P302Rivals Football - Chelsea FC
today
by Walter @, 10/03, 22:48

Listened on the radio.
Sounded like they parked the bus and played similar to how Leicester did.

Thought we lucked out a bit at Fulham getting a win last week, is a draw today really that surprising?

Interested to hear from people who saw it on TV / were there today. Can't be arsed with Twitter

today
by CLL_JT26, 11/03, 07:47 @ Walter

3 CDM's at home to wolves. [rant]

today
by nstand, 11/03, 08:21 @ Walter

They were better than park the bus. They defended deep, worked hard for each other but also willing to break out on us. But don’t underestimate just how easy we made it for them for an hour. We basically waited until they had set their banks of 4/5 up before we got going.

Have to say it’s the most boring hours worth of football I think I can ever remember. Genuinely. People around me were also just bored, and sitting down in MH Lower.

Everything Sarri said afterwards was true with regards to not moving ball quick enough, needing more players in the box (RLC) and players to beat the 1v1 (CHO). I can’t remember watching a game where you don’t need players in the box or ability to beat people 1 on 1 and that’s where Sarri is failing this group, maybe it’s on the players to move the ball faster, maybe they are just ignoring him, but you’re setting a midfield of Kovacic and Jorginho who by their own nature are not players who are creative, beat people or want to get into the opposition box. We just don’t have enough players willing to do that.

I’m out of ideas as to why RLC isn’t worth of a start, can’t all be fitness. And CHO was off yesterday but still in his 20 minutes put in 2 unplayable balls into the box and created so much space for Azpi to drive into the box - but he didn’t.

Presumably 4231 is the future, allowing us to get 3 of our 4 forward/wingers playing behind Higuin, and allowing more time for CHO and setting us up nicely for involving Pulasic next year. Maybe they could find that other midfielder who used to work so well alongside Kante as well and cost us £40m.

Of course it will change nothing.

today
by CLL_JT26, 11/03, 09:00 @ nstand

Sarri said after the Kiev game that Ruben isn't going to be ready to start for about 2 weeks, as they're being very careful with a long term back injury, but pick Barkley then.

Re 4231 - that is the formation I'd like to see us play, but Sarri also said yesterday that's why he took jorginho off, because he can't play in a 4231.

It's going to be 433 "Sarri ball" until the day he goes. I don't see how we are going to improve much under him, when he can't sign any players. He needs to adapt to get the best formation/set up out of what he's got, rather than try and get sarri ball out of them. I don't think we'll ever play this 433 well enough to win/compete at the top level consistently, whilst having azpi/Alonso (or Emerson) as our full backs. A major concern for me.

today
by stanic_worship, 11/03, 09:55 @ nstand

[^] 100% agree - Wolves were excellent and executed their game plan very well. They knew if they stopped us playing centrally, we'd never do anything (and they were right).

All our efforts were shots from distance that got increasingly more desperate as the game went on. Did Higuain get more than 2/3 touches all game?

I partly sympathise with Sarri in that he's right, he doesn't necessarily have the players to play how he wants...so why play those players out of position (or worse, out of form)?

Alonso may not be in form, but anyone who thinks Emerson should be in the side is mental - He's a dreadful player, spent all game finding blind alleys.

Azpilicueta is not a very good right back (and age has caught up with him I think).

Luiz was so so poor - It winds me up how he can switch on and off during games - He wasn't in the game at all yesterday. I felt he was mainly at fault for the goal (first missing the challenge in midfield, then going to the same man as Rudiger and leaving the bloke in the middle unmarked). Then he had the cheek to tell people where they should be standing!

Jorginho is meant to be in the side to move the ball quicker - So why doesn't he move the ball quicker? I'm genuinely at a loss to understand what he brings to the side, other than his little hit and hope pass over the top when he receives it sideways - He has no idea if anyone is there or not, just hits it on the off chance.

Kovacic was poor, but I think there is a player there - Just not in this system.

We don't look like scoring a goal in open play and that has to be a serious concern - That, coupled with the dullest display from a Chelsea side I can remember in a long time, is it any wonder everyone is fed up of all this?

Surely Sarri doesn't get beyond this season?

today
by riazorblue, 11/03, 15:24 @ stanic_worship

The thing is it was no mystery what Wolves were going to do, and they did it, why you would pick defensively minded midfielders who rarely even threaten to score a goal when you know you are basically going to have the ball all game long facing two banks of defenders is something only Sarri can tell us. Once we went 1-0 down and RLC and CHO came on at least we tried to do something.

That is what annoys me, you know teams like Wolves can come and get a point playing like they did, that happens, but at least try and come up with a solution, his tactics make no sense, you're right Kovacic is a decent player, but he wasn't the right man for yesterday's game. I get the theory behind the Jorginho signing, but in practice it hasn't worked, obviously what is considered "moving the ball quickly" is very different here and in Italy.

It was so boring watching that game yesterday, yes, yes, one point off fourth and still in the Europa league, but I like to get some enjoyment from watching football.

today
by stanic_worship, 11/03, 17:53 @ riazorblue

Even the players looked bored!

today
by Famous, 11/03, 18:21 @ stanic_worship

Having not seen the game but seen plenty of reaction to it, I have to wonder how it’s possible the players weren’t fully up for this? Given that before the game, the opportunity to still finish 3rd was in our own hands, with some tough looking away fixtures coming up and surely knowing Wolves were going to give us as stern a test as anyone outside of the top 5, to seemingly go back to old habits of not approaching it the right way after a more positive couple of weeks, it’s just baffling, and it makes me think of our dreadful spell this time last season, as well as what Sarri said about motivation earlier in the year.

today
by upthechels @, 11/03, 18:31 @ Famous

I think we were up for it but we were way too patient. When you have urgency you get the ball in there but when you have time it's just possession football. We need to start games how we ended this game. Go for it early and then use the workhorses instead of all this caution we see. I talk of games like Sunday where we know how the opponents will play.

today
by Famous, 11/03, 21:06 @ upthechels

In other words, I shouldn’t believe anything I’ve seen or read about the game? :-D

today
by upthechels @, 11/03, 21:19 @ Famous

I wouldn't go that far!

We work the ball very well switching from side to side and back to front. Lots of effort and plenty of movement suggests to me the lads are hard at it but it's going the long way round and we rarely look dangerous. When the clock is ticking down to defeat we start to take shortcuts and start to look dangerous. We need to trim much of our needless passes. Luiz often picks out a pass that avoids 20 passes and creates openings. We're just not direct enough for the most part.

today
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 12/03, 07:45 @ upthechels

That’s why it was a stupid decision to get rid of Fabregas, halfway through the season.

today
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 11/03, 20:55 @ Famous

I think you need to question why the manager still persists with the same old laborious pointless possession game, against teams we all know are going to have all eleven players behind the ball.
Using the same three non goalscoring, non assist making and non chance creating starting midfield is really taking the fucking piss.
Sarri is copying Mourinho when it comes to looking for who is to blame...everybody but.
The players need to move the ball quicker, he says afterwards. Easy solution, stop picking Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic and Azpilicueta. It was noticeable how much quicker Loftus-Cheek was able to use the ball, simply because he is a forward thinking player, always looking to pass and run forward.
The sooner Sarri goes, the better.

today
by Famous, 11/03, 21:02 @ OSGOODWASGOOD

I don’t need to do anything, I’ll just give my own opinion and thoughts thanks. I don’t think managing a top football team is half as easy as you seem to think it is, especially when most of the time you make a comment before the game about team selection, you end up being proved wrong.
I know that whatever happens, we’ll end up with basically those same players for a different manager to pick from and they’ll get moaned at just like every manager here does, no matter what they achieve.

today
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 11/03, 21:14 @ Famous

If I had made the comment before the Wolves game, you would not have replied to it.

today
by Famous, 11/03, 22:40 @ OSGOODWASGOOD

I wouldn’t because I’d have been on the plane :-D

today
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 12/03, 07:42 @ Famous

:-D

today
by MHLPisshead, 11/03, 11:11 @ nstand

Jesus it was tedious.

today
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 11/03, 09:24 @ Walter

I said months ago, on the pitch, Jorginho is the problem.
Sarri is not good enough to manage our club, in the Premier League.
Sarri needs to be sacked, Jorginho needs to be dropped, NOW!
Then restore Kante to his rightful position. He was running around like a headless chicken yesterday, not knowing how to play against eleven men in front of him.
Our full backs are simply not good enough to create anything, or have the ability to go outside and put a cross in.
By having a non goal scoring midfield, you can’t expect any of them to get into the area to put the defence under any sort of pressure. Even Higuain spends too much time outside of the area.
In short, nothing has changed since we got rumbled by the North Londoners. With Sarri in charge, and Jorginho starting every league game, nothing will change.

today
by upthechels @, 11/03, 10:24 @ Walter

Wolves conceded the ball and we knocked it about without any cutting edge. Wolves weren't overly special - they were made to look solid by a side that has very little killer pass vision.

I gave up on a goal coming but thankfully the players never gave up the chase. It could be said Sarri made the correct changes and rescued a point. I feel the changes were positive.

When you flog creative players like Cesc (assist king) mid-season then expect huff n puff performances and ultimately frustration. Many things wrong at SB but the lads on the pitch worked hard yesterday and fully deserved a point through graft and effort. The fact creativity is missing in our play is a different gripe.

today
by stanic_worship, 11/03, 10:36 @ upthechels

Don't disagree with a lot of what you've said, but the players only really showed graft and purpose after we went behind.

Before that, they were strolling around like it was a testimonial game.

today
by upthechels @, 11/03, 11:02 @ stanic_worship

My take is that Sarri sets out to own the ball and to have as many grafters as possible - above the need for creativity. Having gone behind Sarri broke rank from his thinking and stepped outside of his comfort zone and actually employed players who at least look to attack and not keep and protect. Sarri has a mentality that isn't brave and he possibly overthinks things...very likely IMO. I felt we needed 2 strikers yesterday but you can bet your last penny that never crossed the mind of Sarri. I felt a simple 4-4-2 would have seen a better result but we will never know.

2 points lost for me even though I felt some relief/justice at the end. I think this one is down to Sarri and his outset team selection - not the efforts of the 11 we saw on the pitch who clearly lack leadership and creativity.

today
by upthechels @, 11/03, 11:25 @ upthechels

I also think Sarri is a manager who sets out to win by the odd goal. Always relying on one moment to happen rather than creating many chances and taking a percentage. This must be frustrating for the like of Giroud, Morata etc who often get the fan finger pointed at them. Even Higuain came in for social media grief yesterday!!!

I look at Pep, Flopp, the Goon, OGS and Poch who all look to attack and score goals. There is obviously a balance to be had but Sarri and a couple of the mentioned can't find it.

today
by MartyF @, 11/03, 11:40 @ upthechels

His Napoli team scored lots of goals. Year on year they scored more and conceded less. Whether he can do that here with these players is obviously the big unknown!

today
by upthechels @, 11/03, 11:47 @ MartyF

[^]

I know absolutely nothing of his Napoli games/style mate. I refuse to judge him on his past, just what I see him do at SB. Looking back can often deceive us. Serie A and the PL offer very different challenges for starters.

today
by Famous, 11/03, 15:34 @ MartyF

[^]
I said the day he was appointed, he’d need time and money to have any chance of really succeeding here, and he’s always been unlikely to get either.
The transfer window ban would be the worst possible thing for him.

today
by Famous, 11/03, 15:35 @ Walter

I spent the entire game on a plane [plane]

today
by stanic_worship, 11/03, 17:53 @ Famous

Lucky cnut. :-D

today
by Famous, 11/03, 18:11 @ stanic_worship

:-D

today
by MHLPisshead, 11/03, 20:39 @ stanic_worship

:-D