closed Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea

[Beigl 1,387]

We will see how it works out, but from the looks of it Conte gives Liverpool too much respect..

[Yeboii 1,844]

2 minutes ago, Leif said:

Drinkwater hasn't yet had the opportunity to show we can actually trust him as a player. I barely watched him at Leicester, but for the cameos he's had for us thus far he's looked slow (football IQ) & not exactly great technically. I don't see what he offers which Ampadu wouldn't, for example. 

Much more experience and better slide tackles I guess. 

[Leif 6,006]

1 minute ago, Beigl said:

We will see how it works out, but from the looks of it Conte gives Liverpool to much respect..

Every top team we face under Conte I feel like we're playing not to lose instead of to win. 1 exception, only 1, was vs. Man City I think.

[Leif 6,006]

Just now, Yeboii said:

Much more experience and better slide tackles I guess. 

'Fabregas? Why would I play Fabregas when I have a slide-tackle master?' 

[Milan 17,854]

Spurs just lost 2 points to WBA. Come on boys!

[LAM09 6,751]

Happy Conte is going with a front two but unsure about dropping Cesc. Our wingbacks are going to have a busy afternoon for sure.

[!Hazard! 3,394]

16 minutes ago, Leif said:

Every top team we face under Conte I feel like we're playing not to lose instead of to win. 1 exception, only 1, was vs. Man City I think.

I feel it was just yesterday when everyone here were complaining about Conte playing Cesc-Kante midfield in big games and many were demanding more defensive midfield lineup.

I actually think this midfield allows Alonso and Zappacosta to go forward as much as possible unlike in the game against City where the wingbacks were trapped in defensive positions.

[Leif 6,006]

Just now, !Hazard! said:

I feel it was just yesterday when everyone here were complaining about Conte playing Cesc-Kante midfield in big games and many were demanding more defensive midfield lineup.

I remember too, but we weren't using a midfield 3 at that time. Ever since we've had 3 (Kante, Fabregas, Bakayoko) in the middle, I don't think Fabregas has had a bad moment. When you have 5 defenders + Kante & Bakayoko, it should be plausible that Fabregas can start in a more advanced role and forget defensive duties. 

Otherwise, like in this case, we have 2. 2... 2 attacking players. 2! And that's to Liverpool's 4, with their best attackers still to come on no less.

[Laylabelle 9,359]

27 minutes ago, milan.cech said:

Odds on Oxlade scoring a goal?

Him and salah..urgh bound to happen

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,919]

Salah is definitely going to score.

 

Oxlade is ass though.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

5 minutes ago, Leif said:

I remember too, but we weren't using a midfield 3 at that time. Ever since we've had 3 (Kante, Fabregas, Bakayoko) in the middle, I don't think Fabregas has had a bad moment. When you have 5 defenders + Kante & Bakayoko, it should be plausible that Fabregas can start in a more advanced role and forget defensive duties. 

Otherwise, like in this case, we have 2. 2... 2 attacking players. 2! And that's to Liverpool's 4, with their best attackers still to come on no less.

It's going to be a back to the wall type of performance it seems. Conte's rolled out the double-decker for this one. I hope I'm very wrong but it looks we're in for some serious bus parking business. I don't see how Hazard can be the only creative force in the team and expect to do it alone. I fear him and Morata are going to be isolated . Of course I hope I'm very wrong

[Pizy 18,368]

3 minutes ago, Leif said:

I remember too, but we weren't using a midfield 3 at that time. Ever since we've had 3 (Kante, Fabregas, Bakayoko) in the middle, I don't think Fabregas has had a bad moment. When you have 5 defenders + Kante & Bakayoko, it should be plausible that Fabregas can start in a more advanced role and forget defensive duties. 

Otherwise, like in this case, we have 2. 2... 2 attacking players. 2! And that's to Liverpool's 4, with their best attackers still to come on no less.

I think you're going way overboard here. We aren't entering games to shut up shop and turn every big match into a turgid shitfest with no attacking intent or quality like we did under Mourinho. This is a perfectly sensible XI. If Cesc hadn't just played against Qarabag I'm sure he'd have started this.

While on paper Morata and Hazard are the only two "attackers" we have out there, as you well know Bakayoko, Alonso, Zappacosta, and sometimes even Azpi will all join the attack when we have the ball. Kante often bombs forward now, too.

Being solid and fresh in midfield is the most important thing against Liverpool's crazy energy and pressing. Especially at Anfield.

[Leif 6,006]

Simply shut Hazard down with all your men and you have no support for Morata. 

Don't shut down Hazard, and Hazard himself has no support, needing to create everything for himself.

There is no way it can be rationalised that lining up with 2 attacking players is alright. Even if they're weaker players, the likes of Pedro and Willian at least give the opposition something else to think about. Hazard's best when there's chaos - are Drinkwater and Bakayoko going to cause it? I don't think so. Already everything for us is going through Hazard - but who can he pass to? Who can he pass to and receive the ball back from? Nobody consistently; he and we have to pray our other players have the games of their lives to give Hazard the environment he thrives in.

[Milan 17,854]

Too negative, waiting for them to create something.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,919]

Sit back and let them apply all the pressure brehs...

[Leif 6,006]

When you have one player on the field who enjoys being on the ball for longer than 2 seconds that can be proactive with those seconds, it's a disgrace, it just is. It's a huge problem to have this lack of on-the-ball quality. Everyone but Hazard becomes headless under pressure, thus they just start hoofing it upfield, no different from the last Mourinho era.

[Laylabelle 9,359]

BT seem to have odd cameras angles going on

Urgh their goal is coming if we carry on

[Leif 6,006]

Within the space of 3 seconds, 2 different players of ours in 2 different positions of the pitch, randomly hoofed it upfield into nowhere because they had no balls to hold the ball.