closed Chelsea 1-1 Leicester

[Atomiswave 6,120]

Fuck me talk sport already at it. Simon jordan claiming Lamps was the wrong choice etc......I saw nothing of this with klopp and poch, Heck even ole gets credit somwhow, the hate for us in eng media is unheard of.

This is a free hit season, count on nothing, hope for nothing, utterly put top4 aside. Its a learning season. But I swear if our deadwood aint gone by this time next year, if we havent spent a very good amount on quality players then we are Chel no more until a new owner or board comes through.

[MONEYBALL 20]

1 hour ago, killer1257 said:

I can´t believe how much hate Abraham gets. He did everything well apart from that one shot, which he missed and that one was not easy to take. Apart from that, his hold up play was very good and he made some great passes. Willian was hopeless yes I agree, but Abraham was very good.

MOTM ?

[Hutcho 8,443]

Tammy got the biggest reception of everyone. He didn't play great but none of the subs did. Willian just so poor. We'll get there. We flash brilliance and then look lackluster late on. This season was always gonna be tough. Let's get these problems out the way now

[Jase 43,479]

Next 2 games are against Norwich (a) and Sheffield United (h). If we don't get 6 points (or even 4!) from those two games...

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Just now, Jason said:

Next 2 games are against Norwich (a) and Sheffield United (h). If we don't get 6 points (or even 4!) from those two games...

If we don't get 6 points from those two, the pressure will come on Lamps

[MoroccanBlue 5,385]

Just now, Hutcho said:

Let's get these problems out the way now

The main problem I see is unfortunately not fixable. 

Lampard can definitely improve the structure in midfield and how we defend as a unit, but the biggest issue that even Sarri couldn't fix, is the lack of end product. 

Willian averages 5 league goals a season

Giroud isn't prolific and his attributes don't make him a good fit for Lampard

Tammy is unproven.

Pulisic is unproven. 

Pedro is over the hill, and hardly a chance creator. 

CHO, as much as we hype him, is unproven. 

Mount and Barkley are probably the most creative. The former unproven and the latter notoriously inconsistent. 

 

The fact of the matter is, the real chances we do create, is from forcing the opposition to make a mistake. When our press slows down, the chances we do create dry up as there is little to no creativity in the team. The chances we do get, we fail to convert. So it breaks down to whether or not we kill the game early on, or allow the opposition back in it.

Let's be real here, there's a reason we saw little to no comebacks last season. 

[Laylabelle 9,544]

8 minutes ago, Jason said:

Next 2 games are against Norwich (a) and Sheffield United (h). If we don't get 6 points (or even 4!) from those two games...

Oh god imagine... Leicester is forgivable we're hit and miss against them..but the other 2 no offense they're capable but so should we be! Even more so as we play first 

[the wes 7,212]

 

[Vesper 30,320]

1 minute ago, kellzfresh said:

If we don't get 6 points from those two, the pressure will come on Lamps

I think we take all 6, and with ease

other than Pukki, these teams are SHIT, both teams COMBINED valuations are less than just Mbappe

The only players on either team who interest me in the slightest are Pukki and RB Max Aarons of Norwich

Sheffield United have maybe one player who would even start for our U23's (even if you removed age limits) , CF Oliver McBurnie

[Hutcho 8,443]

The main problem I see is unfortunately not fixable. 
Lampard can definitely improve the structure in midfield and how we defend as a unit, but the biggest issue that even Sarri couldn't fix, is the lack of end product. 
Willian averages 5 league goals a season
Giroud isn't prolific and his attributes don't make him a good fit for Lampard
Tammy is unproven.
Pulisic is unproven. 
Pedro is over the hill, and hardly a chance creator. 
CHO, as much as we hype him, is unproven. 
Mount and Barkley are probably the most creative. The former unproven and the latter notoriously inconsistent. 
 
The fact of the matter is, the real chances we do create, is from forcing the opposition to make a mistake. When our press slows down, the chances we do create dry up as there is little to no creativity in the team. The chances we do get, we fail to convert. So it breaks down to whether or not we kill the game early on, or allow the opposition back in it.
Let's be real here, there's a reason we saw little to no comebacks last season. 

Course they are fixable.

Unproven means nothing. The season will tell. It takes time. Mount will improve. CHO will come back and improve we have Loftus cheek to return and we'll get better as we go. Pulisic will get better the longer he gels with the team etc. We do lack an out and out goalscorer but we have had that issue for years barring Costa.

No we won't win the league but there are positive signs. We created 4 clear cut chances in the first 20 mins and should have been at least 2 up.

My only concern is defensively we look shaky from set pieces which is hard to fix. Giroud on the pitch helps a lot with that because he's very good in the air. But we aren't a very tall team at the moment which is hard to fix

[Vesper 30,320]

Not to toss a turd into the Blue punchbowl, but we have to at least take into account that we may sell CHO if he still refuses to sign a new contract, rather than lose him on a free

Tuesday makes 4 weeks since he supposedly agreed to renew, and still no sig on the old parchment

his poison brother is doing his goddamn utmost to shiv us in the arse, from all that I see

 

[Pizy 18,996]

Really can't wait for CHO to be back fit. Pedro and Willian already look to be carrying on where they've let off. Willian hasn't had a preseason and it showed today. He was dreadful. Pedro did what Pedro always does. Sensational one match and really poor the next. He gives the ball away so cheaply and fouls players in dangerous areas so often.

We need a wide player who has huge pace and scares defenders to pin them back. 

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

I guess this was expected. As usual we came out red hot ouf of the blocks and then tired but thats understandable.

For the first time i think we scored the number of goals we deserved. Given the chances creates. The result was fair as well. Tammy once againnwas an absolute let down.

Willian was the usual clusterfuck. Absolute shit show. Has learned nothing, does not track back properly and 0 end product. Pedro has declined visibly losing the ball in dangerous positions. 

Same for Azpi. Really should have done better with the header vs Ndidi. 

Pulisic was anyonymous as was Emerson. Zouma and Christensen were quite ok given they had nonprotection and they bypassed our midfield easily. Really need to defend better. We need Rlc badly. We are so weak always getzing physically dominated in midfield.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

The first 15 minutes were simply brilliant, but at the same time it's impossible to keep that monstrous intensity for a long time. It is the exact same football Klopp used to play in his first two seasons at Liverpool when they looked brilliant for the first half of the season and then crumbled miserably because their tank was totally empty come late February. 

Now Klopp changed his approach a bit and keeps the same intensity, but in patches and deliberately gives possession away and that's what I am expecting from Lampard to do, too. I was thinking he'd go back to that totall football in the second half at some point, but my feeling is that the legs were too heavy after 120 minutes in Turkey and just three days rest.

Let's see how we do in the next two matches with proper rest in between both. 

[positivefootball 195]

RLC and CHO are big players?? The delusions are reaching epic proportions.

[killer1257 3,282]

Just now, positivefootball said:

RLC and CHO are big players?? The delusions are reaching epic proportions.

RLC was one of our best players last season. Even Man City had problems dealing with his physical attributes combined with his technique. You could agrue that maybe CHO is not the type of big player we need at thsi current state, but RLC definetely is a great player. His has everything apart from stamina.  

[Vesper 30,320]

23 minutes ago, positivefootball said:

RLC and CHO are big players?? The delusions are reaching epic proportions.

RLC on a full seasons minutes was on pace to score 20 goals and have 10 assists, many of then in the EPL, so yes, he is a big player for us

CHO has bags of potential and if we lose him it is a massive blow

you coming on here and shitting on the majority of the board are the delusional one m8

 

[MoroccanBlue 5,385]

To have a player that has been with us since he was 6, to score his first goal on his debut at the bridge wearing the Chelsea kit. 

One of our own. 

 

[Blue Armour 4,482]

4 hours ago, the wes said:

 

Doesn't mince words here.

I'm glad that he acknowledges the problem and has admitted that we were absolute tosh in the 2nd half of the game.

First step towards fixing the problems.

[OneMoSalah 8,894]

38 minutes ago, Blue Armour said:

Doesn't mince words here.

I'm glad that he acknowledges the problem and has admitted that we were absolute tosh in the 2nd half of the game.

First step towards fixing the problems.

But it was the same in pre-season and really the defensive structure of the whole team hasnt drastically changed bar the Liverpool performance.

Yes we are only say 10 games (including pre-season) into Lampard's tenure so this could come as premature but I am a bit concerned with how we concede so many chances and look so bad defending set plays.

For me, it is similar to how Andre Villas Boas' team got on defensively. Couldnt stop conceding chances from open play, unorganised at set plays and eventually goals started going in and it was a matter of could Chelsea get back into the game. Without an improvement defensively as a team (although I think AC-Zouma both played decent today as a pairing but I mean as a whole from front to back) and seeing as we lack a top striker to bail us out, we could potentially end up dropping points. 

As for the attacking play, yeah it is good and exciting at times as well as the high press but there were also elements again in some of our games very similar to how we played under Sarri at times, very congested in middle. We also arent as composed in some phases of the game as we could be and that is also resulting in us turning the ball over and getting done on transitions far too often. Again with time, like the defensive structure, I really hope it improves.

I have seen a lot of positives so far with Frank, the high press when it works is really good (example first 15 mins today), as well as the more direct attacking play (although still gets congested at times) and obviously trying to integrate the academy kids. I was apprehensive about his appointment and still think theres been alarms like I said similar to Villas-Boas' team defensively and for me, most good teams are built on a good defensive structure and shape. Liverpool, Spurs and City without the ball, press from the front. Theyve all bought into it and the distances are good, then if they dont win it they drop back in and are organised. We used to be very organised under Jose and Conte, being able to grind out results. Man United with Fergie as well could grind games out if they werent playing great.

Basically if you cant keep goals out from set plays or concede too many big chances (think of Brendans Liverpool team that finished 2nd), your going to have to end up scoring 3 or 4 goals every game. Teams that have to score 3 or 4 goals a game because they cant keep a clean sheet dont traditionally win leagues or cups. Its probably easier to keep clean sheets than need to score 3 or 4 goals a game.