sabin6912

Tomorrow I would like to see a team effort that feels like the Chelsea of old. I want to see us play every trick in the book. I want to see us ‘leave a bit’ on one of their players early on and set the tone of the game from the first minute by playing aggressively and on the front foot. Surround the referee when they foul Hazard and demand he draws a card, he’s our star man for goodness sake, we need to protect him! Get the crowd on side and really go after them from the first minute, rather that letting them play on their own terms as we did against Arsenal. My ideal 11 would be Kepa Azpi Rudiger Luiz Emerson Kante Jorginho Barkley CHO Giroud Hazard I don’t expect that to be the 11 we go with but I can hope! Regardless of who starts let’s really press them and force them into mistakes, rather than vice versa. Be aggressive and let’s have back some of the nastiness that we’ve really lost over the last year or so. I want us to be the team everyone loves to hate because we’re a horrible bunch to play against, not the team you know you can roll over if you’re aggressive and rough them up. For years Wenger bemoaned how aggressive teams were against his Arsenal side which was utter rubbish. Please don’t let us go that way. KTBFFH

Sarri wages war on the players. We all know how this one will end. Is Sam Allardyce still available?

Totally fed up with our performances of late. Watching us against Newcastle last week felt like an ordeal. I thought we couldn’t possibly play as poorly again. Wrong. I’d echo most of the comments already made here on the match itself, we had more of the ball and managed to never look like scoring, whereas Arsenal seemed to create 4 or 5 real quality chances. Even in stoppage time at 2-0 down everything we did was sidewards. What can we change? I think we have to give up on Hazard as false 9, it worked against Man City and hasn’t worked since. I desperately hope Higuain comes in and changes things for us. Our full backs lack intent going forward and we hardly ever get in behind teams. The only time we do is the odd diagonal ball from David Luiz. We have to move the ball quicker and we have to move the ball with intent. I want to see Alonso and Azpilicueta busting a gut to get past our wide players, not ambling into the box trying to play one-twos through 4 players. If we start the same 11 against Spurs on Thursday and play the same way then Sarri unfortunately deserves whatever comes to him.

I might be in a minority here but Azpilicueta, Alonso, Pedro all showing more concern for Bellerin’s injury than the scoreline? His own teammates nowwhere near him but our dejected lot stood round feeling sorry for themselves!! I completely understand their concern but surely a quick check and then get in a huddle and try and rally the team a bit.

Another entirely ineffective 60 minutes from Kovacic. I really struggle to see what he brings to this team

Utter garbage from the first minute. Not a prayer if we carry on like this. Our attacking strategy seems to be to walk the ball across the front of their box and then pass it back to Kepa. The half summed up by Willian shooting one out for a throw in.

Awful from Jorginho to give the ball away earlier in the play and then his awful wayward shot when we’re starting to build up some sustained pressure. Completely kills our rhythm and lifts the Spurs crowd. We look neat and tidy with the ball but we really aren’t penetrating and looking like scoring. We need a striker. What I’d give to get a Drogba in this team, even an Anelka.

I really do worry about Barkley sometimes. He has all the tools to be a great player but he seems to lack a football brain. He has absolutely no sense of danger and his decision making is poor at times, particularly when playing in his own half facing his own goal.

The whole “clear and obvious” thing doesn’t apply for offsides. Similar to the goal line technology. It’s either offside or not/over the line or not.

Not sure what Kepa was doing both clattering into Kane and then on the penalty. Can’t argue with either the offside decision or the penalty itself. It’s a shame as I think we’d had the better of the game to that point. Don’t concede again before half time and then let’s come on strong in the second half and shut the whining spurs fans up who are bemoaning every single decision the ref makes

Really impressive start from us. Spurs are a clinical side with Son and Kane both on form so hopefully we can keep it tight at the back and keep getting at them with CHO on the right wing.

Brilliant forward play by Hudson Odoi. One of my issues with Willian is he often feels like more of a traditional right sided midfield player who would be better suited in a 4-4-2, whereas CHO seems a perfect fit for the wide forward/4-3-3 winger role. Keep getting the ball into CHO and let him attack their full back. PLEASE KEEP HIM.

The team I’d like to see Bulka Zappacosta Christensen Cahill Emerson Barkley Ampadu RLC CHO Morata Pedro I expect we’ll see the midfield trio of RLC Fabregas Kovacic and a front three of Willian Giroud and Pedro. I’m starting to become increasingly worried about the opportunities afforded to our younger players, games like tonight should be essential in their development. Hopefully we see at least two of RLC/Ampadu/CHO start the game. Team selection aside I expect a victory to nil by a narrow margin. Uninspired at the moment!

My main issue with Morata is he doesn’t seem to do anything with conviction. Everything he does seems to be half arsed, particularly his movement in and around the box. When do you seem him bust a gut and dart to the near post when someone is on the wing, pull off to the back post, or go next to a defender and get his body infront of them so he can be played in? Not sure I ever have. He so reminds me of the Chelsea Torres, but at least Torres seemed to give it his all, Morata ambles around the pitch whining every time he gets touched. Sell in January. Get us a poacher in the Aguero mould or a selfless workhorse like Firmino. I like Giroud and he offers something different but we don’t necessarily need our no.9 to be great in the air like we did with Conte and previous managers, we rarely play long balls and have a GK with excellent distribution who should rarely need to lump the ball to our centre forward. I’ll hapilly sacrifice aerial prowess for someone who will actually get us some goals.

He has so many great attributes and with the right mindset he really could be an excellent centre half. Unfortunately he shows lapses in concentration a handful of times in just about every game he plays in, especially against teams we expect to beat. He doesn’t sense danger well enough, he could’ve easily been the cause of a Bournemouth goal today and should’ve attacked the ball to clear it at Newcastle last week.

I think he’s played okay so far but hasn’t done enough to warrant a place in the starting 11, conversely I thought Kovacic was excellent when he came on, going forwards as well as when he came back towards his own goal to help the defence. Had we not signed Kovacic I’d have expected Barkley to get a long run in the team and time to build some momentum. Sadly Kovacic is a far superior player and I think once up to full speed he’ll be picked ahead of Barkley.

Lovely wing play from Willian! Thunderbolt from Kante....

Little/no conviction in our forward play so far, everything in and around the box needs to be so intricate for us to get in. Morata needs to play on the shoulder and try and get in behind from time to time. He wants everything to feet to play needless one-twos. Proving to be a difficult game so far today but hopefully we can grow into the game and keep it at 0-0 for now. Huddersfield looking far more threatening at the moment. Expect to see RLC and Hazard on not too long into the second half if it stays like this.

Most Spanish sources seem to be suggesting we don’t have an option to buy which is a real shame, but nonetheless this is an excellent signing. I think he will really suit the premier league and expect him to start alongside Kante and Jorginho. Hopefully the fact that this is a loan rather than an outright purchase will mean that we can continue to develop RLC and Barkley in the sense that if Kovacic isn’t performing (can’t see him not doing) we don’t feel obliged to stick with him in the same way we have Bakayoko.

Cannot see us letting Willian go and the possibility of a swap deal involving Martial seems even more unlikely. The hierarchy at United apparently rate him very highly, regardless of what Mourinho thinks. Would be our best piece of business in years but sadly it won’t happen.

It was never going to be an easy game today, City were miles ahead of everyone last season and probably will be again this year. Hopeful that with time and once the full squad is back we will improve, both going forward and defensively.

This is the most stunning attacking Chelsea performances I’ve seen in years, albeit pre-season. CHO has been phenomenal from start to finish, we really need to make the most of this lad because he is special. Assesment of the game so far at half time would be similar to quite a lot of the comments which have already been made. We look great going forward but big gaps between the midfield and defence when we give the ball away. I assume Kante will start ahead of Fabregas which should help plug some of that gap when the season starts proper. Overall to say this is our 3rd game under a new manager with a completely new style of play and formation, we’ve been hugely impressive. The only positions I have concern over are left back, a third central midfielder and a striker. Morata is playing like the Chelsea Torres, either his mentality is weak or he doesn’t want to be here. If we can sort a couple of those problems I’ll be very optimistic for this season. This Sarriball stuff ain’t half bad!

Utterly useless all over the pitch.

You often hear the term “footballing brain”, I’m starting to wonder whether Bakayoko has A brain? What on earth is he doing fizzing that ball into Emerson from all of 5 yards away?! He really needs to improve quickly. Terrible decision making, composure and exeucution

Disappointing response to the Saints changes by taking Willian off for Bakayoko. We really could do with a second goal before inviting Saints onto us for the last 25 minutes.