Welcome Mauricio Pochettino

[Gundalf 805]

5 minutes ago, Thor said:

Misses like that happen. We're chasing the game because we've got pressure to do so because we've been setup incorrectly for the first 60 minutes of the match, and the players are chasing the match after that. 

That is what I doubt actually. We will have the same problems with a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. We saw that last season. 

But we will see after the international break maybe.

[YorkshireBlue 3,264]

11 minutes ago, DDA said:

As sick as it made me feel to watch this... the music and everything... just 🤮

But tell me there aren't huge similarities with the way he started there and the average age of the group ect....

 

It's clear his philosophy takes time but once it clicks it clicks, stupid to write him off ATM, chilwel, Silva, Enzo sterling, Connor from the starters so far are the only players that have actually played together in a Chelsea shirt before, the expectations here is madness, bored already of the we spent 1billion blah blah blah, right on what? Potential not world class ready made players but potential. This season will be a roller coaster and it's nothing like potter.

[Gundalf 805]

The difference between us and other teams is that they have someone, for several years, whom they can rely on to score goals, sometimes out of nowhere, breaking deadlocks and taking matters into their own hands, who can score even tho the team is playing badly. Like Son at Tottenham, Salah at Liverpool, etc. Since Hazard, we havent had such a player, and since then, it feels like we struggle to score goals. Every goal seems to come with a lot of effort and struggle. With us you always feel like every goal has to be a team effort, a team goal, with the whole team somehow involved, or it wont work. No goals out of nowhere, no goals that turn the game around, no “wow, how did he do that” goals - because we dont have the player for that. And this is of course particularly frustrating and draining, especially against teams that park the bus.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Gundalf

[YorkshireBlue 3,264]

10 minutes ago, Gundalf said:

The difference between us and other teams is that they have someone, for several years, whom they can rely on to score goals, sometimes out of nowhere, breaking deadlocks and taking matters into their own hands, who can score even tho the team is playing badly. Like Son at Tottenham, Salah at Liverpool, etc. Since Hazard, we havent had such a player, and since then, it feels like we struggle to score goals. Every goal seems to come with a lot of effort and struggle. With us you always feel like every goal has to be a team effort, a team goal, with the whole team somehow involved, or it wont work. No goals out of nowhere, no goals that turn the game around, no “wow, how did he do that” goals - because we dont have the player for that. And this is of course particularly frustrating and draining, especially against teams that park the bus.

Nkunku was going to be that guy 😭

[Blue Armour 4,436]

1 hour ago, DDA said:

Mudryk is becoming a major problem. I seriously huge problem.

Madueke is showing positive signs but his end product is non existent at this point. 

Jackson will come good... once he bags a few I really do believe the goals will flow.

Have most hope for Jackson among the 3, as long as his confidence doesn't become shot like Werner's. 

Madueke - I don't know. The same problems from last season persist. Doesn't release the ball when he's supposed to, doesn't lift his head up when dribbling. He can make an impact against very low level opposition, but his ability atm is hardly at Malouda or even Kalou level IMO. 

Mudryk seems to have lost all composure to play at this level. Can see why Poch is shielding him. Ever since that controversy over the rap song last season, right after his debut against Liverpool, he hasn't looked like the same player. He was fantastic on his debut, full of invention and confidence, that he wooed all pundits and fans. Now, he looks like a U21 kid trying to make the step up. All the endless mocking from opposition fans over his price tag hasn't helped either.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Blue Armour

[Reddish-Blue 2,489]

7 hours ago, Gundalf said:

The difference between us and other teams is that they have someone, for several years, whom they can rely on to score goals, sometimes out of nowhere, breaking deadlocks and taking matters into their own hands, who can score even tho the team is playing badly. Like Son at Tottenham, Salah at Liverpool, etc. Since Hazard, we havent had such a player, and since then, it feels like we struggle to score goals. Every goal seems to come with a lot of effort and struggle. With us you always feel like every goal has to be a team effort, a team goal, with the whole team somehow involved, or it wont work. No goals out of nowhere, no goals that turn the game around, no “wow, how did he do that” goals - because we dont have the player for that. And this is of course particularly frustrating and draining, especially against teams that park the bus.

It's interesting you say that as Nkunku would ideally be that player once he's fit. 

Liverpool got multiple players with those attributes when you think about it...Nunez, Jota, Gakpo, Salah, and the new fella from Leipzig. 

Arsenal have enough weapons all over the pitch, City have the alien up front, even Spurs have Son, Maddison & others who are more than capable of getting a goal from nothing. 

Seems like it's just us that are lagging behind in players with that x-factor.   

[Thor 2,689]

42 minutes ago, Reddish-Blue said:

It's interesting you say that as Nkunku would ideally be that player once he's fit. 

Liverpool got multiple players with those attributes when you think about it...Nunez, Jota, Gakpo, Salah, and the new fella from Leipzig. 

Arsenal have enough weapons all over the pitch, City have the alien up front, even Spurs have Son, Maddison & others who are more than capable of getting a goal from nothing. 

Seems like it's just us that are lagging behind in players with that x-factor.   

No we aren't.

This board has constantly said about any player they set their eyes on "once we get him, it'll transform our whole team and we'll be completely different". 

Y'all need to get out of this mindset. These players are good enough. These players are the ones that were transforming games for teams in massive games. 

It is a gelling and formation/tactics problem. Poch setting up too conservatively and making us chase, and some wrong selections. These players need time and confidence to build. Mudryk and Maduake should be playing more - Chilly shouldn't be at LW - Silva should be on the bench - we should be playing with 3 in midfield, etc. 

You're not going to tell me this team is worse talent and skill wise than some of the teams we've had over the last 10 years. And we were still finishing top 4 with those. 

People act like Costa was some surefire superstar when we bought him. He had one season scoring more than 10 goals in La Liga before coming to Chelsea. One. The one we bought him after. Willian was a stud that we yearn for again? His highest scoring season with us was his last one at Chelsea - and we were glad to see the back of him after that according to a lot on here. 

 

Look at our starting lineup for the 2021 CL final and I dare you to tell me it is far and away more talented than what we have now. Hint - it isn't. 

These players need continuity. Poch needs to let players play in their correct positions and let the young prospects play some. Not come on chasing the game. 

[Special Juan 28,092]

Poch will need a year at least, but he won't get that. All eyes on him already after only 4 league games.

[chelsea_4_eva 1,180]

To me playing 3atb when our best RWB Reece is, out makes no sense. When playing 3atb with Reece and Chilwell bombing forward makes sense as they present attacking threat. Try a flat 4 and add an attacker because god knows we need more firepower up front. No more Chilwell at LW please.

[Reddish-Blue 2,489]

2 hours ago, Thor said:

You're not going to tell me this team is worse talent and skill wise than some of the teams we've had over the last 10 years. And we were still finishing top 4 with those. 

If everything was about "talent", then some of our previous squads under Mourinho, Conte and others wouldn't have won league titles. 

You mention Costa and Willian and they ended up being two very solid signings.  Compare that to Mudryk/Madueke and some of these other signings and I still don't know why we bought them.  Costa wasn't a project that we had to develop, he came ready and showed everyone what he could do, scored 20 goals in his first season of PL football. 

2 hours ago, Thor said:

Look at our starting lineup for the 2021 CL final and I dare you to tell me it is far and away more talented than what we have now. Hint - it isn't. 

I agree that it isn't more talented but in saying that, we had far more experience where it mattered in that 2021 CL final.  Jorginho, Kante, Rudiger, Christensen off the bench, Alonso on the bench.  

Compare that CL lineup and look at our current lineup, other than Silva/Chilwell/Sterling/Reece/Enzo, who actually has the experience of being in finals and going through those tough periods?   

Jackson, Palmer, Caicedo, Lavia, Madueke, Mudryk, Colwill, Broja.....are all effectively talented U-23 kids, bright future for sure but will they step-up when it matters, do they have a Lampard/Terry/Essien/Drogba etc to lead by example.

[Special Juan 28,092]

I'm still sat here patiently waiting like everyone keeps saying to do, for this fucking Mudryk to start looking like he can tie his laces never mind looking like a footballer. This guy will be sent on loan next summer I can see it coming 

[YorkshireBlue 3,264]

1 hour ago, chelsea_4_eva said:

To me playing 3atb when our best RWB Reece is, out makes no sense. When playing 3atb with Reece and Chilwell bombing forward makes sense as they present attacking threat. Try a flat 4 and add an attacker because god knows we need more firepower up front. No more Chilwell at LW please.

We aren't playing 3 at the back Saturdays formation was 

 

                                 Sanchez 

Gusto        diassi                  Silva.          Colwil 

                      Conor          Caicedo 

Sterling.                   Enzo.                    Chilwel 

                               Jackson 

[Fernando 6,585]

28 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said:

We aren't playing 3 at the back Saturdays formation was 

 

                                 Sanchez 

Gusto        diassi                  Silva.          Colwil 

                      Conor          Caicedo 

Sterling.                   Enzo.                    Chilwel 

                               Jackson 

Chillwell as a winger is dumb. Hope he don't continue with that. 

[Mhsc 1,093]

42 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said:

We aren't playing 3 at the back Saturdays formation was 

 

                                 Sanchez 

Gusto        diassi                  Silva.          Colwil 

                      Conor          Caicedo 

Sterling.                   Enzo.                    Chilwel 

                               Jackson 

Yep. Imagine you magically transform all of these guys to their peak form and it is still just Sterling and Jackson that might get us goals regularly. Madness to put all our hopes on 2 players every game. Being generous maybe we have 2-3 players who are dangerous at heading in set piece situations as well.

Over a season if this lineup played every game maybe we would have an xG of ~2.5 and convert ~1 per game. It is like a team selection for an away day at City where you've decided you want to sneak a point.

I honestly don't think the tactical setup is the problem, we're using pretty much exactly the same system tonnes of really good attacking teams use but they don't put out a lineup with ~8 players who's best attributes are defensive / work horse related and just assume that a good tactical system will turn into scoring loads of goals.

The tactical setup / strategic setup lets us control the game and deliver players to dangerous positions with support around them, but it is not much use if the players themselves when in those positions are not dangerous attacking players who can utilise the opportunity. 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Mhsc

[Reddish-Blue 2,489]

8 hours ago, YorkshireBlue said:

We aren't playing 3 at the back Saturdays formation was 

 

                                 Sanchez 

Gusto        diassi                  Silva.          Colwil 

                      Conor          Caicedo 

Sterling.                   Enzo.                    Chilwel 

                               Jackson 

Such a stupid formation, Forest must have been delighted to show up at Stamford Bridge and see Poch using a LB as a pure winger and also see a CB being asked to play LB, fits into their counter attacking style perfectly.