Diego Costa

[bluesman2610 1,217]

It must've looked bad on TV but I can tell you that Diego was being targeted very unfairly by Delaney and the referee wasn't doing anything about it all.

You can't blame him for the shit that's going on behind him either. Did he even have a decent through ball to latch onto?

I think I saw one half chance all game he received from an Azpi cross he just couldn't get a toe too but you are right

[Pizy 17,860]

It must've looked bad on TV but I can tell you that Diego was being targeted very unfairly by Delaney and the referee wasn't doing anything about it all.

You can't blame him for the shit that's going on behind him either. Did he even have a decent through ball to latch onto?

No, you're correct. Got no service. He was also left to fend for his own against 2 or 3 defenders every time a cross went in. He got no help today and hasn't often so far this season.

He isn't a striker like Agüero or Suarez who can singlehandedly create magic and do it all himself on a regular basis. He's pretty reliant on service and the players around him playing well. When Hazard and Cesc are off in cuckoo land Costa is left out to dry and isn't effective.

If Hazard snaps into his normal self, he and Pedro should improve Deigo immensely.

[Magic Lamps 11,445]

No, you're correct. Got no service. He was also left to fend for his own against 2 or 3 defenders every time a cross went in. He got no help today and hasn't often so far this season.

He isn't a striker like Agüero or Suarez who can singlehandedly create magic and do it all himself on a regular basis. He's pretty reliant on service and the players around him playing well. When Hazard and Cesc are off in cuckoo land Costa is left out to dry and isn't effective.

If Hazard snaps into his normal self, he and Pedro should improve Deigo immensely.

Well, he did dribble past 2 or 3 everton defenders only for pedro to take the ball off him and shoot wide. He does not even need service in terms of balls that are directed to him, he just needs some kind of penetration. Be it shots, crosses or through balls, just something vaguely in his direction and he will slip there between the defenders or lash onto the rebound. where agüero and suarez got their dribbling ability, costa got his goal instincts. But just like suarezh and agüero need teammates runs creating space for their dribbles, costa simply strives when the ball is actually put into danger territory.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Well, he did dribble past 2 or 3 everton defenders only for pedro to take the ball off him and shoot wide. He does not even need service in terms of balls that are directed to him, he just needs some kind of penetration. Be it shots, crosses or through balls, just something vaguely in his direction and he will slip there between the defenders or lash onto the rebound. where agüero and suarez got their dribbling ability, costa got his goal instincts. But just like suarezh and agüero need teammates runs creating space for their dribbles, costa simply strives when the ball is actually put into danger territory.

Yeah, this is exactly it.

[lionsden 4,689]

I am embarrassed for those who put this guy in the same class as the Agueros, Suarez's of these world. He's not even in the tier below them i,e the benzema's and lewadowskis class. overrated as feck. he offers absolutely nothing when he's not scoring goals, his terrible attitude and antics on the pitch only compounds the misery. the irony is the same people praising and worshiping him are the same that discredit other technically limited poachers likes him i,e Chicharito, Huntelar et al.

[Reddish-Blue 2,212]

It must've looked bad on TV but I can tell you that Diego was being targeted very unfairly by Delaney and the referee wasn't doing anything about it all.

You can't blame him for the shit that's going on behind him either. Did he even have a decent through ball to latch onto?

As they say, reputations are everything for referees. If a striker gets a bad reputation (as a whiner, moaner, constantly rolling around, diving), referees are less likely to call those 50-50 fouls in favour of the striker

I remember Suarez had a similar reputation but unlike Costa, he could make a fool of the opposing defender and win the match with a moment of magic, even when the calls were going against him

[Tomo 21,681]

I am embarrassed for those who put this guy in the same class as the Agueros, Suarez's of these world. He's not even in the tier below them i,e the benzema's and lewadowskis class. overrated as feck. he offers absolutely nothing when he's not scoring goals, his terrible attitude and antics on the pitch only compounds the misery. the irony is the same people praising and worshiping him are the same that discredit other technically limited poachers likes him i,e Chicharito, Huntelar et al.

So great off the ball movement is "nothing" is it?

[Blue Armour 4,158]

It must've looked bad on TV but I can tell you that Diego was being targeted very unfairly by Delaney and the referee wasn't doing anything about it all.

You can't blame him for the shit that's going on behind him either. Did he even have a decent through ball to latch onto?

I think his best chance in the game was the one he fashioned by himself, when he went on that mazy run against their defense....Unfortunately he elected to lay the ball off to Hazard or someone else, instead of taking the shot himself. I wish he would do more of this...especially now, when our midfield is playing below par.

[lionsden 4,689]

So great off the ball movement is "nothing" is it?

Another overrated aspect of his game. Majority of his movement are running towards the wings/flanks and when he does get the ball, it usually results in him losing possession anyway either through lack of technique, bad decision making or trying to draw a foul.

We can and should definitely do better than him if we are to meet our ultimate objective of becoming an elite team in Europe again.

[The Power 147]

Did he do the whole "go for ball, fall over, hit pitch and stare at referee" again yesterday?

It feels like that has become his signature move.

[Special Juan 27,093]

Did he do the whole "go for ball, fall over, hit pitch and stare at referee" again yesterday?

It feels like that has become his signature move.

Like I have just said in the Mourinho thread. Against City there were two strikers on the field, one who wanted to cause problems to defenders and score goals, the other to cause a fight.

I'd drop him.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

I thought he was good yesterday. Had he scored you would all be shitting rainbows again about how quality he is smh.

[Tomo 21,681]

Another overrated aspect of his game. Majority of his movement are running towards the wings/flanks and when he does get the ball, it usually results in him losing possession anyway either through lack of technique, bad decision making or trying to draw a foul.

We can and should definitely do better than him if we are to meet our ultimate objective of becoming an elite team in Europe again.

I disagree re movement, I've played in defends before and strikers who move around a lot are an absolute nightmare to play against, I'd much prefer facing a skillfull player who doesnt move around as much. Also drifting wide can often drag a centre half with you, like the Arsenal game when he drifted wide took Mertresaker with him and left Koscielny at Hazards mercy.

[NishC300 1,865]

I disagree re movement, I've played in defends before and strikers who move around a lot are an absolute nightmare to play against, I'd much prefer facing a skillfull player who doesnt move around as much. Also drifting wide can often drag a centre half with you, like the Arsenal game when he drifted wide took Mertresaker with him and left Koscielny at Hazards mercy.

You can also always rough up some of the more skillful/smaller players. I dunno maybe we're just thinking in an archaic manner.....

(not that I'm saying Costa is better than Aguero!)

[NishC300 1,865]

Did he do the whole "go for ball, fall over, hit pitch and stare at referee" again yesterday?

It feels like that has become his signature move.

haha 2nd season fatigue right? When things were going sweet - we loved that, now when 'Rome is collapsing' we hate it

[Duppy Conqueror 1,451]

Drogba used to flop around like a salmon on a river bank,cost us the 2008 European cup and if his head wasn`t in it was completely useless regardless of what service he was given from behind. he was the ultimate looked like tarzan played like jane player in our history. do I love him,for the good times yes,when he matured,he mostly cut out the shameful behaviour. his latter years went a long way to make up for the earlier shame but not enough for certainly me and those who don`t have selective memory to forget them.

as Costa is in his early years,i`ll say I am enjoying them far more than I did Drogba in his. from them as individual players and as team mates.

[Tomo 21,681]

You can also always rough up some of the more skillful/smaller players. I dunno maybe we're just thinking in an archaic manner.....

(not that I'm saying Costa is better than Aguero!)

Neither am I plus Aguero can handle himself, I'm thinking more striker who's quite flashy andskillfull but not very in touch with the tactical side of the game.

[NishC300 1,865]

Neither am I plus Aguero can handle himself, I'm thinking more striker who's quite flashy andskillfull but not very in touch with the tactical side of the game.

Yea I often feel that too, they often don't make the right sort of off the ball movement thus it becomes easy to mark them and they thus easily lose the ball once they get it or you can force them easily to the side you want to.