The way back on track

[BLionheart 516]

Judging from the comments and posts of most of the chelsea fans , most of them are very surprised with our defeat today , well tbh i wasn't .. at all , although i was surprised by the manner by which we gave the game away .

Right now CFC are in the middle of something , i don't what it is ... it feels like a transition period for me but it doesn't look like one because in transition periods you are supposed to get rid of the fuckin dead wood and replace it with fresh players , right ? but that ain't happening !

We will be shitting ourselves if we believed we have a chance to win the premiership with that squad , so why don't we use this year to build for the future while still fighting for the Champions league !

We have a lot of dead wood that needs to fuck off , Drogba - Anelka - Kalou - Malouda for instance are four players who are supposed to be our reliable replacements for the front line , but the truth is they are not reliable they are barely average for me and they are just denying this space from real replacements .

Too many above average players will only get you to an above average position , the likes of (Miereles - Ramires - Malouda - Bosingwa - Alex -Sturridge - Ivanovic - Lampard"now" - Mikel - Drogba"now" - Anelka"now") unfortunately are all just above average players.

Compared to real title contenders we lack the most important weapon in a winning team nowadays which is creativity , you need very creative attacking unit with a mix of pace , trickery and killer passes if you are looking to be a champion.

so while united have that in Nani - Young - Rooney - Valencia , and city have that in Silva - Nasri - Aguero - Johnsen .... we have only one creative player Juan Mata !! unless you consider Kalou - Malouda - Anelka as creative players.

So with a mix of Excellent players (Cech - Luiz - Terry - Cole - Mata) and some above average players we have what can be considered as a decent starting 11 but not one of the best , and while most big teams use the bench to insert forwards and attacking players who can change a game , we have some very good subs defensively but in attack our substitutes are more miserable than our starting forwards.

Big changes have been waiting to happen for a long time , and there is no better timing for them to take place than this year and under the vision of AVB.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

But we all know this already, even during the "good spell".

Cech

RB - Luiz - Terry - Cole

Romeu

Mata - Ramires

RW - Torres/Sturridge - LW

This is what we need. I feel sorry for Sturridge, but he is not a right-winger.

[Spike 12,049]

We need to sort our this damn defensive problem first.

[laura90 556]

Before this season has begun, I was concerned for our spot in top four. I'm so sorry for this. Indeed, our top four spot seems to be in jeopardy. That is the price of keeping some players too long in the club.

AVB has made one tremendous mistake, introducing Bosingwa as a right back and automatically putting Ivanovic out of his ( right back) position. That way we lost solid right back, which have cost us big time.

High defensive line is a mistake for both, premier league and our defenders. I know that high defensive line suits attack, but no attack is good if don't have trust in defence.

-Good attack has always been based on good defence. If players are not confident in defensive line, it presents enormous weakness. We got out from last year crisis with solid defence, it was our trademark and losing it can be big blow for the entire team.

However, it's not late. Things can still be repaired.

- I don't want to see Bosingwa at right back again ( altought Ivan will need time to adjust). We need to play defense Ivanovic- Luiz(Alex)-Terry -Cole( Bertrand).

- Luiz and Bosingwa should never play together ( that leaves right side too exposed).

-Terry-Ivanovic as CBs also is bad combo. I hope AVB will realize that. This first.

- In January, we need to buy proper right winger, and Sturridge needs to be second striker or to challenge Torres for main striker place. He is a striker with instinct to score not to create chances what winger is supposed to do. He can be a superb winger against lower teams where he will get enough space to score, but against tougher opposition, where his ability to create ( not only for strikers) comes first and where he won't get that much space, he might dissapear. He is a bit selfish too, and that is very bad thing for wingers.

- Forget about Modrić, is there any other player of his type avaliable?

- We might need CB in winter transfer window too, but right winger is a must, so that our fullbacks stay back!

-We need to offload Malouda, Drogba, sorry maybe Anelka, Ferreira or Bosingwa and Kalou to make space for new players, or even our youngsters! They will make more effort , if nothing.

[chrismada9 1,948]

We need to sort our this damn defensive problem first.

Our defenders are the right sort, it's the idea of a high defensive line that's the problem. AVB needs to understand that you don't go into matches against big clubs with a high defensive line because you are going to get caught out. I seem to notice that, particularly in home matches. Every time the opposition attack, we look sixes and sevens at the back and there's so much space for them to pick one of their team-mates out for a pop at goal.

Patience is the key. We've been so successful in matches where we have played a patient passing game, and making the opposition feel tired trying to take the ball away from us. We benefitted that from our days under Mourinho, and during Carlo's first tenure as manager where we won the league. It may not have been free-flowing football we had coughed up, but free-flowing football doesn't mean anything if you're winning trophies!

But, this season under AVB, rather than playing our usual patient game, we've been the complete opposite. We get to a stage where we have so many players going forward, trying to make quick decisions a la Malouda/Kalou/Drogba that doesn't materialise because they are being pressured, then suddenly in a split second, we get caught on the break... I'm not just talking about Arsenal here... there have been many times where the opposition have been swimming around in space inside our half because either our marking is terrible, or our defensive line is too advanced.

I honestly think AVB needs to understand the ideas of patient football, because that's what the vast majority of our players are used to!

[incometax 116]

if we dont get top 4(i dont think we will), no new stadium, mata will leave within 2 years and its rip chelsea as a top club. THere iis just so many problems with the team. The fact rameries, a guy with no skill or techinal ability what so ever is our best midfielder is where the problem starts. we have 1 worldclass player right now, and thats mata. Everyone else is over it, or as ppl on this forum are describing as above average but not worldclass.

We need so many new players, and if we were to rebuild now, at least 4 years till we would be titles contenders. Dislike this all you like you know inside of all of you this is the absolute truth. What can you do? Idk slag those cunts on cpo that voted no... but pretty much not much else. Its rip chelsea for a while my friends, it was a fun 2003-2010. It was fun years filled with trophies and sorrows, but ambarmovic and chelsea changed football forever, i think its made it more exciting with forein owners pumping mass money, and we helped make the premier league the top league if anything. This is our legacy that we have left behind. Its over guys, it was fun, it was emotional, but the time comes for everything.

[termninja 5,290]

^

Yeah let's give up, jump of the bridge. We have a shit squad with a shit coach. We don't have history and a big stadium. We don't have enough young players and the refs hate us. We will never be in the Champions League again...

MAN UP FFS and support your fecking club!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_3D9PThUb0

[Blue Armour 4,287]

I don't want to sit on a chair in front of a PC and teach AVB tactics, but he should know by now that we are NOT Barcelona...They can afford to have a high defensive line against tough opposition because for the majority of the match, the ball will be in the opposition's half...

Attacking football is fine and everything (I love watching us attack this season), but you have teams like City scoring 5's and 6's without conceding too many goals....AVB has to make a secure defense one of the topmost priorities...I don't think that's too much to ask...

[chrismada9 1,948]

I don't want to sit on a chair in front of a PC and teach AVB tactics, but he should know by now that we are NOT Barcelona...They can afford to have a high defensive line against tough opposition because for the majority of the match, the ball will be in the opposition's half...

Attacking football is fine and everything (I love to watching us attack this season), but you have teams like City scoring 5's and 6's without conceding too many goals....AVB has to make a secure defense one of the topmost priorities...I don't think that's too much to ask...

AVB needs to learn from his mentor Mourinho! I mean, FFS it was Mourinho who started the so-called "boring and patient" football with us in the first place, surely he has some idea of the philosophy that he interpreted from that!

[Blue Armour 4,287]

AVB needs to learn from his mentor Mourinho! I mean, FFS it was Mourinho who started the so-called "boring and patient" football with us in the first place, surely he has some idea of the philosophy that he interpreted from that!

I hope AVB stays true to his word...He's often said that the result is more important than attacking football for a club like Chelsea, but in the big games played so far we haven't seen that philosophy put into practice...

[nadavTKL 1,787]

One thing i dont get is why i see people here talk about a creative midfielder that was needed? (didnt saw it in any other Chelsea

forum i visit) Mata and Lampard were brilliant in the first half, created so much, its obvious that we should have score at least 4 in

that 1st half. With Lampard playing great now, Mata who is just amazing, and Remires who improve all the time, i dont think AMF is

a must for now.

We need better players in 3 positions:

Right winger- Daniel is just not good enough there in that moment. Maybe in the future.

DM- Mikel is just awful, thats it, its pathetic to see you defending him all the time. Again, its the only forum i see it, everyone else

i know completly agree he's shit for us. Doesnt give anything in the attack, and do so much mistakes on the defense, and he's so soft...

Right back- Bos is just bad defensively.

[Sheva. 5,373]

DM- Mikel is just awful, thats it, its pathetic to see you defending him all the time. Again, its the only forum i see it, everyone else

i know completly agree he's shit for us. Doesnt give anything in the attack, and do so much mistakes on the defense, and he's so soft...

I am beginning to realize this, he's alright against lesser opposition, but it's hard to remember the last time he actually played well against a top team.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

I am beginning to realize this, he's alright against lesser opposition, but it's hard to remember the last time he actually played well against a top team.

Yeah.

He has his place where we do need someone to calm to pace in the last 15minutes defending a narrow lead. Otherwise, Romeu deserves to be there.

[steve5221 91]

Before this season has begun, I was concerned for our spot in top four. I'm so sorry for this. Indeed, our top four spot seems to be in jeopardy. That is the price of keeping some players too long in the club.

AVB has made one tremendous mistake, introducing Bosingwa as a right back and automatically putting Ivanovic out of his ( right back) position. That way we lost solid right back, which have cost us big time.

High defensive line is a mistake for both, premier league and our defenders. I know that high defensive line suits attack, but no attack is good if don't have trust in defence.

-Good attack has always been based on good defence. If players are not confident in defensive line, it presents enormous weakness. We got out from last year crisis with solid defence, it was our trademark and losing it can be big blow for the entire team.

However, it's not late. Things can still be repaired.

- I don't want to see Bosingwa at right back again ( altought Ivan will need time to adjust). We need to play defense Ivanovic- Luiz(Alex)-Terry -Cole( Bertrand).

- Luiz and Bosingwa should never play together ( that leaves right side too exposed).

-Terry-Ivanovic as CBs also is bad combo. I hope AVB will realize that. This first.

- In January, we need to buy proper right winger, and Sturridge needs to be second striker or to challenge Torres for main striker place. He is a striker with instinct to score not to create chances what winger is supposed to do. He can be a superb winger against lower teams where he will get enough space to score, but against tougher opposition, where his ability to create ( not only for strikers) comes first and where he won't get that much space, he might dissapear. He is a bit selfish too, and that is very bad thing for wingers.

- Forget about Modrić, is there any other player of his type avaliable?

- We might need CB in winter transfer window too, but right winger is a must, so that our fullbacks stay back!

-We need to offload Malouda, Drogba, sorry maybe Anelka, Ferreira or Bosingwa and Kalou to make space for new players, or even our youngsters! They will make more effort , if nothing.

Agree with the above, but our current squad should be good enough to get top 4 if we play the correct tactics. This naive, ridiculous gung ho approach has to be addressed. AVB is under pressure now and it will be interesting to see how he reacts....we are not Barca, so we have to play accordingly...yes we all like to see attractive football but winning football is more important....

As for new players, this FFP has really fucked us up, I dont think we can buy anyone big without offloading first to meet the criteria...

[ZanSnake 1,211]

The high line in theory is good, and it is good for an attacking football philsophy, but there needs to be a role between both Ivanovic and Terry, or whatever partnership, that one will be the one able to go more forward and the other player be the cover. The fact we rely mostly on attacking full-backs is another problem, we all know how good Bosingwa is attacking-wise compared to his defensive skills - AVB needs to priotorise which is the more lethal or calm effect on the opposition.

For the moment, i think Sturridge is doing well on the right wing, but it is clear he wants a more centeral role - what about a second-striker role?