robsblubot

Kepa is just being Kepa: not making mistakes, but showing his level by not making the difficult saves. He was also ball watching just like the rest of the defense.

I also prefer a more energetic manager on the sidelines, but it's just style. Anchelotti is also super chill.

yup, it can only be exciting if the squad can be competitive enough to get results, which is clearly not the case. I do think that with time, a few tweaks, and some players back, the team can improve, but I'm afraid this squad can't compete for any silverware (including cups here). "we'll finally become Brighton" 😆 that does seem like the goal doesn't it?

Poch thinks the squad is shit. He plays all defense because he believes that, and I think he's right. Like I said many times, it's a U23 Olympic team facing senior players. Just look at who have won and done well (reach semis) in the olympic football vs World Cup. Isn't Aston Villa a better team *right now*? Don't they have better, more experienced players in several key positions? Goalie for ex? One step is needed to make us a relegation candidate, and that is sacking the manager. Like I wrote elsewhere, I don't agree with all Poch's choices, but I understand why he makes them. Enzo looks like a club issue: he needs to be dissuaded about moving to a more attacking role. He looks absolutely awful playing there.

Just watched the game and the better team won. horror tackle aside, Gusto looks pretty average to me, but again like the vast majority of our signings yet another work in progress. One team had Zaniolo as left winger, while the other had Mudryk. Mudryk has one strength and that is through balls as he found Jackson (another poor game) in the 25th minute. He really can do nothing else tho. He attempted to dribble past players and consistently lost the football every time. A bit better from Caicedo, but what did people expect from him moving from Brighton? The goal: Thiago Silva error and Sanchez lack of quality (Villa's goalie is twice the player too). Colwill did well in that play actually. The midfield is really worrying: club needs to convince Enzo that he's not a CAM. I'd say he's been awful in his new role. I also think Gallagher is better going forward as he at least has mobility and shoots. Enzo does not produce anything in attack... we are losing one of the few WC players we had left. 😕 We are completely dependent on Sterling; when he's on form we can score and win, if not, like today, we will struggle. Team does not shoot enough either. Some of the blame lies with Enzo, as mentioned above. I honestly think folks here and Pochettino have a very different idea about the overall quality of the squad; I tend to agree with Poch on this one. No, I don't agree with all his choices, but I understand why he makes them.

Speaking of which, he's a crazy idea: stop trying to pass into the the net and try to shoot a bit?! It's also a lot easier to score when you shoot on goal, you know? it takes a much smaller deflection to put the ball in the back of the net. 😅

Isn't this just yet another challenge for what we are trying to do? we are NOT a club that can offer minutes to younger player, at least not without strings attached. Which means, we rely on loans and "trust" so that other clubs may provide that. Evidently that's not for granted, however much sway we may think we have.

It will happen... just not this season. 😉

I do think the team will improve, and being a home game there is a good chance that that alone will help the younger players to perform better. I suspect away games will be tough for the entire season, unless we do some very smart business in Jan. I've commented before the season started that even if we forget about the supposedly (debatable) quality of the squad, and instead simply focus entirely on teamwork, it would still take quite a bit of time to get a new team going. Add to that the fact some players are quite young and inexperienced, and we will need to have loads of patience. Because of that, I also expect performances to fluctuate quite a bit as well. So, we may have a good/great game where everything clicks, hopefully against Villa 😅, followed by another where things don't go so well. That's really the natural progression of an (almost) completely new squad. Not losing that last game was important. Need to get points and slowly build confidence, and you do that by not losing. Play like shit, still, don't lose the fucking match. I don't particularly like this team in general-one of the worst Chelsea teams I've seen tbh. I'm also far from happy with what the club has been doing, but I do think we should have enough quality to play better... mostly by improving as a team. Younger players who lack confidence, and/or are still trying to find their game, will naturally play better as the team improves. I honestly don't care a whole lot about the starting XI selection; contrary to many here, I don't see a huge gap in quality between the picks. Just need to get the result! A win here would do wonders. 🤞

OT, but Heard good things about Olimpia's Mateo Gamarra (22). Paraguay has a history for producing excellent defenders. He's short for CB at 5'11", so could imagine him moving to FB in a physical league like PL, but I've also seen some excellent short CBs in the past, like Paraguay's Carlos Gamarra who once stopped England in the World Cup.

Well he did undertake the hammy surgery before moving there. As someone who thought we should have retained him if possible (in any capacity), I also have to say the demands of Saudi league aren't really comparable with the PL.

They both look pretty average to me, but Chalobah is much quicker.

heh good point. If you consider the "expensive" bets we've been making, this will happen again as some of these players won't pan out, which means this contract is the best they will ever get. Long deals... high wages... big club... why would they leave?

There is always toxicity inside the locker room. Out of 25 or so players, we've got more today, some play and some do not. The ones who don't play, who don't get minutes, are never really happy. It's up to the the manager and coaches to keep everyone engaged and "wanting." Player's agents? just ignore them. A lot more than getting rid of a few unhappy players separate us from having a winning side.

OK so, we are safe from a Brighton buy except if it's Ferguson... 18yo, single season, from Brighton... it checks all boxes 🙂 Far weaker opposition, often physically weaker too, and a lot less pressure. Bring them back and it would be the same as before.

Think we are safe from buying another Brighton player for a while. 😅

You are right that Thiago *should* be doing that, but I think he can't anymore.

boy we've been sooooo patient with him... we all see the bad touches don't we? it's not like he can hide it. And yet we just hope he will turn a corner at some point.

Agreed. Would just add a correlation between the type of player we signed--how physically unprepared they are for the PL, and injuries. It's not evidently a 1to1 thing, but I'd not be surprised if there is a slight causation in the mix.

He will enjoy a lot of space and opportunity to score until he does; Enzo will enjoy nothing. Enzo will be tight market from the get go at all times, while Conor will have the opportunity to *become* a threat. Last showing was NOT encouraging tho.

game's faster, more intense with most teams doing high press during good stretches of the game. There is no free lunch. Perisic is a very good player and the type of player I wish we had gone for for obvious reasons; would be able to stabilize the team esp under pressure.

Mudryk is perma-confused chasing the ball after his poor first touch. Maatsen is a great idea... let's get another aspiring footballer to play against professional footballers...what can go wrong? even better another 21yo fucking nobody who refuses to sign a contract.

"the players have been loading muscle time" because of their age and build. They need to bulk up in order to play in the PL. Since they *also* need to play, we have issues.

sure the lack of representation is an issue in politics and worst in the US esp because of the amount of money in politics. Though, my warning again is that MAGA/Trump is a different beast that goes way beyond 👆

I'd agree if we were talking democrats vs republicans of old. "death by a dependance system" is a silly talking point because it presumes a binary choice, where very little in life is. It's same trick they do with health care: they propose a binary choice when it does not have to be. MAGA and Trump is not a normal republican thing; I think this is the part that folks outside of the US don't get: Trump wants to change so much that *that* will definitely bleed into the rest of the western world. I feel Trump has a transactional relationship with the Republican Party likely the same way he has with his wife. 😅