Curbs: No Change Under Grant

[EskWeston 696]

Your optimism and postive attitude is commendable Esk. Seriously.Bit of a glass half empty man meself -what I've noticed is we've been exposed at the back, and it hasn't been exploited or found out due to luck, and calibre of opposition so far.

Don't worry i am not for one second implying that it is down to Grant it is 100% down to Ten Cate. It isn't a ground breaking difference yet like i said, but the difference is still there. Like i have said many times now (before jose left and after) part of ou lack of creativity is down to the lack of personel to play that way.Exposed at the back? Whilst i would agree that the defence is under a bit more pressure due to us attacking in more numbers the clean sheets speak for themselves, and rightly so. Our defence is strong enough to be able to say to the midfield and attack "You attack, we are strong to cope with a counter attack"...

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

I thought Malouda was to be a replacement for the 'creatves' eg Duff and Robben, and to be fair he started off as such. Kalou, I've noticed is definitely in his element when on the left, and with SWP on the right Pizarro could come good when Drogbas out. I can see a forward/attacking midfielder arriving in January.The defence has looked solid but theres been a few times in the last few games when with a combination of luck and opposition fucking it up we've winged it.

or may be greg, its just that our first choice back four haven't had a run of games together...

Like a knife through butter Aroop, you're right again Grants a twat though

[EskWeston 696]

I thought Malouda was to be a replacement for the 'creatves' eg Duff and Robben, and to be fair he started off as such. Kalou, I've noticed is definitely in his element when on the left, and with SWP on the right Pizarro could come good when Drogbas out. I can see a forward/attacking midfielder arriving in January.

Malouda is definately of the physical type of player we have seen come into the squad recently and certainly wouldn't call him creative in the same way that J.Cole is or Robben and Duff were... Kalou has a lot of promise and certainly one of our more threatening players, a bit up and down still - a little infuriating at times. SWP is a little too direct but at times can open a team up....I would like to see a real creative winger and a midfield playmaker to make us tick better going forward.

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

I dont know why the club doesn't bring in Stoch or Sinclair. At least give them a few run outs.

[EskWeston 696]

I dont know why the club doesn't bring in Stoch or Sinclair. At least give them a few run outs.

I couldn't agree more!!! I am bemused by the Sinclair thing, he is a first team squad memeber, done excellant when given a chance but never gets a look in. The only reason i can think of is there are too many too keep happy (Malouda, J.Cole, SWP, Kalou) although the only one who has had any real form has been Joe.Stoch would be well worth the gamble, was aparently going to get a go in the Carling Cup earlier in the year but something happened that meant he couldn't. I would give him a run out against QPR he has proved he can play against the big boys and run rings around them......

[Fulham Broadway 17,299]

I couldn't agree more!!! I am bemused by the Sinclair thing, he is a first team squad memeber, done excellant when given a chance but never gets a look in. The only reason i can think of is there are too many too keep happy (Malouda, J.Cole, SWP, Kalou) although the only one who has had any real form has been Joe.Stoch would be well worth the gamble, was aparently going to get a go in the Carling Cup earlier in the year but something happened that meant he couldn't. I would give him a run out against QPR he has proved he can play against the big boys and run rings around them......

It's the way forward -*arsenal* and Hansens (in)famous "You dont win anything with youngsters" comments on ManU's early 90's squad -who subsequently went on to win titles and the Treble. Or at least a combination of experience and hungry for success teens/early twenty somethings.

[EskWeston 696]

It's the way forward -*arsenal* and Hansens (in)famous "You dont win anything with youngsters" comments on ManU's early 90's squad -who subsequently went on to win titles and the Treble. Or at least a combination of experience and hungry for success teens/early twenty somethings.

Yeah well the key like you say is a blend of youth and experience!! Also the youth have to be of the right calibre, but we have enough of them comming through now...

[bombayblue™ 55]

Now that grant is seeing them develop, if another manager was to come in next season, and go shopping in summer.. it could well delay sinclair's and stoch's integration into the first team squad by another year or so.. for sinclair's i mean more games..

Edited December 7, 2007 by bombayblue™

[EskWeston 696]

Now that grant is seeing them develop, if another manager was to come in next season, and go shopping in summer.. it could well delay sinclair's and stoch's integration into the first team squad by another year or so.. for sinclair's i mean more games..

It was dissapointing to see Sinclair shipped out on loan. He did very well in the games he played in. But a new manager needs to learn his players and see what they can do, i hope when he comes back off loan he is given a chance.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

There is little to notice under Grant. The football, or moreso the mentality, is still the same. Yet I feel if we were under José, when 2-0 up I think he'd ask us to make the game safe rather than put it to bed, whilst the players now have the freedom to continue to attack.

[pluto 0]

There is little to notice under Grant. The football, or moreso the mentality, is still the same. Yet I feel if we were under José, when 2-0 up I think he'd ask us to make the game safe rather than put it to bed, whilst the players now have the freedom to continue to attack.

I agree with your assessment but that doesn't justify is constant ridiculous comments about our new look attacking football after every game, it's actually getting embarrassing.He is coasting on the coat tails of what Mourinho left and just steering the car in the right direction - the team is so well drilled if he doesn't meddle too much it just keeps going.Crushing Rosenborg, Hull, Leicester and a pathetic away Man City has apparently cemented his rep for attacking, swashbuckling football if you believe the hype.It will take performances against better quality opposition than that to convince me he is of sufficient quality to manage the club long term and justify Roman's faith in him. Edited December 9, 2007 by pluto

[misschief 24]

I agree with your assessment but that doesn't justify is constant ridiculous comments about our new look attacking football after every game, it's actually getting embarrassing.He is coasting on the coat tails of what Mourinho left and just steering the car in the right direction - the team is so well drilled if he doesn't meddle too much it just keeps going.Crushing Rosenborg, Hull, Leicester and a pathetic away Man City has apparently cemented his rep for attacking, swashbuckling football if you believe the hype.It will take performances against better quality opposition than that to convince me he is of sufficient quality to manage the club long term and justify Roman's faith in him.

Spot on again. We've got by ok so far and obviously got lucky with Arsenal dropping points so our position is slightly better than it was, but in all fairness we havent really played anyone likely to cause us problems yet. Still think his lack of tactical awareness will get found out, probably starting with a spanking at the weekend.........thats us off Arsenal not him off his missus btw.

[EskWeston 696]

Even if we lose on Sunday against the Goons, and lets face it a draw away at Arsenal, even with Jose in charge, infact even with God himself in charge would be a great result. We will still be right in contention having played ALL of the big 3 AWAY from home.......Forget Avram Grant, the fact that Chelsea FC is where it is in the league today and the results we have had in the last months is bloody fantastic..

[misschief 24]

Even if we lose on Sunday against the Goons, and lets face it a draw away at Arsenal, even with Jose in charge, infact even with God himself in charge would be a great result. We will still be right in contention having played ALL of the big 3 AWAY from home.......Forget Avram Grant, the fact that Chelsea FC is where it is in the league today and the results we have had in the last months is bloody fantastic..

I must be missing something then because despite the fact we've been getting the right results, I don't feel confident at all this season, even more so now with Drogba out. I certainly wouldn't say anything about our season has been fantastic. Like I said, in terms of points its looking slightly better but thats more down to Arsenal cocking up in the last couple of games than anything special on our part. We're grinding out results against some pretty poor sides so some might say that nothing's changed under Grant, but for me, there's just something missing this season.

[EskWeston 696]

I must be missing something then because despite the fact we've been getting the right results, I don't feel confident at all this season, even more so now with Drogba out. I certainly wouldn't say anything about our season has been fantastic. Like I said, in terms of points its looking slightly better but thats more down to Arsenal cocking up in the last couple of games than anything special on our part. We're grinding out results against some pretty poor sides so some might say that nothing's changed under Grant, but for me, there's just something missing this season.

Yes there is something missing - Jose.....There is not much more the team could be doing, there is not much more that any other manager could be doing right now, even Jose. We are winning our games, and fairly comfortably too, we are conceding far less that we was last season. Results wise we are picking up the same sort of results that we have done over the last 3/4 seasons.Like i have said, once Jose left everyone pretty much wrote off our season, so to be where we are now is something to feel very happy about. I am very happy that we are winning games and well in the title challenge..