Chelsea Thread - 2021/22

[Vialli98]

Alonso is a horrible defender but a good player. Reminds me of Kolarov quite a bit, cannon of a left boot and always looks happier the farther away he is from his own goal

Jorginho gets through his fair share of tackles and interceptions, but I'd agree that his primary role is with the ball rather than without it. He occupies defensive positions a lot of the time, I think we can agree on that

Kovačić is a bit like Bernardo in our team. Works really hard, protects the football magnificently, is positionally very intelligent, but doesn't get the headline assist and goal numbers. I agree that he's an extraordinary dribbler in tight spaces. I think he's maybe your most underrated player

Kolarov is a very good comparison. You always felt you could get at him, but you'd also always have to worry about him popping up in your box with a crucial goal. Both Alonso and Kolarov are superb dead ball specialists too.

Jorginho is a specialist. He fulfils a specific role. Yes he gets through a lot of tackles and interceptions but I think that just comes with the territory. You can't play in that area of the pitch without getting stuck in without the ball.

I agree that both Kovacic and Jorginho occupy defensive areas a lot of the time but I guess I'd say their roles aren't specifically defensive. It's why I'd class them as midfielders who's best attributes are attacking attributes. Neither of them would be great players to have in that area of the pitch if we were playing in a back 4 for example, as proven during the Lampard period.

 

[Metalartin]

Tuchel has done very well, but he does not have Pep's number. You only beat a full strength City side once (CL FInal) and that was a very tight game. They used to say that about Klopp and Pep figured it out and we are Won 3 Drawn 2 Lost 1 over the past 3 seasons against them - and that includes one of the worst ref handball misses in recent memory and a penalty miss by us in two games we could easily have won otherwise.

Very true, not forgetting KDB got injured in two of those losses, against Tuchel's Chelsea. Injured and subbed off at 48mins in the FA Cup and 60mins in the CL game(where I don't think he was 100% fit to start with), it affected the team in both games(heads dropped).

The Chelsea FA cup goal had an offside, which was missed by the VAR in the build-up. Neither side deserved to win that game in normal time for me. Not a good game to watch from either side but it was probably for the best that City didn't have to play all that extra time, given the amount of games that were played last season(1 game short of the maximum possible, due to that defeat).

In the CL game, City were just not at it, Chelsea were the much better team on the day but it was still only a 1-0 game. Pep's team selection and tactics tinkering didn't help with how that game panned out, even Chelsea fans admitted they got excited as soon as the team sheets were revealed. Sterling shouldn't have started that game and stayed on for another 90mins without any justification and Foden was moved out of position to accommodate him, to add insult to injury.

KDB wasn't even playing or on the bench for the 1-2 league defeat in May at home and that's a game that City were unlucky not to take 3 points from. Sergio's penalty goes in and City could sit on a 2 goal lead and hit them on the counter in the second half. At 1-1, in the 88th minute, Zouma clearly fouled Sterling in the box, which would have surely been the winning goal. Even City wouldn't waste two chances from the penalty spot. I still can't believe that wasn't given(clipped the back of his legs more than once before Sterling went down). Nor can I believe how Sky's commentary tried to sweep that under the rug during the game but happily justified a penalty for United for far less contact, in their next game.

Had that been given, Sterling's terrible game(worst game in a very long time) and Pep's decision to leave him on the pitch for the full 90, while Mahrez was in good scoring form, would have been forgiven. How Pep saw that performance though and thought it was a good idea to start him in the CL against the same team just 3 weeks later, is a mystery to me.

 

[lasereyes]

Chelsea weren't really full strength for the first two games either to be fair. You rotated more than we did (9 changes for the cup game is just asking for trouble), but still, 3 consecutive wins against the same team is bound to fill one with confidence for the upcoming game. But as I said before, the only thing that makes me hesitate for that game is the fact that I can't imagine Pep and City losing 4 consecutive games to the same team.

It's not "asking for trouble". We were the only team involved in 4 competitions and Pep had to prioritize. Also, you seem to have conveniently forgotten Zouma's "challenge" in Sterling. If the ref or VAR had eyes or a conscience, that was a stonewall penalty and we likely win the game. Now the ref'ing could be equally atrocious next weekend, but blind/cheating refs is very different from Tuchel having Pep on puppet strings

 

[Vialli98]

It's not "asking for trouble". We were the only team involved in 4 competitions and Pep had to prioritize. Also, you seem to have conveniently forgotten Zouma's "challenge" in Sterling. If the ref or VAR had eyes or a conscience, that was a stonewall penalty and we likely win the game. Now the ref'ing could be equally atrocious next weekend, but blind/cheating refs is very different from Tuchel having Pep on puppet strings

Well it is asking for trouble. Whatever the reasons were for making 9 changes, it still isn't close to your best team and whenever you don't play your best team against another good team, however understandable the reasons, it is asking for trouble. Did you make 9 changes for league game or cup game, by the way? I thought it was the cup game but you're referencing an incident from the league game.

As for the Zouma/Sterling incident in the league game, that should have been a pen, but then I don't think the pen you did get that Aguero missed was a pen so I suppose it evened itself out in way.

Also don't get me wrong. I didn't say Tuchel had Pep on puppet strings. I just said it *feels like* he has his number. That doesn't mean he does, but 3 wins from 3, regardless of the context of those games, is a giant confidence booster for me as a fan.

 

[Cotontoquinn]

Not a lot of point rehashing those 3 games against Chelsea. We lost all of them. The test is whether Pep has learned anything from them and can utilise the resources available to really improve our performance.
It’s a big ask but let’s hope that City can get something from the match.

 

[Vialli98]

Not a lot of point rehashing those 3 games against Chelsea. We lost all of them. The test is whether Pep has learned anything from them and can utilise the resources available to really improve our performance.
It’s a big ask but let’s hope that City can get something from the match.

I kind of agree. Those 3 games have been and gone. You've added one of the most creative players in the league in Grealish since then, and we've added a prolific striker.

Pep analysed Chelsea almost to perfection in his interview with Rio ahead of the CL final, but Tuchel still tweaked a few things for that game. I'm sure Pep will be fully prepared for Tuchel, and vice versa.

These men are good friends and Tuchel has cited Pep as one of his most important influences. There's the famous story in the restaurant when Tuchel was still a novice at Mainz and Pep was at Bayern.

 

[Cotontoquinn]

I kind of agree. Those 3 games have been and gone. You've added one of the most creative players in the league in Grealish since then, and we've added a prolific striker.

Pep analysed Chelsea almost to perfection in his interview with Rio ahead of the CL final, but Tuchel still tweaked a few things for that game. I'm sure Pep will be fully prepared for Tuchel, and vice versa.

These men are good friends and Tuchel has cited Pep as one of his most important influences. There's the famous story in the restaurant when Tuchel was still a novice at Mainz and Pep was at Bayern.

Is that when Pep said that there should be more people in here to give it some atmosphere?

 

[lasereyes]

Well it is asking for trouble. Whatever the reasons were for making 9 changes, it still isn't close to your best team and whenever you don't play your best team against another good team, however understandable the reasons, it is asking for trouble. Did you make 9 changes for league game or cup game, by the way? I thought it was the cup game but you're referencing an incident from the league game.

As for the Zouma/Sterling incident in the league game, that should have been a pen, but then I don't think the pen you did get that Aguero missed was a pen so I suppose it evened itself out in way.

Also don't get me wrong. I didn't say Tuchel had Pep on puppet strings. I just said it *feels like* he has his number. That doesn't mean he does, but 3 wins from 3, regardless of the context of those games, is a giant confidence booster for me as a fan.

It absolutely was a pen. Jesus was up-ended with no attempt to play the ball.

We played second string sides in both games. Cup due to intense fixture congestion and the league because we had virtually won the league by then.

The thing about Pep is nobody really ever has his number. He is a data-driven problem solver. He well knows the threat that Chelsea poses and I would back him to find solutions the same way as he has against the scousers. That doesnt mean we will win on Saturday, but if we don't, I very much doubt it will be any psychological hold you might think Tuchel has.

 

[lasereyes]

Not a lot of point rehashing those 3 games against Chelsea. We lost all of them. The test is whether Pep has learned anything from them and can utilise the resources available to really improve our performance.
It’s a big ask but let’s hope that City can get something from the match.

Of course Pep has learnt a ton from it. You wouldn't believe it reading some of the posts here. I often wonder why City don't replace Pep with a bot gleaning intense intelligence from this forum's Match Day threads

 

[BlueTG]

Of course Pep has learnt a ton from it. You wouldn't believe it reading some of the posts here. I often wonder why City don't replace Pep with a bot gleaning intense intelligence from this forum's Match Day threads

We will see. He didn’t seem to learn much game by game on that 3 match losing run.

You could see how they’d set up, and we played right into it in the CL final of all matches.