robsblubot

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.

Odd goal?! He’s got 6 this season and very important ones at that: like the only goal we scored against Soton. The one goal we could score from open play against arsenal. He has 2 MotM for us this season alone. I know, Matic had several and it did not help him around here. Scoring goals is hard and they change games! that’s why they pay so much to players who can do that consistently. R Carlos made a career out of that - Alonso has far better technique (yes I’ve watched R.Carlos play ... live too). are we going to erase his aerial contribution, defense and attack, because it’s tertiary for a WB? Perhaps having Alonso heading the ball in our box covers for azpi who does not have the stature to win headers (which is primary for a cb)? agree to disagree on his overall game which I think is pretty good esp around technique passing and first touch. The club and the manager wanted him just the way he is. I cannot imagine that they are disppointed by his contribution so far,considering his characteristics as a player were well known beforehand.

A very wide gulf separates Alonso and Moses IMO. Don't personally know anyone who rates Moses and I'm not a fan of his game either - not to mention he's very injury-prone. Alonso on the other hand is a good player; one who we could move very easily IMO if we wanted to. Personally, I think replacing alonso with Santro would be a huge mistake. I'm not saying that Alonso is better than Sandro, but he's not far behind, albeit with completely diff characteristics. The squad has so many other weaknesses that spending a lot of money to improve the one position we actually have some quality, which often gives an edge (aka goals), would be silly.

that's not correct: contact does not mean penalty or a foul and there is def diving even with contact. Contact happens all the time in football. By the rulebook contact does not equate foul, even though we hear it all the time. The question is always does the illegal contact (there is also legal contact e.g shoulder to shoulder) cause enough disruption to prevent the player from proceeding? If the answer is yes, then it is a PK or a foul, but if no, then it isn't and it could perhaps be a bookable offense if the ref thinks it's too blatant. This is very difficult to assess esp live, and like I said, sometimes players protect themselves by jumping or falling. With that out of the way, I kinda agree with you that it might have been a PK, even if a soft one. His foot was kicked in the air, and it might have been just enough to throw him off balance, which automatically makes it a non-bookable offence even if you think it's was dive (it prob wasn't).

As much as I agree with you about diving, not sure that’d be a bookable offence. retroactive bans for diving would solve the issue imo. the difficult thing is that some dives aren’t really about gaining an advantage but for protection. It’s known that when being tackled it is a lot safer to not have your feet fully planted on the ground. Not in edens case here though as his foot was high up anyway. The David luiz incident was not even a dive... he was laughing because the opponent lost his head and fouled him, which was desirable at the moment - we were ahead and also led to a red. Always thought ppl read that incorrectly as a dive.

Isn't the only reason he is bound to spain the reason he played and lived there for so long? Brings a new perspective around loans, esp the ones away from london... As good as he may be (and he's a top gk), if his family is living in spain, and he wants to join them, there is little point forcing the issue: we must find a suitable replacement and preferably before he leaves.

agreed he was really good when came on against arsenal: better than moses in both defense and attack deserves more games

he was rested the game before... managers sub players for different reasons. Perhaps he just wanted something different in attack, or a bit more effectiveness? He might have subbed Morata for the same reason had him had a better striker option than Bats. We had a lot of chances to score before and after Hazard, so effectiveness was def the issue. Conte does not have a lot to work with squad wise though.

while I agree with your view of baka, my expectations were very different as I thought we already had a player capable of breaking up play - and a darn good one at that. Now, I'm actually confused with what Chelsea (and Conte) thought, because we often see him deployed in a more advanced position, which is frankly a waste of space.

That excuse works so well on hazard thread though ...

Whoever has him won’t sell to us. thats why we need to make bets such as Morata. consider that even when his finishing was shit, he played well. While other players go through same patches while producing little to nothing. ^^They were not sitters - it’s not a sitter when you are the one who creates the chance...

Again also mad with him for missing 3 1v1s, but just the silver lining here: he made great runs and plays to be able to get to up to 3 1v1s. my point is that other players wouldn’t have scored either because they perhaps wouldn’t have been in those positions. At least not 3 times. ^^ when strikers are off, esp in the same game, the trend usually follows. Same when they are on, hence why not subbing scorers.

Nah when his final touch does not connect (to goal or another player) that’s on him, esp when he has support around him. he did play well (arsenal) but final touch could have been better.

I’m also frustrated with his Terri le finishing against arsenal, but finishing can be fixed, trained... it happens all the time when strikers go hot and cold. you cannot teach one to be a good footballer, and Morata is already a very good one. He made some great runs against arsenal. again, he needs to do better, but better is def possible without getting desperate.