CurlyHairLikeLuiz

'Diego crimes? Surely the adjective for Barnes' tackle, then, is 'Criminal tackle'?' Sky: 'Maybe the language was wrong...' Mou: Did you apologise to Chelsea? Did you apologise to Chelsea? No, did you apologise to me, the Chelsea manager? No Atkinson? He didn't see anything! 'In England you love this sentence "bringing the game into disrepute" which they say when they want to get me in trouble" Never change, Jose.. "If the referee cannot see a clear penalty 3 meters in front of him the he needs a screen" "when we were playing Capital Cup wthout goal line technology I was uncomfortable, I mean, for God's sake..." btw, the FA will bring a whole new dimension of the meaning disrepute after this. Fucking hell Jose is going to get banned for the COC match

Jose is ramping up!

If we have to play Zouma in midfield, he will have no choice... Don't forget, Cahill is good in a low defensive block. Think last season, that's how I reckon we'll be playing.

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Just because he gets paid to play does not suppress basic human reactions. Sorry, but what Matic did was right. Just such a shame that he didn't KO Barnes before he went off the pitch.

Sometimes nothing goes in. It happens. The same happened at Boro yesterday, they were the better team and still nothing went in.We pressed really well, we must of had 10 chances on goal, and when the ref didn't even card Barnes for that tackle Matic took he understandably lost his shit. Burnley didn't deserve the point.

Mou should do it with Cesc too: Give them a week off, that usually sets back fatigue. Having said that though, when William has played #10 I've been impressed. If we were to sell him to buy another Cesc-style midfielder I'd say he's not untouchable anymore. Although if we did that would leave our AMs quite depleted. We only have 3 wingers for 2 places, and, I think another 3 for CAM? 4 if you include RLC but like Cesc, he is really a CM. Hmm. Tbh though, unless Real want to get rid of Isco... I don't really see many midfielders that are really much better overall, especially if you want Cesc in the team the 10 has to overlap him. Serie A has made Salah look good, don't forget.

What the fuck do you people honestly expect, he's a striker, he needs to get fed to score goals, and he's not a CDM, Cesc hasn't been giving him service, as a result he looks bad. He made some amazing runs into the box but unless it was a Luis cross it was never going to reach him. This, is what happens when there's only 2 players in the entire squad to create. If we wanted that we might as well bring up Palmer than try and bend Ramirez to do it.

He's been injured, give him a break.

yes, exactly - I think both RLC and Ake should play, as they are experienced and have played together in the development sides. Zouma behind them in my lineup as a false 6 or CDM role. We might need extra experience, so it might be an idea to draft in Cech too, as having Zouma, RLC, and Ake in the same lineup would undoubtably have its risks, while your plan allows for a change in play style which mine doesn't really have - Other than maybe Cesc, there are no 'super subs'. We'll see. This lineup is very reliant on Hazard for the creative flair, but I think he can deliver.

I agree, but don't forget Ake is a real holding DM, unlike a box to box like Ramires, and I believe RLC is also technically a CM/B2B rather than a DM. I think a 5 man defence might be interesting, but if we do that we face the same problem in that the midfield will collapse and will invite pressure that even a 3 man centre back team might fail within. If Ake can successfully emulate the 'Matic role' to any degree we might be able to get away with it. It might be a good thing in some way to play RLC with him, as you said, because they will have a good understanding of each other, and I think if Jose shows 'big balls' he might do, but I believe that if Ramires is fit, by default he will start, which is annoying because personally I don't believe he's capable enough to be anywhere near a Chelsea team, I never really have done. I think, though, that it might be a good idea to play Zouma in a false 4-3-3 pivot, though, he has the right build and he's good on the ball, and naturally he will defend like a beast. If we play him then by default we will be planning to play a low defensive block, ideal for Terry and Cahill, who even with those who don't like him, showed up in the same system last season when we were good at grounding out 'ugly wins' and that is what we should be aiming to do, because we have the capability to do it. With that in mind, we could employ a 4-3-3 or pack out the midfield to fully replace Matic (what a loss!) with a 3-5-2 or even play a 4-4-2, because right now Diego needs help. In a 4-4-2 diamond: Courtois Iva Cahill Terry Luis - The fullbacks provide the width in the system, which allows us to overload the midfield. Zouma - Provides Matic-style shielding of the CBs if he's capable, or on a most basic label and act as a false CB. His movement will help greatly. Ake - Rami/RLC - Mostly acts as DM/CM pivot but not completely, which means Ramires should not be creating, but holding possession and looking to simply draw the opposition. Hazard - No 10 style role. Pretty much what Cesc usually does, but he is not in form and we can't risk a passenger. Costa Remy Remy and Costa aid each other as Costa gets back to fitness. Cesc on the bench to give us options there, and one of RLC and Ramires on the bench too. Cuadrado can interchange with Iva, Azpi on the bench too as he can either be a false CB or an LB. If Zouma gets injured then Ake will have to drop back into his role and RLC/Rami where Ake is. Cesc can go where Hazard is, Drogs can go up front. Christensen will have to be a last resort. If we get further midfield injuries Oscar can come on, or Willian. IMO, this is the best way to stretch our very thin midfield squad. What do you think, Supporter? I doubt Mou would change his formation so much, but he did play a back 3 when we were at 10 men. Bench: Cech, Azpi, Christensen, RLC/Rami, Cesc, Willian/Cuadrado, Drogba

Which is why I said he will do precisely nothing and play a disastarous Cesc-Rami pivot.

We are going to go into meltdown tactics. 3-5-2 with Remy and Costa or Costa and Hazard as a false 9. Courtois Cahill Zouma Terry Azpi Ake Cesc Oscar Willian Hazard Costa Hell, we might well be better off with Hazard F-9 and Remy up front, Tottenham is not an expendable game for Costa to get his form back, not now. We need Hazard's foulling ability to pull us up the field, everybody has to track back like hell. Our bench will be a wreck. Shit, we'll only have 1 CB backup. Bench: Cech, Iva, Christensen, Ramires, RLC, Cuadrado, Remy/Costa Packing the mid will be the only way we'll get out of this alive, but to tell the truth, I'll be very surprised if Mou doesn't change his formation and risk a shaky Cesc-Ramires pivot.

...5-0...

btw, 4-0 City.

Yeah, and that's our punishment in the Burnley match for not picking a full reserve DM in Ake in the name of 'experience'.

Not Azpi. Zouma has a good build for a DM, I'd imagine this would be the last resort before digging into our loan players

If he has any sense he will know that next season Azpi will move back to the right side. I fully expect Ivan to move back to centre back as Cahill leaves.

He'll have to, we have no other holding midfielders left. And no, Ramires doesn't count.

Courtois Cahill Zouma Terry Azpi Willian Cesc Ake Hazard Remy Costa Or Ramires where Hazard is and Hazard in Remy's place as a false 9. The only way we will stop our midfield getting owned is if we pack it with the most defensive players possible, hence since Mikel is unavailable we revert to a 3-5-2. IF Mikel is available: Courtois Iva Zouma JT Azpi Ake Cesc Mikel (in a false 4-2-3-1 style pivot) Willian Costa Hazard The endgame might be having to recall a loan midfielder or bring up a development one, an Omeruo-Cesc pivot would still be better than Rami-Cesc.

Why is everyone saying we looked poor before the sending off? We pressed and pressed and pressed, we won fouls in the box and we scored, if Costa was on target and we got the stonewall pens then it could easily have been 4-0

If he did a studs up tackle on you, I almost guarantee you would do exactly the same.

holy shit I simply cannot comprehend how Barnes didn't get a red but Matic did

If we play a midfield of Ramires and Cesc will will get fucking analled, just as Bradford did to us...if he has any sense he will move up Zouma to DM and/or put Ake in there too.