TrippingStep

Azpi not on the bench was a mistake. As we were chasing the game, taking off Terry, ivanovic in the centre with Azpi coming on would have been better I think.

Off course but when we need to push, have very good build-up to stretch defences, were are not that good until now. And it's a Mourinho pattern, good when there is space for counter-attack and are wainting in our half but quite average when we have to create, the central defense playing deep inviting the other team to press is a trick that will not work against many teams and only slow our build-up. I miss our build-up from the back from last year with the full-back much more involved, especially Azpi who was like an extra midfielder when he had the ball. Central defense was closer the the midfield and fullback, easier to move the ball quickly from side to side, Luiz pushing, opening up angle passes. We were more organised in our attack, with a clear plan, good patterns in the runs of the players to stretch the oppositon and create openings. We were putting our attacking midfielders in better position to do damage.

one direct free-kick, one header of Ivanovic offside, only oscar's goal was goal after a good play. I hope we don't do much more scrappy games when we have to outmuscle players as we don't have them to do that.

Benitez didn't change his formation and general patterns but was more adept of small variation to exploit weaknesses of the opponent. For example, against West Ham in the second match, Mata and Hazard were like double playmakers in front of their midfield line, moving them and than making runs with the ball to open space and messing their midfield lines. Against Wigan of Martinez, we were inviting players to some zone where we were trapping them and they were unable to move the ball to the other side, winning the ball back in midfield. Against Benfica, we didn't play that well, but Ramires running behind their left back was good idea even if it weren't most time greatly executed. And on the winning goal on the corner, that was beautiful movements of many players to let Ivanovic free on the second post. Gerrard scoring many goals behind the the striker, Hamsik at Napoli, even Lampard last year from late runs is no luck, it's because of the movements of the striker, the left and right winger stretching their defense. Benitez maybe didn't change his general formation but to not notice variation depending on the opponents and clear gameplan and treating like some very bad coach is wrong for me. And the pressing on some half against Arsenal, Manchester, Tottenham where we were the boss and putting huge pressure on the opponents with some lovely movements as well is no small feat with a thing squad playing every three days.

There was will on the second half, but we had no idea. Just look at the faces of our players during the matches, they didn't know what to do when they had the ball. But I will stop as I'm an heretic for liking what Benitez did last season and not being impressed by what we have done so far under Mourinho. But we played good 20-25 minutes against Hull, were shit for a majority of time against Aston Villa, didn't create anything against Manchester United.

Wow, I have complete opposite opinion. I don't like the central defense sitting so deep, I liked the way under Benitez, we played more the off-side trap. And I prefered the way we were playing in possession, with triangles, fixating some zone to release runners on the opposite zone. They were more coordinated movements. More spanish with a methodic build-up and rehearsed coordinated movements between our players. On set-pieces, we have more clear patterns. When we were crossing, better use of spacing with one runner to the front post, one towards goal, one sitting and one on the far post, stretching the defense. In this mach, I had no clue what we were trying to do while with Benitez I knew what he wanted to do.

Well, we played 5 matches this year and in possession when we have to create space to unlock team, we look clueless. I'm not optimistic for this year. We don't have players to outmuscle like the first Mourinho team. I would have prefered to have kept Benitez, buy some midfielders. We had a good system in the last three months and except Man City were nearly always the better team. We had the central defense pushing higher than what we do, more triangles, more coordinated movements to move from side to side and penetrating moves. In this second half, we played with no plan on how to attack and were just playing on sheer will but we can't outmuscle them with the players we have.

The worst part, is that on the 5 matches so far, in possession, it's like we don't have any idea what to do. Say what you want of Benitez, but we had clear pattern, and dominated very good teams in the last three months. So far, we have looked like the Di Matteo team, the defense sitting deep, many players seeming quite slow and no coordinated movements on attack to create space.

The FSW was such a bad coach

Well I agree, it's like seeing the Di Matteo period when the players were slow as hell.

Well, even if Courtois wasn't at Chelsea, I would say so. I don't think I'm a belgian apologist on this forum, quite the opposite. I'm not a fan of Lukaku, doesn't post that much on the other belgian topic. I'm just saying that because it's a pattern I've seen on Cech, He doesn't move from his 6 yards, doesn't take many good crosses from opposition where he has to have athletic performance. He's good when he has to do a save in the same direction he was covering but when has to react quickly and put quite a lot of force on his legs, he doesn't do it and stay quite still.

Well, a goalkeeper at his best need good legs to jump, make small steps, push. His knees are fucked I think. Whenever he has to go quickly to the other direction and react quickly he can't.

See what I've said in the Cech topic, his legs are gone.

So far, I prefered the way we were playing under Benitez. This season, I don't think we played the off-side one time.

It seems to me like he has difficulties to push and jump on them. And to react quickly when he has to go opposite side to where he was replacing himself as it needs a more violent effort.

I think Cech is already declining with his legs that are not in great condition. I think a good goalkeeper could leave less work on our central defender if he could come and catch some crosses.

I've seen nearly all his matches at Lille. And except his first 6 months, where he would dribble with such speed that the rest of the team couldn't follow him, his game has never been about dribbling as much as possible. On some matches, he had to force things to make things happen but his favorite game is more about quick combinations, one touch deviation (like his backheels in the path of a runner). I think he prefers running towards a zone, drawing defenders to release a runner into space. The guy dribbling without thinking and not knowing what he would do next was Gervinho at Lille.

I disagree. On the first 45 minutes, he was often the most advanced player behind Benteke. When Scotland were losing the balls, he was already quite high on the pitch, like on the Defour goal. He could maybe play in a three man midfield with only one defensive midfielder but I don't see him playing in the pivot or he would need lots of defensive and tactical work. I don't see it, when he plays he's more an instinctive player who is not asking himself many questions.

You're wrong. Have you watched WBA matches last year? Or just because he talks big, you think he's a misunderstood talent. Ask yourself why if he's such a talent, why no big clubs don't try to have him?

You can't base your opinon on some matches against very poor asian teams. And AVB didn't rate him at all.

I think the pitch, weather in East-Asia and America in our pre-season didn't help. Lampard had also an Achilles problem if I remember during the pre-season.

Benitez had Martinez system in his pocket. The way we neutralized them and countered Wigan last year was great.

Yes I understand. It's just that it would be great if there was a free program to do that as it would take less place than to make many graphs to explain some patterns and the ideas behind it. One graph for each player movement and the reactoins of the opponent and you need 15-20 graphs to explain a build-up of play and the conclusion of it

Not on topic. But is there a program for little gifs, little videos where you can animate the plots of the team and opponents. For me it would be better to explain things as little graphics with arrows and stats of positionnal % for me doesn't mean much. As for me animated videos would explain the correlation with those graphics as there are two teams in a football pitch that reacts or not to what the other team is doing. Football for me is all about movements.

What is talent for you? Close control, changing direction with the ball, tricks to separate you from your maker, link-up play, runs to create space for other teammates, defending (pressing, closing passing lanes, not good at either one). He not good at those things and you tell me he's very talented. Just look at all this goals, either outrunning defenders leaving huge space behind them or alone on the second post, (it's 90% of his goals).