Closed Burnley v Chelsea

[Rmpr 8,977]

I wonder, would anyone really complain if we perform unconvincingly in all of the 38 games but win the league in the end..?

No, because not a single team is capable of winning a league (let alone the BPL) playing unconvincingly in most of it's 38 games...

[Rmpr 8,977]

for me it's too early in the season to demand those things. The team is far from being the final product, all I care now is the result.

For the team to shape up and improve tactically and technically it'll need at least a month. Right now all I care is a good result - especially in the first official match of the season. I think the playing quality will gradually improve in the following weeks and it's too much to ask for the team to already win and dominate. I swear that's the last thing in my head now.

So yeah, I'll take some lucky goals and questionable or unconvincing performance in the first 2-3 weeks of the season, as long as we win those matches.

I'll start thinking about the team playing nice football only mid-September. Probably after the international break that I know we'll have, but I don't know when it is.

It is actually the other way around. What is most important at the start of the season is to start consolidating your style of play and predominance, even if that comes with some 1-1 draws or tight wins. Results you can go after later in the season, in the last 10 to 15 games or so...

The last three EPL champions show us exactly that!

[Jase 43,479]

No, because not a single team is capable of winning a league (let alone the BPL) playing unconvincingly in most of it's 38 games...

There's a purpose why I said "if". And besides, even United have won the league with unconvicing performances in most of the 38 games.

[Roquila 1,335]

Chelsea 4 - 0 Burnley

First half : Hazard goal, Costa goal , Cesc goal.
Second half: Costa goal.

The Illuminati told me this. Woodfurnace have mercy on me, i know i did a sin when i communicated with the Illuminati.

[Jase 43,479]

It is actually the other way around. What is most important at the start of the season is to start consolidating your style of play and predominance, even if that comes with some 1-1 draws or tight wins. Results you can go after later in the season, in the last 10 to 15 games or so...

Our three previous seasons show us exactly that!

If that happens, we'll be out of the title race before we even get in it.

And last season saw us performed unconvincingly for the first half of the season but still managed to get the results and stayed near the top. Then once we picked up the steam in performance as well after that, we nearly won the title.

[Rmpr 8,977]

There's a purpose why I said "if". And besides, even United have won the league with unconvicing performances in most of the 38 games.

It is different. Getting tight wins late in the game doesnt make it unconvincing. It was simply Ferguson's style, in which he didnt expose the team and solely prepared them for doing the basic!

It is a lot similar to how Simeone won La Liga last year. They rarely shined, but they were consistent in getting the results they needed. This is not being unconvincing. You dont have to win by 3 goals to show dominance.

And this gets back to my point. Winning by 2 or 3 goals doesnt mean that much at this stage. What mean more is how we perform and how our new squad is evolving...

[Barbara 15,149]

It is actually the other way around. What is most important at the start of the season is to start consolidating your style of play and predominance, even if that comes with some 1-1 draws or tight wins. Results you can go after later in the season, in the last 10 to 15 games or so...

The last three EPL champions show us exactly that!

nope, for me it's like that. No team looks convincing at this stage. Not even the eventual champions. City certainly didn't last season. Arsenal was the team playing nice between August and September last season as far as I can remember. How am I supposed to demand a team that has played together only one time - if that, when Mourinho is saying he won't use his first team now because some of them are still out of shape, to already play well?

I think you and I have different opinions about the matter, but for me with so many key players still out of shape, key players arriving now, demand good performances now is insane. The team will shape up soon, and then you start imposing your style.

we disagree even in the way the last three EPL champions showed us. Arsenal was the team playing well at the start of last season and we were the best team in the league at the start of the 2012/13 season and we needed the very last match to confirm a third place, 14 points behind the champion in that season. Playing well as we did through August-September back then did us nothing because when the best teams finally reached quality, we weren't able to compete with them...

which is why in a previous post I said I like the idea to playing big teams very early in the season, especially ones going through a lot of changes like United. We should have drawn United early again. Too bad we didn't. But we drew City, let's see what happens there...

[The_Flash 1,144]

Based on results elsewhere. We need to put on a strong impressive performance. Good result, goals. I want a positive start

[ChelseaCasual 22]

how many we taking to turf moor?

[didierforever 7,349]

Peoole are getting overly excited. Lets just keep calm. Ot won't be an easy match.

[Parky 739]

Hopefully we win by 2+ goals so I can get $200 bet payout :blue scalf:

[Chelsea? 892]

Every other post in this thread is calling people out for thinking this will be an easy win. I'll dare anyone here to find 5 posts saying this match will be easy.

We get it; they will be pumped and up for this game but we will be too. We have super high hopes this year and this is a game we simply should be winning. I predict a 2-0 win.

[CMS 382]

for me it's too early in the season to demand those things. The team is far from being the final product, all I care now is the result.

For the team to shape up and improve tactically and technically it'll need at least a month. Right now all I care is a good result - especially in the first official match of the season. I think the playing quality will gradually improve in the following weeks and it's too much to ask for the team to already win and dominate. I swear that's the last thing in my head now.

So yeah, I'll take some lucky goals and questionable or unconvincing performance in the first 2-3 weeks of the season, as long as we win those matches.

I'll start thinking about the team playing nice football only mid-September. Probably after the international break that I know we'll have, but I don't know when it is.

Ditto

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Match day!!

I'm so excited, I literally woke up at 5:30 am!

The first match will always be a tough one (though we have done very well in the opener over the years). For me, it's still way to early to be demanding a top performance. Not everyone is 100% fit yet, still need to build chemistry, players need to get more familiar with new roles/tactics/plans.

Come November and the Christmas period, that's when you'd want you team to hit top gear and start steamrolling teams convincingly. Right now, getting 3 points in a similar manner to how City, Arsenal Liverpool and Tottenham did, will do fine.

Tonight, I'd gladly take a 93rd minute deflection off the ref to get the 3 points.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

We have half of our first team contingent with only two weeks of training under their belt. They're not even in form at this point, so I think it's hard to ask us as a team to already perform good football so early in the season.

Don't take me wrong, of course I want to see us dominating those smaller sides, but that comes with time, as the season progresses. We have three new key-players that are new to the team (two of them even new to the league). Mourinho certainly will abandon the plan B he used from December on and will go back to his original plan for the team (high pressing and direct, fast attacking, keeping the ball in the opposition's half whether we have it or them). We won't be as defensive. He'll probably continue from where he stopped in November last season... so I expect a couple of months for the tactics and players to settle. Meanwhile they'll improve physically.

It's important for us to show progression. To regress a match or two in the first four weeks of competition is no big deal imo, but from then on the team has to go in a crescendo until everything is settled and it's all about polishing and growing chemistry and understanding.

Exactly. People have forgotten we changed our tactics because Mourinho feared we wouldn't make it into top four due to not being clinical enough. This season is about starting afresh rather than continuity which mancity have the advantage of. We will change tactics and it needs a month to settle, then I can judge the team fully.

[ZOS 580]

there will be goals .... lots of them

[Special Juan 28,187]

Match Day

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Yes many goals would be nice. But I think as long as we win it in convincing way and comfortable, I will be happy with it, doesn't matter about the score or who is the scorer.

[Jusek 2,031]

Only 11 hours until kick off!

[meetdoscar 335]

Going by the other opening day matches this is going to be quite tough. All the top teams if not all the teams struggled so I don't expect any different from us. Any kind of win would do. I predict a costa penalty and a hazard conversion.