OneMoSalah

Because Soton were played a 4-3-3 I think and going 4-4-2 gives them an extra man in midfield, even if they were playing 4-2-3-1 it gives them an extra man if their AM drops. 4-4-2 is also better suited to a more direct approach which we were only trying at like the 89th minute.

Bullshit. Mikel is a class DM, he does everything you'd want, now hes gets a chance to play verticle passes because there is much more movement in the midfield unlike before. Capoue isn't even as good as Mikel.

Instrumental in inventing it? I doubt it, it is just a varied 4-4-1-1, it was about before Rafa was. Anyway, he used it a lot yes. Valencia, Liverpool and Inter during his reigns were all 4-2-3-1 and so is Chelsea. Its his preferred formation obviously. Ideally in the pivot you want a player next to your holding MF who can build and control the game from deep but who can still provide killer passes when chances are there, spray the ball into space in wide areas to move teams about etc. and right now we don't have such a player. If you look at Modric's stats from the season before that summer we wanted him, never really got a lot of assists and goals but was the most important player in that Spurs team because he was dropping deep getting the ball into players in space who then got assists. We need a player similar to him.

We don't have the right players for 4-2-3-1 as we don't have an actual playmaker or DM at the moment (Romeu injured, Mikel ACON). 4-3-3 is a better system for keeping possession and its much more balanced than the 4-2-3-1. A 4-3-3 with an inverted MF 3 might work but still effectively a 4-2-3-1 really. Rami---------Mikel ----------------------- --------Mata--------

Said hes a Chelsea fan on twitter. Don't think hes as good as everyone makes out, overhyped like most young English players, he had a good game against us so another thread... might as well sign Ricky Lambert too then...

Woooo well done, I would give you some scotch but I just remebered its Thursday fuck fufkc ufkdgehugingjahsbg so its gone. I can send you a shandy I suppose (), just need to steal one from a bewildered, stoned and somehow drunk 12 year old wearing sweat pants and a parka jacket while trying to avoid being stabbed in the process by the rest of his gang who are also wearing sweat pants and parkas. Damn not so cool Scottish people.

and a love for Atletico whatever the fuckers were called that Cap saved from the hellish 5th divison of Portuguese football or whatever hahaha.

Only Scotch would save QPR, or at least they'd think they were safe.

Wilshere plays far to high up for the pivot imo. Arsenal usually play Arteta - Wilshere - Cazorla and they get overrun in games because of Cazorla and Wilsheres tendancies to play further up the pitch. That could be worked on tbh. Anyway he could be a future signing as well surely if Arsenal keep fucking up.

Guardiola is impossible to get now, hes waiting for United, why do you think he went to Bayern? We blew our chance sacking AVB despite saying he had 3 years to do what he wanted, mould the squad into something similar to Barcelona/AVB's Porto (which was a good model tbh, good philosophy and similar to Barca in a way). Pep is Pep yes, Barca's most successful manager but what happens when he hits a stumbling block because the current squad wasn't as good/suited for that philosophy. You remember that with Peps genius, he also had a fine set of tools, which were all trained to be used the way Cruyff wanted, who was Peps biggest influence on his playing career and probably his managerial career. I'm not saying Pep had it easy, no, he had to sell big players which was a risk, Ronaldinho, Deco, Eto'o, Henry, Beletti, etc were all CL winners and replaced them with young talented but still risky players as they were inexperienced and largely untested at CL and La Liga level. Would he have gotten such a chance to do that at Chelsea? NO. So he never will I imagine.

No he isn't some Harry Potter character. Hes not untouchable. Hes a legend but being a legend doesn't make him invincible to not having his contract renewed. Cole is needed more than Lampard at the moment, deny that and your nuts. I'd sacrifice Lamps for Cole right now, even though I hate to say such a thing, both would be great as long as you tell Lampard he won't be starting 40 games a season now but he feels he can play every game still so maybe its better he goes. This has been stated many times, AVB was turfed out because of him whinging about playing 150 mins over 3 games. I don't care who you install as manager, would Lamps accept that? Probably not.

Also criticizing fans who don't go to games is ridiculous. They are as much Chelsea fans as anyone else, Chelsea is a global brand, so what if people who live outside of England don't go to games, they are every bit as much a Chelsea fan as an English fan who goes to a game every week or whatever. If they watch games on TV, support the team through moments like this and cheer them on from home what gives anyone the right to say they aren't as important as fans at games? This is getting out of hand though, we fucked up. Beating Arsenal next weekend will make up for this.

Yes many fans were there before Roman and Jose but still, would you years ago have ever seen Chelsea fans boo a manager every fucking week and being most active and positive on the 16th minute of games? We have a bad reputation as a club due to how it is run from the top and it looks like people will think our fans are mugs if they keep this up I wouldn't be surprised if other managers start criticizing supporters for the treatment of Rafa etc. Rememeber criticizing the board for sacking Jose/Carlo/AVB/Rafa etc, they have every right to be criticizing certain fans right now for booing the team and coach most games. I know football is nothing without the fans but still I think its fair enough for a coach to be given some sort of respect and support from the clubs fans.

<p>Have to be honest, wish the fans would stop signing on the 16th minute EVERY WEEK and actually cheer/try to make the players feel like they are at home for the full 90 minutes of the game rather than just sit booing constantly. Support the team or don't go to games. Seems like some of the so called 'fans' just go to games to remind Roman about sacking Roman then just boo the fuck out of Rafa. </p> <p> </p> <p>Sure Robbie was a nice guy, legend at the club as a player and first CL winning manager for us which makes him a legend in another sense but theres no Jose, Carlo, Scolari, Hiddink or AVB tributes on certain minutes. We're clearly losing points at home because of this booing bullshit, its kind of rubbing off on the players and they are playing poorly.</p> <p> </p> <p>Out of the first XI, how many players do you reckon actually felt like they were at an away game at times? I'd imagine a lot of them. Not saying this to anyone in particular on here but sometimes its embarrasing to hear such a hostile atmosphere at the Bridge. Especially all these new players adapting to the culture, I wonder how they feel.</p>

: We need to sign Kalou again. Physical presence, well he could be.... plus his strike rate of one goal off the bench when we needed it was fairly good so yeah sign him up

There are none bar the completey average ones or .... maybe..... managers in high places that would maybe consider the move even though their club would want bucket loads of compensation.... but still realistically get rid of Rafa then theres nobody. Roman couldn't even tempt Pep to take charge for 6 or 7 months when Robbie was sacked. I'd like to see us have a look at Stramaccioni in the summer if Jose stays at Madrid.

You have to realise though some of the games is the players faults. The Club World Cup final, lets be honest, half the team played shit. Cahill and Torres should of both scored. Ramires should of went for the header with Guerrero. Individual mistakes cost us games. Ivanovic vs Swansea potentially cost us another cup final. So did awful finishing though. In the games we've played well and fucked up due to individual mistakes its hard to blame Rafa even though I suppose everyone gets called out even if they played a part or not. Azpi and Cole were bad all night, whoever lost Lambert for that header, cost us in a sense, in fact Hazard's shoddy defending for Clyne's cross also played a part. If they didn't get that goal we go on and win the game. Fact.

I am pissed with the way results are going but when have Chelsea in recent times had a full consistent season since Mourinho's days? Anyway yeah getting slightly more annoyed at this shit, we had an incredible home record under Jose and under Carlo for a bit and now well now its just gone to shit but still its a transition and Roman wants these smaller, frailer, technical players who beat teams with their skill/technique rather than the more physically imposing players we had in the team before like Alex, Essien, Drogba, Anelka, Ballack etc who were incredibly gifted technically as well as physically. If we'd got rid of some players after winning the double and built a younger side by now we wouldn't have such problems due to hopefully players being more experienced in the PL and such situations. Also hopefully they would have more of a winners mentality, just like if we'd at least won the Club World Cup and Community Sheild or whatever. We lack leadership on the field. We also missed Mikels calmness and tactical awareness in MF too, Ramires was awful, Oscar all over the joint, Cole and Azpi both given more than enough problems. Lamps ok but still its incredible that with the players we have and against such opposition we are struggling. Its still a transition so I'm not as bothered as if it were a team full of world class 26-29 year olds in their prime as the team will improve in the coming years. Do we want to be that though? Anyway one thing I have to say is I'm delighted Ba is scoring, keep Torres out of the team hopefully. The guy is shit (Torres btw, Ba is a beast)

I've been appointed as our next coach on a 4 year deal starting in the summer of 2013. Prepare for trophies and multiple 5-0 wins against the big teams. SeB is also assistant coach. , and We Hate Scouse are in my opposition scouting department. Appointed Rafa as my footrest too. Hope to win many trophies. Plus I hope to piss Wenger off by showing upto press conferences drunk as fuck on scotch and making fun of him not winning a trophy in nearly 10 years.

I haven't set my profile up because I wasn't aware of such madness. I need more scotch, can't compete with the allmighty steam, so I intend to get drunk and beat it to bits and see how it likes that. Then my profile might just appear.

in fact yeah that should be me. unsure what davidsonryan1 is from

my account name? davidsonryan1 I don't know what team you'll get because I have 3 or 4 saves and they are all relatively new because of my new laptop.

Hes not a winger, hes a central midfielder. Hes played some games out there on the wing but thats not his natural position.

I will have your glasses for this....

I come here to write about the disgust that is Blue-in-me-Veins pink disco glasses. Awful, awful awful glasses. They aren't worthy enough to be classed as glasses.