Brighton 4-1 Chelsea

[Hot Dawg 17]

Just now, Fulham Broadway said:

So true. The alleged greatest Prem manager wouldnt get a look in now - would be sacked after his first 8 games. I am talking about Ferguson - won fuck all his first few seasons at Man Utd. 

Bit different then though bruv I think not so much money not so much hiring and firing.

[MoroccanBlue 5,306]

27 minutes ago, Superblue said:

It definitely didn't work today. Having said that, we looked significantly better offensively against Salzburg with a similar set up in comparison to recent games like United and Brentford where chances were created at a premium.

We're in a situation where the manager has come into a team that has changed a lot from the previous season (not just the new signings, but even bringing players like Broja and Gallagher back into the squad) so is still adapting itself to playing together, let alone adding a new manager to that dynamic and with the season having already started with pretty much a straight run of 3 games a week.

Even with the break, it will allow Potter and his staff time to breathe and analyse but ultimately most of our squad are playing in the World Cup (think we're set to have the most in the league) so we'll still have a situation where he won't have huge amounts of time to work with players during this period. 

I think patience is really needed in this situation.

The question mark now probably is what he does in mid-week. The obvious answer was to just rest players and play a 'skeleton' team, but a number of players are out of form. Do you give them the chance to play in midweek and play themselves into form? Players like Thiago Silva and Kovacic obviously can be rested but a number of the attacking players, Cucurella, etc really need to find some form and quickly.

The root of every issue in this team points straight back to the midfield. 
 

Im at a point genuinely just to sell them all. Even Kovacic. All worthless. 

[DDA 9,690]

29 minutes ago, Tomo said:

Ever since the Sarri season there's been the won't make top 4 sweeping statements after a bad result and/or performance and every time we've made it alongside atleast one cup final.

 

Tomo, we are not making it this year. I've always felt confident since Sarri that we would make it even when it did look grim... but this current crop of players and the way they are playing is an utter disgrace.

They have literally no desire to fight.. if you're not worried than I simply can't see why! What we wat he'd today was one of the worse displays of character I've ever seen in a Chelsea team. 

Fucking ridiculous... passing backwards to the defenders and goalkeeper because there is no midfield and they are shit scared to make a mistake... it's infuriating... not one of the mids drops into the middle and star passing around.

[Mário César 975]

it would be a bless that we lose agains city in carling cup

we can't afford a lot of games and its better to be knockout from this competition now and focus in the league 

[Laylabelle 9,359]

One thing is we have a game in hand over Spurs and Newcastle. But depending when we play it...gap could be bigger or smaller who knows. Hopefully the 2nd!

[milka 3,347]

Every season for us since 2017 is transitional . I'm tired of watching the same humiliation every season and a difference of 20+ points to the first 2 teams .

It is clear that it takes time, but we have been in some kind of vicious circle for 5 years.

It is not moral people like  Solly March , Pascal Gros and Lallana to humiliate you 

Potter is either naive or he really  just believes that Pulisic will become a  wing-back  like Trossard or Cucurella will become a solid defender in a back three.

Next game vs Arsenal  - Silva DM ,  Sterling LB , Kovacic ST . 

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by milka

[Blue Armour 4,289]

I missed this game entirely (for some reason thought that the match started 2 hours later than it did), but in hindsight, I'm glad that I did.

I don't even want to look at the highlights.

But looking at the starting lineup can I say that we shot ourselves in the foot by going crazy with the fullbacks? Entrusting both Pulisic and Sterling with defensive duties at the same time is bonkers, especially with no solid DMF.

If anyone could give a short summary, would really appreciate it. Cheers!

[Reddish-Blue 2,347]

1 hour ago, Blue Armour said:

I missed this game entirely (for some reason thought that the match started 2 hours later than it did), but in hindsight, I'm glad that I did.

I don't even want to look at the highlights.

But looking at the starting lineup can I say that we shot ourselves in the foot by going crazy with the fullbacks? Entrusting both Pulisic and Sterling with defensive duties at the same time is bonkers, especially with no solid DMF.

If anyone could give a short summary, would really appreciate it. Cheers!

• Without Reece, we look horrible
• We have zero defensive options available to rotate (No KK, Fofana or Reece)
• Cucurella has been useless for a few games now
• Sterling is useless right now, feels like selling Werner was actually a mistake
• Brighton exploited us perfectly, they've been building for a few games, showed they were in for a fight against City and they just continued their good form taking full advantage of a makeshift lineup by Potter

[Reddish-Blue 2,347]

4 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

The root of every issue in this team points straight back to the midfield. 
 

Im at a point genuinely just to sell them all. Even Kovacic. All worthless. 

We get a midfielder on deadline day who is known for his box to box ability and physicality and he's just left on the bench game after game.  

RLC is the definition of average, he'll put in a 1 or 2 good performances as required but in reality, he should of been sold in the summer to Palace. 

[Da Herbsman 21]

A terrible performance. Brighton looked twice as quick to every ball as our players. They might have won the game purely on their intensity alone. No idea why GP did not work this out. 

That said, GP has a difficult job in hand. I could count more than 2 players in that lineup that are really top quality, and this is after we've spent close to be a billion these past 5 season. 

[Strike 7,217]

13 hours ago, Tomo said:

Ever since the Sarri season there's been the won't make top 4 sweeping statements after a bad result and/or performance and every time we've made it alongside atleast one cup final.

 

I'm not convinced this time. The competition is much more this year. City will clock their usual 85+ points tally. Arsenal, Newcastle, United, Spurs (playing rubbish) and Liverpool (bad form but the best team of the lot) there too. Only January midfield surgery can save this season

[OhForAGreavsie 5,892]

8 hours ago, Reddish-Blue said:

We get a midfielder on deadline day who is known for his box to box ability and physicality and he's just left on the bench game after game.

I think what @Vesper said, or at least implied, about Zakaria is correct. It seems that, for whatever reason, the club want shot of him in January and seem to be aware that Juve will not voluntarily agree to cancel the loan halfway through the season. One way out of this is that Juve can secure an alternative loan club for Denis after the world cup. If that's the scenario, then the two club per-season rule means we cannot play him 'even for one minute' as this would kill any chance of another loan. Another possible scenario is that there is an automatic break in the agreement if Denis does not play.

This would still leave the mystery of why in that case does Denis keep being selected to the bench. Perhaps it's a signal that there is nothing wrong with him physically. 

[Reddish-Blue 2,347]

39 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

I think what @Vesper said, or at least implied, about Zakaria is correct. It seems that, for whatever reason, the club want shot of him in January and seem to be aware that Juve will not voluntarily agree to cancel the loan halfway through the season. One way out of this is that Juve can secure an alternative loan club for Denis after the world cup. If that's the scenario, then the two club per-season rule means we cannot play him 'even for one minute' as this would kill any chance of another loan. Another possible scenario is that there is an automatic break in the agreement if Denis does not play.

This would still leave the mystery of why in that case does Denis keep being selected to the bench. Perhaps it's a signal that there is nothing wrong with him physically. 

The bigger question is, does that mean that the club has a replacement midfielder lined up for January?  
The whole midfield situation is a mess, Kante not back till February and his contract is expiring....Jorginho's contract is expiring as well and we basically got a midfielder in for no reason other than 'cover' on deadline day. 

Hopefully Potter & Boehly have a solid plan in place for our midfield as we are a few months away from having Kovacic and RLC as the only midfielders under contract...which is quite alarming!   

[YorkshireBlue 3,122]

17 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Project as it may, this high wingback as wingers approach is on par with AVBs defensive high line. 
 

Shocking management. 

World cup is also a massive problem, the amount of games played and you can tell the players are scared to death of getting injured. Why the fuck a winter world cup was authorized is beyond me.

[Laylabelle 9,359]

4 hours ago, Strike said:

I'm not convinced this time. The competition is much more this year. City will clock their usual 85+ points tally. Arsenal, Newcastle, United, Spurs (playing rubbish) and Liverpool (bad form but the best team of the lot) there too. Only January midfield surgery can save this season

Exactly and there is a long way to go but we're hardly putting on a performance week in week out that's convincing. That's what's worrying and other teams do look strong still. Lucky for us Liverpool have dropped points too and others...that and we still haven't got into double figures goal difference wise. Nearer to 0 again..

[Vesper 28,855]

3 hours ago, Reddish-Blue said:

we are a few months away from having Kovacic and RLC as the only midfielders under contract...which is quite alarming!   

Conor Gallagher
Carney Chukwuemeka
Mason Mount 

plus

 
Cesare Casadei    
Harvey Vale
 

[MoroccanBlue 5,306]

Kovacic and Ruben are the same player. 

Gallagher, Mount, and Havertz offer the same thing. 

 

It's no wonder we are getting torn to bits. We have too many similar players on the pitch. 

[YorkshireBlue 3,122]

28 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Kovacic and Ruben are the same player. 

Gallagher, Mount, and Havertz offer the same thing. 

 

It's no wonder we are getting torn to bits. We have too many similar players on the pitch. 

Gallagher and havertz are the same player? Please explain.