robsblubot

Good footballer and terrible center back (Jose was right in my book). Why should our opinion matter after winning the league where the player in question played a key role in that win (featured in almost all league games) and voted one of the best defenders in the league? This is not a popularity contest... it's about winning silverware.

Yeah that's how fans think, but it's just not that simple. If a player is underperforming, it still does not make the substitute any better. The fans say, "it cannot get any worse than playing X", which is wrong (yes it can get much worse). Not even going into what the word better means when we talk about different characteristics. For example, I personally think (from what I've seen) that it is very unlikely that Emerson would give more to the team than an underperforming Alonso (and likely that he would give much less), but I don't watch Emerson in practice, so the manager is certainly more equipped to make that decision. Another way managers see it is that Alonso is more likely to positively influence the game than Emerson. The same way an off-form Hazard is more likely to influence a tough game than CHO. There are tons of other factors that we could go into, but that'd take a huge tangent (locker room, pecking order, keeping one's job, tem chemistry, team characteristics, player's confidence, and contracts).

I'm definitely joking at the idea that "Sarri is making mistakes by start these instead of those." It is extremely likely that his selections are very close to our best. An underperforming player does not make the potential substitute any better. Especially when you consider the obvious drop in quality and experience on our bench. You can go into characteristics, like what we like and dislike about particular players, but that is entirely up to the manager as he is building a team (not just a collection of players). It's a game to make few changes and it will take an herculean effort to get anything out of this game. We will need to be more compact than we've been lately and far more focused starting with the guys up front (including hazard).

Come on man... if sarri starts the “right people” I guarantee 100% that it’s going be super easy.

If Sarri starts Giroud up front, CHO on the right, Emerson, and replaces Luiz with Andreas, then it's going to be a pretty easy game... otherwise, not so much.

Completely agree and think Emerson should be given at least 5 straight starts (Alonso is in poor form). at least people will stop with the grass is always greener thing. When the team loses the ones who did not play are always better even when they really aren’t. I can already tell you all that it’s not going to make a whole lot of difference even if they (the subs) don’t crash and burn (which is also possible esp the younger ones). I mean giroud against Fulham was as bad as it gets. that’s the difference: nothing happens when we the fans get something wrong and we get a lot wrong... the manager gets sacked.

No argument there. Probs in both ends can negatively affect teams confidence. Very dangerous downward spiral. btw this is why our managers don’t rotate...

It’s not about forgiving. It’s very difficult to win games with when you have a gk making mistakes. Very very difficult... comments about the LB are kinda ridiculous to me. He’s not as bad as ppl say he is, nor is he as important as folks say he is. the team is not great and that’s not down to one or two players. But the gk needs to get his shit together with those long shots getting in. That will affect the confidence of the team too.

Interesting to see who folks talk about on here vs out there... not a whole lot of criticism on the gk who makes mistakes every other game. Or the key player who has been missing for quite some time. it’s always the usual suspects like any other echo chamber.

Hazard is not stifled by anyone but himself. He was never that direct to make these sort of runs, not even when he had more support around him with Oscar still doing the dirty work for him. All I hear is excuses for him not to be the player folks imagine him to be. Alonso is a left midfield. He was a left midfielder with Conte and is a left midfielder with Sarri. I have no issues if folks want something different from a LB, overlaps, early crosses, but please take the time to understand positions and especially roles. They are not the same thing. Been seeing variations of this for decades as I posted below. This should really work esp when employing 3 CMs (like we do) who can cover the sides in midfield. And please do check Alonso's heat map to see it clearly where he operates. It's not like he's surprising us in not doing certain things that LBs do....

for the record I completely disagree about your description of alonso. Not really debating your opinion of him as a player. Though I also strongly disagree that Bakayoko has the necessary skills, which he does not: for the very technical modern game. To me it is as clear as day that Alonso is a left midfielder. Was with Conte and still is in Sarri's system. No he does not roam around the opposition box like a striker. Merely watching him play, or might want to check his heatmap too https://twitter.com/fplchampion/status/1033764598351110146, and it becomes obvious he's always in midfield. Not doing overlaps for crosses, but linking up between the CMs and the AMs. Our system is very well defined and old as fuck: one left back joins in the middle as an additional midfielder to populate the area, while the other sits back and joins the defense line as a 3rd CB. First time I've seen this was in the 90s (implemented by Scolari :)).

yup that sums it up, which explains more than just his ups and downs, but also his lackluster CL performances. I'm more interested in the whys personally. The "when he wants it" is a good explanation if taken as a byproduct of lack of ambition and ruthlessness. Because I don't think he wakes up in the morning before a big CL game and says, "just not feeling it today..." So, my thinking is that his lack of ruthlessness and ambition also affects his form as in fitness. Were he a more dedicated player, both on the pitch as well as in practice, and he would've been a fitter player capable of withstanding contact a bit better. Perhaps then the game would open up a bit more to him with more time on the ball, making him more creative. He does struggle against physical opposition, and savvy managers (like Ranieri) will use that whenever possible. He's what he is though, and it would still be great if he stayed.

heh I hope you are wrong. He does deserve to start against Wolves because of his influence against Fulham. We were struggling when he came on and changed the game, not only with his goal, but his runs and link up play. On the other hand, the chatter from player and his agent puts the club in a bind. If he gets a start was it because he deserved or because he moaned? Would the other unhappy player do the same then? The club has to be smart in picking fights, but moaning and agent talk should not get rewarded.

Only on talk chelsea folks compare Bakayoko with Alonso... Bakayoko has no first touch, which is the reason he needs to go to a place where he has the time to chase the ball after his "first touch" fails.

I honestly think RLC is a done deal at the club unless there is a huge fall off that breaks the spell. I mean his progression is so evident that it would be a huge shock if the club were not ready to invest heavily on him. He's already way way past the players you've cited IMO. The goal against Fulham (including the buildup) is the stuff of special players and it's not the first time he's done that. What he still needs to improve is concentration as he still switches off esp when coming on.

Hazard and esp alonso struggled today because the opposition worked hard to block that side. They had physically strong players who were able to bully them and make their life pretty miserable. Thought luiz positioning (too deep) did not help things. No excuse for alonso’s poor crosses though... It is a pretty obvious thing to do since we are much stronger on the left, but kudos to Fulham for at least doing a good job accomplishing that. the issue wasn’t so much hazard and alonso, but kovacic who did fucking nothing on the pitch working exclusively in a line with Jorginho... in the so called dead zone. He’s the one imo who needs to improve immediately to keep his position. Getting subbed off before the 70m mark shouldve told him all he needed to know. Thought that after a whole week moaning about morata and how giroud should start folks would understand that things aren’t that simple. Giroud was probably the worst player on the pitch with his awful first touches. In other words, morata being insufficient does make giroud any better. really happy with RLC contribution. Took a while to get in the game, but what a goal! Goals change games and that goal killed it for us. flawless game by Kepa too.

heh also german descent from one side of the family. They were established there in the late 1800s though: farmers that fell for the Brazilian gov promises at the time: free land and support to build. Some Polish down there, lots of Germans, and even more Italians. It's always a gamble when you consider the amount of money involved, esp these days. In that regard it is usually worthwhile to bet the house in players like RLC and CHO, but then again the club and the player (CHO) need to sit down and set expectations correctly, and sign a new deal otherwise we will need to go shopping anyway. No we don't disagree on Willian, only on Alonso. I don't like his game nor his attitude on and off the pitch. I think when you get a certain level of all-round quality in a footballer you just adapt the system so that he can work in that system. Sometimes the player is too quirky, like Luiz, but thankfully Alonso is not that. Don't think he needs to track back that much. The same way Marcelo does not need to track back... all attacking FBs need support from the system because they will open avenues behind them (however quick they may be). Alonso doesn't need to beat players with dribbling in pace - he does that with intricate passing and excellent first touch in tight spaces. His long passing is pretty impressive too. Wish he were a better crosser though. The goals for me are just the icing on the cake. update: based on the article you posted CHO is gone.

We can definitely disagree on alonso, and many around here do. Heh I'd be all in to move Alonso out of the LB position as I just think he's a good footballer, tho it may be a bit late for that. Now when we are comparing different players from different clubs and systems then it is just speculation. Maybe a well-educated guess at best. Especially when we talk about Emerson in Italy... that's a very different league with very different characteristics. I've seen Emerson a few times for chelsea and have to say that it is hard to imagine the player people say he once was.

Agreed. Well we all have our personal preferences and hyperboles are just so much fun! But yeah a reality check once in a while can do wonders.

Once again I can't asses who is "better" than willian esp because most of them play in entirely different leagues and teams. While I am not a fan o Willian, I have to say he starts for Brazil all the time and for different managers too. So, the point is that as much as we may disagree, it is still not a crazy thing to think that (that he's a top player). Many of the alternatives you listed are either not available or big expensive gambles. It's not that easy to scout and sign players. That's why some of these scouts make fortunes and become very famous sometimes even influencing clubs and their signings. I happen to know Douglas Costa very well since he came from Gremio Porto Alegre (my hometown). He's very overrated, good player, but very inconsistent and kinda one trick pony. Of course, IMO.

Of course Sessegnon is not a normal 18yo, otherwise he wouldn't be playing in the PL even if for fucking fulham. Now how many 18 yolds start for top clubs in the world, esp in defense? When he becomes good enough to move to a top club, then he will. I said that for me Alonso was the best LB in the league, like the PL. Sarri was the one who said he could be the best in the world if he improved defensively. I wouldn't go that far. Not sure what you mean exactly by better? Do you you mean they would all fit "better" in the system that Sarri is now trying to implement at Chelsea? Maybe, maybe not. I can't possibly imagine that you just "know" that every single one would do better. Or maybe you believe that, but to be honest I think you are comparing the incomparable: different leagues, different teams, and especially different requirements. Also, I'm not even sure Sarriball is the future of this club or the style that will bring success for Chelsea. It's actually quite different from the style that has actually brought success to this club over the years. Ranieri is indeed a good manager, and there are many really good managers in the PL. Fulham can improve tremendously given enough time and practice, and by acquiring the such much needed chemistry. However, time is limited and a blub that fucks up the preseason is already behind the others. Add to that that the team is already a big underdog, then I'm going to stick to my very original comment that Fulham is the weakest opposition we are going to find. I did not focus on Andre - you mentioned him as an asset. There are a lot of players in the world. It's not my job nor is it fun for me to know them all (tho it might be for you which is fine of course). I just pay attention to the players who catch my attention. And Fulham as a team hasn't. However, if I were to believe you in that Fulham isn't all that bad, then I'd definitely say no fucking CHO. And if fulham isn't the weakest opposition then who is it? When will CHO play then? Certainly not against City...

football is not only about names... they are at the bottom of the table for a reason. Perhaps also because they field an 18yo as LF? BTW, not really something we are going to agree with as I rate Alonse very highly (best LF in the league for me). Schurrie is shit. I've watched him play plenty of times and actually liked him (as a good/decent player) when he was at chelsea, but his game has regressed. Watched him a few times in Germany as he was mostly coming off the bench and he was pretty bad. He's very frail without any upper body strength.

This is a tough one for Sarri: this is as weak an opponent as you are going to find in the PL esp at home. So, with all things equal, the manager would normally opt to give the game to the starter of tougher matches a chance to do well (not an opinion). However, I think he might not do that for two reasons: a. he has already decided to switch, which would make it a good opportunity to give Giroud more confidence or b. he believes giving morata an easy game will actually not work at this time (due to his current level of play). It probably does not matter anyway since it's going to be difficult to draw conclusions against such opposition.

great post. I'd add defending high balls as an obvious advantage that Alonso has, as well as his physicality (lacks pace, but loads of power). In attack I think he is WAY better on the ball than folks give him credit for esp passing. On the other hand I do agree he does not add width and cuts inside, which brings me to my other point: "Our midfield is more a provider than a scorer, our strikers stink so there is not much to whom to provide to." I think not even that at the moment... they are more about ball retention and defending, and that's why Ross usually adds in attack. None of our AMs is great at assisting... (see disc of willian choosing to shoot vs passing). Our lack of width, with every winger and our LB (the RB does not count in the final third) cutting inside as opposed to producing a quick cross or pass, hurts our attacking esp the strikers. I'm not saying that either should be leading our line, but I'm confident both could be having better luck in a different team and setup elsewhere. Like others have said, it's a work in progress...Also consider that Sarri does not work alone. That as soon as he joined the club, all chelsea coaches started providing him with information about each player. The players are constantly being assessed in practice, training, and matches... Concerning the "if he had done this..." thing, it is cute and all, but in the end it is just a product of people's imaginations. They are "what if" moments complete biased by personal preference. I do that too like just everybody else (because it's fun!), but in the end it's up to us to know what's realistic and what is not.

Perhaps... because we need our striker to hold the ball, which might be a bigger problem actually. Then giroud is indeed the better option since he’s clearly better at that. Giroud is slow as fuck while morata plays with a lot more pace. Morata needs early quick crosses and passes and none of our wingers, perhaps exception to CHO, does that.