closed Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea

[dimmas 131]

53 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

Pure luck

It was obviously a cross to luakkau that got too high

Our turgid football save by combination of absolutely lucky cross and stupid mistake from their defender. 

 

Our football has been very horrendous. Can tuchel change that?

Really doubt about that. If he can, he already did that from 6 months ago.

Our attack just been consistently shit for too long, right now just getting even worse 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by dimmas

[ZAPHOD2319 4,819]

This Lukaku transfer could cripple us for years to come if we don’t take a significant loss moving him on. I can’t believe the regression Pulisic is having both here and with the USMNT, it is shocking. We have Lukaku, Pulisic, and Werner that would probably be losses to move. It is depressing.

[Jase 43,479]

We had a week off and Tuchel complained about exhaustion/tiredness and how we shouldn't have expected too much because we played 120 minutes in the Abu Dhabi heat last week (LAST WEEK!). 🤣

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

I do think we can actually play well without lukaku and chilly and Rj back, we had quite a good run even against half decent teams like leicester and Juve. Even lukaku looked ok vs aston villa and arsenal when our flying wingbacks played. He will still be a liability in most matches ofc.

That being said, i dont mind playing poor attacking football as long as the defence is solid and we keep winning. I have watched 10 years of SAF having his ugly manUre teams playing an absolute abomination to the eyes and still win a ton of league titles in that time.

I think all of out attackers are very much dependent on a coherent system tho. When you look at City, players like Bernardo, Mahrez, Stelring, they played in very different systems at their prior clubs before and still looked quality. Bc they are great 1 vs 1 and can create chances on their own and from nothing. all our players rely heavily on guys making good runs around them or playing accurate passes into their stride. City play nice intricate passes until they reach the box and from then it is more improvisation and individual talent to create and score goals. Pep said it himself. his philosophy is basically built around faciltating great players do their thing. He would suck with our personnel as well.

If our board were competent enough to buy proper attackers instead of so many nearly players who are just this little bit lacking in those very important qualities, i think we would be looking at this differently.

 

[Fulham Broadway 17,328]

12 minutes ago, Jase said:

We had a week off and Tuchel complained about exhaustion/tiredness and how we shouldn't have expected too much because we played 120 minutes in the Abu Dhabi heat last week (LAST WEEK!). 🤣

What did he say ? Think hes probably just doing the deflection trick. Either that or the lads have been on the lash celebrating. 😀

[Jase 43,479]

5 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

What did he say ? Think hes probably just doing the deflection trick. Either that or the lads have been on the lash celebrating. 😀

If he's going to give excuses, at least find a better one. 

[Fulham Broadway 17,328]

10 minutes ago, Jase said:

If he's going to give excuses, at least find a better one. 

Was this after we won or before ? cant find the quote

[Jase 43,479]

3 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Was this after we won or before ? cant find the quote

After the game of course. 

[Fulham Broadway 17,328]

1 minute ago, Jase said:

After the game of course. 

To my mind its food for the journos then, not at all what hes really thinking or what he says to the players.

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, Fulham Broadway said:

To my mind its food for the journos then, not at all what hes really thinking or what he says to the players.

Of course it is...

[Fulham Broadway 17,328]

2 minutes ago, Jase said:

Of course it is...

Do you think otherwise ?

[Fulham Broadway 17,328]

1 hour ago, Magic Lamps said:

If our board were competent enough to buy proper attackers instead of so many nearly players who are just this little bit lacking in those very important qualities, i think we would be looking at this differently.

Kane was rubbish a while back, couldnt score for love or money, Rooney went almost a year without finding the net, which is why i am not giving up on Lukaku yet. 

 

[milka 3,393]

It was like years since we enjoyed a Chelsea game .

0:3 vs Leicester , 4:0 vs Juventus , 0:3 vs Spuds .

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

25 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Kane was rubbish a while back, couldnt score for love or money, Rooney went almost a year without finding the net, which is why i am not giving up on Lukaku yet. 

 

Those are two different cases tho. Rooney and Kane would still contribute to their teams overall play. Their quality as footballers and team players has been proven before. Even without scoring, there was value in playing them. Those two in particularl are/were decent playmakers besides being goalscorers.

Lukaku however has only ever been a half decent goalscorer and never really a good footballer. His problem is not scoring enough. Not even now when he has scored his lowest in half a season for almost 10 years. His contribution besides goals goes to 0 and that has always been the case. He never really developed enough as a footballer in youth and only got scouted bc his natural athletic ability.

when Rooney and Kane were in a rut, they might have stopped scoring but were still decent footballers in a rut. Lukaku right now is not in a rut. He is being his regular self in regular form. The player we are seeing now is simply the player he is. if he had scored that one shot were he was offisde he would have still maintained an ok goal record despite playing awful and just having 7 touches. Maybe next game he delivers the same performance, scores one goal and will feel vindicated. Goals or no goals he never was and never will be any better than what we are seeing right now.

[Fulham Broadway 17,328]

9 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

Those are two different cases tho. Rooney and Kane would still contribute to their teams overall play. Their quality as footballers and team players has been proven before. Even without scoring, there was value in playing them. Those two in particularl are/were decent playmakers besides being goalscorers.

Lukaku however has only ever been a half decent goalscorer and never really a good footballer. His problem is not scoring enough. Not even now when he has scored his lowest in half a season for almost 10 years. His contribution besides goals goes to 0 and that has always been the case. He never really developed enough as a footballer in youth and only got scouted bc his natural athletic ability.

when Rooney and Kane were in a rut, they might have stopped scoring but were still decent footballers in a rut. Lukaku right now is not in a rut. He is being his regular self in regular form. The player we are seeing now is simply the player he is. if he had scored that one shot were he was offisde he would have still maintained an ok goal record despite playing awful and just having 7 touches. Maybe next game he delivers the same performance, scores one goal and will feel vindicated. Goals or no goals he never was and never will be any better than what we are seeing right now.

Osgood was worse at other playing attributes apart from scoring.  Tending not to write him off - though the omens dont look good. Think Tuchel is protecting the board/Marina whoever, and therefore protecting himself. Bit of a Catch 22 in as much as if he doesnt play him then it would be 'of course he doesnt score you dont play him' It all depends on the timescale 97 million is given longer than 20 million. I would say he has two mitigating factors - doesnt get hardly any service, and draws defenders, usually 2, away. Three mitigating factors -scored to make us World Champions.

[Vesper 30,206]

1 hour ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Osgood was worse at other playing attributes apart from scoring.  Tending not to write him off - though the omens dont look good. Think Tuchel is protecting the board/Marina whoever, and therefore protecting himself. Bit of a Catch 22 in as much as if he doesnt play him then it would be 'of course he doesnt score you dont play him' It all depends on the timescale 97 million is given longer than 20 million. I would say he has two mitigating factors - doesnt get hardly any service, and draws defenders, usually 2, away. Three mitigating factors -scored to make us World Champions.

"Out from the Shed, came a rising Young star! Scoring goals past Pat Jennings from near and from far! and the Chelsea won, as we all knew they would! and the star of that great team was Peter Osgood.. Osgood.. Osgood.. Osgood, Osgood! Born is the king of Stamford Bridge..!"

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Vesper

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

1 hour ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Osgood was worse at other playing attributes apart from scoring.  Tending not to write him off - though the omens dont look good. Think Tuchel is protecting the board/Marina whoever, and therefore protecting himself. Bit of a Catch 22 in as much as if he doesnt play him then it would be 'of course he doesnt score you dont play him' It all depends on the timescale 97 million is given longer than 20 million. I would say he has two mitigating factors - doesnt get hardly any service, and draws defenders, usually 2, away. Three mitigating factors -scored to make us World Champions.

You can't compare him to a player from the 70ies either. BAck in the day striker would get away with being only a goalscorer. More recent guys like Roy makaay, Pippo inzaghi were not much more either but today strikers are supposed to do more.

Sure he is playing bc of the price tag. But at some point we have to try without him and will miraculously look improved.

Also I have never written him off. He is not underperforming based on his ability, he just is not any better. I don't doubt he will score another 5-10 goals, maybe some important ones. Counting non-penalty goals only it is an average scoring season for the player. But thinking he will suddenly become a well-rounded footballer and provide more than just goals at almost 29 when he has never been one his entire life is just delusional.

[Fulham Broadway 17,328]

33 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

You can't compare him to a player from the 70ies either. BAck in the day striker would get away with being only a goalscorer. More recent guys like Roy makaay, Pippo inzaghi were not much more either but today strikers are supposed to do more.

Sure he is playing bc of the price tag. But at some point we have to try without him and will miraculously look improved.

Also I have never written him off. He is not underperforming based on his ability, he just is not any better. I don't doubt he will score another 5-10 goals, maybe some important ones. Counting non-penalty goals only it is an average scoring season for the player. But thinking he will suddenly become a well-rounded footballer and provide more than just goals at almost 29 when he has never been one his entire life is just delusional.

So, it was a mistake buying him then. 

Youd think theyd learn after Torres, Shevchenko, Sutton.

Still they must have known after hours and hours of study via scouts, videos etc that he was not a 'well rounded footballer', yet still thought it was worth splashing out 97 million for.

[NikkiCFC 8,331]

3 hours ago, milka said:

It was like years since we enjoyed a Chelsea game .

0:3 vs Leicester , 4:0 vs Juventus , 0:3 vs Spuds .

Probably our 3 best games this season. But even in these defenders delivered and break opponents. Kante, Rudiger and Silva scored against Spurs.

Rudiger and Kante first 2 goals agasint LC and against Juve Chalobah and James. Even on our good day attack is useless.

[Blue Armour 4,448]

7 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Feel Havertz and Pulisic need to switch. 

I was moaning about this entire 2nd half lol.

Havertz was just wasted being shunted out wide.

All that pre-match talk about Havertz and Lukaku forming a partnership and we end up playing Pulisic in the no.10 role. And the latter was awful today.

Should have brought on Werner to play wide and move Havertz infield.