Closed Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle

[termninja 5,290]

Our best performance in the new season. I don't know if we were really that good or Newcastle wasn't up to their max, but it was probably a bit of both. We had good movement and meaningful attacks with some nice defending.

Our defense looked good generally throughout the game and 2 deep midfielders were doing their job very well. Mikel did good and Meireles' passing was alright which came to me as a big surprise...

Front 4 were good, though Bertrand didn't get involved in our attacks that much except some simple passing.

Hazard had another great game and that backheel pass for Torres' goal was wonderful. One of the rare well worked Chelsea goals I've seen for some time.

Torres did also well and I'm really happy to finally see him realize that he is a striker, not a winger...he still looks to me as he isn't as agile as he was before, but he is scoring and honestly that's all I want to see from our strikers.

Anyway, I'm really happy to see us grab a routine win against one of the strongest teams in EPL and to see our performance gradually improve game by game.

And one last thing...TOP OF THE LEAGUE, TOP OF THE LEAGUE

[Magic Lamps 11,470]

There is one think I understood completely different than most of the commentors here.

IMO, we practically played a christmas tree-like version of a 4-3-3 with mata and hazard operating as playmaking wingers, coming inside more often than not, mikel sitting in front of the defense and bertrand and meireles cramming the holes between wings and defense. This allowed hazard/mata enough space in attack, support and defensive cover, whereas also mikel, whose biggest problem is his limited range of movement thrives having a fellow midfielder on each side. So the answer is not meireles and the problem is not lampard, the solution is a mid-three. Hence i think a 4-3-3 alternating with a christmas tree with the same players is our best formation, as it comforts every players strengths. mata and hazard can go outside as well as inside, create and/or provide width, lampard (best position lcm) and ramires (best position rcm) can alternate going forward, whilst mikel has protection

[zolayes 14,489]

it was a stroll in the park (or dancing in the rain) ...one of the most comfortable and stress free games weve had for a long time.

always in control...good tempo attacking football .... PERFECT

[Leif 6,006]

There is one think I understood completely different than most of the commentors here.

IMO, we practically played a christmas tree-like version of a 4-3-3 with mata and hazard operating as playmaking wingers, coming inside more often than not, mikel sitting in front of the defense and bertrand and meireles cramming the holes between wings and defense. This allowed hazard/mata enough space in attack, support and defensive cover, whereas also mikel, whose biggest problem is his limited range of movement thrives having a fellow midfielder on each side. So the answer is not meireles and the problem is not lampard, the solution is a mid-three. Hence i think a 4-3-3 alternating with a christmas tree with the same players is our best formation, as it comforts every players strengths. mata and hazard can go outside as well as inside, create and/or provide width, lampard (best position lcm) and ramires (best position rcm) can alternate going forward, whilst mikel has protection

YESSSS!!!

I was literally just about to write something very similar.

[warnie_666 1,081]

There is one think I understood completely different than most of the commentors here.

IMO, we practically played a christmas tree-like version of a 4-3-3 with mata and hazard operating as playmaking wingers, coming inside more often than not, mikel sitting in front of the defense and bertrand and meireles cramming the holes between wings and defense. This allowed hazard/mata enough space in attack, support and defensive cover, whereas also mikel, whose biggest problem is his limited range of movement thrives having a fellow midfielder on each side. So the answer is not meireles and the problem is not lampard, the solution is a mid-three. Hence i think a 4-3-3 alternating with a christmas tree with the same players is our best formation, as it comforts every players strengths. mata and hazard can go outside as well as inside, create and/or provide width, lampard (best position lcm) and ramires (best position rcm) can alternate going forward, whilst mikel has protection

Absolutely. We played the Christmas Tree. but the conventional 4-3-3 is something we wont see again as we would be playing 4-2-3-1 more often

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

There is one think I understood completely different than most of the commentors here.

IMO, we practically played a christmas tree-like version of a 4-3-3 with mata and hazard operating as playmaking wingers, coming inside more often than not, mikel sitting in front of the defense and bertrand and meireles cramming the holes between wings and defense. This allowed hazard/mata enough space in attack, support and defensive cover, whereas also mikel, whose biggest problem is his limited range of movement thrives having a fellow midfielder on each side. So the answer is not meireles and the problem is not lampard, the solution is a mid-three. Hence i think a 4-3-3 alternating with a christmas tree with the same players is our best formation, as it comforts every players strengths. mata and hazard can go outside as well as inside, create and/or provide width, lampard (best position lcm) and ramires (best position rcm) can alternate going forward, whilst mikel has protection

Except if you look at our players average positioning, it was actually a pretty typical 4-2-3-1 and it has been all season. Our centrebacks play deep with Mikel being the next deepest and then Cole, Lampard/Meireles, and Ivanovic being around the middle of the park. Then our 3 attacking midfielders being up front and Torres in front of them. The one issue we've had so far is that both Mata and Hazard both play centrally so whichever flank one of them is supposed to be covering is always vacated.

[zolayes 14,489]

I think it must be recognised Tiote wasnt playing ... if he had been Eden wouldnt have had a chance. so we were really lucky :ph34r:

[Kezza 1,965]

Lol just talked to my Newcastle mate. Told him that the magpies didn't turn up, he replied yeah but the cheat Torres did.

Butt hurt much?

[termninja 5,290]

I think it must be recognised Tiote wasnt playing ... if he had been Eden wouldnt have had a chance. so we were really lucky :ph34r:

Jokes and sarcasm aside, when Tiote didn't play for Newcastle we beat them 3-0 and 2-0. When Tiote played for Newcastle we lost 0-2 at the Bridge

[Magic Lamps 11,470]

Jokes and sarcasm aside, when Tiote didn't play for Newcastle we beat them 3-0 and 2-0. When Tiote played for Newcastle we lost 0-2 at the Bridge

yeah but Tiote did not play that well in that match and got injured early in the second half. It was rather Cisse who teared apart an uninspired B-Team with two amazing goals

[ymalleb 14]

is just me or did Mata & Hazard both played the free role? seems most of us were concerned in pre-season in where to play both of them since both are favorite to play behind striker (the no 10 position). but now seems, it has been solved by RDM. The interchanging passes between Mata & Hazard is very neat, one deserved a credits as much as the other i guess. Just hope that Oscar will find the rhythm to get into the mix soon. Then we'll our own version of tiki-taka

[nachikethas 1,149]

ben arfa is poor mans hazard!

[termninja 5,290]

yeah but Tiote did not play that well in that match and got injured early in the second half. It was rather Cisse who teared apart an uninspired B-Team with two amazing goals

Oh well, that was the only game I missed for the last 2 seasons

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

ben arfa is poor mans hazard!

A very poor man's Hazard.

[nachikethas 1,149]

A very poor man's Hazard.

thtas harsh i say.. our players couldnt get the ball from him at all... a very good player

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

is just me or did Mata & Hazard both played the free role? seems most of us were concerned in pre-season in where to play both of them since both are favorite to play behind striker (the no 10 position). but now seems, it has been solved by RDM. The interchanging passes between Mata & Hazard is very neat, one deserved a credits as much as the other i guess. Just hope that Oscar will find the rhythm to get into the mix soon. Then we'll our own version of tiki-taka

It's actually a problem (not the tiki-taka which will likely never happen, but the free-role). Both players are physically occupying mostly the same space on the pitch right now. It means that we are a very narrow attacking team right now. We need to be able to go wide with some success at some point.

[robsblubot 3,262]

Newcastle appeared poor because of Chelsea marking and RDM tactics. Had Chelsea allowed them space, esp behind defense line, and newcastle would've done a lot better.

I'm impressed with RDM tactics so far. It seems CL last season wasn't a fluke and he can certainly read the opponents' strengths and weaknesses.

Bertrand is obviously poor on the ball (compared to other alternatives) but RDM obviously wanted to block that side. Fine alternative against tough opponents, but he can go even more defensive by doing the same on the other side with Ramires for example. That's for the next face off with Barca...

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

We have the players now to keep the ball better so I hope we never park the bus to the extent we did against Barca last season.