robsblubot

with a cooler head after that forgettable second half at everton... Even when I myself did not like the low intensity displayed by players in the second half, I think it's largely tactical issues that are making great players look good, good players mediocre, and mediocre players look bad. That's very typical when the system is not working. The team is unbalanced between the right and the left: one side is super defensive and offers little to nothing up front, while the other is completely exposed without cover. Even the player who could provide that cover, plays on the right side of the midfield (kante). Because of the above unbalance, I was expecting Sarri to play a 4 defense line only on paper. Since the previous seasons showed how to better utilize the players at his disposal: Alonso close to the opposition goal and Azpi close to our goal. Yet, when I watch the team play, the defense line is fairly flat and high. This makes every counter attack a freaking nightmare. In the end, it seems like it's the manager trying really hard to fit several round pegs in square holes... and many times over.

I think exactly the opposite. Back in the 90s (or even worse before) very few players would be able to play at a high level past their 30s. Nowadays we see a lot more players doing that, even attackers, which was unheard of back then. This is certainly due to advancements in physical preparation, nutrition, and science in general. Of course there are individual factors that will affect their longevity... can’t see eden playing until 35 for ex. in other words, this analysis has to be done in a case by case bases and scientifically. They have the numbers, from routine physical tests, lung capacity, power, etc. they can see the decline if any. point being that when the team fails as spectacularly as we have, it is difficult for fans to assess individual performances, because all players will be exposed and look inneffective. While I do undertand you may think he’s spent, I’d rather wait for the next manager with a new system and perhaps formation to have a better idea.

Perhaps, but 30yo CB is only starting his prime years... That would also open the RWB to a midfielder type, say Pedro/Moses for ex. Considering the transfer ban, they are not going anywhere, so it's really up to the manager to use them in their best position. If that means switching to 3 in the back, so be it.

He was doing great in a 3cb system... so were Luiz and Alonso.... perhaps manager is forcing the wrong system for the players he’s got?

The most glaring defensive error was made by luiz actually. Ball watching again and allowed a free header by the player he was marking. No pressure no nothing. I don’t think we have a choice now with the ban tho and he will sign a new deal. @DDA agreed... the lack of movement is worrying. Did they give up by mid second half?

Fair enough, but I don’t care about that. he did really well once and is not able now. It happens... seen a 1000x before. now if you think that sort of performance in the second half was down to one player... it was a terrible collective second half performance. From Eden to azpi. kante was really poor btw.

Alonso is indeed in terrible form. Even the things he used to do well, he can’t do anymore. The prob is the other lb does not ever try to do those things. now, he was just the worst of the bunch. There were really poor performances to go around in the second half. It’s like the players simply did not understand the change imposed by Everton. not the right attitude and esp intensity. Passing was all over the place when Everton started pressing. RLC did well when on and that’s about it. the better team won.

exactly! When Eden plays, which is most of the time, we already have a winger who does not track back or defend. Our left side will always be a bit more vulnerable because of that. So, for Odoi to get regular playing time he must help defensively. I could almost hear the/any manager saying as Odoi is about to to in, "I want you to do what Willian/Pedro is doing. Same movement and defending... once you have the ball, then you do your own thing!"

Usually knowing the turf and facilities so well helps a lot, despite pressure from the crowd.

He does seem to lack power, but he's young enough to fix that and looks pretty good on the ball. That's to be expected of any of the many young prospects we list as potential targets, esp coming from bundesliga. Composure, esp in defending, is really not abundant in bundesliga matches, which makes it a bit hard for me to enjoy them. There are usually a lot of sloppy plays and passing to go around... players end up with a too much space and time on the ball. No wonder they struggle in CL.

agreed. Against wolves, the same backward passes esp coming from the back. Particularly culpable in Wolves goal: while his pace allowed him to tackle the player carrying the ball in the counter, the tackle was too weak and did not stop the play. It was time to stop the play and pick up a yellow (poor awareness). Perhaps he will improve as he gets games, but it's not like he's a youngster.

Mbappe was without a doubt. Rashford was about the same level, and it was just as hard for him to get minutes until he started delivering on the pitch. Whether Odoi might have be getting more minutes, which is prob true esp in cup games, the mistake here is to simplify things with the word "better." It really does not mean much at this level.

They most likely are, but not "losing hundreds of millions" and "to have little to no future-forward awareness" might not be part of their goals, considering they keep on collecting their fat paychecks. I'm sure that they also make mistakes, even within the skewed parameters in which they operate, but in the end they merely do the owners bidding. The prerogative of being the owner is that he gets to dictate how the club is run... that's capitalism. It's different in other places where clubs are still owned and run by the people.

here we go again... once again, you don't know my type, because you really don't know anything about me. Authority... there is no such thing. Do I think the well-paid quacks at chelsea know a bit more than the random quacks posting here, sure thing! Going back to football, which is what this is all about, you think the issue is playing time, and I don't.

FFS indeed! That's exactly what I'm talking about: you only know what has been made available to the public. Are you in talks with his agent? If so, when you request a meeting to discuss Odoi's contract, do you get it? Right away, or are you snubbed entirely? If there is an impasse, is it regarding what? playing time? Does he want to go to bayern for more playing time (bullshit!) or want to move to a bigger club for more money? If the later, his *public* statement (or his agen's) are misleading and merely for the fans. In other words, we don't have the same information the club has. If the issue was ONLY playing time, write a contract that addresses that, as per year basis, and/or per achievement (known as add-ons). That's why I don't think it's playing time, but don't know for sure, because we don't know what's going on. Maybe the club doesn't think he's all that? I'm fairly confident the next manager will deal VERY similarly with Odoi, esp because it is being dealt by the club as well. Regarding the rest, maybe, but that's the situation the club is in.

Whatever indeed. Once again, I do not care about your resume. Nor do I care about going into an academic debate with you - about what exactly - if football neither one of us would be qualified. once again, my point has been that you don’t give the professionals the benefit of the doubt even when you don’t even have the information they do. As an exemple you don’t know know the contractual situation of Odoi atm. now if you come here to blow off steam, and I should take your opinions with a grain of salt, then consider me well-warned.

That's probably because you haven't been following football for long. To me, the (over)reactions here are hilarious actually. Since I have, I find Sarri's statements exactly the same as the 100 managers and coaches I heard before when addressing youngsters, some of them FAR FAR more promising than Odoi. * in other words, the next manager will behave and say the same things.

woooo bad bad sarri. poor CHO who only wants to play... for Bayern.

that's manager talk... He's telling CHO that he needs to improve on X,Y, and Z to be at teh top and get playing time. That's how you instill drive in a promising teenager, so he will do better. Sarri is working the basics on CHO. This makes me hopeful that the club, and manager, may still think they can make CHO stay. Otherwise they wouldn't bother with him and his development.

Fair enough, but it is one of those stats that can be very misleading. I used Rakitic as an example, who not only is a constant goal threat, but happens to come alive at the toughest matches on the highest stage. Ross and RLC scored some goals at home against some low PL outfit, but when we play the big ones, our midfield tends to be too quiet. Kante is the only real goal threat, and that's not really good enough at this level. Caveat on the development of Ross and esp RLC though.

That's not how I see it. Guardiola implemented the very same style of play he's always used (possession-based). It just took time to teach the players and the club how to do it. And the players who did not learn were replaced, and better ones arrived. Same with klopp who went through several batches of players, before forming a good group. I'm far from a Sarri admirer - never though Napoli was all that. However, asking for a plan b at this time is premature. He was hired to implement his style of play, with his preconceived notions. I cannot imagine the club was expecting that Sarri was going to do better than Guardiola and Klopp in their first seasons, esp with a squad as lacking in strength in depth as ours is.

They are not errors, just an opinion after the fact. ross was ‘no impact’ after the game, but the manager and the club expect him to have an impact. We lack goals from the midfield and Ross is one the few players there who can score goals. It’s a lot easier to call it wrong after the fact. You may not agree with the reasoning, but that does not make it wrong.

Oh there are no guarantees at this level. The next steps are the hardest ones. same with CHO. We may cry a river now and he ends up doing nothing in his career. It is quite common, but we don’t hear much about the ones who did not make it. We are biased because we hear a lot about the ones who do.

Sarri was specifically hired to make Chelsea play in a more modern attacking way. If he “adapts” to the pl and the players at his disposal he will be sacked, so he might as well do what he was hired to do. both guardiola and Klopp did not adapt and rather just implemented their systems. Went through several players and tweaks, but in the end they’ve delivered, if not wins in Europe, at least the quality of play. I never thought sarri was at that level, and hardly think the club does. My thinking is that the club must know sarri to be part of a transition state, in which the club will change, even if an unsuccessful one. The next manager will get more adequate players ready to implement a more modern game of possession.