robsblubot

well then perhaps going to real doesn't make sense for him - it's just a rumor (talks). I believe he's going to leave, but not necessarily to real. Always thought that barca/guardiola style would be a perfect match for him for ex.

yeah can't see him staying past Jan. He's eyeing Russia which might be difficult without starting often.

You know that’s the key disagreement I’ve always had concerning mikel. I happen to find a lot more likely that mikel just wasn’t good enough. Fabregas is a quality passer. Precision with range (mikel had no range in his game)... anyway mikel is gone and Bakayoko is now here just to remind us of him... playing, including passing is just a lot easier, short, slow, and without pressure. Under pressure we get to see who’s who. Take the game yesterday (against pool) for ex. Pretty uptempo at times where players werent given time on the ball. Playing quick and accurately, esp first touch is what defines top players in my book and Baka ain’t it.

Agree with the second part of your post but not regarding Baka. this is a common tale actually: he’s struggling with the pace of the PL. why? Well because he is not a very good player. He’s a bit slow (which is expected for a big fella) but his technique, or lack thereof, will always let him down in tight contests like today. consider that he was rested midweek and his control was all over the place today. We are not even talking about passing goals assists, but basic stuff like just controlling the football. one of the least technical players I’ve seen at Chelsea - so far he reminds me of mikel. Hope he at least improves to become a good player one day (for ‘great’ the ship has sailed).

Think most here have a similar take on Lucas Moura as a player. agree esp that he is inconsistent. He tends to vanish precisely in tough games. Similar to what happens with lukaku. Also both lukaku and moura rely on physical attributes almost exclusively (Moura even exclusively on pace). I believe that it’s not an accident and it showcases the root cause: like lukaku, Moura’s technique is lacking at this level, so when the game is tight and spaces scarce, he struggles too. Reckon big clubs ought to look for players who thrive in tough matches. So, I’m not sure he can improve enough to become a good player for us.

Agreed. there is no reason to be afraid... Liverpool are a good side and can certainly win the match (any match) esp at home, but we have better players in almost every position esp defense and mid. hazard is better than countinho in my book. The only exception is ironically salah who will be a handful. while Alonso can handle pressure just fine - good technique and control - his lack of pace needs to be handled by the defense system as it should. After all we play 3 cbs behind his line and 2 DMs next to him. in short, no excuses...

Fair enough. Signing still scares me though... he seems to struggle with the final touch assists and all. The league is fairly weak as well and just don’t enjoy his game tbh. There is a reason psg is no longer betting on him.

perhaps, but Sterling always had goals in him, while Moura has always struggled with the final touch. It's really a matter of price and availability I guess, but considering the fees being paid recently, odds are it's not going to be cheap.

yeah no there aren't many options and esp not playing the Brasileiro... So not really Tite's fault. Luan FW (Gremio) is a good player and Gremio has a very promising rounded mid called Arthur (21) but neither would *add* at this time, no. The recurring lesson, hopefully relearned since the last WC is that it is a completely different ball game. The Brasileiro players (Fred and Bernard) looked completely lost for ex and that was completely unsurprising to me, but it is something that people forget over time. Fans want to see their players, but the coach should know have known better. Casemiro is a good rounded mid though - should start every freaking game considering the alternative. Some capped players (even starters) play in China though which is kinda scary... no way they are ready for the pace and physicality of a WC. William being there is just weird too. He has never really been outstanding for Brazil, but at this moment he's playing really poorly for us - and has for quite some time. I was never really a fan, but he used to be more rounded with more pace and power.

here's a crazy idea: you negotiate and close any deals *prior* to when the transfer window opens; only making them official during the window. Then, even (gasp!) when you cannot land the initial targets, say they prefer to go elsewhere, you have time to seek alternatives. Considering the way we respect the absolute rule of law, the FFP, it seems we are unable to talk to players or agents until the window officially opens...

true, but that has happened many times before - the challenge is usually motivating the players against the tough away matches in adverse conditions (e.g. quito), which Tite did beautifully. I'm originally from Brazil btw. Brazil can really only measure themselves against the other top sides (sounds bad but same applies to the other top sides including argentina) and that usually takes places in later stages of the world cup. And by that time it is too late to correct something that isn't right - when one of Tite's trusted players turns out not to cut it when games become more physical in the WC for example. The abundance of quality players really puts pressure on the head coach, but not always he can have a starting XI with great players. IMO the team is a bit weak in the middle and defense (Miranda being the only good defender and 33). And yes, I think Fernandinho is only good/decent player, hence mediocre. He has zero composure and sloppy at passing; he was one of the players who crumbled against Germany in the final - Dl gets all the blame but others like Fernandinho were just as bad (in a more important position).

He's been decent/OK for Brazil. Think this Brazilian side is a bit overrated at this moment. They have more than neymar this time, but still some mediocre players in the starting XI, such as William and fernandinho. The head coach (Tite) is very good this time though, which is rare for brazil - usually nobodies (like Dunga) or has-beens (like Scolari) are the ones in charge. Tite was the head coach of Corinthians when they beat Chelsea in the WCC - not a total accident btw, Benitez was super naive in that game.

yeah good points! I'm just not sure it's something that comes easy for Luiz. I think that he needs to be 100% physically and mentally to be able to play his game, or else any shortcut he takes punishes the team. heh wish someone would go back in time, say 7 years, and tell folks that Luiz will always be a quirky defender. that his improvement in concentration and composure will only be modest. While he had stints in midfield, some with amazing results (fantastic goals and so), he was never really switched to midfield: midfielder schedule working on stamina and mobility. Not to mention playing enough games there to get used to it. All his characteristics point to a very good midfielder imo... oh well I guess that boat has sailed.

Lol best part is when he gets tackled hard by Cahill and looks at him like Wtf dude?! (At around 50s)

Yeah that was showcased against United: kante played dm sitting deeper while Baka had more freedom from our system and united - teams will only start marking him when he becomes more effective in possession. I was thinking to myself during the game: our least technical player is the one with most freedom. Great for united not so for us. Aside from that bit of terific Spanish play, it was looking like a draw.

Guess I watched a diff game matic had a very good game against us. Both defending as well as attack where he even created problems to our defense in the second half (assist to fellaine fo ex). He played alongside Ander Herrera who is neither physical nor technical enough. of course Kante was better because he is better, but in my mind between Baka and matic today there is really no contest. much better performance overall which is the important part. Better from Alonso too esp when he cuts inside as he should. Still disappointed by fabregas though. the defensive trio today are our best defenders at the moment. Yes even Cahill... rudiger needed to sit this one out after Rome game.

Can you imagine Lukaku scoring Moratas goal . I can’t ... yeah some might say that they’d rather lukaku in a counter attack situation but that’s less useful to a big side than what Morata offers.

Interesting... thought he was one of the worst performers in what was a good overall performance against United. Couldn’t not pick up passes consistently enough

He did have a good game: aggression and focus were there. still poor on the ball as usual.

He had a good game against us esp first half Yes was bullied, away from home against a midfield of 3 while playing alongside Ander who’s just not a very good player.

watching him play for liverpool and he's already a lot better than William and (IMO pedro - no a fan) and would walk into our start XI. Always thought he was going to become a top winger due to pace and tight control. At this moment I'd have to call selling him a mistake just as big as selling KDB was. Our staff seems to make these terrible mistakes without consequence. And these cost money too...

United is the better side at this time, but no need to panic... I'm sure the manager had a nice chat with the team and some players who were strolling about in Italy. It's diff game, a big game, after a very poor performance midweek. A couple of things that did not work in Italy will hopefully be corrected, such as Azpi back where he belongs - he's just too much a defender to play wingback. Not to mention too important to be moved. Every player has virtues and weaknesses, and it's up to the manager and ultimately the team to protect its players. If our 3 defenders cannot cover the wingbacks and not help the middle, then why do we "waste" a position in defense? Could've been deploying an additional midfielder instead, for example. Conte cannot change too many things at once. He should def pull a Mourinho though: stick Luiz in midfield bullying Matic, with Andreas behind him tidying things up. Though pundits have been saying Luiz is not 100%.

while I agree Conte is partly to blame for the abysmal performance against Rome, i think your take on Matic is factually incorrect. Matic forced his exit, so he did not travel because his mind was already elsewhere. I too wasn't happy about selling him (he was an important player in 2 PL wins!!! starting every match) much less selling him to a rival, but it was really down to the club to try to match what United was offering or not. And even then, perhaps the player wasn't happy under Conte... it happens. At the very least they should have demanded something in return from United - they have a large squad with many players capable of helping us. (heh we would've ended up with Ashley fucking Young) Our signings have been mediocre... regardless of the money spent or not, the agents, scouts, and coaches have not been pulling their weight. The fact they only start moving *during* the transfer window is very telling.

Yeah I was expecting a midfielder capable of picking up a pass, but I guess that's too much to ask.

Like I wrote elsewhere, some players were really poor today, but it was a terrible starting XI to play Roma in Italy. Really bizarre to see Fabregas in a 2-men mid... got overrun as expected. Why doesn't Christensen play -- he's, along with Azpi, the best defender in the squad. If Drinkwater and Kante aren't fit play Luiz in midfield! No not optimal, but that's the circumstance. Can we have a "no one" option in the poll? Despite his efforts, I just can't vote for Hazard because the finishing just wasn't there (by a long shot). I guess Azpi and Cahill had OK games compared to the rest.