Thrives

Nope, good performance. For some odd reason, Hull just completely lost the plot in the second half, but I am happy with that. Good win!

Pedestrian so far, but a clean sheet which is exactly what I think Conte has told the players to focus on by the way. Makes it a bit easier to win games ;). Thank god for Tibo pushing that one over the bar, I had it sailing in!! Two issues just to be pedantic. 1) Too many stray passes. I will put it down to the new system, but it does not look good. Still vulnerable to a long ball in defence which really needs sorting out. Luiz can outrun that big lump any day of the week, so why take chances? Drop off, let Cahill deal with in the air. 2) Question: How do you nullify Chelsea's attack. Answer: Push them out wide. We have nothing when we cross, absolutely nothing. It's too easy, we need to work on some better options. Obviously, it is the consequence of not having Fabregas on the field. Other than that ... good to see us outnumbering them in midfield. Kante is doing well. Alonso doing decently too, although I don't fancy him making any dangerous crosses either. We need to get Hazard on the half-turn.

Sure, I like that idea actually. I just think that Conte thinks that playing like that with Hazard and Fab on the left leaves us too exposed as they don't do that well defensively. But as I said, if we had a fully fit Zouma/JT Dave, and Alonso well-gelled at the back, I think it would work.

I think Conte would love to do that to be honest, but right now I don't think he wants to fiddle with the Kante, Matic midfield until he is certain that he has the right formula at the back. One issue at the time ;). I think there is room for Fab to play alongside Kante, but we need a more solid and well-tuned back first.

I like that idea! It was quite clear in the Arsenal game that Costa needs someone to help him. A free-roaming Hazard could do wonders. Besides, he can't track back anyway. To be fair to Willian, he has not been good recently, but he usually does well to get back and dig in to help the back line. I think he can work well in a four-man midfield.

Huh? I thought Alonso was LB. So Dave as RB, Cahil and Luiz as CBs and Alonso as LB. Or is there a 3-5-2 here somewhere?

Indeed, I have to say that he looks like lad who needs a break! But we're short on options at the moment.

Interesting that also neither Oscar or Fab are playing. Fair to give Moses a start ... he has earned it I reckon. Don't see many through balls in this line-up, though. Anyway ... good to see some changes!

Cahill and Luiz as CBs?! How far the mighty Chelsea have fallen! ... That defence is leaky! ... I hope they don't have any major brain farts!

Team to face Hull City: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Alonso, Cahill (c), David Luiz, Kante, Matic, Moses, Willian, Hazard, Diego Costa. #CFC

If Conte gets a season to work with this squad, I think he can bring success. But he needs a season, and it might not be the kind of season that we want to see. It's all bit up in arms in the PL at the moment as we have just started. City look like the genuine article. I have my doubts about Arsenal, though. Sure, they bossed us, but they always screw up. I think their team is too fickle. Sanchez is a monster ... the rest are average. Liverpool looks unplayable at times, but then they slip in a banana skin at Burnley. What I will say about Klopp, though is that his teams play with ferocious intensity. I have to agree with the comment on injuries above ... Utd and Tottenham are a bit 50/50 I think. They will be up there, but they will also slip up in some gamces. Bottom line: Yes, we can make top four, but this is also the most equal PL we have seen in a long while, which in itself is a problem for us given our massive expectations. We need to find some consistency in the next 6-7 matches. I am annoyed with the situation at Chelsea because actually I think the situation is pretty simple to solve. Abrama needs to trot down to the dressing room and say two things to the team and the staff. 1) He needs to tell the players that this is it. Conte is staying and come come hell or high water, that won't change. Basically, he needs to send a signal that this is the group he is banking on and then they need to go out and solve it. One of the key problems is that everyone at Chelsea switches off after a run of bad games, simply waiting for Roman to wield the axe. Well, if I was Roman, I would bury the axe and simply say. Nope ... I don't f'cking care if we plunge into league 1, I am not giving these spoiled kids anything. Metaphorically speaking of course ;). 2) Following from 1), I would look the players in the eyes and ask them how they feel about the rest of the world laughing at Chelsea. Do they like it? Where is their pride? Anyone who can't put up a fight to get Chelsea back where we need to be can go in Jan transfer window. I mean why do we think our back-four is always tighter with JT. Because he is still one of the quickest and technically best defenders?! Non-sense. He just goes out there and plays like every game was a CL final. I love it. I want to see more of that. Quite simply ... shame them! If they can't take that. Well, they know where the door is. Now, one point I have to concede on the whole tactical/management side is that I cannot, for the f'cking life of me, understand why we're still playing the same system. I mean, one of THE biggest reasons why we're being bullied in many games is quite simply that everyone knows exactly how we set up, how we play etc. Eventually, our opponents figure it out, and when we then don't execute well ... then we have problems. Let's play two up front, let's play three in the back ... I don't know the answers, but we need to SURPRISE our opponents sometimes.

Love Conte's comments here. Give him time and support and the man will solve the problems. But will he get time? That is the key question and our main challenge as a football club.

And we used to call the Gooners light-weight. LOL ... talk about turning the tables. When you defend like that your're doomed. Pure and simple. It doesn't matter against who. Of course, they will now come out and play like rabid dogs, pull a couple back, but still lose. Our glory days are over ... we need to rebuild completely from the ground and up. I still think Luiz is a massive issue ... he makes everyone nervous. Of Hazard not tracking back either for the second goal.

Of course this thread will melt down if we lose. Such is the folklore around here ;). After last season, however, I have zero expectations. We're rebuilding and Conte is clearly not still certain what his best team/formation is. I reckon Klopp is reaping the rewards from working in his second season ... unfortunately, few CFC managers are awarded that luxury if we don't win everything. As for the game, if we're up for it, we can beat anyone in this league. Arsenal has looked slick recently, though, and they will be sniffing a victory. Luiz in defence is my biggest problem ... he is quite simply a liability at the back.

Bring on ET .... these cup ties, if won mind ;), are huge confidence boosters. Get in! Meanwhile. Can be please NEVER play Luiz as CB again, please please.