Thibaut Courtois

[MCM4PR3Z 410]

A good point, would people be so forgiving if the mistake had cost us the two points?

They should, because he played a very good game. Every player makes mistakes during the season, even the very best. And while I think it was certainly a mistake of Thibaut, I blame Iva more for that goal. Passing back at the goalkeeper in that situation is asking for a lot of trouble and a potential goal, and certainly when the pas is rubbish also. Thibaut should have gave away a corner, because the hunting players were too close to him to do anything else. I'm sure he will learn from it and that he will do that next time when Iva screws up again.

[Jase 43,479]

In all honestly I don't think the defence is that bad but the protection isn't the best currently, something im sure Mou will fix in the summer, Matic is off form and as much of a revelation as Cesc has been, to say he isn't the best defensive pivot player is putting it mildly.

Can sort of agree with that. The one major issue about the team this season is the defensive organization. There have been a number of matches where we looked ridiculously open and got picked off a little too easily, which is very unusual for a side managed by Mourinho.

[Jase 43,479]

A good point, would people be so forgiving if the mistake had cost us the two points?

Maybe not considering we are approaching the end of the season and the stakes are getting higher BUT we should never have gotten into that position in the first place.

[Pizy 17,860]

Can sort of agree with that. The one major issue about the team this season is the defensive organization. There have been a number of matches where we looked ridiculously open and got picked off a little too easily, which is very unusual for a side managed by Mourinho.

Against both Southampton and Hull we were continuously caught out by simple balls over the the top. Or a ball would get played through the middle of the park and Matić and Cesc were nowhere to be seen. We've been making some really uncharacteristic and basic mistakes. Almost Arsenal like.

Doesn't help of course that 3/4ths of our back four struggle mightly against pace. Ivanovic gets blown by constantly both because of his lack of recovery pace and terrible, schoolboy positional discipline. Cahill has to be one of the clumsiest 1-on-1 defenders in the league. He can't deal with them at all and just gets booked. JT has even been forced into errors due to poor positioning because our midfield has been struggling so much lately.

[Jase 43,479]

Against both Southampton and Hull we were continuously caught out by simple balls over the the top. Or a ball would get played through the middle of the park and Matić and Cesc were nowhere to be seen. We've been making some really uncharacteristic and basic mistakes. Almost Arsenal like.

And in both of those games, we were getting caught out repeatedly down our right side. Like against Hull for instance, every time they got the ball back in the first half, they immediately attacked Ivanovic at right back, knowing full well that he and Cahill are liabilities in our defence.

Doesn't help of course that 3/4ths of our back four struggle mightly against pace. Ivanovic gets blown by constantly both because of his lack of recovery pace and terrible, schoolboy positional discipline. Cahill has to be one of the clumsiest 1-on-1 defenders in the league. He can't deal with them at all and just gets booked. JT has even been forced into errors due to poor positioning because our midfield has been struggling so much lately.

Doesn't help either when almost all of our defenders are reactive defenders and not proactive and aggressive ones. It's painful to watch us defend at times.

[The Skipper 20,593]

And in both of those games, we were getting caught out repeatedly down our right side. Like against Hull for instance, every time they got the ball back in the first half, they immediately attacked Ivanovic at right back, knowing full well that he and Cahill are liabilities in our defence.

Doesn't help either when almost all of our defenders are reactive defenders and not proactive and aggressive ones. It's painful to watch us defend at times.

Or we can just play a back line of Luis - JT - Zouma - Azpi and have a back line full of proactive defenders.

[Tomo 21,681]

Can sort of agree with that. The one major issue about the team this season is the defensive organization. There have been a number of matches where we looked ridiculously open and got picked off a little too easily, which is very unusual for a side managed by Mourinho.

Yeah defiantly, I did have a suspicion at the start of the season we wouldn't be as good defensively as last with Cesc coming in and Lamps and David going, tbh I think Mourinho saw how important the title was this season and prioritiesed flat track bullying our way to it and has to be said, so far so good on that score.

[Jase 43,479]

Or we can just play a back line of Luis - JT - Zouma - Azpi and have a back line full of proactive defenders.

Don't we all want to see that kind of back 4?

Heck, I would even go as far as to suggest Terry shouldn't be in that back 4 if we are going to be more proactive and aggressive. Can't really afford to have one defender who isn't quick and comfortable in playing a higher line.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

They should, because he played a very good game. Every player makes mistakes during the season, even the very best. And while I think it was certainly a mistake of Thibaut, I blame Iva more for that goal. Passing back at the goalkeeper in that situation is asking for a lot of trouble and a potential goal, and certainly when the pas is rubbish also. Thibaut should have gave away a corner, because the hunting players were too close to him to do anything else. I'm sure he will learn from it and that he will do that next time when Iva screws up again.

I disagree, because I think Courtois has enough time and space to kick the ball immediately, instead he decided to do some tricks.

[Jase 43,479]

I disagree, because I think Courtois has enough time and space to kick the ball immediately, instead he decided to do some tricks.

Some might argue that if he had executed the move correctly, then we wouldn't even have conceded that goal. It was similar to what Cech did with Hernandez in the United game last season and nothing happened. I also do seem to recall that Mourinho's reaction after that game was different to this one. He didn't like it one bit then but felt OK with this latest incident.

[The Chels 2,502]

Don't we all want to see that kind of back 4?

Heck, I would even go as far as to suggest Terry shouldn't be in that back 4 if we are going to be more proactive and aggressive. Can't really afford to have one defender who isn't quick and comfortable in playing a higher line.

Half the players are good-great pressers (Azpi/Luis, Willian, Oscar, Costa, Matic) and the other half are average-poor (Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic, Cesc). I don't really know what kind of team Jose is trying to mould but if it is a more proactive and aggressive one, which I think is what a lot of us would like to see, then the latter set of players aren't really compatible especially when there's so many of them in the same region of the pitch. 3-4 of that group are Jose's 'untouchables' though.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Don't we all want to see that kind of back 4?

Heck, I would even go as far as to suggest Terry shouldn't be in that back 4 if we are going to be more proactive and aggressive. Can't really afford to have one defender who isn't quick and comfortable in playing a higher line.

Well? We've got to work with what we've got atm. JT's positional game is world class. Sure, he won't be as comfortable but his natural ability as a defender should shine through. Plus having a pace merchant like Zouma covering him shouldn't be discounted either.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Some might argue that if he had executed the move correctly, then we wouldn't even have conceded that goal. It was similar to what Cech did with Hernandez in the United game last season and nothing happened. I also do seem to recall that Mourinho's reaction after that game was different to this one. He didn't like it one bit then but felt OK with this latest incident.

That's another thing he should've learned from Cech

[Atholy 1,293]

Congratz Tibo for becoming a dad in a few months!

A possible new Chelsea wonderchild !

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Yeah defiantly, I did have a suspicion at the start of the season we wouldn't be as good defensively as last with Cesc coming in and Lamps and David going, tbh I think Mourinho saw how important the title was this season and prioritiesed flat track bullying our way to it and has to be said, so far so good on that score.

I hope we sort out that defensive side of our game so that we become more dominant side. I knew we'll never win the Champions League this season when I realized how vulnerable we were against tottenham.

[borriske 330]

Congratz Tibo for becoming a dad in a few months!

A possible new Chelsea wonderchild

Can he play on the RW?

[Jase 43,479]

Well? We've got to work with what we've got atm. JT's positional game is world class. Sure, he won't be as comfortable but his natural ability as a defender should shine through. Plus having a pace merchant like Zouma covering him shouldn't be discounted either.

Zouma, a pace merchant? Think that's an overexaggeration. Zouma isn't slow but is not THAT quick either/

[The Skipper 20,593]

Zouma, a pace merchant? Think that's an overexaggeration. Zouma isn't slow but is not THAT quick either/

He really is. I'd go as far as saying he's our quickest defender (lateral speed of course).