robsblubot

Yeah will have to agree to disagree. Neymar is better than hazard in every aspect of the game for me. if I need to win a match and can pick ANY attacking player in the world, well that’s how I rate how decisive a player is/what’s his effect in a game. Who is more likely to win games one way or another. hazards poor finishing will follow him wherever he goes and will always hinder him in such comparisons. Still a great player just not as big as folks here say he is, again, for me.

heh not sure I follow the whole debate around wastefulness in possession - which is indeed entirely about system, instructions, and team movement. The most obvious and glaring thing, and what most use to rate key players is exactly that: how decisive they are. Hazard fans seem to see something that the numbers don't show. The ones who do notice that, blame the team and say he will hit his stride when he moves away. I find far more likely that at 27yo, this is Hazard's ceiling. Just different opinions, but for me there are a number of more consistently decisive players than Hazard, Neymar included.

pretty good debate imo actually. They are spot on regarding the 3-cb system and how much it relies on the form and especially fitness of the wingbacks. The striker situation is unacceptable for this club - really showcases the laughable managerial situation the club find itself in. BTW, Conte has said he's not involved in any of the transfers. So, was bakayoko an Emenalo player? Someone ought to look into that deal - at the very least conflict of interests considering Emenalo moved to monaco immediately after the deal was done.

did not watch the game, so will take your (and others) word for it. I've already expressed my opinion of Baka as a footballer. However, what concerns me the most is how poor our entire midfield has been... and it has been painful to watch to be honest. I have not enjoyed watching Chelsea FC play for some time now. People obsess over other areas of the pitch, but most things happen in midfield, and ours has been piss poor for one reason or another. What really shocked me concerning signing Bakayoko wasn't so much his price tag, or how poor on the ball he is, but why on earth did we sign a player so similar to the destructor that Kante is. People would make fun of the kid who would write posts after posts about how Matic was better than Zidane, but Matic was def closer to Zidane (yes still a wide gulf separated the two) in terms of characteristics than Baka is. I guess it's normal to not understand our transfer policy these days - do we even have one or each coach/manager asks for the players they like (like that posted article alluded to)? In terms of tactics, which could def be playing a part too, I have a profound dislike of 3-CB systems and I've been able to see a lot of them implemented by diff teams in diff countries over the years. Successful or not, they all end up fizzling out like we have. My theory is that the system is too dependent on mechanics and movements, in that diff players from diff positions need to join in and help out in the midfield, and if movement isn't right, like when CBs end up being just CBs, the system becomes slow and inflexible. For example, as good as Christensen is, we miss David Luiz, because he helps the middle with his style of play, which in turn helps both center mids (as well as attacking players w/ quicker transition).

It’s not even that he does not score enough atm, but rather does not even get in positions to score... he’s still far way from first team material. bats needs a loan where he can play and we need better 2nd striker/fw... Tammy ain’t it... not yet.

Without knowing whether it was Bakayokos poor technique that did not impress xPerer today as it seems to impress a lot of folks here, and positively too! but perhaps because of the obvious: the level of the opposition, which led a number of our players to have outstanding games? Except of course Bakayoko who is being praised here for having been only good/decent - more like decent on my tv. But I can see now how this is going to turn into a new mikel thread, and rightfully so - Good for TC, not so much for chelsea fc.

We just have to explain to FIFA that we signed those youngsters for purely humanitarian reasons. they will never play professionally - at least not at Chelsea.

he does not need an actual break, just drills followed by more drills.... Once again poor finishing is fixable, depending of course on how driven the player is to correct it. It's not like he's not getting in the right positions to score (that would not be fixable), but his final touch has been senselessly poor. He's got technique, pace, so it's all there. He improved the team today against Norwich: the team scored before but created very very little and once he came on, our attack was much improved creating several chances that he, of course, wasted.

I've always wanted a manager who would be given at least a couple of season to build a squad, more than a good starting XI. Not being a fan of the 3-cb formation - because it (overtime) always ends up like what we see today (super defensive) - Don't think Conte is the guy who could do that job for us, so he's not, and never was, my personal pref as a manager. However, he was hired and I honestly don't know how much leverage he has, when selecting players and considering which of our players go on loan, so diff to say anything there.

On tv they say, “was that enough for a player to go down?” And imo that’s the wrong question. the right one is, “was that enough to impede the player? Could he have continued the play?” william could claim the former, but not the latter imo.

Now Morata needs to be exemplarily fined by the club - does not matter one bit if it’s a dive or not (and it was). entire squad needs a fine for diving...

It’s not only Morata, Eden seems to be in a similar slump of form... produced nothing so far.

Morata has improved our attack since coming on, but his finishing is nowhere to be found. Really terrible slump for a striker.... fact we only have one playable striker is on us.

It was a dive and a silly one at that.

Wow really Bakayoko has been really poor for me as usual, esp considering the strength of the opposition.

Well that’s why despite having abundant technique, David Luiz is still only a decent/good defender. Marking no one...

Don’t have anyone in particular to quote, but I pretty much disagree with the majority of the posts around city-Liverpool game. City and Guardiola style of play is a choice, nothing more nothing less. When well executed it can be very effective especially in long championships, but less so in single-elimination competitions. Pressing high or defending deep have worked well against this system, but that does not make it a bad system, just a choice that uses possession as a form of defense. of course defense and defenders are more exposed in this system! You are far more dependent on possession and if you don’t keep the football (like city couldn’t bc of pressing or sloppy play - Fernandinho) you will be attacked and this system is more vulnerable to attacks - it needs to see less of it to work. you just can’t have it both ways. As you focus on attack and play a more open game you expose your defense. Liverpool also conceded 3 goals at home. There is no rule that says your defenders will physically win every dispute esp if you pick skillful defenders that better fit your system (again a choice). I hope the folks asking for a more attacking approach are prepared to live with less defensive solidly, because that's the cost of it. Btw, still think Fernandinho is a lousy midfielder.

I hope you are right, but not sure it's about confidence. Look at his hands/arms while he is making the simplest of passes - that's usually a red flag when assessing players' technique.

I'd be really pissed if it were United though... that's a player they already have (Pogba) and one we are in dire need of. We need to pay up for promising youngster too, because we want to be the "end club." Next sale percentages mean nothing if the players are never resold. From Gremio's perspective, if they cannot get the full release clause, it might be better to sell him to a smaller/mid (e.g. Atletico, Spurs) club with a 20-30% in a future sale.

yeah but was referring more to taking the initiative. Say, make the play and pass the ball to a teammate at the right time, in a good position and then if that player cannot keep it going, then it's his problem. When his spinning and turning does not produce a cross, a shot, or even a pass to a teammate, it's difficult to claim he lacked support. Yes, better movement around him might have helped opening up options for hazard himself, but then again, he's the key player making the big bucks and that leads to more pressure on him.

well there is also personal pref in the mix. Some might see him spinning and turning and think he's doing his bit, but others (like me) pay more attention to the end product (which also include linkup play). For me the last two games were just not good enough... yes, he lacks support and frankly the team is not playing well at the moment, but he could be asking more of his teammates and I just don't see that often enough - showcased in the last 2 games.

There is bad and there is bad... One thing is a player struggling in a new club and new league. Another is a player who looks completely out of his depth, like Bakayoko. I'm sorry, but I don't need 3 months to see he's not a good player. People obsessed with his physicality need to realize that being physical is not nearly enough at this level. Yaya bossed midfields (in England only!) for being physical on top of excellent! technique. Barcelona and Real boss midfields with skillful midgets. Most bizarre signing Chelsea ever done... ok unfair to Hector and Pappy...

Players moaning about the fans can just go fuck themselves... fans buy very expensive tickets which def entitle them to boo whoever the fuck they want. team is playing like shit. I know ppl like to talk about the striker, but we are just not creating enough and our midfield is also completely off. we are missing luiz I’m afraid, not so much his defending, but his drive going forward and the quick transition he provides. We are so fucking slow in transition... there is no excuse for Baka to start games - he’s a liability. Terrible player!

yeah they all lifted their very limited squads one way or another - in ways I've not seen hazard do. CR Portugal Euro; Messi argentina in que WCQ (and WC final), and Neymar took that poor Brazil side all the way to the semis (he was a lot younger too). Been over my opinion about Eden in that mix before, but just to point out that those player tend to make a bigger impact on the games and squads they play: being club or international level.

In set-pieces, Alonso plays fairly centralized, presumably to balance out our defense. No, I think Azpi is a terrific defender and "decent" in the air (for his height), but if I am Giroud and need to attack one of our CB aerially, I know which one I'd pick. Lukaku is really not a good example... We just disagree on the pretty good, as I think Alonso is good to very good on his day. Reckon we just should upgrade in other areas first, as there are far deeper weaknesses in other areas of the pitch. And more important ones too. Even though I don't share the view that Eden is a victim of the overall poor quality of the squad (esp attack), I will daresay he was happier when Oscar was around, yes even with all his limitations.