Chelsea thread 2012/2013 season

[sergiokun]

If Mourinho was to go to Chelsea next season, I would make them favourites for the title.

They're one or two players away from a real top side, in my opinion.

They need a top class striker, that's for definite. I rate Demba Ba, he's very good, but you need more than one striker. Torres, for me, is finished. I think he's been really poor this season, he has had so many starts with such a creative midfield and his performances have been awful. Maybe he could stay as the third choice striker, unlikely he would accept that though. I would be stunned if either Falcao or Cavani wasn't a Chelsea player next season, with the other one coming to us actually.

Defensively Chelsea haven't been great this season, but I think a top manager would solve that. I wouldn't say the problem is with the personnel as Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Terry and Cole is a good enough selection of defenders.

I would say the problem current is with the manager. I don't think Benitez is a top manager and is starting to show this season. If they had Mourinho with that squad plus a few additions, I would be very worried.

+1

 

[Castiel]

He'll miss the City game won't he? Surely 4-6 weeks to recover.

They haven't given a time frame yet but I think it's likely he will miss our match.

 

[bleed.blue]

When Benitez came in, their defense showed improvements but it has all gone downhill of late. Fans' protests against the managers give an excuse to the players to cop out. Ashley Cole has been guilty of turning OFF quite a few times this season. Terry has been woeful since he came back and for all his running, Azpilicueta is positionally suspect. Cahill is over rated and I would say, David Luiz is your best defender.
A new striker wont solve Chelsea's problems. What they need is a deep lying midfielder who is good on the ball (Pirlo mode). I said 4-5 months back and will stick to it. Frank Lampard does not have the positional discipline to play in the pivot and is always looking to get into/near the box and take shooting positions.

 

[citytill1die84]

Had RA kept RDM IMO we'd be 3rd now.

 

[GHoddle]

If Mourinho went there and they bought a quality striker, they could potentially have a title-winning team, however as it is I think they will have a tough time finishing in the top 4. (If they don't would Mourinho still go there?). It's going to be tough and there are 5 teams competing for those 2 places but Chelsea have a tougher run in than the other contenders. They also have the problem of the fans hating the manager, the manager being not too great to begin with, and injuries to players.<br /><br />-- Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:46 am --<br /><br />

When Benitez came in, their defense showed improvements but it has all gone downhill of late. Fans' protests against the managers give an excuse to the players to cop out. Ashley Cole has been guilty of turning OFF quite a few times this season. Terry has been woeful since he came back and for all his running, Azpilicueta is positionally suspect. Cahill is over rated and I would say, David Luiz is your best defender.
A new striker wont solve Chelsea's problems. What they need is a deep lying midfielder who is good on the ball (Pirlo mode). I said 4-5 months back and will stick to it. Frank Lampard does not have the positional discipline to play in the pivot and is always looking to get into/near the box and take shooting positions.

They already have one - Kevin De Bruyne, who would improve their first 11 but for some reason is out on loan in the Bundesliga and has become one of Werder Bremen's best players.

 

[Castiel]

When Benitez came in, their defense showed improvements but it has all gone downhill of late. Fans' protests against the managers give an excuse to the players to cop out. Ashley Cole has been guilty of turning OFF quite a few times this season. Terry has been woeful since he came back and for all his running, Azpilicueta is positionally suspect. Cahill is over rated and I would say, David Luiz is your best defender.
A new striker wont solve Chelsea's problems. What they need is a deep lying midfielder who is good on the ball (Pirlo mode). I said 4-5 months back and will stick to it. Frank Lampard does not have the positional discipline to play in the pivot and is always looking to get into/near the box and take shooting positions.

I have to question whether you watch more than MOTD highlights when it comes to Chelsea. Azpilicueta has been consistently solid since his arrival. He is quietly one of the best signings of the season when taking everything into account. I've only seen Luke Shaw from Southampton have the beating of him for the majority of a game (mainly because of the kids incredible pace) and we rarely concede to threats from his flank.

You're right about Terry. David Luiz has been flourishing in midfield and I like him there and I don't think Cahill is overrated. He is having a poor season, but to call him overrated overlooks his brilliant performances in last years Champions League, where he took on the best attacking sides in the world. His form in the league was just as solid last season too. I've seen him play very well and poorly in equal measure, which makes it a question of form for me. I believe our defensive issues are more a problem with organisation than personnel, but I would like a new top CB. We're a long way off what we had with Terry and Carvalho.

They already have one - Kevin De Bruyne, who would improve their first 11 but for some reason is out on loan in the Bundesliga and has become one of Werder Bremen's best players.

We didn't know how good he was until he had that loan. Hopefully he will be back next season, but if he had stayed he'd have spent the season on the bench here. We also have Lukaku who is outperforming most league strikers with half the minutes at 19 years of age. I'd actually be happy with Ba and Lukaku next season and perhaps Feruz from our youth as cover, considering we only play with one centre forward.

I also believe that Oscar should be played in CM because he has much more to his game than pure flare, and that Oscar, Hazard and Mata in the front 3 tends to make things too congested. Oscar ran the game against Juventus, made a fool out of Pirlo and scored two incredible goals from a deeper position. I feel RDM would have perused that, but Rafa doesn't seem interested in trying new things at all.

As far as the run in goes, we are usually shit at this time of year. We're good at the run in though and even with Rafa I feel like we'll rally together. We're also good at the tough games, we're losing the easy ones. We've gone to Everton, Stoke, Arsenal and Spurs and taken the 3 points, then we lost to QPR at home. Even United couldn't match our tally from those games; it's the "easier" games we've been squandering. If Rafa gets sacked the moral uplift will be more than enough to see us through, like Scholari and AVB.

 

[bleed.blue]

I have to question whether you watch more than MOTD highlights when it comes to Chelsea. Azpilicueta has been consistently solid since his arrival. He is quietly one of the best signings of the season when taking everything into account. I've only seen Luke Shaw from Southampton have the beating of him for the majority of a game (mainly because of the kids incredible pace) and we rarely concede to threats from his flank.

You're right about Terry. David Luiz has been flourishing in midfield and I like him there and I don't think Cahill is overrated. He is having a poor season, but to call him overrated overlooks his brilliant performances in last years Champions League, where he took on the best attacking sides in the world. His form in the league was just as solid last season too. I've seen him play very well and poorly in equal measure, which makes it a question of form for me. I believe our defensive issues are more a problem with organisation than personnel, but I would like a new top CB. We're a long way off what we had with Terry and Carvalho.

Well, If you would check my post again, I was not talking about Azpilicueta getting beaten by pace/trickery but his positioning. You can frequently observe him getting pulled towards CM and leaving the flank open. Cahill had a good game in CL final but that was a game you were defending with 10 men behind the ball. His heading on set pieces papers over some of the deficiencies in his game.

 

[Castiel]

Well, If you would check my post again, I was not talking about Azpilicueta getting beaten by pace/trickery but his positioning. You can frequently observe him getting pulled towards CM and leaving the flank open. Cahill had a good game in CL final but that was a game you were defending with 10 men behind the ball. His heading on set pieces papers over some of the deficiencies in his game.

I did read your post and I don't agree that he's positionally suspect. Not to say that he's perfect but I don't identify it as a weakness in his game at all. Cahill was excellent in both ties against Barca and Napoli as well, and as I said he was our best defender in the league in that season. Because I've seen what he's capable of when he's at the top of his game, I believe it's a matter of form and he isn't alone since Terry, Ivanovic and Cole are all under-performing as well.

 

[Marvin]

Cole and Terry ageing badly

But Luiz is a great player, although I am not sure what his best position is. Very impressed with Lukaku too. I don't think Chelsea need to buy a forward, just play Lukaku next season.

 

[Latics Fan SJK]

If Mourinho went there and they bought a quality striker, they could potentially have a title-winning team, however as it is I think they will have a tough time finishing in the top 4. (If they don't would Mourinho still go there?). It's going to be tough and there are 5 teams competing for those 2 places but Chelsea have a tougher run in than the other contenders. They also have the problem of the fans hating the manager, the manager being not too great to begin with, and injuries to players.

-- Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:46 am --

When Benitez came in, their defense showed improvements but it has all gone downhill of late. Fans' protests against the managers give an excuse to the players to cop out. Ashley Cole has been guilty of turning OFF quite a few times this season. Terry has been woeful since he came back and for all his running, Azpilicueta is positionally suspect. Cahill is over rated and I would say, David Luiz is your best defender.
A new striker wont solve Chelsea's problems. What they need is a deep lying midfielder who is good on the ball (Pirlo mode). I said 4-5 months back and will stick to it. Frank Lampard does not have the positional discipline to play in the pivot and is always looking to get into/near the box and take shooting positions.

They already have one - Kevin De Bruyne, who would improve their first 11 but for some reason is out on loan in the Bundesliga and has become one of Werder Bremen's best players.

Eh? Kevin De Bruyne is not a Pirlo-esque type deep lying playmaker. Not in the slightest.