Jase

ICYMI...

Chelsea 3-2 Derby County PRE/POST-MATCH DISCUSSION, LIVE CHAT AND ANALYSIS 2018/19 Carabao Cup 4th Round 31 October, Wednesday, 2018 Stamford Bridge 19:45 Kick Off (UK time)

Was a tricky game but turned it into a stroll. Good performance, easy win.

Name and shame, as they say.

The zonal marking may be more concerning but it would certainly our cause in set piece situations if Kepa commands the box and claims the ball, whenever possible. Not that it has been a big issue but yeah...

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/cesar-azpilicueta-opens-up-succeeding-13484512

Maybe it's just me but feel like Kepa could have come and claimed the free kick BATE converted on Thursday. As @Tomopointed out before, commanding the box in set piece situations is the one thing he doesn't have over Courtois.

Burnley 0-4 Chelsea PRE/POST-MATCH DISCUSSION, LIVE CHAT AND ANALYSIS 2018/19 Premier League Matchweek 10 28th October, Sunday, 2018 Turf Moor 13:30 Kick Off (UK time)

Loftus-Cheek v Mason next week would be fun.

Surely it's Lampard?

Not sure if the performance over BATE was any better than the ones against PAOK, Vidi. Only difference tonight is one player was clinical with the chances. Otherwise, didn't create too many clear cut opportunities. That aside, easy win. Top of the group with 9 points and 6-point lead over PAOK, Vidi and BATE. 3 points at BATE next will seal qualification to KO stage and potentially win the group (depending on Vidi v PAOK result).

Jesus Christ! Must Barkley be compared with Kovacic every single time?

OH GOD! Never thought I would see SWOT Analysis again, certainly not in a football forum!

Sure, Alonso has been great over the last 2 years but does that really warrant a new contract, especially when his current one only expires in 2021? Does he really deserve one this fast with him looking nowhere near solid/good enough for Sarri's football? Alonso has his flaws but so does every player and Alonso's are pretty big - he's slow, he can't beat his man 1 v 1, defensively suspect and if he doesn't contribute goals, what really does he contribute to the team? I find it hard to believe that Sarri would want someone like Alonso in his starting XI to be playing his kind of football. If it was Pep, he would have sold Alonso straight away! All the other top sides have quick, mobile, agile full backs while we seem to be obsess with having slow ones! Also, it's easy to throw around the argument "the manager rates him, so he's good" but we all know managers have their favorites or will turn a blind eye towards certain players even if their flaws hinder the team. Remember Mourinho's love in with Ivanovic? And what if Sarri only plays Alonso because he doesn't rate Emerson, for whatever reason, and there's no other option?

Great...another fella trying to pigeonhole Kante as defensive player and one who cannot improve/play in a different position! At least Danny Higginbotham and Mark Schwarzer offered a better perspective on Kante's role under Sarri. https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1034539/Chelsea-N-Golo-Kante-Sky-Sports-pundit

Worth noting that Spurs face City next and Arsenal play Liverpool next weekend.

It could get worse, a lot worse... https://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/alonso-to-sign-new-chelsea-contract-in-coming-days/l8rzsevh7ghg1vvn8nmg1zy8q

FAKE NEWS!

Kovacic may provide better defensive cover but even when he was playing in the first half, United still found space to attack down our left because Alonso went AWOL defensively. You can point the finger at the LCM for the lack of defensive cover but if the LB doesn't have any defensive awareness (worse if he doesn't have any pace!), then we're gonna be in trouble most of the time because let's not forget, Kovacic isn't there just to provide defensive cover, he's also there to link up play in the final third. Can't expect him to be charging up and down the field when he's not a box-to-box midfielder. One tactical option Sarri could maybe consider is shift Kante to the left side of the midfield but then again, not sure if that would work. No, it didn't. We started lumping the ball forward aimlessly when Giroud came on. Sarri clearly didn't want that approach judging by his post-match comments. So the players lost their composure and reverted to type with the route one football. Even before Kovacic went off, we already lost control of the game, we stopped passing the ball around and looked clueless going forward. And by the way, Kovacic came off in the 69th minute...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/10/21/eden-hazard-complains-back-pain-champions-league-doubt-manchester/ Has a back injury it seems.

Wanting an unproven player over Morata just because he couldn't be any worse isn't really a wise way in solving our striker problem, is it?