Chelsea Discussion

[Cicero]

Piss poor tactics mixed in with a handful of poor performances. To which these poor performances came about from the same off-form players playing. To which these 'off-form' players continue to play because we have no other fucking options either due to injury or zero depth. 

2010 - Title Win

2011 - Poor Transfer window, team capitulation and sacking of Carlo

2015 - Title Win

2016 - Poor Transfer window, team capitulation and sacking of Mourinho. 

2017 - Title Win

2018 - ?

From leaving things late to not addressing areas of weakness. From low balling offers, not securing the manager's targets and simply put not strengthening the overall team.  Just begs the question why there is a continuing habit that after a title win, we do all of the mentioned? I'll ask again, what is the fucking definition of insanity?

 

Conte isn't off the hook either. He has to deal with what he has at his disposal, and he has zero excuses for implementing such cowardly tactics. 

[Danny]

Calm down mate you've just thrown up three title wins, fucking definition of insanity 

[Cicero]

2 minutes ago, Danny said:

Calm down mate you've just thrown up three title wins, fucking definition of insanity 

Woosh

[LFCMadLad]

Glad we don’t have the horribly repetitive habit of winning the title 

Edited October 19, 2017 by LFCMadLad

[True Blue]

We were piss poor last night, Roma controlled the game even after going down 2-0. Slow start and counters against a team we should beat comfortably. Overall a draw was okay for us with Atletico also drawing, but the back to back defeats are still in the minds of the players. Even the players that always play well like Azpilicueta were well bellow their average selves. I hope we bounce back soon and get the season on track. I don't mind losing to a better opponent on the day, i mind not giving your best and giving a shit performance that is what pisses me the most. Give it your all in win or defeat, i don't ask for much. I wonder if player power is in the dressing room again, i just sincerely hope that is not the case.

[Bluewolf]

1 hour ago, True Blue said:

We were piss poor last night, Roma controlled the game even after going down 2-0. Slow start and counters against a team we should beat comfortably. Overall a draw was okay for us with Atletico also drawing, but the back to back defeats are still in the minds of the players. Even the players that always play well like Azpilicueta were well bellow their average selves. I hope we bounce back soon and get the season on track. I don't mind losing to a better opponent on the day, i mind not giving your best and giving a shit performance that is what pisses me the most. Give it your all in win or defeat, i don't ask for much. I wonder if player power is in the dressing room again, i just sincerely hope that is not the case.

With Conte?? The man who ousted Costa? Cant see it myself.. Too many weaknesses in the side currently and players not getting it together along with injuries and lack of depth are more likely to be the root causes.. No excuses for any of it though in my opinion, how can you go from 2-0 up last night to 3-2 down and just manage to draw? How did we get shafted by Palace a team that has had zero direction, zero goals and zero points.. Its mental laziness and complacency with the odd bizarre tactical switch thrown in for good measure that are our undoing currently... 

[carefreeluke]

Fans always have scapegoats when things are going badly but as a collective at the moment we're not there, everyone is performing badly or not to the levels of last season. It's true there's players that are performing worse than others Willian and Fabregas for example but Azpi got shafted completely last night and has looked poor defensively this season. As a unit and a collective group we're not there and the defence is always the first place where things start to go wrong and will always be the first place that bears the blame. Azpi's defending has been comical the last two games.

A definite immediate solution is playing Luiz more in midfield, Fabregas plays like he's carrying a person on his back and has been poorly managed this season unlike the last. Part of that has been Conte and the board's fault with the depth of the squad. I love Fabregas but this is why he's a couple of levels below the best midfielders in the world, when he's on form a joy to watch but he's never consistent throughout a season which was his problem at Barcelona as well.

As I've said before and also last season, the system carries a good few of the players and the performances of these players depend solely on how the system is working, how the opposition set up and how our better players are playing. When Conte leaves (depending on when that is) I fear slightly for the new manager as I think he's going to have to implement a similar style and try to improve on what Conte has built rather than introducing his own style and system. With these set of players, he'll have the joys of having Alonso and Zappacosta to work with. 

Reality is this season was always going to be more difficult but we don't help ourselves, before the start of pre-season I put the quote in my signature for a reason (which is slightly ironic now given what has happened to Ancelotti) but at the moment it's looking very relevant. 

Edited October 19, 2017 by carefreeluke

[True Blue]

I usually point out the players that had bad games, i don't mean is as a bad thing or to find a scapegoat. Every player has them at some point, i love Dave but he has been terrible in the past two games. I have been praising him since day one and if he has a bad game i point it out. Conte went down the tunnel as soon as he shaken hands with the Roma manager. That is not a  sight you see often as he usually goes onto the pitch and shakes the players hands too. As i stated before even tough he did manage Costa people are suggesting that he might be off, you even saw Ancelotti in the stands (which i see only as him coming to watch a good game) the media already made him the new Chelsea manager pathetic.

[carefreeluke]

Yeah mate, I always point out the players who had bad games too! Wasn't aimed at you mate!

[The Liquidator]

Someone belittled the possibility of player power in our dressing room again earlier in the thread and used the ridding of Costa out of the club by the manager as a reason for it not to be true.

I happen to think there is enough evidence to accept a high majority of the players from last season didnt want Costa to leave and would look upon it as a mistake. Hey! we know for sure there are board members who wanted Costa to stay.

You can expect the players will be sitting in the dressing room after last nights game thinking we are weaker as a team and you can be sure them looking around that room and no Costa will have them thinking the manager has made us weaker.

When you add Costa to the numerous mistakes Conte has made already this season I think there is more than the odd chance he has the players looking over his shoulder for who is next?

Just want to add.... I was at the game last night and while I cant for sure be certain what David Luiz was shouting at the bench\Conte, both during the first half and when he left the field in the second, I felt it was a direct abuse aimed at the manager.

Conte looks as unhappy as Jose, living in a Hotel up north at a club he does not want to be at.

 

[Cicero]

Costa leaving has nothing to do with it. Some of the players are simply not good enough, especially when they continue to play as we have no other options. 

It was evident Conte didn't want to go into the season with the starting XI and bench we see now. 

[True Blue]

44 minutes ago, carefreeluke said:

Yeah mate, I always point out the players who had bad games too! Wasn't aimed at you mate!

I know i know , i was speaking just in general.

[The Liquidator]

4 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Costa leaving has nothing to do with it. Some of the players are simply not good enough, especially when they continue to play as we have no other options. 

It was evident Conte didn't want to go into the season with the starting XI and bench we see now. 

Would you be happy to add Christensen to that number of not good enough on last nights evidence?

 

 

[Cicero]

7 minutes ago, The Liquidator said:

Would you be happy to add Christensen to that number of not good enough on last nights evidence?

 

 

Last night was an example of one team sitting back with another the freedom to do whatever they'd please. No defender did well, with the main contributor lying soely on the amount of space we gave Roma. Christensen still performed better than Azpilicueta and Cahill with being nearly 7 years younger. 

[The Liquidator]

4 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Last night was an example of one team sitting back with another the freedom to do whatever they'd please. No defender did well, with the main contributor lying soely on the amount of space we gave Roma. Christensen still performed better than Azpilicueta and Cahill with being nearly 7 years younger. 

Well that's a matter of opinion. Those of us who have been waiting for a big centre forward (A big CF who had never scored against us when Cahill picked him up alongside John) playing up against him had their thoughts proved beyond doubt.

The two players you mention as playing worse than Christensen had little protection from our wing backs who both failed to do their jobs against the attacking full backs of Roma.

One does not want to give any credence to a certain Northern club who did EXACTLY THE SAME to us a few weeks ago, but..... The manager needs to understand his system has been sussed by clubs who have the material to exploit our weaker positions.

It's that simple.

[True Blue]

14 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Last night was an example of one team sitting back with another the freedom to do whatever they'd please. No defender did well, with the main contributor lying soely on the amount of space we gave Roma. Christensen still performed better than Azpilicueta and Cahill with being nearly 7 years younger. 

Can't agree with that, his job was to man mark Džeko who easily scored two and could have scored three. I rate the lad but he needs more games on a big level to be a starter.

Edited October 19, 2017 by True Blue

[Bluewolf]

1 hour ago, The Liquidator said:

Someone belittled the possibility of player power in our dressing room again earlier in the thread and used the ridding of Costa out of the club by the manager as a reason for it not to be true.

I happen to think there is enough evidence to accept a high majority of the players from last season didnt want Costa to leave and would look upon it as a mistake. Hey! we know for sure there are board members who wanted Costa to stay.

You can expect the players will be sitting in the dressing room after last nights game thinking we are weaker as a team and you can be sure them looking around that room and no Costa will have them thinking the manager has made us weaker.

When you add Costa to the numerous mistakes Conte has made already this season I think there is more than the odd chance he has the players looking over his shoulder for who is next?

Just want to add.... I was at the game last night and while I cant for sure be certain what David Luiz was shouting at the bench\Conte, both during the first half and when he left the field in the second, I felt it was a direct abuse aimed at the manager.

Conte looks as unhappy as Jose, living in a Hotel up north at a club he does not want to be at.

 

I don't think anyone that has an opposing opinion of what they believe is going on at the club is belittling of anyone.. they are merely opinions 

I don't doubt that there were 1 or 2 players that may well have been close to Costa and would have preferred him to stay that's inevitable in any team set up but you cant tell me that the likes of Batshuayi were sobbing their hearts out hearing he would not be back, It represented a golden opportunity for him to try and carve out a place in the side after playing second fiddle since his arrival.. the truth is he is probably more likely to be a little bit anti Morata than pro Costa so its swings and roundabouts.. As it stands despite his departure and since the arrival of Morata he is still finding himself sidelined and that's part of the problem currently. 

Against City for example with Morata limping off early Conte decides to bring on Willian who we are all aware is not even close to the normal levels he is capable of and last night again he was poor.. and yet Batshuayi was left out until the 73rd minute in the City game and did not even get a look in at all last night. You cant expect a player who is not getting games to be on top form in the few minutes he does get and even worse to be in a position where we are chasing a game we are being dominated in... 

In games like last night Fabregas is a waste of space.. He likes time on the ball and space but when under the cosh and having to constantly think quickly he does not react well and becomes sluggish on and off the ball, you often get the feeling its a monumental effort for him to get about the pitch sometimes.. 

We are only a handful of games in and yet we are struggling with individual performances that are well under par compared to last season.. 

[Cicero]

Regardless of player performances, Conte has to do better with our approach. 

41 minutes ago, True Blue said:

Can't agree with that, his job was to man mark Džeko who easily scored two and could have scored three. I rate the lad but he needs more games on a big level to be a starter.

And Azpilicueta made bloody Kalorov look like Roberto Carlos. 

Again, Roma pissed through our midfield like they weren't there, not to mention with our weak wingbacks, our defence were always going to get exposed. A lot of it has to do with how we set up.

[True Blue]

3 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Regardless of player performances, Conte has to do better with our approach. 

And Azpilicueta made bloody Kalorov look like Roberto Carlos. 

Again, Roma pissed through our midfield like they weren't there, not to mention with our weak wingbacks, our defence were always going to get exposed. A lot of it has to do with how we set up.

He did indeed, to the midfield part i thought with three man in the centre we would easily control. No clue what happened there, plus the wingbacks

[Cicero]

3 minutes ago, True Blue said:

He did indeed, to the midfield part i thought with three man in the centre we would easily control. No clue what happened there, plus the wingbacks

Think us going after Tolisso over the summer may have been as an upgrade to Fabregas. 

Poor tactics and poor performances really. Everyone is to blame. 

[True Blue]

Just now, Cicero said:

Think us going after Tolisso over the summer may have been as an upgrade to Fabregas. 

Poor tactics and poor performances really. Everyone is to blame. 

Yes a hopeless performance, when we are good we are really good. However when we are bad we are terrible. The 3-5-2 didn't work again, as soon as we turned to 3-4-3 with Pedro we looked far better.

One more thing apart from Palace, can hazard complete 90 minutes ever?

[Cicero]

2 minutes ago, True Blue said:

Yes a hopeless performance, when we are good we are really good. However when we are bad we are terrible. The 3-5-2 didn't work again, as soon as we turned to 3-4-3 with Pedro we looked far better.

One more thing apart from Palace, can hazard complete 90 minutes ever?

Taking off Hazard in need of a goal, for Willian. 

Just baffling 

[True Blue]

Just now, Cicero said:

Taking off Hazard in need of a goal, for Willian. 

Just baffling 

Didn't it happen against City as well if i am not mistaken? Willian has been atrocious since the start of the season what ever happened to him? I would be more temped to bring bloody Musonda on.

[True Blue]

Bakayoko and Luiz registered as slight doubts for tomorrow's game so i can see them both start.

[bozziovai]

 most people including me have predicted that Chelsea will be having problems when they'll be playing in the UCL.    now, here it is.