Pizy

Disagree. For whatever reason he tends to start games in really shaky fashion but gets better and better as the game goes on. He has been very solid lately and had just started getting used to the English game. We’ll miss him and once again be forced to use either Azpi or Cucu at CB which I hate. It really is ridiculous luck that we have THREE starting defenders all out at the same time with knee injuries. It’s annoying as fuck. Right in the most busy and important period.

Some positives that need a mention from that match: - Trev was once again mistake free and had an easy game, Silva as well - Chilly was much better today than he was against Villa - midfield wasn’t a gaping hole once Potter made the change with Kova We’re basically the opposite of where we were under Tuchel before he was fired. We couldn’t defend and made school boy errors nonstop. Now we’re secure defensively but our attack is extremely stale.

Potter needs to take some lessons from the last few matches and start dropping a few of these players, btw. Sterling being the key one. Pulisic has looked like our most dangerous attacker in all of these brief cameos. Start him for a run of games. Likewise Broja.

Chopped and changed side after loads of injuries. And not just any injuries, BIG players. Against a United side who are surging and in their best form in years. Sorry, that’s a decent point we earned. And if anything, I’m more positive now than I was at the start of the match. Potter’s in game adjustments worked well as evidenced by Ten Hag immediately reacting to all of his subs. Some of you have to realize where we are as a club. We’re still nowhere near the finished article. Add on injuries to key players and we’ll be desperately fighting for 3rd/4th again. What we need to focus most on now is beating the small teams.

People having a go at the manager. 🙄 Did he make a basic error on a cross where TWO tall United players were totally free at the far post? You know, literally THE one place someone is going to smack in a desperate last minute cross? We dropped points because of sloppy, idiotic defending and dreadful luck that Kepa was 2 inches too short. And even at his height he was millimeters away from saving it.

Mendy prevents that with his height.

Think the only real difference between the two sides is that they have a creative spark in the middle of the pitch (two, actually with Bruno and Eriksen) and we have none. Jorginho, Kova, and RLC are great at keeping the ball and playing simple passes but Bruno and Eriksen can pierce the lines and create for the attackers. It’s really something we need to think about for the future. We simply don’t have a playmaker in our entire squad. Just ball carriers and holders.

In addition to the injuries we’re also suffering from some key attackers being in shit form which compounds our issues. Sterling has been completely off the boil for weeks now and Auba still isn’t fully sharp. The latter could have had a couple of goals that half if he was in top form. Honestly, I’d sit Raheem for a couple of matches and bring Pulisic in. He’s been making things happen recently.

And Kova instantly changed the midfield dynamic. Much more calm and steady in there with him. The chances and spaces are there for us and we’re creating chances. Just a little more composure with the final pass is needed.

Loftus Cheek offering zero whatsoever and we’re getting bossed in midfield because of it. Kova is needed.

They look so much more comfortable on the ball in the final third. It’s pathetic.

Rashford, Sancho, and Antony with their pace against oldies like Azpi and Silva could cause us massive problems. Add in Cucu out of position and Chilly looking poor defensively on that left side with together with him…

Our defense heading into the season was supposed to be our deepest position. The whole football world (our own supporters included) was wondering how on earth we would get minutes for all our defenders. Now Reece, Fofana, and KK are all out injured. Fucks sake, man. Can’t see us winning this.

Fuck, Cucu at CB again. 😔

We’re just a bang average, midtable looking side without the dynamism of Reece and with so many others out of form. United will comfortably beat us at the weekend with the way we look now. So disheartening how poor we have looked outside of the two Milan games recently.

Havertz just takes an age every time he gets on the ball and then ends up giving it away constantly.

Just awful to watch once again. We can’t string together any passing moves at all. Meanwhile, for the second match in a row, a lesser talented side is popping it around comfortably.

What happened to Gallagher and Chilly?

Only caught the last 10 minutes of the half. How has the game gone?

Unfortunate sign of an inexperienced striker there form Broja. Head down the whole time when a simple pass is a tap in.

Nice, exactly what I asked for. Now let’s hope the lads getting rare starts seize this chance and get us 3 points.

Expecting a very tough game so I hope Potter doesn’t go nuts with the players shifting around to unnatural positions. Can see Conor coming into the XI in place of Kova. We really need to match Brentford’s intensity so having fresher legs will help. For the same reason I’d consider starting Broja here as well. Pick a team that Brentford won’t be expecting or specifically be planning for. Go for maximum work rate and pressure in behind. Broja, Pulisic, Mount, Gallagher. Best way to beat them is to force them back and not allow quick breaks.

Fuck, that’s devastating. 😔 That’s probably the end of his Chelsea career, huh? Even if he gets fit before the end of the season it would be stupid of him to play again and risk re-injuring himself just before his contract ends. At his age and with his recent injury troubles I can’t see us offering him the new long term deal he apparently desires. What a sad way for it to end for a genuine legend. My favorite Chelsea player in the post Lampard/Drogba/JT era. 😢😢😢

I should’ve said most sensible out of all these super expensive midfielders we’re linked with. Much as I rate Bellingham I’m not so sure he’s the profile of midfielder we’re crying out for at the moment. He’s more of a #8 where we already have Kova, Conor, and a newly resurgent RLC. Plus just spent good money on Carney who plays a similar position. We badly need a long term, steady #6 who can actually move about the pitch and not get massacred on the counter. Rice fits the bill perfectly in my eyes.

I’d still love Rice here. He’s basically risk free as he’s already doing very well in the PL unlike some of the super expensive alternatives. He’s a captain, a leader, and a big personality. Also has great relationships with the other English lads in the squad. The price is of course crazy but he’s the sensible midfield signing we could make. He’s a DM that you can plug into the XI and pair with literally any of our others without worrying.