Chelsea 2-2 Wrexham

[Special Juan 27,508]

2 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Literally all I care about after these first 2 preseason matches is that nobody gets injured. That Lavia, Reece, Nkunku, and Fofana all got minutes and came out unscathed is all that matters to me.

Bonus that Lavia apparently looked good already.

Any fan worrying or panicking after preseason match #1 when we’re missing likely 5 starters including our 2 best goal scorers and two best midfielders are crazy.

This preseason is all about gradually building up chemistry and understanding in a new system and way of playing. That’s never going to be instant and the results don’t matter at all.

I hate pre season and simply haven't got the time or energy to invest getting up to watch never mind be interested in it.

Transfer window has been a disaster so far, can't see much changing.

 

[Mhsc 933]

Just watched the first half in 1.5x speed and can tell the players are totally off it, would love to see Chukwuemeka's stats as I think he has missed about 9/10 short range passes and failed to control about 9/10 simple passes into feet. Does not even look like a professional footballer in this half. But it is preseason, this is what preseason is for - he and all of them are obviously much better than this.

I am watching mostly to see how Enzo has got them playing. As expected, two wingers hugging the touchline and a fullback inverting into midfield (Reece). Looks alright next to Lavia and might be a realistic way to keep him fit, as much as it is a shame not seeing him bomb forward more.

[Special Juan 27,508]

2 minutes ago, Mhsc said:

Just watched the first half in 1.5x speed and can tell the players are totally off it, would love to see Chukwuemeka's stats as I think he has missed about 9/10 short range passes and failed to control about 9/10 simple passes into feet. Does not even look like a professional footballer in this half. But it is preseason, this is what preseason is for - he and all of them are obviously much better than this.

I am watching mostly to see how Enzo has got them playing. As expected, two wingers hugging the touchline and a fullback inverting into midfield (Reece). Looks alright next to Lavia and might be a realistic way to keep him fit, as much as it is a shame not seeing him bomb forward more.

If any pro footballer is missing 9/10 short range passes then there is a serious problem regardless of pre season or not

 

[Strike 7,284]

Marc Guiu looked good from what I saw. Has the touch and the pressing.

[DDA 9,702]

Saw a few of you weren’t happy with Angelos performance but from what i saw he did some good things.

[Mhsc 933]

1 hour ago, Strike said:

Marc Guiu looked good from what I saw. Has the touch and the pressing.

 

11 minutes ago, DDA said:

Saw a few of you weren’t happy with Angelos performance but from what i saw he did some good things.

Agreed on both counts. Certainly didn't seem any worse than the rest. But of course it is first game of preseason, we'll see how it looks as things progress.

I thought the group that played in the first half looked pretty promising, still missing some key players and obviously not fully on it yet. Don't care about the result. Most of the bad play came from the players doggedly trying to play one or two touch, which was clearly following instructions. But this is what preseason is for. They'll get their sharpness soon enough.

We were very dangerous from set pieces, with Reece James fit and delivering the ball to a taller group.

Stand out to me was Lavia. He was the sharpest player on the pitch despite not playing for so long. Of the expensive players, Fofana was the most disappointing (albeit first game preseason) but he looked like a liability tbh.

[MoroccanBlue 5,320]

That second half was one for the record books. 

- Broja is simply not at the level required. 

- You wouldn't guess Sterling is 30 years old with the way he plays. Offers nothing defensively STILL. 

- Santos isn't close to ready. 

- Angelo included.

- Lesly and Gusto were at the end of all of the attacking chances which shows a flaw in both the system and personnel available. 

- Chilwell is a shit LB and an even shitter LCB. 

- Fofana shouldn't be sweeper. 

- Acheampong's future should be at RB. Needs a loan. 

- Beech is Sunday League. 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,538]

Fofana looked slow and didn’t have that gear to close out a player with the ball. Then again he has not seen a gameday pitch in a year. Noni was playing a different offense than everyone else in the first half and I don’t say that as a complement. When we subbed everyone at halftime, it was what a preseason game should be, evaluate everyone. Jackson should have been subbed in. Broja was atrocious against a League One side. He offers nothing.

[Mhsc 933]

1 hour ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Fofana looked slow and didn’t have that gear to close out a player with the ball. Then again he has not seen a gameday pitch in a year. 

Neither has Lavia really, and yet he played great. I am trying to avoid bias here, because I do think it is ok for players to be pretty shit in the first game or two of preseason: they're probably jet lagged, been run a bit ragged in training, and in this case also got a new manager with a new system to learn.

But nevertheless I did find Fofana's performance a bit worrying. Not only are we betting on him getting and staying fit (a long shot), we are also betting on him having been a good signing in the first place, which we never really got to find out. He didn't impress me when he was fit for us and he really did not impress me in this game.

What is he supposed to be elite at? I really have not yet seen it. Certainly not positioning. He's just a bit faster than Disasi but otherwise I don't really see that he is better than him at all tbh. Hope he proves me wrong - not like we've had a lot of minutes in his Chelsea career to go by, and I didn't see him much before.

[NikkiCFC 8,067]

2 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

- Beech is Sunday League. 

Bergstrom was keeper in the second half. 

[Vytis33 1,178]

Not reading too much into this first game but Guiu and Lavia both caught my eye as quite positive.  Carney not so much pretty poor performance against weak competition.

[mkh 332]

The game showed me once again that we won't achieve anything with Sterling Madueke on the wing.

I was also shocked by Chilwell and Carns that was nothing.

Badiashile doesn't belong as a libero either!!!

Who on earth waved Ugo through for 27 million🤔😒

Broja was mega weak I hope they find a new permanent buyer for him!!!

🔥Lavia Guiu Nkunku were all very lively🔥

Edited July 25, 2024 by mkh

[Mhsc 933]

Quote

“I’m very happy about the performance in general. In this moment, we started just two weeks ago, it’s important that us as the staff and the people can start to see the identity of the team. Tonight it was quite clear.”

“For sure, we did many things we can improve but we started just two weeks ago. Tonight was important to start seeing the identity of the team and the identity is there tonight. [...] For sure we are going to add more solutions. Analysing just the timing we started two weeks ago, I’m very happy.”

“The first goal [we conceded] is not from playing out from the back. The second, yes. But the first came from one bounce, we lose a duel and then we concede the goal. For sure, we are going to concede goals this season playing out from the back. Hopefully, not too many. It is one of the risks that you have trying to build from behind.” “[But it’s] absolutely [important to keep playing out from the back]. I have no doubt. I think you are going to concede in different ways, so you need to decide in which way you need to concede a goal. Sometimes teams that try to build from the back concede goals but I think you are going to score more than you concede.”

-Enzo Maresca; source: Football.London

 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,538]

 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,538]

I think Lavia had a better game.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,538]

 

[OneMoSalah 8,810]

I know people are saying oh its game 1 of pre season etc but that can go both ways. Look how awful we were defensively under Lamps in his first pre season in multiple games…. The highlights I saw of that game well all I can say is defensively we looked bad.

Feel that the manager asking the likes of Reece, Gusto and Chilwell to play invertedly is also going to completely nullifying the effect and a lot of their strengths thay they show playing much wider also.

Early days yet but defensively, we will need to improve A LOT. Only getting 3 shots on target also against Wrexham’s 4, not ideal. Can see little signs of what the manager wants already but we are still going to be miles off it barring a minor miracle for me. 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,900]

7 hours ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

 

1 assist. Lies, damn lies, and statistics.