🇧🇷 Willian

[Jase 43,479]

If people want him to score more goals, that's fine. Let's let him play like Mata, and compromise our defensive rigidity and end up 6th and 3rd in the league for the next two seasons.

Why does it have to be one thing or the other? Nobody is asking Willian to score goals and produce assists in every game but we only want to see more end product from him. He's already great defensively but average offensively. Is it even wrong to suggest we want that tad more consistency and/or Willian to have that balance defensively and offensively? Right now, one can argue that we are struggling offensively because Willian, as one of the 3 AMs behind the ST, is not contributing enough from his part.

I said lower expectations, not low. But I do feel that the semantics of the price would reduce expectations. I've found that players bought for twenty-something million pounds, like Oscar, are much less constantly reminded of their price tag when they perform poorly in comparison to those who cost £30-something million. I understand the actual difference in price is very little, but I'm referring to the connotations of the prices and how costing only slightly more can increase expectations disproportionately.

Lower or low, I don't think it would make any difference anyway but point taken.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Why does it have to be one thing or the other? Nobody is asking Willian to score goals and produce assists in every game but we only want to see more end product from him. He's already great defensively but average offensively. Is it even wrong to suggest we want that tad more consistency and/or Willian to have that balance defensively and offensively? Right now, one can argue that we are struggling offensively because Willian, as one of the 3 AMs behind the ST, is not contributing enough from his part.

Lower or low, I don't think it would make any difference anyway but point taken.

It's his first season. People should be more realistic. If they want more attacking output then they can go and buy Bale and Messi on their FIFA careers.

[Jase 43,479]

It's his first season. People should be more realistic. If they want more attacking output then they can go and buy Bale and Messi on their FIFA careers.

Yes I know that but perhaps people may have taken this 'we must be realistic/patient' thing a tad too far. Like I said, nobody expects him to score and/or assist in every game but just produce that little bit more in the final third. Don't think that is excessive expectation by any means.

[zolayes 14,489]

I don't follow Ukraine's football and much less Russia's (although I did watch some matches from the latter last season), but I think it's a big jump from either. Patience is a virtue that seems hard to find these days, Ron.

english saying "you can never please all the people all the time"

TC saying "some people you can never please any of the time"

patience increases with age

[Barbara 15,149]

what people fail to realize is that defensive responsibilities take away from their offensive performance.

Haven't we been discussing Mata's bad form this season for months now? Do you think he simply forgot how play football in the time span of three months? No, he was bad or subpar offensively - and his stats say as much - because he was coping with what Mourinho asked him to do defensively (and in the end it was proved he couldn't cope at all, hence why we kept saying he didn't fit the system). Why is it so hard to understand that asking more defensively leads the player to get more tired, to divide his focus and efforts and just to change how he approaches the game?

so if Mata's creativity and offensive game suffered because of the other responsibilities he was asked, why can't Willian and even Oscar have the same fate (especially because they aren't anywhere near as creative as Mata)?

Mata's playing in the wing for ManU and still he's had more assists there in 3 or 4 matches than he's had here in 11 (or 15, don't even remember the number of times he's started for us this season). Is he still only a shadow of what he's used to be? Absolutely, he's been through a patch of bad form. I don't buy the playing in the wing destroys him BS. He's played in the wing for his whole career except the last two seasons, he knows how to play there too (although I agree he's way more effective in the middle, but he isn't supposed to be garbage in the wing). He's just lacking any resemblance of confidence, even happiness to play and he's been in bad form. It's a vicious circle where each of those things makes the other worse and he'll need a new season (basically a well done pre-season, without injury) to start over. He probably won't make it to Brazil in the abysmal form he is (compared to his good days). Spain has incredible depth on his position and many players are preferred over him by del Bosque. I think he could use the vacation and after a good pre-season he'll come a new player, more like the one he's used to be.

So ignoring a bit of Mata and talking about the problem in hand, Willian is coping with everything Mourinho's been asking him to do defensively and it's affecting his offensive game. He's through EPL football adaptation, has been trying to prove himself to Mourinho and Scolari. I think he's doing well (nothing exceptional, just well) under those many circumstances.

I think once we have a more reliable pivot next season with Matic already settled, and maybe just maybe, a better partner for him (here's hoping Marco really recovers well and continues from where he's stopped), Oscar and Wilian will be released of some of their defensive responsibilities, although in a Mourinho team one, at most two, players in the whole pitch are exempted from defensive responsibilities.

[sutro 1,026]

Haza's 100th chelsea game already!

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

It's his first season. People should be more realistic. If they want more attacking output then they can go and buy Bale and Messi on their FIFA careers.

What we want is for him to step up and be a threat especially in games Hazard has 3 pple marking him, teams see him as the weak link in the attackin 3 and dont mind him havin the ball because they think he wont do much with it, they rather focus more energy on Eden. We just want him to contribute more not score 20 goals a season but just be enough of a threat to make the oposition think abt him too, Yes its his first season but his numbers could be better for a guy as talented as him, look at Oscar, Hazard, Mata, Moses they all had double figures in their first season in terms of goals so IMO i think its a weak excuse. Dont get me wrong his been doin well in all other parts of his game but he needs to really improve when it comes to attackin play because thts his main job at the end of the day otherwise we could just play a DM like Mikel if we just wanted his defensive contribution more than his attackin contribution.

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

what people fail to realize is that defensive responsibilities take away from their offensive performance.

Haven't we been discussing Mata's bad form this season for months now? Do you think he simply forgot how play football in the time span of three months? No, he was bad or subpar offensively - and his stats say as much - because he was coping with what Mourinho asked him to do defensively (and in the end it was proved he couldn't cope at all, hence why we kept saying he didn't fit the system). Why is it so hard to understand that asking more defensively leads the player to get more tired, to divide his focus and efforts and just to change how he approaches the game?

so if Mata's creativity and offensive game suffered because of the other responsibilities he was asked, why can't Willian and even Oscar have the same fate (especially because they aren't anywhere near as creative as Mata)?

Mata's playing in the wing for ManU and still he's had more assists there in 3 or 4 matches than he's had here in 11 (or 15, don't even remember the number of times he's started for us this season). Is he still only a shadow of what he's used to be? Absolutely, he's been through a patch of bad form. I don't buy the playing in the wing destroys him BS. He's played in the wing for his whole career except the last two seasons, he knows how to play there too (although I agree he's way more effective in the middle, but he isn't supposed to be garbage in the wing). He's just lacking any resemblance of confidence, even happiness to play and he's been in bad form. It's a vicious circle where each of those things makes the other worse and he'll need a new season (basically a well done pre-season, without injury) to start over. He probably won't make it to Brazil in the abysmal form he is (compared to his good days). Spain has incredible depth on his position and many players are preferred over him by del Bosque. I think he could use the vacation and after a good pre-season he'll come a new player, more like the one he's used to be.

So ignoring a bit of Mata and talking about the problem in hand, Willian is coping with everything Mourinho's been asking him to do defensively and it's affecting his offensive game. He's through EPL football adaptation, has been trying to prove himself to Mourinho and Scolari. I think he's doing well (nothing exceptional, just well) under those many circumstances.

I think once we have a more reliable pivot next season with Matic already settled, and maybe just maybe, a better partner for him (here's hoping Marco really recovers well and continues from where he's stopped), Oscar and Wilian will be released of some of their defensive responsibilities, although in a Mourinho team one, at most two, players in the whole pitch are exempted from defensive responsibilities.

IN the short space of time Mata played he still created the most chances by any cfc player even with more defensive responsibilities pple were just wastin chances he created, I remember specifically against west brom when etoo missed that open goal from a pass from Mata soon after half time and we went on to draw the game after west brom got back into the game. We dont want 20 goals a season we just want him to be more of a threat than he is at the moment.

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

I apologize to Willian, after what I have seen from Schurrle today, would rather have him in the team than Schurrle

[BloodIsBlue 291]

I apologize to Willian, after what I have seen from Schurrle today, would rather have him in the team than Schurrle

How quickly things have changed.

[didierforever 7,349]

Hahahaha... awkward???

[The Skipper 20,609]

How quickly things have changed.

One bad game from Schurrle and people will be wanting to sell him again.

[communicate 2,703]

One bad game from Schurrle and people will be wanting to sell him again.

I don't, I always like Schurrle. He is much more direct. With Willian Oscar hazard we are almost back to our mazacar, nobody running behind, everyone want the ball on their feet.

[Sheva. 5,373]

He's still a better option than Oscar atm.

[Kieran. 6,317]

Schurrle-Willian-Hazard for now IMO.

[Polo7 3,496]

Schurrle-Willian-Hazard for now IMO.

Hazard has to be in the middle. He is more creative than Willian as he showed today.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

I'm not to worried about his lack of goals because he is a very goal-shy player. Look at his record in his past teams. His play in the final third is not very threatening either. That's what bothers me the most. He can improve a lot. IMO, he has played some good games, but he doesn't look like a 30 million player. When you see an absolutely top, top player, it's obvious. Every one could see it with Hazard from his Lille days. But it's not my money. The only reason why we paid that was because Spurs were desperate too spend the Bale money, and we matched their bid.

I think he'll improve with a top class CF though, next season and the burden to chip in with goals will decrease a little.

[Stingray 9,441]

Hazard has to be in the middle. He is more creative than Willian as he showed today.

I agree. I think Eden will profile himself as our 10 this year. Unpopular opinion but he rocked that position at Lille even more than on the wing. He can do it here as well.

[Polo7 3,496]

I agree. I think Eden will profile himself as our 10 this year. Unpopular opinion but he rocked that position at Lille even more than on the wing. He can do it here as well.

Its only unpopular because it means Oscar either doesnt play or plays on the wing. Unfortunately even with Oscar performing badly lately I cant see Mourinho dropping him as his no.10.

[didierforever 7,349]

I agree. I think Eden will profile himself as our 10 this year. Unpopular opinion but he rocked that position at Lille even more than on the wing. He can do it here as well.

Doubt that. Eh17 might have improved his defensive work and his general workratd by 10 Times compared to last season but is still far behind oscar in doing the dirty work which I think is essential for our current systen.