Chelsea Banter Archive August 22 2013

22 Aug 2013 22:01:18
Another player for behind the front 3! Its a bit ridiculous. We aren't Barca and this is the Premier League. We need protection for the back 4! People keep saying play Oscar there, have you seen the lad, you need power, strength and discipline in that position. Imagine Toure and Fernadinho in a midfield battle against ANY combination of Oscar/Ramires/Van Ginkle/Lampard. We would get ripped apart. If Essein isn't upto it any more this position should be our priority Lukaku/Torres and Schurrle is plenty upfront for now

SHED END

I have to agree we need some protection and power in the middle alongside rami who has been a lot more disciplined in the first two games of the season.
Van ginkle will be class but not there yet.
DP

GEOFFREY KONDOGBIA

Good call, watched for Sevilla and he has all the attributes to be world class.
DP

Completely disagree Shed End we don't need, this season, any other player in defensive mid unless we sell someone because we have too many already. The only player you listed that I hate to see in that position is Lamps who is no dm imo, we could buy Yaya and put him next to lamps and lamps would leave him exposed.
Instead of more protection for the back 4 we need a good young cb with pace. Terry is in decline, Ivan is back at rb and Cahill is shaky. As for Willian Ed explained that he would be an upgrade replacement for Moses who would leave.

We got Chalobah who is going to be england international in the next few years.

It doesn't matter if we have 15 DM's in the squad if they aren't good enough in the position they aren't good enough in the position. It doesn't matter which combination of 2 you pick we lack quality there more so than anywhere else in the squad. I guarantee a Oscar/Ramires/VG/Lampard/Essien DM2 will get exposed and pulled apart time and time again this season. Did you not get anxious everytime Hull and Villa had the ball in our half the last 2 games? Tellin ya a lot of teams have improved this year by buying good quality robust midfielders and you're in for a shock if you think our makeshift DM options will cut it

SHED END

Good call Shed End. What has happened to the Sami Khedira rumours? And perhaps likes of Fellain, who might fit in well with his fellow Belgians at CFC and offer us physical presence in midfield, including holding midfield, would be preferable to Rooney? VBS

Should have got De Rossi.

Jordan

Yes, de Rossi would have been great addition, exactly kind of DM we need. VBS

That we don't have the answer on our squad and we must by more players when the ones we added this summer, bison returning and signing van Ginkel, have not been given a chance to even fail in one regular season match thus far. I not sure how you can conclude that either Shed but until Jm starts a combo that doesn't include either Mikel or Lamps at dm then I maintain that we don't need to buy anymore players as we're not even using what we have. And as for Oscar, I love that frail lad and think he's a football player that can play anywhere he's placed.

Bluelab

23 Aug 2013 23:40:14
My fellow fans our def mid was fair before lamps was converted to the position. I strongly believe the pairing of any world class def mid be it de rossi, khedira why toure whoever with lampard will still left us expose, simple lamps is not, never will be a def mid, he is a goal scorer, you should be suggesting giving him the no 9. Spot with the 3 attacking mid he can finish. I really don't want to see lamps makes somany mistake there to the time when the fans should start calling for him to go, because with all mikels shortcomings he is a better def mid than lamps. Our def mid trouble is simply lamps being there

Amen Zaria, we may not have the best in the world but good enough to win the Epl. We could do with some youth and pace at cb and or only worry will be how many we can score.

Agreed from the defensive standpoint but the other concern in that position was the range of passing and how quickly we can counter.

22 Aug 2013 20:41:59
I remember why I was fed up of jose last time.
Im glad he's back but I hope its not going to be "play amazing score 1 then sit back" all season

Stop your complaint right now.

Don't even think about starting to complain, we have won our first two games, last two seasons we would have drawn or lost the villa game and already be playing catch up.

I like the fat waiter's team selections better, he would have never started Lamps at dm in back to back prem lge matches.

For the poster that talked about last year we would have lost or drawn with villa didn't you see the 8 we put on them with an inferior squad both in premiership experience(Hazard, Oscar, Cesar) and squad depth last year?

I suppose you've also forgotten about our loses to West Ham, Newcastle and Southampton, mixed in with all the leads we threw away due to FSW's terrible team selections and substitutions? You're already missing seeing Benayoun coming on as a sub every match I assume?

I'll give u the Benayoun sub and even add the ferriera as well but we did have an unusual amount of fixtures and an unusually thin squad, however I think his starting lineups for the most part was spot on. He was better imo at picking a squad than avb or rdm and I thought moving Luiz to dm to address our biggest weakness saved the season.

22 Aug 2013 20:18:02
So we're after Willian.

This probably ends Moses' Chelsea career. I'm not to bothered, as I never rated him. Good news as far as I'm concerned.

With that sale it still leaves us with:
Hazard, Mata, Oscar, De Bruyne, Willian, Schurrle.

That is one too many. Who will be on the bench? Schwarzer, azpilicueta, Cahill, Bertrand, Lampard, Am1, Am2, Torres.

That's Leaving out one of Terry, Ivan and Luiz, Essien and another Striker.

I believe one of them will get sold, and I think it will be Mata.

Our best player, but he is the most Difficult to put into the team. He's the only player who doesn't fit into Jose's favorite formation, The 4-3-3. Suddenly the mata for Rooney rumours don't seem so ridiculous.

Jordan

How is it one to many? Especially as Oscar and de bruyne can play centre mid, schurrle can play striker.

Same situation if Moses was staying and no Willian. I think if anything this could end out pursuit of Rooney.

It's not the same. Moses was never going to be a starter, and he knew it.

Willian is going to expect to be starting most games, along with the other 5 we have.

You can't deny it's too much!

Jordan

Hopefully that would mean no Rooney indeed.

Look at it this way Jordan, managers like to have two players for each position, we play with 3 mids behind the striker so in theory the 5 we have plus Willian is what the manager wants. 6 players battling for 3 starting places. Let Jose and the club do the worrying and we can just enjoy the show

22 Aug 2013 19:56:45
I find myself in the perplexing position of not seeing quite how Juan Mata fits into this team. It seems like Oscar, Hazard, and De Bruyne comprise a trio of like minded, constantly moving and attacking players. and Juan Mata somehow doesn't fit into that.

Any outrage as this comment is warranted, as even I find myself wondering how I can be of this opinion.

I still think that Hazard Mata Oscar should be our attacking trio, yet suddenly people are saying it's too narrow (which it is fairly narrow) however last season I recall our main problem bieng lacking a striker not the lack of width within of midfield, and all of a sudden it's too narrow? It worked pretty well last season and the statistics prove it, if perhaps that line-up is weak against certain oppenents then bring in Schurrle or KDB to offer more width. But those three I'd still say are our best attacking midfielders.

JMJW

Drop Oscar back playing centre mid. Then have hazard debruyne and mata our attackers. BLUEBOY1

JMJW you're one of only a few that comment on this site that makes sense based on the reality that happens on the field. You're 100% correct, just don't expect the majority to agree with you.

Last year our Mazacar trio took the epl by storm and were feared the way most teams, even at their stadium, sat back and we finshed 2nd to Man United in goals scored with no useful striker and no squad depth. Our other problems were the way we were organized at the back and our poor dm play which imo Rafa did his best work of organizing or defense and helping dm by playing Luiz there in big matches. And that is the truth.

By the way JMJW, the truth is people were complaining about our attack being narrow last season in matches where teams sat back, played compact and allowed us over 60% possession like Swansea did for example. And we did try starting Moses and that didn't work because even then Torres and later Ba were not clinical enough to take the 2 or 3 really good chances that were created for them and when teams are really organized that's usually all you get unless someone makes a mistake.

Cheers, If that midfield was to produce the performances it did last year, tied with the squad depth we currently have now, a goalscorer and the ability to close a game off (another thing we lacked last year) with Mourinho too, we could well win the league.

JMJW

22 Aug 2013 17:15:14
Dear Jose Mourinho,
Sell ba to roma or Napoli and take the money.
Strap torres to the bench.
Forget Rooney.
Consider etoo, yilmaz, or someone like that.
need goals? put a belguim 250 pound tank that we've already got up front.

22 Aug 2013 15:04:00
Think Lukaku should start on Monday. His physique and skillset is great for this type of game.
United are at home so they'll come out and attack us. That'll leave space to work with in attack. Lukaku's physicality can come to full effect when he's got a little space to run into.
Would love to see Lukaku, and then Schurrle, Hazard and De Bruyne in support. Schurrle and KDB work their asses off and it will be necessary me thinks.
A Ramires-Essien or Ramires-Mikel combo should do it as well.

Totally agree Jackson should be essien and rami as deep mids and lukaku has to start!

I'd go with a 433 against Utd.

Cech
Ivan, Cahill, Terry, Cole
Ramires, Essien, Lampard
Schurrle, Hazard
Lukaku

Mata, KDB and Oscar to come on if things are not going to plan.

In a 433, there's no man right behind the striker so Lukaku would probably be isolated at times. In a 4231, there's always a player around him and I think for Lukaku that'd be best.
I also prefer Azpi at rb as he's quicker and united can have some real speed down the flanks.

22 Aug 2013 12:28:33
Ed on the Rooney saga any chance its just Rooney trying to get a better deal from the mancs after all the boys got history
Cam {Ed018's Note - I really don't know, to me it seems like he wants to leave}

22 Aug 2013 10:09:48
Ba is a no go lampard is to slow and jose could have bring essien in or marco van ginkel to start with rami and shurrle for mata on the right side.

I wonder why van ginkel played CAM during first game (i didn't watch 2nd game vs villa). Bcos I thought he play CM right?
Cheers

I want to register, login & post. but I've no idea what name should I put, any suggestion?

Just make one up! Anything will do. StamfordTheLion? Dave? BlueFlag? John? Blue58? Etc etc etc etc!

Ive decided to use drogbeast then, hi all i'm newbie here, long time unnamed poster - drogbeast

22 Aug 2013 09:55:03
Ed tell me it's not true that MU wants to exchange Rooney for Mata!

22 Aug 2013 09:44:17
Villa fan here glad you didn't put 8 past us thought with the decisions we deserved a draw and you can keep your hands off benteke he will defo leave next season about the same time torres joins Cowdenbeath

Don't worry I doubt you'd see benteke and lukaku in the same team before the world cup coming, he will single handedly ensure relegation is not a worry this season too, but expect the vultures to start swooping after he has a 20+ goal season!

ps if you can do to united what you did to arsenal we'd be very grateful ;)

Do are best good luck againt Manchester United we got the scousers saturday night and moyes was complaining about there fixtures

22 Aug 2013 09:26:44
Why, oh why, can't our strikers score a goal? Can somebody tell me? Why do our players always panic and try to 'play it safe' when we should comfortably keep possession at home against an average Villa side for God's sake. Yes we got 3pts, but I'm being negative, just maybe.
I am Bas!cs.

22 Aug 2013 02:18:19
I seen someone mention pre season earlier and why we're not playing like we did then (Minus the tour of indonesia because that doesn't count). I think people need to realise that in pre season we never played against a team that has intentionally went out there way to play defensively or "ugly" football against us. Milan, Inter, Roma and Madrid are all exceptional teams who will attack against anyone and not sit back and defend like Hull and Villa. Maybe were not playing at the level we should be because we haven't played against that style of football for a good few months. I can imagine playing attractive slick fluent football would be very difficult against a team that's tactics are simply defend, counter and ride your luck. Give the team a break anyone slating how we've played the past 2 games because its not our fault teams are scared to play decent football against us at home and would 100% settle for a draw. Wait untill united when its an open game with more space and both teams attacking and I guarantee you will see the chelsea team you were watching in pre season people.

It's simple. During preseason JM forced 433, against Hull Chelsea actually played 4141, last night it was 4231-it simply doesn't look well. Ba was cut off and 3 amigos weren't creative. Mata isn't fit yet. 4231 is generally defensive approach when dominantly explore CA.

Completely agree Easton, the problem was last season we actually struggled to break down teams who played like that, ie QPR at home and fulham, at least we have 6 points so far and hope we stuff united on monday