SeB

Will Hazard get the same stick Mikel did receive after the Juve game? Certainly not. Beside that, Mikel's howler wasn't a howler but Hazard's a cute one.

Yeah, you're rght that's really improving fast. But my point was that the players are forced to hold off for periods of games despite the pressing shape instructions

I forgot that caption: look at Oscar's movements there (imagine the arrow lol), he walks backwards and fixes Walker, he actually roots him ; what opens the interval between him and Gallas But that could have been prevented to be fair, Walker's tactical understanding is worse than a schoolboy playing in recration ground. He should have come closer to Gallas. The replay is funny, Walker jogs then walks and when Hazard passes he starts jogging again and raises his hand to call an offside. What a twat

The 3 line stopped to press at the start of the second half, maybe they were tired or that was an instruction to rest before pushing for goals I don't know... But that's not the first time this season, we've three players under 23 who have to press hard whereas they have never really been used to. Ramires showed similar stuff when he was played alongside Romeu last season with the two midfield flanking Romeu were closer to him than they were when Mikel played. More composed on the ball. But otherwise he's not yet able to stay back and be well positioned to block the passing angles. He keeps the will to be ready to break, ready to come out on the opponent to intercept at the death a pass just before it reaches the opponent. Considering how baddly we defended set pieces, that wasn't that usefull to cut Lennon or Walker when they crossed the field and to concede stupid free kicks. Eventually they did put some dangerous deliveries on the box but that was well handled overrally But the issue is wider, the situation you're talking about tends to repeat througout the season if we cannot sign proper rotation players in midfield and forward preventing the players to press for the whole game (and not being forced to let past 15 or 20 minutes every game)

It depends, to be fair that's the best way to use the space and make sure wherever the ball falls, there will be a player to clear it. When the opponent has several good heading players (heading play but good movements as well), that's better to use man marking. Anyway you'll never see exclusive zonal or man marking, that's often a combined marking (with one or two man-marking, vs Spurs it was Luiz on Dempsey). There's no better system, when the opponent is weak in the air you better have to use zonal marking, when they're efficient you've to use man marking. You've to adapt to the players at your disposal, the conclusion depends of the results you have. That's better to concede 5 goals a season due to zonal marking (opponents outnumbering a zone) against teams which strength is set pieces than conceding 15 goals a season due to individuals failing to win challenges. If that's the opposite (way more goals conceded with zonal marking), then you probably have to switch back. Off topic but I'm trying to implement it with kids considering set pieces are awfully taken by the opponent (my team's included lol)

I agree on one point: the set piece defending. Allow crosses considering Walker, Lennon or Vertonghen poor crossing delivery is actually a good decision because Cahill and Luiz (especially the latter) were very good to clear that kind of dangerous ball into the box. If you watch WBA at times that's basically their tactic: be organised and congestioned through the axis, let the opponent use the flanks and cross considering Olsson clears about everything which comes close to him in the air We've a zonal marking system on set pieces, Terry really lacks when he's not there to organise the defense and position the players... I watched the game yesterday evening and I tweeted several screenshots of the game. On the 2nd free kick of the game, Torres is surprisingly leading the instructions for the positioning Here's Gallas goal: nobody keeps an eye on Vertonghen at the far post, plus Gallas and Caulker are in between Cahill and Luiz This one is about Torres' chance on the break, here's where he starts his run from ; explains the poor last touch Otherwise, on some individuals: Luiz was very good defensively, he seems to be in a good moment. The only think I hope is that it won't last 10 weeks before another swing like the Kondratiev wave. I though he was excellent against Dempsey who tried to lay off the ball on aerial clearances, Luiz came out at the right time, won his challenges and did not concede a stupid free kick by elbowing him. Mikel had an usual game, he was reliable as always. I hope that people still thinking he never goes forward or plays creative saw how he perfectly fits into that centre midfield role. When he passed the ball, he didn't move to drop behind the ball everytime, he also asked ahead of the ball to create triangles. I didn't manage to find a clear screen shot of it though. Cahill's goal comes from a corner that has been won shortly after a creative pass from Mikel to Mata by the way. Torres had an excellent game, not only he made a lot of runs forward, some to ask the ball or some to free space for his team mates. But this time he didn't had any waste in his play, his link up play was good, on the ball he was accurate

There's so much crap on that website, that's sad considering the concept's rather cool with the slideshows and stuff, cool design as well... But the content is just appalling that's incredible

I don't know if you follow @SeBlueLion, he tweeted that #Chelsea used an average 23,7 accurate passes to shoot at goal last season. This season they have a go every 28,6 accurate pass. #Transition

How do you rate Steven Caulker? I think he's everything the modern defender can dream of. What were your thoughs on Jamie O'Hara, despite his off-field behaviour and comments, do you think he could have been an interesting option with his passing range and crossing ability? Do you think that Adebayor was paradoxally the reason why Spurs couldn't be a realistic title contender last season despite his 17 goals and 11 assists due to his incredible waste in terms of opportunities in the play and goalscoring chances? AVB was tried different styles in his match clothing: casual, club training, tight tie, undone tie... which one do you prefer?

It depends of the opposition to be fair, I basically tend to agree with you when this becomes inefficient, stereotyped and even dangerous to feature too much players in front of the ball. But to be fair Norwich isn't a team who likes to counter attack, they can't defend (they use to keep the ball instead) because they haven't any proper DM or non-clumsy defender. That was the right approach, we could play that up with several attacking players in front of the ball and both full backs providing width because there was barely any threat from them in fast break. Of course we couldn't do that every game

Ben Gordon anyone?

Congrats Hutch! :blue scalf: many thanks to the people who though about me as well Still I wasn't around there that much

Against Juve we didn't press for 90mn, players got tired before, 70th minute. Yeah, definitely improvement. I have to plan to see the games chronogically, I haven't saw the Arsenal, Nort.. and Norwich in full.

It was coherent as Hazard and Mata's defensive work (like most of the attacking players) wasn't sufficient. Hazard improved physically, Mata benefited form his break and we worked a lot on the pattern of play to keep the ball easier. There's a massive improvement on the shape of the team, the shape of the pressing as well, the ball retention and the combinasons on the wings. That's really pleasing

There it underlines the will to find a pattern the closer possible, stats are worth a look but I'd never use that to prove anything. Just to confirm a trend or a feeling

I read the definition but to be fair I didn't understood that much more, I've always been crap with math anyway

WHAT??? You don't know what is the shooting goals added??? I did find that, it seems to be a manner to calculate and sort the chances depending of the position (xG) and the direction of the shoot( xG(OT) ), before minus after http://www.optasport...-departees.aspx WhoScored.com is actually a kindergarden thing

That's the figures from last season.

FUCKING LIVERPOOL LEVEL!

We don't know players as persons, all we see is the games on the week end. The mental aspect is very important, you have to make results with a group of people, that's not like a golfer who speaks to his clubs or golf balls before every tournament. Making a person performing well in a given sport is very difficult, even nowadays with a 30 people staff including medicals, stats analysts etc... That's sufficiently difficult to manage a person knowing him to imagine being "proved wrong" by someone who doesn't know the player as a person. If I was a player I'd browse twitter, forums etc... to know the global opinion on me. But nobody would deny the will to respond to messages despite it being forbidden by clubs We're happy when we look at WhoScored.net figures tables, the datas clubs have are just something else. Beside the basical (and crucial) human relationship aspect, the amount of statistical, medical etc datas is unimaginable. Of course that a manager has to share his views with his assistant, that's why the relation is that close because the assistant cannot just give bibs as training. But the footballing knowledge of professional managers is not the average fan's one.

You did? Beer time then

I'm bored. 3rd game, 4th attempt on goal and 4th goal... Come on, we're Chelsea, we don't sign that sort of crap, he's Liverpool level

I did but let's be fair, that "false 9" joke with Torres isn't funny anymore, we heard it all summer long And I just tried to contribute intelligently to this thread

Seriously we already played with a false nine at Old Trafford in 2010: Anelka dropped deep and Malouda and Cole were hight up the pitch. Impossible thing, Mata cannot keep the ball, he release it before being closed down and he's ridiculous on shoulder vs shoulder challenges... A false 9 has to be able to keep the ball because what makes the animation is the penetration from the attacking players in support, the false 9 has to be able to hold the ball and using his body to protect it when a support player attempts a 1-2 with him Mata's quick, don't you ever noticed he gives the impression to be chased by the opponent when he has the ball ? His whole play is based on movement

@, That's not a french article. That's a Belgium and Swiss one The article means litteraly: Demba Ba, between a carton knee and an overflowing ambition. http://www.sharkfoot...ion-debordante/ I don't see Chelsea sign him, for the medical reasons we know and for the fact he's not the kind of person signed by the club for some time