TrippingStep

I like that youtube video.

Against Scotland, the next match, it wasn't as good. I hate when Wilmots put a midfield trio of Witsel, Dembele, Fellaini or Chadli and the way the play is so rigid and quite static. Ok the mifielders are good to hold the ball but they kill all the space in front and against Wales and other matches, we had the "wingers" isolated on the wing with no support and the only option to either cross or giving the ball backwards. A bit like the first two three matches under Benitez. It's no surprise that all the better performances by the offensive players have come from the bench when the other team leaves more space as the team is not good to create spaces by the movements and passing. I would prefer that Debruyne and Hazard play together between the lines, with Mirallas on the other wing, offering width and coming as a second striker to support Benteke.

He is talented but he would need to work on his body and I fear that the england press and fans would tear him apart if he's acting a bit too often like a cry baby when the defenders are a bit rough. I think he is staying at Santos one year too much. Like Hazard, he would need to adapt to a different tactical play and i think the learning curve would be even longer.

And Lukaku could be the forward we use when we are happy to sit back and let him run on the spaces the other team would leave. But for me Lukaku does not fit like Cavani would. Cavani is used to the latin european and south american style of playing football that would fit our attacking midfielders.

I don't agree that we played not enough on him. He was on two one on one on lampard and moses cross. two low crosses from hazard to the near post, one a bit too fast and the other one cleared by a defender at the last moment. He had another one possible one on one when he tangled with the defender, perhaps he could have tried to take the ball with his left foot, another possibility on the right when he took too much time to shoot. And he could have had another one if Demel had not clipped the right foot of hazard, as he was coming from behind and the left side of West Ham open. He had good movements, was letting the team move the ball, only his finishing was not good, at least he wasn't breaking the play. I don't agree that a striker should always be the key player in attack. Look at the Juventus team, they don't have great strikers, Barcelona, Dotrmund, Spanish national team; the forward is not the key player, they don't play all the balls to them, they will play them when needed but they also uses his movements dragging defenders away to let other players take the space.

And on the two low crosses of Hazard on the right towards the near post, he made a good run each time.

I disagree on Lukaku, at West Brom he plays in a counter-attack team and has lot of space to run. The intricate running, link-up play is not his strength. Cavani for me would be the best forward for our team. The way he played for Forlan and Suarez in the uruguayan side is what we need.

Mandaka and you are partially right. Some moves he made, he already tried it at Lilles but the technical quality of the players there were not great. Always 1second too slow to pass the ball in the pocket of space Hazard had to run past players. With Balmont, Gervinho, Debuchy, they had so much players running blind alleys, it was frustrating to watch. Like they were not doing the same sport. But you're also right, Benitez improved Hazard on some of his movements. And for example inside the box, he moves a lot better than before, positioning himself in front of defenders to be first on the ball if the keeper fumble a little bit. But it's easier with a player like Mata than with a player like Gervinho. At the end, Hazard was not following as much Gervinho as he would never looked to make a pass and know when to stop running.

Good, we didn't need to spend too much energy in this match. At times, it seems like we were playing an exhibition match, harlem globe trotter style

I would put Luiz in the midfield to win headers in the zone just before the central defense. Ramires and Hazard to come off the bench. Hazard made many high intensity runs in the last game.

Well, it's the same line-up but to credit Benitez, we don't defend the same way. We close down more quicly on the side, while with Di Matteo, we were letting teams cross much more, shooting from 20-25 yards. What I didn't like, was that he tried to change too much the offense to play more directly for Torres.

I was quite impressed by the pressing and hard work of Steaua. The thing I didn't like was the long ball of Cech, I understand them if there is lot of pressure but when there is more time, we should build up more cleanly from the back. And you understand why Barcelona want a goalkeeper very good with his feet. I know that the defenders must also do their part but they would do it more willingly with a keeper that is good with the ball at his feet.

The british press is overly critical on him. I understand some of the critics but some by the pundits were ridiculous I thought. Like when he goes to a side blocking or slowing down an opponent on the wing, It's not bad play like some "experts" say; better doing that than staying in the middle, offering much more time for the opponent to pick up running players from behind.

Next year he would not start many games for Chelsea. If we continue with Hazard Oscar Mata behind the striker, we need a forward who is good technically and can make space with short runs, dummies with very good timing. West Brom as we saw when we played against them sits very deep and Lukaku is quite good when he can run in spaces. I could see us using him as a sub, where he could outrun the defenders and outpace them towards the goal.

And in regards to Manchester, Giggs and Scholes are often mentioned but they forget how Beckham leaved while he was a huge star marketing wise.

--------------Azpilicueta------------Ivanovic------------Cahill----------------Cole--------- ------------------------------------------------Luiz---------------------------------------------- ----------------------------Ramires-----------------------Oscar------------------------------ -------------------Mata-------------------------------------------------Moses----------------- ----------------------------------------------Ba Or hazard at the left and Moses on the right. Much more dynamism in midfield and at the right back. For me it would be the best team we could field. And the opponent could not press so easily our fullback with Ramires and Oscar making a passing option. And besides, if there are holes in midfield, our three midfielders can run past people if there is space. I don't want to see Mikel Lampard together, they are too static in the build-up play.

Well Steaua could press with numbers on the side because we played so slowly from the back and Mikel Lampard are not renowned for their runs with the ball. Ramires with his engine offers often help the right back or right winger to have a passing option and if there's a hole in the midfield, he will run past players. I hope the chelsea board realises that we need midfielders.

worst match of Chelsea this year, like no one wanted to play and the pitch was awful. Steaua did a good pressing but it was easy for them to do it with such space between our lines. Huge gap between Terry Luiz and Mikel Lampard and an even bigger one betwwen them and Oscar. Long balls to no one and as there was huge gaps between the players, we had no chance to win the second balls. Hazard and Oscar had their worst game of the year, Hazard even seemed like he didn't want to play and was fed up. Ramires was missed. At Least Steaua would have to contain his runs, things that Mikel and Lampard cannot do, even if they leave space, they don't have to worry that one of them would drive past.

I don't like how Benitez use him. I've read a couple of weeks ago that Benitez asked him to play higher and more like a second forward and with our midfield, I think it's a bad idea.

Luiz in midfield was a good idea of him but on matches against Corinthians and Manchester City, he doesn't play him. Asking Mata top play higher and nearer Torres since he has arrived is not a good idea. Against Newcastle and Manchester City, they could have been opportunities against Clichy and Debuchy and he decides to play Bertrand and Ramires on the wing against them. Clichy would have more difficulties if we played Azpi, Moses and Ramires in midfield three, players that could punish when they're out of position but it must be too obvious for Benitez. And I don't like the fact that against the weaker teams, we are much worse on the possession with him, wasting much more energy on these games.

FSW did stupind things today but it's mancini's quote. an City manager Roberto Mancini acknowledged the penalty save by Hart was significant but believed his team were on track to win the game anyway. 'It was important after our game against Southampton to start this game well, strongly, and not concede anything,' said the Italian. 'It was not easy because Chelsea have fantastic players. It is difficult to play against Chelsea, against Mata and Ba, Hazard and Lampard, but I was sure we could do a good game today. 'The penalty save was important because maybe the game could change, but if they scored we had 40 minutes left and we were playing well. We deserved to win because we played well and we could score maybe more goals

I really don't understand what was on the mind of Benitez. My first 11 against City would have been. --------------Azpilicueta------------Ivanovic------------Cahill----------------Cole----------- -------------------------------------------Luiz--------------------------------------------------- --------------------------Ramires-------------------Oscar------------------------------------- --------------Moses-----------------------------------------------------Hazard---------------- --------------------------------------------Ba---------------------------------------------------- Azpilicueta and Ramires have good connection. Clichy is often suspect on the space behind him and Moses is quite good to go behind people. Luiz Ramires Oscar are used to play together. Oscar and Hazard have the same natural play and could be using quite well Ba's play with his back to goal. I really don't understand his choices, Ivanovic is bad at right back. Luiz cahill doesn't work, awful chemistry between the two. Mikel Lampard have not enough dynamism. Mata Torres I would have saved them for the last 15-20 minutes when the game would have open up.

I could not see the match. But what a shitty selection from Benitez. Why Ivanovic at right back. Why not Luiz in midfield. And the midfield, wtf was that. Benitez made the worst possible choices on his selection. Mikel Luiz Ramires. Luiz Lampard Oscar. Luiz Ramires Oscar would have been much better. Luiz cahill is the worst central defense option.

It's not like Torres was world class when he was playing with Liverpool against teams that were sitting deep. And I disagree that all strikers would look like shit. Perhaps the Torres, Lukaku type because they were relying on their pace and space in front of them but Van Persie, Cavani would look good even in this chelsea team.

If only we had a Cavani like striker in our team. Oscar is excellent to run into spaces after a pass to a player who post up in front of the defender like a center in basket. In open play we are dangerous when him and Hazard can set-up plays when one of them post up in front of a defender and lay the ball off quickly into the run of the guy behind running into spaces like he did on his goal this Thursday. His goal remind me the same play they did against Stoke.