closed Leicester v Chelsea

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Oooooh that would've been a perfect start of Alonso had Bats got proper contact with that! 

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Wow, left back overlaps and puts in a cross into the box with his stronger foot which almost leads to a goal! What a novel idea! Maybe we should try it more often.

[Special Juan 27,103]

Good control of the game here. Alonso going forward well and providing good balance.

[Adnane 1,101]

Hope I don't jinx this, but with the dynamism and technique of D.Luiz-Alonso, I hope that Ivanovic-Cahill don't start ever again when everyone is fit.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,775]

1 hour ago, petre.ispirescu said:

Leicester with a pretty good team to be fair. Was expecting Drinkwater, Morgan and Simpson to be out, too. Going to be a hard one, this match. ET or penalties, does not matter. Just go through.

And Gray has looked very good whenever I've seen him. In one way he's the perfect opponent to give Alonso a chance to show us what he's got defensively, but in another way Gray is not the man I would've wanted to see Marcos going against on debut.

The big improvement I think Alonso can give us is in his ability as a continuity player. Many people on this site, and elsewhere, shout the virtues of fullbacks who can deliver good crosses into the area. Personally I believe that of all the attributes that contribute to a fullback being effective, his ability to cross the football is absolutely the last, and lowest priority of them.

The plain fact is that, no matter who you are, the majority of your crosses into the penalty area will be ineffective and most of your effective ones will come to nothing anyway.  In any case, show me a good cross into the box by fullback and nine times out of ten I will show you a good passing move which put him there.

Obviously solid defensive qualities are a  pre-requisite for a fullback but next on the list is that he should be a good continuity player. That is to say, be able to receive the ball well, if necessary manipulate it to give himself angles to make solid, and preferably progressive, passes.  Almost every time that the team establishes possession, one, if not both, of their fullbacks will touch the ball. Therefore fullbacks who can be effective contributors to the passing movements of the team, will make a very big and very important contribution.

Give me a fullback who is a great continuity player, but a poor crosser, over one who is an average continuity player but a great crosser, any day of the week. Alonso looks to me to be a great continuity player.

[cosmicway 1,252]

Cahill brought his sleeping bag with him again.

[Adnane 1,101]

Cahill again...

Fortunately enough Luiz saved the day.

[Special Juan 27,103]

Cahill's first touch is a pass.....

[BlueStorm1003 539]

Cahill. My man...please no. Not now

[Adnane 1,101]

And should have been a penalty.

Instead, he is out captain for the night.

Seriously, please fuck off already.

[cosmicway 1,252]

I think he needs glasses.

[Special Juan 27,103]

For fucks sake,

[DDA 9,570]

Embarrassing. Utter shite!

[MefiX19 1,092]

oh k

[Jusek 2,031]

That was terrible.

[cosmicway 1,252]

lost at sea

[Eidur the Spider 4,515]

Shameful defending. Absolutely bloody shameful. 

ALL looked bad there. 

[Special Juan 27,103]

Now all of a sudden a Conte team can't defend for shit.