an incredible test for Pep. We deffo should prioritize the PL games and not PSG away but knowing Pep we will not do that.
Tuchel, Pochettino, Klopp will test us much more than Hasenhuttl.
Tuchel had 3 games vs Pep, 1 game at Etihad , 1 at Wembley in FA cup, and 1 CL final and he won all 3 outfoxing Pep.
If it happens 4 times in a row thats a grim view for Pep, and this is the first that will be front of a full Chelsea crowd away from home so this in some way the hardest one.
First of all he has to match Chelsea's width, I think only way to do that is going 5 at the back which we cannot do if Stones/Laporte are half fit only or not fit at all.
Minimum we need to get from this game is a draw.
Chelsea will put their strongest 11 for this, we have to do same regardless that we have PSG 3 days after.
PSG away we need a much more of a defensive side imo set up for counters, pragmatic tactics, hoping for a draw or snatching a win.
get the players in that can and do track back the most upfront. (Jesus, Foden for sure)
a draw would be a great result here, we do not have to win, we just have to beat Brugge 2x, Leipzig 1x and not to lose to PSG at home or away and we are 1st.
Liverpool away I think this is a Sunday after we play PSG on Tuesday, so few days to relax, also they have Porto away which was a tough shit game for us last year in group stage, very physical/aggro side...
here we need the best passers, they will press us like hell, especially after seeing our struggle vs Soton, even Rodri will struggle imo, so Pep needs to be clever we cannot just stick Gundo next to Rodri or it will be similar midfield than vs Soton game.
Pep must be furious not having a top striker again because he has to move players around upfront who dont really fit what they have to play or they just not as good. for example Sterling's best position for us is playing from the right but that is with Jesus/Mahrez 99% of the time. Grealish and Foden is best from the left, so Sterling will rarely play there but even Foden has to play deeper role if we stick with Grealish from left.
Leaves us with Torres and Sterling to play centrally, and to me they are not good enough there to provide dominant "striker" performances.
We are also missing a great CM, only CM we have is Gundo, but I dont think he has the legs, workrate, defensive skills needed there, I always liked gundo closer to the box kind of like an AM, arriving to the box and that role worked out really well. but the deeper he is the more problems he can cause defensively albeit this is more of an issue against teams that do not sit back and park the bus which is probably less than 20% of opponents.
huge test for Pep this next period, currently I cannot see us winning all three hard games, but we are surely better than losing all three .lose the two PL games we would be 9-9 points behind Chelsea and Pool both after 7 rounds, thats incredibly shit for a start. Probably also 9 behind United too.
