Adisa
likes to take afvanadva wothowi doubt
Yes, putting away the smaller teams is their bread and butter.The thing I’d hold onto if I were a Chelsea fan (ugh) is that they have navigated a few difficult matches by now.
Yes, putting away the smaller teams is their bread and butter.The thing I’d hold onto if I were a Chelsea fan (ugh) is that they have navigated a few difficult matches by now.
I never said it was.People love this phrase. I'm sure every football forum loves a good old fashioned knee-jerk reaction. It's hardly anything new.
Oh well it's life. Look at this place when we drew with Stoke. Chelsea were terrible on a day when we won 4 nil so naturally the reactions are extreme. Had we lost today, no one would give a feck about Chelsea. That's how it goes.I never said it was.
Doesn't make it any less tiring and very much irrational.
Exactly, just a bad day at the office for you guys against a team bang in form.Amazing how in the space of 24 hours we've gone from 'looking like champions' to 'will they hold on to the top 4'..
I found those reactions annoying too.Oh well it's life. Look at this place when we drew with Stoke. Chelsea were terrible on a day when we won 4 nil so naturally the reactions are extreme. Had we lost today, no one would give a feck about Chelsea. That's how it goes.
This place is buzzing at the minute and rightly so. We have Liverpool away next, it could all change... Football reactions are extreme and especially so on forums dedicated to just that. Usually it's all in the moment stuff though.I found those reactions annoying too.
Reminds me of the time City signed Bernado Silva and this place completely lost it for a number of days.
How do this people cope with any change in life?
I found those reactions annoying too.
Reminds me of the time City signed Bernado Silva and this place completely lost it for a number of days.
How do this people cope with any change in life?
You certainly hope so.I kinda hope they get their hysterical or obsessive behaviour out of their systems on here and are actually not utter cretins in real life.
Do not be surprised when people say those extreme opinions are wrong though.This place is buzzing at the minute and rightly so. We have Liverpool away next, it could all change... Football reactions are extreme and especially so on forums dedicated to just that. Usually it's all in the moment stuff though.
Don't be surprised when people say your opinion is wrong either. Opinions eh.Do not be surprised when people say those extreme opinions are wrong though.
One poor result and it will turn like we are back in the Moyes day.This place is buzzing at the minute and rightly so. We have Liverpool away next, it could all change... Football reactions are extreme and especially so on forums dedicated to just that. Usually it's all in the moment stuff though.
To be honest, Chelsea winning the league last season was madness to me. I really didn't and still don't think they're all that but Conte is a good manager and seems to get the best out of them. They'll beat Palace in their next game and probably go on a run. That's football.One poor result and it will turn like we are back in the Moyes day.
As for the topic of conversation, Chelsea are still a very good side and seem very mentally strong so I would expect them to get back on the winning trail soon.
Hopefully they perform like this against us too, especially with our horrid record at the Bridge.
They won 3-0 at Highbury so couldn't be all that bad.Inter were a complete irrelevance at that point. It was a great result but slightly overrated based on the name of the opposition.
You summed it up very well. I don't think Fabregas should have started this game tbh, especially with Chelsea's initial defensive set-up. Pedro is much more effective on the counter.Everything about their set up was wrong.
City looked most vulnerable down their left, so reducing their threat from that side was ridiculous. Much better of Azpi at RCB and Moses or Zappacosta wide right.
Plus the midfield was at sixes and sevens. Half the time Kante was chasing into that inside left channel, when he should have been in the center aggressively closing down KDB and Silva. Bakayoko was just nonsense, and Fabregas often was the deepest midfielder, hence the inability to link attacks. He also did have the legs or positional sense to track KBD for the goal. Which, although a great strike, was just a simple fecking one-two ffs, with all three midfielders in no-man's land.
Horrible set up today.
Bakayoko performing better than Matic?Completely agree. My point in posting it was more just to people who wrote him off completely and said we were idiots and had downgraded, well considering he's 22 (I Think) and you can see he is still adapting to the league and learning. Yet at what should be his learning period he is still performing as well if not better than Matic.
Just justifies Conte's decision really and shows you Bakas talent that at the moment we are more than happy with him, yet you can see he is going to develop a lot.
Also physically what a beast!
To some extent yes, but by xG Chelsea vs Atletico was 2.4-0.6 whereas tonight was 1.0 to 0.6 in favour of City. Shot totals don't tell you a whole lot; Chelsea in particular are set up to allow a lot of terrible shots from poor angles and from distance.City did batter them yes. City had 14 shots to Chelsea's 4 and 62% possession. Chelsea had 15 shots to Atleticos 11 and 51% possession. Big difference.
Possibly. I'm literally going off stats as I was watching the United game on Wednesday and didn't see any of the Chelsea match. There's no denying the Atletico result was brilliant, though.To some extent yes, but by xG Chelsea vs Atletico was 2.4-0.6 whereas tonight was 1.0 to 0.6 in favour of City. Shot totals don't tell you a whole lot; Chelsea in particular are set up to allow a lot of terrible shots from poor angles and from distance.
I don't think it's outrageous to suggest that the two performances were comparable in terms of dominance by the away side.
The midfield wasn't the problem at all, the problem was bringing Willian on. He was appallingly bad on his own merits, and on top of that it had the knock on effect of pushing Hazard further up the pitch and out of the number 10 role from where he'd troubled City at times. With the attack so disjointed, there wasn't a lot the midfield could do.I said it in the Title Race thread but games like today and the one against Arsenal is why Chelsea won’t challenge for the title this season. Morata is doing well but he won’t be as good as Costa, likewise their midfield isn’t as good without Matic
I expect them to be comfortably the 3rd best side but quite a few points behind the 2nd and 1st placed sides
That's fair enough, I'm not trying to have a go. I do think that pundits have been overblowing the Atleti performance to some extent; it was hugely impressive but it wasn't the greatest ever or anything. Atleti basically only created one real threatening opportunity to score aside from the penalty though, which was at the very end of the first half. Aside from that, they were mostly shooting from poor angles/very far distance. Only 4 shots in the area compared to 11 for Chelsea. Here's the xG map:Possibly. I'm literally going off stats as I was watching the United game on Wednesday and didn't see any of the Chelsea match. There's no denying the Atletico result was brilliant, though.
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Looking at that, the performances do look quite similar. I guess looking singularly at the stats, doesn't the tell the whole story. The Athleti match definitely looked a-lot closer by just looking solely at the match stats but by looking at what you posted, it looks like you's created far better chances.That's fair enough, I'm not trying to have a go. I do think that pundits have been overblowing the Atleti performance to some extent; it was hugely impressive but it wasn't the greatest ever or anything. Atleti basically only created one real threatening opportunity to score aside from the penalty though, which was at the very end of the first half. Aside from that, they were mostly shooting from poor angles. Here's the xG map:
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Versus the match from tonight:
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I think the one from tonight overstates things in Chelsea's favour; the big chance for Chelsea was a Morata header from a tight angle that he probably could have done better with, but it's a flaw with the methodology since he was within the 6 yard box.
I can personally testify that I pulled out a considerable amount of my own hair, especially whilst we were 1-0 down. Losing that match would have been highway robbery (although the penalty was completely justified thanks to an idiotic shirt pull by Luiz).Looking at that, the performances do look quite similar. I guess looking singularly at the stats, doesn't the tell the whole story. The Athleti match definitely looked a-lot closer by just looking solely at the match stats but by looking at what you posted, it looks like you's created far better chances.
Maybe the 3rd choice wingback Zappacosta would have won us the game.I can personally testify that I pulled out a considerable amount of my own hair, especially whilst we were 1-0 down. Losing that match would have been highway robbery (although the penalty was completely justified thanks to an idiotic shirt pull by Luiz).
What counter? City managed to contain pretty much all danger from counters from the start. The only areas Chelsea really could exploit were on the wing, mostly with a quick diagonal ball. Since neither Alonso nor Azpilicueta know how to beat a man not much came from them.You summed it up very well. I don't think Fabregas should have started this game tbh, especially with Chelsea's initial defensive set-up. Pedro is much more effective on the counter.
Agree on the squad depth. Its extremely thin and a bit of an embarrassment for a team supposedly competing for titles.They have a very good main lineup and Conte is a very good manager despite some baffling decision. Their squad has zero depth, though, and that will be their main problem.
It's not the best line up in the league but still definitely a very good one. The problem I can say about their lineup is that most of their players are functional more than skillful. Hazard is the only one who can do magical things while the rest are a players designed the benefit the system more, but they have always been like that anyway.Agree on the squad depth. Its extremely thin and a bit of an embarrassment for a team supposedly competing for titles.
Disagree on the first 11 though. Its atleast 2 starters behind City and United and possibly behind spurs too. Fourth best in the league.
He would have been a better option than Azpilicueta. Cahill shouldn't have played in this game; with Azpilicueta at his usual RCB role we'd have been much more dangerous going forward and we'd have had an actual outlet on the right.Maybe the 3rd choice wingback Zappacosta would have won us the game.
Last 4-5 seasons yes. But City and United were pretty much asleep at the wheel all this while. Now things are different, City and United have bought very well over the last two summers. Genuinely think it will be impossible for anyone else to compete with those two.It's not the best line up in the league but still definitely a very good one. The problem I can say about their lineup is that most of their players are functional more than skillful. Hazard is the only one who can do magical things while the rest are a players designed the benefit the system more, but they have always been like that anyway.
Not disagreeing about that by a bit. What I'm saying is their lineup is still good enough to finish top 3 at least.Last 4-5 seasons yes. But City and United were pretty much asleep at the wheel all this while. Now things are different, City and United have bought very well over the last two summers. Genuinely think it will be impossible for anyone else to compete with those two.
Disagree completely. To be honest, I think Chelsea's starting XI is better than ours.Agree on the squad depth. Its extremely thin and a bit of an embarrassment for a team supposedly competing for titles.
Disagree on the first 11 though. Its atleast 2 starters behind City and United and possibly behind spurs too. Fourth best in the league.
Well, If we made combined XI I think it'll be something like :Disagree completely. To be honest, I think Chelsea's starting XI is better than ours.
I don't think one can assess it like that. If Chelsea put out their strongest XI and we did ours, I think Chelsea's would be slightly stronger on paper.Well, If we made combined XI I think it'll be something like :
De Gea
Valencia - Luiz - Bailly - Alonso
Kante - Matic
Pogba
Pedro - Lukaku - Hazard
Can we disagree on any choice here ?