The Conte Thread

[kellzfresh 7,226]

8 minutes ago, Styles said:

The season is a week away and we still have the same rubbish defence we did last season. This is ridiculous.

It's like we're not really serious about it at this point. We badly need a centerback who is good at defending in one on one situations. So far only Azpi and pre-injury zouma as defenders can defend in one on one situations in a whole Chelsea FC. 

It's a catastrophe, we need to prioritize a defender at all cost, and if Koulibaly is delaying and arsenal is competing for mustafi the chances of getting an instant improvement on someone comfortable on the ball with one on one defending is low. Hopefully we're trying behind the scenes because this defense will pull the whole team down if it's not addressed. 

[Leif 6,006]

Well we know how our board sees things. Conte had a great team defensively at Juventus, so that should automatically mean he can turn whatever players we give him into similar.

[Styles 9,790]

5 minutes ago, kellzfresh said:

It's like we're not really serious about it at this point. We badly need a centerback who is good at defending in one on one situations. So far only Azpi and pre-injury zouma as defenders can defend in one on one situations in a whole Chelsea FC. 

It's a catastrophe, we need to prioritize a defender at all cost, and if Koulibaly is delaying and arsenal is competing for mustafi the chances of getting an instant improvement on someone comfortable on the ball with one on one defending is low. Hopefully we're trying behind the scenes because this defense will pull the whole team down if it's not addressed. 

3 of our back 4 can't defend one vs one.

We have the slowest CB pairing in world football and to compound that we'll have Ivanovic at RB who is equally slow.

[Antonio8 736]

30 minutes ago, Leif said:

Well we know how our board sees things. Conte had a great team defensively at Juventus, so that should automatically mean he can turn whatever players we give him into similar.

big mistake thinking like that..it's real that conte turns shit in flower, but it is necessary to buy at least one CB and one RB..

[Unionjack 7,531]

1 minute ago, Antonio8 said:

big mistake thinking like that..it's real that conte turns shit in flower, but it is necessary to buy at least one CB and one RB..

Would rather have a left footed LB.

I'm sure that none of us are doubting our lads hearts, Just their speed, lungs.and incompatibility for the battle ahead of us.

I really can't imagine (or hope) that Conte and the board would gamble as we did last season, that we coud be a danger in England let alone in Europe, with our current lads.

It would be a real shame for us to make this tremendous start with Conte,Kannte and Bats only to get royally fucked up by our defenders and say goodbye to Conte for it next season cause you know it would happen.

Im only presuming that a change will happen at the back but I just cant understand why its been left so late in the window when the more time to gel the lads together the better.

In Conte we really must trust.

[Peace. 4,352]

6 minutes ago, Styles said:

3 of our back 4 can't defend one vs one.

We have the slowest CB pairing in world football and to compound that we'll have Ivanovic at RB who is equally slow.

 

*2 out of 4 play out of position.

*2 out of 4 lack cruelly of agility, pace and mobility (and Cahill is soon to join them).

*3 out of 4 cannot play the high-line and the pressing game.

*4 out of 4 are not ball player.

In other words, our defense is anti-modern. And the most alarming observation is that it is not even a problem of individual, but a problem of our whole defensive line. Our back-four should have been overhauled a long time ago and it is overdue for at least three years. Benitez, for as much as I do not appreciate him, started to reshuffle our defence (Terry on the bench and Azpilicueta introduced as right-back) yet the Individual-One came and, with his exceptional long-term vision, undid this reshuffling. He kept and affirmed as indisputable starting players the defenders that should have been benched ; the only change he made was to waste our should-have-been right-back at the left-back position. The outcome is that have have now in defence three players that should have been phased out three years ago.

Most worryingly, the Board is making the same mistake it has made during the pre-Emenalo era. Back then they were happy to basically keep the team of 2006 until 2010 without altering it — the outcome was that horrendous Ancelotti's "Bad Moment©". On the one hand, we are fortunate that right now the mistake is only regarding the back-line and not the whole team (it is already an improvement), but on the second hand we have a far worst situation in world football that we had in 2010.

For a starter, Terry should not have seen his contract renewed this summer as it would have forced us to buy a defender. Sometimes you need to untie your rope, leave your comfort zone and make the big jump. We already made the mistake with Lampard (i.e. holding on him till the end) and right now we still are in search for a central playmaker (Fabregas is a stop gap)... And we are making the same mistake with Terry and to a lesser extend Ivanovic.

Anyway, we are in a dire situation and the defence overhaul should have started weeks ago (in regards to this mercato) — such a dire situation that we are not even in need of a world-class defenders ; no, just above average defenders that can do the basics correctly (i.e. pass the ball, run, defend one on one). Because as of right now, not only our back-line jeopardises our defensive solidity, but it also jeopardises our whole team functioning. Look at Barcelona : they have individually average defenders (some of them are not even defenders), yet they complement very well their attacking players. As for us, our defenders are heavy concrete bricks that drag us to the bottom of the Thames. Thus, if nitpicking with the best defenders is not working, we should aim lesser targets and buy modern and competent defenders in stead of holding on our decadent defensive line.

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

Anoter season with Iva-Cahill-Terry and we are done.

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

No Djilobodji
No Baba
Miazga might go on Loan
Zouma is still not fit

I really can't see us not signing CB+LB...

[Antonio8 736]

2 hours ago, Unionjack said:

Would rather have a left footed LB.

I'm sure that none of us are doubting our lads hearts, Just their speed, lungs.and incompatibility for the battle ahead of us.

I really can't imagine (or hope) that Conte and the board would gamble as we did last season, that we coud be a danger in England let alone in Europe, with our current lads.

It would be a real shame for us to make this tremendous start with Conte,Kannte and Bats only to get royally fucked up by our defenders and say goodbye to Conte for it next season cause you know it would happen.

Im only presuming that a change will happen at the back but I just cant understand why its been left so late in the window when the more time to gel the lads together the better.

In Conte we really must trust.

yes LB sorry..

i don't understand too my friend..it's late, 6 august..

at least a fast CB must be signed in.. in conte i already trust..

 

[Unionjack 7,531]

1 minute ago, Antonio8 said:

yes LB sorry..

i don't understand too my friend..it's late, 6 august..

at least a fast CB must be signed in.. in conte i already trust..

 

Hope its not a last minute panic buy and so we need to look in the winter sale!

[Antonio8 736]

7 minutes ago, Unionjack said:

Hope its not a last minute panic buy and so we need to look in the winter sale!

don't be melodramatic!!!  LB= de sciglio  ---->25 mil         CB= caceres free + gonzalo rodriguez 25-30 mil.   there are a lot of good CB that are just waiting for our call.. come on!!

on sell:   oscar=40-50 mil 

what do you think is it realistic? i think so..

 

[Unionjack 7,531]

11 minutes ago, Antonio8 said:

don't be melodramatic!!!  LB= de sciglio  ---->25 mil         CB= caceres free + gonzalo rodriguez 25-30 mil.   there are a lot of good CB that are just waiting for our call.. come on!!

on sell:   oscar=40-50 mil 

what do you think is it realistic? i think so..

 

Not being melodramatic. Its happened before

But bruv I think anything better than what we got is reaistic but we dont need to convince each other.

[Despiadado.Maleante 1,046]

Even if we sign a defender now we will start with Ivanovic-Cahill-Terry-Azpi against west ham.

Let that sink in.

[Antonio8 736]

50 minutes ago, Unionjack said:

Not being melodramatic. Its happened before

But bruv I think anything better than what we got is reaistic but we dont need to convince each other.

 will not happen again 

[Melanicus 5,208]

So, this is our squad if the transfer window closed today then...

Goalkeepers:

• Courtois
• Begovic
• Blackman

Defenders:

• Terry
• Cahill
• Hector
• Ivanovic
• Azpilicueta
• Aina
• (Zouma is injured)

Midfielders:

• Kante
• Matic
• Fabregas
• Oscar
• Chalobah
• (Mikel is at the Olympics)

Wingers:

• Hazard
• Willian
• Pedro
• Cuadrado
• Moses

Strikers:

• Costa
• Batshuayi
• Traore
• Loftus-Cheek

What, I'd do until the window closes:

1. Buy another CB.
2. Loan Hector.
3. Buy another LB.
4. Move Azpilicueta to the right and new LB to the left.
5. Ivanovic becomes CB backup, Aina is Azpi's backup.
6. Sell Mikel.
7. Move RLC to midfield.
8. Play Hazard as a second striker if we play 424, otherwise he stays on the LW.
9. Play 4141 and in midfield: Kante/Matic in the back & Fabregas/Oscar and Chalobah/RLC in front of him.
10. Not buy Lukaku.

[Hostedenis 556]

53 minutes ago, Melanicus said:

So, this is our squad if the transfer window closed today then...

Goalkeepers:

• Courtois
• Begovic
• Blackman

Defenders:

• Terry
• Cahill
• Hector
• Ivanovic
• Azpilicueta
• Aina
• (Zouma is injured)

Midfielders:

• Kante
• Matic
• Fabregas
• Oscar
• Chalobah
• (Mikel is at the Olympics)

Wingers:

• Hazard
• Willian
• Pedro
• Cuadrado
• Moses

Strikers:

• Costa
• Batshuayi
• Traore
• Loftus-Cheek

What, I'd do until the window closes:

1. Buy another CB.
2. Loan Hector.
3. Buy another LB.
4. Move Azpilicueta to the right and new LB to the left.
5. Ivanovic becomes CB backup, Aina is Azpi's backup.
6. Sell Mikel.
7. Move RLC to midfield.
8. Play Hazard as a second striker if we play 424, otherwise he stays on the LW.
9. Play 4141 and in midfield: Kante/Matic in the back & Fabregas/Oscar and Chalobah/RLC in front of him.
10. Not buy Lukaku.

Sums up my thoughts exactly, I agree almost completely, except for 5 & 8. Iva can be both CB/RB backup. And even in 4-2-4 if we're in need of a goal I'd play two real strikers and Hazard on LW. Not always, but when we're playing offensively.

And which CB's would you play if everyone fit? I'd play Zouma + Terry, or Zouma + new CB.

[Diego 433]

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/antonio-conte-is-falling-in-love-with-english-traditions-at-chelsea-after-singing-malafemmena-during-a3313641.html

God, he comes across well! 

(sorry if its already been posted)

[Styles 9,790]

11 hours ago, Peace. said:

 

*2 out of 4 play out of position.

*2 out of 4 lack cruelly of agility, pace and mobility (and Cahill is soon to join them).

*3 out of 4 cannot play the high-line and the pressing game.

*4 out of 4 are not ball player.

In other words, our defense is anti-modern. And the most alarming observation is that it is not even a problem of individual, but a problem of our whole defensive line. Our back-four should have been overhauled a long time ago and it is overdue for at least three years. Benitez, for as much as I do not appreciate him, started to reshuffle our defence (Terry on the bench and Azpilicueta introduced as right-back) yet the Individual-One came and, with his exceptional long-term vision, undid this reshuffling. He kept and affirmed as indisputable starting players the defenders that should have been benched ; the only change he made was to waste our should-have-been right-back at the left-back position. The outcome is that have have now in defence three players that should have been phased out three years ago.

Most worryingly, the Board is making the same mistake it has made during the pre-Emenalo era. Back then they were happy to basically keep the team of 2006 until 2010 without altering it — the outcome was that horrendous Ancelotti's "Bad Moment©". On the one hand, we are fortunate that right now the mistake is only regarding the back-line and not the whole team (it is already an improvement), but on the second hand we have a far worst situation in world football that we had in 2010.

For a starter, Terry should not have seen his contract renewed this summer as it would have forced us to buy a defender. Sometimes you need to untie your rope, leave your comfort zone and make the big jump. We already made the mistake with Lampard (i.e. holding on him till the end) and right now we still are in search for a central playmaker (Fabregas is a stop gap)... And we are making the same mistake with Terry and to a lesser extend Ivanovic.

Anyway, we are in a dire situation and the defence overhaul should have started weeks ago (in regards to this mercato) — such a dire situation that we are not even in need of a world-class defenders ; no, just above average defenders that can do the basics correctly (i.e. pass the ball, run, defend one on one). Because as of right now, not only our back-line jeopardises our defensive solidity, but it also jeopardises our whole team functioning. Look at Barcelona : they have individually average defenders (some of them are not even defenders), yet they complement very well their attacking players. As for us, our defenders are heavy concrete bricks that drag us to the bottom of the Thames. Thus, if nitpicking with the best defenders is not working, we should aim lesser targets and buy modern and competent defenders in stead of holding on our decadent defensive line.

Even in some of the pre-season games, you can see Conte telling the team to push up but we've got Terry and Cahill dropping deeper and deeper. It's depressing.