Chelsea 4-0 Southampton

[LAM09 7,056]

There isn't much we can take away from that game. Southampton put in one of the worst performances I can remember for a PL side.

A cleansheet is a nice plus regardless of the opposition, though. 

[King Kante 1,643]

Can't read too much into the win. Soton are awful. While the win was good, the tippy tappy passing at grandpa speeds is still a major concern. For me, Maresca is a Pep acolyte that focuses too much to 'ball retention' that he: 

A) Has his team playing football at grandpa speeds endlessly cycling possession in non-dangerous areas of the pitch. This goes triple when one-nil up. 

B ) Hasn't got the memo that football is moving back towards quick transitions and physical football rather than the high possession, high technical skills game. 

Even tonight there were a couple of occasions the team could've transitioned the ball a lot quicker to get the forwards in behind. Instead safe passes where made to cycle the ball in the centre of the park which lead to nothing. As a result, I see the team continuing to drop points to any half decent team. 

[NikkiCFC 8,324]

5 hours ago, Strike said:

Southampton must indeed be shite 

They need 3 points in next 11 games to avoid being worst PL team in history. 

[NikkiCFC 8,324]

16 hours ago, gdlk said:

Ofc its the manager! Just look how Flick overchanged Barcelona also with young squad like ours.. 

Barca won 85 points last season. Can't see them going over that this one. It's just Madrid is losing more points. 

[Special Juan 28,141]

Take the win and take the three points. Cucurella looking like he could play in the 04/05 side with his dogged running and sleeves rolled up attitude, a few in this team can learn a thing or two from him.

 

[Reddish-Blue 2,507]

10 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

Bit embarrassing that Pedro Neto is coming out with the “we are not experienced” and “part of the process” shite post match though. Says that then says that the club belongs in the CL.

We've spent quite a bit over the years to get this team together.   Cucurella, Fofana, Enzo, Caicedo, Neto, Madueke, Mudryk, Nkunku, Palmer weren't exactly cheap buys. 

We were on track for getting top 4 earlier in the season then we fell on a cliff and we're fighting to get 4th/5th at this rate. 

[Reddish-Blue 2,507]

39 minutes ago, Special Juan said:

Cucurella looking like he could play in the 04/05 side with his dogged running and sleeves rolled up attitude, a few in this team can learn a thing or two from him.

I reckon Caicedo finds a role in some of our previous sides as well, may not be the same profile as Essien back in the day but you can see why Liverpool and Arsenal were trying to get him before us.  

The drop off at GK and CB from previous sides is hilarious though.   From the likes of Cech & JT to this current lot 😆

[Special Juan 28,141]

4 minutes ago, Reddish-Blue said:

I reckon Caicedo finds a role in some of our previous sides as well, may not be the same profile as Essien back in the day but you can see why Liverpool and Arsenal were trying to get him before us.  

The drop off at GK and CB from previous sides is hilarious though.   From the likes of Cech & JT to this current lot 😆

I have been watching Colwill closely all season, he's a very average defender him. Last night just at close quarters he is not comfortable at all on his right side, had he been there was a splitting short pass on without any risk to it and he turned and went back to the keeper. He also does not read the game very well at all and defends in hope rather than being proactive

[Laylabelle 9,535]

2 hours ago, Reddish-Blue said:

We've spent quite a bit over the years to get this team together.   Cucurella, Fofana, Enzo, Caicedo, Neto, Madueke, Mudryk, Nkunku, Palmer weren't exactly cheap buys. 

We were on track for getting top 4 earlier in the season then we fell on a cliff and we're fighting to get 4th/5th at this rate. 

That's it if can get a run going we have a chance but our run seems to be loss loss and a win is a odd result.

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

11 hours ago, King Kante said:

Can't read too much into the win. Soton are awful. While the win was good, the tippy tappy passing at grandpa speeds is still a major concern. For me, Maresca is a Pep acolyte that focuses too much to 'ball retention' that he: 

A) Has his team playing football at grandpa speeds endlessly cycling possession in non-dangerous areas of the pitch. This goes triple when one-nil up. 

B ) Hasn't got the memo that football is moving back towards quick transitions and physical football rather than the high possession, high technical skills game. 

Even tonight there were a couple of occasions the team could've transitioned the ball a lot quicker to get the forwards in behind. Instead safe passes where made to cycle the ball in the centre of the park which lead to nothing. As a result, I see the team continuing to drop points to any half decent team. 

Fully agree with all this. And even then, its even more alarming that all of the best combinations/rotations seem to happen in the first and middle thirds when we are building up.

In attack the last 2/3 months it just seems to be give it to Cole and hope he will do something (or like multiple occasions he will take like 10/11 touches trying to beat 1 or 2 players, go back and pass it 3 yards sideways which he could have done without the increasing amount of touches)…

When we were a bit more direct and hitting teams on transition earlier in the season we were killing them. Yes finishing still an issue the but chance creation and win rate was much much higher. But this was also the same under Poch last season, when we were a bit more direct and aggressive with our attacking transitions, we looked a better team, as opposed to trying to break teams down more patiently.

Edited February 26 by OneMoSalah