Chelsea Banter Archive February 22 2019

22 Feb 2019 20:12:14
I will be at Wembley on Saturday and I fully expect Azpilicueta to lift the cup. I'm sticking with a 2-0 win and a large hangover on Monday morning.

Come on my MIGHTY BLUES.

22 Feb 2019 20:20:24
I’ll be there too but have to say I’m not as confident as you, we will have to be absolutely perfect to have any chance but stranger things have happened!

22 Feb 2019 20:22:14
Meant Sunday. Would be good to arrive for some pre-match banter though! ’.

22 Feb 2019 20:30:05
Azpi may well be lifting the cup on Saturday, Tom - it's just a shame that the game is on Sunday.

22 Feb 2019 20:46:28
Mrs Costa, I did notice my error after I had sent it but I’m very impressed how so many posters hang on my every word. haha.

22 Feb 2019 23:59:31
Also, I like others have often criticised my club for lots of reasons but they have gone the extra mile in my seat allocation.

I’m no longer the most mobile but I wanted to be in the middle of our fans. They have given me an aisle seat next to one of the gate entrances.

Very much appreciated and thanks to the ticket office staff.

23 Feb 2019 10:35:13
We seem to have a parallel history, Tom, if not a similar view of Sarri. This is the 1st season that I have a Disabled Person Season Ticket and it's brilliant - I get to take a 'helper' with me for free so am in great demand by friends. This is something where Chelsea seem to be ahead of the game and congrats to them for that - I just wish their recruitment was as up to scratch! SON.

23 Feb 2019 11:25:08
Really nice post Mrs Costa why put son at the end really.

23 Feb 2019 13:27:03
gg, you may have noticed that I am not a great advocate of Sarri. I accept that others have a different opinion but I just don't think that Sarri is very good - there is nothing that I have seen this season that persuades me that he is a top manager.

At least give me credit for being consistent in my criticism - I just don't think he's good enough for my club. SON.

23 Feb 2019 13:59:22
Sorry roman.

23 Feb 2019 21:05:10
Who would you like Chelsea to hire as the next coach Costa?

22 Feb 2019 13:53:36
Reporting on sky news that we have been given a transfer ban.

22 Feb 2019 11:01:09
Hi Ed’s, does the transfer ban mean we can’t sign Higuaín for next season or would we still be able to because the option to buy was agreed before the ban? Cheers.

{Ed002's Note - I have no idea what you are talking about, sorry.}

22 Feb 2019 11:21:09
If the ban is in place by the time the transfer window opens you will be unable to register players therefore higuain would go back to Juve and Kovacic to Real. More likely is that your appeal will knock the start date back at least giving you time to get some business done.

22 Feb 2019 10:07:24
ED 002
We will presumably be appealing the ban and if that is the case would we still be able to sign any players this summer?
Thanks.

{Ed002's Note - Yes it was always planned to appeal.}

22 Feb 2019 10:30:10
I think we should embrace the positives of the 2 window transfer ban - still allow players to leave but replace them with our homegrown youth: Aina, Abraham, Tomori, Dasilva, CHO, James, Palmer, Lewis-Baker, Mount, Brown, even Bakayoko.

Yes, we might struggle to make top 4 - and the difference to this season or last season is .?

22 Feb 2019 10:32:39
Do you think an appeal would stand any realistic chance of being upheld Ed002?
Seems a lot of cases for one to have not contravened the regulations at least.
Thanks.

{Ed002's Note - I knew of one major issue but am told there are two - the rest is noise and generally an FA issue that could hit numerous sides. The appeal will be to push any ban back a few months.}

22 Feb 2019 10:43:06
Yeah that’s the dream but there not all good enough . Imagine these players up against the best in Europe, sterling aguero salahs vvd, appeal the ban have the sumner to invest and interstate youth more now ready for the ban.

22 Feb 2019 20:35:05
MattM, the thing is we won't know whether they're good enough until we give them an extended run in the team. I do agree that it may be a bit early for some (Mount, Dasilva, Palmer) but I think CHO, Aina, James, Tomori and Abraham are ready to step up (and I think we should be giving Bakayoko another chance) .

22 Feb 2019 01:26:00
Now I’m not saying Sarri is our saviour or that he’ll necessarily come good unless he changes but interesting little factoid: he has a better record so far than Pep in his first season at City.
There still needs to be major changes both in regards to players and Sarri as the football recently has been horrendous but.

22 Feb 2019 09:58:42
. but the football has been / is horrendous. With Guardiola, you could see where it was going - but I have no idea where Sorri is taking us. SON.

21 Feb 2019 23:58:25
Anybody else seeing the amount of times the midfield and fullbacks could've played an easy one two pass out of the press but decided to go backwards?. Are we supposed to act as if Sarri is asking them to do this, because i can Guarantee you he's not. Little to no movement in the Midfield and the inability to pass under pressure from the fullbacks has been the biggest reason why we play soo slowly and predictably. No surprise CHO's involvement in the team hasn't changed our problems.

And people want to try and say this is Sarriball, it's not. I reckon when/if Sarri goes and if he ends up at Roma we'll see him be very successful there simply because they'll have players more capable of doing what they're asked. I hope he'll be very successful wherever he ends up as well because he seems like a great guy and without a doubt with the right players his team can play breathtaking football.

22 Feb 2019 04:29:03
Londonblue90.mate awesome post. I got so frustrated looking at those backwards movements it started getting boring. Jorginio did make a diff when he came on didn't go backwards like many others did. I like the style of play and do hope Sarri can make it work for us and mabe get a few players to prove it. He needs time and the clubs backing. CHO was great tonight aswell as Kante.

22 Feb 2019 04:31:17
I do believe playing the likes of Emerson, Ruben, Christensen, CHO and any other possible RB besides Azpi would help Sarri. They have qualities in their game that complement his style of play and it confuses me as to why he can't see it. It seems as if he wants to keep the same 11 in hopes sooner or later they'll start to progress with his style and that's understandable, but he's completely using the wrong 11. Hopefully after tonight maybe he'll make the much needed adjustments. On another note it was utterly embaressing to see Jorginho getting booed by a minority of Chelsea "supporters". I understand people haven't been impressed by him eventhough he hasn't been anywhere near one of our worst players this season but to boo him like that is pathetic.

22 Feb 2019 05:06:13
Chelsea4life, yep all he needs is a few new quality players and time and i really believe we'll start seeing some great football. The only frustration i understand with the fans is the fact he has better players at his disposal which he isn't using enough. I think he once said before implementing a new style of football is easier with younger players than experienced ones as they're usually more likely to listen and are always wanting to improve. He has a handful of young players who wouldn't only listen, but are already more suited to his football than the older players he's always starting.

22 Feb 2019 07:54:14
LB90 another great post by you mate.

However, if you didn't know then the many fans times the midfield and fullbacks could've played an easy one two pass out of the press but decided to go backwards is called Sarriball. Well it appears the instant success seeking fans have interepeted it this way. It's hilarious and even worse that from the the media hype they embarrassed the club and the rest of the fanbase by booing a Chelsea player yesterday. The same player was superb up until November and the media were drooling over him. Some fans leave a bad taste for all of us. Booing your own player never happens or should happen but anything is possible with our fan base who have already headlined negatively on more than one occasion this season.

A little common sense would help identify that the constant back passes is not what Sarri wants. Even Rob Savage was critical of the huge number of back passes by Kovacic, Azpi and Barkley yesterday when the forward pass was available. How in gods world can you blame Sarri for this? Someone explain? This has been a constant theme for the past few months. Look at the players before you criticise a managers playing philosophy. Even if he leaves let me tell you that he will build a successful team.

Anyway yesterday told me that these players ain't confident in possession. Azpi for one is a massive liability in possession. This is not criticising his defensive ability which has waned anyway. He makes far to many passes to the centre halve. RLC was a breath of fresh, always looking for forward passes and running making 1 one, two passes. His chemistry with CHO is the sort of chemistry the whole team need with each other but its obvious that it won't happen as We have a different calibre of players. I. e. you can't expect someone like Fellaini be the key core in a Pep Guardiola's team whereas he was massive for JM.

22 Feb 2019 07:56:51
Fully agree . yoi can't be doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. I understand we need to try and play the same way to build consistancy so they can understand the system but its been a few months with the same players. Keep doing the same thing with a few different players even if they are a bit younger and then see again. It will all take time but surelly if they are hungry to play give ut a go. If it doesn't workout then we know. Yesterday was a good game for this and i think the young ones played well Ampadu should have come on sooner i think.

22 Feb 2019 09:13:55
Agree CFCshak, there's no doubt in my mind we would've progressed with Sarri's style of football if we had different players playing at LB, RB and LCM. When teams tried to man mark Jorginho at Napoli similar to what teams are doing now here they were able to play down the flanks consistently because of their fullbacks movement off and with the ball. There's a reason why City spent £100m on two full backs, it's a crucial area for this style of football. Emerson and even Zappacosta are more suited to Sarri's style, throw in RLC and CHO and we'll look soo much better playing out of a press and look much more dangerous down the flanks. I don't know whether it's too late now, but i'd hope if he stays he makes these adjustments because it'll be a much better team suited to playing his football.

22 Feb 2019 11:22:21
I do not agree with you all. The team is a reflection of how the coach sets it up. Mourinho/ OGS experiment is quite evident. Sarri maybe a good coach but IMO Chelsea is a mountain too high for him. ALMOST doing it with Napoli is not enough to doing it with Chelsea. We have more quality in the team than our results and other explanation is just excuse. Personally I would be sceltical in investing for Sarri and I still believe he be out sooner or later. Call it negative all you want but Sarri is another version of Arsene Wenger who flatters to deceive with his beautiful style.
Again we lost out of top 4 in Mourinho's last season because we failed to let him go early enough. I foresee another pattern with Sarri. I can assure you we will push the top 3 with a coach who has the capacity than Sarri.
Chelsea need to get in DoF and give him a better room to work without interference from Marina and team. I think Marina is only interested in buying them cheap regardless of quality.

22 Feb 2019 18:05:57
LB90 once again a very ood post mate. It's refreshing to see positivity and a fan who actually talks sense rather than garbage. Your analysis about the Full backs is spot on, if we had confident Fullbacks then we would have seen the same here at Chelsea when Jorginho is marked. Emerson and Zappa are more suited for sure. However, it's a risk Sarri may not take in playing both.

Interesting that Pep Guardiola again mentioned that he would not take a small term project I. e. at Chelsea when the manager isn't trusted. That should ring alarm bells for managers who want to come Chelsea.