SeB

Yes, that's exactly how I think it will happen. Top 4, maybe a Cup, that was what I expected right from the start considering we had nor the proper manager nor the sufficient squad. But that's up to the sporting policy, how many seasons did we fuck up since Grant left and when we had Sheva, Pizarro, Anelka, Drogba ; SWP, Joe Cole, Malouda etc... ? Up to now, there's 2008/2009 with knackered players 2009/2010 small squad, we almost missed out the title in march 2010/2011: small squad, knackered players, forced to bring on the emergency squad players we needed, panic buys 2011/2012: lack of organisation with AVB costed us a lot of energy 2012/2013: Same old story, small squad, knackered players. We'll be forced to sign panic buy players to ensure top 4

The massive concern is about match fitness, we can't even play 50mn a game... That was decent vs City & tonight for 50mn and then we dropped completely, even tonight with some organisation We need rotation players but there's about 6 weeks until we can get ones... I knew the season was fucked as it started to be fair, that's not even a knee jerk reaction. That's just a sad observation.

We had a quite excellent pattern of play in the 1st half, lots of triangles, availability, possession... Start of the 2nd half is not very good, my streams lags and from what I see we allow too much space in counter attack

We get into dangerous positions, if you're unable to see it, switch off your PC and go to sleep... We lack sharpness in the last choices, shooting mainly. But trust me, Benitez will be far more pleased as his team can get into dangerous positions rather than if we got clear cut chances out of nowhere like for two years. Torres gets services, he surprisingly acts as the focal point upfront. Now, discuss the why he drops. We cross, we search him through space... Fulham keeps his shape, I really do see us winning that game. You really has to make the difference between the team's production in terms of play and the result of the game.

I don't get at all all the critics tonight, I'm delighted considering that's the outcome of 6 days of work from Rafa: Team keeps a decent shape (actually, that's a very good shape) to press as a 4-2-2-2, act as a 4-3-3 in possession with Oscar behaving exactly like I wanted Mata, Hazard to do the recent weeks. We keep the ball, get into dangerous positions easily, combine well on the flanks thanks to triangles We weren't endangered defensively, able to get the ball out from the back easily. Again, makes me sick Rafa Benitez is the Chelsea boss but he's doing a terrific job so far. Really

Just after I achieved the title image, I noticed that FSW could be like opening a button of his shirt, resulting from sprawling on the bench haha

That's how pressing works actually. Imagine the snooker triangle used to position the balls on the table, imagine it to be bigger, rectangular: that's the shape of your team. Pressing's aim is to outnumber zones of the pitch by blocking as much passing lines as you can, that's why that's exhausting on full 90mn You make a fair remark on the space created by a whole team pressing in a specific zone of the pitch. That's why you can't press the center back when he has the ball because he'll obviously go long and stab you in the back. There's two ways to skirt pressing: the first one is direct play. That's what Swansea managed brilliantly last season, Caulker (@) and Williams were very good to keep the ball as much as they could, play stupid Mikelesques backwards play in their defensive third... In fact they waited for the opponent to come at them and then they played directly onto Allen and Gower/Sigurdsson's feet. Thus where comes their efficiency at passing football, one's obviously easier to play possession football in inbalanced situations like those ones where the opponent's attackers were eliminated, This is about giving the feeling you're uneasy with the ball (because you keep it allegedly too much), the opponent will be even more convinced you'll lose it under pressure. And when he's close enough not for your pass to be intercepted and with the guy having freed enough space, you play through that space or above him with a chipped pass And the other way is the one City brilliantly used there. When you've such gifted players able to keep the ball and play so accurately there's no effective option (you can still commit tactical fouls but not all game long ) Here you've a triangle as Zabaleta runs toward the touchline, with Kompany on the ball and Yaya Touré. Interception is about blocking the passing lines, you can't obviously block every line. Silva drops, Cole closes him down high up the pitch. Zabaleta pushes forward, Silva keeps the ball and magnetize three players. Zabaleta picks Agüero who's the second player to have dropped deep. And at the same time Balotelli runs through space. Doesn't it remember you anything? Rooney drops, Van Persie drops at the same time and Ashley Young runs through space. Exactly how Manure kicked our arses at the Bridge in Prem

Look at the right column, I did several other pieces. I did create a thread for my articles with my notes on the Chelsea-MU game until it became a mess but wonder why it was unnoticed... #Clattenburg

I just used a saying I already read somewhere

That's a matter of terminology. Usually you've two ways to regain the ball: more individual one relying on one's ability to win challenges, and another relying on a collective process. Very simplistically every player tends more to be a ball winner or more a player who'll change something to the game with the ball. With our technically gifted players, interception is more suited than sitting back and recover via tackles. Pressing is a choice from the managerial staff, but basically what I would have expected from them is at least blocking the passing lines to prevent the opponent to get the ball out of the back way to easily as it has been the case. Not throwing themselves like dummies by running straight to the opponent as well, Mata was dribbled an insane amount of times last season. And I tried to show in my piece on the MU game that Hazard's defensive work wasn't enough as he got dribbled past by Valencia too easily AVB tried to implement possession football, so did Robbie this season. The main issue wasn't the high line, Fernando Torres or Ron Gourlay ; it was the lack of pressing to recover the ball. This season, despite some good specific sequences, we relied too much on the opponent making a mistake and giving the ball away to recover the ball. In my article in french, I spoke about 3 things that were likely to happen on the channels: Hazard and Mata not defending, Bertrand and Moses gaining game time. I didn't thought the third one would be so obvious, that was Mata and Hazard applying specific positionings... As I said the week before, it would defintely throw discredit to AVB and Di Matteo's ability to make their players applying their instructions. Again, massive respect for Robbie but that's another proof that the sacking was 'right' considering he wasn't either able to make his players applying tactics, either changing anything (even with the board's instructions, that we don't actually know what extent it was) Cole and Azpilicueta, even Luiz' reveving that much praise was too much in my opinion, but that didn't surprise me. When Torres doesn't get the ball despite a good run, that's his fault. When Azpilicueta is able to come out and intercept, he has quality to do so... But that's just the consequence of a normal protection around him, he didn't had Gary the new Terry Cahill but Ivanovic who's actually able to cover him properly. he did have Juan he's so good wonder why he doesn't defend Mata who for once kept an eye on what could happen in front of him (Azpi). Thus, the double pivot wasn't stretched to death and kept under control the zone in front of the penalty box

Lots of fuss about false nines, that's a very wise use against a parked team. And most strikers can hold that role, at least the ones who don't just think about scoring. False nine is just about carryng a defender out of the back to let another insert with a diagonal, 3rd man run

Maybe that will be time to recall that Malouda wasn't actually that bad, not just attacking but defending, pressing and using the space wisely. And ever since. Someone spoke about MU's organization, I think that was Muzchap. I really do rate players such as Valencia (and even Young, he's annoying as fuck when he dives but he's aware tactically and defends quite well) that prove to be genuine attacking threat while being versatile in terms of system played, animation chosen. They'll never let their full back down. Benitez got nail on the head, he doesn't expect Mata/Hazard to defend like Cole/Azpi but just help them whilst focusing on attacks. I don't hold Benitez into my heart but I'm forced to admit that everything he said so far about tactics, organization is wise and fully shares my view on those aspects.

Shit happened with Terry at Barcelona. From the same pundits who praised Vidic from being the best defender in the world Not even an opinion on that, that's part of the game, that's not fucking ballet dance

What do you mean by 'defence' ? The 4 defenders or the collective process to defend ? He worked on the collective process by asking Mata/Hazard to adopt better positioning, be closer to their full backs (what I highlighted in my article, see the MHS section). Cole, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic and Luiz had a decent game but that's mostly due to them not being overexposed 4-4-2, 4-3-3 are relying on us signing squad players in January. Torres is in Drogba's situation in 2010/2011: out of form but still forced to play every game upfront in 4-3-3, not even speaking about 4-4-2. We have to sign a central midfielder and a striker in cover, I don't like asking that as if we were sitting in a Café but we really need those two more options. Torres drops because he hardly touches the ball. We can blame a striker to do so when he gets sufficient service and doesn't act as the focal point for his team. That's symptomatic of a sitation when the striker feels he can't have the ball by staying upfront. Sometimes he doesn't makes the right call, but people are really making a meal of it considering that I think Macazar's lack of availability is the main issue The 3 line is somewhere between Mikel/Ramires and Torres when the defenders/midfielders have the ball, sometimes they're hidden behind defenders, sometimes they're rooted. Torres already fixes defenders, that's easier to bash him for his poor form than noticing that he's man marked since he came at Chelsea at the start of attacking sequences (wasn't always at Liverpool). Until a certain extent, that contributes to leave some space for the players behind. Who're guilty most of the time not to use that space properly. When Torres is the central focal point, we don't use flanks to overlap, attackers prefer funnel their attacks through the middle of the field. And when Torres runs down the flank, no one cuts at the penalty spot from the other side

Not great sense, just relevant sense. Make your job with schollbook tactics and leave us with a Top 4 finish & the FA Cup

Nope, they didn't either with AVB and Robbie, reason why we conceded that much sloppy goals in counter attack. Some sequences this season, otherwise that's really since Sunday we're able to see them applying the managerial instructions. What Benitez was brought for, I think

Torres would have enjoyed a bit more of the ball on fast break. But it would not have changed much considering you can't run into space when youv' 3 attacking players and both full backs of your own team at level with you 20 yards from the opponent's goal line. Attackers are the first defenders, so yes, I'm serious

You can hardly pick a key pass from 40 yards. Mikel is more in the build up of some goals that you seem to think, it's him who assists Hazard on the 1st pen vs Reading. The double pivot is meant to be the link between the defenders and the attackers, help & cover the full backs on ball side. They have to feed the 3 man line (considering the AM should act as a midfielder, all 3 are sometimes at level with Torres). If we can't keep clean sheets and avoid alleged mistakes at the back it's mainly because the attackers don't press and don't ask the ball at all. The 6 players left are over-exposed

I wonder if we watch the same games then (seriously) The collective issue is precisely relying on Mata/Hazard not defending but also not being available to ask the ball in front of the double pivot.

One funny figure about that is the ones who claim Fellaini is a better midfielder. Mikel has a 90% passing accuracy playing 65% forward in the double pivot this season. Last season Fellaini had 77% accuracy playing 45% forward in the double pivot (same left center midfield role despite different animations). No need to speak about the amount of passes per game as well

http://theweststando...od-for-thought/ My take on the Chelsea-City game. It's in english for once! :blue scalf: About the game Manchester City, scarecrow The Benitez way Observations Defensively Wing men track back Double pivot is closer to the center backs Offensively Get the ball out of the back via triangles To a systematization of creating triangles on the wings Macazar's availability Fast break situations, less players upper to the ball

One more time I don't disagree with you but you seem unable to make the slightest nuance possible. Mikel doesn't lacks creativity, he has the vision and the technical ability (what Meireles didn't had, he had the vision & not the execution) to pick some great passes at times. I'm the first to say he could unleash his play in a less restricted role in that double pivot. But keep hammering the same clichés about his passing range/choices is annoying. Watch again the sequence where we get the two corners before Cahill scores, whatch how Mikel picks Mata with a chipped pass (to my extent, playing through or above an opponents line or/and through space is creative play). Mikel lost sometimes possession when he was upper on the field, but most of the time that's because he hasn't the right option around him. That's way too simplisitic in my opinion. Mikel's ball retention is outstanding, on the ball he's slow but he keeps the ball close to his feet. That's the trademark of the very best players on the ball, being fouled because opponents can't even put a foot on the ball. Against packed teams, Mikel has much more purpose than the 'he only plays backwards, fuck him he's not penetrative at all'. Not only he's able to pick the vertical pass at times (again, not saying his main game relies on that but he has the ability to do so, that's what you seem to deny) but he can be a good holder of the ball when he decides to outnumber the last third. That has very much of a rugby tactic but then he can fix a defender and then, free space for a 3rd man run. When you can't congestion more a packed team, you have to attract it or make the players coming out of their position. Mikel's use of the space and positioning in defensive situations is much better than Ramires. I genuinly love Ramires but in terms of defending he's much more relying on pace and 1vs1 challenges to recover than positioning/intercepting etc... Mikel isn't redundant at all, he just cannot unleash his game from a game to the one just after considering he played 4 full seasons in a very restricted role. I do think he's on the way to find his role, and I do think as well that he's far from being an issue, either in midfield or in the whole team. Please be coherent, aren't you even able to notice that if a central defender can push forward, that's because of the space he's been given at the start? You can never expect that from a midfilder without relying all the time on his ability to give an accurate final delivery (coupled with the proper run). Ramires' last services are outstanding but we can't expect 100% from him. Basically, a players' play is based on runs, with or without the ball. That's like vectors on the plan, there's one place where he starts his run from toward a point where he ends his run. That's not because a winger cuts inside that he's a better center forward, do you see what I mean? Luiz goes forward to outnumber the zone in front of him. If we consider his wise runs forward, that's always because the team in front of him is static and closed down by the opponent who marks every player likely to receive the ball. That hasn't very much to do with Mikel being an extra-defender. Actually that's the opposite, Luiz's wise runs forward implies Mikel to sit back and take Luiz's position. Not the opposite. And that's a normal part of a given gameplan or reaction to a given situation when the defenders has no passing options Okay, so I said Lampard is crap and Gerrard is better than him. Basically you didn't understood anything of what I tried to say. My point was that Lampard can't play every game and can't hold such a big role every week (don't understand 'he's unable to hold that role' ), and that Mikel is able to be a decent option in terms of vertical penetration via a pass. There's no Gerrard/Lampard or Lampard/Mikel comparison. Just a simple observation on the current situation and the current squad we have to play games with.

Wake up, you're not in a video game.

You don't become crap from one day to the one after in Sports, there's obvious reasons there has been explained enough times in the past. Torres has his wrongs but he's into a vicious circle.

I'll publish my report of the game with charts etc... And I saw everywhere that a lot of people have done the same. That's about wide men's positioning, the way to get the ball out of the back and the counter attacks Chelsea did