closed Chelsea 0-1 Valencia

[Jase 43,479]

3 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

Abraham leading the line and Giroud out wide or vice versa?

Doesn't seem probable to me

It doesn't have to be strictly that in terms of position and it wasn't the case. We were just a giant mess in attack. 

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

Worrying times when we continue to lose matches we should easily have won. The play depends heavily on Mount. Since when is Barkley the pen taker when he is a squad player? 

Pedro, Alonso, Willian once again disgusting. I would much rather watch some young players out there having these shitty games and gather experience than those washed up has beens. 

But few teams can cope with this amount of injuries. We have 6 probable first teamers out injured. 

We have no chance going far in CL anyway so better try and defend the EL title. 

Looks like our luck ran out with that clinical performance at Wolves. We remain highly inconsistent and wasteful. It will take time and key players becoming match fit till that changes but I believe it will. We the fans should try ourselves in temperance and serenity for at least this season otherwise it will be too annoying to take all these shitty results yet to come tonheart. 

[LAM09 7,056]

0-0 against decent opposition in Germany.

Bilbao are title challengers? [emoji42]

[Hutcho 8,443]

It's only 2 games but the more I look at our 3-4-3, the more I feel like it's being used solely to protect us defensively more than anything else. Don't look to have any cohesion or decisiveness when going forward. 

It is to protect us defensively but not sure you can say that when we just scored 5 goals using it. It works we just need better delivery from azpi wide. When we won the league with it we had moses who produced good delivery from rwb. Its a system that protects us defensively and works better with attacking mids than out and out wingers (I. E. That guy again... Mason Mount).

We had a bad game which we shouldn't have lost but 2 games isnt enough to say anything definitive.

The other key point is we haven't played either system with our best defender and midfielder both in it yet. We could look solid with the 4 with them 2 or even better in the 3-4-3. We don't know yet

[cosmicway 1,333]

Just now, LAM09 said:

Bilbao are title challengers?

Bilbao are a German team ?

[OhForAGreavsie 6,075]

1 hour ago, nachikethas said:

Wow.You mean upper deck?

Yes. Front row directly behind the right hand goal post as we looked at the pitch. So actually a little way left of you.

[LAM09 7,056]

Bilbao are a German team ?

Not read my first reply or unable to?

[Superblue 6,372]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

It's only 2 games but the more I look at our 3-4-3, the more I feel like it's being used solely to protect us defensively more than anything else. Don't look to have any cohesion or decisiveness when going forward. 

It definitely makes us more defensively solid, Valencia hardly created anything of note in open play tonight and Wolves created very little at the weekend.

The biggest problem was the quality from out wide. We worked the ball very well at times in the centre through Jorginho and Kovacic and switched play well but Azpi and Alonso simply don't have good enough delivery.

It would be interesting to see how 3-4-3 would work at times when players are fit and Emerson and James can be wing backs, with Rudiger leading the defence too.

The wing backs are the key in that formation as it allows the 3 to be more narrow in a similar way to how Liverpool and City play and unfortunately at present that's the weak area of this side.

[Vesper 30,186]

1 minute ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Barkley and Willian fighting over who should take the penalty was hilarious. As if either of those two have a future here. Wankers. Questions need to be asked as to why Jorginho didn't take it. 

Embarrassing result. Valencia have been nothing short of relegation quality this season, and we've lost to them at home. 

 

way too harsh on Valencia, although they started some who are not their best, but they have a tonne of players who make our squad atm

every one of these

GK Jasper Cillessen    <<< goodbye Willie, might even give Kepa a run for a couple more years
CB Mouctar Diakhaby   <<< big upgrade over Zouma 
LB José Gayà   <<<< third or 4th best LB in the world, would take him in a flash over Chilwell
LW Gonçalo Guedes  <<< goodbye Willian  
RW Carlos Soler    <<<<< goodbye Pedro
CF Rodrigo <<<<< goodbye Bats    
CF Maxi Gómez <<<<<<< goodbye Giroud

 

RW/SS Ferran Torres  (would so take him and loan him to an EPL team, he has future star (he is 19) written all over him

and maybe, maybe

Geoffrey Kondogbia   (Mourinho and Conte would so take him, Lamps and Sarri probably not)

 

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, Hutcho said:

It is to protect us defensively but not sure you can say that when we just scored 5 goals using it. It works we just need better delivery from azpi wide. When we won the league with it we had moses who produced good delivery from rwb. Its a system that protects us defensively and works better with attacking mids than out and out wingers (I. E. That guy again... Mason Mount).

Scoring 5 goals was great but the first goal was a bolt from the blue and the second and third goals were also down to individual errors. We didn't exactly cut Wolves apart with brilliant passing football, did we? We were just super clinical on Saturday. 

[Pizy 18,918]

5 minutes ago, Jason said:

It's only 2 games but the more I look at our 3-4-3, the more I feel like it's being used solely to protect us defensively more than anything else. Don't look to have any cohesion or decisiveness when going forward. 

I mean, in both games we've deployed this formation now we've looked very dangerous (in 3 of the 4 halves we've played, that is) and have created tons of chances. This isn't Mourinho/Sarri where at times we all just stood around and waited for Hazard to do something. We did enough in the first half today to score a couple.  I don't mind if we occasionally use 3-4-3, though I think as soon as Emerson is fit we'll revert back.

What ought to be our biggest concern is how fucking horrific we continue to be at set pieces. We look like we could concede on any set piece that has decent delivery.

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

Just now, Hutcho said:

It is to protect us defensively but not sure you can say that when we just scored 5 goals using it. It works we just need better delivery from azpi wide. When we won the league with it we had moses who produced good delivery from rwb. Its a system that protects us defensively and works better with attacking mids than out and out wingers (I. E. That guy again... Mason Mount).

We had a bad game which we shouldn't have lost but 2 games isnt enough to say anything definitive.

The other key point is we haven't played either system with our best defender and midfielder both in it yet. We could look solid with the 4 with them 2 or even better in the 3-4-3. We don't know yet

One goal was a worldie from Tomori

Second goal was a bit of a mess up in the box where Tammy did well to put away

Third goal was a bit of great player that allowed Tammy to finish it. 

Fourth goal was individual brilliance from Tammy

Fifth goal was yet again individual brilliance from Mount

 

Only one goal you could say was created out of a team build up. 

 

We genuinely look like Conte's final season up top in this 3-4-3. I'm hoping its scraped once everyone is fit. 

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

Just a terrible night there's absolutely no positives to be had. The crowd was flat, that cunt's assault on Mount, Aspi and Alonso pathetic crossing the debacle with the penalty. For fucks sake we all now Jorgie is our penalty taker why the fuck Barkley took the ball like a petulant schoolboy in the playground was fucking ridiculous. If someone mentions transition I'm going to go fucking mental this was a game against a team apparently in turmoil well they looked pretty professional to me.

[nachikethas 1,154]

Supposed to be a great day in my life, thanks Barkley 

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

2 minutes ago, Iggy Doonican said:

Just a terrible night there's absolutely no positives to be had. The crowd was flat, that cunt's assault on Mount, Aspi and Alonso pathetic crossing the debacle with the penalty. For fucks sake we all now Jorgie is our penalty taker why the fuck Barkley took the ball like a petulant schoolboy in the playground was fucking ridiculous. If someone mentions transition I'm going to go fucking mental this was a game against a team apparently in turmoil well they looked pretty professional to me.

There is honestly no excuse for this defeat. Even with injuries we should be winning. 

Appalling from everyone involved. 

[Laylabelle 9,535]

2 minutes ago, Iggy Doonican said:

Just a terrible night there's absolutely no positives to be had. The crowd was flat, that cunt's assault on Mount, Aspi and Alonso pathetic crossing the debacle with the penalty. For fucks sake we all now Jorgie is our penalty taker why the fuck Barkley took the ball like a petulant schoolboy in the playground was fucking ridiculous. If someone mentions transition I'm going to go fucking mental this was a game against a team apparently in turmoil well they looked pretty professional to me.

Yeah was a odd crowd. Sparked to life a bit after Valencia scored but then that penalty moment happened. 

I'm surprised they didn't score again. Annoying seeing the stats on screen. Assume that's a new thing? 

[Jase 43,479]

6 minutes ago, Pizy said:

I mean, in both games we've deployed this formation now we've looked very dangerous (in 3 of the 4 halves we've played, that is) and have created tons of chances. This isn't Mourinho/Sarri where at times we all just stood around and waited for Hazard to do something. We did enough in the first half today to score a couple.  I don't mind if we occasionally use 3-4-3, though I think as soon as Emerson is fit we'll revert back.

Tons of half chances or tons of clear cut chances? It's certainly more of the former at the moment. We were just super clinical with them on Saturday.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,075]

38 minutes ago, Vesper said:

IF ANY of them are here next year I am going to SNAP

Oh lordie, no. 🙂

[LAM09 7,056]

That should clear up the PK talk

[cosmicway 1,333]

Willian would have scored the pen 99.999% or Jorginho or Kepa.