Tomo

Aren't you the one desperate for Simeone?

Think James is going under the radar aswell to be honest. Hopefully he starts over Azpi more often.

In fairness unlike JT Cech can probably still play at a decent level for a #2 as he wasn't exactly bad when he stopped playing which was just over a year ago. As for Kepa got no sympathy anymore, he's had a gizilion and one chances to avoid this.

Don't want to kneejerk too soon but if he keeps this up this will be my worst misjudgement ever, and I've made some in my time.

On another note two clean sheets out of two with the Mendy and Silva axis and this time there can be no clutching at the we played a defensive team straw.

Then surely by the same logic he should be praised for Pulisic's huge rise?

Are you basing it on team wise or individual player development? Can understand the former but got no worries about players regressing individually if Pulisic is anything to go by.

Not you I'm talking in general. If i took decisions I didn't like out on the player benefiting from said decision I'd have called Kante all ends of stuff this past year.

Thats not an excuse for some of the bile he receives.

I think we've been sitting back more by design on this occasion, this reminds me of that time we played LVG's United in 2015, they appear to be dominating but in reality they're not.

Why? Because they've had more possession? If so we've schooled almost every team we faced last season and under Sarri. Apart from that set piece save from Mendy they've created next to nothing.

Poor from both teams.

Went to the toilet when the commentator said they'd have to be a substitution and took ages to say for Sevilla I thought Thiago Silva pulled up

Excellent example of how to defend Vs two players by Chilwell.

You never know, a lot can change in a year. Diego Costa came out of nowhere to sort out striker issues. Imagine if we panicked and signed a past it Rooney the year before?

Ive just thought this must be more than an emergency measure. Had we lost two keepers we'd have been able to register an emergency one like when we signed and registered Hedman in 2006 (when Cech and Carlo got injured). I think he's getting registered to be the number two.

What I don't get is he (Mount) had a MOTM performance on the right against Wolves not long ago so there's no need to switch them.

It isn't actually that unfeesable. Mendy gets injured or worse gets Covid. Kepa gets the first game has a shocker, Willy gets the second likewise. At that point would you put it past Frank to just say "fuck it"?

Not sure I may have suggested it (another keeper) but I certainly wouldn't have suggested this.

Ey?

It's something inbetween, there's some games where yeah our defense has been shambolic but there's been others where we have genuinely defended well and conceded from one of the very few chances (if not only chance) we allow, Arsenal at home the most grueling example. That's why i haven't turned against Frank too much despite the greenness, the underlying metrics all point to the football (we play under him) being sustainable with better players at both ends, we are already seeing it with attack as we have scored 13 goals in 5 games compared to (switching WBA for Watford) 6 in 5 in the corresponding games last season, hopefully with Silva and Mendy we see a similar upturn the other way.

But with Kante is this really just a Lampard thing? Conte tried Golo deeper when he first arrived and it backfired spectacularly (especially vs Arsenal) and when he reverted to 352 the following season Bakayoko/Drinkwater were the deeper player and then there's obviously the Sarri situation. Getting him to sit deeper takes away his main attribute that made him WC in the first place.

Knowing how random/weird our crowd can be at times he'd probably be cheered with "Kepa, Kepa, Kepa" being chanted every time he cocked up

If that's what's they believe they should target the "hate" at the managers. I'm frustrated Kante still plays unconditionally whenever fit, but I've never let it seep over into bitterness of the guy himself and my frustrations with that is always targeted at the appropriate person, Frank. I don't particularly have any great passion for England despite being English, and I only ever watch the games if it's a tournament or one of ours is starting but from a Chelsea perspective I've wanted us to go down the route of two 8s and no not to shoehorn Mount in (if we sign a better/more suited player or Gallagher gazumps him then fine) the reasons are these. 1. I started to really like that system when City played it and got a 100 point title season out of it and I think the extra attacking threat gives you a serious advantage, my like for it grew when Mount/Barkley played it together last year with good results. 2. I do feel Mount's ( likewise Gallaghers) skillset can compliment our other more naturally gifted attackers similar to the way Pedro's did with all the superstars around him at Barcelona (I personally think his similarity to the Spaniard from a tactical use perspective is the reason Lampard preferred Willian as the experienced head in the team compared to Conte/Sarri who liked Pedro more). Pretty much all great teams have a Mount/Pedro type in it. Arsenal's last great team had Ljungberg, Liverpool have Henderson, our Conte title team had Pedro himself, Bayern's treble winning side had Perisic, United had Fletcher. Players to do the hard yards so the superstars can reserve for energy. 3. It opens up space for the likes of Gallagher, Anjorin to break through and also gives RLC an (re)opening to aim for. 4. The pivot (seems to be that or 433 the long term route Frank goes down) is yesterday's formation. Regarding the question about the level I see him hitting, do I see him say single handedly winning us a title like Hazard did in 2015? No. Can I see him as part of a title winning side similar to how Pedro was? Absolutely and if it he can hit levels like prime Pedro I won't be complaining.

It's not even the criticsm that annoys me but the sheer bitterness displayed to one of our own is something else, even Real fans give more leeway to their own products. It's not even like he's up himself either, he's one of the most genuine guys in football who gives his all for this club. He's literally done nothing to deserve what he's getting. It's honestly getting close to the point i'd back him if he does a Lampard (to West Ham fans) on us.