robsblubot

Well, it really doesn't take much to be a Beckham level footballer, but the image, looks, and media persona... not that easy. 🙂

This! ^^^ It's often ignored on this forum, which is a point I try to reiterate: Chelsea is an elite club! The numbers alone make that abundantly clear. A player who does well in a lesser league/competition is not guaranteed to succeed here A younger player, who still has to hone his skills, may not have the necessary time to do so at Chelsea It's a huge step up! And very competitive because every player wants to join an elite club... it's the "he made it" for a footballer. This also applies to the manager, but that belongs in a different thread. Regarding Mudryk, jury is still out whether he's going to make it here or not. So far, his play looks fairly unpolished for this level.

Good point. I did emphasize the "as we know it" bit earlier tho. I should have used "unique" instead of "important", but we seem to agree on the main point. And if we eventually manage to blow ourselves up, then yeah, the whole "intelligent" life thing will be proven overrated. 😅

Because it literally makes us the most important thing in the whole universe and the universe is kinda big. That's still speculation/opinion... some astronomers think "shrimp" life is what we will find. The how we got to be the way we are does not seem that miraculous if you get into how species evolve and all that. Granted, I have a readers' knowledge of such, but that's how it strikes me, personally. Also, I can't go into religion, or creation at all, because I believe none of that (not one bit)... It's all a convenient self-taught fairly tale so that humans don't despair when they are about to die, despairing being one of the drawbacks of having a conscience.

I don't believe anything. This is not a religion.

Agreed. It's also extremely arrogant to think so. true esp with today's scientific knowledge, and always, from an anthropomorphic point of view. If one isn't "made out of meat", one does not need to travel like "meat" does. 😆 That's made-up, and once again using the simplistic anthropomorphic view (from Hollywood movies?) that extraterrestrial life would be similar to our own. And to make it complete, a speculative conclusion based on a made-up thing.

Fun read is https://www.mit.edu/people/dpolicar/writing/prose/text/thinkingMeat.html

Conspiracy theories aren't my thing. On the subject at hand, I highly recommend reading a classic sci-fi book from Stanisław Lem called Solaris. If books are not your thing, there is a movie with the same name starring Cooney. The movie is less about science, as usual, but still carries the main point. Everything we do is through anthropomorphic lenses. That's why "as we know it" is always implicit when we talk about alien life. There is a thought that we may not be able to detect, much less communicate with, life that is significantly different than ours. Going into "intelligent life" just makes it even harder. In science, it's OK to say "we don't know." That's what some folks don't get. It's better to have no explanation than the wrong one, just as it is just part of the process to update your knowledge as new information is uncovered.

I'd keep Mount and ship Kova yesterday. I think he's skillful and good on the ball, esp dribbling, but he's a CM who can't shoot and can't hit a long ball to save his life, which puts him on the limited category in my book. On top of that, Kova is extremely injury prone. Finally, now Enzo replaces him to the dot. Regarding opinions on forums? really?! 😅 We, fans, see a fraction of the game. That's why we are here, while the guys who see the whole game make (some a lot of) money *in football*. It's also harder to see off the ball movements on TV as the camera does not capture important movement players do (or do not).

Let's hope! I don't think we can win silverware with Kepa on goal. Sorry, but I just don't think he's nearly good enough at this level.

I suggest that this is not the time to analyze individual performances. When one or two players are underperforming, then it's likely an individual issue; now when most players are underperforming, then we have to look at the manager. Whatever he's trying to do isn't working. I just worry a bit about the new signings. While I expect that they will be given time, they are getting minutes right now and haven't been able to show their worth because the team isn't helping them at all.

The players who want him gone now have a proper timeline... just do whatever you are not doing for another 2 matches. Don't get me wrong, I don't understand why a fucking nobody like Potter got the job in the first place, but it's clear as day for me that the players don't want to play for him.

yeah that (my rosy prediction) one did not age well. 😅 There is indeed no comparison there with Conte.

We won't lose this. Win or tie. Despite our issues, and they have their own, we still have WAY more quality in every freaking position bar #9. Yes, Kane is dangerous and can score out of very little, but they are not a quality team.

Oh but then we value such a (workhorse) player very differently. Now, regarding wages, it's difficult to justify wages like the ones reported unless we are talking about a very very special player, and I agree Mount isn't one (even if he's still fairly young). I just feel that folks here don't realize that our players are (mostly) elite players who would walk into most starting XI barring a few (very known clubs). We have a lot of good players... they are all good players. We need more than good to improve and get better and it is difficult to improve on the already good. You often end up trading characteristics with the new signings, and that's what makes it challenging.

I definitely envy people who see a master plan at work, because I surely see none. 😅

Agreed. Midfield setup, but also the type of CBs as well as FBs. Hard to play 2 at the back if one of the 2 is David Luiz for example. Even the wingers matter too... can they defend, or or useless in defense? Can they press high? So many variables, and TBH, not sure the new crop of signings change any of that. Feels like we will be playing with 3 at the back for a while yet.

You are being nice... 😄 It's definitely his Achilles' heels. Or rather his playing style just isn't as effective in the CL.

Yeah I think Kai is the player who often enjoys this free role and does not really deliver in that position: neither goals nor creativity. That's one of the reasons I like him in the striker position. I fear that he's just not active/creative enough for the CAM position, and my last hope is that he adapts to the striker position well enough. I agree that we lack creativity, and the manager often plays Zyech on the right trying to fill that role. He's been a bust for us, so that won't work. The 2 new wingers so far look very FW-like to me, but I need to see more. Right now playing both + a 9 against any strong side would be suicide.

I don't get it. Why does Mount, and only Mount, needs to be that player? So, a team has 2 (maybe even 3) other positions to fill a role they lack in mid/attack. We don't even have an established right winger, and yet Mount *has to deliver the creative role*. There is nothing written anywhere that the left winger has to be the creative one... Hazard vibes?

Agreed. ☝️ Wages are always relative... they go into potential, nationality, shirt sales, long term business strategies, etc. It's hard to analyze that when you don't have all the info. I don't think the new signings are good options for Mount. Like I said, I'm OK if the club thinks he's not worth the effort/wages and let him go, but I don't see a viable option in the squad. I don't know if the new wingers can grow into this role, but they all look very attacking-minded to me, which does not bring the necessary balance to the team. My last bit is a cautionary warning 🎵: just like Kante, Mount could be a really really annoying player to play against. And he only has to reproduce what he *has already done* to become even more than just annoying. I, for one, would fucking hate to see him at another PL club. Same with Kante, or Reece, despite the injury issues.

Reece deserves money? for what not playing? I think that he's a very good player when on form, which lasts like 5 games (between the time he gets 100% and picks up a new injury). Same with Chilwell. Sure yes, and Mount is 24 (25 in the summer) and had more than a good season and a bit, like you said (plenty of stats to corroborate that). Perhaps he may still have a "good season and a bit" in him yet, which might be enough for another "minor" trophy? 😉 Dunno about you folks, but I like winning and I value players who turn up at the most important time. Regarding wages, it's all very competitive, so either his agent is playing hardball or he has options.

Yeah agree to disagree. I don't have any agenda or a desire to like Mount. I see what I see and think he's underrated here. BTW, don't Willian was that consistent -- became more consistent towards his 30s which is quite common for footballers.

I think there are two distinct aspects here: 1. intent and 2. application implementation (the better word) I agree that there was little we could see in the first season and +. That's absolutely expected especially in a drastic chance in style with the same players, some of which completely incapable of working in that system (e.g. Ozil and Auba). I'm actually surprised Xhaka has been able to adapt considering he's a bit on the slow side for that system. Regarding intent, I cannot imagine that Arsenal did not know the intent of what Arteta was going for. Everyone did.... I did and I cannot read minds. Evidently, that's what he learned and believed in after years working with Pep. Potter? I have no idea what the intent is and I don't see anything tangible on the pitch. I also don't see anything special at Brighton either. Good team, that plays competitively at that level and that's it. Seen a bunch of different clubs do the same over the years. heh, the clubs getting silverware are the ones backed by a lot of funds who buy the top players who are ready to play and compete at this level. They sprinkle that team with a couple of younger players, who are also bought for a lot of money. Sorry, I see youth systems as a good way to make/save money, but not a saving grace for silverware... not at this level. The top clubs use the whole World as a pool of players; because they can.

different roles... you all want him to be a creative type which is obviously not what he is. Had he played against us, instead of for us, at the CL final and I think City would have had a much better chance of winning it. That's how I see him. He's that 3rd CM who is sometimes employed on the wings (in the popular 4231 and its variations) to close down a channel and provide balance. He even produces creative moments like in the aforementioned finals... it's rare for a player in that role to produce goals and assists because they do so much else already. Oscar was that player for us. Willian then tried to be that player. The player in that role is never liked, but he's absolutely needed for silverware. I see that player in every team which wins. City often lacks that player and it costs them. PSG does not have that player and it costs them. There are perhaps 100 players who could slot in for Grealish without changing much, and another 100 who would improve City... Mount included. See it the way I see it, or not, his defining characteristic is work rate, which makes him excellent in high press systems; his work rate has been entirely absent for quite a while. I'm not claiming Mount is the only player who can do this role, but I am sure claiming that if we employ 2 creative wingers and a striker, we will lose more than win regardless of midfield setup.