Chelsea Thread (2015-16)

[Kinkys Left Foot]

So Willian is shit other than free kicks is he?
What utter bollocks!

 

[Larry Stranger]

I agree with GHoddle to an extent. Last season Chelsea had a lot of goals via set pieces and corners and they had Hazard get penalties in the box as well. Then they would just shut it down and not let the opponent score. Problem is that this year they are letting in goals and now they can't get a goal or two when they need to. Hazard and Costa have been poor so when they aren't getting you a goal they have no alternatives or I should say the alternatives they have aren't very good. Last year at least they had Drogba and Schurrle who got the ma goal or two, but aren't there anymore. To me they need a true winger which they had like Cuadrado and Salah who they shipped off who can stretch the field (much like Navas) and whip balls into the box. Instead they have guys like Hazard who cuts inside, Willian who is good at set pieces, but doesn't offer much in creativity or wide play and also Pedro who can play wide but likes to get into the box like a forward more. Oscar is another kind of no. 10, but not as creative as say Silva or Ozil. So when defenses clog up the middle they can't break them down. Last year Fabregas was doing that, but everyone knows he's been shite too.

Mourinho has to take some blame though because he believes in defending first so he gets rid of players like De Bryune and Mata and chooses someone like Willian. At Madid he put up with Ronaldo for not defending and would have been foolish if he tried get rid of him simply because Ronaldo got a lot of goals. He tried to let Hazard be that guy in Chelsea. Problem is Hazard isn't Ronaldo.

People like to be critical of Pellegrini for being too open and attack minded, but you have to outscore your opponent to win. Chelsea clearly can't at the moment and I look at their team and don't see anyone other than Willian (with set pieces) who will kill you.

 

[City_Sean]

I really don't think it is entirely Jose losing the plot. Even when he "lost it" at Madrid, they kept on winning games because their squad was good. Chelsea's problems have more to do with the downright poor quality of the players they have. Even when they were winning last season, it was usually by fine margins - they never blew teams away. Their team is one that looks decent on paper but when you look at each player individually you realize they are pretty mediocre. The defense has no composure, they don't know how to play out of the back, so they don't get too many opportunities to counter attack, the midfield and attacking midfield lack creativity and technical ability, and Costa is out of form probably because he is overweight. He is visibly slower this year. But you definitely can't be a good footballing team when your 6 defensive players are all donkeys on the ball, and then don't have too much creativity or technical ability in the attacking players.

Most annoyingly people laud Willian but what does he do? He's not a very creative player like Silva or Ozil, he doesn't beat players like Hazard does, never assists, and only scores goals from free kicks. So his only attribute is defensive ability.

Willian is brilliant, the issue is at Chelsea he's stifled as his manager prefers him to run than express himself, he's got superb technical ability, coupled with brilliant dribbling too, he's just being made to be a James Milne type of player.

 

[inchy14]

I'd say the majority of their squad. I've been really impressed with the Brazilian trio of Willian, Oscar and Ramires. Mikel has been very solid, Cahil and Azpilicueta have been elite premier league defenders.

Some people on here talk such crap sometimes.

I almost stopped reading at Mikel but glad i continued for the highlighted gem, haha good one mate...

 

[IH8MUFC]

I almost stopped reading at Mikel but glad i continued for the highlighted gem, haha good one mate...

Yet Cahil was part of the best defence in the premier league. That's elite.

elite
eɪˈliːt,ɪ-/
noun

1. 1.
   a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society.

So yes he was elite.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Cahill is a top quality centre half.

 

[inchy14]

Yet Cahil was part of the best defence in the premier league. That's elite.

elite
eɪˈliːt,ɪ-/
noun

1. 1.
   a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society.

So yes he was elite.

And Kolarov has been part of ours the seasons we've had the best defence yet i doubt you'd call him elite.

Cahill is now getting found out as a Terry declines, he's been the more dominant partner and just watch some of Cahil's performances for England, woeful.

Turns his back, piss poor distribution and no where near good enough to be classed as elite.

 

[GHoddle]

Willian is brilliant, the issue is at Chelsea he's stifled as his manager prefers him to run than express himself, he's got superb technical ability, coupled with brilliant dribbling too, he's just being made to be a James Milne type of player.

Cahill is a top quality centre half.

You guys must never watch Chelsea play then. Cahill is a diabolical CB, he's pure shit.

And Willian is basically a Brazilian Milner that scores from free kicks. If Willian was this brilliant winger/AM then he wouldn't have scored only 2 goals in 36 games last season. 36 games - 2 goals and 3 assists, and probably one of those was from a free kick. Top quality attacking players do more like what Hazard did - 14 goals and 9 assists. Or Sanchez - 16 goals and 8 assists last season. Silva - 12 goals and 7 assists. Sterling - 7 goals and 7 assists. Those are the kind of returns that very good players get. Saying Willian has such a poor return because of the manager is total BS, because Hazard has managed to do just fine. Unlike Hazard, Willian never beats players so I don't know where you are getting "brilliant dribbling" or "superb technical ability" from. He scored two goals as a regular starter for the title winning team last season. If he was so great then Chelsea wouldn't look so inept in an attacking sense with him and Hazard on the wings. He's awful.

 

[City_Sean]

You guys must never watch Chelsea play then. Cahill is a diabolical CB, he's pure shit.

And Willian is basically a Brazilian Milner that scores from free kicks. If Willian was this brilliant winger/AM then he wouldn't have scored only 2 goals in 36 games last season. 36 games - 2 goals and 3 assists, and probably one of those was from a free kick. Top quality attacking players do more like what Hazard did - 14 goals and 9 assists. Or Sanchez - 16 goals and 8 assists last season. Silva - 12 goals and 7 assists. Sterling - 7 goals and 7 assists. Those are the kind of returns that very good players get. Saying Willian has such a poor return because of the manager is total BS, because Hazard has managed to do just fine. Unlike Hazard, Willian never beats players so I don't know where you are getting "brilliant dribbling" or "superb technical ability" from. He scored two goals as a regular starter for the title winning team last season. If he was so great then Chelsea wouldn't look so inept in an attacking sense with him and Hazard on the wings. He's awful.

Well if you actually watch Chelsea, you'll see how stifled they are, Hazard is more or less given a free role, as Matic tucks over to the left, and azpilicueta rarely goes forward, Willian is an exceptional player, and I'm amazed at how you can't see that?

 

[GHoddle]

i understand what your saying Mr Hoddle,but i see him as a fernandinho type player,in which case he does his job and adds a few goals,which is a bonus.
i'm guessing Fabregas is unhappy at the chelsea style of play, so he doesn't start games,which may mean that willian has to do his job too.

First of all, Fernandinho has technical quality and vision that Willian doesn't have. Second, Willian is not in a Fernandinho position - his job is primarily to score and assist, which he never does.