Chelsea Thread 2013/14

[Castiel]

Chelsea really beginning to look very strong. A lot of their players were not even particularly good today. In fact Terry was awful and Cahill poor. Yet the system and the hard work from the attacking players was so good that Hull caused them no trouble. Hazard has gone up a whole new level under Mourinho. Is the complete player now: he scores goals, gets back, closes down, creates chances and entertains. Oscar and Willian are forming a good partnership with him. Mourinho is laying down the blocks for what is going to be another incredible team.

There was an interview a few weeks ago about Hazard's progress this season. Apparently he was quite lazy in training last season and saved his effort for matches. Now he's one of our hardest workers behind the scenes which has coincided with his increase in form. Natural talent only takes you so far, Mourinho has successfully managed to make him put the work in which is what he needs to become one of the very best.

He was just right about Oscar as the performances speak for themselves. I'm not sure how he managed to see it but he fits perfectly in that position. I can't imagine anyone else making the call to bench Mata, or even considering it. RDM and Benitez just played the three of them together which gave us no width whatsoever (as Hazard played much more centrally than this season under them). Oscar still isn't as productive as Mata was in terms of goals and assists, but he's certainly getting there and offers a much more complete game on top of that.

At the moment I feel Mata needs to move on to a team who will appreciate his ability, because he's still one of my favourite players but unfortunately doesn't seem to fit into Jose's plans for us. I just hope he goes abroad. One thing we still miss dearly is Mata's set piece delivery. Nobody else currently on the team comes close to him there.

I agree with all of this except Benitez playing all three. Benitez was there for the short term only, hence why he focused more on the cups than he did on getting fourth. A Chelsea fan once gave me a stat to show Benitez started with Mata, Oscar and Hazard just 34%(off the top of my head, but I think it was even lower) of the time. He usually played Moses ahead of Oscar to give the team width. So Benitez realised the same thing. If he was a long term manager he might even have chosen Oscar over Mata.

He did play them together when he could. Hazard was suspended (ballboy incident) and injured his ankle through Rafa's time here so he didn't have all three available as often as he'd have liked. I think Mata pulled a hamstring in February as well. He used Moses a lot in the Europa league where he did very well, but when all three were available he certainly played them together. I don't disagree with him, they were our best players. He didn't have Schurrle or Willian or our other wide options to supplement them or to try different approaches. Mourinho never seemed happy with it as he wanted Oscar playing through the middle (whereas Oscar always started wide under the previous two).

 

[supercrystal7]

If Mata doesn't feature centrally in Mourinho's plans, why not exchange him for a striker eg Rooney?

Unless something changes, it looks likely Rooney will leave Utd in the Summer - I can see Mata going the other way.

Mata for one must be very frustrated as his World Cup place is in jeopardy

Because not even Mourinho can do what he wants in football. Sell the player of the year and the fans won't react well. Mata was one of the most loved Chelsea players in recent years and seems like a great guy off the pitch. Was called the new Zola and had close to 30 assist last season. Every game they did not win fans would have complained that they would have done so with Mata. No point making the deal in January, because you might need cover for Oscar/Hazard and Torres can do a job. In the summer he will be allowed to go, but most likely not to the Premiership. A shame about the world cup, because he deserves to go. PSG and Napoli seem interested though he would be the perfect signing for Dortmund.

 

[jrb]

Playing exactly like they used to before Jose left.

Worrying.<br /><br />-- Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:11 pm --<br /><br />Playing exactly like they used to before Jose left.

Worrying.

 

[Anonymous]

Playing exactly like they used to before Jose left.

Worrying.

-- Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:11 pm --

Playing exactly like they used to before Jose left.

Worrying.

Nah ... they're fast becoming a one man team with Hazard. Not convinced that he's going to be able to keep his current form up all season in all competitions.

Interesting that Chelsea are said to have done a deal for Matic. That would definitely strengthen them and give them more steel. Still not convinced they've got the goals in them to win anything this season.

 

[Damocles]

Agreed on that. They need that 20 goal a season striker that they haven't had since Drogba was in his prime. Torres, Ba and Eto'o aren't the solution. Lukaku might fill the void next year but he can't play every game and they'll still need to bring someone else in.

 

[Castiel]

Playing exactly like they used to before Jose left.

Worrying.

-- Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:11 pm --

Playing exactly like they used to before Jose left.

Worrying.

Nah ... they're fast becoming a one man team with Hazard. Not convinced that he's going to be able to keep his current form up all season in all competitions.

Interesting that Chelsea are said to have done a deal for Matic. That would definitely strengthen them and give them more steel. Still not convinced they've got the goals in them to win anything this season.

One man team is the last description I'd use for us. We're practically the opposite. We have few stand out performers which is evident in the goals/assists charts. Liverpool have Suarez and Sturridge, you have Aguero (among others), United have Rooney, even Newcastle have Remy, but our productivity is coming from across the team. Hazard is hardly carrying us, he's basically what Robben was for us in 2005 at the moment.

 

[laeth]

Agreed on that. They need that 20 goal a season striker that they haven't had since Drogba was in his prime. Torres, Ba and Eto'o aren't the solution. Lukaku might fill the void next year but he can't play every game and they'll still need to bring someone else in.

Rooney will arrive in the summer. 20+ goal a season striker right there.

 

[Anonymous]

One man team is the last description I'd use for us. We're practically the opposite. We have few stand out performers which is evident in the goals/assists charts. Liverpool have Suarez and Sturridge, you have Aguero (among others), United have Rooney, even Newcastle have Remy, but our productivity is coming from across the team. Hazard is hardly carrying us, he's basically what Robben was for us in 2005 at the moment.

Hazard is your top scorer with 9 - nearest to him is Oscar with 6 - and as far as I can tell no one else over 5 goals.

Like I say, for me not enough goals in your team to win anything this year, and yes, Hazard for me is keeping you afloat as his goal tally suggests.

 

[Castiel]

One man team is the last description I'd use for us. We're practically the opposite. We have few stand out performers which is evident in the goals/assists charts. Liverpool have Suarez and Sturridge, you have Aguero (among others), United have Rooney, even Newcastle have Remy, but our productivity is coming from across the team. Hazard is hardly carrying us, he's basically what Robben was for us in 2005 at the moment.

Hazard is your top scorer with 9 - nearest to him is Oscar with 6 - and as far as I can tell no one else over 5 goals.

Like I say, for me not enough goals in your team to win anything this year, and yes, Hazard for me is keeping you afloat as his goal tally suggests.

And yet we've scored 40, more than Arsenal and only second to Liverpool and yourselves with the 2 best strikers in the league by quite a distance. We also have one of the best defensive records, which I think will prove to be the best by the end of the season. When we won the league with record points, Lampard was our top scorer with 13. Henry topped the chart with 25. None of our strikers at the time were even close.

 

[Anonymous]

One man team is the last description I'd use for us. We're practically the opposite. We have few stand out performers which is evident in the goals/assists charts. Liverpool have Suarez and Sturridge, you have Aguero (among others), United have Rooney, even Newcastle have Remy, but our productivity is coming from across the team. Hazard is hardly carrying us, he's basically what Robben was for us in 2005 at the moment.

Hazard is your top scorer with 9 - nearest to him is Oscar with 6 - and as far as I can tell no one else over 5 goals.

Like I say, for me not enough goals in your team to win anything this year, and yes, Hazard for me is keeping you afloat as his goal tally suggests.

And yet we've scored 40, more than Arsenal and only second to Liverpool and yourselves with the 2 best strikers in the league by quite a distance. We also have one of the best defensive records, which I think will prove to be the best by the end of the season. When we won the league with record points, Lampard was our top scorer with 13. Henry topped the chart with 25. None of our strikers at the time were even close.

Its your team mate you're entitled to be confident. And when you win nothing this season it won't really be that big a deal as Mourinho will have made his point and Roman will give him the freedom of his bank account again in the summer :)

Seriously though - I take your point about previous Chelsea teams but this team isn't as good as the ones you allude to and the competition in the league is much stronger than back then. I still think you'll be there or thereabouts. I just don't think you'll have enough to overcome City.