The Skipper

So you genuinely believe our problem this season hasn't been under performing against the smaller teams? That's what happens when you don't go at the opponent and allow them to settle into the game. Mourinho obviously agreed that we weren't attacking enough to begin with, which is why we made the change to a 4-2-3-1. Yes... We are going to draw a team that will be happy with a draw out when they've already decided we're getting majority of the ball. Let's try to counter attack a team that is more than happy not to have the ball for the rest of the game. So apparently we've been dispatching smaller teams with ease all season now? I think it is best that we do as you clearly think we've played great in general against the smaller teams this year whilst I don't.

So you're suggesting that our main problem isn't creating enough quality chances against smaller teams? I've already addressed this in the post above; I didn't complain about the West Ham game as the approach was correct and the number of quality chances How many quality chances did we create against West Brom? We struggled in that game. The result was fair. Stoke away we lost due to stupid mistakes and us not being clinical, the match was ours until a stupid mistake from Eto'o. I didn't complain about the approach in that game because I would rather have my team go for it against Stoke when you've got 30 minutes to grab the winner, than to be satisfied with a draw, because let's be honest Stoke are a team we should be dispatching. So you're genuinely telling me that we've played well in general against the smaller teams this season? I've said it all season long that I didn't like our approach in these sort of games, it isn't a knee jerk reaction to me at all.

We don't need to have a man over Crystal Palace in midfield, Matic - Luiz alone can take care of anything Crystal Palace throw at us from the centre of the pitch. You don't need a deep 3 man midfield against Crystal Palace. A number 10 would've definitely helped us going forward in the final third... I'm not sure I even need to explain why. Even Mourinho acknowledged that by taking off Luiz at half time and bringing on Oscar. Difference is, you won't find me complaining about the West Ham game because we played well and created some good chances to win the game and the approach was right from the get go. What harmed us in the game is lack of clinicality - that is not the same problem we faced against Crystal Palace. That's the thing - we shouldn't be focussing on counter attacking a team that is going to put 10 men behind the ball - that's nonsensical. We need to focus on keeping our better offensive players like Hazard up the pitch, creating spaces for them with off the ball runs from our full backs and our striker and other players around him - none of which happened because the approach we took was too conservative to begin with. We need to take more risks and kill these games off from the get go. Hazard coming back to get the ball shouldn't happen either, he's our best player offensively so naturally you'd want him to stay in the final third most of the time. You don't want him coming back to get the ball - that should be the pivot and the number 10's (to an extent) job. I've said this before but I'd definitely sacrifice a very little ounce of defensive solidity to make us far more threatening going forward. Yes, we don't have a great striker up there (especially when Torres plays) but in my opinion, simply giving the ball the Hazard and hoping he does something magical with it to unlock the defence when he's not even in the final third indicates that against smaller teams we don't have a clear attacking pattern. Often, there is no clear penetration or clever/designed runs off the ball going forward against these sort of teams and that to me indicates we aren't setting up for these sort of situations in the final third correctly.

How am I asking for the impossible? Is thinking that we should be playing more open offensive football against the likes of Crystal Palace really too much to ask? As I said; if you read the of my post I appreciate a lot of what Mourinho has done, i.e. making us the best team defensively in the country - but that doesn't mean he's done a perfect job... Like I said, I am not advocating that we play more expansively in all of our games, I was simply commenting on Mourinho's approach in this game, against Crystal Palace - which is what I said in the previous post before; if we isolate this game solely then Mourinho has to shoulder some of the blame as we set up too conservatively in this game, we gave CP too much respect. It's a problem we've had all season against smaller teams, it's naive for anyone to ignore that. How many of those shots turned out to be quality chances? Maybe Hazard's miss only? That's not good enough against a team like Crystal Palace. We need to be creating a lot more against teams like these. That's my main and only problem with Mourinho's approaches in these sort of games, the fact that we have struggled a lot this season to consistently churn out great chances against smaller teams instead of relying on a couple of individual pieces of magic... Surely you have to look at the way the team is set up if it's a recurring theme? How have I not been realistic? I have said since the start of the season that I don't expect us to win the title and I have continually said that I've seen a lot of good things this year, but that doesn't mean it's been perfect - I know we're a few players away from completely eradicating the problems in these smaller games but at the same time Mourinho's approach in some of these haven't been great either... That's my main point. I'm not doubting Mourinho's abilities or discrediting the work he has done this season at all... He's done a good job in his first season back indeed, but that doesn't mean he's been perfect... My only criticism for him this season is that we approach smaller games in the wrong manner - I've said that all season. That does not equate to me not having faith in him as a manager.

No, he does not. The biggest myth ever. Most of the time he looks like the laziest player on the pitch.

Take it from me, I've seen VDW play for years and defensively against top players like Hazard, he struggles a lot. If Hazard is in top form it's going to be a very long game for Gregory.

I fully acknowledge that but it still doesn't change the fact that our biggest problem is creating quality chances against smaller teams. Yes, a competent striker would've helped us a lot but at the same time, when you select a midfield three of Luiz, Matic and Lampard and set up the team with a more conservative look you're going to struggle. A conservative look in games like these are not needed at all, you need to take the game to the opponent instead of being passive about it. I would've started Matic and Lampard in the pivot (which he has done in previous games against smaller sides, and we have performed a lot better in those games) whilst playing a proper number 10 in Willian or Oscar to give us more impetus in the final third. Lampard has never been good in a number 10 role because he naturally makes the shape of the team go into a 4-3-3. It's not like this is a one off game either, it's happened a lot against the smaller teams this season - and one of the biggest reasons is that Mourinho is too conservative in his look and gives the opponent too much respect. His refusal to play A. Cole and Azpi as our fullbacks in order to spread the play more with overlaps in order to create more runs and spaces for our more forward players is a big reason why we struggle to create quality chances against these sides. Hopefully he has acknowledged that, and hopefully he fixes it next season by bringing in the right players, but as of right now, there are certain players and certain methods of play he's not fully utilising. I never said we don't have a pattern to our attacking play... What I did say is that we don't have a pattern to our attacking play against teams that sit deep. We rely too much on the individual brilliance of Hazard in these games but you've got to set up your team better in these games so we can fully utilise the attacking potent of players like Oscar, Hazard, Willian (who has been under utilised going forward IMO) and Schurrle. Like I've said all season, I admire most of the work Mourinho has done this season but my biggest (and only) gripe with him is the way he sets us up against the smaller teams, especially away from home. He has got to be more adventurous in these games.

I have said from the start that I don't mind if we win the title or not but if we isolate this game on it's own, some blame has to go to Mou for the way we set up our team. You have to expect this sort of performance when there is still no patterns in our attacking play against teams that sit deep against you, it's always been my only problem with Mourinho's approach especially against the smaller teams. You can't keep relying on the individual brilliance of Hazard to bail you out in these sort of games.

That'll completely take away what his game is all about - intelligent movement from deep.

At the same time Liverpool don't have Chelsea's defensive solidity...

Why wouldn't it? It might actually turn out to be good for us - one less club to compete against for Luke Shaw.

That actually hurt my eyes.

I struggled with a GK - there hasn't really been an outstanding goalkeeper out there this season IMO.

Suarez Hazard - Silva - Sturridge Toure - Gerrard Azpi - JT - Koscielny - Coleman De Gea Subs: Howard, Shaw, Rooney, Aguero, Lallana, Ramsey, Cahill

His link up play/back to goal play is better than Costa's, and so is his ability to pick out a pass as his assists allude to every season. He's also a better dribbler. What Costa has over him is that he's more physical, a better work rate, more clinical finishing and more consistency but his general play is why I think he'd be a very good signing for us. He's also already used to playing in a Mourinho system so his integration wouldn't take that long, and he isn't like Torres, he's a technical CF just like Eto'o is, that was my point when I brought in the comparison. Torres relies on getting behind his defender with through balls whilst Benzema is intelligent with his play, linking up with those around him just like Eto'o does. The only strikers I'd take over him in the list you provided is Suarez, Cavani and maybe Balo or Costa (I'd put him as equal with the latter two). The only thing I'll knock Benzema for is his inconsistent finishing but as he matures even more he'll sort that out IMO (just like Suarez has), it's the only thing that's stopping him from getting 30 goals every season. Costa scores 1 in 4 while Benzema gets 1 in 5. Their conversion rate is really not as different as you alluded to - you were speaking as if his conversion rate was more like 10% which it is not... And Benzema does create chances, he's always in double figures every season with his assists, that isn't even debatable. EDIT: I'm not trying to say we should sign Benzema over Costa or anything - just that he would still be a very good signing to make if he was available on the market, and that he isn't anywhere near as bad as you're trying to make him out to be. Certainly not worthy to kill yourself over if we did sign him. If he was as bad as you're trying to make him out to be Real would've shipped him out ages ago.

So just because he plays next to good players we should totally ignore his assist or goal tally? That's ridiculous...Anyway, no one is saying that Benzema has been more clinical than Costa, but it's stupid to think because someone's chance conversion rate is low that he's a bad finisher. For example, Luiz Suarez last season had a conversion rate of 12.29% - does that mean he's a bad finisher? Ronaldo has sub ~20% conversion rate too - does that also make him a bad finisher? Benzema's chance conversion rate is at 22% this year which isn't too bad at all, it's pretty decent, nowhere near as bad as you're trying to make him out to be - whilst Diego Costa's is at 28%. Benzema's game is not all about goals either anyway, his game is very similar to what Eto'o does for us now only he's better, that's why he'd be a great signing for us IMO... I don't understand how anyone would "kill themselves" if we signed him when he fits our system to a tee.

So scoring 23 goals and providing 11 assists doesn't constitute in a player having a great season...

Are you saying that because he missed a few chances in the El Classico? Benzema is having a great season...

What? Why?

Both JT and Cahill have been great this season, it would be stupid to fix what isn't broken, that's why Luiz hasn't been introduced at the back (well that plus the fact that he seems to attain these niggling injuries here and there that set him back throughout most of this season). I'm not denying that we haven't looked better without Luiz at the back, but it has far more to do with other factors such as the team in general being far more defensively solid, The CBs having protection, Cahill having his best season in a Chelsea shirt etc... I wouldn't contribute Luiz not playing at the back as a reason why we're solid at the back. That is not a myth. He grabbed 7 goals and 5 assists for us last season, most of those coming from playing as a CB. That alone should tell you he brings a more offensive threat to the team. It's not only that either, it's the type of CB he is. He is the type that goes for the interception rather than backing off - this again helps with ball retention and winning the ball back quickly, thus giving the team more of the ball to create more.

Exactly what I mean - just because Luiz has had bad games this season at CB people somehow completely forget the good games he has had for us at the back prior to this season - again, selective thinking IMO. So you're suggesting that the main reason we've improved defensively is largely due to him being dropped at CB, and not because the team as a unit defends much better now, or because we have a more solid pivot/protection in front of the CBs either? Right...

He has the potential to be a double-double player (10 goals, 10 assists a season) IMO, he's already there with his goalscoring pretty much but his assist game needs to improve a lot still. I've seen flashes in that regards but he does need to step it up creatively - hopefully he becomes that double double player next season when he's consistently got a more competent striker in front of him.

Don't blame them to be fair, has a lot more to do with Wenger's suicidal tactics. Both are very good defenders IMO (especially Koscielny).

I'm not just talking about his passing mate, I thought I made that clear. I'm also not talking about Jose not selecting him at the moment... You're steering away from my initial point, I'm not suggesting that we should break up the Terry - Cahill partnership or anything, I'm not trying to defend Luiz's performances at CB this season either, nor am I talking about his strengths or weaknesses there, I know them already. I'm talking about next season when we hopefully sign a new CM and we face teams we're struggling to break down; IMO we can afford to rest or change the JT - Cahill partnership for such tactical reasons, such as breaking teams that park the bus down, especially in home games for example. A major part of the reason why that partnership has looked a lot more solid this end of the season is because we finally have a solid pivot player in front of them with Matic (and Luiz when he plays there alongside him), and also the fact that we're just defending much better as a team in general... It's not simply down to their partnership (although it is obviously a factor). We can take one player out of the unit for a more offensive look. That's just me though, I genuinely think that the more technical players you have in the team, the more likely you're going to break down an opponent that sits deep, which has been our biggest problem this season and you can't deny that. I was merely trying to hint to a solution in situations like this - again, having three technical players (a trident of Matic, new top CM and Luiz) at the back orchestrating things will definitely solve that IMO. I understand that there might be a slight price to pay for this (a very, very slight but manageable knock in defensive solidity) but the rewards outweigh the risks by far I think. It's all about squad versatility for me - in the bigger games perhaps keep that JT - Cahill partnership, but in the games at home where we're going to struggle against these teams that sit deep start Luiz at the back assuming we have another playmaking midfielder next to Matic. Simple.

I can do the PSG home game. Nothing else apart from that though, sorry. Exam season.