César Azpilicueta

[Fernando 6,585]

Zouma and azpi are costing us too much. 

I'm sorry for azpi but he is not good anymore. Maybe move him to cb but he no longer cuts it at this position. 

[Blue Armour 4,436]

6 hours ago, Robchels said:

Yes I absolutely am. Regarding why, perhaps I wasn’t clear in my opinion. Probably my own fault.

i absolutely believe they are all letting the team down and azpi is struggling because of them, not the other way around. Had he had senior players, ready players (not prospects) around and in front of him, his life would’ve been much easier.

the mistakes youngsters make all the time are 100% ignored here. When Tammy shows too much of the football and is easily dispossessed it is ok because he’s young and scores.

Azpi was playing alongside a very green cb next to him for crying out lot!

things are just a bit more nuanced in team sports. 

Passing the ball is all about the opposition too! We don’t know what James will do in the PL yet do we? My point remains the last thing this teams needs right now is yet another 19yo especially replacing the captain and the only defender who can read the game atm.

in short, replacing azpi at this time has to the the craziest thing I’ve heard.

stats are also nuanced. Is he being dispossessed because he suddenly can’t pass, or because he has no clear targets working close to him and moving into empty spaces to pass to?  he actually made a brilliant play assisting Tammy in last game.

I agree with your points about Reece James. There is no guarantee that he will be the answer.

But you cant mask Azpis faults in any way.  Sure other players might not be helping, but those dispossession stats showing that he gave away the ball, not twice, but 3 times as much as any other player, including those from Sheffield United? That's just embarrassing for a player at his level.

And no, him playing next to a green CB has nothing to do with the fact that he got beaten for both the crosses that led to the goals.

And this is not the first match this happened this season.

 

[robsblubot 3,595]

16 hours ago, Blue Armour said:

I agree with your points about Reece James. There is no guarantee that he will be the answer.

But you cant mask Azpis faults in any way.  Sure other players might not be helping, but those dispossession stats showing that he gave away the ball, not twice, but 3 times as much as any other player, including those from Sheffield United? That's just embarrassing for a player at his level.

And no, him playing next to a green CB has nothing to do with the fact that he got beaten for both the crosses that led to the goals.

And this is not the first match this happened this season.

 

Fair enoug. I’m not going to pretend to know for sure if his poor performances are entirely down to lack of help, because I don’t know. What I do know is that there are too many variables right now, most of which are caused by employing too many inexperienced players at once (pulisic included), not to mention the inexperienced manager.

I see the game, in particular defending, in layers: a guy gets beaten, but he does just enough for the next layer (cover) to sweep it (regain possession). I’m not seeing enough of that first challenge and then followed by the cover right now. I think our defending is broken in a more fundamental way than a struggling rb.

I wish it were as easy as azpi struggling, but I don’t really think it is.

The youth will often escape criticism, as it should be, but to not see the naive game Tomori had (even if guy has loads of potential) that is just denial imo.

[Blue Armour 4,436]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/09/02/cesar-azpilicueta-shows-frank-lampards-problem-chelsea-not-youth/amp/

No need to beat a dead horse, but it's really some of the experienced players who are letting Frank down atm. Others are pointing it out too

Graeme Souness pointed the finger at Azpi just 2 games into the season

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

His legs are gone. Its so sad to see one of our most consistent defenders fall apart like this. 

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

https://statsbomb.com/2019/09/is-chelseas-cesar-azpilicueta-bad-now/

 

 

[Vesper 30,090]

On 03/09/2019 at 3:46 AM, Sideshow Luiz said:

https://statsbomb.com/2019/09/is-chelseas-cesar-azpilicueta-bad-now/

 

 

 If we look at successful pressured actions, however, we see Azpilicueta’s side light up.

[the wes 7,212]

On 01/09/2019 at 2:50 PM, MoroccanBlue said:

How is Tomori at RB? Genuine question?

He's not attacking minded but he could do job there till Reece James comes back from injury I love wee Dave but he's been poor this season he needs dropped from the line up 

[the wes 7,212]

42 minutes ago, Vesper said:

 If we look at successful pressured actions, however, we see Azpilicueta’s side light up.

Sheff utd seen the weakest on the right side alot of managers will take note off that I love azpi but he needs dropped to the bench 

[Jase 43,479]

2 hours ago, Vesper said:

 If we look at successful pressured actions, however, we see Azpilicueta’s side light up.

Not saying Azpi isn't struggling or declining etc but that graphic suggests we don't do well enough defensively as a team on the right hand side. The right midfielder and right center back clear do not provide enough defensive cover when you look at the attacks that go on our right defensive channel. We are either leaving too many gaps or players not tracking runners. Azpi can defend better yes but he can't do it all alone, not when he's getting overloaded out wide constantly. As the article above also mentioned...

Quote

Putting all those pieces together into a coherent story is tricky. One thing that seems clear is that Azpilicueta is being tasked with an incredibly difficult job. The combination of strong tackling numbers with the dip in interceptions and more aggressive positioning suggests that he’s frequently being left on an island and forced to deal with attackers running at him in space.

While he’s largely successful at holding down that flank, he’s not perfect. He’s largely able to harry attackers and pressure opponents as they attempt to get to the byline, but has been vulnerable when players cut back to the inside and play crosses across the box (like the one that led to Kurt Zouma’s game tying own goal against Sheffield United).

On one level, those kinds of outcomes tend to be what happens when a player makes the best of a bad situation. Azpilicueta’s slowing down attacks and forcing wingers to turn back inside and either face defensive help from his teammates, or play lower probability balls than they would be if they wiggled free. But, it’s also fair to ask, with the higher positioning seemingly required of him this season, would a more athletic player (somebody like 19-year-old already in the team of the season in the Championship last year for Wigan Reece James) be effectively preventing these situations to begin with by preventing the passes out to the wing in the first place?

Finally, there’s the question of the rest of the Chelsea defense. It’s a lot less dangerous to force a player to check back inside if he’s running into N’Golo Kanté than it is if it’s only Jorginho waiting on him. Then there’s Kurt Zouma as the left sided central defender who teams appear to be picking on relentlessly. It’s possible that if Antonio Rüdiger returns from injury and takes his place (either directly or by coming in on the right and allowing another defender to slide over), those crossfield balls will start seeming less dangerous.

James may well do better than Azpi in 1 v 1 situations when put in the team but if people think swapping him for Azpi will instantly solve our defensive problems, then they are delusional because the more we play, the more our defensive shape as a team problem becomes apparent. If Lampard and co. don't make us defensively solid as a unit, the same problems will just keep on happening regardless of who plays.  

[oxfordblues 299]

is it time for reece james

[robsblubot 3,595]

5 hours ago, Jason said:

Not saying Azpi isn't struggling or declining etc but that graphic suggests we don't do well enough defensively as a team on the right hand side. The right midfielder and right center back clear do not provide enough defensive cover when you look at the attacks that go on our right defensive channel. We are either leaving too many gaps or players not tracking runners. Azpi can defend better yes but he can't do it all alone, not when he's getting overloaded out wide constantly. As the article above also mentioned...

James may well do better than Azpi in 1 v 1 situations when put in the team but if people think swapping him for Azpi will instantly solve our defensive problems, then they are delusional because the more we play, the more our defensive shape as a team problem becomes apparent. If Lampard and co. don't make us defensively solid as a unit, the same problems will just keep on happening regardless of who plays.  

Exactly! Do a bit better in 1v1s which is easier said than done, will help very little esp against stronger opposition.

good wingers/forwards will always have the edge if they can isolate defenders however good they may be. That’s why managers keep the lines compact.

even in the goal we conceded, azpi was all alone without any cover or help near him at the end of the game defending a lead at that! That’s just a no-no and is happening way too often.

finally, given our situation and the number of inexperienced players in the squad, it does not matter if a 19yo can slightly improve 1v1s. We cannot afford to lose azpi’s experience at this time. He is the key player to help us getting this shit together.

[the wes 7,212]

Spanish sides Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao are set to pounce on Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta, 30, if he becomes available. (Express)

[Jase 43,479]

1 hour ago, the wes said:

Spanish sides Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao are set to pounce on Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta, 30, if he becomes available. (Express)

Daily Shit. Classic transfer rumor from the media.

Even when Azpi is no longer first choice, he's still a decent option to have as back up for at least another year or two.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,058]

14 hours ago, Robchels said:

Exactly! Do a bit better in 1v1s which is easier said than done, will help very little esp against stronger opposition.

good wingers/forwards will always have the edge if they can isolate defenders however good they may be. That’s why managers keep the lines compact.

even in the goal we conceded, azpi was all alone without any cover or help near him at the end of the game defending a lead at that! That’s just a no-no and is happening way too often.

finally, given our situation and the number of inexperienced players in the squad, it does not matter if a 19yo can slightly improve 1v1s. We cannot afford to lose azpi’s experience at this time. He is the key player to help us getting this shit together.

I largely agree with you despite believing all along that, if Reece remained with the squad, he would force his way into the team. He is not a magic spell however. He isn't, singlehandedly, going to transform us.

Like any defender Reece needs a 100% success rate to completely rule out danger but, as it is for everyone, that level of success is completely impossible. Where I think he will help immediately is in distributing the ball. I'm not referring to his supurb long range deliveries. He'll have to settle in and overcome the new boy's tendancy to try too hard before we can expect him to be consistent with those. No, I mean with ordinary continuity passing. I think Reece will produce a better pass completion rate than Azpi and that's significant. Unexpected turnovers are the most dangerous of course.