Chelsea Thread 2014/15

[Manchester_lalala]

I'll gladly hold my hands up at the end of the season if I'm wrong, but I don't see Chelsea lasting a full season going toe to toe with us. We've got the experience, better team and better squad.

 

[supercity88]

Chelsea looked really good last night, certainly in the first half, and with Costa upfront, Schurrle getting more gametime out wide, and Fabregas pulling the strings from the midfield, they'll be a far more potent attacking force than last season. Obviously, it was only Burnley, so the hyperbole SKY were guilty of last night needs to be tempered to a fair degree, but it was still a pretty good performance.

What it did, however, demonstrate, was one of the key differences between Pellegrini's approach to football and Mourinho's. Chelsea were cruising and 3-1 up at half time, against a limited side who couldn't really cause them too may issues. If that had been City then Pellegrini would have sent us out to go for the jugular, he'd have been looking to give Burnley a proper twatting, score another 2 or 3 goals, make a statement and, ultimately, improve the goal difference (which, as we all know, can be the deciding factor at the end of the season). Mourinho was happy to just get the 3 points, he'd take another goal or 2 if they came along, but he wasn't going to push for them. Ultimately a win is a win, but from an entertainment perspective and, as I said above, from a goal difference perspective, Pellegrini's approach is the one I much prefer. Winning but doing so in the right way I think is how we've described it. Yes, we want league titles, but we don't want to do that whilst playing for 1-0 wins, akin to the classic Arsenal side of old.

You make a really good point there. Last season I really thought Mourinho's pragmatic approach to the games against the top4 or 5 teams would win them the league over our more attacking style (combined with the fact we had lost several games earlier in the season). The difference was in fact very slight between Chelsea and City's results against the top 7 teams.

Our overall records are Chelsea W8, D3, L1 (they won all of their home games againt the top 7 opposition) Scored 22 Conceded 5. City W8 D1 L3 Scored 36 conceded 16. So 27pts to our 25pts. Not much in it. Considering they won 6 at home, their defensive style cost them in the away games.

This season is a different story, Chelsea in their height of league dominance under Mourinho were very effective and scored more than we did last season, which is quite incredible when you see some of our results. You can't confuse defensive and pragmatic. Pellegrini wants us to win every game and believes we can, this season we will see whether Mourinho goes for the jugular more, and whether Pellegrini plays a more pragmatic team in the key away fixtures now we have a balanced squad. People point to City v Chelsea in the league at the Etihad last season where he cocked up but that was injury enforced... we saw the true performance in the FA Cup the week after.

 

[Blue Is the Opposite of Blue]

i know it was only burnley etc, but it looks like our david silva has a rival for playmaker of the year

fabregas was excellent, and that touch of a pass for the second goal was sublime

I'm not so sure - I think Fabregas will have that coached out of him.

Look what Mouinho did to Willian and Oscar, he turned them in to defensive attacking midfielders. I see no reason that he won't do the same again with Fabregas.

 

[117 M34]

I think Chelsea will pip us to the title - but I said that last year too.

 

[Clowny]

Chelsea looked really good last night, certainly in the first half, and with Costa upfront, Schurrle getting more gametime out wide, and Fabregas pulling the strings from the midfield, they'll be a far more potent attacking force than last season. Obviously, it was only Burnley, so the hyperbole SKY were guilty of last night needs to be tempered to a fair degree, but it was still a pretty good performance.

What it did, however, demonstrate, was one of the key differences between Pellegrini's approach to football and Mourinho's. Chelsea were cruising and 3-1 up at half time, against a limited side who couldn't really cause them too may issues. If that had been City then Pellegrini would have sent us out to go for the jugular, he'd have been looking to give Burnley a proper twatting, score another 2 or 3 goals, make a statement and, ultimately, improve the goal difference (which, as we all know, can be the deciding factor at the end of the season). Mourinho was happy to just get the 3 points, he'd take another goal or 2 if they came along, but he wasn't going to push for them. Ultimately a win is a win, but from an entertainment perspective and, as I said above, from a goal difference perspective, Pellegrini's approach is the one I much prefer. Winning but doing so in the right way I think is how we've described it. Yes, we want league titles, but we don't want to do that whilst playing for 1-0 wins, akin to the classic Arsenal side of old.

You make a really good point there. Last season I really thought Mourinho's pragmatic approach to the games against the top4 or 5 teams would win them the league over our more attacking style (combined with the fact we had lost several games earlier in the season). The difference was in fact very slight between Chelsea and City's results against the top 7 teams.

Our overall records are Chelsea W8, D3, L1 (they won all of their home games againt the top 7 opposition) Scored 22 Conceded 5. City W8 D1 L3 Scored 36 conceded 16. So 27pts to our 25pts. Not much in it. Considering they won 6 at home, their defensive style cost them in the away games.

This season is a different story, Chelsea in their height of league dominance under Mourinho were very effective and scored more than we did last season, which is quite incredible when you see some of our results. You can't confuse defensive and pragmatic. Pellegrini wants us to win every game and believes we can, this season we will see whether Mourinho goes for the jugular more, and whether Pellegrini plays a more pragmatic team in the key away fixtures now we have a balanced squad. People point to City v Chelsea in the league at the Etihad last season where he cocked up but that was injury enforced... we saw the true performance in the FA Cup the week after.

Chelsea got 103 goals under Ancellotti. Under Mourinho, they only got 72 goals in the league in 04-05 and 05-06.

 

[Blumers Bloomers]

I think Chelsea will pip us to the title - but I said that last year too.

I think we'll pip them, but they'll push us all the way.

Absolutely got to get something out of the head to heads this season with Chelsea as well, cannot afford to gift them 6 points like last season!

 

[kenzie115]

i know it was only burnley etc, but it looks like our david silva has a rival for playmaker of the year

fabregas was excellent, and that touch of a pass for the second goal was sublime

I think he was Chelsea's best signing. For all the talk of needing goals etc, the service wasn't there at times either. Traditionally Lampard has either banged in goals or got assists but last season there was not only a lack of goals but a lack of decent service. They have a lot of creative players but Fabregas can run the game and bring the best out of them. When you look at the two first 11's a lot depends on how Mangala adapts to things as to who is better. I think we have the better defence otherwise, Fernando looks better than Matic in terms of holding the midfield, though early days. Don't remember many players making such a big impact in that role before, he was exceptional and kept us in the game - the reason we got the 3pts was thanks to his energy in covering defensively. If you were to ask people to choose Matic, Oscar and Fabregas or Fernando, Yaya and Fernandinho I think you would take our three. Costa, Hazard and Schurrle or Aguero, Silva and Nasri? Close... Similarly matched but the fact we have Dzeko, Jovetic, Negredo etc able to come on and score goals makes us a better side than Chelsea in my opinion.

El Gobshite is one of those players who can take a game by the scruff and orchestrate things from start to finish. Cracking signing and one that will make the difference for CFC over last season.

He's also one of those players who can go missing if things aren't going his way. I have no doubt he'll have exceptional matches, probably against poorer teams, but equally wouldn't be surprised if you barely noticed he was playing in other games.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

I think Chelsea will pip us to the title - but I said that last year too.

I think we'll pip them, but they'll push us all the way.

Absolutely got to get something out of the head to heads this season with Chelsea as well, cannot afford to gift them 6 points like last season!

Apart from last season, our recent head to heads read well. Just hope last season was a blip. eh ?

 

[Castiel]

He's also one of those players who can go missing if things aren't going his way. I have no doubt he'll have exceptional matches, probably against poorer teams, but equally wouldn't be surprised if you barely noticed he was playing in other games.

He's most needed against weaker teams. Those matches are what cost us the title last season. Our second team went to Anfield and pulled off a win, we can deal with big games. As much as I loved Mata, we've practically traded him for Fabregas and made a small profit on it. Unbelievable deal.

What it did, however, demonstrate, was one of the key differences between Pellegrini's approach to football and Mourinho's. Chelsea were cruising and 3-1 up at half time, against a limited side who couldn't really cause them too may issues. If that had been City then Pellegrini would have sent us out to go for the jugular, he'd have been looking to give Burnley a proper twatting, score another 2 or 3 goals, make a statement and, ultimately, improve the goal difference (which, as we all know, can be the deciding factor at the end of the season). Mourinho was happy to just get the 3 points, he'd take another goal or 2 if they came along, but he wasn't going to push for them. Ultimately a win is a win, but from an entertainment perspective and, as I said above, from a goal difference perspective, Pellegrini's approach is the one I much prefer. Winning but doing so in the right way I think is how we've described it. Yes, we want league titles, but we don't want to do that whilst playing for 1-0 wins, akin to the classic Arsenal side of old.

I said in the match thread, and SuperCrystal held the same opinion, that Mourinho didn't intend for us to drop the intensity so early in the second half. He didn't do anything to suggest that he wanted them to close out the game so early. I think that indicator was when he sent on Mikel and Willian at around 80mins and changed the shape. I think the players just got a bit complacent, and he'll probably be drilling that out of them because complacency can kill you against better sides. Burnley were ineffective but we let them have a decent spell in the second half because we took our foot off the gas. Had they scored it could have turned into a very different prospect. Though it was the first game of the season so fitness levels probably aren't at 100% yet. We'll see in the coming weeks how he intends to run it but I'd be surprised if he sticks to protecting a 2 goal lead with the firepower we have now, especially at home.

 

[BigOscar]

Just saw this on twitter, it can't be right can it?