CHOULO19

Have you met AVB?!

Mind you, I actually want Iva and Cole to start next Saturday against Spurs. It's just against teams that will park the bus, I think we could use the pace and width that Azpi and Bertrand provide.

I'd imagine he'd be because he can fit in the U21 quota.

How about Kalas, then? He's due one of his "at least 10-15 starts" that Jose supposedly promised him.

I don't think they're dropping him, probably just giving someone else a chance. He was still their number one keeper in their last match.

One more Belgian player and we'll be moving to the Belgian embassy instead of Battery Station

So we were willing to destroy the form of one of the best players in the league last season just so we don't get bad publicity. Let's ignore the ethical side for a moment, don't you think the club is smart enough to realize that that defeats it's own purpose because benching Mata will only create ten times more bad publicity than selling him?

The let's just wait and see and give the man some time to show us

It was. It's actually what the club has been wanting to do since 2011. The philosophy that Jose installed in 2004 stuck with the team and gave us some major success, but it has become out-dated. Of course, AVB's philosophy is different than what Jose is trying to do now. Plus the timing was wrong, he did have the right players, and he seemed unable to make changes to his system even when the flaws were glaringly obvious. Hopefully, Jose will have more luck. Of course you still don't see it, it hardly been a month! Anyway, we've moved way off topic. Apologies for that, guys.

Doesn't seem such a compelling reason to start Iva, tbh. Yes he has the same tendency to go forward as Azpi, but the latter is so much better on the ball. I kinda agree about Cole. He's the kind of player that you would bet on to make a game-saving tackle or save and defensively he's still one of the best in the world, but I don't see much sense in starting him against Fulham at home. But it's not really only in hindsight; some members (my self included) were saying the same thing in the prematch thread, and I even remember you saying that you'd like Bertrand to start this one. I think the thing that affected Jose's decision is maybe that both will be starting today so Cole and Iva had to start on the weekend.

But how long has Klop been with Dortmund to install that philosophy in the team? We don't seem to be willing to give Jose a couple of months to do just that.

But that's not what we've seen on the pitch. We have been keeping possession high up the field except against united and Bayern because our squad is still not ready to face them in midfield. But in all the other games we've dominated possession, we've put and kept pressure on opponents for the whole 90 minutes. In fact our main problem has been how to break down opponents in the final third and that come from the movement of the front four and it will take time. I have no reason to believe that Jose is lying, he has been honest in all his interviews to an extent that has never been matched by any of our previous managers. It's not that black and white. You don't either play Barca or like Stoke. There is middle ground. Defending in numbers does not mean parking the bus, in fact we've rarely had to defend in our own box this season. Jose is trying to implement a philosophy that will stick with the team for years to come. It will take time before you start seeing it clearly on the pitch.

No, he played 90 mins against Everton U21 yesterday.

Of course, it's theories, but it is supported with what Jose has said several times in the media. He really has been trying to explain what he's doing. Basically what we're trying to do is play possession football high up the pitch with ball on the ground while still defending in numbers at the back.

It really is worrying when we fans get more upset about players not playing than the players themselves. And I don't just mean Lukaku.

Our performances depend on the team, not individuals. Players that come on play a predetermined system, they don't have the offensive freedom to do whatever they want. I like Kevin very much, but he can't single-handedly change our style of play. Besides, we want width to stretch the opponents, not to actually cross. Who do you want Kevin to cross to? Eto'o who is stuck between Hangeland and Amorebieta?

http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/16825-what-will-jose-mourinhos-chelsea-look-like/

How about we drop the conspiracy theories for once? I think the simple reason why we said no PSG and didn't sell him is because Jose wants to give him a chance to change his game and prove that he can fit in the current system.

Btw @hjperdeath, how much do you think the job would have been easier with Azpi and Bertrand instead of Iva and Cole?

lol I think it made the TC Hall of Fame.

Can't say the same about Vidic and Ferdinand, though, especially the latter.

for the who article, but this point in particular which has distorted the views of many people. It is particularly evident in the case of Mata who was practically exempted from defensive duties even under Benitez. This as well is an excellent point: But about the recovery system, since we are forcing opponents to the bi-line (something I've noticed as well), then why play Iva over Azpi despite his lack of tendency to stop crosses. In every single game this season there has been at least on one occasion, Iva's inability to stop a cross has resulted in a chance (Benteke's goal, Salah's goal..etc). Another thing I wanted to ask you about is what you think Jose asked the pivot to do differently in the past couple of games. He's obviously opted for Mikel over Frank, possibly for his defensive abilities or Ramires' inability to play the deeper holding role as well as Mikel does as evident by the Manu and especially the Bayern game. But you could see, especially from the Fulham game that Mikel has been give a different role than his usual holding role because he was sometimes making runs after passing the ball and providing numerical advantage. He isn't playing exactly like Ramires because Mikel was still the one who picked the ball up from the back four and combined with the fullbacks much more often, but it was somewhere between the original double pivot with completely same roles and interchangeable positions and the holding-box to box pivot we've played in the past.

Except we have players similar to Mata who can cover for him, while Kagawa is their only genuine attacking midfielder.

Who was it that called him an "Exotic Neil Warnock"?! Hahahaha Still make me laugh!

Well that enforces more the theory that they defend well at home. Should have more than enough quality to break them down with Mata, Willian and Torres on the pitch, though.