Chelsea Banter

26 Jul 2024 07:11:59
So many pundits have spoken about our new managers style of play and in particular the so called "inverted full back. " It obviously escaped there notice but several times last season Poch had Cucarella do the exact same thing and with great effect. Granted this wasn't a tactic used in every game but it's hardly a ground breaking tactic.

I'm more interested to see how we move the ball forward when being pressed and how quickly the transitions happen.

26 Jul 2024 09:43:20
This is a big issues with maresca and isn’t me being negative as lots of Leicester fans will say so, the football when it works, when a team presses and we play through will look great,

When a team doesn’t press, and sits, it’s a lot of sideways passing, keeping it for the sake of keeping it, wear the opponent down and be patient,

Like Sarri, pattern play playing through opponent, only works if opposition falls for traps, for this reason we may not make loads chances v teams who sit, which would be most teams as its been our weakness since Costa, that’s why we need someone clinical in front of goal, not someone with potential who’s below 23y/o, titles are won on clean sheets and goalscorers, GK / ST HAVE TO BE PROVEN.

26 Jul 2024 11:58:58
Perhaps the most interesting thing to keep an eye on this season is how rigidly Maresca sticks to his 'philosophy'. Will he be willing to move away from things that don't work, or will he rigidly stick to what he wants to see? Is he going to be pressured to put the money on the pitch, and if so will he do as he's told even if the returns aren't there?

The squad is the squad, tactics can't cover up everything. I know it was only one game in pre-season, but no one seems to be making a huge fuss of the fact that Colwill was played at LB v Wrexham in the same way that they did when Poch did it. I wonder why that is? Poch beat Wrexham 5-0 in pre-season last year btw.

I think the inverted fullback idea will be discarded if it starts costing us games in the way it did at Leicester. You can't lean on the excuse that the players aren't good enough to execute your vision when your managing the calibre of players that are in a good Prem squad.

26 Jul 2024 14:40:41
RBD, the Colwill at LB for that game was interesting and it made sense because James could comfortably take the inverted role when we had the ball leaving a solid three at the back.

For me Cucarella and James are ideal for that inverted role and they will be able to take it turns. The plus is both can slot into a three at the back as well.

When I’ve seen Arsenal play with an inverted FB it always seem to be on the left side with white staying as a rigid FB and that allows Saka to play further up the pitch without having to worry who is behind him.

Anyway, I can’t wait to see how it works out in a few weeks time.

26 Jul 2024 14:46:08
I don’t get why inverting a full back would cost you games. It ensures the centre of the pitch has sufficient numbers to defend against transition and dominate the ball.

It’s not really different to Gusto pushing on, two holding midfielders and the rest of the back three shuffling across from a 4-2-3-1 starting formation - except maybe less running and a shift in where the width comes from. Either way, you are attacking and defending with 5.

I think we will have to get used to playing patiently. The whole point is to bait the defending low blocking into coming out to challenge, then hitting hard and fast.

26 Jul 2024 16:02:58
Exactly right FD77, I couldn't of put it better myself.

26 Jul 2024 16:21:24
FD77, the natural response to that is that it doesn't matter if the the centre of the pitch is full of players if the opposition just play it into the spaces out wide where the fullback would usually be. And then you end up with your CB having to defend the channels directly against a winger, while the player who has spent their career doing this is stranded in midfield. So you end up with both your CB and RB/ LB being asked to a do a job neither is used to when defending.

And I suppose my next question would be, if you end up attacking and defending with 5 regardless, then why shoehorn your RB or LB into midfield when you could just play them in their natural position where they are best?

It seems to me that all you have done is drag a load of players out of position for minimal gain, and ironically, dragging players out of position is exactly what the opposition want to do to us.

26 Jul 2024 18:22:04
RBD, we did use Cucarella as inverted FB a few times last season under Poch and it did work very well.

For me, it will be about pace of transition.

26 Jul 2024 22:52:22
RBD, you are right about CBs having to cover in the wide positions, which is why you want people who can play at FB or CB and/ or those with pace. So, Cucurella is well suited, Fofana has pace to burn…

It’s going back, but when Venables played 3 at the back in Euro 96, Pearce played LCB which worked because he had both the presence to play that role and was comfortable when dragged out wide.

If Fofana is dragged wide when the ball is played into the channel, his key role is to hold the winger up so James can drop in at RCB. If it’s Cucurella inverting, that role falls to Colwill.

It’s not new, as you said before. If Gvardiol and Ake can do it, neither of whom is a FB profile, I don’t see why Chelsea’s CBs can’t.

27 Jul 2024 00:55:24
TomB Cucurella did work well when inverting but I’m not sure it suits either James or Gusto (although I think James is capable of it) but it removes their greatest strength which is overlapping and putting crosses in.

27 Jul 2024 03:45:54
Waste of another few season appointing Maresca.

27 Jul 2024 04:02:56
fuser, I may be wrong but I think James played a lot of games in midfield while on loan and got good reviews. I think he would work well as an inverted FB.

Gusto, I’m not so sure about but he is young and I’m sure he could adapt.

25 Jul 2024 22:52:53
Haven't watched game yet, read but mixed reviews,

It's first game of pre season, result doesn't matter, as long as there's improvement in each game leading to start of season,

24 Jul 2024 23:10:43
For those that don't know, Simon Johnson is following the Chelsea pre-season tour. I'm sure other journalists will be there but he, in my opinion, is one of the more competent and he is a Chelsea fan.

25 Jul 2024 09:41:16
Top journo and a top man.

24 Jul 2024 12:39:19
Been thinking about this for a while, but I think we need to stop thinking about players as players in this Chelsea system: they are assets that will either go on to improve performance of the team (the shop front) or appreciate in value and be sold for a return.

So, when we get the question: why are we buying another AM when we already have a stockpile.? Well, we are stock piling them because they tend to appreciate in value and achieve higher fees in the market later.

Why buy them young? Well, because they have the most upside potential.

It's high risk, but it's not a mad strategy given the way fees have been rising across football. And expansion into the multiclub model allows for greater opportunities to showcase these players and enhance their value.

If it is a venture capital style model, you would only be looking for 2/ 10 to break through for the approach to wash its face.

Personally, I'm not mad on treating young people as commodities, but that's not new in football.

24 Jul 2024 13:42:00
Agree with your overall point FD77 however I think there is one major caveat, and that is that none of these players are being signed by Strasbourg.

There are only six loan spots for players that aren't both u21 AND club trained (3 years at current club between ages of 15 and 21). So if you stockpile them, you are very limited as to how you develop them to the point that you can actually turn a profit on them. It doesn't matter that you own other clubs if it's only Chelsea who is buying these players.

24 Jul 2024 15:15:51
Is it true Chelsea are looking to move casadei on on a permanent deal? Seems crazy.

24 Jul 2024 15:28:00
FD77, you are echoing my sentiments of the last two seasons. It’s a business and will look at the last few years under Roman, it was being run as a business.

I see it as a business/ judgement call. We feel emotionally attached to certain players and with some fans they seem more attached to academy players. As long as the judgement of buying, keeping and selling is done/ judged broadly on ability then I’m fine.

We should also try and remember we all see the worth of a player differently and that obviously includes the coaching staff.

I understand how people can refer to the likes of Chalaboa and CG as “cash cows” but we do still have academy players in the squad but they are seen by the decision makers as having the ability to be a Chelsea player.

26 Jul 2024 07:10:25
I love Gallagher work rate. But is he good enough to play in a two man midfield. I do t think he is. Or even in the attacking three, he isn’t. I think chuekameka offers a lot more than him. It’s a shame but the truth.

24 Jul 2024 10:41:11
How many of our centre backs would get into the top 3 clubs (based on finishing position last season) in the premier league?

24 Jul 2024 12:22:13
If it's as a starter, 0. If it's in the 4 CB's for a club, Chalobah probably but it's a stretch. I do love chalobah as a squad player but his ability for a tip side is probably 3rd or 4th choice. At chelsea he's number one which makes it even more absurd he's the CB being turned away by chelsea.

24 Jul 2024 12:29:44
Colwill and Fofana would get into Liverpool’s squad and I wouldn’t put either of them behind Akanji or Gabriel either. Van Dijk, Dias and Saliba are ahead of them.

24 Jul 2024 16:12:52
Chalobah myh current number 1 as well. Hard to tell what squad Fofana would get into given he has been injured for so long while at CFc and was hardly faultless = particularly in terms of positional play - when did make appearances. But does or did have pace and might turn out to be great who knows.

24 Jul 2024 20:07:46
Colwill would be a squad player in all of the top 4 and a starter at Liverpool and Villa.