Chelsea thread 2018/19

[Neville Kneville]

The takeaways from the Charity Shield game for me, with regard to Chelsea are as follows:
1) Rudiger and especially Luiz are a liability at CB;
2) Chelsea's squad is not fit enough in midfield to implement Sarri's intense pressing game;
3) Chelsea may well lack a center forward suitable for Sarri's style of play;
4) Several key players aren't yet nailed down to play for Chelsea next season;
5) Sarri was brought in very late and the mess he's inherited isn't his fault.

It's definitely not his fault.

Rudiger imo, is total shite. Luiz is hot & cold & unreliable. Kante would make a difference to the high pressing game but Fabregas, considering he played for Barca, is just a twat who could do much better but it appears, won't. I was expecting him to really look the part, with a manager who plays he kind of game you would imagine, he would want to play.

But as someone who wanted Jorginho at City (allowing for the FACT that he lacks mobility & that all this 'press resistant' bollocks people spout on here is total fantasy) I was shocked at how far off it he actually is & his performance in particular, has changed my whole outlook on Chelsea. He is the guy they would build it around & I thought it would work.

I imagined Jorginho flicking the ball forward to the likes of Fabregas, Hazard, Willian then them bursting forward playing pass & move, & being a real Napoli style unit pretty much straight away.

But Pep had Foden etc chasing Jorginho down & the rest actually pressing his 'out ball' so even when he did get the pass away, many of the forward ones were a potential danger to his own team. After watching a replay of the game, the bloke had a fucking nightmare & it could & should have been much worse.

If we can do that half fit, so can Burnley etc definitely do the same, fully fit.

 

[Vialli98]

The most worrying thing for Chelsea in that game, other than the centre forward, should be the lack of athleticism imo.

And especially Jorginho, who has been brought in as the centrepiece but significantly added to that problem. They will have to either abandon that plan & just use him as a bog standard centre mid or play a 'minder' for him in most games, which taks a position out of the team.

It shouldn't be that difficult at all for Chelsea's players to adapt to the way Sarri wants to play, quite quickly. They have a squad full of quality footballers. But they have to want to do it & they didn't look particularly enthusiastic.

I think it if it was easy to replicate Sarri's football, I think a lot of teams would do it. There is a reason nobody Pep football like Pep himself - lots of tried to emulate him but it's never quite the same.

Chelsea squad were built by Mourinho and Conte - Hazard and Azpi (and Cahill but he doesn't matter) are literally the only players in the current squad that pre-date both of them at Chelsea. A significant portion of the squad is ill-suited to Sarri-ball IMO - hence why I think it will take several windows for Sarri to have a team he can work with.

 

[adrianr]

I think it if it was easy to replicate Sarri's football, I think a lot of teams would do it. There is a reason nobody Pep football like Pep himself - lots of tried to emulate him but it's never quite the same.

Chelsea squad were built by Mourinho and Conte - Hazard and Azpi (and Cahill but he doesn't matter) are literally the only players in the current squad that pre-date both of them at Chelsea. A significant portion of the squad is ill-suited to Sarri-ball IMO - hence why I think it will take several windows for Sarri to have a team he can work with.

You think he'll be given several windows and the backing needed to pull it off? (Genuine question).

 

[Vialli98]

Well, well.

Something is happening.

Just a loan though.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I think it if it was easy to replicate Sarri's football, I think a lot of teams would do it. There is a reason nobody Pep football like Pep himself - lots of tried to emulate him but it's never quite the same.

Chelsea squad were built by Mourinho and Conte - Hazard and Azpi (and Cahill but he doesn't matter) are literally the only players in the current squad that pre-date both of them at Chelsea. A significant portion of the squad is ill-suited to Sarri-ball IMO - hence why I think it will take several windows for Sarri to have a team he can work with.

There's a difference between doing it as well as Guardiola & now City do it, & merely doing it well.

Chelsea should already have the players imo, to do it very well. Actually that would be if Jorginho was as good as I thought he was, but I don't think he is.

 

[Vialli98]

You think he'll be given several windows and the backing needed to pull it off? (Genuine question).

Honest answer. No.

I am hoping Sarri does well enough with the team he has to secure CL football, which should be good enough to get him another season - that gives him at least 2, possibly 3 more transfer windows to get the players he wants.

 

[Vialli98]

There's a difference between doing it as well as Guardiola & now City do it, & merely doing it well.

Chelsea should already have the players imo, to do it very well. Actually that would be if Jorginho was as good as I thought he was, but I don't think he is.

He's been in the job less than 4 weeks - even if we agree that Chelsea have good enough players, it's only been 4 weeks, and the WC players have been returning at different times, so actually the important players have probably only had 2 weeks or less with him.

 

[hcblue95]

I think their players are actually pretty suited to his style. Christensen is made for it, Luiz isn't great but would count as a ball playing CB and Rudiger is pretty good too. Kante and Jorginho will be perfect for his system so that's a very good spine.

 

[Vialli98]

I think their players are actually pretty suited to his style. Christensen is made for it, Luiz isn't great but would count as a ball playing CB and Rudiger is pretty good too. Kante and Jorginho will be perfect for his system so that's a very good spine.

Then there are Alonso, Fabregas, Azpi, Morata and Pedro (all of whom played vs City) all of whom are ill-suited to Sarry's football for different reasons.

 

[mccity]

There's a difference between doing it as well as Guardiola & now City do it, & merely doing it well.

Chelsea should already have the players imo, to do it very well. Actually that would be if Jorginho was as good as I thought he was, but I don't think he is.

That's a bit harsh, no? It took City a long time to reach that level.