Closed Newcastle v Chelsea

[Barbara 15,149]

Our best player this season has been moved out to the wing and that has weakened us throughout the spine of the team. The gap between the pivot and the attacking three is too great (like it was at points last season) and we're struggling to move the ball around as a consequence.

There's also no width on the right.

But look at those pretty flicks between Hazard and Mata - better than three points in so many ways.

yeah, either move Oscar to the CAM or get Willian for him... either way whoever is playing in our RW should be dropped for a better winger and try to wide the play a bit.

I don't care if he moves Oscar to CAM and drops Mata or drops Oscar. What I do know is that none of them should be playing RW. I just can't get around the idea of playing frigging Mazacar when we have quality players that are more wingers than Mata or Oscar.

[Shakez 755]

How's Ramires doing? seeïng how much he has played, does he look tired?

[Kish9 50]

Let's get some width, and maybe give Eto'o a go. Only been listening on the radio but it sounds like torres has had a very quiet afternoon.

Because the only player to have looked to pass to Torres is Luiz

[pgleo 90]

Replace Mata/Oscar with Willian/Schurrle maybe.

[Sheva. 5,373]

David Luiz loses 30 balls per game.

He's the only one who tries to make things happen, essentially doing Lampard's job.

[Rmpr 8,977]

We need to balance out the team, imo.

Hazard and Mata have been fantastic, but we are not involving the other players. Torres is alone, Oscar is lost and Rambo/Lampard are way too deep to contribute to our attack!

I would sub Oscar for Willian right at half-time...

EDIT: Our defense has been solid though, Terry is a monster!!!

[YouNameIt 1,511]

David Luiz loses 30 balls per game.

What? Has he even lost more than 2 balls?

I think he's been good. Perfect passing aswell. You could also see his frustration when trying to find someone to pass and there was zero movement.

Luiz is the last one to direct any criticism towards so far in this game

[YouNameIt 1,511]

Essien for Lampard and also Willian/Schurrle needs to come on.

[The only place to be 11,313]

And I'm sure there will be people ready to pounce on Lampard's passing in the first half and it has been a step-down on recent weeks.

What's the difference? Newcastle's tactics? Not really.

No Oscar. Mata simply doesn't drop deep as much as Oscar and link the play up between the defence and attack. It's the same fucking problem as last season, so why on Earth wouldn't it happen again when you put Mata back in there?

Yep, it's all Mata's fault that Torres isn't in the game and Lampard can't make a pass. We should send him to Swansea now.

You're actually almost making the same point I have just above, but mine was based on watching the game, watching the last 5 games, watching last season's games and looking at the stats of those games.

See what I mean. The argument wasn't me saying we're a better team when both play, but that they do, as Rmpr said, bring the flashier side out of each other.

Sorry for blasting you.

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

I still think we will win

[Roquila 1,335]

Boy... that was boring.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Looking good defensively, but not so good on the attack. JT probably our best man in both aspects!

And for goodness' sake, someone get Frank Lampard off the pitch! Awful 45 mins, just awful!

[Strike 7,478]

In control for long periods, no penetration though. How much longer before 3-5-2 is deployed?

[Sheva. 5,373]

You're actually almost making the same point I have just above, but mine was based on watching the game, watching the last 5 games, watching last season's games and looking at the stats of those games.

[The only place to be 11,313]

He's the only one who tries to make things happen, essentially doing Lampard's job.

Maybe he should just let Lampard do his job, or start screaming at Mata to drop deeper to take the ball off him like Oscar usually does.

Either way, I'd prefer Luiz didn't keep trying to hit balls from just inside Newcastle's half to Torres with his back to goal only for it to ping off him. That makes Torres look bad as well.

This just looks like a performance under Benitez, when he'd choose the three amigos/mazacar week-in and week-out. We're relying on pieces of magic from them rather than the more methodical approach we've tried to adopt this season.