to the team's strengths.
And finally re Enzo, very good discussion thanks to Ed001 and all. Personally, I would have sold him this summer after the video. I understand that will be an unpopular opinion but like Ed001 says, we already have his replacement in Lavia (very similar profiles imo - Lavia is NOT a DM) who has added mobility. I think he's class and hold him in higher regard than Ed001, but I don't think the balance is there with him in it. No coincidence that we won a load of games when he was out injured, Palmer played in the 10 and Gallagher partnered Caicedo. For me, it's about balancing skillsets, and there are too many holes in the Lavia-Enzo_Caicedo trio, no amount of football together will address this.
06 Aug 2024 09:27:44
He definitely isn’t quick but he ain’t desperately slow like Jorginho or Cesc.
06 Aug 2024 14:34:32
The hernia is a good point. I will cit him some slack but if he looks the same this year. I think we've made another 100 million pound mistake.
06 Aug 2024 15:10:33
Thanks for your additional reply Ed001 all your input much appreciated as ever.
{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}