Jase

He didn't play the full game every time but Abraham went through a similar goal drought last season, on either side of the lockdown, and people wanted him gone. 🤷‍♂️

Without taking anything away from us from those wins, the Leeds game suited us because of how Bielsa plays while every team have beaten Sheffield United this season unless you happen to be Fulham and Brighton. I agree with you about the 4-3-3 and I also thought it works well for the team the moment Lampard switched to it at Krasnodar - also fair to note that he stumbled upon it considering he was chopping and changing it before then - but the more we play it, the more obvious that it does not fit Werner and likely even Havertz at all. Unless Werner scores regularly, he is lost out wide while Havertz has not had a really strong game, dominant game (that Barnsley game is not counted and we weren't even playing 4-3-3 in that one, IIRC). I do not think Roman agreed to spend more than 100 million on those two, only to see Lampard struggle to fit them into a cohesive system with the rest (and before anyone jumps in, am not talking about Werner's missed chances!). Lampard went overboard with the chopping and changing of system and personnel last season and while the consistent selection this season has been good, that does not mean he should stick with it for the sake of it if he doesn't have the personnel for it, like at Everton or even Wolves last week. We had no wingers against Everton, for example, but Lampard decided to persist with 4-3-3 anyway and look what happened. Klopp rarely changes his system but his system has everyone in that Liverpool side firing and there's no real reason to change. Can the same be said about us? As for Guardiola, his main issue is that he overthinks things and changes the system for no good reason, even when he has all the players available to play his main one.

The pass from Pulisic yesterday in the first half wasn't the best but otherwise, I don't really have much to say about Werner's misses. But the main point here is not even about Werner's misses anymore. It is about how he is being used tactically. The fact that you only mentioned his misses reiterates my point even more and heck, we only ever talk about his misses and nothing else. It is clear as hell that Werner is NOT a winger but is being used like one. Whenever Werner has been used out wide, we practically lose an attacking outlet from the flanks because he is not going to dribble past players, he is not going to beat them consistently and create chances for us. His attacking numbers have all gone down this season - and I am not just talking about his goals or even those missed chances - and his defensive numbers have suddenly gone up from last season. Is that what we want? Again, it is clear as hell that his position, his role are completely different than at RB Leipzig. They played to his strengths and got the best out of him. Lampard mentioned this last week and Werner did too pre-West Ham but are we getting the best out of Werner? Are we playing him in the right role? Werner was successful in Germany because he was used correctly from a tactical POV, he was allowed to shine in a system that maximize his strengths and minimize his flaws and Leipzig's system was not even centered around him only. But we bought him and are using him in a completely a different role, different system that were not what made him successful in the Bundesliga and one of the most coveted strikers in football in the first place prior to joining us. Why? I am not saying we should change our system to just fit Werner here but he clearly does not fit this 4-3-3 and especially the role he has in this system. So, why did we spend 50 million on Werner if we are not going to use him properly and play to his strengths? Why did Lampard not just go buy an out-and-out winger instead if this is how he is going to use Werner? I feel sorry for Werner at this point because despite all his effort, his confidence looks shot all of a sudden, nothing is going his way in front of goal - be it by his own design or the stupid woodwork - and is being ridiculed for his performances when he is not even being utilized properly.

James won't be fit for this one.

Seems to be a common thing for fans these days to underrate our ex players all of a sudden. Another one is Lampard, who people think he didn't have a good passing ability and range.

You think? I don't even know why I'm replying to this notion anymore because I feel like parrot at this point but those missed chances aside, what do people expect from Werner? He's not a winger but is being asked to play like one and when he doesn't do well, people are surprised. The more I see, the more I wonder why Lampard even bought him if he's not going to maximize his strengths at all. It feels like we only bought him - and the others - because the opportunity came up due to the pandemic. Nothing looks cohesive at the moment. Lampard is making things up as it goes along. It's a system with a square pegs in round hole. Said it earlier, a team's system is supposed to maximize the players' and overall team's strengths and hide the weaknesses. Right now, we're doing the opposite and some players look worse than they actually are in this current system/setup.

Ziyech is unlikely to start this one, if Lampard's use of players returning from injury is anything to go by.

Well, Conte's second season? Reckon we would have kept him had he not went all gloomy and just gave up that season, despite some of the turgid football.

The worry I have is the board would not care about the style or whether we have a cohesive system in place if Lampard keeps getting the results and ends up achieving the targets - e.g. finish in the Top 4. I know we are in a result business but all that pragmatic style from Mourinho, Conte is what that has left us behind the likes of Liverpool and Man City and the board didn't care much because we were winning trophies. Would be a fucking travesty if we have all these talented players but do not utilize them properly to win things and dominate the competition and the players, one by one, leave for elsewhere...

If ever there's a banana skin game, this is the one.

There should have been a system in place by now but every game, the attacking play is different.

Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea PRE/POST-MATCH DISCUSSION, LIVE CHAT AND ANALYSIS 2020/21 Premier League Match 15 26th December, Saturday 2020 Emirates Stadium 17:30 Kick Off (UK time)

What does ball playing ability gotta do with whether one can play in a high line or not?

Lampard expects Chilwell to be doubtful for Arsenal. Will have a scan tomorrow and see what's the result.

But it's not a lot, is it? I don't have the exact numbers right now but am fairly certain that he's getting a lot less chances now than he did at Leipzig. Even he said so himself. Now, am not making excuses for his misses but as mentioned, he's unlikely going to be super clinical with his few chances when you see his conversation rate in the Bundesliga.

I really don't know what to think anymore. There's just no consistency in our attacking play. One game we look exciting to watch and the next we look as if we're being managed by Big Sam or Tony Pulis. What's worse is that we have all these attacking options - even with 1 or 2 out - and our football still look predictable at times. We don't look to be getting the best out of anyone.

lol Terry was an underrated ball playing defender.

Much as I hate to say it, his chance conversation rate at Leipzig wasn't the best. He was 2nd on big chances missed last season in the Bundesliga, behind Lewandowski. But the difference is that he was getting many chances per game at Leipzig and would usually convert at least 1. Now, he's getting 1, maybe more if others create enough opportunities for him, because he's being played as a winger. We're expecting him to be super clinical with every little chance he gets now, which based on his conversation rate previously, is not gonna always happen.

We bought a 50 million striker to provide assists (a lucky one at that tonight) rather than score goals... Has also hit the post 5 times in the league this season. More than anyone else, I believe.

Those missed chances aside, what do you expect him to do? He is not a winger but is being asked to do the winger things and when he doesn't it do well, people are surprised. Why? Even he pointed out pre-game that his position now is a lot different than what it was at Leipzig...

Doesn't it feel like we're being managed by Big Sam at times?

That's only because Liverpool couldn't produce the ridiculous form they showed last season, nothing to do with us. Liverpool won 13 of their first 14 games last season. This season, it's just 9 out of 14.

Highly doubt he'll play against Aston Villa...

Still 1 point worse off than last season.

A much needed win but christ, that felt depressing to watch. A win that papers over the cracks.