Diego Costa

[The Skipper 20,609]

Had enough. Needs to go.

[Leif 6,006]

Shevchenko, Torres, Crespo, Costa. I'm not sure who'll be the fifth member, but those players have to be in the top 5 worst strikers of the Roman era. You know what I'd give just to see Anelka step inside a time machine and fire us to the title in glory? I'm not even expecting another Drogba, just someone reliable. 

*Edit: List revised - Kezman, Mutu, Shevchenko, Torres, Costa. I'm bringing out Crespo, he wasn't brain-numbingly bad.

 

Get Defoe & Crouch in; rotate. That's the English Anelka & Drogba right there. Bertrand being our Ashley Cole and all too will lead us to glory.

[Leif 6,006]

On 31/03/2017 at 6:27 AM, communicate said:

I don't get why people want him to leave then try to replace him with the like of morata,griezman or dybala. It is like we are trying to create poor version of MSN. 

Costa bring a much needed physicality and aggresiveness upfront. If he is going to leave then maybe Lukaku can replace him but I haven't watched much everton game to judge

If this was written today on April Fool's I'd give it a like.

[Fernando 6,585]

It ain't going to be any better if he leaves and we get Lukaku. 

As woeful Costa has been, Lukaku is even worse disappearing in big games like he did with Liverpool. 

[11Drogba 2,000]

I smell a rat and I hope he proves me wrong but he acts like he plays for team Gestifute not Chelsea.

[DYC. 7,542]

Only plays at a high level for half a season. Shame.

[LAM09 7,050]

Can't be starting on Wednesday, if Conte has sense.

[Beigl 1,387]

I am so angry at him. Why didn´t he just pass the ball to Hazard sideways to Hazard to give him a 1 on 1 with the goalkeeper? If he doesn´t show signs of improvement in the next few weeks we should sell him in the summer.

[communicate 2,703]

14 minutes ago, Leif said:

If this was written today on April Fool's I'd give it a like.

I don't get it. He may played poorly today but it was more in term of finishing.

He did bring physicality upfront and good forward playe. I saw Costa made tons channel run to stretch the defender and sometimes drop deeper to provide passing option. That is what you need from a striker not just goals this days.

[communicate 2,703]

4 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

Can't be starting on Wednesday, if Conte has sense.

Who should we play then as striker ? Micy, I expect more from michy because he came on fresh but his movement need to be more dynamic

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

On 06/03/2017 at 11:16 PM, Leif said:

He has 6 more league goals than a winger the majority believe doesn't score enough. He currently scores as much as we expect from an assist-orientated player. And it's his goalscoring which is apparently his strength

I look at these 17 league goals of his, and wonder, if the people thinking that's good enough witnessed Drogba get 30 in 2009 (a certain midfielder got 22 that season).

In 2011 RVP got 30. Next season, he got 26 while Suarez in a 1-man-team got 23.

Next season, Suarez got 31, Sturridge got 22, and Yaya Toure of all people had 20. 

Next season, Aguero had 26, Kane had 21. Costa had 20 (his highest still.)

Last season? Kane had 25, Aguero & Vardy had 24, and Lukaku with his shortcomings and weak teammates got 18 (which he's yet again surpassing this season; strides). Costa got 12, which is less than Ighalo ("who did he play for again?")

Kane consistenly gets 20+ season after season, as do Aguero, Suarez, (get ready to add Lukaku to the club), Higuain, Lewandowski, Benzema, Icardi and more. Will Costa ever get us 20 league goals in back to back seasons? I seriously, seriously doubt it. Clearly he isn't a clinical poacher then. We've established he's no target man (that's what Drogba was, and what Lewandowski is. It takes link-up play.) He isn't Mr mc. Pacey, nor is he some sort of Dybala/Bergkamp freak-dribbler. So, he's just a bog standard, jack of all trades striker compared to every other top team, and compared to the standard that's been set here. Don't forget, all of these players especially Drogba, got far many goals while also bringing qualities to the team, like assists, link-up play, defending set-pieces, taking set-pieces. Costa would have to give up his entire shoddy game and do nothing more than creep outside the box in hope to get those numbers. But it's not like he does a single thing I just mentioned anyway.

He's half the player Drogba was, and Drogba wasn't even Henry/Messi himself. Laughable that this guy is lauded a goalscorer We've seen some real top strikers, and Costa's about Anelka's level. Too good to be on the bench, but not good enough to say 'there's no way we could do better in the striker department, we can't be strengthened there.' He's basically a Mario Gomez without the heading capability. Gomez being an incredibly prolific player, who was hunted out of Bayern regardless, because their standards are where ours should be. They'd never let a player continue to stay in the XI despite having only 2 positive qualities, when there's around 15 things a player can be good at.

It's hard to argue against Leif's post looking back at it. I hate to use the word but Costa really is the definition of an overrated player. Absolutely insane how some were saying he's better than the likes of Aguero and even saying he's the best striker in the world. Belotti eats his food right now. Shows how much media hype and living in the moment clouds judgement in football!

[zakhov 253]

4 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

Can't be starting on Wednesday, if Conte has sense.

Why? He played well enough apart from finishing off his chances. Add to the fact that he's still way better than anything else we've got.

One freak result/game shouldn't change that.

The likes of Willian holding on to the ball when they should be crossing makes it difficult for our attacking players to take up position.

[LAM09 7,050]

Who should we play then as striker ? Micy, I expect more from michy because he came on fresh but his movement need to be more dynamic

Only option in the books, as we aren't suited to the false nine formation IMO. There's no doubt in my mind he'd have take one of the amble chances Costa wasted today.

Why? He played well enough apart from finishing off his chances. Add to the fact that he's still way better than anything else we've got.

One freak result/game shouldn't change that.

The likes of Willian holding on to the ball when they should be crossing makes it difficult for our attacking players to take up position.

He failed to hit the target with almost every effort today and has looked far from his best since Jan. There's no way people can have a definite opinion on Michy who has had scraps this season.

I'd personally give him a starting berth for the next few games, as we can't put up with that type of performance from a "World Class" CF.

[communicate 2,703]

Just now, LAM09 said:

 

Only option in the books, as we aren't suited to the false nine formation IMO. There's no doubt in my mind he'd have take one of the amble chances Costa wasted today.

 

But will he going to be in costa position. Costa finishing was awful but his movement I thought was very good. 

Like I said in previous post, I expected much more from michy. I wanted him to run the channel non stop to stretch the defender because he is fresh.

[LAM09 7,050]

But will he going to be in costa position. Costa finishing was awful but his movement I thought was very good. 
Like I said in previous post, I expected much more from michy. I wanted him to run the channel non stop to stretch the defender because he is fresh.

We have no idea what Conte instructed him to do. He should have been more lively, but he didn't get anywhere the same service that Costa got prior to Alonso going off.

[communicate 2,703]

1 minute ago, LAM09 said:

 

We have no idea what Conte instructed him to do. He should have been more lively, but he didn't get anywhere the same service that Costa got prior to Alonso going off.

 

I thought conte made mistake taking off Alonso, should have taken off Pedro, was surprised it is going to be for alonso

[zakhov 253]

5 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

Only option in the books, as we aren't suited to the false nine formation IMO. There's no doubt in my mind he'd have take one of the amble chances Costa wasted today.

 

He failed to hit the target with almost every effort today and has looked far from his best since Jan. There's no way people can have a definite opinion on Michy who has had scraps this season.

I'd personally give him a starting berth for the next few games, as we can't put up with that type of performance from a "World Class" CF.

No way we start experimenting with strikers right now, I like Michy as much as anyone but it's a bit of hindsight saying Michy would've taken the chances Costa missed.

Costa was playing lone striker for most of the match against two very physical defenders and had little to no support inside the box from Hazard or Pedro(who were out wide or outside the box). 

He carved most of the chances with good movement and great strength but I do agree his finishing was woeful, it's not a reason to start dropping him all of sudden. 

[LAM09 7,050]

No way we start experimenting with strikers right now, I like Michy as much as anyone but it's a bit of hindsight saying Michy would've taken the chances Costa missed.

Costa was playing lone striker for most of the match against two very physical defenders and had little to no support inside the box from Hazard or Pedro(who were out wide or outside the box). 

He carved most of the chances with good movement and great strength but I do agree his finishing was woeful, it's not a reason to start dropping him all of sudden. 

Hasn't his finishing been questionable for months now?

I'm not of the opinion of dropping him solely off this performance. It's built up on a long run of games where he's just looked off it. Today was the game that broke the camel's back.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

3 minutes ago, zakhov said:

No way we start experimenting with strikers right now, I like Michy as much as anyone but it's a bit of hindsight saying Michy would've taken the chances Costa missed.

Costa was playing lone striker for most of the match against two very physical defenders and had little to no support inside the box from Hazard or Pedro(who were out wide or outside the box). 

He carved most of the chances with good movement and great strength but I do agree his finishing was woeful, it's not a reason to start dropping him all of sudden. 

You can debate if Batshuayi should start the game or not but in reality it's Conte's fault for not giving him chances earlier this season and making us over-reliant on Costa (who he clearly overestimated)

I'm not sure what you're on about though. Costa has been absolutely terrible in almost all facets of striker play for months now. There was that moment were he missed a point blank header from Hazard's cross and failed to play in the same player after Pedro slipped him in behind. To say he "carved out most of the chances with good movement" and "great strength" has nothing to do with the reality of this game. Not sure which Chelsea you're watching mate!  

[zakhov 253]

1 minute ago, LAM09 said:

 

Hasn't his finishing been questionable for months now?

I'm not of the opinion of dropping him solely off this performance. It's built up on a long run of games where he's just looked off it. Today was the game that broke the camel's back.

 

Questionable if compared to his earlier performances pre-China fiasco. But he still put himself about and scored goals (not in the same vain as before, I agree). 

But I still doubt we have a better striking outlet. Do you think playing Michy against City or a false nine would help? I highly doubt it and if I was in Conte's position I wouldn't change at this stage either.