Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
Baba AND RLC....what is going on
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Baba AND RLC....what is going on
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
I understand wanting more of a shielding defensive player on the field, but why not take Ramires off or Fabregas?
Despite the win, we still looked pretty bad honestly.Comment
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
From the highlights I watched it looker like RLC was playing in the hole. Would Fabregas not have been better there allowing RLC back in his more natural position.
I agree we looked bad still, two lucky goals, but hey I'll take any win at this point.Comment
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
Did Costa not learn anything from his three game ban. He could have at three points in this match been sent off on a red.
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
Yes. If the ref wanted to he could have most certainly sent him off for two yellows, or a direct red for the Richards trip. The one you mentioned de wouldn't let the other player get up and kept putting his body weight on him. Then kicked him in the shin when he finally got up.
Then another was when he clearly reached his arm out and tripped Richards from the ground. How he didn't get a yellow for that I have no idea. Richards should also have gotten yellow for when he came back and body checked him in retaliation.
So two, not three. But he could have been sent off for either of those. I honestly think the ref was being lenient with him.
If he would just stop doing so much of the dirty **** and actually start focusing more he would be scoring more. I'd rather see him getting into the heads of the other players by his physical play and not doing that cheap ****.
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
Honestly Jose scares me right now. He just doesn't seem happy at all, sometimes he doesn't even look like he wants to be here.
Here's the thing, I love Jose, we probably wouldn't be the team we've been without him. However, nobody is bigger than the club, not even Jose.
Right now I think we are at a crossroads honestly. The reality is we simply do not have the personnel to sustain Jose's preferred style for longer than a single season. We have a large collection of really amazing attacking flair players, and the really don't suit his system in the long run. Players like Hazard and Pedro, even Willian and Oscar aren't built for a Mourinho system with any reasonable amount of longevity.
We basically have 2 options:
1) the club fully commits to Jose in the long term, which means letting him buy any and all players he wants. This also means some of our more favored players leaving. It is clear he wants to recreate his Inter and original Chelsea sides, and he can't do that with our current squad. Pace, power, endurance, aggression. That is a classic Mourinho side, and that's what he wants. Sure, Inter and Chelsea had flair players under Jose, but those flair players also still had plenty of strength, pace etc.
2) unfortunately, option 2 is bringing in another manager that will specifically play to the strengths of the current squad, and continue Roman's more recent preference towards more technical attacking football.
It makes me sad that we have arrived here, but I am really starting to think there is no option 3. I'm definitely not in the Mourinhoout camp, and I don't think he's infallible either, but I do think that this is where we have arrived. Definitely not being a downer, I'm just trying to be realistic about the direction the club is going to take.Comment
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
I honestly think he has lost the locker room. I'm not sure the majority of the players have his back any more. Or even care if he is there any more. And like you said, most of the time now it seems like he doesn't really care himself. I don't know if this is a good combo to get things turned around. Maybe a change is needed. But I personally think he shouldn't be fired, if he is going to be, until December. His record says he deservers a chance to get it turned around. Hopefully he can get the locker room back. If not, I think he will go this season.
I still feel they can get out of this funk and turn it around. Having that win, no matter how bad of win it was, is still a slight confidence boost. Its something to work with moving forward. If they can string a couple together they could turn it all around I think. Probably not champions spot, but maybe Europa or 6th.
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
As much as I would like to see Chelsea finish outside the top 4, I still think they have the chance to finish up there. Look at your depth, you have more gas in the tank compared to most top table teams at the moment. Of course they really need to start winning now to do so.Comment
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
I'm not sure he has lost the locker room yet, but definitely something is going on. Jose doesn't really have a history of losing the locker room either (he didn't lose the locker room at RM, he just lost Iker).Comment
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
Jose definitely did not lose the locker room nor will he ever as long as JT is there. Like Bravo said, he only caught flack at RM because he benched St. Iker (& rightfully so). He's a player coach who and sticks up for his guys even if it means he has to say curious things to the media.
We're struggling right now because our players are woefully out of form and out of shape. This is a direct result of a poor offseason and a lax conditioning training regimen. Some of this was reactionary, trying to avoid a mid-season (last year) or late season (his first year) collapse. It's not that our players are only performing poorly for Chelsea. Eden has been horrible and also called out by his Nat'l league boss for poor and lazy performances. It's no coincidence that a Baba start at LB resulted in Eden being left out of the starting XI. We needed Pedro to help protect him even though Pedro is much better at pressing high. He's still a willing defender even if he's physically weak.
The poor form is affecting all play all over the pitch and making our backline look terrible when in reality they haven't regressed that much from last year. Our out-of-shape attackers (Diego, Eden, Cesc) are pulling our defense out of shape leaving Matic out-to-dry which in-turn puts pressure on our back 4. Even Willian and Pedro on the right are party responsible for Bran's struggles. They're often tucked so far in that Bran is left in 1v1 situations with no cover. That's a nightmare for any RB in the league, especially one who people don't fear anymore.
I have faith in Mourinho, perhaps too much, like he does in his veteran players. These guys haven't regressed overnight nor have the other teams in the league improved that much. I think he cares so much about the club and is trying to not let anyone see him sweat. If he panics, we the supporters panic, the club panics, and the players lose confidence. There's no one better and more unafraid to make changes even though the media likes to drum up stories when he benches the likes of Terry & Hazard.
We had some good fortune and competent medical attention last year which let us pretty much run with the same XI all year. Worked in the league, not in Europe. We have the players and the depth to adapt to situations and various cups. It's time for Mou to find the right combination of players to get it done. It's also time for those players, not just the folks who are playing poorly but also the fringe (Zouma, RLC, Ramires, Baba, etc...) to step up and take their opportunity when it presents itself.Comment
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
Better but not great performance by us yesterday.
Going into it I was very worried about Dave vs Yarmalenko. If you saw the Ukraine vs Spain Euro match the other day you would have seen Dave eaten alive. To the point where they were linking a Yarmalenko move to Chelsea. He was much better, granted he got more help but he neutralized their #10.
Zouma at RB was very solid. Going forward was obviously going to be limited but defensively he was solid positionally and in 1v1s. He's becoming quite the utility player.
Midfield was MUCH improved as Matic was easily the man of the match. Yes, he should have finished off that run and right footed shot BUT the fact that he popped up in that area was a testament of 2 middies who have an understanding and work ethic to cover each other and know when to stay back and when to push forward. Now, if only Rami could pass. He'll come up with the occasional brilliant pass but often fails on simple one's, frustrating.
The attacking trident looked better although I would still prefer Oscar in the #10 to Cesc. I just think his movement is better and he's much at pressing defensively. Cesc's inability and unwillingness at times to press wastes one of Diego's best qualities. Eden was still a disappointment but he had a couple of decent attacks forward.
Anyway, that was an easy penalty on Cesc that was missed and hitting the post twice was unlucky. On a better day that would have been a comfortable 2-0, set-up-shop away CL performance. Gotta take the positives from it (cleansheet, no real threats) and build. We're not gonna turn this around overnight.
I'd expect to see the same lineup vs West Ham this weekend. ABSOLUTELY have to keep a close eye on Payet.Comment
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Re: ***The Official Chelsea FC Thread***
I think Zouma is wasted at RB thoughComment
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