SeB

I broadly agree with you but I think we can cope with Mikel. Mikel has been restricted into a scholar, tidy role in 4-5-1-lookalikes. But I do think he's a bit more to offer because his passing range is good technically speaking. He's much more creative than many think, his passing accuracy doesn't suffer from being 70 or 25 yards to goal He's really not the tidy Mikel anymore in that midfield 2, as I tried to show here he's some tricks in terms of movement or passing (vertical penetration, toward Torres) http://theweststando...chester-united/ Of course life would be easier with a Modric (personally not so sure), Xabi Alonso etc... able to pick team mates vertically, and especially giving deliveries with pace (Gerrard's hollywood passes). But right now this kind of player won't be available. The main concern about Lampard is match fitness in my eyes, there's a lot of ground to cover in that double pivot. But it seems that Benitez asks a more static double pivot (that's mainly due to attackers henceforth being available enough not to force the double pivot to carry the ball up by themselves)

I'll publish my piece tomorrow. But I'm really pissed off to see everyone did the same piece than me , with some of the points I make and the others I didn't though was precise enough. And I have the same charts than Zonal Marking with the positioning of the defensive interventions to show the difference with parts of games where we did press and others when we didn't. I don't often do match reports as I precisely think everyone else does the same. Being more precise requires a bit more time, just enough to see dozens of other blogs doing the same

What's all that stuff on Azpilicueta/Cole? When they've not the whole team's defensive work relying on them, they can keep lucidity and make good interventions, simple as that

Happy of the 1st half performance, relevance in most areas of the pitch Attackers track back, defenders aren't exposed and thus, they keep lucidity and make better interventions. But that's known for so much time that I don't even know why I'm recalling it More relevance in attacking sequences, to carry the ball out of the back via triangles. Wing men closer to the full backs to provide then passing options. We have to be sharper in the last tier, if we weren't that's because Hazard/Mata proves that by defending FOR THE TEAM, they lose some energy and don't appear especially that good anymore... City cause us some problems because they're a top side building good & quick attacks in the final third. What we could be if we were a bit more organized

I just joined, I'm in mid-table with 614pts I'm SeB FC

My thoughts on Benitez's appointment: I'm quite disappointed to see Benitez coming in considering - and I won't lie - the Chelsea-Liverpool rivalry is one thing among others that made me supporting this club. But we have to move on, I was critical enough about Robbie's tenure despite the respect I had for him. Things had to change, it was a mess most of the time and not only because of the sporting policy (selling Meireles, loaning Essien). The possession football ersatz is a fiasco for one and a half season and we have to find something else, especially now with a reduced squad and the direct impact of playing twice in a week. I think Rafa will come back to more a more coherent approach than the one we used until now, that'll be more defensive than the one Robbie used ; considering it was difficult to adopt a more risky approach than the one we had (no pressing, exposed defence) The system isn't an issue, a system is the position on the paper and what makes the difference is the playing animation. I do think Benitez'll keep the 4-2-3-1 but asking more work down the flanks and feature more players behind the ball during the attacking sequences. I do think we haven't enough players in midfield to play 4-3-3 (until January, if we can sign renforcements). I've several questions about how the situation could turn: tracking back, pressing etc... is a matter of instructions but for 90% that's mentality to give one's best when the ball is lost. Defensively Mata, Hazard, Sturridge aren't good enough (they don't position themselves as defenders, not any particular ease to regain the ball) and didn't put the sufficient effort to regain the ball or help in the process. As AVB was more concerned by goals and results, thus why he could not change drastically the goalscorer Sturridge's instructions in the channel and RdM had probably to cope with the freshness of his squad ; we weren't able to produce a sufficiently good pressing. And when we actually did it this season, we were forced to give away 15 or 20mn thinking about the next game to rest the XI players that'll start 3 days after So that's why I wonder if Bertrand and Azpilicueta won't have bigger game time, not only for rotation purposes but also as genuine tactical choices. The consequence of such a change will be that the play will be more direct, meaning that there will be less passes in the build up of attacks (not especially 6ft+ striker, kick & rush, second balls & stuff). The movements will be more of run/service, especially through space. Probably more crosses as well, thus Bertrand/Azpilicueta's purpose I was bemused by how many did think that Falcao would run into that team and score loads of goals considering we didn't feature neither width, exclusive service, crosses, space to run into... But with the gameplan I do think Benitez'll apply, that's different and bringing Falcao in makes more sense. About the farce of the remarks about the defenders, coping better with transitions will magically improve the defenders' abilities to regain the ball. Or it will just prove that the bad defending is Hazard not tracking back leaving Luiz forced to come out or retreat and see the opponent exploit the defending and play in due manner (retreats: you can carry the ball / the defender comes out: you release the ball as he closes you down)

Being a better tactician, the question being if he's able to make the players apply the instructions and finding the right instructions given the player at his disposal. Thing AVB and Di Matteo arguably didn't manage to do

Too busy with his notepad I guess!

Money buys competency, not footballing skills. That's not "the most you pay a player, the better he gets". That's where the link is completely lost with the game in itself, every player has to be played in decent conditions whaterver money he has been brought for. Torres adapted to 4 different playing styles, made an awful lot of runs since he's there. What's funny is that people only notice his movements when he doesn't moves because he asks the ball on his feet. Anyway... It's hard to deny that Torres did crystallize most part of the desastrous sporting policy led since Scolari came in. It's seems like the kids' approach after losing 8-0: we lost because of the goalkeeper

Yeah, especially considering everything worked well. 6th place in the table, manager sacked, sunday league tactical gameplan, scrappy goals conceded, unability to create chances to score... Torres was arguably the main issue last season. When some will understand that if Torres has been below expectations mentally, physically and statistically speaking in an team at least as bad as he has been, that'll be a massive step for mankind. The 1st aspects added to the second one, no way the 1st one implied the second as some would make people think

Yes but said Levy is a kind of twat on twitter Aubameyang is definitely interesting, it's been a few years that he roams in the French league without having a genuine impact (his father was a scout for Milan, he started his career here and was lonaed to Dijon, Monaco, Lille etc...). He's the Ligue 1 topscorer for 2012 with Sainté. I've not seen him that much but he's quite versatile, he can play alone upfront, in support, as a wide forward. Can ask through space due to his pace or drop from upfront considering he's not uneasy with the ball. He presses well, well positioned in the box. Can create chances for others as well But he's Malouda's haircut from his last season at Chelsea

That's the first time since he's at Chelsea that he gets regular service, the finishing is really up to him. Last season it would have been dumb to blame it for not being at the right place considering the chances were unpredictable and either long clerances, lucky lay offs, pieces of brilliance etc... Since he got decent finishing figures http://theweststando...-front-of-goal/ That's different from the ability to find separation etc... I'm only speaking about the finishing thing

I do think we won't sign a big paycheck in January, we would actually need a goal poacher, someone to score when he has an opportunity. I'm stil convinced Torres will fix his finishing issues. Anyway, since the January transfer market that's up to him. And if he's still not able to score, we will have to look at someone else but probably next summer. Until then, someone like Bent would be one of a good acquisition yeah, especially since he fallen out with Lambert.

They don't actually sit back, they have a very efficient zonal marking system in midfield: they play with midfielders and they naturally tend to play narrow, but that's reforced by the fact the instructions are to block the passing angles inside and leave the channels willingly free. That's why they'll last in my opinion, that's not that tiring compared to approaches where you press, come out or take control of the play via possession The opponent can cross and that's always cleared by the best CB pairing in the air in the PL, Olsson/McAuley. The midfielders picks the 2nd balls and launch counter attacks, even at home. When you see them play you never see players tracking between the lines, such as this picture at Wigan last week end (that was a flat 4-4-2): The playmaker is arguably James Morrison, the same Morrison which I created the transfer thread during the summer He can cross, shoot, assist, score... Otherwise there's Mulumbu even if his last choices are wasteful. But at least this season he's covered by the outstanding Yacob who regains the ball and is always well positioned I think Clarke will play a 4-3-3 with Long upfront and Odemwingie on the left (constant threat as long as you leave him some space to shoot, can score from distance, otherwise he's no other contribution like Podolski) If you have not followed @Mosesstats yet, you have to: @MosesStats https://twitter.com/...096326783352834 @VictorMoses has 3 goals and 2 assists in 6 games against West Brom. Best tally against a PL club, which he never lost to: W3, D3 I genuinly hope he'll play, Billy Jones is the weak link despite his determination. I wonder what approach we could have against them, width would mean crosses that would be easily cleared... and that will be difficult to penetrate centrally. Probably shooting from distance or very quick & short link up play in the box. Or maybe use Torres as a false 9 to let other insert by overcrowding some zones of the pitch to skirt the zonal marking. Torres as the false 9 has a point in that sort of games, not meaning he hasn't to score but that's the kind of game in which a Falcao won't win you a cross between the opponent's CBs, you won't especially get a lot of space with striker runs through space etc... City scored thanks to an incredibly powerful player in the air (and a clear Richards foul on Foster) and after a fast break as a matter of fact

I think he's the best referee at the moment, from the insane amount of Premier League I saw last season, I always though he was excellent, clever decisions, explains it to the players etc...

Spot on for the starting XI, what makes a difference on a whole PL season is simply options on the bench to rotate them. We awfully lack ones since 2008/2008 The defensive organisation starts upfront: as the 3-line - especially Hazard and Mata - are below par defensively and don't track back, the defenders faces too much attackers and are forced to make a choice (coming out, retreating back) which eventually prove to be wrong whatever happens. Beside the lack of options on the bench that we can blame on the sporting policy and the board, my prime concern is on the 3-line. They are responsible of the woes at the back because they put the defenders in hopeless situations. To that process adds (and not implies) the fact Cahill or Luiz makes equally bad pieces of defending, either being passive (Cahill) or too proactive (Luiz). The wide attacking players refuse width even against teams who has to be stretched, there's no link with the full backs either to help them defensively, to provide them passing options or use them when they overlap as well. The full backs try to provide some width but the 4-2-3-1 doesn't allow a proper covering of the axis ; the covering thing was my main concern for this season and that was one of the figurehead of my two articles on Chelsea so far. But that's not complicated: taking back an attacking player to ask him to cover the axis takes then away a support player for Torres. Mikel is very aware of the instructions he's been given. In fact at the moment he is our virtual playmaker considering each of the three attacking players happening to play in the hole lacks something: Mata lacks the ability to keep the ball, Hazard wants the ball on his feet before getting on the half turn (doesn't drops deep enough) while Oscar hasn't the sufficient volume of play (despite excellent and crucial movements/passing choices). Mikel is logically forced to come higher up because you cannot dictate the play from the very deep (except by playing vertically, that he also does punctually) I was genuinly happy of the performance today on the first half: the wide players did their defensive duties and prevented the passing options, the pressing was efficient to force the opponent to commit mistakes. But the lack of options on the bench and probably Robbie's late choices fucked up the game once more because the players were knackered way too early

@Las7, Look at Torres' dispossessing and turnovers figures from 2009 and 2010... Holy fuck, he scored 18 and lost the ball as many times! Look at the amount of passes player per game, raw passing figures are irrelevant for strikers... Most strikers plays between 15 and 30 passes per game depending to their playing style, the role given in the pattern of play etc... Rates are irrelevant as well, there has to be enough passes to work on. You shall notice that the more there's game played, the more rates lows considering you don't make an excellent game everyweek Look at Owen in 2009/2010: 195/215 successful passes: 90.7% comes ahead Mikel (1192/1328, 89.8%) and Scholes (1441/1616, 89.2%)... who is stupid enough to say that Sinclair (93.5%, 86/92) or Owen are better passer than the two latters?

Compared to the laxism for many years that's not such a bad thing to see someone punished for the example...

Haha, he just has been banned for the french NT until 2014 for a night out in nightclub between two U21 games There's Toulouse Ben Yedder, Milan's Mbaye Niang and Real Sociedad Griezmann banned until 2014 as well

http://theweststando...chester-united/ That's my latest article: On Manchester United's performance Defensively 4-5-1: two banks of four Offensively Rooney and van Persie drops at the same time Manchester United attacks with 4 men On Chelsea's performance Defensively Wingers don't track back Defenders challenges duels they would have been supposed to cover Offensively Lack of distribution options Excessive verticality Lack of width Rare width, not enough movement How Chelsea tried to react Attacking midfielders' aviability Mikel tries to take the matters in hand Defensive readjustments after the break What can we conclude from the game Fitness declines as the season goes on Victor Moses Was 4-3-3 the best choice?

@ because most of the time we're on the same wavelength. And I like our twitter discussions (with BlueMaster as well but he's moderator )

But fucking read what I said! I spoke about his defensive contribution... Funnily we start to play in a coherent manner, midfielders challenges and are covered by the defenders, the MU midfielders is pressurised and can't orientate the play, Oscar is available and can dictate the play Players probably needed a kick in the ass considering how well they perform in 2nd half

Abysmall transitions in the first half. Defensive line isn't really to blame considering they were forced to come out and challenge the duels they were supposed to cover. And then you understand the point of covering, considering a challenge can be won or lost, here, nobody could pick the 2nd balls. It seems like the reading game, same transitional situations where the team is separated in two parts. MU's just more clinical... Hazard's tracking work is dreadful, he should look at Young and how close he is to his full back. He clearly needs a rest or if not, a kick in the ass he deserves for years for not defending for his life.

Nordsjaelland's GK is a Juve fan and expects to swap shirts at the end of the game with his alter-ego