Chelsea (A) | PL | Post-Match Thread

Such a bad first half, some are getting carried away with the gradual improvement after the restart.

It was still poor against a Chelsea team who could still have got something.

Pep needs to trust the players in their rightful positions.

We won't win anything this season playing with the team that finished the game.

Stones, Ake and Rico were fantastic.

Worry Haaland will not see out three years with us seeing so little of the ball.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Such a bad first half, some are getting carried away with the gradual improvement after the restart.

It was still poor against a Chelsea team who could still have got something.

Pep needs to trust the players in their rightful positions.

We won't win anything this season playing with the team that finished the game.

Stones, Ake and Rico were fantastic.

Worry Haaland will not see out three years with us seeing so little of the ball.
Click to expand...
I like to think Erling is saving his goals for the derby but i know what you mean with him, he was isolated for long spells.
 
Millo said:
I hope we never play that starting line up again! One shot on target in the first half.
Nice to see Pep using the subs early on though to change things. Walker deserved to be subbed for that throw in alone.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with the line up, it was the formation that was all wrong
 
Strangely feel like we needed a performance like that to get the season back on track.

It wasn’t pretty at all in that first half and looked like we might be on the verge of another Pep over thinking exercise. A mad attempt to bamboozle the opposition only confused our players more. Cancelo on the wing ahead of Walker was horrendous and won’t have given either player the confidence they so clearly need to get back into form.

However, Pep deserves credit for not sticking with it for 90 minutes like he has done in the past and the changes absolutely worked. As has already been said, a tough place to go and you could see from the players reaction at the end they were delighted.

I can’t help but feel we are missing a bit of leadership and really really wish Dias was fit and fighting himself back into the form and partnership he had with Stones. The guy is a monster and we really do need him back for the run in.
 
manimanc said:
I like to think Erling is saving his goals for the derby but i know what you mean with him, he was isolated for long spells.
Click to expand...

Only we could have one of the deadliest strikers in the world and appear like we have a plucky Chris Wood working hard up top!

The lad is running himself into the ground and we need to give him a few more early crosses or go over the top of teams and show his pace.
 
Didnt watch the game due to a migraine. Surprised my missus watched it ! First thing she said this morning was that Gallagher was a dirty sod. Also said that spitty said 'I wouldn't call him great' when talking about Micah.

Looks like my missus is really getting into see City, even said the game was boring lol
 
Dribble said:
GREALISH to MAHREZ... GOAL! 0 - 1

We were shockingly shit in the first half. I like most thought we'd return to our strongest line up, with our usual shape. It was great to see Walker back on the right. Then I saw Cancelo advancing down the right, & then I saw Walker going down the right again & I thought I was seeing things!

The realisation then hit me that baldy had done it AGAIN! In a major match, he's made major changes to outfox the opposition by playing Cancelo as a right winger & Rodri dropping into a back three when attacking, but we AGAIN ended up flummoxing our own fucking players! :-/

My first half assessment was we were very average & Chelsea were good. It might also be a case of our poor performance made Chelsea look even better than they otherwise would have been.

Changes were needed at half time & I thought Cancelo would return to LB, with Bernardo moving out to the right. But Pep made personnel changes which I personally think was unfair, because I don't think the tactics & player positions suited us, not that any player played individually badly. It was the strange system that threw everyone.

In the second half we were far far better & playing a system we're more used to. We started brilliantly & had them on the back foot. The big shock was seeing a rapidly improving & dangerous Foden & Bernardo pulled for Grealish & Mahrez! I thought what the fuck!

But what the fuck do I know. Grealish to Mahrez... GOAL & three points! :-) They were let off the leash when they came on, & Chelsea didn't know what the fuck to do when both went direct & started attacking their defence. THIS is the Mahrez & Grealish I wanna see week in, week out, NOT the side to side, backward passing duo I've seen in recent times.

Lewis was brilliant AGAIN, as was Akanji. Stones was imperious & my MoTM if only for that world class goal-saving sliding block, & Aké was brilliant too. Haaland was mostly anonymous & KDB improved immensely with the change of personnel, our better positioning & the better tactics.

We need to quickly find our regular rhythm & get the likes of Philips & Gomez up to speed to help with the avalanche of games we've got coming.

It's good to get back to winning ways, because this season is proving to be a shit load tougher than most of us envisaged in August.
Click to expand...
We play side to side and backward passes to retain possession and drag the opposing players out of position.
Thia tactic has worked well previously, however, because we have been using it for so long it has become somewhat stale and isn't working as well as it once did.
Other teams now seem to be getting at us more.
City need to mix it up a bit more and take a few risks.
I am not a fan of sitting on one goal leads either. Everton stole a point because of it and the Chavs almost did the same.
 
Need to start playing Bernardo next to Rodri again. The amount of times that poor Chelsea midfield was cutting through was concerning
 
Grassland Blue said:
We play side to side and backward passes to retain possession and drag the opposing players out of position.
Thia tactic has worked well previously, however, because we have been using it for so long it has become somewhat stale and isn't working as well as it once did.
Other teams now seem to be getting at us more.
City need to mix it up a bit more and take a few risks.
I am not a fan of sitting on one goal leads either. Everton stole a point because of it and the Chavs almost did the same.
Click to expand...
In my opinion it’s because our distribution is so fucking slow that teams can leisurely get back to the perfect position to defend against it rather than they sussing it out. It’s incredibly hard to defend against, even if you know it’s coming. Providing you do it at speed
 
Pep menti9ned something about thinking they’d play a 5 at the back that’s why Cancelo was there to get in behind, they didn’t play that so his formation wasn’t working, he needs to stop fucking about and settle for a system that’s tried tested and bloody works. I’m still not a fan of the inverted winger. Interestingly on the radio last night they had a lad from Brentford who was in the team that beat us and they said they weren’t worried about the wingers because they knew they never went to the by line to cross in or pull back, that for me is where we could be effective with Haaland more and allow others to make late runs.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
Only we could have one of the deadliest strikers in the world and appear like we have a plucky Chris Wood working hard up top!

The lad is running himself into the ground and we need to give him a few more early crosses or go over the top of teams and show his pace.
Click to expand...
I lost count the amount of times he made a run in behind and wasn't found. A simple little slide rule pass and he was away. But i love how happy he is when someone else scores and how happy he is at full time when we win.
 
Poor first half

Better second

Not sure if Pep as a problem with Cancelo, Bernie, Kyle and Phil or if it was just the system but all were shite and didn't seem interested, Bernie second half was so much better

Rico shows the hunger we need and Jack and FFS played the system better, even if Pep did tweak it a little second half.
 
manimanc said:
I lost count the amount of times he made a run in behind and wasn't found. A simple little slide rule pass and he was away. But i love how happy he is when someone else scores and how happy he is at full time when we win.
Click to expand...

Once in the first half put through and shot just over the crossbar! We so set in our way of playing we just ignore his runs
 
3 points, whilst the most important thing, completely papers over the cracks. That daft fucking hybrid formation didnt work at Anfield and didnt work last night.

Pep being a sarcastic fucker in his pre match interview about picking the team everyone told him to pick doesnt help things when he makes a double change at half time playing players in their actual positions, completely hung Cancelo and Foden out to dry inparticular in the first half when they were so isolated it was untrue (Foden didnt help himself by forgetting how to control a football)

Were so far off it at the minute and De Bruyne is staying on the pitch on reputation alone, last 5 minutes last night when they were obviously coming on strong he was grazing on the half way line not able/arsed to track back and help out. Running Rodri into the ground obviously stopped us being able to take De Bruyne off but he could at least have played deeper in those final minutes. Separate note Rodri should be absolutely nowhere near the stadium on Sunday stay at home with your feet up pal!

If we play our normal 4-3-3 at that shithole next week we'll hammer them but im concerned the bald one is going to come up with another of his daft ideas and we'll get turned over
 
ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN said:
Poor first half

Better second

Not sure if Pep as a problem with Cancelo, Bernie, Kyle and Phil or if it was just the system but all were shite and didn't seem interested, Bernie second half was so much better

Rico shows the hunger we need and Jack and FFS played the system better, even if Pep did tweak it a little second half.
Click to expand...
I didn't see anyone disinterested. First half didn't work as nothing clicked and we looked sloppy at times. Imho, it wasn't for want of trying.

2nd half we absolutely pummelled 'em. Credit Pep for very early changes - which worked. He gets loads of stick on here so credit where it's due. Also to KDB who put in a fantastic shift with Gundo. Ake was superb.

A great win; much needed and truly kick starts our season and gives Arsenal plenty to worry out.

The Champions are back in business.
 
We won the game but that first half was off the scale but pep knew he fucked up and changed it at half time which is somthing he never does . Mahrez and grealish combine wow . Rico Lewis will save us millions aswell and cancelo needs to be sold this summer .
 
TheThirdDeano said:
In my opinion it’s because our distribution is so fucking slow that teams can leisurely get back to the perfect position to defend against it rather than they sussing it out. It’s incredibly hard to defend against, even if you know it’s coming. Providing you do it at speed
Click to expand...
Correct and Haaland also Alvarez are wasted when we play at siege warfare speed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top