Chelsea Banter Archive January 03 2019

03 Jan 2019 21:03:07
So guys, who do you think is having a good season for us so far.

I think the following have been really good consistently.

Kepa
Rudiger
Luiz
Hazard

For me Luiz has been phenomenal. He takes a lot of criticism but when he is focused there isn't many better than him. Yes he made the errors at Spurs but since then his been quality.

Kepa has kept the 2nd most clean sheets in the league which is a pretty good return. Excellent shot stopper.

Rudiger has been solid at the back. Very consistent and he will only get better with time.

Hazard has been magical. No words needed.

03 Jan 2019 21:09:04
When we won the title with Conte, the following players were terrific;

Courtois
Alonso
Azpi
Luiz
Hazard
Costa
Kante
Pedro

It's just shows you need a good chunk of the team to be on point to be fighting for the league.

03 Jan 2019 21:10:37
I agree with all four of your nominations Shak.

03 Jan 2019 21:13:07
Very true. If you want to win it you can carry very few if any passengers.

I would also add Moses to your list.

03 Jan 2019 21:36:26
Yes Tom, 100% agree with Moses being added. He had a brilliant season. We hardly had any passengers to carry.

03 Jan 2019 22:17:18
In my eyes Kante has got to be added to the players that've done well this season. Think he's been playing well all games, and especially recently he's been really really good.

03 Jan 2019 22:29:41
I would have added him but have taken into consideration his playing a different role to what we are used to seeing. I'm sure he will prove me wrong, his a terrific footballer wherever he plays. Right now his our most attacking midfielder.

03 Jan 2019 22:29:46
Very true Emil. I didn’t even notice he wasn’t on the list.

Its an age thing!

03 Jan 2019 15:37:09
I recently made a statement that Pusilic would become the best player in the world within five years and will be seen has Chelsea's best ever buy.

That statement was deliberately ridiculous but no more ridiculous in my view than some statements from some posters.

Some posters have referred to certain Chelsea players as "deadwood". Called Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz and Alonso totally useless or worse.

Barkley and Jorginho have come in for pelters, with Willian and Morata described as worse than useless.

Hazard is the only player who hasn't at some stage been slaughtered by a poster or posters.

While I try and respect every posters view some are just nasty and I cannot believe they are from Chelsea fans.

03 Jan 2019 17:49:04
kepa is another who has dodged the abuse so far tom haha.

03 Jan 2019 17:57:19
Give it time Magic.

I also forgot the criticism of the manager!

03 Jan 2019 18:21:22
As long as we make top 4, I think this season would be a success.

03 Jan 2019 18:50:54
Yep, I agree ChelseaLRD and if we could manage a pot that would put the cherry on the cake.

03 Jan 2019 22:05:41
i think we will get top 4 if we get a player or 2 in january.

03 Jan 2019 09:20:26
Ed's maybe you could help with this, when I see spurs Liverpool man united and arsenal they all have a better attack than us, yet teams seem so deep to when they play the others, salah man always have lots of space to run into on flanks, United the same, Bournmouth it seemed that one good ball and rash ford had 40 yards of grass in front of him. Is it slow build up or bad movement by us because unless we play against a top 6 side everyone else seems to park the bus and that's fine Becuass teams do what they do and it can work ( Leicester wolves saints ) etc but it seems we are have only a plan A, I read a few articles that our constant passing across is Sarris style and plan to basically tease the other team and trick them into coming at us and pressing, them the 3rd midfielder finds the space etc etc but teams are not chasing us around the pitch, do you think it's the players he has, not understanding the system or the system it's self,

{Ed001's Note - it is a bit of everything. Your strikers are not attracting defenders to swarm around them, so there is not as much space left for other players. They basically only fear Hazard, so concentrate on him. That means there isn't as much space on the opposite flank the moment the ball goes to one side, so a switch is a lot more difficult to play. Unlike when, for instance, Liverpool have it on the left with Mane, defenders are drawn to him as he can run past them with ease and has the pace to ensure they can't get back at him once he is past. That then means there is space on the opposite flank as the whole defence shifts across.

I would forget about Bournemouth, Eddie Howe is a terrible defensive organiser, his teams are always open to a bus being driven through the centre of the pitch or down the flanks at any moment. They rely on getting bodies back and filling spaces, so quick attacks rip them to shreds.

With Sarri-ball, it is very reliant on pace down the flanks, drawing the opposition defence to the man on the ball out wide and then switching it quickly to the man in space. Because you are not drawing them out as you lack the threat his Napoli team possessed (for now anyway) there is not the space on the opposite flank for the switch. You are now having to hit a 60 yard pass into a patch of space that is tiny, rather than having acres to play the ball into as you should. That is a big part of the game plan, getting it wide to a man in space who then plays an early cross for bodies charging the box or the wideman cutting in and shooting.

Added to that you have misfiring strikers, so the opposition are not worried about stopping crosses. So again, they are not being drawn across in numbers to close down the player on the ball as they should. A good finisher would change things totally for the style of play. That is the key to it all for me, the widemen become much more of a threat when they have someone to get on the end of their crosses.

On top of that, you also have a lot of players still trying to understand how to play the system. Players like Alonso, who really need to keep the width in Sarri's system, are instead coming inside constantly. That will need time and maybe a few more changes in personnel to put right. There have been signs of it coming together, for instance Kante is growing into his new role.

03 Jan 2019 10:36:11
Brilliant response, cheers ed, yeah kante is making runs and in positions that are a threat which is funny that his out second biggest threat after hazard lol well fingers crossed for some pace in the team, I have no doubts Pulisic is a replacement for the aging Willian / Pedro, but we need someone now with pace, Alonso has seemed lost of late, not sure if it was system or confidence. Saw girona president say Piatek not for sale which is a blow, Piatek fekir Lazanon ( PSV ) could help massively, havertz too in good scoring form. Reminds me of dele Ali from what I’ve read.

{Ed001's Note - what little I have seen of Havertz was extremely impressive I have to say.}

03 Jan 2019 12:05:51
ed001 i totally agree with you. then why does he keep playing Alonso then ahead Emerson. Emerson keeps the wing and has decent pace. every fan can see then why CAN'T sarri.
I like his style on football and I agree he needs to time to build HIS team. Fan need to be patience. what we are also missing is the 12th man . literally piont fans turning up and being silence like. being away every week.

{Ed001's Note - he obviously likes what Alonso brings to the table. Maybe it is his attitude or his relationship with team-mates that gets him in the team, as much as his play?}

03 Jan 2019 12:48:33
Thanks Ed001 mate, people listen to you as you obviously have a wide range of knowledge in football.

Can you see morata leaving this month? Cheers.

{Ed001's Note - thank you mate. I don't see it happening right now but this month could be very hectic, with a lot of twists and turns as there are some big clubs in desperate need of signings.}

03 Jan 2019 13:30:42
Ed1 your response was brilliant mate. What you said makes complete sense.

Patience is needed, tbh our full backs don't fit into Sarri's style of play going forward but obviously Azpi defensively is sound. If they had used the width more it frees up the attacking wingers more.

At the moment it is very static, e. g. Alonso gets the ball and cuts inside as opposed to running down the flank, he passes to hazard who is heaviliy marked so he passes to Barkely and then the ball makes it's way to Azpi who starts the process again from that side of the pitch. Morata gets no touches in any of this maybe because he isn't trusted. If he was a Top striker like Diego Costa then automatically he attracts defenders and other players are more free.

{Ed001's Note - exactly mate. You get a striker and it makes a significant difference.}

03 Jan 2019 13:35:22
Cheers ed, what about Giroud?

{Ed001's Note - I expect him to stay as back up.}

03 Jan 2019 14:43:52
Great point about 'relationship with team mates' and it is something that is constantly overlooked. The manager has to ensure a good vibe in the dressing room. I think it is one of the reasons that Luiz and Willian are played even when out of form because they are so popular among all the staff throughout the club.

03 Jan 2019 15:02:39
From what was said earlier and stories or Leipzig having to take offers for Werner as, like hazard not signing new contract, young, absolutely rapid and finisher, can play centre and wide? Pretty much everything we’re after, a young better jamoet Vardy,

03 Jan 2019 18:22:40
Ed001 what about batman then? Is he returning from his loan spell at Valencia and is he looked as an option to reinforce our striker force in casw we don't sign anyone.

{Ed001's Note - I don't think he is going anywhere right now, but they are looking to sign a striker so he will probably come back.}

03 Jan 2019 00:00:22
I didn’t watch the game as it was on at 5 am where I am, but the negativity is astounding. I urge patience to sarriball and watch his Napoli side last year if you think it’s bad system that creates nothing. Heads up lads.