The Conte Thread

[Unionjack 7,531]

Yes we are very thin and dont have that strong of a bench to rely on neither.

Another thing that worries meis Ive read that Conte is 'wary' of having 8 HG players out of the 25 allowed  Right now we have 6. BUT with rumours of Bego going on loan, JT out of here it leaves us with 4.

I dont quite understand the under 21 suppliment but seems we rely on them somewhat.  RLC,Tomori,Aina,Solanke plus Kenedy/Musonda training with 1st team right now.

Well we are pretty sure those under 21s wont see tyhe ball wearing blue - also RLC off on loan none too soon So we are desperately short of HG players.

So WTF we gonna do guys?

[Tomo 21,751]

3 hours ago, El P. said:

I'm still very optimistic, but if we win the title at the end of a season, it will be because of our remarkable and out-of-this-world fight, focus, spirit, etc brought by Conte and followed by players. NOT as a product of our insane team and player quality. And that is the hardest way - fighting every game for a win, most frequently till last minutes, being dominated in the middle of field in big games and still winning on counter attacks.

From what I saw, we only dominated Man United in the middle, speaking about big teams. With Spurs in first game we were so-so and terrible until half time and Pedros' perfectly timed wonder-strike which gave us a lift; City dominated us totally, Arsenal and slightly Liverpool too (not with 3-4-3 though), and now Spurs slightly dominated. We lack technically gifted players in middle, our midfield just cannot cope with big boys and we cannot always rely on counter-attacks, because some teams know how to defend.

I would kill for one player in mold of Dembele for our middle, from cheaper options. Of course Verratti, Vidal or some other world-class player will do, but even Dembele will be ok. In place of Matić, or even maaaybe Kante in some games, depends of who we bring. It would really improve our play and make all the things a lot easier. Upgrade on Alonso/Cahill or even Moses is needed, too, anyone of them. Right AM too, Pedro disappeared against Spurs, or anyone with big muscles, actually. And don't give me this "we don't need new players, let's wait until summer" crap. We are now having best chance in years to win a league, and we will need all help available. We won't have chance like this often, some of Manchesters, Liverpool or even Spurs could be world beaters next year. Time is now, let's win this shit!

Also, I was totally for a new players even before this Spurs game, of course. They actually gave everyone of our fans, who thought that this team is even close to Drogba-Lampard-Terry-Cole-Čech team, a good reality-check.

Hard work is great, fighting is great, but let's bring some quality reinforcements!

That team are on another level due to the support players, the actual spine of the sides is closer than people think.  If we keep evolving in the windows we have the potential to match our 04-10 squads.

[El P. 1,354]

5 minutes ago, Tomo said:

That team are on another level due to the support players, the actual spine of the sides is closer than people think.  If we keep evolving in the windows we have the potential to match our 04-10 squads.

Spine of Costa-Hazard-Kante-Azpi-Courtois is great, I agree!

[BoyBlue96 990]

Doubt Antonio is going to be happy with this news.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Tottenham's tactics

1.) Get the ball to Walker and Eriksen and create an overload with Alonso
2.) Force Cahill to come across to help
3.) Make sure David Luiz is busy with Kane
4.) Dele Alli makes a forward run to get on the end of crosses vs Azpi and Moses

We had no answer…

We have Cahill who was too slow to close down erikson, while walker was occupying Alonso, hazard can't come back to defend that space Cahill leaves as well as Willian/Pedro  on the right and combined with an easy person to beat in the air in Azpilicueta, this is a weakness. Mancity did it with DeBruyne and now tottenham with erikson. 

If we're not going to get into the market and improve on the quality of our wide players and central midfielders, we have to play 3-5-2 against the big teams from now on. The third midfielder will cover that space where Cahill doesn't like closing down the diagonal crosser and hazard doesn't cover that space effectively.

Thankfully tottenham scored us from two similar goals so Conte should spot that obvious weakness before our big games against liverpool and Arsenal. Giroud will eat Azpi alive if ozil is allowed to put early diagonal crosses from the Alonso-cahill-matic triangle.  

[BoyBlue96 990]

2 minutes ago, kellzfresh said:

Tottenham's tactics

1.) Get the ball to Walker and Eriksen and create an overload with Alonso
2.) Force Cahill to come across to help
3.) Make sure David Luiz is busy with Kane
4.) Dele Alli makes a forward run to get on the end of crosses vs Azpi and Moses

We had no answer…

We have Cahill who was too slow to close down erikson, while walker was occupying Alonso, hazard can't come back to defend that space Cahill leaves as well as Willian/Pedro  on the right and combined with an easy person to beat in the air in Azpilicueta, this is a weakness. Mancity did it with DeBruyne and now tottenham with erikson. 

If we're not going to get into the market and improve on the quality of our wide players and central midfielders, we have to play 3-5-2 against the big teams from now on. The third midfielder will cover that space where Cahill doesn't like closing down the diagonal crosser and hazard doesn't cover that space effectively.

Thankfully tottenham scored us from two similar goals so Conte should spot that obvious weakness before our big games against liverpool and Arsenal. Giroud will eat Azpi alive if ozil is allowed to put early diagonal crosses from the Alonso-cahill-matic triangle.  

Good you named Giroud. One of the best strikers in the League when it comes down to headers. Unbelievable Zlatan couldn't beat Azpi back on october 23th last year...

Like I said: Virgil van Dijk. Not biased because that guy is Dutch but because he's a huge (read in Donald Trump: YUGE) guy who can take out these type of opponents. If we had a defender like him taking out Alli, he wouldn't scored those 2 identical goals. 

[kellzfresh 7,229]

8 minutes ago, BoyBlue96 said:

Good you named Giroud. One of the best strikers in the League when it comes down to headers. Unbelievable Zlatan couldn't beat Azpi back on october 23th last year...

Like I said: Virgil van Dijk. Not biased because that guy is Dutch but because he's a huge (read in Donald Trump: YUGE) guy who can take out these type of opponents. If we had a defender like him taking out Alli, he wouldn't scored those 2 identical goals. 

Not just the marking of Alli, but the freedom of the world erikson had to cross is annoying. Kante and Azpi would never allow that kind of space because of how fast they close down space. But on the Alonso-cahill-matic area they're all slow, only Matic presses the rest back off and KDB and now erikson have the freedom to ping easy diagonal crosses. It's a weakness that ruins our tactics and we must fix it, because now every team have watched this game and will try it all match long till they score. 

[BoyBlue96 990]

Just now, kellzfresh said:

Not just the marking of Alli, but the freedom of the world erikson had to cross is annoying. Kante and Azpi would never allow that kind of space because of how fast they close down space. But on the Alonso-cahill-matic area they're all slow, only Matic presses the rest back off and KDB and now erikson have the freedom to ping easy diagonal crosses. It's a weakness that ruins our tactics and we must fix it, because now every team have watched this game and will try it all match long till they score. 

Alonso-Cahill-Matic is our weak "Pyramid" I believe.

[Fernando 6,585]

23 minutes ago, BoyBlue96 said:

Alonso-Cahill-Matic is our weak "Pyramid" I believe.

Out of those 3 I will stay with Matic. 

Alonso and Cahill are very limited. 

Hence my point that Conte has out perform. 

Get rid of Cahill for someone like van dyke, and Alonso get Bertrand back or someone like that. 

[Bernard N Y Burgesson 139]

BoyBlues96 the solution is Baba back, Van Dyke, Nainggolan.

Then we need some height advantage on the right side of our defence. Azpi and Moses to small to deal with crosses. Other players like Ibrahimovic were just unlucky not to score. Go watch chelsea vs man u and u will notice.

BTW Chalobah has the pace to close down players like Erikson. Am a bit angry about the goals even if they were like wat we conceded against stoke that will be fine but two identical goals cant believe it

[communicate 2,703]

7 hours ago, Fernando said:

Out of those 3 I will stay with Matic. 

Alonso and Cahill are very limited. 

Hence my point that Conte has out perform. 

Get rid of Cahill for someone like van dyke, and Alonso get Bertrand back or someone like that. 

Replacing cahill will help but will not solve the crosses from that position. It is one of the problem playing this system. with only two cm and without any help from the striker, there is going to be overload on the wing. 

[manpe 10,861]

9 hours ago, kellzfresh said:

Tottenham's tactics

1.) Get the ball to Walker and Eriksen and create an overload with Alonso
2.) Force Cahill to come across to help
3.) Make sure David Luiz is busy with Kane
4.) Dele Alli makes a forward run to get on the end of crosses vs Azpi and Moses

We had no answer…

We have Cahill who was too slow to close down erikson, while walker was occupying Alonso, hazard can't come back to defend that space Cahill leaves as well as Willian/Pedro  on the right and combined with an easy person to beat in the air in Azpilicueta, this is a weakness. Mancity did it with DeBruyne and now tottenham with erikson. 

If we're not going to get into the market and improve on the quality of our wide players and central midfielders, we have to play 3-5-2 against the big teams from now on. The third midfielder will cover that space where Cahill doesn't like closing down the diagonal crosser and hazard doesn't cover that space effectively.

Thankfully tottenham scored us from two similar goals so Conte should spot that obvious weakness before our big games against liverpool and Arsenal. Giroud will eat Azpi alive if ozil is allowed to put early diagonal crosses from the Alonso-cahill-matic triangle.  

You are right. I'm not that worried about Liverpool exploiting this hole because they have no huge target men, they will be playing to their strengths not to our weaknesses. But you can bet everything that Giroud will be a massive headache if we persist with Moses and Azpi on that side, Wenger must be rubbing his hands together gleefully after that Spurs game. That guy is a monster in the air and on his day nearly unstoppable even by hardened defenders. I would like us to try Azpi RWB and Zouma RCB some time to test this combination out, because there will be games where we will need sheer mass in the box.

[communicate 2,703]

5 minutes ago, manpe said:

You are right. I'm not that worried about Liverpool exploiting this hole because they have no huge target men, they will be playing to their strengths not to our weaknesses. But you can bet everything that Giroud will be a massive headache if we persist with Moses and Azpi on that side, Wenger must be rubbing his hands together gleefully after that Spurs game. That guy is a monster in the air and on his day nearly unstoppable even by hardened defenders. I would like us to try Azpi RWB and Zouma RCB some time to test this combination out, because there will be games where we will need sheer mass in the box.

Your CB need to be good on the ball in 3 man defence and Im not sure about Zouma.

[manpe 10,861]

31 minutes ago, communicate said:

Your CB need to be good on the ball in 3 man defence and Im not sure about Zouma.

Yes for sure they need to be, but sometimes it is not enough as we saw against Spurs and we don't have the luxury to pick a strong ball-playing CB. Zouma can play simple passes well, he doesn't need to be Bonucci to be useful. But it all depends on what kind of shape he's in.

[ack17 205]

Chelsea tell panel 'culture of the club' has changed under Antonio Conte

Chelsea told a disciplinary committee that "the culture of the club'' had changed under Antonio Conte before being fined £100,000 for their part in the fracas at the end of last month's win at Manchester City.

The Premier League leaders, who won 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium, received a greater punishment than City, who were fined £35,000, despite an independent regulatory commission finding the parties to be "equally culpable.''

The written reasons for the sanctions, published by the Football Association on Thursday, showed that both clubs admitted breaching the misconduct rule which governs controlling players and staff.

Six prior offences dating back to 2011 -- and five since February 2015 -- were considered before Chelsea's sanction was determined.

Mr Jim Sturman QC, representing Chelsea, "accepted that the club would be punished more severally based on their previous record,'' the written reasons said.

"This could not be disputed but he submitted that the culture of the club had changed under the new manager,'' the written reasons added.

http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/story/3032742/chelsea-tell-panel-culture-of-the-club-has-changed-under-conte