bluezola

Agree with your post I wrote a post last season stating that I believe Oscar will eventually be 1 of 2 CM. Must admit that I am worried by JM total mindset with the defensive side of our game. Maybe JM actually believes that we will not score enough goals to win games. That every game will be won by the odd goal. It seems that Mata has been cited as being the cause to goals being conceded. Mata scored more goals last season than either Hazard or Oscar but doesn't play. Created more than Hazard or Oscar still doesn't play. Mata work rate has never been questioned before so why now? Mata would walk into any side in the Premiership right now except ours for dubious reasons. By the way has anyone noticed that since the Con Fed Cup our Spanish players have bearly had a kick. Why? Lets not forget that Romelu was shipped out on loan quick enough. Something isn't right between the Spanish players and JM. Get the feeling this is an overspill from JM stint at RM and the Spanish press.

It concerns me that JM felt the need to play Eto'o, who for all intensive purposes isn't up to speed. The same could have been said of Willan. The Russian league isn't a patch on the Premiership and both these boys need time, they were certainly not ready to play against European opposition. The Swindon game should have been their first introduction to English football. Remember Zhirkoz had the same problem. It also looks like desperation from JM playing Eto'o who quite frankly doesn't offer much in his present condition. Remember he was definitely off the pace against Everton. JM needs to return to having Mata, Hazard and Oscar as his main attacking midfielders with either Torres or Ba ahead of them. What people seem to be forgetting is that the attacking midfield players formed a great understanding last season, from continually playing together. Aided by Victor Moses. What was build between these 3 needed to be enhanced. Mata for me is a nailed on starter. Especially as he seem to orchestrate everything that was great about our play last season. JM needs to have a look at what we did last season and use that as his platform. Remember we played more games than any other English side with a relatively small squad and lack of a real goal threat. Yet just look at what we achieved. Some of the players we have need to be introduced slowly but only if they have the level of fitness and sharpness required. Schurrle and De Bruyne, are ready given that they have been playing in the German league and should be the obvious replacements to fill in for either Mata, Hazard or Oscar. Come on JM go back to the foundations built on last season. It's evolution not revolution.

Great result for the blues. Have to applaud RDM for having the courage to drop SFL and play Rami and Mikel as the 2 holding players. I have been harping on for ages that SFL and Mikel can't play as the 2 CDM. For me the combination just doesn't work. What is encouraging is the fact that this team is a work in progress and we still don't know potentially just how good this side will be and just what this side will be capable of. It's exciting to think that this young team will grow stronger and better with time. Arsene must be having kittens thinking about the fact that he has been developing his young team for what must seem like centuries and they still don't have got that killer instinct. BTW Oscar has the potential and ability to be another Alonso or Pirlo which is why I think we brought him. At the moment he is being schooled on the art of shadowing an opponent note Pirlo and Arteta. I suspect that in a couple of seasons he will be playing alongside Rami as the deep lying play maker, spraying balls from deep to open up play. Finally just when are the pundits going to give our team the respect it deserves. No one outside of the club or supporters felt we would beat Arsenal...........Why because it's Arsenal. Don't get that myself, a team that hasn't won anything in 7 years, but lauded as being fantastic. They seem to forget that we are European Champions with the bulk of the squad still intact. A team that can defend like no other. Just ask Barcelona and Bayern. Defensively on our day we are the best when we need to be but it seems the media and pundits alike forget that fact when we play any of the top 4 and are so ready to write us off.

My thoughts exactly. Still don't think that our new playing system is tactically right with Mikel and Lampard as the DM. It has to be one plus another. Both are to slow to occupy in the middle of the park and Lamps has a tendency to get caught out of position too often, as was shown against Atletico on the counterattack. RDM has a fair bit of work ahead of him especially with making us defensively solid.

Same old problems in central midfield with no sign of any solution soon and still don't see what our pattern of play is. Just wonder what the Chelsea Management are hoping they find out. Perhaps they truly believe that Mikel and Lampard are the real deal as a midfield pair. No creativity and both too slow. Well! from what I've seen in pre season the pair just don't work, but then again I wonder why our management continue to fork out the same old story about it just being relevant for fitness, when both players have virtually occupied those 2 CM positions in every pre season game, having had a free summer. Why didn't we try another 2 in those positions. Begs to ask the question whether management believe they are the best 2 players in those positions at the club. If that's the case we have a real problem. Note we have only won 1 game in pre season and that really says a great deal about the player fitness, player stamina, team tactics, team performance and understanding. Guess management may feel that they have got 2 out of 5. There have been very few encouraging performances as we seem unable to utilize the creative talent we have. Getting our most creative players on the ball as quickly as possible should be our No.1 goal but we seem to take forever. It took us 25 minutes to create anything in today's game which is just about on par with what we have been doing in recent games and even last season. Wigan won't be easy next week as Martinez is a clever manager, who will surely have noted that Mikel and Lampard aren't the quickest and can be caught in possession when put under pressure. I call this the Bosingwa effect which every team exploited last season. The player(s) that can be got at through poor play or in possession. Haven't seen anything yet in our pattern of play that has me excited about our season.

Our problem isn't us getting dominated in midfield by the opposition, with the exception of Barcelona, it rarely happens. It's about speed, craft and creativity in midfield. Having a DM player who isn't afraid to run forward with the ball, dictate play as well as being able to pick a forward pass. Present incumbents played there over the pre season games haven't been good enough, although young Josh will in time full that role. Beginning to wonder whether RDM has seen the same problems that we do and how he is going to deal with the fact that some players just can't play the type of football we are developing. We must play 4-2-3-1 we now have forward players with pace, that are comfortable on the ball and can beat a player. RDM should be encouraging the front 4 players to be more flexible, fluid and not restrict their movement when in the opposition half. That is why we have brought creative players comfortable on the ball, it's why RA wanted Pep. The question is can RDM get the front 4 players playing the incisive football that they are capable of when he continually plays 2 ineffective DM players who offer very little in terms of creativity, control and pace.

Have to agree with your point about 4- 3 - 3 being too rigid. It's been 7 seasons since we started using that formation, yet we have failed to adapt it in any way. Our front 3 should have been more fluid with 2 of our 3 midfield players being more creative as opposed to be just solid. The top teams have adapted their systems to counter our play which is why I say we haven't moved on. We should be looking to play 4- 2- 3- 1 now, especially with the creative players that we have. RDM needs to ensure that the front 4 do play with a fluidity and freedom that allows them to interchange. That front 4 should consist of anyone from Torres, Mata, Hazard, Marin, Sturridge and Oscar. These players are all comfortable on the ball and each has the ability to beat a players with pace to create openings. I would set an attacking training program around these players creating attacking situations and being given the license to roam across the front line. I can see why RA was keen on Pep and RDM needs to utilise the wealth of creativity he has. The 2 defensive positions should contain a defensively astute hardworking ball winner and a deep lying creative passer. Anyone from Romeu, Ramires, Mikel, Essien, Oscar and McEachran. The latter 2 are the most creative deep lying players who if played they would get plenty of time on the ball especially as teams tend to drop off against us when the ball is on the half-way line.These 2 players would dictate our play both with speed and creativity. Our games are being lost as we really are too rigid. You only need to watch Barcelona and Man City to see what happens when attacking players have the freedom to roam into space when in the opposition half. I haven't mentioned Super Frank as I believe his role would be essential in the big important games and in games where we needed a lot less attacking intent but a counter attacking role.

That would have been the midfield I would have played. Hard running, tough tackling and aggressive when hunting the ball. A midfield to stamp authority and break up Napoli play.

What about Meireles and Bosingwa then, are they performing..............I think not. AVB has shown himself to be egotistical............why else play out of form and ineffective players, surely not for the benefit of the team.

The main point I was making is that Sir Alex doesn't play players who don't produce performances, nor does he change the system for every game, nor is he satisfied if a player doesn't fulfill his potential regardless of whether the team wins. Yet most of all he instills a belief, to that player that they are good enough to play within the team when picked, so are the best. Sir Alex will always seek to motivate his players in such a positive way even when he is angry with them. Contrast that with AVB who in all honesty hasn't had many a good word to say about any player since his arrival, nor does he appear to want to instill any confidence or have genuine light hearted rapport with the players. AVB is too pragmatic in his approach. Just one other thing. It's easy to blame the players but what you have too remember is that the Chelsea heirarchy have removed so many managers in 7 years. This has basically left the players having to fend for themselves in that time. At the end of the day it isn't the players that sack a manager but the board. The players have been left to aid short term managers in order to produce winning performances time and again. Just think about it. How would any of us feel if we had a different manager practically every year. Don't blame the players without first looking at the board.

AVB just isn't helping himself with his choice of players. Contrast AVB with Ferguson who has built 4 or 5 different teams What I love about Ferguson is his understanding of how to get the most out of ordinary players by playing systems that bring out their limited ability and by being able to motivate them to perform. Being able to have those players work within a team system that benefits all. He has an amazing understanding of the game, players and management AVB failed to consider the type of playing staff he had, so has to date failed to develop a system that encompassed those players. Even failing to improve the players currently working with him. In all honesty it's worrying when a manager can't even have players performance improve in any shape or form even with the way we are playing. I fear that even a player like Mata will start to go backwards. If AVB can't get anything more from these players then I'd start to worry because a manager has to have the ability to impart a fresh approach to a player by highlighting how they can continually improve. Unfortunately AVB has no idea about the strength and weaknesses of his playing staff, for if he did certain players would not make the team and others would improve with change. That has not happened. This is what we should be worried about.............AVB understanding.

Why does AVB keep playing Meireles and Bosingwa...........Oh! yes, that's right they are Portugese and great with the ball......nah!!!!. Why doesn't he play Cahill and Bertrand..........Oh! yes they are English and probably not suited to playing against english teams. So many questions on who plays and who doesn't. Why no pace, why no creativity, why no decent set plays and why have young players on the bench that you will never play. So many questions and still no answers Yet the real problem is the manager who I believe is the most divisive person at the club. Why do I get the feeling that the players truly have no faith in him. Why do I get the impression that even with all that touchline posturing the manager still hasn't got a clue how to get the best out of the players at his disposal. Jumping up and down, down on his hounches or standing with an anguish look on his face. It's like something out of Monty Python. Don't remember Jose, Guus or Carlo being as animated as AVB. Don't get me wrong I love a manager who shows what the game means to him but AVB starts his antics even before the whistle has been blown. Our previous managers were successful because the players had faith and belief in what they were asking. Those managers didn't need to posture, because the players trusted them and could see the results from the type of football we played. The problem AVB has is that not one of the players understand the type of football being asked nor can they see the benefits through results. It just begs the question of whether he actual has faith in what he asks of players before the game and whether the the players actually understand whats been asked of them. What sort of instructions does he send them out with. I believe the players only believe in a system if they benefit from the results. Thats an area that we certainly aren't benefiting from

Just wondering when AVB will get a grip of the team strategy. If your any sort of coach then you'd be reviewing every team performance since the beginning of the season, if so, he couldn't fail to have noticed a particular pattern emerging. That as a a team we will have the bulk of the possession but always in the wrong areas. That we never exploit the oppositions weaknesses i.e. in the air, weak players, defensive positions or team shape. It clear that opposition teams now set themselves up to counterattack us after first frustrating our play. Possession doesn't win you games if you don't play with accuracy, pace or change the way that you press the opposition. The team should be be playing with a front four who have intelligence, awareness, good mobility, energy to press defenders and the ability to beat a man. At the moment only Sturridge and Mata fit that bill in any front four. At present our play is predictable, slow and without purpose. i expect to see similar results throughout the rest of the season.

Just another player that Chelsea won't buy maybe because he's younger, creative and better than Kalou, Malouda and Anelka. Chelsea need to shift these players for players with Nasir hunger.

Another typical Chelsea performance based on two halves. Just wonder how exactly AVB is going to change the mentality of the players who believe that the game doesn't actually start until the 2nd half or 1 down. AVB won't last long in the job unless he can change the team mentality. I remember a Chelsea that went at teams with speed, pace, power and verve. Perhaps it was because we had young hungry players with a point to prove. The majority of this lot have so little to prove maybe after today's game we need to offload the likes of Kalou, Malouda and Essien for sure. Play Lamps, Drogs and Mikel from the bench. I think it's clear to most Chelsea supporters that something has to change drastically if we don't want a repeat of last season. Torres was great today just a shame he was stuck in the middle with 2 non starters. Shame Sturridge is suspended because he is a definite starter after today Need a creative player and a genuine wide man for crying out loud!!!!!!!

Petr Cech IN 2 Branislav Ivanovic IN 3 Ashley Cole IN 5 Michael Essien IN 7 Ramires IN 8 Frank Lampard IN 10 Yossi Benayoun IN 11 Didier Drogba IN 12 Mikel IN 15 Florent Malouda OUT 17 Jose Bosingwa OUT 18 Yury Zhirkov IN 19 Paulo Ferreira OUT 21 Salomon Kalou OUT 22 Ross Turnbull OUT 23 Daniel Sturridge IN 26 John Terry IN 33 Alex IN 38 Patrick van Aanholt IN 39 Nicolas Anelka OUT 40 Henrique Hilario OUT 43 Jeffrey Bruma IN 44 Gael Kakuta IN 45 Fabio Borini OUT 46 Josh McEachran IN