Saaladin

Lampard's squad played nothing like this all season. 
The energy, intensity, direction, speed of play was all superior to most of the matches under Lamps. 
The fact is Wolves decided to make it almost impossible to score with how deep they played. There was only ever going to be one or two chances to unlock that game and force Wolves to open up and it was the chance Havertz created that Chilwell missed. So we actually could have had a goal earlier in the match. Havertz also had a brilliant header saved only by a defender on the goal line. 
We had the best opportunities of the match not Wolves. They had two counter attacks all game. 
What do you expect a team to do with possession when the other team has 11 behind the ball in their third no less? There will be a lot of sideways and back passes surely. 

Mason Mount deserves to be in any starting 11 for the current squad. He has outworked everyone not named Kante. 
That being said I would rather see him playing more as an 8 (box to box) rather than in more advanced areas. His qualities are work rate, playing simple and scoring outside the box. He should play deeper and take advantage of the space that will be left in front of him with Kante playing in front of the back four and Havertz playing as an attacking midfielder in the inside right channel or half space. 
This would be the most balanced midfield we could have and would take advantage of everyone's skill sets and attributes. 

Mason Mount deserves to be in any starting 11 for the current squad. He has outworked everyone not named Kante. 
That being said I would rather see him playing more as an 8 (box to box) rather than in more advanced areas. His qualities are work rate, playing simple and scoring outside the box. He should play deeper and take advantage of the space that will be left in front of him with Kante playing in front of the back four and Havertz playing as an attacking midfielder in the inside right channel or half space. 
This would be the most balanced midfield we could have and would take advantage of everyone's skill sets and attributes. 

Mason Mount deserves to be in any starting 11 for the current squad. He has outworked everyone not named Kante. 
That being said I would rather see him playing more as an 8 (box to box) rather than in more advanced areas. His qualities are work rate, playing simple and scoring outside the box. He should play deeper and take advantage of the space that will be left in front of him with Kante playing in front of the back four and Havertz playing as an attacking midfielder in the inside right channel or half space. 
This would be the most balanced midfield we could have and would take advantage of everyone's skill sets and attributes. 

This season, it’s felt like we’ve been waiting since August to “kick in” and it’s never really happened. Even the 17 game unbeaten run, we didn’t really beat anyone of note. 

Agreed.
Frank was lost. He simply wasn't ready for this job. He's charismatic and legendary and a Chelsea icon, but he is not capable of managing Chelsea at this point in his career. He had no tactical setup that was identifiable, he lacked the ability to make adjustments and his inability to settle on roles and a consistent starting eleven was damaging.
Frank will need to go back and manage somewhere where the pressure is reduced and he can build his style of play and training methods.
Tuchel on the other hand has managed at Mainz, built a reputation there for being an innovator and knowledgeable coach. Then was given his big shot at Dortmund where he succeeded and evolved.
When you look at his work at PSG it wasn't just a bunch of stars scoring goals, they were always well prepared. Last year beating Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid in the CL to reach the final and gave Bayern a tough match. 
What I like most about Tuchel is his ability to plan for opponents and prepare his players for the challenges each opponent provides. There is stark differences between Tuchel and Lampard so it will be interesting to see how he does with this group.
His starting eleven selection for tomorrow will be fascinating. 

Mason Mount deserves to be in any starting 11 for the current squad. He has outworked everyone not named Kante. 
That being said I would rather see him playing more as an 8 (box to box) rather than in more advanced areas. His qualities are work rate, playing simple and scoring outside the box. He should play deeper and take advantage of the space that will be left in front of him with Kante playing in front of the back four and Havertz playing as an attacking midfielder in the inside right channel or half space. 
This would be the most balanced midfield we could have and would take advantage of everyone's skill sets and attributes. 

I don't buy that conspiracy theory, Lamps was appointed pre covid and covid damaging other clubs' finances was what let us run at Timo and Havertz unopposed.
I think the club had no hope of having a good season during a transfer ban and losing Hazard so they went for Lamps, if things were still going well they would have kept him on, not like they were waiting for Tuchel to get sacked so they can get him, like he's a real prize...
They tried to do the romantic thing but then got cold feet as soon as things got rocky, simple as that I think.
 

Agreed.
Frank was lost. He simply wasn't ready for this job. He's charismatic and legendary and a Chelsea icon, but he is not capable of managing Chelsea at this point in his career. He had no tactical setup that was identifiable, he lacked the ability to make adjustments and his inability to settle on roles and a consistent starting eleven was damaging.
Frank will need to go back and manage somewhere where the pressure is reduced and he can build his style of play and training methods.
Tuchel on the other hand has managed at Mainz, built a reputation there for being an innovator and knowledgeable coach. Then was given his big shot at Dortmund where he succeeded and evolved.
When you look at his work at PSG it wasn't just a bunch of stars scoring goals, they were always well prepared. Last year beating Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid in the CL to reach the final and gave Bayern a tough match. 
What I like most about Tuchel is his ability to plan for opponents and prepare his players for the challenges each opponent provides. There is stark differences between Tuchel and Lampard so it will be interesting to see how he does with this group.
His starting eleven selection for tomorrow will be fascinating. 

Agreed.
Frank was lost. He simply wasn't ready for this job. He's charismatic and legendary and a Chelsea icon, but he is not capable of managing Chelsea at this point in his career. He had no tactical setup that was identifiable, he lacked the ability to make adjustments and his inability to settle on roles and a consistent starting eleven was damaging.
Frank will need to go back and manage somewhere where the pressure is reduced and he can build his style of play and training methods.
Tuchel on the other hand has managed at Mainz, built a reputation there for being an innovator and knowledgeable coach. Then was given his big shot at Dortmund where he succeeded and evolved.
When you look at his work at PSG it wasn't just a bunch of stars scoring goals, they were always well prepared. Last year beating Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid in the CL to reach the final and gave Bayern a tough match. 
What I like most about Tuchel is his ability to plan for opponents and prepare his players for the challenges each opponent provides. There is stark differences between Tuchel and Lampard so it will be interesting to see how he does with this group.
His starting eleven selection for tomorrow will be fascinating. 

Agreed.
Frank was lost. He simply wasn't ready for this job. He's charismatic and legendary and a Chelsea icon, but he is not capable of managing Chelsea at this point in his career. He had no tactical setup that was identifiable, he lacked the ability to make adjustments and his inability to settle on roles and a consistent starting eleven was damaging.
Frank will need to go back and manage somewhere where the pressure is reduced and he can build his style of play and training methods.
Tuchel on the other hand has managed at Mainz, built a reputation there for being an innovator and knowledgeable coach. Then was given his big shot at Dortmund where he succeeded and evolved.
When you look at his work at PSG it wasn't just a bunch of stars scoring goals, they were always well prepared. Last year beating Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid in the CL to reach the final and gave Bayern a tough match. 
What I like most about Tuchel is his ability to plan for opponents and prepare his players for the challenges each opponent provides. There is stark differences between Tuchel and Lampard so it will be interesting to see how he does with this group.
His starting eleven selection for tomorrow will be fascinating. 

Well I haven't had a chance to read much on the board for a while but just thought I would give my 2 cents:
 
First, I hate seeing Lampard go - probably my favorite player ever. Was thrilled to see him hired as Manager of Chelsea and as most of you was hopeful his success as a player and club legend would transfer to his managerial career. I don't think I ever considered his time at Derby as evidence of his possible success as it was only one year and I also never watched Derby to know anything about his tactics or philosophy. So basically, my whole opinion was based on faith.
Watching Chelsea this season Lampard had two major flaws. First, his insistence on trusting youth a bit too much, he put his Chelsea career on the line to develop players. Tammy Abraham and Reece James are the main culprits as they at times had no business being on the field. Tammy most of all had no business being in the starting 11 for Chelsea in any match outside of a domestic cup.
He may score a goal here or there but he is not a player to be depended on in tough premier league matches or european matches. That is what Giroud and Werner are are there for. Frank really got this wrong -I mean really, starting Tammy Abraham against Leicester? It's almost naïve. 
As for Reece, fantastic talent but has a long way to go to develop as a RB. His positional awareness is lacking and can be lazy tracking back. Azpi can still do a job and should be depended on in big matches.
Frank's second flaw and main reason for his demise was his lack of identity and ability to stick to a starting 11. Are we playing with a lone 6 and 2 number 8's? Or is it a six, eight, ten? Two holding mids and an attacking mid? Frank never decided on that and to make it worse he mixes and matches EVERY game. You cannot do that and expect results.  To compound the problem he tinkers with his striker and wingers constantly. So now you have a midfield with no visible identity, no consistency in selection passing to a forward line that is different each time. Tammy doesn't play like Werner does, and Giroud doesn't play like either. So which identity to we play with? Playing through lines to Werner? Or to feet to Tammy? Or wide to Chilwell and James so they can play 26 crosses in while Giroud is on the bench (Arsenal). 
Lampard may become a fantastic manager but it was never going to be at Chelsea. He needed to learn this lesson as a manager and he will need to identify his style of play. The only manager I don' really see a style of play for that is succeeding is Solsjkaer and even he, at least, is known to play defensive and on the counter. He also has established players all throughout the team that have multiple years of premier league experience to draw from. De Gea, Macguire, Wan Bissaka, Pogba, Fernandes (only 1 year but hes 26) Martial, Rashford etc. 
So, as much as I am saddened that Lampard is gone - it was necessary and inevitable. 
On a final note, he completely misused his new signings Werner and Havertz. Werner is not a winger to be used as such game after game. He's a central striker and he showed his speed and quality doing so earlier in the season. Once Pulisic got injured he moved Werner wide to accommodate Tammy which should have never happened.
Havertz is not a winger yet Lampard started him there on multiple occasions. He is a #10 or attacking midfielder and again he showed his quality early on with his runs from midfield carrying the team into the final third. Yet he gets relegated to the bench. I'm not saying he was brilliant, but if you give him a simple role behind the striker and protect him with your 2 other mids he would have been fine and could have been on track by now. Mason Mount could play a little deeper and Kante sits in front of the back four. 
Anyway, its unfortunate. Hopefully Tuechel brings an identity and doesn't tinker with the setup for the next few weeks. Choose a starting 11 and stick with it until they form a consistency as a group. 
 

Well I haven't had a chance to read much on the board for a while but just thought I would give my 2 cents:
 
First, I hate seeing Lampard go - probably my favorite player ever. Was thrilled to see him hired as Manager of Chelsea and as most of you was hopeful his success as a player and club legend would transfer to his managerial career. I don't think I ever considered his time at Derby as evidence of his possible success as it was only one year and I also never watched Derby to know anything about his tactics or philosophy. So basically, my whole opinion was based on faith.
Watching Chelsea this season Lampard had two major flaws. First, his insistence on trusting youth a bit too much, he put his Chelsea career on the line to develop players. Tammy Abraham and Reece James are the main culprits as they at times had no business being on the field. Tammy most of all had no business being in the starting 11 for Chelsea in any match outside of a domestic cup.
He may score a goal here or there but he is not a player to be depended on in tough premier league matches or european matches. That is what Giroud and Werner are are there for. Frank really got this wrong -I mean really, starting Tammy Abraham against Leicester? It's almost naïve. 
As for Reece, fantastic talent but has a long way to go to develop as a RB. His positional awareness is lacking and can be lazy tracking back. Azpi can still do a job and should be depended on in big matches.
Frank's second flaw and main reason for his demise was his lack of identity and ability to stick to a starting 11. Are we playing with a lone 6 and 2 number 8's? Or is it a six, eight, ten? Two holding mids and an attacking mid? Frank never decided on that and to make it worse he mixes and matches EVERY game. You cannot do that and expect results.  To compound the problem he tinkers with his striker and wingers constantly. So now you have a midfield with no visible identity, no consistency in selection passing to a forward line that is different each time. Tammy doesn't play like Werner does, and Giroud doesn't play like either. So which identity to we play with? Playing through lines to Werner? Or to feet to Tammy? Or wide to Chilwell and James so they can play 26 crosses in while Giroud is on the bench (Arsenal). 
Lampard may become a fantastic manager but it was never going to be at Chelsea. He needed to learn this lesson as a manager and he will need to identify his style of play. The only manager I don' really see a style of play for that is succeeding is Solsjkaer and even he, at least, is known to play defensive and on the counter. He also has established players all throughout the team that have multiple years of premier league experience to draw from. De Gea, Macguire, Wan Bissaka, Pogba, Fernandes (only 1 year but hes 26) Martial, Rashford etc. 
So, as much as I am saddened that Lampard is gone - it was necessary and inevitable. 
On a final note, he completely misused his new signings Werner and Havertz. Werner is not a winger to be used as such game after game. He's a central striker and he showed his speed and quality doing so earlier in the season. Once Pulisic got injured he moved Werner wide to accommodate Tammy which should have never happened.
Havertz is not a winger yet Lampard started him there on multiple occasions. He is a #10 or attacking midfielder and again he showed his quality early on with his runs from midfield carrying the team into the final third. Yet he gets relegated to the bench. I'm not saying he was brilliant, but if you give him a simple role behind the striker and protect him with your 2 other mids he would have been fine and could have been on track by now. Mason Mount could play a little deeper and Kante sits in front of the back four. 
Anyway, its unfortunate. Hopefully Tuechel brings an identity and doesn't tinker with the setup for the next few weeks. Choose a starting 11 and stick with it until they form a consistency as a group. 
 

I liked Emerson. He is smooth on the ball, quick first steps and has a very purposeful cross. 
When he gets rolling I think he will have a lot to offer.
I can see how fans would get on Conte for not getting him in the team earlier but I also understand why. 
When you have a team that is not performing and every match in your schedule has serious implications you tend to go with the players who have been consistently good for you. 
Conte knows that M.Alonso has been a solid player all year and to be fair, most of the times Conte has relied on a depth player to fill a role in our starting 11 it has not gone well.
See Zappacosta and Bakayoko against Watford. Cost us the game and critical points.
Anyway, point is I think Emerson will be a good addition and I liked the signing despite missing out on better targets for LWB. 
Also, I don't agree with the statement that Alonso has struggled this season. He has been good, but, has had a few poor moments. Outside of those he has been reliable and has chipped in with goals and key passes. 

Mourinho the first time around should not have been fired. The team needed a re-fresh. How do you fire a manager who had just won you 2 league titles back to back. Mourinho should have been given time to re-shape the squad. 
You mention Scolari and AVB but you fail to mention Ancellotti who was sacked in the tunnel at Everton. 
Chelsea is not an environment for any manager to come in and feel comfortable implementing a system, re-shaping a squad and using the club's young talent. These managers come in and have to bring results instantly and have no rope when changes are required and the performance dips.

Mourinho the first time around should not have been fired. The team needed a re-fresh. How do you fire a manager who had just won you 2 league titles back to back. Mourinho should have been given time to re-shape the squad. 
You mention Scolari and AVB but you fail to mention Ancellotti who was sacked in the tunnel at Everton. 
Chelsea is not an environment for any manager to come in and feel comfortable implementing a system, re-shaping a squad and using the club's young talent. These managers come in and have to bring results instantly and have no rope when changes are required and the performance dips.

I actually think the fans are willing to be patient. 
I think it's the club and board that are not willing to show patience which reflects on the opinions of the Chelsea fans. If the club was willing to support Conte through the re-tool of the squad and had given him some public support rather than constantly kicking the tires on other managers most Chelsea fans would have been OK being out of CL for this year while bringing along some young players next season and adding outside talent. 
Unfortunately that is never afforded to a Chelsea manager.

I actually think the fans are willing to be patient. 
I think it's the club and board that are not willing to show patience which reflects on the opinions of the Chelsea fans. If the club was willing to support Conte through the re-tool of the squad and had given him some public support rather than constantly kicking the tires on other managers most Chelsea fans would have been OK being out of CL for this year while bringing along some young players next season and adding outside talent. 
Unfortunately that is never afforded to a Chelsea manager.

I liked Emerson. He is smooth on the ball, quick first steps and has a very purposeful cross. 
When he gets rolling I think he will have a lot to offer.
I can see how fans would get on Conte for not getting him in the team earlier but I also understand why. 
When you have a team that is not performing and every match in your schedule has serious implications you tend to go with the players who have been consistently good for you. 
Conte knows that M.Alonso has been a solid player all year and to be fair, most of the times Conte has relied on a depth player to fill a role in our starting 11 it has not gone well.
See Zappacosta and Bakayoko against Watford. Cost us the game and critical points.
Anyway, point is I think Emerson will be a good addition and I liked the signing despite missing out on better targets for LWB. 
Also, I don't agree with the statement that Alonso has struggled this season. He has been good, but, has had a few poor moments. Outside of those he has been reliable and has chipped in with goals and key passes. 

There was decent vocal backing for Conte on Sunday. I think it's probably reflective of how he has come across in the last few weeks which, in my opinion,  has been greatly improved. He is starting to look a lot more involved. The results and performances have picked up. There is suddenly a much better feel about the club. Good to see him wearing a suit again on Sunday, and showing more emotion that we have seen in months. 
Overall I would say the opinion of Conte from match going fans is as equally mixed as the opinion on this forum. I know plenty who have given up on him for all the same reasons that have been discussed on here. 
I have had a massive issue with how Conte has behaved this season, but if I genuinely believed that he wanted to stay I would keep him on. I am still not convinced of that though. 
I hope we finish the season strong, win the FA Cup, and then whatever happens everyone can have their head held high. 

Conte wanted Walker, he said it by himself, the board bring Zapacosta. Azpi was not playing RB, even when Mourinho was here, not know how you decide, he is the best RB in the world.
And even if he decide to play him RB, you would start crying, why he is playing this or this player in the CB, where Azpi should be there, like always.
And 2011-2012 we was 6th. Then 2015-2016 we was 10th. If the team was so good, as you said, even without manager they would be atleast top 6 and this exact year City was s***, Liverpool was sh*****, United was s******.
So imagine how bad our team was. Let me put more arguments into this:
12-13 in the CL, we lose in the group stage. Juventus destroyed us 3-0, you know who was their manager at that time ??? :D We also get Destroyed in the Europe SuperCup .... And even lose the World Club ....
13-14 was the last time we see semi-final in the CL, we was destroyed by Atletico.
14-15 we lose in the 1/16 final to PSG and we was Champion in the PL that year
15-16 - exactly the same lose in the 1/16 to PSG.
16-17 - not played, "because by your own words we have one of the best squads in the league and top, top squad "
17-18 we finish second in the group stage, fu**** by Roma hard, and we losed to Barcelona 1/16 finals again.
So since we won the league(by huge luck btw and by our great leaders) we are sh*** in the CL. So what that exactly told you? And let me put more weight, that is with different managers. So thats clearly speak about not good enough squad. That is clearly.
Same as our mixed result in the PL.
And whatever you are trying to twist, 10th place is a 10th place, f**ked in the CL same year, so NO, we didn`t have good squad, we was in very, very bad position and no one here or on whatever planet was expecting Conte to come and risk his BIO for a broken team, and no one on the world was expecting us to win the LEAGUE, so that is a pure FACTS !!!
Conte was even the number 1 favorite to get fired last season. And we was no near the favorite for the titles. That speask for itself.
So whatever you are trying to twist the truth, it`s not happening. That`s the reality. We have a broken team. Diego Costa wanted to leave right there. But Conte was the one, that convinced him to stay. But Conte is to blame, that Costa decide to make sh*** in the winter, and to do circus in the summer all over again.
And that 10th place once again was with 2 different managers.
So no matter what happen till the end i will be very thankful to Conte, that he took the team in that hard position, cause there was not much candidates to take that broken team. And everyone was speaking about board sacking managers regularly and the players doing what they want and not listen to their managers and sacking them as well.
That was our team, one broken team with players that are full of s**** and doing what they want and when they want.
Conte make the team last year, looks that good with his motivation, his tactics, strategy and formations, and by squeeze the best out of the players.
 
And now there is a news, that City is just a step to take Jorginho from Napoli. City are doing their work early, how it`s should be, and there will give Guardiola a 200m. for squad reinforcement.
They have the best team, most of their players are in great age, and will only improve, but they still back him hard, even when he failed in the CL by a lesser team.
That`s enough said. We always work our buissness in the market very late, when the price are UP, and all the quality is already gone .....
Poor, poor board.
I feel for the next Chelsea manager. He will be picked soon after he is appointed, and some "spec" here will reveal how bad he is and shows us how much they understand the football. :D
HF, that was from me.
 
 

So he has one bad game and fans go into meltdown. Similar reaction to Conte right now. Just have no patience or desire to analyze the whole of the situation and would just rather do the easy thing and pin it on the manager.
Conte is the perfect Chelsea manager and if he gets a few of HIS signings this summer he would have the ability to win the double next season.

It doesn't matter who it is. We have a run down squad of players. That means you will get mixed results and you'll lose previously winnable games.
Last season Conte could bring Fabregas off the bench or Matic off the bench. This season he has had to rely on Fabregas all year. He was not meant to be that player for Chelsea at this point. 
Pretty sure our best striker was injured for several games also.

So he has one bad game and fans go into meltdown. Similar reaction to Conte right now. Just have no patience or desire to analyze the whole of the situation and would just rather do the easy thing and pin it on the manager.
Conte is the perfect Chelsea manager and if he gets a few of HIS signings this summer he would have the ability to win the double next season.

Drinkwater has been given opportunities when he was healthy. And he did nothing with them. He was average at best and provided no particular quality to the team. 
You're exactly right, the board couldn't have known that Baka would fail this badly but they took a huge risk on a young player and in the process (with their stupid transfer policy) sold Matic who was a proven player to our rivals. You think Conte had anything to do with that mess?
How is having more options available at CM more important than having better options available? The board downgraded arguably the most important position on the pitch and asked Conte to make miracles happen. 
Conte wanted guys like Vidal, Nainggolan, Veratti if he was losing Matic, not a kid who happened to have a great season. In itself, I personally have no issue with the Bakayoko signing, I have a major issue with pretending he could replace Matic and Fabregas as the main partner to Kante.
Who were Conte's other targets? Koulibaly, Alex Sandro, Sergio Roberto, Bonucci, Belotti, Oxlade-Chamberlain etc. Board didn't get him even one of his top guys. Morata probably was a Conte target but not ahead of Lukaku and Belotti.