robsblubot

there were a lot of players far far worse than ivanovic - even Matic had a bad game.

When I play against shitty players - a lot worse than I - my passing is fantastic! Seriously, I can make the ball spin to you or from you... I can lob and hit any player anywhere in a 7x7 pitch... Now as soon as I've got tighter marking on me and I have no time on the ball, all that beautiful passing goes down the drain. That's why in tight marking situations, I drop deeper to have more time on the ball, but my passing becomes bureaucratic - simple. When I was younger and quicker, I could still hold my own up front. No I am not Mikel, but the tale is so very common that sometimes I think people here don't really play football, which is sad - it's a lot of fun to play. Mikel would be Walsal's star player - highest paid and #10... Mikel would do well for many clubs and many leagues - just not Chelsea and not the EPL. Because even Epl smaller sides have much better players (eg Sotons victor).

She is going to get a lot of money in court for sure - should be taken from Jose's pay. Don't know the real reasons, but that was anything but "managing."

Our best defender already by a fair margin. If we had been playing with a low block like last year, then Terry and Cahill would still top him, but that's no longer the case. As our defense line moves up the pitch, having a pacy defender like Zouma is simply mandatory. Ive always disliked Terry and Cahill partnership because they are the same player in characteristics - either one will complement Zouma's game well enough. Terry sill has better technique, but his legs make him pretty immobile to play in a high block. Perhaps he will get fitter along the way - happens with older players. However, in the future, if we want to improve our squad we need a defender with technique, who with a couple of touches can hit a long ball launching a quick counter or join up the middle with quality (can pick up a pass). That I feel is Zouma's shortcoming and you fix that via team/partner.

All this from poor refereeing - Reactive and card happy. Gabriel in my view did not deserve red and neither does Costa a ban. The incidents were minor! Will Costa get a ban for being annoying now?!

Agreed Not Young though! He even runs ... Wrong...

always does ... always does... Wenger is such a romantic.

He did not have a decent game, but a good game. And Arsenal tried to exploit that side for sure - always go for the attacking fullback side. They could not do it because he played well - defended better - and was helped by more work from the attacking players. Helped too by Oscars presence. Pedro and hazard don't do that naturally like Oscar, so we are a bit softer this season.

Perhaps the cms did not have to chase butterflies this time, since the attacking players were a bit more interested in helping out today - plus Oscar does that naturally. But yes better midfield play for sure.

It cannot have been a problem for over two years like you say.It may be something you dislike, but it is something more than one manager appreciated. You talk about characteristics as if they were flaws. He's an attacking fb who's great at set pieces - that's what he's always been as a rb . Teams no longer play with defensive fullbacks anymore. Some do the 3rd defender thing, but not both fbs. If Iva were as much a liability as ppl claim his own teammates would should have rallied around him and helped him. The fact that they did not means that they couldn't. also don't forget conceding goals is not the o my prob we have: our attack numbers are way down. I agree concerning cover btw, but that a choice (defensive fullback) not a necessity. * from phone

I understand what you wrote just fine, but it's not the same as others have written.I see the entire defense getting overwhelmed - Iva s poor form makes him a bit easier target but imo not as bad as people make it out to be. If crosses keep on coming ... If players infiltrate from center, we will lose all the same. People asked for Mikel-a case for Mikel He played and nothing changed because he's poor and got overwhelmed like the rest. When it looks as if the opposition have more players then we have a problem that goes far beyond this or that player.

easy match it seems... Just replace Iva with that random kid who hasn't really played any decent opposition and we we'll beat them... 11 play, but it's binary according to this board Bool win() { return Iva ? False : true; } Should def sell the above complex algorithm to the bookies...

He did and he was right in doing so - they are the same type of player. Obviously Mata has achieved far more, but characteristics wise they are very similar - read slow. Now, Ganso hasn't been always this slow; he had a pretty bad year with multiple injuries (knee?) which I believe costed him the little bit of pace he had originally.

Agree for the most part, except KDB and Mata being better than Oscar. Mata I am sure is not, as I think he lacks in strength and pace departments (you gotta have at least one of these). He hits very short-lived stretches of form for united and then goes missing for the rest and then has embarrassing performances like the last one in the CL where he miscontrolled the foobtall inside the small box. He only has technique and that is rarely enough, especially these days. KDB, I will go by your own assessment of the strength of the PL. So, what you said about Coutinho can be said about Oscar - esp considering Oscar plays for a better team which is actually competing for silverware. On the other hand, KDB hasn't really proven anything in the PL yet, so I will pass judgement once he does or doesn't. This inconsistency that Oscar and Coutinho show are typical of younger players developing and learning the right pace for long leagues and games. BTW, Dunga is the first manager that has looked at coutinho. In Brazil, the overall idea is that Oscar is way ahead in development. Coutinho may improve obviously, but I happen to agree with the overall opinion over there - and people do love a flamboyant player there.

Fair enough, but this is the oldest discussion in the book - the flamboyant vs the more pragmatic. Modern football gives precedence to the latter. Right now Coutinho won't get a start because of his low body strength, low work rate, and most importantly, lack of tactical discipline. Dunga is very much like Jose in his philosophy and Coutinho will have a hard time playing for him. Also, he and Thiago Silva were terrible int he last copa america - Thiago Silva hasn't been called since. Oscar is second only to Neymar in Brazil. BTW, I do watch liverpool matches and Coutinho does go missing often. I remember clearly him failing to track back our player which resulted in our goal last season - was subbed off right after that.

Looking capable means nothing to me. Couldn't care less about Coutinho tbh. Not a Chelsea player and is not on Brazilian nt.

(Courinho) prob went missing - happens a lot with himWhen Oscar is uninspired, which unfortunately can last for a long time, he still does the work. When Coutinho vanishes he completely vanishes.

At 26/27... Too early...But not just that - his lack of discipline and dedication negatively affected his performances at the highest stage - Esp for Brazil. He was actually better when very young - I saw him at gremio and played with him for fun a couple of times too-I'm from Porto alegre as well. He could have done more. Don't think hazard is like that, but hazard is no C.Ronaldo either imo.

Worst united player against PSG - shocking performance. Almost as bad as Ashley Young, but Ashley is "hors concours."

In a crisis we revisit all the known issues as if they were new.Barcelona plays in a completely different system with miltiple layers in midfield itself - don't think we d be employing mascherano as z cb in the Epl either. We have other defenders who also need a lot protection and no space left behind em, but we don't talk about it. They also don't contribute as much in attack as ivsnovic does. Remember it's not just our D that is suffering all our stats and down from last season. Less attacking less possession more being attacked and do on.

Of of they are trying, but whatever they did it did not do on vacation is costing them right now. For me the main problem is fitness or the lack thereof, and that will still take a couple few weeks to get sorted. another prob is Pedro who is great in attack and terrible in D. Ivsnovic is getting even less cover becsuse of that. Or at the very least Pedro is new and still needs to gel in.

I thought we had already established that we don't have a squad but a team with little rotation potential. What has changed esp after a quiet transfer window and injuries? Now the idea that the youngsters will come and fix things just does not happen. At least not like this. Don't throw the likes of RLC under the bus... I also cannot believe I am debating the existence of unity and teamwork... It was so very nicely explained on the video above. So what do all top coaches at Chelsea, our top manager and our top players do between games? Play videogames? If the team selection is the main thing then Jose is and has always been useless - should def tell roman might save him a few bucks. Also, New players need to gel in and make positional mistakes in relation to the team, because they don't yet belong in that unity neither do they have trust. He has already made a couple of changes to no effect. Nothing drastic will happen - never does. You are assuming that he who does not play is better than the one who does, or would have been better. But we don't really know that. You may claim you do, and you write as if you did, but you don't. And Neither do I.

If the team selection is the Main variable like you say, how did the same players won the league last season? You see the problem with your reasoning here?

How about I produce proof of my intelligence and you produce proof of your elegance? Hmm guess I will have to settle for fewer (can't be too greedy) insults from now on?

Just to be clear once again, you are saying (with all the elegance we know you for) that all underperforming players should have been replaced by youngsters and squad players, which at this time would mean at least half of the team, to play in the premiere league against millionaires.... Really?!It's not that I find the whole idea crazy, but rather that it has been done/tried before and it never works. I've seen it done a number of times and it fails for a number of reasons including the obvious fact that the senior players, highest salaries, hold power (again in a number of ways). So what you want cant happen. Btw did you watch the video? Do you think team selection is the only variable? Do you think really that Jose is not making changes even though the same players start? Wow!