closed Chelsea 0-1 Man City

[!Hazard! 3,394]

It's very obvious the starting XI needs few changes in the long-run:

 

1) Better wingbacks. It would be a whole new team had we spent 100 million on two classy wingbacks like City this summer.

2) Upgrade Fabregas. The spaniard needs to go. Sure, he's a great player against teams who know nothing about pressing or are simply too bad to even try but against teams like City he gets exposed over and over again. A player in the mould of Modric or Verratti would transform our midfield both offensively and defensively

3) Why is Cahill still playing? There are four great centrebacks in this team and Gary isn't one of them...

 

This team is still great against teams outside the top-5 and 80+ points in the league is still a realistic scenario. However, against top teams the same problems will continue to exist until some personnel changes on the pitch will take place.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

4 minutes ago, !Hazard! said:

It's very obvious the starting XI needs few changes in the long-run:

 

1) Better wingbacks. It would be a whole new team had we spent 100 million on two classy wingbacks like City this summer.

2) Upgrade Fabregas. The spaniard needs to go. Sure, he's a great player against teams who know nothing about pressing or are simply too bad to even try but against teams like City he gets exposed over and over again. A player in the mould of Modric or Verratti would transform our midfield both offensively and defensively

3) Why is Cahill still playing? There are four great centrebacks in this team and Gary isn't one of them...

 

This team is still great against teams outside the top-5 and 80+ points in the league is still a realistic scenario. However, against top teams the same problems will continue to exist until some personnel changes on the pitch will take place.

You forgot new RW. Willian is awful and Eden needs someone to linkup with. 

As for today game, it was disaster we benched Moses. His runs can help our attack alot, even if he has no end product. Azpi was defending whole game and Alonso couldnt get past middle of pitch. Thats on Conte for picking such defensive and cowardly lineup at HOME.

[Laylabelle 9,553]

Guess it was only 1-0..but what a shite performance! Didn't expect us to win but didn't expect us to play so poor! This is the problem we're gana have along other things..injuries and tiredness gana have a effect. 

[quickpassnmove 924]

19 minutes ago, Johnnyeye said:

Conte played not to lose, but in the end we lost, i didnt expect this coward aproach from him, very conservative. im extremely dissapointed

I would like to know how you would attack more with this squad. Wasn't going to come from Alonso with a Raheem Sterling counterattack taking on Gary 1v1.  Something else then?

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Jase 43,479]

22 minutes ago, Johnnyeye said:

Conte played not to lose, but in the end we lost, i didnt expect this coward aproach from him, very conservative. im extremely dissapointed

How do you know he set up not to lose? Against teams like City and with the players we got, we were always going to set up on the break. That's the intention all along but what didn't help was Conte's curious player selection (Willian over Batshuayi?, Moses over Azpi at RWB?!) and some players' piss poor performance (FFS WILLIAN!).

[nono 791]

Willian has been here too long. Has actually regressed now. We need another attacker to help Hazard and some more quality in midfield against the top teams.

[Johnnyeye 7,534]

2 minutes ago, quickpassnmove said:

I would like to know how you would attack more with this squad. Wasn't going to come from Alonso with a Raheem Sterling counterattack taking on Gary 1v1.  Something else then?

sorry, im just fuming at the moment, but in that aspect youre right, Conte wanted to cointain City main threats, Morata´s injury fucked up everything, but i feel we could and should have done much better considering we were playing at home, we looked like we were playing away, we respected City too much, couldnt attack to save our lives, City got what they deserved. in the end this is on the board for not getting more players in during the summer, you can see we lack depth, as soon as Morata came off we were done for, altough i expected Michy to come on at that time, who knows what might have happened, would have it made a difference at that moment? maybe, but we can only speculate. Cheers

[Johnnyeye 7,534]

6 minutes ago, Jason said:

How do you know he set up not to lose? Against teams like City and with the players we got, we were always going to set up on the break. That's the intention all along but what didn't help was Conte's curious player selection (Willian over Batshuayi?, Moses over Azpi at RWB?!) and some players' piss poor performance (FFS WILLIAN!).

i dont understand why Conte didnt put Michy on considering he is our only other striker available, the fact is Conte got it wrong today and lost. well whats done is done,

[Jase 43,479]

If people thought playing Atletico away on Wednesday and then City on Saturday was bad, just wait till mid-November. Qarabag away on Wednesday and then away at Liverpool on Saturday.

[cosmicway 1,333]

Why this match was played today then and not Monday ?
I know of a few association heads who had to resign over such issues for accepting / rejecting such requests, but we did not even make the request.

[Johnnyeye 7,534]

1 minute ago, cosmicway said:

Why this match was played today then and not Monday ?
I know of a few association heads who had to resign over such issues for accepting / rejecting such requests, but we did not even make the request.

you just know that if it was United or even City they would have moved the match to another day, still no excuses from us.

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

It hurts having de Bruyne and Lukaku carry the Mancs. IMO morata and hazard are better but I would much rather have the former top rotting on our bench than playing for our rivals just because of that shithead Mourinho

[Fulham Broadway 17,399]

Reality is they have an embarrassment of riches and squad depth, just as we had in 2004-5, 2006-7.

Never mind this was a great day if anyone remembers

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/sep/29/chelsea-manchester-city-cup-final-league

[Jase 43,479]

Thank god for our away form! Our home results have been rubbish.

[robsblubot 3,595]

Really have nothing bad to say about our defense line today as they've got relentlessly hammered the entire game, esp second half. Alonso was good defensively despite the worry there. Andreas was a monster and should prob play along with Luiz when he's back - we miss Luiz' drive today.

It's all about the midfield and it did not show except, as usual, Kante. Baka has been a big disappointment to me and I must have been watching different games, because at this time he just isn't good enough. Fabregas I've already given up long time ago - good squad player, but must not start tough games like this one.

I've always disliked Willian, but lately every time I watch him play, he's the worst player on the pitch.

All in all, we have a good team, poor squad and have no business challenging for any silverware this season (perhaps FA cup or something like that).

If Bats is not trusted, because he might not be good enough, why is he still in the squad and why hasn't the club picked a replacement? 

[cosmicway 1,333]

Look, we completely lost the ball, plus in the last half hour they were toying with our defense.
5-10 last hour interceptions, saves by Courtois.
Their keeper was worried early on with Morata's header and on another two occasions, Hazard's shot and a cross from the right wing towards the end.

[xPetrCechx 13,586]

Nothing we could do.

the players were tired from the CL game... can't understand why the PL didn't put this game on Sunday...

You can't play with tired players against the best team in the PL.

[xPetrCechx 13,586]

Conte says he has already spoken about the scheduling of this fixture but it made it hard for players to press box to box.  #CHEMCI

[quickpassnmove 924]

29 minutes ago, Robguima said:

Really have nothing bad to say about our defense line today as they've got relentlessly hammered the entire game, esp second half. Alonso was good defensively despite the worry there. Andreas was a monster and should prob play along with Luiz when he's back - we miss Luiz' drive today.

It's all about the midfield and it did not show except, as usual, Kante. Baka has been a big disappointment to me and I must have been watching different games, because at this time he just isn't good enough. Fabregas I've already given up long time ago - good squad player, but must not start tough games like this one.

I've always disliked Willian, but lately every time I watch him play, he's the worst player on the pitch.

All in all, we have a good team, poor squad and have no business challenging for any silverware this season (perhaps FA cup or something like that).

If Bats is not trusted, because he might not be good enough, why is he still in the squad and why hasn't the club picked a replacement? 

Yeah, I agree on Bakayoko since I've now seen him play in a number of matches. Fabregas looks all but done with his speed. He can't do what Pirlo did at age 36 either. And yet, Cesc could still do well in a club with more effective attackers --which we severely lack right now.

 

We are defensively pretty strong, but I would rather Chelsea had some new wingback, midfield and attacking players to give playing time instead of being obsessed over making top 4 again this season. Not looking good in that respect given that we're going to spend this entire season relying on just Hazard and Morata for quality attacking options while our wingbacks offer very little.

 

I don't know what Antonio can do right now. Kenedy should get some more time on the pitch or we better have a new LWB lined up for the January window. 

Face it, whereas we were AHEAD of everyone in 2004-2005, we're now constantly playing catch-up or lag behind --depending on how you see it. See the difference between what our board did for Jose (2nd time in charge) versus what ManUtd have done with Jose.