Chelsea? 892 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 The quicker we keep Eden from 10 role, the better. Really would like to see us in a 433 with Eden on the right to see how he does over there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacquiao 1,834 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Park the bus and hope for the best!CechIvanovic - Cahill - Terry - A.ColeMikel - EssienRamires - Meireles - BertrandTorres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorontoChelsea 4,064 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 So? Does that mean we should just keep Mata on the bench whenever we come up against physical opponents?!Of course not. Mata doesn't struggle against physical opponents, he struggles in the defensive counter-attack system we played late in the CL last season. We played it in 3 matches and Mata was poor in those matches. It's not a system we will be looking to play so it shouldn't matter. Mata shouldn't play a full match though because the game really doesn't matter. Better now than when it would hurt us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didierforever 7,349 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 For what? Mata will get bullied off the ball all the time as he is always against physically much stronger opponents or whenhe is not fresh. Against yaya toure and de jong he will not hold on to one single balldo u forget the man city matches last season and how mata BULLIED kompany with his touches. anyways he was our player of the season and always one of our best players on the pitch in any match, against any opposition... plus pre-season has already shown how much we need mata. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kieran. 6,317 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Premier League winners vs. Champions League winners.Come on lads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Lamps 11,692 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 do u forget the man city matches last season and how mata BULLIED kompany with his touches. anyways he was our player of the season and always one of our best players on the pitch in any match, against any opposition... plus pre-season has already shown how much we need mata.I never doubted Mata had an astonishing contribution last season, u could argue if he really was our best player last season but he is truly a great player. I also remember when he completely humilated Kompany. Though, 1. this was on the wings so he had more space to execute his skill, 2. he was overturned and stopped by Kompany, who is a distinctly faster player and got overturend and tackled. Okay we got a freekick, but that is what i am aiming at. He might have brought the ball some metres (or " yards " ) into the oppositon's half, but here is why that exact action indicates, why he is NOT and automatic choice for the City game. Mata went to the wing ( in a sort of counter attack try ) because he got bullied in the center. We need to counter attack city over the wings, which is one of the most effective ways to beat them. As u say Mata is not suited for a counter attacking game. On the wings he is to slow and not effectively tracking back, in the centre he will get bullied by City. In addition one reason because his form sunk a bit in the latter stages of te season was because he was so tired of playing all the time, he lacked sharpness. Now he comes back from the Olympics. I would not want to play a not completely refreshed Mata against some of the most physical defensive players of the EPL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic! 301 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Just don't let Kompany free in the box on corners. He's like the JT of City. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacquiao 1,834 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Just don't let Kompany free in the box on corners. He's like the JT of City.and they shouldn't let JT, Ivanovic or Cahill/Luiz free in the box. Otherwise we will punish them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xPetrCechx 13,586 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Real Won 5-1 Milan. That's how u need to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic! 301 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I wonder if Hazard and Lukaku are available. I think national training already starts before the 12th for the friendly game against The Netherlands August 15th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinol 337 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 The quicker we keep Eden from 10 role, the better. Really would like to see us in a 433 with Eden on the right to see how he does over there.Didnt we play just like that in our last pre season game? And we all saw how that went... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capriccioso 2,545 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Premier League winners vs. Champions League winners.Come on lads.The stature of the teams doesn't change the fact that its a glorified pre season friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heisenberg 1,824 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 If we play some good contre attacking football , we'll beat them ; we have a stronger squad than the previous year, and Eden Hazard/Ramires on the wings are very quick , Mata in the center to give them good balls , we can do it ; Hope Torres will be good , because its his last chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didierforever 7,349 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I never doubted Mata had an astonishing contribution last season, u could argue if he really was our best player last season but he is truly a great player. I also remember when he completely humilated Kompany. Though, 1. this was on the wings so he had more space to execute his skill, 2. he was overturned and stopped by Kompany, who is a distinctly faster player and got overturend and tackled. Okay we got a freekick, but that is what i am aiming at. He might have brought the ball some metres (or " yards " ) into the oppositon's half, but here is why that exact action indicates, why he is NOT and automatic choice for the City game. Mata went to the wing ( in a sort of counter attack try ) because he got bullied in the center. We need to counter attack city over the wings, which is one of the most effective ways to beat them. As u say Mata is not suited for a counter attacking game. On the wings he is to slow and not effectively tracking back, in the centre he will get bullied by City. In addition one reason because his form sunk a bit in the latter stages of te season was because he was so tired of playing all the time, he lacked sharpness. Now he comes back from the Olympics. I would not want to play a not completely refreshed Mata against some of the most physical defensive players of the EPL.who says that he will get bullied in the center. even in the bayern match he held the ball better than dd, he dint get bullied off the ball by kroos and bastian. the only problem was that he dint have any outlet but with hazard in the team mata can feed off of hazard and the other way round. plus we have to test mata and hazard together atleast once before the start of the real season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Lamps 11,692 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Don't get your points. I think i have often observed Mata being bullied off the ball by physically stronger opponents. Kroos and Schweinsteiger are as weakish as Mata, so I don't know what that has to do with that, dunno why they should be a benchmark, their defensive abilites are average. I think wigan is enough of a test before the season. Anyhow I don't argue, Mata shouldn't play. But I would not play him for more than one half and probably wouldn't start him for the reasons elucidated above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesChick 1,260 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 What is parking the bus?I have wondered the same thing but from reading the boys posts I assume it means to play a defensive game and hope to score on set pieces (not worry so much about the offensive side of things) and to not attack as much.Am I right guys?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bir_CFC 3,455 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I have wondered the same thing but from reading the boys posts I assume it means to play a defensive game and hope to score on set pieces (not worry so much about the offensive side of things) and to not attack as much.Am I right guys??lol yeah i was just making a lame jeopardy joke, he wrote a page where he could have just said let's park the bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xPetrCechx 13,586 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I have wondered the same thing but from reading the boys posts I assume it means to play a defensive game and hope to score on set pieces (not worry so much about the offensive side of things) and to not attack as much.Am I right guys?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHOULO19 24,332 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I have wondered the same thing but from reading the boys posts I assume it means to play a defensive game and hope to score on set pieces (not worry so much about the offensive side of things) and to not attack as much.Am I right guys??The definition of parking the bus is what we did against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Django 83 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I think this is really difficult to accurately predict. None of us really have any idea where the two teams are in terms of fitness right now, and pre-season never really gives away much. And for those of us who remember winning this in 2000, it's more than a glorified friendly - a trophy is a trophy, and while not the biggest one, it's still nice to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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