OneMoSalah

Didn’t exactly play fantastically, nobody did but in a moment where we were second best he popped up with a bit of magic to give us a bit of breathing space. How anyone cannot see or choses not to see how key Mount is to this team is beyond me.

Well I suppose it depends on his injuries. But I wouldn’t be so sure to say that we should be concerned yet. Obviously concerned enough hes not always available as I think hes still our best attacking player probably if last season was anything to go on but I mean more with regards to offloading him. I dont know, for me, when Mount plays we look a lot better. He can score or assist or create more chances and it will come but for me he is a key player here whether people like it or not. When he hits 10+ goal and 10+ assists in a season for the club maybe people will change their minds but if people cannot see or choose not to see the difference in the team with and without him then I can’t do anything about that. I don’t see how anyone could not see Mount’s value even more so after tonight. He didnt have a great game but he made the difference when it mattered, when Porto were all over us. Set another chance up for Timo also for the header in the second half with an inch perfect cross. The majority of our good actions tend to involve him. Thats not to say as a 22 year old playing in the PL for his second season running he cannot have inconsistencies. He had only ever played for Vitesse and Derby beforehand.

That is also true, he started better with TT in Feb (was beginning of Feb he came in right?) but he is more a hinderance than a help just now and has been for a good while. Look at the minute before that Havertz miss he couldn’t even dribble the ball and nearly tripped over it. Which is becoming a regular thing. Its at the point where you’d think anyone would be better now would you not agree? We’ve seen coaches play Torres and Morata when they were doing nothing week in and week out, on some premise that they believe they will score or that they can coach them through it etc instead of ignoring the blatantly obvious, the guys in a huge rut maybe wait to a game where your scoring 3,4 or 5 goals and stick him in then (although 3,4 or 5 goals for us this season in one game would be near unheard of). Yes the options weren’t fantastic but either way it didn’t pay off with those guys so what makes people think it will with them? Its virtually the same thing. I mean Its literally deja vu. Surely a smart man like TT can figure that one out? If we were on a piss poor run of form and his job was in danger, relying on someone who’s in a rut like Timo to score you goals, it would be career damaging. I mean for me, look at Pulisic tonight, in the 25 minutes he’s come on and had a chance where he has hit the bar/unlucky it hasn't gone in and won a few fouls to relive the pressure on the boys. Can’t remember if hes done an amazing great deal else but in terms of making an impact, he was an inch away from scoring. If he’s having much more of an impact in and around the goal than Werner is or if any player is in limited minutes in comparison, then I am all for seeing them in the team because we need to score goals. Werner had the header chance which to be fair to him its a good position but heading is not his strength. I hope if TT is to be hopeful of being here in the long run he can find a way to incorporate Pulisic into team. Even more so on the left side of that front 3/attacking trio because surely I cannot be the only one who is sitting baffled at what Werner does over the course of a game or what hes done over the course of the last 2 months nearly?

Pulisic for Sancho? Hmm maybe I would take it but again, I still think Pulisic’s ceiling as a player is incredibly high. Obviously Sancho’s is as well and hes home grown so always an extra point but I think getting him will be even more costy than Pulisic. Who’s to even say Dortmund would take Pulisic back? They didnt play him on loan very often once we signed him. Mount maybe hasn’t ironed our his final ball as we keep mentioning when he’s brought up but for a young player, the effect he’s had on games this season has been huge and probably been better than anyone else has for us. Theres no doubt we look worse without Mount, we lack a link between MF and attack when he doesn’t play and he’s scored two big goals for us this season in games of great significance. Obviously 2 doesn’t sound that impressive. Yes he can score more and assist more but hes 22, in a Chelsea team where he still stands out and makes more experienced and players who are further on in their developments contribution look minimal. The Ziyech-Promes relationship was the one I was precisely meaning. I think Tuchel is maybe better equipped to try get that from the players than Frank ever was, maybe it will work maybe not, seen enough of Pulisic last season coming into the box from wide areas though to know that he can contribute goals from those sort of areas. Or even being in the penalty box as you see/have seen with wingers from the Bundesliga a lot.

This is true. But as we have discussed and will probably further discuss once I reply to the post from the Werner thread the other day, it is not exactly a new thing. As I said after WBA its an accumulation for Werner every games tallying up and for me except one moment tonight I am finding it beyond belief he is in this team from the start most weeks.

True with Giroud his lack of mobility doesn’t help but Abraham strikes me as someone who would suit Tuchel’s philosophy. Obviously he is far from a fantastic player but he showed some big improvement at the beginning of the season, particularly linking the play etc also. Plus every player has shown an improvement under Tuchel of sorts. Jesus if Chilwell can do what he did tonight in front of goal every week I’d happily see him upfront than either Timo or Kai for a period. Basically played with 9 men for the bulk of the time they were on.

Wow easy there. It just takes them to get off to a fast start in the next leg to completely turn this tie on its head. They’ve probably been the better side over the course of the game if I am honest, in terms of their intensity, how they’ve recovered the ball, how they got it forward, how theyve threatened at set plays etc. One moment of brilliance and a mistake doesn’t change that. In fact their fullback for the first goal doesnt dive in the likelihood its not a goal either.

Fuck me this has been an absolute smash and grab. 2-0 😂

Why else would he persistently ignore Giroud or Abraham though? They arent amazing players but you cannot tell me they wouldn’t offer more than Havertz or Werner have of late? Its clearly sending a message of some sort whether its to the actual players or the club, I don’t know. But it feels like one to the club for me.

I get the feeling now Tuchel is maybe persisting with Werner and Havertz as a false 9 over Giroud or Tammy to prove a point or show to the club that we need a top CF. Regardless. Even with the obvious fact we need a top CF, I am still baffled why Werner starts every week. It is hurting my mind every time I see the team sheet and he's on it, there are butter knives that are sharper at present.

What a fucking let of. Kepa impression there from Mendy. Then they are close again. Make some changes please TT. Definitely two German players on there who are doing nothing, who probably shouldn’t have seen after the HT break..

Tbf the midfielders aren’t making options when we are deeper trying to build because Porto have been pressing us, winning it back a few times and then the outball is coming back to us because attackers have been pretty much standing still or Porto are winning those aerials because Mount, Werner and Havertz aren’t exactly going to beat Pepe or Mbemba in the air as well as every second ball seems to be recovered by a Porto player. Porto’s intensity has also been very impressive I must admit. Has stopped us playing out. As has people being reluctant to take the ball under pressure because we have been under a bit of pressure, which isn’t good when you want to be a team who plays out like we do. No changes at HT by looks of it. Good ball and unlucky from Werner. Heading not his strength but gets up well and the ball is good.

Surely he has to put one of them off for Giroud? Or even change the both of them and get another attacking player on. Another game in which I am not surprised where you know who, has offered nothing. I mean how many times has he actually touched the ball? Yes Mount hasn’t done too much and the midfield are findinf it tough but they showed they can make the difference with Mason’s goal and Mount’s general application and approach, he has made a few recoveries etc. Is always useful. Porto are getting a lot of joy at set plays and I think Havertz height might be more useful defending them but I wouldnt be surprised if Tuchel changes Werner and Havertz. Might get a reaction out the team.

Fantastic turn. Get in. Big goal. Hopefully leads to a big change in how we get at this mob though. They are a good team but we have been awful.

We might as well be playing with 8 men, which doesn’t help. The trio of Havertz, Werner and Mount have been virtually anonymous. Midfield isnt doing great either. Werner run there first thing I have seen him do in the opposition half. This repeatedly going long to get out doesn’t work either unless Giroud plays.

Not having one of Ziyech, Pulisic or Hudson-Odoi in the starting 11 is a big mistake. Not going to break these lot down with what we have out there. Everything is to feet and nobody out there is going to beat men in 1 v 1s to create space or draw people out of positions.

Theyre going to score first at this rate. Their approach seems to be a lot less fucking about in the final third, once they get there they want to make an impact.

Yet there are people who have constantly bitched and moaned, basically accusing her of making managers play Kepa and picking transfer targets over the years etc....

Yet there are people who have constantly bitched and moaned, basically accusing her of making managers play Kepa and picking transfer targets over the years etc....

Hope Havertz is the false 9 and not one od the more supporting roles because if its Pepe and the other CB up against Werner it will be a disaster.

True but surely if he’s desperate for a goal, when your 4-1 down, you just shoot? Right? Strikers are greedy, or they are meant to be. If it was 3-2 I could see why hes shat it a bit and squared it but at 4-1, not sure

Perhaps. Also Bayern had that well renowned medical team and the Dr/chief medical officer who was pretty much seen as a revolutionary in terms of sports medicine and science. I think he has found some interesting cures for other elite sportsmen and footballers to get over injuries. And again I do agree, he needs to be playing regularly. Or find a way to cut down the inevitable run of games he seems to need to get up to speed but I suppose that is also matched up to his injuries at times and getting match fitness. I just think hes able to give us something different, like Hudson-Odoi also, in terms of being able to take the ball and beat players to create spaces. And theres been plenty of games where this sort of thing is exactly what we need, particularly against low blocks, someone to isolate a player and get past them. The playing through these is also critical but I think, these guys, who are able to size someone up in a 1 v 1 are still as valuable as these players who pick the ball up and play between the lines or the passes in behind a team. Theres just been games where these passes dont happen or theres no space and you want someone who can come on beat a man or two and make something out of nothing in and around the box, Pulisic has that skillset and it could be a huge asset. While the majority of those 8 assists Timo has, have came after November (6 I think?), only 3 have been under TT and he’s played virtually 90% of the games. I must admit, obviously I am disappointed Ziyech, Pulisic, Havertz dont have much this season as well as Werner. Ziyech particularly I felt would of added something different and actually complimented playing with a Pulisic for instance. A more direct winger who excels in 1 v 1s then someone who maybe could be seen more as a wide 10 than an actual winger. There are signs hes warming up though slightly.

I know but for me, he doesn’t look like someone who is ever going to be capable of doing anything more than just being this player who is doing the little he is doing at this rate. Game by game, its just accumulating for me, the more games I watch of us with him playing I struggle to see why he is in the team because he virtually does nothing that affects the game for us most of the time. Ok he has pace and thats good for our attacking transition but what else does he bring to the team? Maybe he gets in behind teams defensive lines at times (lets be honest any striker/attacker playing in the PL should be capable of this) but its not as if he even makes lots and lots of these runs a game or that he makes chances for others from open play very often when he drifts out wider or does anything else that makes you think you know what I hope he’s playing today because he can add something to the team. I mean he set Mount up with a 4 or 5 yard pass v WBA but I mean he could of easily scored that himself. The feint to put the defender down was impressive to be honest but why has he not just let it come across his body or used his instep to guide it in to the right hand side of the goal? Giroud or Abraham would of shot and scored that from Alonso’s ball I think. I mean the defenders there but the GK had left him basically the whole right side of the goal. Fuck half the team would of probably got it in. Says a lot about how confident he is and whilst there is trying to play someone through a slump to try end a goal drought, we are talking 1 PL goal in 20 games slump, 14 games, few performances where you think this guy can do something, scores once, then back to being well pretty much you wouldnt miss him if he wasnt in the team and you dont really notice him when he is. And unfortunately hes not the first striker we have had this happen to either. I mean I dont want to compare him to Torres because thats unfair and not completely accurate but I still dont get why he didn’t shoot from that Alonso ball, look at where the GK was and the amount of space to the keepers left. Its basically 2/3s of the net. All he had to do was get it to the corner. That was Torres-esque. Scared to shoot because hes scared to miss. Strikers having a quiet game or a few a season is understandable or even going through a wee bad spell but strikers having quiet games where you forget their even playing or poor games consistently is not good. Or not scoring in the league in 14 games. Then scoring once and not scoring for another 6 games currently. If thats not worrying or if you can’t see why people are maybe digging him out then I dont know. Its not just yesterdays game. Everyone was poor we all know that. Nobody is going to deny he wasn’t the worst player on the pitch but majority of the other games with Tuchel , which he has started, theres no doubts about it as to why people are questioning his inclusion every week. I know Tuchel can say he just needs to be patient, he knows how to score, the whole sometimes you give a women space/back off and she will call you thing etc bla bla bla but Giroud and Abraham may as well be playing with the u18s if they seriously cannot convince Tuchel to play them either in tandem or instead of him, it would be near impossible for any of them to come in and do considerably worse than what we have generally gotten from Werner since the end of November bar the odd hopeful moment or two every now and then.

Look at what happened with Robben though. Was dogged with stupid injuries here as well as at Madrid, got over his injuries, got really fit at Bayern (ok still had a few issues towards the end of his career and maybe missed some games in a season but still) and became a proper world class player. Theres no doubting the talent for sure, we’ve seen it, plus I always think about what happened with Arjen, I think hes worth the risk. If the other attackers weren’t doing so poorly nobody would be considering his place in the clubs long term plans I think. But because we were so reliant on him last season and probably would of been this season if he was fit, it makes the situation a bit more difficult. If Werner and Ziyech - would of put CHO in here but I think hes stepped up with Tuchel in patches and his lack of consistency is more to do with his overall development and Havertz also but hes still a kid although again you’d want more from him for the proce tag- had taken the load a bit and had produced much more, and we didnt look so void of ideas without him, I don’t think we would be as worried about him. There is/has been rumours that the club have been trying to figure out why he has suffered so many of these injuries since arriving and obviously knew his history before, so fingers crossed they can come up with something. Whether or not its hearsay or just generic BS who knows but I would think the club would be aware that there is maybe something deeper routed.

I am beginning to wonder though with Tuchel, Pedro seems like the sort of system player he would of liked. Although could never rely on the guy really bar that title winning season with Conte which was a shame.