Pizy

If we somehow get 3 points on Thursday I think Leicester shit themselves and we finish above them. Hell, they may even drop like a stone. I just don't think our defense is good enough to beat City. Can't see us winning that with the form City are already in.

The only journalists I'm taking as true "ITK" on Chelsea matters are Matt Law and David Ornstein. When it comes to German players (like Werner and Havertz) I'm not buying anything I read unless it's from Rafa Honigstein or Christian Falk (cfbayern). Everyone else just sounds like they're guessing.

Maybe Frank is thinking that if we add a bunch of clinical, killer attacking players we simply don't need a new CB? Like, if we are actually able to convert the countless chances we often create and make our dominance of all these smaller clubs count we can demoralize them and our defense wouldn't be under pressure so much. Look what City does to just about every small PL team. Blitz them so hard that they basically give up.

I'm not seeing anything other than the same speculative bs we've been reading. Doesn't seem any more or less likely at all to me.

It's just insane that teams like Leicester, Wolves, and Sheff United have far better defensive units than a massive club like Chelsea. And I do indeed think a big part of it is coaching/training. Because Rüdiger, Zouma, AC, and Tomori aren't poor players. Johnny Evans was the butt of jokes before this season, they've sold Maguire, and replaced him with a relative unknown and they've had arguably the best defense in the league. Would you have said those players are better than what we have? I don't think so. So it has to be coaching. We can see Lampard has got his ideas about attacking implemented quickly and effectively. But maybe he and his staff just don't properly know how to coach defending quite as well? Like how Mourinho can coach the hell out of killing a match with defense but is completely outdated and barely coaches attacking football. Idk, maybe starting next season with Reece as first choice RB, Chilwell at LB, and Werner + Ziyech ahead of them pressing will be enough to considerably improve our defense and a new CB will be unnecessary. Attack as the best form of defense.

Not like there are many options. Some of the names I see posted here like Varane are literally impossible. Not sure I can stand another season of shitting bricks every time the other team gets a corner or set play inside our half. Even shit teams have entire game plans centered on winning set plays against because we're so poor at defending them! That can't continue next season.

I just realized that Koulibaly is only a month older than VVD. I for some reason thought Van Dijk was a few years younger than he is. CB's can often remain very good well into their 30's and I doubt VVD drops off any time soon. So maybe Koulibaly is actually worth the big money even at 29? God knows we need a quality CB who can dominate physically.

Oh, I don't think I'll ever think "I miss Willian and wish we still had him," but it would be kind of annoying seeing him at a hated London rival. And I think he'd play quite a bit on Spuds' right wing rotating with Bergwijn. Im actually not sure if he'd lower himself to joining Arse now that I think about it. They're a sinking ship.

He'll be a very solid player for one of our rivals for a couple more years if that's indeed what he decides to do. It sucks, but unless he's willing to be a squad player and sign a 1-2 year deal it's what has to happen for us to rebuild. He would instantly improve Spuds or Arse. Mou would kill to have him again I would think because he still has the work rate.

Acceptable, if understandably rusty going forward. Still as calamitous as ever at the back. Rust + already shaky defense is heart in mouth stuff. Both Rüdiger and AC had numerous nearly catastrophic mistakes. Literally every set pice is a huge danger. Every. Single. One.

Reece gives the bal away 4 times since coming on. Christ.

What an insane foul for Willian to give away there. Knowing how fragile we are at set pieces.

This is worse than Arsenal. Arse and Brighton looked fairly evenly matched. We on the other hand have completely bossed Villa, had nearly 80% of the ball, and yet they're ahead.

Also doesn't help that nobody can breath in Grealish's direction without the ref awarding a free kick. He won like 5 fouls while barely being touched. So frustrating.

Ruben looks MILES off the pace here. Even physically he's getting bullied. We just have no single dominant, assertive defender. Every one of them is a reactive player. We will continue to be like this unless that changes. Hugely embarrassing (and doubly so after all the results that broke our way this week) if we don't come back and win this.

Story of our season. Utterly dominate and then concede to an AWFUL fucking side who haven't done a thing all game.

Villa players going down with the slightest contact and winning free kicks over and over.

We've finally got Kante back as the deepest midfielder. Hopefully he's there to stay.

He has played there for a couple of seasons now. And he's ridiculously quick. Mount isn't.

Whether it ends up being Mount or RLC playing out wide, I'm never a fan of using non-natural wingers playing in those positions. Just makes them so predictable for defenders because you know they're going to want to drift inside. Very surprising XI, must be said.

I've done a little research on several hot LB prospects and it seems every one of them is very good going forward but not great defensively. That's just the modern fullback. Only very few are world class at both. You either get a fullback like Azpi or Wan Bissaka who are basically defense first and nearly useless going forward or you get an all out attacking fullback who you just hope doesn't fuck up very often to cost you. Look at Liverpool's or City's fullbacks. Robertson, TAA, Walker, and Mendy are all fantastic going forward. But if you have a quality winger who is direct and aggressive they all can be got at. If we sign Chilwell it's the same. There will be times against quality wingers where he's going to get burned. It's inevitable. I've watched numerous big CL games where Marcelo looks like a clown defensively. But he's so outrageously skillful going forward that it's overlooked and accepted.

Villa are dreadful and were ultra boring the other day against Sheff United. A flash here and there by Grealish apart they are horrendous. Disgrace if we lose this considering we have a full arsenal of players available. I know it's the first match back but there's no way we should be losing or even dropping any points. Save our slip up for Man City next. 😅

Adama Traore has improved so much this season. He's a beast now rather than just a headless chicken with pace. This whole Wolves side is truly good. Very classy players all over the pitch and excellently coached. They may actually be the dark horse that's our biggest worry rather than United.

Their fans must feel like they're seriously cursed. That's now 3 key injuries in the two matches. They have probably been wishing the season was void.

That's gonna be the trade off with Chilwell just like it is with Alonso. Can attack brilliantly but needs protection and help defensively. But fuck off, Watford. Solid all game and then lose at the death. Could've been a great result for us if they held on.