The Conte Thread

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

Can you blame him for taking off someone who was playing poorly, even if that someone is our best player? Let's not pretend as if Mourinho didn't make some mind boggling decisions with Hazard. He, once, benched Hazard against Aston Villa (ASTON FREAKING VILLA!!!) at HOME because he wanted balance in the team.

3-4-3 and 3-5-2 produce its own dilemmas really. Play 3-4-3 and we risk getting overrun in midfield and who is best to partner Kante? Neither Drinkwater nor Bakayoko offers anything of note and dare I say Fabregas even offers nothing these days, not even offensively anymore. Play 3-5-2 and we're able to at least try and control the midfield and put Hazard in probably his best position to do damage. But we become far too predictable if the entire XI isn't on it, especially if the midfield doesn't take control and Alonso/Moses do zilch out wide.

I see where you're coming from but I don't know why people keep on saying 7 defensive players. Can we really term Alonso and Moses as defensive players when they are key part of our attacks as well? They aren't just in the XI to defend but also provide key offensive contribution.

Drinkwater and Kante has already proven to be a title winning duo now we have the added advantage of a back three while at Leicester it was a flat back 4. Overrun in midfield by who? A team like Leicester? It's not like we aren't getting dominated in the big games against a team like City for example regardless of the formation. Miss me with that talk. 

And Alonso and Moses are LWB - therefore are defensive players first and foremost. Sure part of their secondary duties is too overlap and play with some width bu When we don't have the ball they revert to position and we form a flat back 5. Don't think about football as when we only have the ball.

I'm not sure what you are disagreeing with though.

[Jase 43,479]

19 minutes ago, MrExcalibur100 said:

Drinkwater and Kante has already proven to be a title winning duo now we have the added advantage of a back three while at Leicester it was a flat back 4.

It may have worked for a lesser side like Leicester but it doesn't mean it will for us. And even if it does, is it really good enough at the highest level?

21 minutes ago, MrExcalibur100 said:

It's not like we aren't getting dominated in the big games against a team like City for example regardless of the formation. Miss me with that talk. 

True but haven't you always complained about getting dominated in midfield like after every big game?

22 minutes ago, MrExcalibur100 said:

And Alonso and Moses are LWB - therefore are defensive players first and foremost. Sure part of their secondary duties is too overlap and play with some width bu When we don't have the ball they revert to position and we form a flat back 5. Don't think about football as when we only have the ball.

Did I? When we defend, they obviously drop back to form a back 5 but when we attack, they don't just stay at home, do they? They get forward, forming a front 4 or 5 (in 3-4-3 or 3-5-2). Their role is rather a mix of the two rather than just defensive or offensive.

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

The club did invest. They have spent almost 150M on Bakayoko, Drinkwater and Morata. Doesnt really seem like a good investment now, does it?

But that aside, Conte doesnt look like he wants to be here at all. His body language has changed completely from last season. There is no enthusiasm or passion whatsoever.

[It's too big 625]

I think the thing people are forgetting is we are rebuilding the squad. All of the old guard have gone, so we have had to bring in new players and integrate them now. We will likely go through a rough patch on occasions because of this. The players in the squad have been together for one and a half seasons, even less for some. Morata has come from Spain where they have winter break, and he's in a new team, in a new country, being the leading man under a new coach with a different philosophy. The problem is with many of the new age fans is they are impatient and expect instant success or success every season. It isn't going to happen. Most other squads in the league have been together for a few seasons or still have some of their old guard left, but our squad is still relatively new. Christensen, Morata, Alonso, Moses (only been starter since last season), Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Zappa, Rudiger, Batshuayi, Kante, all players who have been at the club a very short period..

[Miki-Liki 405]

1 hour ago, It's too big said:

I think the thing people are forgetting is we are rebuilding the squad.

Seems like we've been rebuilding the squad since 2012, every year it's the same excuse. We're not rebuilding anything, we're shite.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

I dont blame Conte at all, but for fuck sake ditch the 3:5:2. 

The main advantage of 3:5:2 is in midfield but we dont have midfielders half good enough to take that advantage. 

Either go back to 3:4:3 or switch to 4 at the back. 

Idealy we should buy new RW but its not happening. 

I wish the board would go all out for Mahrez AND Alexis for 100m combined and play 4:2:3:1 with

Mahrez-Eden-Alexis

---------Morata-----------

But its never going to happen

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

8 hours ago, Special Juan said:

I think it was a copy and paste job from Petr.

Hehe im not so anti Conte (still), but i have to agree with some points like the late and useless subs, too many defensive players etc...

[Blue Armour 4,158]

Team needs a win soon. Morata needs a goal

Bit of negative spiral since the Arsenal game

And that shitty feud with Mou.

Thankfully Norwich at home, and Brighton are next on the agenda.

Despite the results, the agenda hasn't changed much for this season. Cup competitions and fight for 2nd/3rd at minimum.

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

Conte: "chelsea players are tired...."

Really?!

So last season we won the league only because we played once a week?

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/42677626?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_sport&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=sport

 

[Laylabelle 9,292]

14 hours ago, xPetrCechx said:

I can't forget the round of "victory" made by Avram Grant at Stamford Bridge after finishing the last game of the season in which he "trained" Chelsea (07/08). He of course led the team to ... nothing, but the fans, many of whom are sheeps with little understanding of football, applauded him and called his name. In contrast, Roman Abramovich had already understood that this was a fraud, that he had been stung by an opportunist, and therefore informed Grant of his dismissal immediately after the season.
Since Avram left, there have been all kinds of impostors like Scolari, AVB, Benitez, but we got rid of them before they managed to destroy every good part.

 

Whoever wrote this seem to forget Rafa and Grant were temporary managers nothing more. It's highly unlikely they were going to stay past the end of the season

As for Grant...dont think the fans went that mad.. Plus at that point we were in with a chance of winning the champions league... Still had the final coming up for the first time.. Led the team to nothing but was one kick away from leading to something 

The rest agree about subs they are so frustrating late and all and that but everything else... 

 

[Supermonkey92 1,428]

You gys don' realise how good of a coach Conte is. Lets look at the team; 

            Azpi        Christensen    Cahill

Moses  Fabregas  Kante   Baka   Alonso

                             Hazard 

                             Mortars

 

Defence; last year he had a shit defence, just look back to that 10th place position before. This year he has dropped Luis for Christensen. Good move. Also, Rudiger is much more mobile, aggressive and btter on the ball than Cahill. 

Midfield: the worst midfield in the top 6 by a country mile. FUCK ME. This is pretty much the reason Conte's hands are tied. Moses is a fucking Terrible wingback. Can't even take a player on anymore. Or dribble. So what the hell does he bring? He can't defend he just stands in line with the defenders. Even when the opposition mirror our formation  he STILL has to be told, a year on, to press the fucking wingback. Zappscosta isn't much better (But just to hammer home how shit Moses was, how much better was our attack at the Emirates when Davide came on). Fabregas has got EVEN SLOWER. Unfortunately, he just isn't capable in a midfield 2 anymore in the PL. Still our best passer by a country mile. Kante 👊💪👍. That is all. Bakayoko is not good enough for the PL. No more needs to be said. His total contribution to our team accumulates to us having a handicap of 10 players. Oh, did I mention our mdfield was already in trouble anyway? Alonso: slow, defensively weak but pretty decent going forward. Can't cross though. 

Hazard: no words needed, we know him

Morata: huge step down from Costa. A number of games where he whines and moans. Can' shoot for shit. Doesn't matter whether it's outside the box or 1 on 1. Good header of the ball though. 

So what exactly is Conte to do?! Play a midfield 2? Who partners Kante? Fabregas can't do it and if Baka is on the pitch it' basically Kante by himself. We were out muscled last year when he had Matic! Drinkwater seems the only option. But Leiceser only won the title by sitting back! 

He hs shit options. Play a midfield 3 and be more solid or play 2 and get overrun. 

For My money, the 3 at the back has had it's day. Moses and Alonso aren't good enough and we don't have Ivanovic/Terry/Luiz. The big problem is the transition. That is HUGE and takes time. 

Azpi      Rudiger      Christensen   Alonso

                   Drinkwater       Kante

     Barkley                                  willian 

                               Hazard

                               Morata

[El P. 1,354]

Conte: "chelsea players are tired...."
Really?!
So last season we won the league only because we played once a week?
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/42677626?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_sport&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=sport
 

Because we played once a week, and because we had no competition, yes.

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk

[It's too big 625]

11 hours ago, Miki-Liki said:

Seems like we've been rebuilding the squad since 2012, every year it's the same excuse. We're not rebuilding anything, we're shite.

Stop overreacting ffs. Many clubs would love to be in the position we are in at the moment. 3rd in the league, in all three cup competitions (including one win away from a final), we are in a privileged position and people need to start realising it. 

[Miki-Liki 405]

Shite team in a decent position.* Better?

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Laylabelle 9,292]

3 hours ago, It's too big said:

Stop overreacting ffs. Many clubs would love to be in the position we are in at the moment. 3rd in the league, in all three cup competitions (including one win away from a final), we are in a privileged position and people need to start realising it. 

For now.... Thing is Liverpool win today we're 4th in the league and 3 points above 5th..

[Laylabelle 9,292]

2 minutes ago, Mana said:

And deservedly so. Until we sort ourselves out and actually play football, there's no way Spuds and Liverpool should be below us. Chelsea at the moment isn't good enough.

That's the thing if Liverpool had sorted out their defence out start of the season they'd be way way above us.  Spurs are just spurs.. One game good one game alwful but finding their feet. Agree we're where we should be.. Just. 

[Supermonkey92 1,428]

He's been fed shit since he came. Didn't extend his contract but said thank you very much I'll take more money. Atrocious summer where the first 11 and squad as a whole was weakened. Just like I'd still support Hazard if he (understandably) left for a team that reflects his talent, the same would be for Antonio.