TheBlueLamp

Or 4th place Chelsea become Andorra when we face Bournemouth

Football (and this Forum in particular) is all about opinions. It's what it's all about and none of us are going to agree on everything.
I don't think Lamps is above criticism and he will no doubt hold up his hands and admit he has got things wrong at times this season. He's a young manager still learning so it's to be expected. BUT it amazes me how many people think they could do a better job and actually have the front to come out with things like "why didn't he start Willian and Pedro". f**k me, have you not seen those two for the majority of this season? Lamps isn't exactly spoiled for choices and I;m sure if RLC, Pulicic and CHO had been fit and available we would have seen a different line-up, but for folk to honestly think Willian and Pedro were the answer last night then they can't have been seeing what I have this season.
Summer clear-out, a number of quality signings, injured players back to full fitness to give us squad to compete and THEN we can judge Lamps, not now when he's working with a VERY average squad of players.    

Month to month rolling contract. He might actually turn up most games then.  

Batshuayi has to go.

We hardly create any one on ones, i know Frank keeps saying were creating chances, but that's just him -understandably trying to stay positive. 

They would be mad not to, it works so beautifully.

Evans on Torres. Second yellow. Instead Torres was booked for diving.

Not often I disagree with you Davey, but I definitely do here. You accept there are mitigating circumstances but feel they are overstated. Fair enough it's your view, but I have similar view on what you perceive as being down to poor coaching. Your statement on poor movement, which you feel is the most glaring weakness, is a case in point. I actually feel our forward movement and passing speed, for much of this season anyway, has been the most impressive and enjoyable to watch since we had Duff and Robben in the team. What has let us down is the quality of the finishing. And I'm not aiming that solely at the strikers. We don't have enough goals chipped in from our midfielders, certainly not for the amount of balls and players we commit into the opposition box. 
Set pieces I would tend to agree on. Like you I am not a fan of zonal marking Davey but player for player we are a relatively small team and arguably Zouma and Giroud  aside we don't have anyone else who is aerially dominant. Likewise we currently have no central midfielders that offer a real physical presence along with being decent on the ball. 
No doubt we are a work in progress but I do see progress. I actually thought we would finish 6th or 7th this season but of course I would hate to see top 4 slip away now when we have been up there for so long. However, bottom line for me is Frank has taken over at a difficult time, in difficult circumstances and he may well be learning on the job. But the respect and admiration I feel in the way he has conducted himself, communicated with the press and represented our club throughout it all means he will get my total backing wherever we finish this season.

There are weaknesses in our squad but the real weakness right now is the manager. We are so open. We can't keep a clean sheet to save our lives. It's 1 in every 6 games I think, which is comical. Coaching. Jorginho is the holding midfielder, which only works if every single player in the team presses, and presses hard, and remains compact at all times. It has to be like clockwork, engrained into the team. Then there's movement, and options on the ball, so that when he receives it every player knows where to go. This just isn't happening. We play a far more open, a far less structured style under Frank, which is fine, but Jorginho is completely the wrong guy. He's not a holding midfielder to save his life. You need a real tactical mind to use Jorginho, otherwise his limitations come to the fore. Our defence had no protection. Zero. There was space behind Jorginho all day long, in front of our defence, and Leicester were finding it. They were by far the more cohesive side, especially after our initial spell. Second-half, from open play, there's only one side that looked like scoring, again and again. That has f**k all to do with the transfer window, and the sooner Frank realises the better.
 
Some people don't want to hear it, because they love Frank, as I do, but right now we're on a run of 15 points from 13 games, and more than anything, the reason for that is the coaching. I don't care about top four this season, it isn't a big deal for me, I'm happy Frank's here I'm happy he's playing the kids I'm sure he'll get the chance to shape the squad more in his image in the summer, but people pointing the finger at the board or the players should be really focusing on the manager.
 
Second-half Leicester were immeasurably superior to us, they were finding those pockets of space in front of our defence, they were creating chances and we weren't. Frank did nothing to change it. We went ahead from a corner as soon as the second-half started, after which they took control and deservedly went 2-1 up. We could see it coming but Frank did nothing. We scored from a corner again, at which point Frank made changes, but they had missed a few gilt-edged chances.
 
Some of you will think this is harsh, but the game lasts 90 minutes. Sure, we missed a few chances early doors, but the game goes on, Leicester get a foothold and but for two goals from set-pieces we're losing that game, very easily, and then a lot of you would be being harsher. Over the course of the game we were second best, and that has nothing to do with personnel, and everything to do with coaching.
 
Lastly, Kepa. He's been poor this season, undoubtedly, but nobody has ever mentioned the role Frank may have had in this. Kepa last season was pretty good. He had a very encouraging season, generally, although there is obviously a problem in claiming crosses. He was excellent with his feet, and Sarri wanted a keeper that could play, to fit his style, and that gave Kepa confidence, because there was a strategy, because Sarri's a very meticulous manager, every time Kepa had the ball at his feet the defenders and the midfielders knew exactly where to go, so that Kepa had options, and he didn't have to think. It was drilled into them in typical Italian style, until it's on auto-pilot. As a result, Kepa was calm, cool, composed, and oozed confidence. I'm not letting him off this season, as his primary job is to stop goals and he hasn't been doing that, but a lot of that calmness and serenity at the back has left us. We're shipping way more goals than last season, and Derby shipped a lot of goals last season. We're playing out from the back but not in a structured way, and we're not pressing from the front as a team, and I think that's impacted the whole team including the keeper. A lot of you will scoff at that and so be it, but that's my theory, It's not all to do with how we play, I'm saying it's played a part, however small, and it's got into his head, and maybe the manager can help him out more. He's a good keeper, from what I saw last season. We'll be getting rid in the summer, maybe for somebody who's more suited for us. Which brings me to this.......
 
What are we? As a team? Does anybody know? We're a bit of a muddle. We're half one thing and half another. That's okay, we're a work in progress, and I like managers that let their players play, but if you're going to let your players play, play your best players. Kovacic has to be in that midfield, ahead of both Jorginho and Kante. Kante's another one, does Frank really know how to use him properly? All these questions are far more important than who we might have signed as a back-up striker. What are we? Who are we? Is there a method? These are the questions I want answered as Frank's tenure at the club ensues. People talk about planning with the board. What about planning on the pitch? This is what I'd really like to see some more of, and I'm hopeful we will as Frank grows into the job. I think the kids could do with a bit more method. Right now it all looks a little bit higgledy-piggledy to me.

Just back from king power, what did you lot think ? i thought we bossed first 25 mins and had a couple of chances, Odi looked good in that period.
After the first 25 it became more an end to end game, but we still had the majority of the ball, they had the best chance to win it, and we could of won it ourselves with (the usual story) better finishing.
Did Tammy get fouled when VAR looked at the penalty shout ?
Highlight of the game was the message Frank sent to the board when he subbed Tammy for Barkley, me and the grandson chuckled at that one.
The support as always fully 100% behind Frank and making themselves heard.
 

It's hard to keep unity and positivity in the group when you're not being backed by the very same people who entrusted you with a very difficult job. We've had five permanent managers and three interims in charge over the last eight years, and some of our current players have outlasted them all. You want positivity and unity, how about trying to support your young manager for a change. Frank is normally a very level headed person and these latest comments show he's quite unhappy. None of us know what really happens behind the scenes, but if I had to guess he was probably given certain promises that the board failed to make good on regarding the January window. And let's not pretend this is the first time it happens at Chelsea, they treat managers like employees who need to operate on a 'need-to-know' basis, it regularly ends with falling out between a manager and the club and we spent an absolute fortune on buyout fees paid out to departing managers since Roman's arrival. The latest one being Conte suing CFC for some back pay or something.
We know Frank is lucky to have got the job and if it wasn't for the exceptional circumstances, that probably wouldn't have happened, at least not that early in his coaching career. But once you gave him the reins, so to speak, you have to back him, otherwise you're planting a time bomb that at some point will go off and destroy your relationship with a new manager, the atmosphere within the club and inevitably will have a negative effect on the performances/results. 

Dunno why people are focusing on Willy being out of position because he was set and back in position when the shot came in.
Where were out defence is the proper question.

The squad wasn't that great, Kovacic was awful last year but has looked a different player under Lampard, Zouma hasn't really done much at any club and for me hasn't been that great this season and under any normal season the youngsters wouldn't have been given a chance. Lampard didn't have to play the youngsters and he has to be praised for how he has got them playing, he didn't exactly inherit ready made players. I doubt Sarri or Conte would have given them the same chance or they would be performing at the same level. Lampard could quite as easily have been safe and stuck with Zappa, Giroud, Baka and other rubbish.
Lampard has got us 4th with a good squad but it looks better than it was because he has the youngsters performing well but players like Mount and Abraham are getting tired. Let's also remember Lampard has done this with Rudiger, RLC, Kante and Pulisc having injuries.
Im the first to criticise the way we have been playing lately but if Lampard wanted backup striker then Chelsea should have signed someone, its pretty clear we are lacking in this department in recent games, we have no striker on the bench for when teams sit back. In my opinion Lampard has every right to be p*****

Appealed the transfer ban which was good that the club proved that they weren't as guilty as the FA accused the club of, but I have to agree with you. Maybe its Granovskaia at fault here, the way we chop and change from targets i.e. we wait until 2 weeks in the January window to actually get a move on we look at Cavani and Dembele then seemingly give up, boom now we're apparently looking at Piatek and Mertens with a few days left. It just looks so disorganised and I have to say I feel sorry for Giroud who has done nothing but been a good servant for this club who hasn't had a single chance in months! I wouldn't hold anything against Giroud for wanting to join Spurs he won the club the EL.
We ain't signing s*** this window, what a pity because we definitely need some reinforcements to try and secure a top 4 place.

Feel a bit for lamps, no summer window after losing our best player, asks for a back up striker in january, not even a marquee signing, and he doesnt even look like getting that. 
I understand the need to save money for our main targets in the summer, but with how the last 3 or 4 years have gone in the transfer market, i dont really have much faith the club will secure these targets anyway. 
Same story as previous windows, plenty of things going on behind the scenes, but ultimately left it very late to make a good impactful signing. 
Probably wouldve been better for squad morale if the ban wasnt lifted at this point, Lampard has been calling out the lack of potency in attack, giroud looks set to be denied a transfer, all of that negative energy wouldve been avoided if the ban wasnt lifted.
Here's to hoping we male top 4 regardless, and in the summer, the board restore some faith that they can get some quality in the side, and actually start to build a team capable of mounting a challenge on all fronts. 
We used to be all about world domination, that level of ambition seems a world away these days.

Someone posted it in here one day. It's close to 300m without improving the squad. I mean it's not as bad as Utd but its the wasted opportunities after Jose and Conte won the league that grind my gears. We're struggling to be top four and we could have built on those years and forged great teams that competed every year.

FFS, can we just stop this bollocks?  Willian is doing what he does, and has always done
 
 

Honestly, I think it’s time to put the Ross Barkley experiment to bed and move him on. He’s not getting any better in his entire time here. He’s not good enough and never will be.

Its name is JT.

Ok. These “Klopp is nothing special“ takes ive seen here and elsewhere couldn’t be more wrong. I know we hate Liverpool, but we shouldn’t let it blind us to what Klopp has achieved. It’s nothing short of phenomenal. He’s transformed the club completely, turned it into a global powerhouse. Ok he spent a lot of money, but so did a lot of other clubs, without anything like the same success. unlike some of them, Liverpool’s spending was a function of the incremental improvements that Klopp brought about since taking over and the boost to profitability that resulted. 
 
We all tend to underestimate how hard it is to coach a football team, let alone one at the top. There are myriad factors that need to be considered, from tactics, to fitness, to team spirit, to psychological factors - maintaining confidence, managing those egos and, the hardest thing of all, doing all these things consistently... he’s getting the absolute most out of both the stars and the not-so-good players, and there are a good few. What he did at Dortmund was also remarkable, and let’s not forget he had to work his way up without a reputation to propel him. If you’re looking for a premier league manager who may not be all he’s cracked up to be, Guardiola is your man, not Klopp. Whether we like it or not, Klopp is the gold standard in football coaching/management right now. I get that it’s hard to take but it’s the reality. 

I hear your points absolutely valid we have had fantastic results and as great as they are they are exceptions this season not the norm.

My concern relates to progression, I am not seeing the progression from mistakes made in previous matches to the other matches. If I saw that but we still had challenges or still lose then fair play. What did we do in the last match that didn't work? What did we do great? How do we build on the "what worked" while fixing the "what didn't" What I am seeing however is the same tactics the same approach the same style.
When Sarri did that last season the media started the no plan B agenda and fans run with it, at the moment I don't even think we have a plan A.

The start of the season I could see the plan, high press, direct quick play I don't see that anymore which begs the question what's our approach to games. Are we developing a identity?

Doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results is mind boggling, every game you can see a pattern very early on and you pretty much can figure out the result, this is my concern. We were left with a very good base from Sarri to build on with only Hazard leaving which shouldn't affect our over system and framework.

The gist of what am trying to convey is there is a concern from me that we have regressed.

*The obvious caveat is we had no transfer window and that will change next season so I am still behind Lamps fully I just want to some identity grit fight not just against Tottenham or Arsenal away and that doesn't need a transfer window.

Oh look, once again, against a defensive team, we have lost the game. Pathetic, truly pathetic. It's happening against these teams every time.

I dont like how players like Kane, Salah and Willian instigate the contact, though Ive always been of the opinion that if a defender is stupid enough to dive in and give the attacker an opportunity to gain an advantage then they cant complain if a ref gives a penalty. Staying on your feet in the area is almost gone from defending now, useless gits.

What you mean he needs to take sh*t corners and have one good game in 10?!!!
 

Ah, it must great going through life completely ignorant of empathy.