Welcome Mauricio Pochettino

[Gundalf 804]

So Chelsea cant score clear chances, 11 big chances missed this season already, top of the table in that aspect but Chelsea fanbase mainly talking about Silva? Kinda weird

The main problems are Mudryk, Madueke and Jackson. None of them has offensive efficiency. 

Our best attacking player in the last 5 years in terms of efficiency was Marcus Alonso. 

Edited September 3, 2023 by Gundalf

[DDA 9,690]

10 minutes ago, Gundalf said:

So Chelsea cant score clear chances, 11 big chances missed this season already, top of the table in that aspect but Chelsea fanbase mainly talking about Silva? Kinda weird

The main problems are Mudryk, Madueke and Jackson. None of them has offensive efficiency. 

Our best attacking player in the last 5 years in terms of efficiency was Marcus Alonso. 

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.

[robsblubot 3,498]

14 minutes ago, Gundalf said:

So Chelsea cant score clear chances, 11 big chances missed this season already, top of the table in that aspect but Chelsea fanbase mainly talking about Silva? Kinda weird

The main problems are Mudryk, Madueke and Jackson. None of them has offensive efficiency. 

Our best attacking player in the last 5 years in terms of efficiency was Marcus Alonso. 

Disagree about this usual focus on attack. It's disregarding a large number of variables including the contribution, or the lack thereof, from the rest of the team, including defense, in attack.

Even conversion rate of your striker can be drastically affected by many many variables: streaks (confidence), how flustered the opposition defense is, how much effort the striker has to put in (how far from the goal/getting service)?

Football is a team sport. Once you start individualizing merit and blame, then that's when big mistakes happen.

Mudryk, Madueke not employable atm, which I agree with. Jackson also has no backup whatsoever atm, unless you consider yet another kid as an option.

Edited September 3, 2023 by robsblubot

[Gundalf 804]

Just now, robsblubot said:

Even conversion rate of your striker can be drastically affected by many many variables: streaks (confidence), how flustered the opposition defense is, how much effort the striker has to put in (how far from the goal/getting service)?

The xG algorithm takes all of this into account and we are up there with City in this aspect. 

The team contribution to our goals in 2017, when we last won the PL title, wasnt even that big, it was basically Hazard and Costa who carried the whole attack. But it worked. 

Nothing can explain or excuse this:

The rest of the team contributed more than enough this season for our attackers to score

Ofc people should talk about the whole team but the fact that our fanbase is talking more about Silva atm than about Madueke, Mudryk and Jackson is kinda weird. Its like blaming McDonalds for getting fat.

 

[Thor 2,392]

25 minutes ago, Gundalf said:

So Chelsea cant score clear chances, 11 big chances missed this season already, top of the table in that aspect but Chelsea fanbase mainly talking about Silva? Kinda weird

The main problems are Mudryk, Madueke and Jackson. None of them has offensive efficiency. 

Our best attacking player in the last 5 years in terms of efficiency was Marcus Alonso. 

I'm not a tactician to the level of Jose, Poch or Pep, but I was probably one of the first on here mentioning Silva is a bit of a crutch on our team. He really slows the pace of the game down for us - and doesn't let our team do what they were designed to do. 

I'll keep saying it, but it reminds me of Ibra at Man United. Great individually in a bubble still, but it negates what we are trying to do. The worst thing about it is, I noticed Colwill slowing the game down a bit in the last match too. Hopefully once Silva is benched they get a sense of urgency back. Push the ball. We're a young and dynamic team. 

[Gundalf 804]

4 minutes ago, Thor said:

The worst thing about it is, I noticed Colwill slowing the game down a bit in the last match too.

Well, then we should use the holistic way of robsblubot and look at the midfield and attacking players and their positioning too. Maybe our defenders have to slow down bc they are badly positioned.

Edited September 3, 2023 by Gundalf

[Thor 2,392]

2 minutes ago, Gundalf said:

The xG algorithm takes all of this into account and we are up there with City in this aspect. 

The team contribution to our goals in 2017, when we last won the PL title, wasnt even that big, it was basically Hazard and Costa who carried the whole attack. But it worked. 

Nothing can explain or excuse this:

The rest of the team contributed more than enough this season for our attackers to score

Ofc people should talk about the whole team but the fact that our fanbase is talking more about Silva atm than about Madueke, Mudryk and Jackson is kinda weird. Its like blaming McDonalds for getting fat.

 

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. 

These players didn't become bad overnight. It is a tactics and flow situation. Let your players build into games. The reality is, Jackson and Sterling were very much isolated the first 60 minutes. We looked better when Jackson was dropping into midfield for passes, turning and creating by running at players, because Conor was on there doing jack shit - again - not because he is bad - but because he doesn't fit where he is being played. I'm not going to ask John Terry to go sit in the middle of the pitch and try and whip passes around like Enzo - because it wouldn't work. Having tried that for 60 minutes, finally taking him off, putting on Lampard - and expecting the lads to win the match in 30 mins isn't as likely to happen either. 

Offensive players need rhythm. Chilly ain't doing more than Mudryk or Maduake out there from an attacking perspective, so don't play him there. 

[Thor 2,392]

1 minute ago, Gundalf said:

Well, then we should use the holistic way of robsblubot and look at the midfield and attacking players and their positioning too. Maybe our defenders have to slow down bc they are badly positioned.

Agreed. They are. One is playing LW, and our most dynamic CB is playing at LB. 

[DDA 9,690]

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....

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by DDA

[Gundalf 804]

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 3,122]

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 804]

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 3,122]

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 4,278]

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 2,344]

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 2,392]

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 27,421]

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 1,157]

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.