Chelsea Thread 2013/14

[bluethunder]

A team doesn't necessarily need new players and millions spent to be a new side...

at this point chelsea don't look any different but things might change in the next few months. i expect chelsea to park the bus and counter attack vs big teams. play in a balanced way against average teams. and play very attacking football vs below average teams.

 

[phil31]

What Mourinho did tonight at ot was reinforce the belief to his players that as long as they don't lose they are the best, trying to instil confidence.

 

[bluethunder]

coward mourinho played without strikers for most of the game. this mourinho guy is anti-football.

 

[Crouchinho]

Another lucky decision for Chelsea last night, ripped off villa and now united. If fergie had been in charge that would have been a penno. Didn't mind the draw personally, I'm happy with the top 6 teams dropping points every week if possible!!<br /><br />-- Tue Aug 27, 2013 2:10 am --<br /><br />

i don't rate chelsea. i think they are a weak side.

Wow...really?

They work a shit load harder as a team than you's lot do...

Man for man I'd agree that City have the stronger players but the stronger team? Manure/Chelsea are the strongest two TEAMS in the league man for man, team against team...

we beat them comfortably last year, not once, but twice.

they haven't changed from last year. other than willian they haven't made any signicant signings. they have no strikers. they tried to get rooney but failed.

weak defense, weak midfield, weak in attack.

But they'll still be in the top 3 I should imagine, I disagree about all the weak statements. Maybe heir strikeforce is weaker than some

 

[GHoddle]

I wonder if the Chelsea fan earlier in the thread still thinks they are fine in central midfield? Lampard and Ramires is a ridiculously porous midfield, especially compared to what Jose had at Chelsea before - Makelele, Essien, and Lampard, Ballack added later.

The game itself was dour imo, more like watching Wigan vs Sunderland than United vs Chelsea. I wasn't particularly impressed by either team. Chelsea need two players added to their team - a top class striker, and a midfielder who can read the game defensively, make interceptions and tackle, protect the back 4. United also needs another midfielder, but one who will be a bit more advanced than Carrick. They also need another winger imo because if you are starting Valencia and bringing on Young in his place then you need more quality in that position. But you can tell that they are playing essentially the same way they were last season, Moyes hasn't changed much at all. I wouldn't be surprised if Ferguson is still making the decisions behind the scenes.<br /><br />-- Tue Aug 27, 2013 2:57 am --<br /><br />

Another lucky decision for Chelsea last night, ripped off villa and now united. If fergie had been in charge that would have been a penno. Didn't mind the draw personally, I'm happy with the top 6 teams dropping points every week if possible!!

I'm happy with the other 5 dropping points as long as we don't! Yes I hadn't realized that though, all of last season's top 6 other than us dropped points, so good weekend. If we beat the Arse next week we go top of the league since Liverpool will probably not beat United.

 

[Castiel]

Another lucky decision for Chelsea last night, ripped off villa and now united. If fergie had been in charge that would have been a penno. Didn't mind the draw personally, I'm happy with the top 6 teams dropping points every week if possible!!

So Van Persie can elbow KDB in the face hard enough to draw blood and Valencia can try to break Oscar's ankle and United were robbed for a weak handball appeal? I think our tactics might have changed if United were sent down to 9 or 10 in the first half.

I wonder if the Chelsea fan earlier in the thread still thinks they are fine in central midfield? Lampard and Ramires is a ridiculously porous midfield, especially compared to what Jose had at Chelsea before - Makelele, Essien, and Lampard, Ballack added later.

Lampard played 3 games in 8 days at the age of 35. I don't know why he started but it is what it is. We restricted the best attack in the league to one good chance for the whole game in their home stadium. Nobody has kept them out at OT since 2009. Hardly porous.

 

[GHoddle]

Lampard played 3 games in 8 days at the age of 35. I don't know why he started but it is what it is. We restricted the best attack in the league to one good chance for the whole game in their home stadium. Nobody has kept them out at OT since 2009. Hardly porous.

No your defense was quite good, what I said was your midfield was porous. That's why they dominated the game. Ramires and Lampard is not a strong midfield. Thats why your other managers were playing Mikel in midfield, because they didn't have a viable alternative but knew they needed that type of player.

 

[Castiel]

Lampard played 3 games in 8 days at the age of 35. I don't know why he started but it is what it is. We restricted the best attack in the league to one good chance for the whole game in their home stadium. Nobody has kept them out at OT since 2009. Hardly porous.

No your defense was quite good, what I said was your midfield was porous. That's why they dominated the game. Ramires and Lampard is not a strong midfield. Thats why your other managers were playing Mikel in midfield, because they didn't have a viable alternative but knew they needed that type of player.

We clearly went there to sit back and counter attack them. He played Schurrle because he is much faster than Vidic and Ferdinand. Allowing Carrick and Cleverly to pass it around in front of our defence was something Mourinho was quite happy to allow. We didn't even try to contest the midfield and hold a higher line so I don't see where you're drawing this conclusion. If our midfield was porous our CB's would have been consistently exposed, which didn't happen once. Their only good chance came from a hit and hope cross to Welbeck which he thankfully scuffed.

In previous meetings the midfield battle between us is quite evident, but this time we let them have it to create space for counters. The reason his plan didn't really work is because United were also very cautious about committing too many forward so we just cancelled each other out and had a standoff. Our midfield's passing was uncharacteristically bad yesterday though and didn't do enough to release our attackers.

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jIFvx15QXg[/youtube]

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

I wonder if the Chelsea fan earlier in the thread still thinks they are fine in central midfield? Lampard and Ramires is a ridiculously porous midfield, especially compared to what Jose had at Chelsea before - Makelele, Essien, and Lampard, Ballack added later.

The game itself was dour imo, more like watching Wigan vs Sunderland than United vs Chelsea. I wasn't particularly impressed by either team. Chelsea need two players added to their team - a top class striker, and a midfielder who can read the game defensively, make interceptions and tackle, protect the back 4. United also needs another midfielder, but one who will be a bit more advanced than Carrick. They also need another winger imo because if you are starting Valencia and bringing on Young in his place then you need more quality in that position. But you can tell that they are playing essentially the same way they were last season, Moyes hasn't changed much at all. I wouldn't be surprised if Ferguson is still making the decisions behind the scenes.

-- Tue Aug 27, 2013 2:57 am --

Another lucky decision for Chelsea last night, ripped off villa and now united. If fergie had been in charge that would have been a penno. Didn't mind the draw personally, I'm happy with the top 6 teams dropping points every week if possible!!

I'm happy with the other 5 dropping points as long as we don't! Yes I hadn't realized that though, all of last season's top 6 other than us dropped points, so good weekend. If we beat the Arse next week we go top of the league since Liverpool will probably not beat United.

Come on you're old enough to know how big that word is.